Winter-ish ride at Hilton Falls

It was about 5c with some light snow.

- under construction - Dec 26 2015 stay tuned.

Mountain biking vs Road biking

After so many years of mountain biking, I decided to try my legs at road biking. Why? Long story.
It seems that where I am, here in Canada, road biking is big. Every day, while driving on the road, I'll see road bikers. Coming from a city where biking on the streets can be suicidal, I've never had the desire to ride on the road, and its taken me almost 2 years to be convinced that it was fairly safe to road ride here in Canada. How come? Let me explain...
Here in Burlington, Ontario, there are bike lanes along the road. Drivers are not as stressed out and therefore don't have a 'killer' instinct and are almost always very polite and forgiving. Some say its because the insurance is crazy and the punishment for an accident is very expensive. Rules are very strict. If you hit a bike, without question, you're highly likely to be the one in the wrong. Driving is a privilege, not a right. So... with all these in mind, drivers tend to be more careful and less reckless. Hence it is very safe to ride on the roads, well, in Burlington or the GTA anyway. Toronto is another thing altogether, and I won't get into that.
Anyway, after one and a half years here, I decided, get a road bike and try it out. How hard can it be anyway (or so I thought).
I got myself a Giant Full Carbon (TCR) road bike from Kijiji, connected myself with Mountain Equipment Corp group and started riding on Saturdays.
My first outing was an utter failure! I thought I was fit. How wrong I was. Getting left so far behind the rest of the group was an eye opener for me.
Let me give you an idea. When I ride on the road on my mountain bike, I'll be doing about 21-25 km/h for a good workout. When I ride on the road bike, my speeds would be anywhere from 26 - 38 km/h! And I still get left behind. Road riding is hard work, and long!!!
While mountain biking demands short spurts of strength for climbing those hard and steep hills, road biking on the other hand demands long endurance and strength. In addition, the gears on a road bike are designed for speed and not big hard climbs. So when there is a climb, I have to be in shape and very strong. And then repeat it for 50km... as compared to 25km on a mountain bike.
2 hours in total.
So what's my conclusion?
I love it both differently.
Mountain biking, I can do alone, any time, any weather, any terrain, and fun manoeuvring through rocks, roots, holes, mud, jumps etc, riding in one area mostly, can be scenic too, the after-ride clean up can be extensive.
Road biking, in a group - else it would be too boring, dry weather, not winter, only road, and nothing but straight roads, covers a big area and sightseeing is nice, not much clean up other than your shower.
Both work different muscle groups and different fitness buildups. I won't say which demands a better fitness level because it depends on the individual and the type of ride you're doing. For me, I like climbs, and while road biking climbs are less steep, they are harder for me because i have less gears for climbing and I find them harder. So for me, if I want to get fitter, I'd go for long rides on a road bike with some hard long climbs. The cost?... boredom.
Things in common?
They both are good cardio workouts, strengthen your legs, demand full attention and focus, demand that you're well hydrated throughout the ride, after the initial investment take very little money for maintenance.
Well, take a look at some of the pictures I have and you'll see I'm never alone when road biking, but mostly alone when mountain biking. End of the day, whatever turns you on. Go for it.

Training for the Himalayas...

Dream? Maybe... maybe not...But here's where I wanna go soon...

Click HERE

Bronte Creek Cycling in Autumn

One of the most beautiful experiences one can experience as a mountain biker is enjoying God's creation!
And this I do every time I take a ride to Bronte Creek; my usual haunt.

This is the only place that's only 7km from home and where I go for my weekly short 25km rides.
As a terrain, its simple and I'd rate it as a single star as far as difficulty is concerned. There's only a tiny slope of about 100m to climb and any ardent hill climbing MTB-er would have to do the climb several times in order to achieve any hard breathing. (pictures available via link titled 'Autumn at Bronte Creek') Well, there are several of these tiny climbs all over Bronte Creek. That being said, this place really is a wonderful and great place to ride regardless of skill level.
The scenery and the air itself is worth the ride.
During this autumn, I noticed several dead salmon in the creek (picture above), and it seems its the usual time of year where these hardworking fish come upstream to spawn. Several will die in the process.
If you're a recreational rider, this is the place for you. If you're wanting to sweat out a bit more; just go a little faster. If you're a hardcore hill climber, just do several laps of the hills here. So regardless of your level of skill, this place is really filled with fun. Lots of fast single trails to try out.

Ride for Heart - Toronto, Ontario

My first ever road ride on the highways of Toronto! Or for that matter, my first road ride anywhere in the world! 

Truly a memorable time; what with 13000 other riders, all riding for a good cause. 

The ride consisted of 3 different categories; the 25km, 50km, and 75km. I took part in the 50km, with Gabe and Amelia. 

The weather on that day could not have been better. A lovely cool and cloudy 18C with mild breeze. 

The Gardiner expressway and Don Valley Parkway highways were both closed to any kinds of traffic except us riders and officials!

We started the morning by driving downtown to the main parking area and then unpacking our bikes, and meeting the rest of the Bank of Montreal team for a lovely all-you-can-eat breakfast, consisting of sausages, croissants, eggs, drinks, fruits. 

Because it was not a race, we took our own sweet time eating and finally began our ride at about 8.30am. 

The highway was a good mix of small short climbs and smooth downhills. We stopped at various places just to take some photos. Don Valley is known to be quite scenic. The riders' starting times began from 6am till 9am, which made everything less rushed and crazy. Imagine if 13000 riders started at the same time!

Well, not much need be said about the ride itself, and quite honestly, I know now why I mountain bike and not road ride. I cannot imagine myself riding on the road for hours. It can get quite monotonous actually. Nothing like the ups and downs of good mountain biking. 

So yes... I guess MTBRogue will remain a mountain biker. And the occasional road rider for charity.

Ground Zero...

All I needed was to take a month long holiday (with no ride) and my fitness went back all the way down to ground zero! But not for long.
Took my dusty bike out, got my riding apparel ready, and headed out to my 2nd best-place-to-gauge-my-fitness place for a ride. Kiara.
Man was I unfit! How unfit? let me tell you.
Starting out from the bottom of the kiara tarmac road is an immediate 1.5km climb. In my mind I knew I had to start slow or kill myself even before reaching the top. With my HRM on, and about half way through the hill, my pulse was already hitting 170bpm! A horrendous reading since it would normally be in the 150s and at a much faster pace too!
Anyway, consoled myself cos at least I didnt need to stop for a breather.
A quick loop around the tarmac area of kiara was ok and I caught my breath while doing that. Then I decided that I would need to pick up my pace and work at getting fit again! So I headed to "apollo". A climb which normally I would do as part of 10% of my usual full ride.
Needless to say... I died; having to dismount several times and push, through what would normally be 'just a normal steep climb'. (I remember coming here soon after the Sepang ride and breezed through this climb).
That was it... I was done.
After I was out of 'apollo', I got a rest at '2k' shed and headed downhill back to the car.
In my mind I know that while this is disappointing, it's only a minor set back. And as usual, MTBRogue will always get back up there. Sooner than later.

Sepang Jamboree 21 Nov 2010

Click on image


Woke up at 4.30am on the morning of 21 Nov 2010 (Sunday) and headed out for what was to be an easy ride. Many had said that in Sepang, oil palm estate, how bad can it be?
Alas... how wrong everyone was!
Not only was the ride undulating... it was downright HILLY, and coupled with a night of rain before, muddy! What started as a "nice n easy" 42km, turned out to be one of the most gruelling and difficult trails I've ever been to. Although the climbs were not as formidable as the ever famous "antara gapi" trails, nor even Steroid or Pines at FRIM, the climbs were good MTB climbs worthy of mention. UNTIL... we hit the muddy energy sapping places.
There was one point where I had to lift the bike on my shoulders, which is normal for most MTB trails, but to lift the bike and then try to climb out of a muddy ravine about 8 feet high, with my feet constantly slipping and me falling back into the ravine is not what I can call MTB-ing. There was one point where my feet sank right in to my ankles and the only way i could get my feet out again was to NOT PANIC, and gently and slowly drag them out again. Remembering that I didnt have anything to hold on to. How the others got thru here is a wonder. THIS to me, was the MOST difficult part of the entire ride! At one point, I was worried about being leech food! ("ahoy leeches... someone trapped here for our nights feed", I could almost hear them shout in glee)
Well, all was well, after much much struggle, sweat, I managed to climb out. A few others behind me had the same struggles too. The big and heavy would have real problems getting out.
Scenery-wise, not much to say, just a few glimpses of our KLIA (KL International Airport), and some hill-view into 1. more oil palm trees, 2. a road or two and 3. a chinese cemetery.
Well, what can I say about the Sepang Jamboree?
Rideable, fun (without mud), challenging at some points, nice single trails, thorny on tyres (I got a flat a day later), good and nice climbs, a few but not enough downhills. But still, a place I just might take a drive out to again.
Any takers?
If you were riding this trail, take a look at the 12 min clip, you may just be in somewhere, being overtaken by me of course. Click on video clip below (or link on right).