Night Riding in KL

THe weather today was cool and damp. Perfect for cycling some would say, what more a nice night ride.
I had planned a "new" route that would take me from segambut, Mont Kiara, Sri Hartamas, Jalan Duta and back to Segambut; 15km or so in all.
Tonight was perfect.
The weather was cool, the traffic was sparce and the streets well lit.
Gabriel was not to have been left out of this "long" ride.
Off we went at about twilight time, a slow casual ride to the Solaris area, getting wet in the process by pools of water. After Solaris, a small climb up to the Mont Kiara area where traffic became heavier from dinner goers; besides, it was the Kiara area and quite hard not to have traffic.
Then onwards to Sri Hartmas, past Plaza Damas and back to Segambut.
The road terrain was great with a good mix of climbs and downhills.
A few short stops and the final climb back home with Gabriel close on my tail.
Quite a good work out for a 13 year old.

Amelia goes a FRIM-ing...

An adventurous first time for young Amelia on her 24" GT climbing for the first time a fairly tough terrain at the FRIM.
With some difficulty and several short 2 minute breaks, she makes it... climbing with all her might and against all odds.
The going was tough... but after 30 minutes riding, she makes it to the top of Rover's trail. Another last break at the waterfall, a drink, and then it was a breeze all the way down to the other side.
Congratulations young lady!
You've done something very few girls your age would do or even want to try doing.
Gravel, mud, 25% hill climbs, no mean task for an 11 year old when most would still prefer sleeping in the comforts of home on a beautiful Saturday morning.
But then, you're my daughter... which means some craziness must have rubbed off huh?
Not to mention the pain your butt is facing now, a day later!

FRIM on Deepavali

Holiday for Malaysians... thanks to Deepavali.
For me, it was an opportunity to try my helmet cam again!.. Woohoo...
And it worked!
However, unfortunately i've not been able to attach the clip to this blog.

The ride was no different other than the fact that I decided to go an extra "mile" by climbing the killer Steroid Hill twice. Of course, those around and were resting thought us crazy.

The dangers for us was that we're always going the "wrong way" up because we think that the other way up is for "chickens" and hence the name "chicken route". Danger here being that those taking the chicken route end up coming downhill while we're going up. Ah well... we've gotten away with it so far.

Rover's trail was also packed with people. No surprise, mostly Chinese and Malays... as our Indian friends are busy entertaining their guests or visiting.

After 3-4 hours of riding time; this time safely with no injuries, it was time to go back. Relax, nap...

How to Maintain your Rear Derailleur...

When there's no place to go...

Sometimes when I'm feeling low, and things just don't seem to click, and I dont really feel like driving out anywhere to go for a ride, what do I do?
Just grab the bike and ride anywhere!

This time, this past weekend was such a time.
Feeling down in the dumps I decided to get some air and cycle around my kampung.
Though the word "air" here can arguably be a big question mark as far as quality and being "fresh" is concerned, it didn't bother me. I had to get out there.

My kampung, as it turns out happens to be from Segambut dalam all the way out to the Damansara area, via Sri Hartamas.
Leaving my slicks on from my previous ride, I shot off in the 1pm heat of the day. Burn if I must my skin, but I had to go.

The terrain in my kampung ride is nice because it's up and downhill and fast!
Feeling somewhat down and out with my mood, I basically sprinted the whole time, even during the hard climbs up damansara hill (Science center) just to "let go".
It was good.

You know... riding and sweating it out really does things with your mind, your mood and your general health.
Came back home after 2 hours plus and over 30km (didnt even keep a real count on my distance), showered, had my late late lunch.
Felt better.

Wonder where to next.

Ramadhan Ride

The first week of "bulan puasa" and a nice ride to a regular spot ... back up to Genting Sempah and down to Bukit Tinggi, past Janda Baik.
This time not the usual 2 of us, but 4.
The 16km ride uphill was no mean task as usual, and Eric on his racer was way ahead of everyone else. Really contemplating if I should get one. The speed on it must be thrilling.
We arrived Bukit tinggi at about noon and consumed more kilocalories than we burned getting up the hill and probably the whole ride itself. Why?
2 large plates of noodles, 1 vege, 1 steamed fish, and a whole D24 durian !!
Aiyoh...
Here we were telling each other how much MORE we were eating than burning calories, and here we were continuing eating! So Malaysian wouldn't you say?
No disrespect to my fellow Muslim friends being puasa month and all... but we really ate !
After the lunch, we all agreed we were too heavy and too lazy to take the short and very very steep climb back up to Sempah... so we decided to take the long 5km extra km route through gradual climb back up... hmmm. Oh, the fish was so delicious, Eric decided to buy a 5kg one frozen, wrapped in paper, for RM150!! However, he was smart enough to let Thomas carry it all the way back... uahauahauaha.

REaching the peak of sempah we (eric and i) rested while waiting for the rest. Eric of course had to make sure his fish made it safely back.
The ride down was pleasant as it started to rain. Nice cold wind in my face, rain... bliss.
Another day... another ride...

Bukit Tinggi via Janda Baik..

Another day, another nice ride. Just the outskirts of KL on the way to Genting Highlands, there's a eatery or locally known as "medan selera". Here's where we parked. Our ride this time was ambitious, not that we've never done crazy killer hills before, but this time, it was a 'double' killer. We were going to attempt an off road trail up to Bukit Tinggi, towards the Berjaya resort.
We started with a fast downhill for 8km to Janda Baik, probably some have heard that this place has tons of "team building" or "training" spots. A nice quaint kampung area with happy people and kids running around, not on their feet but on "cup chais", as many as 3-5 on a bike is quite normal. A quick picture of them was enough to get their wide wide smiles.
The loop around Janda Baik is a nice ride and a trip on its own if you plan it for a family. Full tarmac, short ups and short downs make it a nice nice ride. Quite cooling too and very green. You'll pass some cow pastures and the like.
After a quick loop around Janda Baik, we headed downhill again towards Bentong. From the starting point and at about kilometer 28, there'll be a very steep hidden 4-wheel off road on the left. Here's where we took our break of some kaya buns; psyched up for the long climb up this 25-30degree hill.
The climb was good ONLY if you're mad! It was slightly overgrown, gravelled mixed with earth, bumpy from wear and tear, slippery from loose broken stones and gravel. But we managed to do all 3km of it.
If you're familiar with the "steroid Hill" of Frim, running at about 15-20degrees incline, and the Gunung Nuang at 30-40 degrees, well, this one is midway.
We passed yet some nice ... hmm... lets see... radio towers... urmm... giant astro-like dishes (digi actually)... urmm...helipads (what on earth are they here for me wonders)... and finally, the horse ranch in the middle of nowhere. .. and WITH a horse. (check out picts at picasa link). And oh yes... a very territorial dog, added to the flavor of fun and adventure. We escaped unscathed.
Coming back was another adventure on its own cos we tried downhilling from another part where there was a proper tarmac road made probably cos of the radio tower.
Unfortunately, on reaching the bottom we found it was linked to the main Karak Highway! Bad mistake! but no choice, we werent going to climb back up the hill so we took the highway.
Managed to find the "old" road off the highway again after 2 km and literally climbed down the hill from the highway and back to the "old" road to Bentong.
We headed on back to a famous chinese spot... hungry like never before and time was already past 1pm. Hot and hungry... not good combination.
Finally, we arrived the little town of bukit tinggi for our lunch at "Mei Shi Ka". A plate of "wah tan Hor" and "fukkien mai fahn".... and drinks of coconut, iced coffee, katchai soomui... and bliss... burp!
We were on our way again...
The road back was tediously HOT and gradual uphill again !! 20km worth.
Full ride touching 60km.
Tired, worn out, feverish bods, sun tanned... but what the... it was good !!

Ride to Frasers

June 7th 2008: Very early in the morning, we set out on our hour long drive to Kuala Kubu Baru (KKB). On the NS highway there are several exits. One of them leads us through a "ghost town" off of Bkt Beruntung. Fascinating how these almost town sized buildings can be just abandoned and left to rot.
Anyway, unbeknowest to many people, just a few km from KKB, lies a big and beautiful lake (manmade it seems), where 2 rivers meet to form a very huge reservoir supplying electricity to various parts of malaysia. It was along this lake that we parked and began our ride up. 25km of gradual uphill.

Weather today was great for this ride... cool, cloudy, breezy. Our aim, get up to frasers, lunch, and back.

We had 2 unfortunate changes in plans. One was that "the Gap" was closed for renovations. This was the age old place where i'd come to once or twice as a little kid with my parents on one of our trips to Frasers. My hope to visit the place for a cup of coffee was foiled. Ended up eating a coconut bun on the road while taking a rest.
The second change in plans we had to make was the route up. Due to a HUGE landslide (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2268100/
Article/index_html)
which we didnt know about, the entire highway for the route UP to frasers was closed. Because of this, the OLD route had to be used and the 1 hour up and 1 hour down traffic laws were back. Odd hours up and even hours down the final 8km climb.
This to us was a challenge because we didnt have racing bikes, and we were not quite mentally prepared for a fast 8km/hour climb uphill, let alone a fairly steep one.
We decided that if we couldnt make up in an hour, and the traffic reversed, we'd just have to turn back and come down.
At 1pm we started up.
Ride ride ride... as fast as our fitness allowed. No chance to stop and rest... just climb all the way as fast as we could.
We made it.
Frasers that day was cold, damp, drizzly... but still the same quaint, quiet, left-alone place.
Very nice stay for a day or two; anything longer than a week up here and any city person will probably go insane from nothinglessness.

At 2.20pm, after about 40 mins of riding around and taking picts, we headed back down.
Ah.. the rewards of climbing are simple...
A relaxed, swift ride down 30 plus km downhill !!!
Nice.

Gunung Nuang...on a bike

"Adoi, Kita jalan naik bukan main susah, diorang naik d'ngan basikal?!".
The last words of a Pos Malaysia group that I heard as we began our 3km long climb up to the foot of Nuang on our faithful MTBs.
Upon arrival at 9am or so, about the same time as a large group of trekkers from Pos Malaysia were just about to leave up... their annual sports club outing apparently.
The ride up is really not for the weary and untrained. It is as steep as steep can be; even for regular walkers, what more for a bike. BUT... we had to do it, because as they say "it is there". Besides, now that the authorities are collecting a hefty RM1 per head, they've even leveled the route up to the foot with some beaten down earth and gravel.
Beaten down earth is good if not muddy or wet, or we'll be spinning wheels no end. Gravel is good, until it gets steep... and wheels spins are common as we try to ride up, but nothing that a little shift of weight cant resolve, a technique I learnt from an old issue of MBT rider. (good mag that!).
The ride up was about and hour long (long time for a 3km ride you might think). But imagine that it takes about an hour and 20-30 mins to walk up 3km.
Arrival at the "pondok", a quick 20min rest, a get-your-feet-wet-in-the-stream time, small-talk with whoever's there, and back on our bikes and downhill we go. A couple of downhillers we met along the way'd be really happy now.
Downhill can be just as dangerous if not more dangerous. Care to be taken and definitely brakes are to be well maintained if you're coming here. It was a quick 20min downhill.
Satisfied but not really that tired yet, we ventured into some "kampung" area, clicked some pics, rode nice and easy through the kampung (very nice). Another 8km, and then back we went. Fully spent, hungry, fairly tired.
And to think that the day before i spent the day in bed from a tummy ache.
This is what you need... a good sweat out. UP to Nuang... that's what i say... Up to Nuang... trek, ride... whatever.

Bukit Tagar Estate

Some months back I assisted a couple of hares go around setting out the trail for hash harriers at Bukit Tagar Estate.
If you dont know where that is, well, neither do I, but it's somewhere up north not too far from KL.
It was a nice oil palm estate owned by sime darby with some very nice sceneries and some killer hills. Take alook at the low res pics taken from a low res phone cam admittedly. (wish i had a shock proof, water proof, hi tech helmet cam to help me on these pics and videos)
The weather started well, and the trail leading into the estate was really nice. Dirt trails used only by the weather beaten land rovers, and of course, the avid mountain biker.
I like the little bridges built over little streams.
Hashing is no easy task. The "hares" had to litter the paths with pieces of papers across the entire route. (ssshh... dont tell bandaraya). No, they actually went around cleaning up after the Hash race the next day.
The estate itself was HUGE and we'd surely be lost had my friends not brought their faithfull Garmin GPS equipment!! My next Christmas present to me!! Soooo cool !
The ride was long enough that we faced, cool in the morning, warm and hot in the afternoon and rain and mud in the evening.
Nice lakes, nice hills, nice climbs, nice animals, nice kampung folk, a nice "haunted house" even... but terrible terrible hospitality from the estate manager there. But that's another story.

Come Rain or Shine..

In these days, or rather, afternoons to late afternoons, if you even think of hitting the bike path... be warned.
We're in crazy weather now. It doesnt just rain... it really really pours !!
Well, I headed out, as usual to my favourite haunt over at FRIM. I guess i asked for it, as it was already dark. I also knew that its been raining daily. What more today... 4pm... dark clouds gathered ... and i could see it hovering above the FRIM area even as i drove there... URGHH. But what the...
I was psyched up... havent ridden a whole 6 days!! my body ached for some torture .. up Steroid, or Killer Hill.
I arrived the car park of FRIM.. drizzled, thundered... "ahh.. so what!... I gotta do this" I thought..
Besides its not the first time i'm riding in such conditions. Been caught before at ulu yam, ulu langat, this ulu and that ulu... so FRIM was no different... or so i thought.
Rain poured after 15 mins into the ride. Rovers Hill was ok... the trees protected me somewhat. Hmm... and imagine seeing people running helter skelter to get out of the rain (especially those in white t-shirts (chuckle). I continued, unwilling to be distracted.
Soon there was no one around... it was dark, thundery, but not much lightning and that was a consoling thought as i rode. Wouldnt want some tree falling on me.
Mud puddles, wet sand and gravel, getting muddy... all part of the game. ... UNTIL...
Mann!! ...
ever tried cycling up-stream ?? especially when the stream comes crashing down on you, muddy water at a 30 degree angle?
WAH LAO.... !!
I continued... I was not going to be beaten... this is STEROID...
Steroid and me are old friends... i respect steroid... i'll be ok ...
I continued up the hill...
the deepening mud waters continued down...
after a slow 1km climb up steroid.. i made it to the top... i'm not sure how long i took, but the storm had subsided back to drizzle when i got to the top... (hmm... maybe i passed the height of the cloud! hahahaha)
Made it... that's all that mattered.
dirty, muddy, soaked... but made it.
The way down was quite treacherous too, slippery, streamy, muddy etc... well you get my drift (literally).

Finally after almost 2 hours... made it back to the car... soaked. But satisfied. Dead... but satisfied. Cold... but satisfied. It was good.
No wonder... me and steroid are friends... and as long the government doesnt decide to turn our pretty forest reserve into some LRT station or a housing estate.. me thinks I'm gonna be a long and good friend to steroid.

By the way... DO NOT bring any important electronic equipment in the rain...like a handphone. Somehow, they dont agree with water. Like mine didnt. Ho Hum.

Bike Upgraded !...

woh!!... I spent rm1860 upgrading my bike !! ... but nice .. nice.. real nice... heh heh..
Got myself the long awaited and talked about clipless pedals and shoes to go with it...
upgraded my old cranks that were warped and made noises everytime i climbed steroid (FRIM).
New brake pads... new set of rims to match a new set of slick tyres (this was unplanned and unbudgetted).
All in all.. upgrade cost more the bike itself when i first bought it !...

But alas.. I'm glad... satisfied and happy ! heh heh..
Clipless Pedals?
If you're a long term cycle freak... then GET IT !! ...
There is no other way to ride well, efficiently, where we are ONE with the bike.
nice.
Take a look at the pics--> http://picasaweb.google.com/MTBRogue/BikeUpgradeJan08)

Unseen advantage: nobody will steal your bike cos they think it doesnt have any pedals ! hahaha