ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT...

One down, lots to go..

2012-01-13T17:36:00.000+08:00

After the last last ride for 2011, at the very end of December, it has been a bit quiet. Then, Am-strong suggested a ride to usher in the new year. Plans are made, friends called, invitations extended. We agreed to meet at The Office at 0730hrs on Saturday.

A pleasant surprise, when in all, five other friends show up. Am-strong, Lee Ming, Ammar, and newbies, Siti together with Fong Ling completes the group. We decided to take Am-strong's suggested route to The Summit and back. Coming out from The Office, we took the motorcycle lanes and it was maintained well. No exposed drains and ill positioned grates.

We ride for about 75 mins and stopping only to rehydrate at Kinrara R&R. Not bad for a 26km ride. Everybody is looking forward to the next ride, but it won't be Bagan Lalang. Not yet anyway, kan Am-strong?

Finally..

2011-12-24T15:54:00.001+08:00

Its the day before Christmas, and finally I manage to post from BonBook. Anyway, BonBook is currently running OS 2.0.0.6149, and I'm quite happy with the latest beta ;)

Now, just need to think whether I really need to upgrade BonBerry to OS7 Berries? Top of the line 9930 or maybe mid class 9790?

'MERRY CHRISTMAS' everyone!

where do i put my bike helmet?..

Another revolution of the wheel..

2010-11-18T15:03:00.000+08:00

Received a SMS from Abg Man, invite for a ride to Bagan Lalang on Sunday morning. Made plans earlier and contemplated to give the ride a pass. But then again, it has been quite some time since I have last ridden Scotty (almost 4 month to be exact). So, feeling a bit optimistic, Bagan Lalang seems like a doable distance. If I can't finish the whole distance, I could just do it half way.

But then again, I have to be realistic. It has been almost four month since I last ridden Scotty. And no physical activities of any kind, other than lifting wok, pots etc. So, the sobering thought that I have also added more weight, decided to give that Bagan Lalang ride a pass.

Will need to train and ride a bit before I can re-join the Clan. There is no other way. Now, where did I put the spare tube and the new pump?

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Sepohon kayu daunnya rimbun..

2010-08-21T22:00:00.000+08:00

Conversation this evening between Father and two year old Sasha.

Father: Siapa tak solat, dia ber..
Sasha: ..doca! (dosa!)
Father: Siapa berdosa, nanti kena..
Sasha: ..cebat! (sebat!)
Father: Jom, solat..
Sasha: Nanok (tak nak!)
Father: Aiyoh..(stumped..)

Nak kena sebat agaknya Sasha ni. Tapi dalam nak terapkan, kena la sedikit demi sedikit, insyaAllah

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Yellow or Green?

2010-08-09T18:43:00.000+08:00

The recent price hike on fuel has seen RON95 petrol increased by 5 cents per litre and RON97 dictated by market price. As the price of RON95 is still subsidised, its sale to foreigners are banned with foreign registered cars can only fill up with RON97.

Surprisingly, we could see foreign registered cars gleefully pumping RON95 into their tanks (at least sighted at a few petrol stations, along the North-South highway), clearly defying the rule. So, the question is who is responsible to enforce this ruling? The relevant ministry or the petrol station owner.

In an economic sense, an extra 25cents per litre would be an interesting enough carrot for petrol station owners to enforce the ruling of RON95 non-sale to foreign registered cars, as a full 50litres tank could easily brings in an extra RM12.50 in sales. So, why it is not being fully enforced by the petro station owners?

Or is petrol sales commission are based on volume only? Hence there no extra motivation for sellers or petrol station owners to enforce the sales as it is the oil companies who benefited from the increased price? I can only speculate as I am not from the industry.

Anybody care to elaborate?

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Green, green grass of home?

2010-08-09T18:17:00.000+08:00

A friend commented on one social website that if the government are serious about protecting the environment, how come one hybrid car, a Prius, costs RM176,000 in our beloved country if the price of the same car in the States is just equivalent to RM73,000?

Should it be cheaper to encourage green living and minimise one's carbon footprint? Should its import duty (one thing that jacks the price up) be reduced or even waived in support for the green movement?

How much would a Prius cost if it is sold in Langkawi? Hehehe..that's some point to ponder ;) What do you think?

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The wheel has landed..

2010-08-09T07:42:00.000+08:00

Finally, after a very, very long time, the back wheels of Scotty has returned home. With a new spoke (in addition to the three before that), it is ready once again to carry my big a** all over the place again.

Even when I was at the bike shop earlier today, the owner wife was commenting that I must have not been riding since then. I want to tell her that I have a few more gleaming new road bikes at home, but that is just wishful thinking, hehe. The bottom line is, I haven't had the time to drop by at the bike shop and pick up the wheels. And its just a convenient excuse for not riding :(

With that note, and pending the arrival of the storks, I don't think I would be riding in the next few days. Once the storks delivered, then it would be easier for me to plan my rides. Really need to ride and catch-up all those missed sessions. And row more often. En AzLei said, early October will be some ergo races coming up. Now, that's a thought.

Have a great week ahead people!

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Interconnected..

2010-08-03T07:30:00.000+08:00

In the course of our lives, we can't help but to be interconnected to one another. 'No man is an island' is often cited. A happening thousand of miles away could inadvertedly affects our lives in more ways than one.

Or how, one's carelessness lead to an old car overheating and now slapped with a repair bill of more than a thousand bucks. And suddenly, thoughts of a new car is entertained. How is all that interconnected? Beats me..hehehe ;)

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To drive, to cycle or to ride..

2010-07-28T08:17:00.000+08:00

I drove most days to work. I cycle some days to work (not as often as I like to though) and there are days that I ride to work. As in riding on the public transportation. And today is such days.

Driving usually takes the shortest time. Riding could be on either extreme (at least if we're talking about city riding), while taking the public transport would be subject to the adherence to schedule and availability of (connecting)transport. If I am riding, need to be out of the house latest 7am, as with taking public transportation. Driving? Own sweet time, latest 740am.

Cost wise, driving could be the costliest with petrol costs on top of tolls etc (for me at least), with public tranportation would be manageable (no use outpricing yourself) and riding would basically cost, err.. near to nothing ;)

So, in choosing the preferred mode of transport, both facts must be factored in. Like today. Let's do some calculation..

Car : Toll (3.80) + Fuel (±4.00) = ±45mins
Public Transport : Ticket (4.50) = ±70mins
Riding my old bike : sweat, swear = ±90 mins

Note: The journey back home, could be a whole, totally different matter altogether. Especially if you're taking the public transport ;)

So, the song by Queens, "Bicycle Race" came to mind..

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride where ever I like..

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A new rivalry, while another bids the Tour, 'Adieu'

2010-07-27T16:20:00.001+08:00

The 97th edition of Tour de France saw a lot of action. The foray into spring classics county sees quite a number of casulaty in the early crashes, which includes Frank Schleck.

The anticipated duel between 7 time tour champion, Lance and Contandor failed to materialised as early as the first week. Lance suffers from punctures in Stage 3 and crashed three times in the stage up Morzine. But another rivalry was cemented with the Best Young Rider was in the yellow before a broken chain derailed his Tour ambition up Bagneres-de-Luchon.

This is the rivalry we will be witnessing for years to come between Contandor and Andy Schleck, one half of the Schleck brother. While we welcome the new rivalry, another multiple winner of Le Tour, bids 'adieu' to the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong suffered a few mishaps in the first weeks and even was denied of a stage victory in a 8 men sprint in Stage 16 to Pau. Nonetheless, Radioshack is the best team in 2010.

Looking forward to an exciting 98th edition of the Tour de France next year!

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A special team..

2010-07-26T18:33:00.000+08:00

This is a special team.

I was a member of this team by accident. During a water confidence course I met the Team Coach by accident. You see, I was wearing my favourite tee, with "US ROWING TEAM" printed at the back.

Senior : Hmm..US Rowing Team. Do you row?
Me : No.
Senior : Do you know what rowing is?
Me : I've seen people rowing on TV.
Senior : Do you want to row?
Me : (surprised) Err, they have it here? Sure, I would love to learn to row..

That particular senior happens to be the coach for UM Rowing Team, Mr Azlei and also one of the National Coach. Thus started my journey into the ultimate team sport, rowing.

Coach introduces me to the a machine build for pure torture, the Concept2 rowing ergometer, what is difference of sweep and sculling, singles, pairs, fours, eights, the strength sapping tub to the smooth, fast racing shell, macon (not related to bacon) and big blades, just to name a few thing that I have learned throughout years I was in the team.

In 1999, we were the National champion in Mens 8+, beating the likes of Kedah, in my first rowing regatta. Those days were fun. In late 2000 I became good enough to join the national team and can no longer row on behalf of my university until a few years later. Deep down, I am always proud to be a part of this special team. UM Rowing Team.

This is indeed a special team.

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The cat don't want to bathe..

2010-07-24T12:41:00.000+08:00

Conversation early this morning between Father and two year old Sasha.

Father: Sasha, pergi mandi Sayang..
Sasha: Taknak!
Father: Kenapa tak nak mandi?
Sasha: Minyu minyu tak nak mandi..(referring to the picture of cat on her shirt)
Father: Aiyoh..(stumped)

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Of Nasi Lemak and Chicken Rice..

2010-07-24T09:28:00.000+08:00

It has been quite a while since I last flown anywhere. No, I am not the tragic Icarus, but at times in the course of my work I DIPERINTAHKAN (saya yang menurut perintah, remember?) and would need to travel by air.

We use to fly using the national carrier, but the global economic downturn forces The Company to look into alternative carrier. Hence unless necessary, we will fly by AirAsia (AA). This means all domestic, and even for international flights (not that I have been on one lately)

Anyway, being a no frills carrier, everything else must be paid for inclusive of food. But, then again, the best thing is when you're travelling on business matters, The Company will factor it all in ie preferred boarding, choice seats and food. And one thing about AA is that they serve local flavours on their flight ;)

For most of my domestic flights, the food provided for us (pre-book) is usually Nasi Lemak Pak Ali, complete with rendang daging. Scrumptious, but you get bored if you had too many over a short span of time. I was already bracing myself for Nasi Lemak Pak Ali on my day-trip to KCH.

So, imagine my pleasant surprise when I was served Uncle Chin Chicken Rice, with juice and mineral water, biscuits, teabag and coffee sachet. Courtesy of The Company.

"Not too bad, eh?". Spoke too soon. On my flight back to KUL, I was once again served with..you guessed it, Uncle Chin Chicken Rice. Sigh. This cycle could be repeating itself soon.. very, very soon..

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It has been 3 weeks..

2010-07-23T23:29:00.000+08:00

This is a picture of my water bottle. I make it a habit to freeze my water bottle the night before every ride. The thinking behind it is as the frozen water bottle thaws, I would have a cold drink for far longer time compared to a normal iced water bottle.

Since the incident of triple whammy three weeks ago, I haven't ridden a bit due to the fact that my rear wheel is still in the shop. The funny thing is, the one time I actually went to the shop to pick it up, I was short on cash in the wallet.

You see, I did not specifically inform the technician NOT to change the tube (as I have a few lying around) so I was expecting the repairs to cost less than 20 bucks. Lo and behold, the repairs was on RM14, but replacement tube cost me another RM17! Bummer! I only carry 20 buck in wallet.

Rush to the shopping complex next door only to found that the two available ATM are either offline or unable to dispense. #*@/?( Apa la! So with 'muka tebal', I went to the shop and tell them I will come back later to pick up the wheels. Ceh, malu betul..

The moral of the story: Next time, bring enough money and more to the bike shop AND please, please lose weight as it might mean that you'll be riding the bike more as opposed to it being in the shop due to broken spoke(s). Hehehe!
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Of fuel, LPG, sugar and RON97

2010-07-23T01:05:00.000+08:00

It has been almost two weeks since the announced increase on fuel and sugar. A five cents increase for diesel and petrol, 25 cents increase for sugar and RON97 price will no longer be subsidised, meaning it will be according to market forces (as of now, a five cent premium over the old price)

How does it affects us as consumer? I don't know economics and maths, but I do think the impact would be minimal IF we take the steps to deal with the increase. A 5 cents increase in fuel cost means a range of 2.4-2.8% increase in fuel expenditure. A 25 cents increase in sugar price, is a tad high at 15% but it just might curb our sweet appetite.

For me, it just mean...less teh tarik AND ride more, drive less. Hehehe..if only its as simple as that (hmm, alasan, alasan..)

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Ten years on..

2010-07-13T10:09:00.000+08:00

I was outstation for the weekends, and out of touch with TdF 2010. So, when I finally got home, straightaway sits in front of the TV and switched on the live telecast on 814.

I was surprised to learn that Lance Armstrong (one of my favorite rider) is more than 4 minutes down in the race, basically 3 minutes behind the peloton lead by Astana (and Contandor, of course) up Morzine. As the camera zooms to the Radioshack team leader, I have a feeling he might have had a (if not a few) crash judging from the tear on his jersey.

The four men Astana train chugged up Morzine, with Contandor intent on putting time between him and Armstrong, not unlike what he and his Discovery Channel team did to their rivals 10 years ago. In the last 700m, Andy Schleck sprinted folowed only by Sanchez, not even Contandor.

Armstrong ended up more than 13 minutes down the GC after Stage 8. It is the passing of the guard, as the vibes, 'Armstrong Dropped' echoes throughout TdF 2010 up Morzine.

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Sotong oh sotong..

2010-07-08T09:18:00.001+08:00

It was heartbreak for German fans after the psychic octopus, Paul, once again was on target. The Spaniards were in the finals of the World Cup after 'heading' out the Germans, meeting another Final's first time, Holland.

There were already calls for nasi lemak with 'sambal kurita' for breakfast, among the locals (En Coach saya included, hehe).

On Tour de France, another 'old man' of the peloton, Alessandro Petacchi, shows that he still have the kick to race with the younger bunch to win the Stage 4 sprints finish ;)

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Another bike-less day..

2010-07-07T20:07:00.000+08:00

It is almost a week since I last ridden my bike. Or rowed. It just shows how much willpower I have (I am a professional procrastinator, remember?)

Am-strong has declared he will be going on a 1800kcal diet, to make sure his weight go down to under 65kg. He figures that being lighter will allow him to beat me, the weakest (no, make that Rider Gemok) of ISN Cycling Team.

Err, maybe I'll talk Am-strong into sharing his 1800kcal diet so that I could slim down (haha!) to 80kg or below. Maybe, just maybe, if I am lighter, my rear, 32 spoke (already) wheel will spend lesser time at the bike shop.

Or, maybe I should just get a new (and stronger) wheelset? Hehehe..*evil grin*

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The bike is in the..bike shop?

2010-07-06T15:36:00.001+08:00

It has been almost more than 4 days since I lastt ridden my bike, after the double..err, make it a triple whammy last Thursday. Suffered a puncture, lost my hand pump and to top it off, broke yet another spoke on the rear wheels. Berat sangat agaknya tu.

Still can't locate my buruk TdF glove. It either have fallen off somewhere or merajuk and disappears. Moody gloves they are. Anyway, July is here and after almost a month of nothing but 'Waka, Waka', its time to head north and starts embracing all things french, french kisses, french fries (no,no) and french bun (the bread, of course..)

Come July, I drop everything for the biggest (arguably if you talk to a Spaniard or Italian) cycling race in the world, le Tour de France. This year it starts from Holland, and into Belgium before transversing France all the way to the Arc du Triomphe in Paris on July 25th. Makes me want to get my cycling gear out already, and ride..

Owh, bummer. My rear wheel is still at the bike shop!

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Where got legs?

2010-05-16T17:05:00.000+08:00

March was filled with cycling. Total ride count: 20. Total distance: 350km. April was filled with a little less riding. Total ride count: 7. Total distance: 222km.

May? As of 16 May 2010. Total ride count: Nil. Total distance: Zilch. Lalala.. Reason: I would blame it on all my outstation trips. Cheh! Alasan semata-mata.

Early June, I would have a 130km ride to Melaka with a few of my colleagues. Tips for long ride? Ride long distance, hahaha..

Padan muka aku. Kena ride to work la nampaknya Tuesday ni..

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The tolls are taking its toll

2010-04-01T19:31:00.001+08:00

One of the things that I like about cycling is that it is an economical mode of transport. Unlike a car it does not need fuel. Or parking. Or tolls.

For the past 8 weeks I have been alternating between commuting and riding, so it has been a good arrangement of sort, to be able to save some of the expenses associated with driving a car.

So, when my rear wheel spoke broke last week, I have no other options other than to drive to work. The thing I miss most about riding my bike? Not having to pay tolls.

The tolls that I have to pay on each driving days are RM7.60 (RM3.80 one way). So, with driving/riding halfway, I would only need to spend RM2.10 per day, a saving of RM5.50. If its is a 5 working days a week, it would be a saving of RM27.50 each week.

Not to mention the reduction of fuel expenses, which could easily be another RM20 per week, so the economical benefit of riding to work, could be in the region of RM150-200 per month. That is a substantial amount to say the least.

Unfortunately, I am still bikeless (that's another story altogether), and the tolls are definitely taking its toll ;(
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Another ride, another broken spoke

2010-03-29T08:56:00.001+08:00

Lately, I felt that my effort has been jeopardized. Not that some othe people is sabotaging the effort that I put in, but I have been let down by frequent machanical breakdown.

In March alone, I have broken the spoke on my rear wheel three times. The first time was early March as I was riding from Muar to Parit Sulong, which means my dream of riding thru LTdL was stopped halfway in its track.

The second time was the week before as I was riding back from somewhere along the Kota Tinggi roads towards Kluang. The lack of a good bike shop (wheelbuilder I mean) cut short my bike-work trip to the Railway Coffee town.

The third time in as many weeks was yesterday. As I was riding towards Sweet Lemon, heard that all familiar 'twang', and rightly so, a spoke had broke. Ceh! And this is just 20km into that ride..with some newly found friend (I literally bumped into them as I was looking for cycling kaki).

Is the wheels at the end of its life? Have I grown too heavy for the wheels? Has the wheels not been trued well the first few times? Do I need a replacement wheels? Anybody got extra, cheap, good wheels to sell?

Too many choices ;( But first, need to send the broken member to the bike shop soon. Can't afford to just sit on my wide bum, doing nothing this week..huhuhu

Bummer!

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New day, new place..

2010-03-05T04:26:00.000+08:00

The country is gripped with cycling fever. Its that time of the year when LTdL is THE event.

I took the chance to be involved with the road tour this year. I remembered in 2005, with a few friends, drove up to Genting and literary painted the roads ala how its done in Europe :)

I just love race cycling. Its like chess on wheels played by the teams involved. With sprinters and climbers, supported by their trusty domestiques pit their best rider to win each stage. And the buildup to the finish line is highly tactical, and with speeds in excess of 60kmh in a bunch sprints!

This year, I will be joining the tour in Mersing, Muar and PD. We will be bed-hopping daily, moving from one hotel to another by day end. What it also allows me to do is, to ride at different places on a daily basis.

Am so looking forward to it :)

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If you can't go the whole way,..

2010-02-17T09:20:00.002+08:00

..drive halfway, and ride ;P

One of my big intention is to ride to work more often. There is a multitude of reason why I wanna do that such as its friendlier to the environment (politically correct), I could escape the traffic crawl nearing my office, save money etc. But the main reason for me is, to keep in shape (even though some say, round IS a shape)

The distance from my house to office is..let just say if I ride to and fro daily, hitting 300-400km per week, should be a breeze. I did try riding on alternate days, ie if I drive to office in the morning, I'll make it a point to ride back in the afternoon. And as my car would be parked at office, I do have to ride to office the next day. As it take 1.5hrs on the bike, by 7am I would need to be out of the house already to reach office before my punch card turns red..adoi ngantuknya :P

But then the rainy season and the occasional afternoon meeting seems to wreak havoc with my plans, and have you ever been out of your house at 7am these days? Its still quite dark so for safety reasons (and some other lame reasons, hehe) now, I would drive halfway, and would ride Scotty the other half. That would be 14km in the morning and another 14km in the afternoon.

A 14km, 30mins ride is not that tiring, its refreshing instead. And coming back home, I won't be too tired that make me want to crash and sleep once I get home. This halfway arrangement have been going on for the past two weeks and I guess it has been good. I still get my ride in, and manage to reach office in good time.

I think I'll stick with this arrangement for the time being. At least until I became stronger to start much farther...hehehe. Ceh, mimpi la, lalala..

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Am trying something new..

2010-02-13T06:43:00.001+08:00

It has been almost 2 month since I last updated Kakirowing. A certain attachment to FB (that's where all my cronies are at), the time of the year (early in the year are supposedly for planning and strategizing, bla bla bla) and I have been plainly 'malas', hehehe..

So, I scoured the Net and find that one could mobile blog other than Tweet and FV on FB (I could not really understand farming on the Net), so here I am trying mobile blogging using Mail2Blogger. Let see if I can attach a pics too..

Hehe, hopefully it will allow me to update more often, as often as I am on FB and tweeting, lalala..

Til later friends ;P
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Resolutions? Nah…

2009-12-29T15:10:00.001+08:00

It has come to that time of the year where you look at your accomplishments and charted your resolutions for next year. But before that, lets check this year’s resolution…

Cycle and row as much as possible in 2009 (basically kena work out la ye tak?)
Ride these climbs (in no particular order). Perez. Sempah. Broga. Kelawang. Fraser. Cameron?
Do at least a century ride (100 miles or 160 kilometers)
Starts running again (in preparation for No.5)
Do Powerman 2009 and hopefully finish within the stipulated time (nak try gak dapat medal)
Pick up swimming (in preparation for triathlon, hehe)
Do a cycling tour (maybe a few days ride with friends, kan guys?)
Influence as many friends possible to pick up cycling (Circle of Influence kan Bro Zizan?)

Oops ;(

No.1 is haphazard and haywire at best, not been riding as often. Rowing? Lalalalalala… No.2? Done Perez early in the year, but not many else (even failed on Mendum, huhuhu)

The planned Ipoh Century Ride clashed with a working weekend, so there goes my century and Powerman tinggal kenangan je la nampaknya…

Cycling tours will need to be planned early, and with much details. Tapi memang macam best je bunyinya, amik a few days leave and ride.

So, how would 2010 look like? Guess I’ll better plan to put in some extra rides every few days. Err, riding to work seems doable. More so CH has been secretly training all year round. Tak boleh jadi ni…

Tekala Ride Report :(

2009-12-04T23:40:00.001+08:00

Received a SMS from AbG Man, that the Clan will be riding from Hulu Langat to Tekala this weekend. I haven’t been riding at all for the past few months, and on the last ride with the ISN crew, even catching up with CH is hard work (I suspect CH had secret training. Really)

Got up early, nasib baik basikal dah ada dalam kereta. Can’t really sleep that night, too excited actually. Ye la, boleh ke tak nak kayuh ni, dah la the Tekala route is a bit hilly. Anyway, I reached Bt18 at 0730 and prepared my bike. We waited for Cikgu Hisyam, and rode out shortly after.

Indication of the upcoming torture came soon after, as I somehow felt that the 10km ride to the Tekala/Peres intersection is much longer than I last remembered. Checked my GPS, but everything is where it should be. I somehow dropped my water bottle, and was left behind by the rest in a jiffy. Fuh, laju betul diaorang nih…

Nearing the intersection I was out of breath. Really out of breath that I even contemplated turning back, but no, I could not let that happen. Then, one uncle ride alongside me on a steel old-skool MTB, and he actually rode past me just like that. Effortlessly. And he even give me some advice on how to regulate my breathing (I must surely sounded terrible)

Then another kakak/makcik and uncle passes me over, then the whole PER group left me in their wake. I must be in such terrible shape then. I was passed over by more than 20 cyclist and I could never ride alongside them, what more to catch them :) CiOCC clan jangan cerita la, berdesup perginya, tak nampak bayang langsung!

Made it to Sg.Tekala and I was the last person in. Make fun of myself, what else to do and after the customary refueling session, rode back with the CiOCC clan, and sure enough after 4kms, I just could not keep up. Their average must be nearing 30kmh while I was struggling to hit 24kmh. Adohai.. confirm la kena tinggal kat belakang macam ni :(

Finally I reached the RV point and most bikes are already in the car, so this ride serves a reminder that if you don’t do the miles, you will be left behind.

And CH has been having secret training sessions all these while. Ceh, nak kena kayuh pergi balik kerja la macam ni…

Travel notes to the Land of the Dragons…

2009-12-04T23:39:00.001+08:00

I do not travel often but today sets a new history of sort. My flight was scheduled for 0935hrs so to make things easy, dropped by to the airport at 730am to check in. Met a few of my colleagues there, and proceeded to check-in our baggage.

Once we checked in, then as I thought of having breakfast, we were told that the flight will be delayed by two hours. So, extra time to have breakfast, I thought. Little do I know that, it went past extra time all the way to overtime :)

So, at around 1030 I make my way to the international departures gate, and having some extra time (I thought), visited a few shops even if just to check the price difference. Once I got to my intended gate, the plane is not there yet. Huh? Luckily, in just a few minutes later a A330-300 taxied in. Phew…

It got me thinking, as the passengers are just disembarking, most probably it will take another half an hour to refuel, food, baggage, so basically we will only flying around 12noon or so. Rightly so, shortly after, an announcement that the flight will only be ready at 1205noon… Nasib baik I had a hearty breakfast just now.

Shortly before noon, we are called to board. Finally, I thought. I got a window seat (but, I lost my camera last two week so bummer). Get comfy in my seat but was suspicious when it took a long time for any announcements/safety video etc from the crew. Hmmm..

After a good half an hour, then only we were told of some kind of technical problems, and in the worst case scenario, we might need to change planes. Huh? And surely enough, the doors were disarmed and we are told to go to another Gate for boarding. Alamak…

Another Gate it is then and we are now scheduled to fly at 1405, which I doubt will be on time this time around. Took my own sweet time to reach there, and after waiting some more, finally we board. After the usual apologies of the delay, off we took off and…as of now, I am flying over the South China Sea :)

Travel notes to the land Down Under…

2009-09-22T07:34:00.000+08:00

After waiting for an eternity (actually its plus minus half an hour) at Sydney, we decided to report the delayed baggage as we do need to catch a connecting flight to Canberra. Tried my best to describe the bag, and after being assured it will be looked into, were given a reference number.

We then make our way by bus to the domestic terminal, (its quite a distance away) but little do we know that actually there are two different domestic terminal which caters to different numbered flight. Went to T2, but were told that our flight is at T3. WTF!! Our flight is slightly more than an hour away. Luckily its just within a walking distance. Phew!!

Nick hazard a guess that most probably we will be flying a 737 to Canberra, but I told him that we might be flying in a turboprop ( I checked early on) and rightly so, we are on a turboprop. A DHC-8. At least a turboprop will fly much, much lower than a jet plane, so it could mean more photo opportunity :)

Canberra is not unlike Putrajaya to us, as its the administrative capital of Australia. Surprisingly, it has no international airport. Nick commented that the airport at his hometown, Nelson (pop:50K) is about the same size. To put it into perspective, one of our domestic airport are bigger than Canberra (International) airport. Really.

The crew (minus one bag of course) checks in at our accommodation which is equipped with a kitchenette. So, what else, the three of us raid the supermarket afterwards, which is conveniently located at the back of our apartment. Sweet. It is made sweeter by free wi-fi available so me and my mate (hehe) could be online all day long.

Did a web check on my delayed/missing luggage (yup, you could do that). but it is yet to be located. Hmm…

It has to happen sometimes…

2009-09-21T07:40:00.000+08:00

As I was writing this, I am at the Sydney Terminal 3, waiting for my flight to Canberra. It has been a hectic travel day for me as I have been travelling since 11am yesterday, driving more than 400km and to catch my 2210hrs flight to Sydney.

Make good time and reach KLIA well in time for boarding. Have dinner and board the plane as scheduled. The flight is surprisingly full but we make good time as the strong tailwind works to our favor and we are scheduled to reach Sydney 50 minutes early.

We are early, so we taxied to another part of the terminal and ferried by bus. The immigration was a breeze, but as I next prepare to declare the existence of some food items in my checked baggage to AQIS, lo and behold, it happen…

My bag was nowhere to be found.

To be continued…

A different kind of Eid

2009-09-16T08:41:00.000+08:00

This year would be a different Aidilfitri altogether.

I would be in Australia for basically a Computer Science in Sport Symposium during the Aidilfitri holidays. Will be flying off to Sydney and then onto Canberra on the first day of Aidilfitri itself so it leave me with a limited time to actually celebrate Eid.

On one hand, it would be different (read: difficult) to be away during the celebration but on the other hand, I relish the opportunity to pick on the brains of experts in computer/sports/mathematics/medical field.

So, I am taking this opportunity to wish all my dear family and friends, SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI, MAAF ZAHIR BATIN :)

How do Computer Science in Sports works? That would be another story altogether, huhuhu…

Our fragile life…

2009-08-26T14:20:00.001+08:00

I received the news late yesterday evening. Pak Tam passed away at office yesterday. He suddenly lost consciousness at work, and rushed to the hospital, where he is pronounced dead.

I visited Tok Haji last night, and he looks devastated, even if he tries to hide it. Nothing prepares the parents for the unenviable task to bade their children goodbye. As I was talking to him, Tok Haji quipped, ‘We thought that we are going away first, not the other way round…’

Relatives and friends came in droves. The ‘jemaah’ came over to say prayers. Pak Tam was only a few years older than me. He does not seems like having any medical conditions but, I might never know. He left a young family and a good career. Such is our fragile life.

Rest in peace, Pak Tam.

Wheel not turning…

2009-08-23T16:21:00.000+08:00

I have not been on the bike for the past two month. Missed a lot of rides , the weekly rides with Man CiOCC clan, even the Century Ride in Ipoh. Not even easy rides around the house. Ceh! Kata cyclist bagai… ride pon tidak :(

Scotty has been gathering dust in the store room in the mean time.

Selfish, selfless

2009-08-19T16:18:00.000+08:00

We are selfish creatures. We think about ourselves most of the time. Its all about what is in it for ME, ME and ME. We laments the fact that no one seems to understand us. How come they do not see things the way I do?

I was having a discussion with a close friend about our differences in looking at some things. We debate on how we see things differently on the same matter. One common thing could be interpreted and looked at from two different point of view. How we agree to disagree.

Working together is an art, looking past our differences while recognizing each of our personal strength. Some of us have grown up and have made a name for themselves, so we are no less a person than the next person. But then again, it is never easy to step into other people’s shoe, so how do we know our shoe is bigger than their shoe?

Communication. Miscommunication. We tend to believe what we wanted even if it is a bit off the truth. Not trying to see the other point of view. Being a man, and stepping up to the plate is more honorable than grovel and pointing fingers at others, easily saying everyone missed the whole point.

I am willing to make concessions and look over the past. Are you? Or are you still stuck to the memories of yesterday?

To Win or to Mac?

2009-07-16T15:54:00.001+08:00

My first experience with IT is with an Apple, when I got my hands on an Apple IIe at school where, me and my schoolmates learned about graphics and programming on the IIe. So, once the IBM-PC revolution hit the world, I jumped on the bandwagon running.

After graduating, I worked in a bank, the then ‘IT place’. We work around mainframes and IT server rooms which takes up a whole floor. Got my chance to help develop an accounts reconciliation system at the bank and hone my skills both in hardware and software aspect.

I started with DOS, graduated to Win 3.1, then Win 95 all the way to XP, I can say I have the ability to troubleshoot should things broke down or refuse to work in those systems. With Vista? Not too familiar with the system but still learning. It should be easy to do, but I still prefer XP to Vista any day.

Even if I have been dabbling in Windows domain all this while, the Mac universe has always had a special place in my heart but for the higher price of Apple laptops, I still yet to have my own first Mac. Anyway, todate I have a ‘Hackintosh’ running Leopard 10.5.3 :) Its just so easy to use.

One thing about Macs is that I do not have to deal too much about viruses as compared to on Windows platform. I switched from my Hackintosh to a newly acquired netbook a few weeks ago, and I had been attacked numerous times by either virus/hackware/malware etc. Luckily I have a good AV installed. It helps lessen the risk. Phew.

I love my Mini and I consider it my main work lappie now, but for ease of use and less headache, can’t beat my Hackintosh. Hmm, maybe I should get myself an Intel Mac too… or convert my Mini to a Hackintosh? Now that’s a thought…

To Win or to Mac?

Sweetness…

2009-07-16T15:36:00.001+08:00

Our flight was slightly delayed as a result of the compounding effects due to the fact that the plane that’s supposed to fly us to KB arrived late from somewhere. But boarding was fast and in no time we are off to our destination. The flight? We did encounter some turbulence, but nothing like the one I experience over the Bengal Bay a couple of years back.

KB town is deserted (maybe the MU by-election effect?), so we somehow find it difficult to find a ‘makan’ place in town. It seems that there is not many eating places open around 8pm and KFC (just in front of the hotel) is not at the top of the list when we are in KB. But, the six of us walked on and luckily we find a small (it is small) ‘makan’ place not too far away from the hotel.

It is just re-opening for the night, and quickly we plonked our arse and proceed to order. Hanie ordered some food for us (after all she’s the nutritionist), and some more. We had ‘tomyam’(Hanie gives her approval on this), eggs and veges, ‘mihun sup’ and also fried meehoon (this is mine).

The cheap ‘teh-o’ (at just 50 cents had me and Albert taking extras), and the very, very nice fruit juice (just RM1.50) which actually a smoothie in disguise was given the seal of approval by our resident nutritionist. ‘Not too sweet, just nice…’, quipped Hanie.

After dinner as we leave the shop, feeling full, we stopped by at the shop next door who are selling local delicacies. ‘Nasi kerabu’ with all its choice of condiments and dishes, ‘kuih akok’, ‘nasi kaya’, buah tanjung and some other local fare. We ended up with a sampler of everything, just to have a taste of whats’ on offer.

Apparently most of this ‘kuih’ are made from a few very simple ingredient. Some with flour, most with lots of eggs and importantly, all kinds of sugar, either white, brown or palm sugar and some involves coconut milk. The bottom line, most of the local ‘kuih’ are just… sweet. So sweet.

To jet or to write?

2009-07-16T09:40:00.001+08:00

Like many other, I also have a blog. Well, a few blogs really. Anyway, I was looking for the easiest way to blog. I mean, to need to be hooked up to the internet before posting any new posts, at times put paid to my train of thought. Well, I do use Text and Wordpad, but it lacks the ability to insert images which would add dimension to the posting.

So, as I was scouring the Net, I stumbled across two blogging standalone software which allows me to post offline and have the function of adding images/albums etc. I tried both blogging software, BlogJet and Windows Live Writer. Both software are easily downloadable from the Net.

Writer is free, as part of the Windows Live ( I am writing offline in Writer now) and it allows one to insert hyperlinks/images/photo albums/table and maps (I haven’t tried all of it yet. BlogJet on the other hand charges a small fee and apparently using FTP to attach images to the posting. Bummer if you don’t have an account. Other than that small difference, both are easy to use. Enjoy!

BlogJet

Live Writer

'..Fuschia colored rice?'

2009-07-15T10:06:00.003+08:00

Overheard at breakfast this morning, which could only mean one thing, that you are in Kelantan. And the fuschia colored rice, is part of the famous ‘Nasi Kerabu’.

When you don't really mean what you say...

2009-07-15T09:17:00.001+08:00

At times, we tend to do things that we are not so inclined to do. Let say, we do not like to be at a place, we tell other people about it BUT in the end, we do not do anything about it.

Let say you are in a conference, and by a cruel twist of fate, you meet with some people there. You are invited to sit with them but you think you felt uncomfortable for whatever reason that is. You tell other of your uneasiness, but in the end, you still stay rooted to your company rather than excuse yourself and sit somewhere else or in others company.

So who are you kidding? If you really felt uncomfortable with your current company, just move on. Or do something to save you from that uneasy situation. And do not make such a fuss out of it.

The cloud weeps…

2009-07-07T17:57:00.001+08:00

I felt like riding today. But, apparently, God has other plans. Maybe it is His way of telling me to take it easy for a change. You have just started to ride again, not exactly light and that troubled knee of yours, will always remind you that you are not as young as you would like to think (age is after all, is just a state of mind, kan?)

Thank you. For all that You have given me.

The lone rider

2009-07-07T10:59:00.001+08:00

It has been almost two weeks since I last ridden my bike, so once I got myself the newly repaired rims, I plan to ride to work (again). Could say that it is also some sort of training. Monday afternoon is the chosen start day…

Little do I realise that my condition have deteriorated so much that rather than enjoying the ride, it is more like a chore. Needs to remind my legs of how to do it, and I do not think I could easily put on a rain jacket while riding. Not yet anyway, hahaha..

Usually the ride, either way will take, at most 70mins. Yesterday, took an extra 10mins. Well, it could be that it make more sense to gradually increase my speed bit by bit, but actually it is as if my legs and my body forgets how to ride more efficiently.

Never mind. The ride this morning feels much better. Even if it still takes an extra few minutes. And the legs still feels funny. Here’s to riding more…

Another weekend, another miss…

2009-07-06T16:01:00.001+08:00

Remember when I told you that I broke my spoke, as I was riding home (the front one) and also the back one (as I was riding to office a few days later? Well apparently I have asked my bike shop to do it ASAP, as I do not want to miss my training ride and also planned to ride a last month’s PCM.

Unfortunately, my bike mechanic have some urgent personal matter to attend to the next day, and one day lead to the next. I was needed to travel outstation then and one thing leads to another, before you know it, almost two weeks has passed without a ride.

On Saturday night, I received a SMS from Abg Man. “Isok time biasa kat unikeb. Sepang kita gi.”. And the best thing is, my rims are still in the bike shop. Oops :(

Boohoohoo.. I missed another ride with the Clan. Sepang ride would mean a 100km ride. Bummer. That would be a good training ride for the Ipoh Century Ride.

The black coffee and the hot, round bun

2009-07-01T13:43:00.000+08:00

In the course of my work, at times, I need to travel. I have been to all states on work related travel and this month I was summoned to the northern and southern region. I finally got the chance to travel to Kluang for an event, and it presents me with an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone; work and personal as I planned to meet up with an old friend, who are working there now.

I rendezvous with the rest of the team on the second day (actually its the night of the second day) as I am running a favor for a friend in the capital beforehand. Traveling on a weekday, has it perks, you could choose the best seat in the bus (we only have 11 people on board). I was not feeling sleepy, so I stayed online along the highway.

The 3.5hrs trip was uneventful, and I reached Kluang as the rest of the team finishes their dinner. We stayed at Nagaria Inn which is near to work site. On the way back, Baom briefed me on tomorrow's breakfast plan as apparently the hotel breakfast fare is a bit plain. I'm all for the team plan (but still planned to eat the 'so-called plain' fare).

Way past midnight we are joined by Samba, who are tied with arranging some last minute travel plan to Europe earlier in the day. Can't really sleep that night, which prompted me to work on some other things. Dozed off and woken up for my hotel breakfast - which REALLY is plain. But I am not one to waste food, so, I ate a little bit of everything.

The plan was to eat at the 'original' Kluang Rail Coffee' situated at where else, Kluang Railway Station. It still retains its old school charm, heck, it looks old-school. Took the customary pictures, and ordered the famous 'kopi' and 'bun bakar' (coffee and toasted buns). The coffee leaves a bitter taste, while strangely complemented by the milk. The buns? What can I say, toasted with 'kaya', with a dollop of butter in between. Result? A winning combination.

I tried to squeeze in a meeting with my an old friend, but the short duration of this visit suggests that its not possible. Maybe next time eh? But at least, I can say this about the Kluang Rail Coffee. Been there, done that.

Can I offer you this piece of 'perut' sir?

2009-06-27T20:41:00.003+08:00

One thing about eating is that, I usually do not refuse food (which explains why I manage to pack on 25 kilos in the last 8 years). But then again, eating is a passion in this country, so much so that the celebratory open houses are filled to the brim with food (and people who enjoys food)

Of all the food consumed in my household, there is one thing that I could not bring myself to eat. Its the intestines. Perut or babat or whatever they call it. I guess it started when I chanced on some elders cleaning it up which unfortunately (or fortunately) turns me off.

They assure me that all care have been taken in ensuring its all have been cleaned off, but somehow... Anyway, I am the only one in my family that do not 'enjoy' the occasional 'perut/babat/intestines' so More portion for them I guess.

My (unfounded?) fear of it also stopped me in my tracks today. Somehow, the 'thing' inside the bowl of soup that I ate for lunch, eerily resembles the thing that I could not stomach. Maybe its something else, but I just cant... have been totally ingrained I guess. Even the French banned cow intestines in food, you know :)

Do you have anything that you cant stomach (pun intended) like me?

Another weekend, another miss...

2009-06-27T11:57:00.002+08:00

'Salam. Isok sya ke tanjung karang survey route kampung sawah padi. Ada kayuhan bank 11 12 Julai. Jom ikut. Dewa pon ikut. Jam 5 sya gi umah sham. Subuh otw. Bole jumpa kat petronas sg besi jam 530' - Abg Man CIOCC

Messages from the sender is actually highly awaited and it frustrates me when I am unable to follow his group weekend ride due to work, family or some other commitment. The group rides are always fun and he always make sure that everyone, regardless of ability would enjoy the ride as much as he had (I think)

It has been quite some time since I have last ridden with him, but his blog entries never cease to tickle the funny bone (and he has this specially way to wax lyrical of the whole ride thing). If you have the time visit his blog at http://manciocc.blogspot.com and who knows, maybe you can join one of his weekly rides.

I know I visited the site often, just to know what have I missed the previous week. Sigh. For one, riding in Tg Karang this weekend would be a great change of scenery. Sigh. Sigh. And more sigh as I won't be able to join. Hmmm...

The thorny issue...

2009-06-25T23:34:00.001+08:00

Durian? Its banned from most hotels in this country. The strong smell either endears you to it, or puts you off. But that said, durians or 'King of Fruits' is a favorite among local and expats alike, due to the durian taste, sweet and creamy. That is if you manage to block out the (quite) strong smell.

It is also a seasonal fruit, which explains the occasional high price. But when the season is full under way, the price drops and that is when many took the opportunity to savour the 'King of Fruits'. Burp!! This is the damage done to my stomach, all this 5 durians cost only 5 dollars. Its gonna be a 'heaty' night tonight then...

I still can't differentiate the many kinds of durians... not that it matters anyway :)

The economy of it all...

2009-06-25T14:27:00.003+08:00

I have been trying to put as much ride to work possible for the past couple of weeks. The earlier plan is to ride on alternate days, but decided to change the plans a bit. As the team are planning to ride twice a week on weekdays (read here), I am forced to change my driving time to Tues PM and Wed AM, and Thurs PM and Fri AM. The arrangement will allow me to ride with the team, without risking riding back late in the evening.

Anyway, yesterday morning, I broke the spoke on my rear wheel. Fret not, its not because I have trained a lot, but more to the fact that I am currently on the heavy side. I already broke a front wheel spoke a few days earlier (most probably during storage), which means I really do need to send the wheels for repairs and truing. That said, it also means that I need to drive to office for the next few days.

As I was driving this morning, I started to make some calculations. The economy of going to work... by either car, public transport (Komuter/LRT) or cycling. So here is the rough estimation of what does it cost (for me at least) to come to work.

CAR
Distance : 35km (70km to and fro)
Time Taken : 40mins (80mins minimum a day)
Cost/day : Fuel (RM7.00), Toll (RM5.60 - RM3.80 to, RM1.80 fro)
Total Cost : on average RM12.60/day

TRAIN
Distance : 10km (from my house to and fro)
Time Taken : 60mins (2hrs minimum per day)
Cost/day : Fuel (RM2.50), Komuter (RM5.80 return), LRT (RM1.40 return)
Total Cost : on average RM9.70/day

CYCLING
Distance : 30km (60km to and fro)
Time Taken : 70mins (2.30hrs per day)
Cost/day : ??
Total cost : other than two bottles of drink? No toll and no petrol needed?

So, in a move to lessen my carbon footprint, I decided to ride to work more often. The cost is minimal (other than the two bottle of cordial drink I mix at home) and I can reach the office before 8am if I start riding at 6:45am. Nothing beats riding in the cool morning :)

Can't wait to ride again...

Read here and here (from CycleFriday and Dino's blog)

Deep hum...

2009-06-22T00:18:00.001+08:00

It was funny though, while I was at the train station, it suddenly occurs to me that the drone of the locomotives is kinda'nice'. Not the 'choo, choo' of yesteryear but the sound of a gas guzzling loco. As I was listening to it, the deep, low thumping sound really makes me wants to record it, even if just for the sake of recording it. Some weird way, its soothing. For me at least.

That deep hum, I am unable to explain, but just maybe, the next time I am at the train station, I will record the sound. Just for the sake of recording it.

Resolutions revisited...

2009-05-20T14:31:00.002+08:00

Its almost June and let see how far have I gotten thru the resolutions that I made early this year (ni kira periodic review la nih)

1. Cycle and row as much as possible in 2009 (basically kena work out la ye tak?) - Just a bit of cycling, very little of rowing (itu pun on ergo je)
2. Ride these climbs (in no particular order). Perez. Sempah. Broga. Kelawang. Fraser. Cameron? - Perez - check. The rest of the KOMs, lalalalalalala....
3. Do at least one century ride (100 miles or 160 kilometers) - hopefully in July, read here and here
4. Starts running again (in preparation for No.5) - not a single mile yet, kasut pon takde...
5. Do Powerman 2009 and hopefully finish within the stipulated time (nak try gak dapat medal) - registration Powerman dah buka nih... jom CH!
6. Pick up swimming (in preparation for triathlon, hehe) - gulp!
7. Do a cycling tour (maybe a few days ride with friends, kan guys?) - hopefully soon, better get training...
8. Influence as many friends possible to pick up cycling (Circle of Influence kan Bro Zizan?) - a few people sudah terperangkap dalam sukan berbasikal ini, hahhaha...

I hope to be able to ride my first century in July at the KRI Century Ride 2009 with a few of my colleagues. CH says he is in, Wari and Albert is highly probable, Am-strong and Megat needs to increase their mileage.

Let see where I am in two month time...

Restless....

2009-05-09T04:58:00.002+08:00

Uikks! I can't sleep. It is a bit cold and the clock is showing a quarter to five. In the morning. AM.

I have been up for the last 24 hours. Travel up North, to Penang for work related weekend, and reached Georgetown around 7.30pm. Checked in, freshen up and went for a walk to have my dinner. And I have been up all night long.

"Kenapa la agaknya tak boleh nak tidur ni?..."

The start of more races to come...

2009-04-14T13:28:00.001+08:00

A friend of mine, Nick, has been itching to race since the three years that he has been here. He laments the lack of local races compared to his native NZ. So what else to do if you can't really find a race? Organize races yourself.

So this Saturday, Nick will be organizing a race at Putrajaya, specifically at Persiaran Timur. Racing will start at 9am, so if you're interested in racing, kindly be at the RV point before 8.30am. It will be run on an 18km loop, depending on your category, you could be racing 54km, hehehe...

Depending on numbers and motivation it will have 3 categories...

Cat 1: Open - 3 Laps (~54km)
Cat 2: Vets/Women - 2 Laps (~36 km)
Cat 3: Social/Novice - 1 Lap (~18 km)

More information such as maps, instructions etc could be gleaned at the Race Website : http://sites.google.com/site/klcycleracing

I might just drop by to Putrajaya on Saturday to race, in the Social Category of course, hehehe...

The 'Mendum' ride...

2009-04-13T18:24:00.004+08:00

"Saya memang cuak jugak nak ride dengan grup ni. Diaorang semua ni kuat, kayuh beskal memang laju. Naik bukit pun laju. Makan apa la agaknya?" - Enche Bon

The ride this week was dominated by the Disco boys. One third of the riders are Disco boys. And one from Astana. That must be one of the reason why they ably gobble up the hills, even the formidable Mendum and then spits it out. Easy, peasy... for them that is.

Anyway, I was having two minds about joining this ride. There are some things needed to be done in office, but upon securing some help at the very last minute, decided to tag along. I do not fully understand it but the mere mention of 'bukit'/hills, make the whole ride so much more desireable. Could it be some psychosomatic manifestation of some sort? Or some unseen primal connection to conquering hill(s)?

I reach the RV just as they were rolling out. I haven't met a few of them for quite some time, like Suhaimi PPZ. Hey, even I was surprised I was there :) We rode slowly at first, catching up while I have the nagging feeling that my rear wheel sprung a tiny leak. Ayie catches up with us shortly before Teras Jernang, and we continued in a single file towards Semenyih.

Like I said, the Disco boys drive the pace quite high and before long one of us at the back of the peloton suffered a puncture. I chased the front riders to slow them down, and we stopped for a while. The ride to Semenyih was hazardous, negotiating potholes and fighting 'lori hantus'. Once Bro Syarul's wheels given extra air at Pekan Semenyih, we zipped thru the UNotts highway all the way to Broga.

My suspicion is stronger with each kilometers that my wheels sprung a leak as my wheels are getting heavier but maybe the leaden legs are caused by the 60km ride yesterday. I haven't really recover from my fever on Wednesday and Thursday, and maybe, just maybe, the dehydration/overtraining effects lingers. All of a sudden, I was alone. Left behind by the front pack, I decided to push on all the way to Lenggeng, when I temporarily got lost. Lost?

Have not been to Mendum before, so I do not know where to go. Retraced my route, yet failed to see any rider. Stopped and ask one pakcik, and he confirms a group of cyclist did ride thru just a few minutes ago. 'Macam mana boleh miss ni?'. There is only one other junction to try, towards Pantai/Kelawang. After a few kilos, I read a sign which says 'Kg Mendum'. Most probably I am at the right place. Then I saw the view...

As I slowly make my way up the incline, Wari, Ayie and the rest of the crew came zooming down. One corner sets you up for another corner. Once you exited that corner, up it goes another 20 degrees towards another corner. Just 25 meters before the third corner, I admit defeat. I almost unclipped myself. Bukit Mandum will have the last laugh, today...

Broken, I make my way back down, hitting 75kmh. Cycled slowly towards the nasi lemak ikan keli shop, where I joined the rest of the crew. I do not have appetite to eat, my mind were elsewhere. After the crew almost finished everything at the shop, we make our way back. My wheels are getting flatter by the minute and luckily for me, I was rescued 10 kilos into my ride back.

My mind were still on Bukit Mandum. And how I let it defeat me today. One fine day, I will climb all the way to the top, and conquer it... one day.

Pics courtesy of http://manciocc.blogspot.com (Thanks Abg Man!)

The cool tree lined roads...

2009-04-12T08:51:00.000+08:00

Heard that Big plans to ride with Mursh in the morning, and sure enough, that was loosely the plan. Decided to join the ride, so I sent text messages to Wari to meet at the RV at 730am. After all, the two team rides planned on the 7th and the 10th did not materialise, so must make up for lost mileage eh?

I am late again in the morning and only reached the RV at almost 0750. Only Mursh was there, as Big and Wari were unreachable. As we discussed on our ride destination, we decided to run some errands in BBB first, and later ride some 40 odd kilometres to Semenyih. Mursh like the ideas, especially as the roads will be lined by nice shades.

We planned to ride a leisure 20-25kmh pace, and should be covering the whole distance and back in more or less two hours. I warned Mursh that there will be a few hills along the way, but nothing he would not be able to handle. He was up to the challenge all the way. Almaklumlah training selalu. We arrive at our destination after about an hour ride, and decided to stop for our break at a restaurant.

After the refreshing mandatory hydration stop, we make our way back. But not without teasing Big, about wanting to stop by at his house. The journey back feels a lot faster (ni mesti kesan milo ais dengan roti bom kot?) and we reached the RV in about 50 minutes. After planning our next ride, both of us part way, while I make my way back home. Leisurely that is.

From Peras to Labu?

2009-04-08T16:09:00.001+08:00

I received a short text "We r ridin frm to PEREZ sunday 5 april. Surf http://manciocc.blogspot.com 100km 730 sharp gerak" from Abg Man. Well, I haven't been riding of late (almost two month), and to ride 100km without many miles in the legs remind me of what happen to CH a few months ago.

But then again, the lure of Perez is too much to ignore. Without the chance to scale Sempah yet, Perez remains my yardstick as I could compare this ride with the last. Try to coax the rest of the gang, but Big, Am, Megat and even CH declined due to lack of mileage, they said. I guess that will just leave me and Wari, then for this ride.

Ride day - I was late. The ride was supposed to start at 0730, and at 0725 I was still 9 km away. I contemplated using the shortcut, and meet the group somewhere in the middle, but decided to go the distance, even if I have to chase them for the first half. Luckily for me, as I ride thru the RV, I saw the group were just making their way out. Fuh!

And as luck would have it, they also decided to change their route. If not, I would be climbing Perez alone as they tackle different route. Memang nasib baik. As I catch my breath, we rode into Salak in one single line. The pace up front was furious, with Ayie, Wari, Riezal (on a single speeder some more) dictating. I tried to follow suit, but the my legs keep reminding me, what I have missed all this month.

Suddenly, I found myself in front of the peloton going up the long De Palma hill. Imagined myself charging forward not unlike George Hincapie up the Alps (as if la) riding for Discovery and Lance, just that I could only manage 27kph all the way to the top near De Palma. Riding down, letting gravity do its stuff, I hit 64kmh. At the junction, we regrouped before making our way.

We make our way to the junction towards Pekan Labu, when Ayie, Sham Dewa, Amir, Cik Puan Bola2api and me ride our way to the front and ride towards food(? what else? already?). Abg Zizan (who acts as our marshall), reminded us to stop at the Big Pumpkin, for the usual photo ops. We reached the place in no time, but apparently two sudden technical problems means Abg Man and the rest of the gang took a bit longer to arrive.

After the customary photo ops, we make our way towards Gadong Baru when another puncture, derailed the rest of the gang. The stomach rumbles louder, but it would take another 20km of riding before we will stop to eat. Once the puncture sorted out, we ride the dragonback towards Enstek, joined by Abg Zack (another marshall?) and take a shortcut to Salak for our sustenance. Apparently, the karaoke singer also doubles as the roti canai/telur/bawang maker...

After having some grub, its time to roll out with the dreaded short, sharp De Palma climb waiting. No casualty there. I decided to push on, without waiting for the others, maintaining 40kmh for as long as I can (konon2nya breakaway la ni, hehehe). I thought I can go all the way to Dengkil junction, alas my tired legs could only be flogged up til Jenderam, where I was caught by the fast approaching pursuivant .

Regrouped at the Dengkil junction, say goodbye and make my way back as I have a date with the bowling alley. Don't want to let my team mates down. Thanks to Abg Man and the rest of the guys for a great ride, looking forward to do it again...

The short (sightedness) of it...

2009-04-05T15:50:00.000+08:00

I have been wearing spectacles since I was... err, like 11 years old. So that makes it more than a quarter of a century ago. Being shortsighted unfortunately, put paid to one of my earliest ambition, to became a fighter pilot that is.

Anyway, to the best of my knowledge I started to wear spectacles after I got a high fever, which refuse to go down even after I got a jab in the rear end. Ouch! Degil punya demam. But I realised after that 'demam panas', I move nearer to the telly to watch TV by the day. Maybe, the 'demam panas' has fried some of my ocular nerves...

It was no surprise, that I have to use a -3.75 lenses for starters, and before long it goes up to -4.50. So all this while, I was actually a nerd, before nerd became cool. Then along came contact lenses, that allows me to participate in sports, even contact sports like rugby.

So imagine my surprise when I was going for an eye checkup recently, the technician took a tad longer to prescribe my lenses. It seems that I somehow had lowers my power, to -3.50. That means it has gone down by 1.00. Hows that? the technician even suggested that I use a -3.75 contact lenses compared to the usual -4.50 contacts.

Not too bad eh? Maybe if I live long enough, I may not need to use spectacles anymore... let say in another 50 years time? Hahaha...who knows?

As good as it gets...

2009-04-02T18:28:00.001+08:00

We are in basically in control of what we do (well, that is to a certain extent), so the excuse for not being riding for almost two month could never be attributed to the weather (it has been raining a lot of late) or travel (I have been heavily traveling these past few month) or work (it never ends, right?)

Basically, I was just felt a bit 'malas', and all the other reasons, somehow conveniently fits in. Once you started, its hard to stop and likewise, once you stopped, it is much harder to starts again. One week became two, then without the slightest notice, became a month and before you know it, you have not been training for two month. At least thats for me.

So, as we basically in control of what we do, it is unfair to blame the weather, frequent travel or long hours at work for our non exercising period. As it became harder and harder to ride at night (as it rains on most nights), I decided to shift my riding time to... right after work. And it starts yesterday. After finishing some loose ends, I reached Putrajaya at around 630pm, and proceeded to KTP where I unload my bike.

Starts my ride shortly after and decided to ride the big roundabout and maybe a climb to Shangri-La. Starts slowly (after all, I havent been riding for quite a long time) and to have a feel of my body, just to gauge the reaction. Felt good, even if I am a bit dehydrated to starts with, and by the time my one hour ride ends, I have circled the roundabout a few times and climbed up Shangri-La, twice, from both ends. HR? In the region of 180, and felt not too bad.

If you can't go for long rides, at least squeeze in some rides, even if its just for an hour. I am having runny nose today, which maybe is a sign my body needs some TLC...

Just like they say, "Carpe Diem"...

One old boat race...

2009-04-01T13:35:00.002+08:00

Finally, I manage to catch the 'Boat Race' on telly. This year its the 155th year that pitted the crew of Oxford against the crew of Cambridge. It was a good start by both crews, but not long after, the Dark Blues (Oxford) surge forward. Both crews upped their effort and counter effort up till Chiswick Eyot where in trailing, Oxford seems to resort to disrupt the rhythm of the Cambridge crews, by opting to clash blades :)

It does rattle the Light Blues a bit I think, and after that their rhythm is a bit affected. From the Eyot, they surge forward, two length advantage at Bandstand and extend it to three and a half length by the Finish. It was superb rowing, duel and clashing of blades, and both crews of international calibre produces a breathtaking race at its 155th edition. Read more here

On a local note, the Oxbridge alumnus here also stage a similar race in KTP. Any idea of the result? Did the Oxford crew emulate their Alma Maters success on the Thames?

Now, everybody can fly...

2009-03-25T10:24:00.002+08:00

After the mix up with my tix a few weeks back, I am now in LCCT, waiting for my flight to Penang. As I live quite nearby, so it make no sense for me to go to office and have someone send me to KLI... oops, need to remember that I'm travelling LCCT now for all my domestic flight.

Anyway, this would be my first time to actually use LCCT for my travel needs. Not that I have anything against Tony, just that my previous experiences with AirAsia, does not require me to fly out from LCCT. Once I flew to KK thru JB, and in the other instance, it requires me to fly from PNG.

Oops, my call to board the plane now... later!!

And then, the phone rings...

2009-03-20T14:47:00.003+08:00

I got a phone call today, which informs me that the event that I'm supposed to attend in PNG has been postponed to a later date. Hmmm... bagus la tu, tell me about the cancellation four days before I am supposed to fly. Tak boleh awal sikit ke? It cost the company money, not to mention the nagging that you get from the Finance people.

Anyway, as I do still need to be in LGK, the news is good, if you look at it positively. I do not think that I'll cancel my flight to PNG and book a flight from KUL-LGK instead, but the event cancellation will allow me to be in LGK a day earlier. I do still need to look for the best way to get to LGK but at least I will have an extra day to work with the sailors. I was checking AirAsia website and was wondering if I should bring my bike there.

After all, I would be there for a few days, just like late last year. Hmm, just need to calculate how much will it cost me then...

Show me the money...

2009-03-18T16:43:00.001+08:00

I received the approved budget for this year a few days back. Finally, I say. But then again, the figures does not 'figures' gently in my plan. In short, my budget was reduced by more than 60% than what I actually applied two years back (in my organization, we applied for 2008 budget in 2006)

The things that got reduced a lot are on equipments and maintenance. In total, my equipment budget is cut by more than 600K and my maintenance budget cut by 120K. In the business where we rely on cutting edge technologies, a cut of 75% on equipments could stifle our development. And where equipments are concerned, a reduction in maintenance budget could put a stop to operations should some things broke down.

But, no use worrying about that, at least I am given some amount of budget to play with. After all, the current economic situation needs us to be more than careful with our spending. So now, it seems that my team will need to be more prudent in spending and reschedule some purchases. Or, what else, some creative accounting is in order. Work still have to go on, right?

Bila nak start kayuh basikal balik ni...

The flight that escapes me...

2009-03-16T17:11:00.001+08:00

I am supposed to travel up north next week for some work related matters. Needs to be in PNG and LGK, but that is not the problem. I travel quite often, just that at times, one missed small things could make your travel less easy than it should be.

My travel is handled by a division in our office where we provide them with our planned itinerary and they will do their best to accommodate our request. All this while, it is quite straightforward. I send the request to the respective department once approved, with a planned itinerary duly printed, all the way down to dates and times and where applicable, the specific flight code.

Well, in view of the recession, we switched to a budget airline. No problem with me, but as I explained to the (new) person in charge two weeks back, I need to catch a specific flight from PNG to LGK on that specific date as it make no sense for me to fly back from PNG to KUL and then back to LGK. The person involved said, not to worry as the travel agency will handle it.

So imagine my surprise a few days back when I receive a copy of my itinerary, which is a total screw up. It says that I have a return flight to PNG. Apa la! I have even given them a printed copy of my planned itinerary that states my travel is KUL-PNG-LGK-KUL. And what I get? KUL-PNG-KUL. And they did not even catch me my flight to LGK, and by the time I checked again online, its already sold out.

I was then asked to deal with the travel agent myself. They admit the problem and will send me a new corrected itinerary of KUL-PNG and LGK-KUL. As of today, I havent received the new flight itinerary as yet. And I need to figure out how am I going to Langkawi from Penang. By road? Ferry? Anybody have an idea?

Missing... in action

2009-03-11T17:54:00.006+08:00

There is a lot I have missed these past few weeks, cycling wise. I missed PCM Ride for Gaza, I missed Sunday rides to Lenggeng, the week after that to Labu and definitely the ride up Genting Sempah towards Janda Baik, that I've put as one of my targets this year.

I am currently in 'resistance training' mode, hence no cycling. Not doing any type of training at all for that matter. I RESIST training. Period.

(P/S I am the one in the middle)

Nothing comes for free, young man...

2009-02-19T14:28:00.000+08:00

I was informed that some people from an institution on the east coast will be visiting my humble outfit (office), and as the visit was rather informal I was not too worried as I could just give them some information on my operations off the cuff. As they were running late, I was already changed into my test gear, when they finally came about.

I welcomed all of them, and as I was only given 3 minutes to explain (in general) my operations, things go on quite fast. I was sharing information with them how my outfit could assist them, when THE question came.

'You would be assisting us for free then?', came the question from a young chap. I looked towards him and retorted, 'If you asked me, nothing is for free in this world. The things that you got for free wont be appreciated much, so everything has a price' I explained making a point. 'Other similar institution who are extended our expertise, are being charged a nominal fee, so I don't see any difference in your case'.

'My views on that does not necessarily reflect my boss's view but everything is negotiable' I ended the conversation and thanked them, as I need to continue with the planned test. If my stand seems impolite or brusque, so be it, but I need to put forth what my stand are.

Nothing comes for free in this world.

The rim killer...

2009-02-17T13:54:00.000+08:00

One of the things that we need to be aware of as we are cycling on the road is... drain covers. Drain cover is basically covering of the drain (duh!). As you were cycling on the road, you see them lining the road side, doing what else, covering the drain.

Basically there wont be a problem, as the drain cover is put there to enable water on the road to be channeled rightly into the drain. The problem is when the orientation of the drain cover unfortunately posed some dangers to the users. The cyclist in general, roadies especially. Due to the small 700x20c tires.

Last weekend, it almost floored Mr Big. Eh, sejak bila plak Mr Big ada roadbike? His front wheel got stuck on his descent from a small hill. Mr Big's wheel became a casualty, and he need to walk a good kilometer to get home. Tu la, buat secret training lagi over the weekend...

Anyway, how many of you have 'near brushes' with the drain cover?

The only constant in life is...

2009-02-05T15:33:00.000+08:00

CHANGE.

In all our life, we change. From the time we are helpless bundle of joy, all the way to the (sometime hapless) individuals that we are, we undergo changes at every part of our life. We hope the changes that we make propel us to be better than we previously are.

So, we change on a daily basis. We even change clothes on a daily basis (kalau tak sure kena pulau dengan kawan-kawan). When I started to row, what starts as a recreational activities evolve to competing internationally. In cycling, from just as a mode of transport to school and the occasional foray to the hypermarket, after a few years graduated to competitive riding of sort, even if its only in duathlons.

So its only natural that my choice of ride evolve from a full-sus mountain bike to a road bike. And most of my riding friends evolve from a mountain bike to a road bike, from an alloy bike all the way to carbon bling-bling,from Sora all the way to Dura-Ace (I am leaning towards rodies). And some of my riding friend here at work, had changed from not riding a bike to riding. And jumped into the cycling bandwagon.

A few more friends are in the fray to join us, waiting to source for their bikes, like Mus and Am. So, the question is... bila BIG nak beli BASIKAL BARU ni? Roadbike! Roadbike! Roadbike!

The night we retire early...

2009-02-04T17:12:00.000+08:00

Called Lei. No answer. Called Wari. No answer. I need to know how is the weather like in Putrajaya. CH won't be joining as he is not feeling well. Albert has a clean bill of health and promises to join the next session. Mr Big is still in Kuching for an official visit and won't be back until later tonight. Hardi is non-commital. So, it all depends on the weather tonight, whether we ride or not.

Make my way to the RV, and pleasantly surprise to meet not only Wari, but also Lei. Ayie is not around tonight and the weather is holding. Set-up our bikes, and off we go, just the three of us. We let Lei to choose the route and he suggested going of to P? and later came up to our usual route. Lei and Wari sped away, while I was having some problems with my rear tire. Nanti aku kejar korang, pi la speed dulu. Nanti letih la tu...

True enough, hehehe, Lei slow down just before the big roundabout. Dah lama tak sprint la katakan. Then we ride together towards Alamanda, and we sprinted up the incline. Lei suddenly have a technical problem, while me and Wari dance up the small hill. What goes up, must come down so we coasted down and Lei later sprints down the highway. I tried to follow suit, but Lei is too fast. Takpe, nanti aku training lagi, hehehe...

Before long we reached PICC and decided to ride back, up the Boulevard and later take a left turn toward P9. Playfully ride up the hill towards the Fire Station and then ride slowly to the RV. The ride tonight ended at 10pm and we have a short post ride refreshment just to catch our breath. Ayie joins us and he shares the fate of the Madone who involved in a crash on FT Day. Takpe, Trek kan ada lifetime warranty,

One thing funny is that we finished a 25km ride in an hour. We wonder why. Then the realisation hit us. We rode without Mr Big. Our usual 90 minutes ride became a 60 minutes ride. So, Mr Big, bila lagi nak dapatkan a roadbike. Hari tu kata its because of the bike...

Trek? Merida? Fuji? Cannondale? Sora? Tiagra? 105? Ultegra? Take your pick Mr Big...

A fine line between bravado and foolishness...

2009-02-03T17:08:00.000+08:00

A phone conversation.

'Ghodong, kat mana?' asks Muaiz. 'Ada kat KL, kenapa?' answered me while sipping warm lemon. Wari looks on.

'Esok nak pi ride tak? Malakoff ada buat ride pagi esok' explains Muaiz. 'Ko join ride tu sekali ke?', I asked him back. 'Aku kayuh dalam kereta je, hahaha. Aku ada kerja malam ni, still kat rumah lagi ni, lepas game baru pi KL', he said a matter of factly.

'Err, ride dari mana ke mana?', I enquired. 'Dari Selayang ke Bentong. Abang Rahim kata Aini ada sekali. Dia kata takkan ko kalah dengan Aini kot?' answers Muaiz, '...bukan laju pun, ramai orang tua yang ride sekali', he continues.

'Ye la tu, aku tak percaya langsung kalau cyclist kata tak laju, tahu-tahu belasah 35-40kmh', I retorted back. 'Takpe la, nanti aku confirm dengan kau balik, OK?' I ended our conversation.

Glanced at Wari, and told him about the invitation. And Abg Rahim's comment about Aini is also riding the route. '...Takkan kalah dengan Aini kot?...'. The distance said Muaiz, should be around 130-150km. Suddenly, something came to my mind. The fact that either route to Bentong would need a lot of climbing. Its either thru GS or KKB. And if IT IS a 130+km ride, most definitely they'll take the KKB-Gap-Bentong route. Ouch, thats one hilly route. Its brave to attempt it, but its foolish to do it if you are not well prepared.

Even if the invitation is juicy enough, but one needs to gauge their own ability. As much as I wanted to ride to Bentong, but I do not think I have the legs to do it yet. The horror story from Bang Man CIOCC on the ride to Fraser lingers still (read here). Personally, I have yet to put in a long 120km non stop ride, and I havent even done GS (or enough climbs yet) so i think I'll just keep down my head, put in the miles in religiously, and when the next opportunity presents itself, maybe I'll JUST DO IT!

There is still a very fine line between bravado and foolishness.

bola2api account of the ride to Bentong, read here.

The (supposed) 75km weekend ride to KLIA...

2009-02-01T12:24:00.001+08:00

Last weekend me and Wari planned a long ride together, but as it happens, the ride was not to be. Something came up in the morning, and we took a rain-check on that planned ride to KLIA. So when the opportunity presents itself on Saturday, and last night's PCM ride was easy so make new plans with Wari to meet at the RV at 730am. The rest of the crew? Most of them is not around, so its just the two of us.

I am late again (ya,ya, what else is new eh?) and Wari were already waiting. We set-up our bikes and suddenly we were chatted up by a guard, En.Nuar who took an interest in our bikes. By 830am, we rolled out planning for a 2-3 hour ride. Destination? Either Salak Tinggi or KLIA. I reckon it would be about 50-75km back and forth, so it could work out to an average of 25km/h. Not too bad, eh?

The first 20 minutes were easy, and we gradually upped the speed to 25kmh. Took a pit stip at one of the petrol station and off we roll again, after taking the route to Salak Tinggi thru De'Palma. The rolling highway allows us to hit high 20s, and I asked Wari if we wanted to go back already and turn towards Kota Warisan or all the way to KLIA. 'Weather sikit punya cantik, jalan pun OK jugak. Kita pi KLIA la', he suggested.

So the two of us, make our way towards KLIA and the open space means we manage to maintain an average of 28-30kmh for that stretch. Taking turns pulling in front, tried to maximise drafting effects. Nearing KLIA, we are undecided of going to Bunga Raya and later all the way to LCCT or just make a u-turn at PanPac. U-turn at PanPac it is. If we were to go to LCCT, it would mean an extra 22km, hehehe...

On the way back, we took the Dengkil route and roll in to the RV in Unikeb. I was too slow for Wari (I was wasted OK) so for a good 10km, he left me at the back, and he only slows down near Teras Jernang, where I manage to catch him. Then we spin to warm down to the RV point and our total for today, just 66km in 2.5hrs. Still a few kilometers short of our planned 75km. Sigh :(

Well, a good ride indeed. We should do this more often eh Wari?

On my, what a pleasant surprise...

2009-01-31T14:43:00.002+08:00

One social event that I look forward to each month is the Putrajaya Critical Mass or fondly known as PCM. So, on the last Friday night of the month we'll have these gathering of riders of all kind of bikes, sizes, young and not so young anymore to engage in something that they love, riding bicycles.

Wari, Big and Lei had never been to one, so its only natural to extend the invitation to them. Make arrangements with Wari to meet earlier as parking is limited, and Big says he will be coming a little later as he just finished some testing in the afternoon. No worries as PCM only starts at 930pm. Called Lei in the afternoon, and teasing him on whether he will be clocking some secret training beforehand. Kantoi nanti, hehehe...

Call it instinct, at 825pm, I called Lei and true enough, he WAS preparing for that secret training ride. Siap gua suruh simpan je la tayar yang kat tangan tuh, hahaha. Its better for you to come and join us for a drink at the RV point. Caught redhanded, he obliged and meet me at the RV around 845pm. He asked about the others, and Wari called shortly saying that he's in the Mamak, waiting for us. Hehehe, so much for great timing.

After 9pm, car after cars with bike racks and riders jostle for parking spaces. Nasib baik datang awal, hehehe. Saw a lot of familiar faces (and I've only been to one PCM. Must be those blogs) and make small talk with Sis Sharifah whom I met last year. Big is late, and he managed to coaxed Hardi along (hehehe, Circle of Influence at work again). Told him, no worries, usually PCM wont start until 930pm.

The crowd swells, bike and riders are filling every available space. Saw Bro Zizan, Bang Man CIOCC, Aini bola2api, Kash and Rais, and made some new friends along the way. The ride proper(?) starts at almost 10pm and off we go. Decided to stay in the middle of the pack all the way till Hardi and Big cycle along us and sped playfully. Suddenly, we are near the front.

After Alamanda, chug along up the incline and then Wari and Hardi sped thru. Tak boleh jadi ni, kena kejar. It was fast (kononnya la) all the way to PICC, where we slowly wind down and take a breather. While waiting for the others, I suggested to Wari, Lei and Hardi to climb PICC. One climb. Two climb. By the time we finish the second climb, a lot of the riders are already at the pit stop in front of PICC.

Not long after, Big came and surprise, he found Cikgu Nasir among the riders. Big is more interested in C'gu Nasir's Merida. Apa lagi, bila nak sambar road bike nih? I worked with C'gu Nasir once in Johor, so planned to bring my bike next time we're working together as he always bring his bike along on those trips.

We then ride to the Mosque as it was suggested earlier to meet-up there for photo ops. I guess there is a change in plans as apparently some of the riders went back to the RV point straightaway after PICC. Well, maybe next time then. Anyway, by the time I reached the RV, Big, Lei, Hardi and C'gu Nasir had already left as it was quite late. Grabbed my usual 'roti nan', and before long bid adieu to my friends and thank them for a good ride.. Its a pleasant surprise to meet old and new friends...

Thanks to Daoh, Bang Man CIOCC and those who tirelessly make this ride a safe, and accessible one. See you guys next month :)

Its a wash-out, ladies and gentlemen...

2009-01-30T12:12:00.001+08:00

Just got back from outstation yesterday so the bike is still unassembled and its still in the bike bag. So when I finally got back from office, rushed to assembled it and to prepare for the planned ride tonight. It was postponed from last nights at Big's request, so after contacting the rest of the team(?), we decided to ride tonight.

The weather is cloudy throughout and we fear for the ride. Ada ke takde agaknya? As I was driving home, there is a glimmer of hope, as Putrajaya is clear. Weather update from Putrajaya was clear too. So once I finished assembling the bike, quickly put it in my car and make my way there. As I drive there, suddenly the rain starts falling down, getting heavier by the minute.

Alamak! Called the rest of the gang and inform them of the situation. Decided to meet first at RV and evaluate the situation. By the time I reached the RV, Wari, Big and Ayie were already there. The rain is heavy, and no chance of riding then. Proceeded to order something to eat, then I realise, none of them had any food in front of them.

"Geng, tak nak makan ke? Takkan kecewa sebab tak dapat ride sampai tak makan?" I asked them. 'Yup, aku tak nak makan sebab tak dapat ride malam ni. Jauh aku datang', quipped Big. Wari adds, 'Kitaorang minum je'. I admired my friends, sampai begitu sekali kekecewaan mereka krana tidak menunggang basikal malam ini.

That is until two plates of Mee Goreng Mamak arrived, complete with Telur Goreng Mata Kerbau. Ceh! Hahaha, so much for the sorrowful duo... we'll ride again some other time, right? HAHAHAHAHA!

Row, row, row your boat...

2009-01-29T09:16:00.005+08:00

These past couple of years, I have not done justice to this blog. Of almost 200 posts on 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat', not even 10% is dedicated to rowing, so I would like to make an additional target to achieve this year. To be a member of The Million Meter Club. To be able to be inducted into that club, one would have to row one million meters, either on on water or on the indoor rower, also known as the rowing ergometer. Read about indoor rowing here and concept2 here

To know more about the Million Meter Club, read here.

One long weekend, no long ride?

2009-01-28T11:09:00.002+08:00

The long holiday weekend normally would present numerous riding opportunity, but as it always is, "...Man plans, God decides...". I planned to ride on Saturday, Sunday, Monday AND Tuesday, alternating between long ride, short hard ride and long/short recovery ride. As fate would have it, something came up on Saturday, which put paid to my hopes of riding an easy 75km with Wari. Sorry Wari, bukan aku nak sabotaj ko punya training, hehehe...

So, on Sunday, I plan a comeback with revenge. Well, spanners are thrown into the plan as well as my partner in cycling crime is back to his hometown, which means I would be riding alone. He even forget to link me up with the JBS boys, which usually have rides on Sunday mornings (aku pun lupa nak tanya...aiyaa!)

So, its a solo 50km ride then. The first 8km was a breeze, but once I took the left turn towards Tg Lumpur, I was hit from the front and sideways by fierce wind. It was no fun riding in a headwind, and to be hit on the sides was worst. I weight almost 100 kilos and at some instances, I was nearly swept off with my bike, which prompted me to change into bigger gears. Ride lagi masa monsoon, elok duduk rumah tido je gamaknya...

The next day, make plans to ride again but miscommunication and sheer egoistical behavior (on my part that is) means easily a 40+km possible ride deteriorate into... no ride. Late that morning, I was left ruing lost chances. Moral of the story : Even if you make plans, be flexible enough to change if necessary.

The last day of the long holidays (and the few lost chances) means I would need to ride, by hook or by crook. Prepared early and by 745am were ready to ride. The monsoon season means there is a good chance that I would be battered by winds, but what doesn't break you, make you stronger, no? Unfortunately, the weather is a bit under, and rightly so, after riding for 15km, it started to rain.

Good thing it only last for some 20mins, but then the wind makes me feel colder than it actually is (the windchill factor). Its no fun riding in a wet, cold weather. Especially if you're riding alone. It just makes you want to stop and go back. Well, we can't have that do we? Finally decided to call it quits (sejuk sebenarnya) after 50km. Total planned ride : 200+km. Actual ride: 100km. Something is always better than nothing, right? Hehehe... alasan je la tu...

And where is Mr Big?

2009-01-24T12:01:00.001+08:00

After the recent 'brouhaha' with regards to the helmet and the shoes, I make it a point of preparing in advance for Friday ride #7. I was late again (what else is new?) and only reached RV at almost 9pm. Hey, a new addition to the group, and we welcome Azhar to the fold (Circle of Influence eh?)

We started off slowly in view of Azhar being a newbie and Mr Big who havent been riding diligently for the past few weeks (banyak urusan keluarga, hehe). Ayie is unable to join us for some emergency matters, so the four of us took the usual route towards PICC.

Azhar seems OK, even if the bike is a bit big for him as we opined he should be riding a 50 or smaller rather than a 52 (its easier to make a small bike bigger than a big bike smaller). We decided to make a u-turn near PICC and go towards P16. To spice things up, me, Wari and Azhar decided to play catch-up and sprint. Mr Big? We keep him within distance, hehehe...

Nearing P16, Wari suggested Wisma Putra hill, to which I gamely accepted. Result? Of course he reaches the top first, he still is 30 kilos lighter than me. Azhar even followed suit, riding up the hill and then we gleefully descent down. But wait, something is wrong. I can't see him, he should be waiting for us here. Where in Putrajaya is Mr Big?

We decided to sweep the Boulevard all the way to PICC, looking for a guy riding on a DaBomb. We scour the area, but we could only find Kenari's and MyVi's lining up the road. Ada pesta Perodua ke? Tried calling on his cellphone but to no avail. Has he been kidnapped? Mana la tahu kena kidnap for ransom ke, Mr Big kan nampak macam tokoh korporat...

As we are going towards PICC, we suffered our first casualty. Azhar's leg refused to cycle anymore. He cramped. So what else to do? After letting him rest his legs for a while, we ride slowly towards the RV point, reminding him to keep the legs moving to pump blood in and to drink often. He survived, but I think its a case of trying to do too much too soon (dah lama tak exercise la katakan...)

Lo and behold, once we reached the RV, there he was, Mr Big, waiting for us. Apparently, he is in one piece. Takkan ambil shortcut plak Mr Big? I took a raincheck on the post ride rehydration session, and bade the three of them, goodnite. Good ride, good company = feelgood, no? We'll do this again, my friends...

The not so LEKAS weekend...

2009-01-22T11:50:00.001+08:00

Opting to rest rather than riding the night before in hindsight, allows the body to rest a bit and mentally makes you hungry for another ride to make up for the lost opportunity. The actual truth is, fear of being the last one in the peloton is a great motivating factor, hehehe.

After Perez, there are talks of going fast on LEKAS, the newly opened highway. But as I wont be able to join those speed demons on the windy highway, I decided (albeit quite late, sebab bangun pun lambat) to clock in some kilometers on Saturday and some more (if I am up to it) on the day after.

Starts riding at 9am and thinking of doing a KLIA loop (as if la), but then changed my mind once I reached the roundabout after the airport mosque and cycled towards F1 instead. Felt good (other than the searing heat) and actually contemplating of going to Sg Pelek, but good sense prevailed and decided on KLIA instead (so fickle minded, eh?)

As fate would have it, as I was reaching the entrance of F1, "POP!" and I suffered a puncture. Ceh, aku tak bawak plak spare tube. Thought of calling my brother to rescue me, but he went to the factory today. Luckily, I did chucked in the patch kit into the bike bag, and preceded to repair my tube. Tube baru plak tu :( Nak kena pi cari tiub baru la pulak...

Decided to cut the ride short, and head to my car, but not without riding around Nilai. Total distance : 48km. A good distance for a guilt ride, hehe. The next day, when the rest of the crew did LEKAS, I do a SLOW (get it? haha) one hour recovery ride (kononnya la) around my place. Staple of my ride: Lots of spinning and try to keep my HR averaging 140 and below. Total distance : 24km. Total distance this week : 110km. Not too bad a week, if I say so myself...

"sometime you have to go slow to be fast" (ni kira ayat pujuk diri sendiri la ni)

The top and the bottom of it...

2009-01-21T14:50:00.001+08:00

I was in a rush tonight. I was supposed to meet the guys at the RV point at 830pm. The time now is five minutes after 8, and I have yet to put in the bike in the car. Rushing down with bike, water, gears, GPS and HRM and chuck it into the car. Backed up the car and was on my way in no time.

Along the way, calculated the best route to be at the RV point by the stipulated time. I have been late a few times already (what else is new?) so I'll try not to be late again this time. Called Big and he's in SuRaDa, so he should be a bit late. Called Wari next and he says he's on his way, which means that I might not be that late after all. CH is taking a rain check, he's tired after a long testing session in the afternoon.

I stopped somewhere along the way, within good time to reach the RV point, and decided to do some extra kilometers on the bike. Put out my bike, take the wheels and put it up. Strap in my transmitter and GPS and suddenly I stopped in my track. @#%!^&*(!@#%! How could I forget?

In my haste, I forgot to bring two things. My helmet. And my cycling shoes. Hence the top and the bottom of it. That, ladies and gentlemen, means the end of my ride for tonight. I am not sacrificing safety and pedaling efficiency.

The moral of the story: Prepare well in advance and never rush. Better late than never (better to come late to a ride than not riding at all, cheh!)

Rest is part of training, no?

2009-01-17T14:21:00.000+08:00

Rest is part of training. Period.

2100hrs Make my way back from KT after the event ended at 1830hrs. Packing etc takes another hour.

0300hrs Just got back from the East Coast and later tonight is the usual training session in Putrajaya.

1130hrs Met CH and Wari, who did not go to the East Coast and discussed about the ride tonite. Both of them are looking forward to tonight's ride. Me? In all enthusiasm, agreed to meet them at the RV place at 2030hrs.

1700hrs Started to feel the effects of long waking hours and travel (the past two days) and lack of rest. Dehydration too. Starts to have doubts about tonight's session, but played it down. Need to be resolute about training.

2015hrs My body feels heavy and creaky, throat dry and movement lethargic. Decided to take a rain check for tonight. SMSd wari to inform so that they do not wait up for me. So much for being resolute, hehehe.

Sorry guys, can't make it tonight. But rest is also part of training, right?

Somewhere near the border of two states...

2009-01-15T13:54:00.001+08:00

I am on my way to the East Coast now for an office related work. As I was sitting in the van, I suddenly realise that I was nearing one of my targets for 2009. Near the border of two neighboring states. Genting Sempah.

One day I will ride and triumph over you. Period.

The usual Tuesday Night ride # 2

2009-01-14T13:47:00.004+08:00

I was late again. Its already 835pm. I don't want to keep them in the dark so I called Wari and asked about his whereabout. 'Kat lokasi biasa la', he answered.

'Sapa lagi ada?'

'Aku sorang je' he said a matter-of-factly.

'CH ada ke?'

'Tak nampak pon dia'

'Takpe, ko tunggu kejap, aku dah on the way. Kejap lagi aku call dia' I ended the conversation.

When I reached the RV point, both of them are already gone thinking that I'm riding to the RV and plans will meet me halfway. Wari then called and I asked him to wait somewhere in front and I'll join them shortly. Set up my bike and sped away looking for them. Apparently they waited for me some 3km away.

Regrouped and decided to do double hill loop tonight. CH suddenly hurts his knee so I suggested that we stick to an average of 25kmh. Starts slowly and up the Alamanda incline, feels good and CH, hurt knee or not, is just 10 meters behind us. He then picked up speed along Persiaran Timur all the way to PICC exit, while Wari and me decided to stick to our earlier agreed average.

CH continues to power on on the way back along towards Alamanda. He even leads us up the long incline, until Wari decided to step up a gear and speed along, leaving me and CH in his wake. I tried to follow suit but as I am 1.5 times his weight, its easier said than done. Note to self : lose another few kilos soon. Only then I can think of being a better climber.

One hour into the ride I suggested that we do 3 loops (CH suggested 5) of the big roundabout. The first loop was done at an average of 33kmh, the second one at a speed of 28kmh and the last one around 24kmh. Then we rushed over to the RV point for our refuelling and comparing calories session, hahaha.

Tonight we manage to put in 38km of riding, and I used in excess of 1300kcal, while Wari and CH burned around 800+kcal each. Tak puas hati la tu. Aku ni berat la, sebab tu la aku boleh burn lebih banyak kalori, hahaha. Lepas tu, sekejap je dah nak sampai max HR. Here's to our next ride on Friday night. Dengarnya En Big, Albert(?), Lei dan Encik Is will be joining us...

Resolute about the resolution...

2009-01-13T13:58:00.004+08:00

I know its a bit late, but in keeping with the spirit of New Year, its only natural for me to write down some new year resolutions (things to do better than last year perhaps?). I am not going to bore you with the usual so I will only put in my 2009 sports resolution. So here goes...

Cycle and row as much as possible in 2009 (basically kena work out la ye tak?)
Ride these climbs (in no particular order). Perez. Sempah. Broga. Kelawang. Fraser. Cameron?
Do at least a century ride (100 miles or 160 kilometers)
Starts running again (in preparation for No.5)
Do Powerman 2009 and hopefully finish within the stipulated time (nak try gak dapat medal)
Pick up swimming (in preparation for triathlon, hehe)
Do a cycling tour (maybe a few days ride with friends, kan guys?)
Influence as many friends possible to pick up cycling (Circle of Influence kan Bro Zizan?)

As at mid January 2009, the farthest I have cycled in a day is 100km (read here) and I have already done Perez, so I hope I am well in time to achieve those resolution before 31st Dec 2009. See you on the road in 2009...

The (first) ride into the clouds

2009-01-12T13:34:00.012+08:00

I always have this fascination with climbers. Nope, not in the mountaineering sense, but in the cycling sense. KOM. Alpe de Huez. Angliru. Col d'Izard. Our own Genting. So when Abg Man SMSed us that the next ride will include the 8.8km ride up Perez, it was not to be missed.

I can't sleep actually. Saturday was resting day, other than the visit to KFine. Wash my bike and try to sleep as early as possible. Like a small boy who are anticipating the visit to the Lego shop :) I actually woke up at 5am, and force myself to sleep a bit more.

Woke up at 6am, call Lei but he's not answering. Cook breakfast and somehow only manage to go out of the house quite late. That is definitely for not putting my bike in the car the night before. Ha! Sikit punya kelam kabut, baru ko tahu. In my haste (it was already 650am), I left Garmin at home, and the thought of being left behind by the 730 roll out time, decided against turning back and get it. Kena buat manual training note la lepas ni for this particular ride...

On the way, Wari called. He's already at IKBN, and I told him I'll be there before the ride. Racing there (both my heart rate and the car) is stressful. Takut kena tinggal, dah la tak tahu jalan. Finally I reached the designated RV point a few minutes after 730. Cyclist in cars and bikes were lining the street. CH just arrived. I saw familiar faces, even some who their adventures were the staple of my bloghopping.

After everyone is ready (its almost 8am), we rode together to the first checkpoint. We have CH and Wari, the usual Sunday crew, bola2api, Kash and Rais, Nurina and a few other nice people that I have the pleasure of making acquaintance along the ride. It was a rolling route, thru a few kampungs, and the cool weather makes me thankful I was wearing the long sleeved tee. In all we have almost 20 cyclists in our group.

At the T junction, we made a pit stop. Kash had some problems with her RD. Apai swings into action, and the problem was solved in no time. After a breather and everyone is accounted for, the climb begins. The first few hundred meters are steep, but with the right gearing and companion it was made bearable. I rode with Abg Man and Cikgu Hisyam for a while until I became too slow for them :(

I reminded myself not to overexert myself. The secret they say is to set and follow your own pace. You know yourself better and I was thankful for the Polar loaned to me by Wari that allows me to keep a tab on my heart rate over the ride (and especially the climb). My strategy is to spin along and keep my soaring heart rate in check.

It was a refreshing ride, early in the morning and the sound of the chain gliding over the drivetrain hums a sense of purpose, the sight along the way is just awesome and the smell over dew on leaves is pure and invigorating. Then, reality sets in. My breathing is labored, my throat are dry, my lungs are screaming for air, my quads are bursting with lactic acid and with every spin, 'Bila la nak sampai nih!'

After struggling for 33 minutes up Perez, after a bend I saw, 'SELAMAT DATANG KE NEGERI SEMBILAN" and sure enough, I saw a few of the crew is already there. The climbers (light in weight, of course) are cheering everyone who are making it over the top. At that moment, it makes it all worthwhile. The pain disappeared and the endorphin rush envelops you.

After the customary UMNO Jelebu pics, we turn to cheer everyone who made it over Perez. Abg Man and a few other even rode down to make sure Zul ride safely to the top, cajoling, cheering, supporting even telling a few white lies, 'lepas ni ada satu selekoh je lagi, hehehe'. A big round of applause for all in the group. See, CH and Wari pun boleh survive. So Mr Big, bila nak join kami?

The descent was furious, especially the first few kilometers as the switchbacks are to my liking. I guess I averaged around 40+kmh only. Daoh suffered the first of our puncture on the descent. We waited for him at the junction and later makes our way to the RV point to regroup. Once we are there, we received news that CH suffers a puncture. Kash and Rais swings to the rescue while we waits for them.

Once the punctured party arrive (tayar saja yg pancit, orangnya OK lagi), the next leg of the journey was to Pangsoon, but as fate would have it, CH punctures again on the same front wheel. CH, agaknya wheels ko tu jinxed tak? We changed the tubes and the group decided to cut short the trip and go to Sg Congkak instead.

We had our breakfast there (basically taking everything in sight, these ravenous cyclist) and enjoyed the

company of fellow cyclist over food and drinks. Even Md Noor Ba

lung Merah and Zharin was there a while later. After the usual photo ops, with a filled tummy

(not yet full), we bid goodbye and make our way to the RV point.

Its great to be riding with friends (old and new) who makes it all the way to the top. For some of them, this is their first time, mine included. And the next time I am here, I will do my best to conquer it in a much shorter time. This climb up Perez makes a good weekend. Period.

Read other riders take on the ride and pics, pics and more pics... hehehe. Read the thoughts and writing of Bang Man, bola2api, Kash, Nurina.....

I was late...

2009-01-10T12:27:00.002+08:00

...and my phone is ringing incessantly. Its Lei and Wari. Called Wari and asked him if everyone is already there. He says that even Ayie Nexus is there. Hmm..

"Aku tengah cycle on the way ke sana. I am near JPM now. Err, CH ada tak?" I asked. "Belum call lagi" says Wari. "Call and check dia kat mana. Aku sampai kejap lagi", while continuing to spin and warm up all the way to RV.

True enough when I arrived there, Wari, Ayie and Lei is already waiting. Even CH is there, setting up his bike. Sorry guys, I'm late this time (macam last time jugak la, hehehe). Lets ride guys, its late already so off we go on the usual PCM route. All roadies today it seems as Big is away in JB.

We started slow, decided to maintain 20kmh for the first few kilometers. It does feels good, riding with buddies :) Lei can't resist the playful sprints chasing Ayie after every traffic light, ceh. The competitive nature in him is too great. Sabar bang, tak banyak mileage lagi in those legs.

We spin along the Alamanda incline, with CH, Ayie and Wari dancing up those incline. Lei is slowly finding his rhythm and setup on Scott XS. We zooms down the long descent and hitting 40+kmh and the sprinters are having a field day. Takpe, takpe, nanti aku brush up aku punya sprinting boleh la challenge korang...

I decided to spin along (slowly) before meeting the 'sprinters' near PICC. Decided against going back the long incline and instead go down the boulevard, where the cobbles is made bearable by our carbon forks (as if). From the Mosque, me and Wari cycled down to the RV chasing CH, Lei and Ayie in front. After the traffic light on the 9th, Ayie and Lei sprints it out all the way to the finish, reminiscence of the usual ride ending sprints after Asasi in UM.

Thanks guys for a good ride. We'll do this again next week. Maybe over two laps this time?

And the (dawn of?) new beginning...

2009-01-09T14:59:00.009+08:00

I am looking forward to tonight's ride in Putrajaya. It has been five days since I last rode Scotty. I am expecting the usual crew for the ride tonight, minus Big as he is in the southern tip of the country for a family matter. No worries mate, you could always join us next week.

Lei has finally picked up Scott XS (read here) after a hiatus of several years. I love his Shimano wheelset, and a light wheelset means a lower rolling resistance. can't wait to meet you and Scott XS later tonight mate :)

On another note, CH and I managed to use our Circle of Influence to welcome the new addition to our crew. The Fuji twins. Remember our 'Jalan-jalan cari Basikal' adventure sometime last month? Since then we have visited a few more bike shops to look for some good bargains (with previous years models)

We brought along Warimad, who currently uses a Scott Team bike, and scoured the Klang Valley, high and lows (and once got lost in the process of looking for a specific shop in Melawati, where we settled for Penang style lunch) for that beginner bike. AlBert also want to get a bike, though will not be riding it for a couple of weeks as yet.

When Suhaimi PPZ paraded his new yellow Fuji bling, bling at last weekend 'Kayuhan Malas Lepak Santai' (read here), we decided to visit a certain shop along Jalan Ampang, and true enough, Uncle is having a clearance sale. Fuji half carbon bikes going for a mere three thousand bucks. Two models are up for grabs, with either yellow/black or the red ones with Tiagra or 105 drivetrain.

Verdict? Both Warimad and AlBert bought a road bike each. The Red Fuji. Hence, the Fuji twins.

So, Mr Big, WHEN are you getting your road bike? Hehehe... takkan setakat kena jadi support crew pulak lepas nih :)

And then gravity pulls you down...

2009-01-09T09:37:00.004+08:00

How many of you have fallen off your bike? I can see many hands and nodding heads.

Why do you fall from your bike? Many reason. Crash? More nodding heads I see. Slippery roads and loose sand on switchbacks? Some nodding heads. Trying to avoid cars that do not signal when turning? Hmm. Accidentally clipped the wheels in front? Yes.

At the traffic light? Loses balance while perfecting the track stand? Still clipped in? I saw a few of those, right Lei?

I got one last week. Equipment trouble as my cleat refused to dislodge from my pedal. Loses my balance while stopping. So I fall with the bike. Still clipped in. Like nangka busuk. Ceh. Akhirnya I join THE group (kan Lei kan?).

This is the result. A few deep gash on my right foot courtesy of the chainring and a bruised left knee. Padan muka aku.

This (lazy) week in perspective...

2009-01-08T18:15:00.002+08:00

This week has been a lazy week, cycling wise. Since the last 'kayuhan malas lepak santai' to Putrajaya, haven't been on the saddle one bit this week. Been eating and enjoying food it seems :) Last week was a good week on the bike. Cycled in excess of 200km in total. Maybe too much so soon, so I might as well cut it a bit this week. Maybe do some total of 70-80km only :)

Lei called me (surprisingly) yesterday, and true enough, just to inform me that he had picked up his trusty Scott XS and eager for the next ride. His Klein is rested, can't afford to be left behind on all the future rides by speedsters on RBs. I think that is also the same thing that ran thru Suhaimi PPZs mind, when he got himself a new bling, bling half carbon Fuji. Hehehe... I would like to think that its not about the bike. Just like what Lance says.

I am looking forward to the ride tomorrow night. Need to get my legs moving for the ride up to Perez on Sunday. Better keep my hydration status in check. Don't want to be dehydrated for the Sunday ride.

New Year Ride 2009 : The supposed ride that became a race...

2009-01-02T13:59:00.026+08:00

Rumors of the ride first surfaced during the trip to search for the "new nasik lemak makan place" when I heard Apai and Bang Man talked about a planned New Year Ride on 1st January 2009 (duh! of course). I tried looking for it on JK, but it was nowhere to be seen. Hmm... maybe I got it wrong, I think. Anyway, talked to CH and Lei, informing them of the ride and they are game to do it, all the 80km of it.

Finally, a notice came up on 30th December on JK inviting MTBs and roadies to participate in the ride. Abg Man also forwarded me a SMS of the ride, and I duly passed my name to the organizers. I forward the same to CH and Lei, who both confirms of coming. Great guys, see you there.

The night before Lei asked me to call him early in the morning, while CH asks for directions. Ini betul2 nak kayuh ni, semangat sungguh... Anyway, on the day itself I got up early, make some breakfast and out of the house by 0700hrs. Will meet Lei somewhere near the meeting point. After making some calls, decided to wait at the mosque instead, and join the group when they cycle through.

Met Abg Man and the rest of the riders and decided to wait for the riders at Shell. Apparently, the ride starts 30 minutes later than planned so we wait and talk and do the necessary. At about 0845 the riders zooms in, and the first thing I realise is that the front riders are going really, really fast.

We tag along at the back and I make my way slowly to the middle of the pack. It seems that there are a few KOM competitions along the way, which explains the hurried pace. Jangan ikut orang punya pace, ride your own race. With that I ride with Hafiz (found him somewhere in the front of me) and stayed all the way till that first hill where he sped away.

No worries, just aim to maintain an average of high 20s up till the first stop after riding for 20km. We waited up for all the riders to regrouped to the next stop. It was a short wait, as it was still early in the ride (and the riders are still strong, hehe). It was a marshalled ride and it make the ride easier, as the marshalls stops traffic whenever necessary to enable us easy passage. Kudos to the organizers.

After a short drink break, work to maintain the speed of the previous sector. The undulating, flattish route enables me to consistently hits 30s. Not too bad for a starting again cyclist. But then, for all the high speed you have a price to pay. It almost kill me at the De Palma incline. I slowed down all the way to 10kmh, struggling along. Felt like pushing my bike, but I can't let Sham Dewa sees that, hehehe (I ride with him at De Palma)

At the second stop, I gawk at all the nice bikes and components around. You name it, you can see it there. Treks, Colnagos, Pinarellos, Specializeds, Meridas, Orbeas, Shimanos, SRAMs, Campags, C50s, carbon, alloys, scandiums... its all there. Be proud Scotty, you are in the company of nice bikes. Some of wheelset even costs more than you, but I do believe, its the rider that matters most. And in 6 months, we'll dance..

In the last 65km, managed to maintain an average of 28.4kmh. Hope to work more on that in the next few months. The last 5km was a warm down ride to the mosque where Lei is waiting, after he decided to "visit" Azman while cycling somewhere near Pekan Salak. CH got a puncture about 10km from the finish line and he has to menggendong his bicycle on one of the marshall motorbikes. This is the second flat that he had experienced this week.

Have some drinks with the "devils" before all of us "bertebaranlah kamu dimuka bumi ini..."

Word of "THANKS" to the organizer for a safe ride, complete with Marshals and support car. Good start to the year 2009 :)

The highly corroded ring

2009-01-02T12:10:00.000+08:00

When I was doing spring cleaning (there is no spring season here) for my house, somehow I came across this old ring. It bring back old memories I guess. This ring actually come in a pair and this highly corroded ring is bought in Indonesia more than eleven years back.

It was my first trip overseas on my own and I am fortunate enough to be able to save some money to go. My then girlfriend, lets call her MA, was also on that trip. Nope, we are going in a big group and not just the two of us. We do have lots of chaperone I say for that trip, hehehe.

Anyway, the story goes that we are at the airport waiting for our flight back home after a fortnight in Indonesia and I have about 100K in rupiah that I know after conversion rate would not be much back in KL, so decided to buy something. As I am scouring the airport to look for things cheap enough to by I stumbled upon this nice, cheap pair of ring.

After some haggling, the ring is mine and what else, the other pair is for MA. Hmm, I wonder what happened to 'that' ring? As for my ring, I guess I'll put it in together with all those letters me and MA wrote each other that I still kept. That my friends, would be another story...

The long holidays and the small sharp rock...

2008-12-31T16:38:00.001+08:00

The long holidays have not been good to my cycling. The Christmas break on Thursday and the New Year on Monday does not mean that it is easier to go cycling. the holidays also means more weddings to attend, and more places to visit. It is also the best time to visit immediate and distant family/friends/shopping complexes/etc... you get the drift.

It has been a week since I last cycled. So I planned (need/want) to put in a ride tonight, and invited the usual suspect. CH and Lei says yes, Big says maybe and Warimad is still on leave. No worries, even if its three people, we'll still ride. Tries to coax Big to commit, but he says he is still tired from the journey last night. Sure, no worries. Take a rest mate.

Go back home early and cook something to eat. CH asked if we could meet a bit later, while Lei is still on his way home and will confirm his coming later. In the end, Lei could not make it and I SMSed CH to meet at 915pm at the usual place. Felt heavy though. It could be the nasi goreng agaknya... malas betul rasanya nak kayuh!

Am not wearing my usual long cycling pants so I felt a bit 'exposed'. The night is cool, and my legs is cold, and it took such a long time to warm up. I only felt better after Alamanda, climbing that incline and continued to crank it up going down towards PICC. The new RD seems OK but there is still some problem with shifting. Nothing too big except for the fact that CH overtook me before the top. Must be my leaden leg.

Decided to do a double loop so before long we are away from PICC towards Alamanda sprinting away when disaster struck. I suffered a puncture. No bang, no sound, no fireworks whatsoever. Just a sudden wobble of the back tires and that spells the end of my ride. I was stopped by a small sharp rock. Ceh!

The problem tonight is that my rear tire is on a deep rim, and the tube that I brought along has a shorter valve. Not to mention I did not bring my patch kit lest I could have patch the offending tire there and then. thought that the front tire has a long valve, swapped the tubes but to no avail. So, after the futile attempt to repair the puncture, I asked CH to ride back to the RV point and get the car. 'Come rescue me'

The moral of the story is : Make sure you have the basic cycling survival skills. At least you preferably know how to change your tubes. Bring the right sized tubes. And patch kits (if needed). Or have the numbers of the taxi service hotlines, hehehe... They could come and rescue the stranded cyclist. Like me. Or maybe you.

In search of another Nasi Lemak place?

2008-12-29T12:01:00.001+08:00

Last Sunday, the usual crew planned a ride to Lenggeng (again?) but with a slight twist. This time it'll be using the newly paved Broga road (not that I know where it is, hehe). The route? Here. Unfortunately, I had something else to do that day, and also a wedding do to attend so with a heavy heart, would have to say 'nay!' to that ride.

Well, gatal punya pasal la katakan, that morning make my way to the usual RV point, and true enough they are preparing for the ride. There I met Abg Man, Amin and Acap, and also Apai. Tak dapek nak kayuh, hantar orang nak poie kayuh pun jadi la kan. Apparently they are waiting for Hafiz, who suffered a puncture earlier.

While Apai is setting up his bike, his front tire meletup! Luckily its the tube, rather than the tire. So, before the ride another one puncture casualty. The first tube Apai puts in is not catching air, so they change into another tube. And a short while later, they are ready to roll. Meanwhile, thinking that the guys at the RV point have already left at 730am, Hafiz (I think) cycled straight to somewhere near Semenyih hoping to catch up with the rest. Abg Man then asked him to wait while they are ready to roll out now..

Finally the four of them roll out at a quarter after eight in search of another old skool nasi lemak stall in Lenggeng. Can't wait to read about all that I have missed this week. Sigh. Abg Man, cepat la update cerita baru...

The ride of 10,000 miles...

2008-12-28T11:10:00.000+08:00

... starts with the first push of the pedal. Period.

My first adventure in cycling, is due to necessity rather than love at first sight. I was in uni and lived quite a distance away, so traveling is a bit of a problem. One of my housemate, Muaiz is a former cyclist so he suggested that I got myself a bike. As he have a XC bike, I opted for a cheap full-sus. It was really cheap (student mana ada duit sangat)

Than Montana was heavy but at least it allows me to reach the school in a much shorter time than being at the mercy of the bus schedule. I could plan to leave the house 40 minutes before class and still have time to shower if I need to. Most of the time, I ride together with Muaiz, if our timetable allows it.

Later, when I was busy rowing, Montana was brought to the Rock Dam. Apparently, cycling complements rowing so Montana was used to negotiate the steep climb to the upper reaches of the Rock Dam in the early morning. By then I use Montana less and less because I got a hand-me-down 18 year old car for commuting to uni, especially for my night classes.

When I stopped rowing competitively, I heard Montana was used by one of my teammates, but i could not really find it. Even if it was cheap, it WAS my first bike. Cycling slowly drifted away while I pursued other interests. It was until a couple of years back when I was finishing school that I got hooked again. I ran into Scotty then, disassembled and broken, after an accident. Built it back painstakingly and it has been with me ever since.

Once I started working, only occasionally I rode Scotty, at times going on a four hours plus, 120 km solo ride, just to test myself and my resolve. I remembered being battered by the wind as I pedal my way to KLIA and back. And I also remembered being broken on the 100 km trip to Ijok, where Yafiz and Lei has to rescue me from my cycling incompetence. I put it down to lack of endurance and training. There is only so far your resolve could bring you, without some preparation the rest is just pure foolishness.

My interest in cycling is rekindled when I ran across CH on his way to work. Now, we manage to influence (Circle of Influence kan Bro Zizan?) a few more of our colleagues to pick up cycling. Big has bought his DaBomb (and seriously considering a road bike), Warimad has started to ride the yellow Scott and actively looking for a bike to call his own.

Am, Albert and Samba are looking for bike. Someone from Medical is asking around about bikes. LeeMing is planning to bring her bike from KB. I hope by next year we will have a few more colleagues to join us on our twice weekly night ride. I read someone commented on the Net that he plan to ride to work in 2009. Why not? Maybe less incentive due to the lower price of petrol, but health is an important enough aspect of life.

Like what Bro Zizan's has written, 'Don't wait until your heart beat faster, or your urine tastes sweeter', aptly sums it up. Read Bro Zizan's take on his adventures on cycling to work, here.

Here's to riding more and more in 2009.

Ride to the sea, eat a lot, and ride back (slowly)...

2008-12-27T11:04:00.003+08:00

CAUTION: THIS POST IS LATE. REALLY LATE.

It was not the best of preparation. I could not really sleep. We had a somewhat heavy dinner, quite late yesterday. Before that we travelled almost 300km. Make a detour at the office to pick up Scotty. Slept late. Woken up a few times, fearing for being late at the RV.

At 7am, rushed to the RV, without breakfast and no water in my tank. None in my bottle too. Somehow managed to reach there with a few minutes to spare. The weather is clear, signaling it will be a really, really hot day, all the way to the sea. Greeted Abg Man, and were told that we are waiting for CH, who apparently woken up late.

Took the opportunity to grab some watered down isotonic drink to fill in my bottle, half of the fun will be lost if I 'died' before we reach the sea. Sneaked over to Petronas, and afterwards to the loo. Too much water in too little time wreaked havoc with me. Luckily I am done, just as CH and the rest of the party arrive. Consensus taken, with all saying 'aye' all the way to the sea, even if the sun threatens to bake us all.

The ride rolled out sometime after 8am, everybody working their legs in anticipation of the long, hot ride. The pace slowly picked up from 20kmh to 25kmh, then it became fast and furious, trying to make up lost time it seems. Like Abg Man's comment, Sham Dewa seems to be in a cycling trance (in the zone perhaps), pulling everyone along. Laju pulak tu.

The two km towards De Palma, the riders regrouped and make short change of the long climb. Then we fly towards Salak, where we negotiated the heavy traffic (to the market perhaps?) and after than raced towards Sepang. The undulating terrain posed some problem, but none too big. Working as a team, pulling everybody in, all the way to Sg Pelek town.

The last few kilos are flat and the 'sprinters' in the group have a field day, hitting high 30s. Tried to tag along but my tank is getting emptier by the minute and contended with being in the middle. Amin, like a true leader, falls back and rode as the sweeper to make sure everyone is accounted for. Caught up with Abg Man and the rest who slowed down after the entrance to The Gold Coast.

Cikgu Hisham goes all out to the sea, while we slowed down to regroup. Suddenly we heard a commotion behind us, and zoomed in a green Viva full of young girls cheering us on. Ni yang rasa macam nak kejar ni, hehehe. Cyclist groupie, perhaps? My mind wander back to uni where a group of cyclist going up the back hill is always full of admirers. Hehehe.

Reached the sea and sure enough we met with the cheer squad. Ha, dah dekat2 ni malu pulak, tadi siap sorak2 lagi... What else to do, photo ops for posterity. We then proceeded to the eating place, to refuel and lo and behold, the cheer squad is at the next shop. Nak buek apo, tengok yo la. The hungry crew could not wait no more, even if the one who takes our order is sweet. WE WANT OUR 100 PLUS! NOW!

At 1115 we finally make a move. The first few kilos our legs felt like lead, heavy. Just trudging along, forcing blood into the (whatever) jelly like muscle I have. The pace is good, in the high 20s. After Sg Pelek, follows Hafiz all the way to Sepang, trying to catch him. Apparently he want to distance himself as far away from Amin, 'Nanti dia potong saya bang, hehehe'. Such playful nature, these boys.

Hafiz sped in front, and Cikgu Hisham and Azam caught up with me in Pekan Salak, where nearly 'ditabrak mobil'. Tak reti pakai signal ke? Then I came face to face with the De Palma climb. Hard but still do-able. Wanted to stand all the way, but my jelly legs reminded me to sit in the saddle. Hafiz goes down and do the climb once again. Me? No thank you, once is enough.

Decided to wait for the rest, while Cikgu Hisham decided to press on. One by one, the rest of the crew passes up until finally we saw CH and Abg Man. Yaay! Great for you CH. Abg Man and Hafiz sped away, and I decided to keep CH company. Its torturous but I am sure we can do it. Caught up with Sham Dewa, buying drink at the roadside. As I chug along, saw a stall selling... coconut water. Ice cool coconut water. Kena berenti nih!

CH passed me, and when i caught up with him, pass him my last bottle. Hope it'll last the remaining few kilometers. Cycling alone was never fun, but made it to the RV point nonetheless. The rest have gone back except for Abg Man, Sham Dewa and Acap. Decided to look for CH, and caught up with him near Teras Jernang. He declined the assistance, and triumphantly rode into the RV point after a 100kilo ride.

'Not a man best moment', he says but we told him, one should be proud of finishing that distance, in the hot, humid weather. Especially this is his farthest ever. Now take a rest and feel good in a few days, hehehe.

Thanks to everyone for the torturous ride (borrowing Abg Man's word). Abg Man's note of the ride here

"Macam ni kena kayuh pi GS ni..."

2008-12-24T11:58:00.000+08:00

I was late. I was supposed to be at RV at 8pm. But I am still at home. The phone is dead. I guess the crew must be trying to call me. Sorry guys! Lei must be calling me to confirm about tonight. Anyway, borrowed a phone and called Big and tell them to wait for me, as I am already on my way.

Sure enough, they are ready and just waiting for me. My GPS is half dead, so decided not to bring any gadgets today. I even took off my speedo. Today, just a 'feel' ride. No speed, no distance, just cycle away. We decided to take the PCM route as we welcome a new member, Warimad. His bike is repaired just in time for the ride tonight.

Apparently the problem I had from Bagan Lalang trip surfaced again. Both RD and FD refused to change easily, preferring to skip. No problem. I'll just stay in my cadence gear. The ride started around 845pm (sorry guys for being late) and I am really taking it easy. As if on cue, we toyed around with Big, pulling away whenever he is near us. After the traffic lights, all of us sprinted away, leaving Big behind.

Me and Warimad kept a distance, while CH accompanies Big... that is up till after nearing PICC, when all of us sprinted away leaving Big to work hard on his bike to catch up. Out of the sudden, Warimad says that his crank wobbled. Its either the screws are not tight or the BB is problematic. We then rode slowly, just before a pee break, hehe.

After that unscheduled break, we continues toward the boulevard and the mosque, where Big breezes through cos he got suspension. We roll all the way to the RV point and manage to finish the ride in about 1:22. Not bad, which I think would be a bit faster that the previous time. Average speed should be about 19kmh, a jump from Big's previous 16.5kmh. Good for you, fren!

'Mesti sebab basikal. Kalau aku pun pakai road bike, sure boleh kejar korang punya la', that was Big's assessment of the whole ride. So, now its time to get a road bike, eh Big? Which one? The Merida or the Trek? He felt tonight's ride is easier the second time around. Most probably his body has started adapting to cycling. He added, 'Macam ni kena kayuh pi GS ni..."

Don't worry my friends, before the year 2009 ends, all of us will ride GS. All the way up. We'll make sure of it.

Jalan-jalan Cari Basikal

2008-12-22T19:50:00.002+08:00

Warimad came over and asked me a question, 'Is Scott Scale 80 a good bike?', to which I suggested that I will check it out for him on the internet. I am not that familiar with MTBs (not that I am THAT familiar with roadbikes, hehe). Warimad is the latest victim of our MGM scheme, where we get friends to get interested with our cycling escapades.

Not long after that, Big came and says that lets go out for a drink. CH and Warimad is already waiting. Actually the group is hanging out to discuss about a friend's offer to sell Warimad the Scale. Me? Dunno much I guess. while eating, the discussion drifts to the disassembled Scott lying around. 'Lets send it over for repairs and maybe we could look at a few bikes too'.

We load the bike to his car and off we go to K-Fine, near Big's house. The Boss was nowhere to be seen. 'Macam mana nak bincang bisnes ni, Boss takde plak'. But we ogled a few new bike that has arrived since I last been there. As we are making our way back, suddenly The Boss arrived, and we talk what else, cogs la...hehehe. He promised it to be ready tonight. Just nice for our ride tomorrow night.

Its still early, so CH suggested that we visited a few more bike shops and look at the options that we have. Warimad actually is seriously thinking of acquiring a bike. Just that he is not sure whether to get a road bike or a MTB. I told him that me and CH only rides on tar, but Big has a MTB. 'Lets just see, tengok apa yang ada, then nanti buat keputusan'.

We ended up in BikePro. Sure enough, there are lots of choices but he carry mostly mid to high end stuffs. I saw a bike that catches my fancy. Nice bike, good component and its in my size. The price? I do think its manageable. Most probably I'll get it before Powerman 2009 (if its still there la). We manage to check Scale 80 at the shop as it was in store. Hmm, Warimad is deep in thinking.

After BikePro, CH suggested the Merida shop nearby. Even Big was interested on one of the Merida road models. Warimad was looking at 901 and 903. Big was eyeing the 880 as his beginner road companion. Maybe the 904 could be the better option, with 105 grouppo. But for each increase in numbers, the prices increases as well. More choices make it more difficult to choose, right Warimad?

We then went over to DU for prayers and visit Edwin's shop. More high end products, and Edwin offered a carbon Schwinn with 105 groupset for a mere 4.5K, if I am not mistaken. Its the right size for Big. Me? I'll stick with alloy for the time being. I am not that careful a person, and a cracked carbon frame would mean a cracked bank account.

Its almost 5, when we finally finished our 'Bike Discovery Tour', but its a day well spent. At least we would know at what price point our bikes will be, and maybe I'll look for year-end 2008 bikes sales prior to the 2009 range are due to be in, hehehe. Who knows?

Either way, we will have our 'really slow' group ride tomorrow night.

It is so easy to make a living here

2008-12-21T09:25:00.001+08:00

I just got down from the bus at one of the smaller town on my way back home when i decided to grab some food. Looked around and after walking to check out the choices that I have and proceeded to walk to a nearby shop (actually its the only shop open). As I make my way there suddenly a long haired guy with a backpack walked beside me and said...

'Abang, saya nak balik Alor Setar, tak cukup lagi RM2 aje. Abang boleh bagi dua ringgit?' he asked.'Mana ada bas ke Alor Setar dari sini?' I retorted. 'Ada bang, pukul 1030 malam. Boleh la bang, nanti tak sempat nak beli tiket' he pleaded.

I told him that I don't have small change, but he was persistent. I was in no mood to argue more and I told him if he wants the two dollars, he will have to wait for me finish eating. Menyusahkan orang aje la. Anyway, my hunger pangs get the best of me and I opted for bubur pulut hitam.

After my meal, I went out and sure enough the long haired guy walked towards me. I gave him the two bucks, grab his wrist and says, 'Kata nak beli tiket tadi, jom la kita pergi kaunter. Nanti tak sempat pulak'. He refused saying that he will buy it in a short while, to which I am still adamant of taking him to the ticket counter and getting him a ticket to wherever he wants to go.

'Jangan la macam ni bang. Sebenarnya, saya nak makan, bang. Tapi malu nak minta duit nak makan', he said. WTF! Badan sihat, tapi malas nak kerja. Tahu minta duit saja. Tapi bila dikata sebagai masyarakat yang meminta-minta, cepat betul melenting. Tapi realitinya, ada juga segelintir ahli masyarakat yang dengan mudah menyalahkan orang lain, dari berusaha dengan tulang empat kerat mereka untuk mencari rezeki yang halal.

It is so-oo easy to make a living in Malaysia. If you do not feel like working, just ask for money. There are many generous Malaysians are willing to part with their hard earned money and give it to you.

What in the world actually happen to Mr Big?

2008-12-20T08:55:00.001+08:00

Monday morning, when I reached the office, a few of the people I met asked me,

'Apa kau dah buat dengan Big? Siap sakit kaki lagi...'

'Teruk kau belasah Big masa cycling, sampai siap MC hari ni pasal sakit kaki..'

' Takkan la cycling sampai MC kot?'

Aik, kenapa plak ni? What in the world actually happen to Big?

Later, I went to Big's office. True enough, he is not in office. Jaja says that he is on MC. His staffs actually want to know what happen to him that caused him to be on medical leave today. From the little that they know, Big went to cycling on Friday night (read here), and voila, today he called in to inform them that he is on MC.

Going back to my office, a few of our colleagues continues to ask the same question. Ini tak boleh jadi ni, I dont think his injury is caused by cycling. So I gave him a call at noon. He answered groggily (he was actually sleeping then), then I proceeded to determine the cause of injury (cycling was at stake, my friends)..

He described the symptoms, which is 'sakit, berdenyut2 on the lateral side of the right foot. Sakit menyucuk pun ye jugak'. Hmm, doesnt seem like DOMS or fracture injury symptom. 'When do you starts to feel pain?' I probed. Big explains he felt pain around noon. 'So, pagi tu ko pergi la gotong-royong dengan ADUN pagi tu?, is my next question, to which he says 'yes'.

So my friends, its highly unlikely to be cycling injury. If its due to cycling, most probably he wont be able to walk to the 'mamak' after riding the night before. Given that last night it was his longest ride, there are possibilities of overuse injury, but the symptoms doesn't point to that.

My two cents worth? He might have stepped on something (awkwardly) or bitten by some poisonous insects/bugs/snakes or even toyol during gotong-royong. Or it could be his gout acting up. Or he could just be dehydrated which exacerbates his gout. Or some spirit is angry with him for trespassing on their area, hahaha (this is the probable supernatural explanation).

Get on your bike Big, pronto!

Ride, Climb, Eat and Ride again...

2008-12-15T19:34:00.019+08:00

Dreams of these could drive a man to go places. I got to know about it as I was surfing in JomKayuh

With those dreams I coaxed CH and Lei to come over to Bangi and join me for a ride last Sunday. Destination : Lenggeng. Reason : Breakfast with nasi kukus with sambal ikan keli. Distance : 74km. Ranking of ride : MUST DO!!

0600hrs I could hardly sleep the night before. Make arrangement with CH to meet at 7am. Woke up early for prayers and proceeded to cook my pre-race meal, three piece of (my version of) 'french toast'.

0630hrs Suddenly, a familiar sound was heard. The sound of water hitting the roof awning. 'Alamak, takkan hujan plak', which to my horror, it actually starts to rain. I decided that as the RV is some distance away from where I live, it might not rain there. A SMS from CH, 'wei hujan la...', confirms the bad news. Lei messaged me. He just woke up. Dont think he could make it in time.

0700hrs Waits for CH at Petronas. Its not like him to be late. Suddenly he calls, and asks 'Fren, ada ride ke? Bukan hujan ke?'. 'Kita pergi je dulu, kalau takde ride kita pergi la Putrajaya', I reasoned with him. He says he will be there in a jiffy. I felt each seconds of waiting is excruciating, especially when I know that the ride will roll out at sharp 0730hrs. And the RV point is easily some 20 minutes away.

0715hrs Finally CH arrives. Lets go! Raced to the RV point as I don't want to miss this ride. Each seconds flies, and my heart racing as I drive towards UKM.

0735hrs Reached the RV, and I catch a glimpse of a few cyclist getting ready to ride. Parked my car and greeted them. Abang Man CIOCC, Daoh Darko, Bro Mi, and two young (and fast) riders, Hafiz and Acap(?). Abang Man graciously offers to wait while we set-up our bikes. Thank you so much :)

0750hrs After a short introduction to everyone, we rolled out in a double line towards Bangi Lama. Took the opportunity to chat up with the rest of the crew. We avoid the big hill after the Semenyih exit by taking the route to Bangi Komuter and proceeded to Rincing Hulu where we took the scenic route. Abang Man shares anecdotes and gems such as which road goes to where etc...hehehe.

After going through the kampongs, we popped out somewhere after Jalan 6 Kaki, and cycled towards Seremban old road going thru Staffield, KTJ all the way to Mantin, maintaining 23-25kmh. Not far after Mantin we took an exit towards our destination, Lenggeng. Abg Man warned us that the next 2km will be switchbacks going up all the way. Hmmm, confirm kena focus, focus nih...

It was like going up Sempah (which plan to do soon) but only much, much shorter. Going up the climb, not without some photo ops of course. At the middle of the climb, we stop at a small waterfall(?), if you can call it that, for a breather and one of us took the opportunity to create water-falls of his own. Unbeknownst to him, we capture him in action. Ooopps!!

Daoh was entrusted with the camera so he was up and down the climb snapping pictures of us all the way to the top. Going down was fun, especially negotiating the switchbacks, refraining from using the brakes where possible and going as fast as we can. Abg Man tries to took a picture of us negotiate the corners. Can't wait to see them..

0945hrs We finally arrived at Lenggeng after almost two hours of riding. Luckily, the much feted nasi kukus is still available, even if just barely as only a few bungkus is still available. Nasib baik cepat sikit, kalau tak... melepas!! We help ourselves to the nasi kukus and Abg Man ordered the last plate of pulut available, going around. CH even had two of the nasi kukus. Its either he haven't had his breakfast OR that nasi kukus (below) is as good as it is said to be :) BURP!!!

1030hrs After a good breakfast and borak2 session, we make our way back. Someone asked whether we are taking the same way back (thinking of the big hills and the chasing/barking dogs) etc, which to our delight Abg Man confirms we will be taking the flatter route. Phew. We continues chugging along on a totally different route, taking the small roads along palm oils plantation, a few kampongs and along the perimeter of Camp Millenium. Wrong timing. No female PLKN trainee in sight.

The route we took are littered with cow dung which we maneuvered deftly, hehehe. Before long we are nearing Bangi Lama when we decided to go (and attack) the hill along Semenyih road, just beforeBangi Lama town. The boys, Hafiz and Acap decided to attack, standing all the way to the top. Daoh follows suit. Tak boleh jadi ni, kena ikut jugak. I followed, and at the top of the hill, I was only behind Acap and we managed to leave everybody behind.

We continues toward UKM, and surely, Hafiz sprints away followed by Acap shortly after. Just after the Salak Tinggi exit, I decided to press and chased the two. Upped my tempo slowly to the big chainring, all the way to 52x13, hitting high 40s (max 48kmh). Managed to catch Acap, then konon-konon working together trying to reel in Hafiz but we were thwarted by a traffic light and a couple of cars. Nasib baik, sikit je lagi nak tangkap...as if la!

Maintained 30kmh towards our RV and am the third to reach it. Hafiz was smiling from ear to ear. Hehehe, youthful exuberance. Not long after, the rest of the gang came in and we are basking in the sense of accomplished ride. What more could I asked for. Going on a ride with a friend, meeting new friends, good food, nice scenery and being in the company of fellow cyclist.

A big thank you to Abg Man CIOCC, Daoh Darko, Bro Mi (if I got it right), the two kaki rempit, Hafiz and Acap and of course, CH. We'll do this again next time, eh? Maybe to Kuala Klawang perhaps?

Some more witnesses account of that ride here

Chronicles of a Guilt Ride

2008-12-13T10:06:00.002+08:00

At 830pm, my phone rang. 'Kat mana?' asked Big. I replied that i should be at the RV point shortly, and asked whether CH is already there.

'CH just reached home and will be coming over shortly' says Big.

'OK. I'll see you in a short while', I ended our phone conversation.

Once at the RV point, suggested we went to P9 and asked CH to meet us there. At least if Big decides to join this month's PCM, he would know the meeting point. Proceeded to Double Trouble at P9, park our cars and prepare our bikes. CH arrives in a shortly and our ride starts soon after.

Pics (This is the first pics of DaBomb and its proud owner)

ROUTE : PCM route (to hopefully prepare Big for his first PCM ride next week)

TARGET : To get him and DaBomb back home in one piece, hahaha...

So, its decided that we are taking the PCM route. We started slowly and I asked Big if he would have problem riding on a big road (he usually rode in the comfort of his 'taman perumahan') to which he confidently answered, 'nope. no problem at all'. Me and CH keeps the speed low (not that we are that fast, hehehe) and I am always by Big's side to keep him company and keeping tab of the speed.

After Alamanda, came the big (at least to him) climb but Big manages it quite well. The roads after that is a bit rolling, but he stills not troubled by it. He has troubles with his changing of gears though. I suddenly noticed something peculiar about his riding style. His saddle is a bit low, which causes him to pedal outward rather than downward. 'Sapa yang buatkan ko punya bike fitting?' I asked him to which Big answered, 'Takde sapa', a matter of factly.

Me and CH then asks him to raise his saddle by one cm and not more than two cm for starters. At least it will force him to pedal downward rather than first outward and then downward. Slowly but surely, we reached PICC area and CH suggested that climbing that small hill, to which Big refused. Hahaha. Maybe next time eh, Big:)

The three of us continues along the boulevard, thru the pasar malam all the way towards the Mosque and all the way back to P9, all the way asking Big if everything was Ok with him and assure him that don't worry about our pace, we will follow his. We arrived at the meeting point and shortly, where else, its chow time.

Thanks to CH and Big for the ride. we'll do this again some other time.

Guilty as charged

2008-12-13T08:07:00.001+08:00

You are hereby charged with first degree of gross neglect to your body, not taking care of it so much so that for the past seven years allowing it to deteriorate from a 7 percent body fat level to the current level of four times over. How do you plead?

ME: Guilty as charged, your honor.

With that guilty plea recorded, we sentence you to a daily commute to work and back and long rides on weekend until you learn that it pays to keep your body at its optimal level.

I was talking to my brother the other day during lunch and he says rather nonchalantly that he got gout. On his toes. Diagnosed three days before. It took me by surprise as he is quite young, in fact 9 years younger than me. That also explains why he was walking with a slight limp as he will find it difficult to push off from his toe.

It just shows how easy it is to neglect our body. The good life, good and rich foods and definitely lack of exercise makes it 'easier' to throw our body out of whack, out of balance. And to regain it back, is easier said than done. There will always be excuses after excuses after excuses...

Need to keep everything working in its optimal condition, eh? No two ways about that. Guess, I need to kick my own butt then.

Sweet Italian Ride

2008-12-12T14:15:00.004+08:00

This is a friend's bike. He came over to re-check his bike fitting a couple of weeks back before finally riding it. If I am not mistaken, he got his earlier fit spot on, other than we adjusted his saddle height a bit. By now he must have ridden this Guerciotti (ye tak Abang Rahim?), hehehe...

Hmmm... bila la nak ride something like this.. Groupset, Campag Super Record 11 spd some more :) Weighing in at an illegal 6.8kilos. Good bike, good components, good rider equals good ride. Sweet!!

Visit www.guerciotti.it and drool...

The last (non-rempit) social ride of the year

2008-12-12T13:33:00.002+08:00

After a fortnight without internet access, being in office finally allows me to update myself on the world news (especially news and updates from my friends). I do have a few sites that I usually visit as listed on the left, hehe :) And one of the site that I look forward to is http://putrajayacriticalmass.blogspot.com for its cordial monthly social ride event. I missed last month's ride (read reports here and here) and I am really looking forward to the December ride, even as I was riding Langkawi these past two weeks.

Once in office this morning, I opened PCM blog and... Alamak! The last PCM ride will be held next weekend, on the 19th. I will be outstation on that day as I would need to fetch my parents from the airport. I was hoping to bring Big to his first PCM as I had missed the last one last month (needs to be in Langkawi, hehehe). Seems that I will have to ask Big to go to this month PCM on his own then. Kena paksa jugak la nampaknya...

But then the bottom line remains that I STILL cant attend PCM this month... Ceh!

p/s Cik Puan bola2api, still takleh pergi la nampaknya. Kena bukak buku baru tahun depan gamaknya

Are we creatures driven by guilt?

2008-12-11T13:51:00.001+08:00

As I plunked myself on my seat, Big suddenly appears in my doorway. He asked about my recent trip (which was productive), comment on my tan (ye la, kulit aku dah gelap) and my rides (which was unfortunately cut short by a broken spoke). Nothing out of the ordinary.

Then I asked his about his adventure on his DaBomb. He said that he have not been riding for quite some time citing family commitment all the way to the current rainy weather. He is not even training on his stationary bike. He reiterates that he needs to ride somehow. Ceh, individual training time memang la kena cari sendiri, ye tak?

To that I suggested that tomorrow night we ride Putrajaya. I will invite CH along with us. With that suggestion, his face lights up and straight away he says yes. He asked on details such as RV point, what time to meet up, which route to take to which I suggested the PCM route to prepare him for this month's ride. He seems itchy to ride and looking forward to tomorrow night.

Thats what you call a guilt ride. I will be on my own guilt ride as well :)