Penang Foldie Night Ride Part 2

A bike dealer setting up some Dahons

People started to fill-up the event hall in Straits Quay and by 6.30pm, the crowd was already swelling.
I met a guy who owns an Oyama bike. 
He said he was the only dude in his peers who rides a folding bike.
Later, I spoke to a couple. They came with their Dahon Dash P18 and an XDS bike that comes with a rear shock.
I met Andrew C, a friend of mine from Tanjung Bungah who rode his MuP8. 
We met earlier on the course during the 82km round-island CFAL3..
I didn't have a chance to strike a conversation with him at the time.
During the Foldie Night Ride, we caught up a bit on bike talk.
Later, Encik Jamil, a cyclist from Taiping in Perak, introduced himself.
"Hello Samo, I've been following you on the Dahon Forums and your blog.."
He was a pleasant guy who stated an interest in getting a foldie.
Jamil also invited me for a tour from Taiping to Pangkor.


A taste of Penang's foldies..
There a few groups of foldies at the event. 
Mostly friends and peers who shared the same interest.
To, individuals like Andrew C and Jamil who came up to me and talked bike actually made my day.
They made me felt at home and being a stranger who traveled 390km one-way to join the event.
As for the rest, I did get some raised eyebrows from the distance.
Some of the Penangites were proud with the Dahon Vector X10s.
These are the most expensive Dahons around and are celebrated for its speed and agility.
I guess they didn't expect a Jetstream EX to spoil the day! hahah!
What I found strange, was the heavily modded bikes.
I saw a Speed TR with souped up components.
There was also a modified Dahon Mu Uno. This one came with a double chainring and a set of rear cogwheels.
Later, a petite lady came up to me and identified herself as a dealer.
"Eh, mana lu dapat ini basikal? Dahon ka?" (Where did you get the bike? Is it a Dahon?"
I acknowledged her by saying that the bike is as rare as it seems.
Some foldies were friendly while a whole lot were aloof. They kept mostly to themselves.

With Andrew C at Straits Quay

Rain and a 15-minute delay
Well, the weather was not kind. 
It poured and poured.
"Hey, you don't have luck with Penang weather la bro.. Everytime you ride here, it rains...," said Andrew.
The organizers said flag-off was delayed for another 15-minutes.
But I can see that the crowd were getting a bit restless.
And after a brief wait, the airhorn was blared as we made our way towards Gurney Drive...