Fold-it with Samo: Episode 1: Cycle to work...

I've had the Sony AS20 and AS30 for a little over a year. Been wanting to do a Point Of View (POV) video on my commute to work. 
The camera was mounted on my handlebar, taking a lot of vibration, hence the "shaky" chase videos.
Piece To Camera (PTC) shots was made with an AS30 mounted onto an AKA-LU1 Handycam adaptor that gave it that classic consumer video camera look. 
The AS20 & 30 has a battery life of well over an hour. It's perfect for "start" and "stop" recording. 

The Sony AS20 Action Cam, still in production and practically the cheapest around featuring 1080P resolution for High Definition videos

Sony discontinued the AS30V that features GPS data logging and NFC controls for its range of Andriod OS smartphones

The palm-sized Handycam adaptor with a flip-screen, this was cheap and very helpful in Piece To Camera shots

The AS30V in a classic Handycam configuration

The AKA-LU1 adaptor was fun to work with. And since the camera has an ultrawide angle lens, handheld shots are pretty steady.
Post-production, well, over an hour's worth of footage was edited on Microsoft Movie Maker. It was very simple and straight-forward. 
I chopped up the video down to 4minutes 39seconds and was pretty pleased with how it turned out. Well, for showing it to my friends. Not broadcast-quality.
As far as producing more cycling videos is concerned, I am just getting started! 

How to cycle to work - Part 02

Continuing my story on cycling to work, here are some suggested steps that you can take to commute with a bike.

Good timekeeping enables you to get into the fray without wasting valuable time

Step 4:  Manage your time

Bear in mind that cycling takes double the time you would take compared to driving or riding a motorcycle to work.
So, be sure to give yourself the time advantage.
It pays to leave early and beat the morning traffic.
In the constantly hot and humid Malaysian weather, it's best to leave before the Sun is right on top of your head.
Getting on the road early also gives you ample time to clean up and change at the office.
The same would apply for leaving the office. 
If need be, try not to ride in the dark.

Road debris will eventually find its way to your tires..

Step 5: Learn to recover your bike from mechanical problems and flats..

Make it a point to learn all about handling mechanical issues on the bike. 
A rule of thumb: the simpler the bike, the less time you are going to waste troubleshooting.
Also learn to recover your bike's tire from a flat.
This is a hands-on learning experience you will never get from browsing the internet or veiwing YouTube.
And never assume that you will never experience a puncture. That's simply an arrogant presumption.
Weight is never an issue when it comes to commuting. So, on your saddlebag, be sure to pack your bike tools, patch kit, spare chain cutter, chain pins, magic link and a spare inner tube.
Do invest in a good hand pump as you are gonna needed it to inflate your tires.
If you use a Presta valve, get a Schrader adaptor because the fastest way to inflate is at a petrol station's air pump.

Food in the tummy converts to energy..

Step 6: Load up, hydrate!

Before you roll out, be sure to fill up your stomach.
Strenuous conditions can lead to dire consequences when you are on the road.
Also make it a point to carry a bottle of water regardless of the distance that you are going to cover.

Cyclists are not the only road users

Step 7: Obey ALL traffic rules..

When you are on a bicycle, you are 100 times more vulnerable to the oncoming traffic.
Observe all safety and traffic rules.
Do not assume that motorists would give way. Be on the defensive and be patient when you are crossing intersections.
Also learn the proper hand signals to indicate turning so that motorists can slow down to allow you a safe passage.
Do not jump the traffic light at any cost.

Cycling in the dark is a risky task

Step 8: Be seen 

Invest in a good headlight.
Don't be stingy. 
Lighting up enables other motorists to see you from a distance.
Helmet lights are a plus and blinkers on the rear of you bike states you mean business.
Also avoid wearing dark clothing when you are on the road. High visibility gives the cyclist the advantage of being seen.

Take shelter from the rain if necessary

Step 9: Wait it out.

Not every day is a sunny day.
There are times that bad weather would ruin your ride.
So, try not to force yourself to cycle in the rain as poor visibility can result in accidents and bodily harm.

Step 10: Safety first..

Unless you are sure of the risks, never engage the road alone.
Make it a point to cycle in routes that are not off the beaten path.
If shit happens, be prepared to ditch your bike and belongings. You only live once.
Wear head protection at all times, leave an emergency line on your phone and make it a point to pack a small first aid kit in case of falls.
And if you are unfit to ride, do not push yourself. Train.
Cease your ride if you are unwell and when you hit the road, always inform someone you know..

Well, there you have it, I hope I've covered all the basic stuff. Stay tuned for more!

How to cycle to work - Part 01

A cautionary tale from a bicycling commuter..

Here in Malaysia, there is no such thing as a "cycling culture".
To put it bluntly, people who cycle to work are your local Banglas who pedal around with their motorised grasscutters.
Why? Because that's their only means of getting around on an affordable mode of transportation.
In reality, the roads are busy, there are no facilities for cyclists to ride without putting their lives in danger.
And most of the townships in the Klang Valley are not properly linked with bike lanes. 
Bike lanes? Well, yeah, it's a new term today as cycling is becoming more popular than ever.
People are demanding from their community leaders for bicycle lanes. Hopefully, they're gonna get some.
But at the time being, we'll have to bear with all the shortcomings.
If you even consider cycling to work, you have already taken the first step.
For starters, it takes a lot of guts to even get out of your house and cycle to the convenient store.
It may sound insane, but cycling to work is an experience and if you are one of those city folks who have little or no time on the saddle, cycling to work is a good excuse to sweat it out.

The real cyclist (left) and the leisure cyclist (right)

Okay, so, all that said and done, how does one even plan to cycle to work? Well, here are some steps that you should take (suggested by me, disputed by some guerilla cyclists & confirmed nutjobs).

Step 1: Equip yourself

The whole point about this exercise is owning a bike and taking it to your workplace.
Say you have a bike, you want to ride, you are not sure if it's the suitable bike that will take you places. Get a ride that you feel absolutely comfortable with and could ride without having too much fear that it would be pried away from your saddle. In short, don't splurge on your ride knowing that there are huge risks. 

Okay, say that you've solved the choice issue, get used to the road conditions. Road confidence and street sense is very important because when you are on the road, you will have to make split-second decisions. The more experience you have on the road, the more confidence you will gain.

Right, now, there's the issue of normal bikes vs folding bikes. So, for conversation sake, my weapon of choice is definitely the folding bike? Why? It functions as a bike, and when you want to get it in your workplace, you can fold it, bag it and bring it into your cubicle.

My bike, right next to my workstation..

Step 2: Master the art of negotiation, talk to the right people

Allright, you've covered your bike, now, you are ready to cycle to work.
But your office colleagues are not used to seeing you with your bike. And the suits are terrified about it.
Be diplomatic about this. Do not challenge your co-workers about your "rights".
The best way to go about this is to talk to your management, convince them that by cycling to work, it won't hamper your productivity.
Negotiate with them to allow the bicycle to be kept in a safe place. Because if all else fails, you would need to chain it outside the office. If that is the case, you will worry even more about the bike.

If your workplace has a "Green policy", then it's best to raise the matter on alternative way to commute to work. One way is to cycle. It's non-pollutive and a healthy way to get around. So, if things work out for you with your management allowing bikes in the office, you are in for a ride..

The bike lane on the Federal Highway connects to many townships along its route

Step 3:  Plan your route...

The shortest route doesn't mean it'll be the safest passage.
So, before you ride off to the office, take some time to recce the route.
This is important as the less exposure you have with traffic means the less risk of conflicting with motorists.
Mark important landmarks in your journey to the office so that you could carry out contingency plans in case of an emergency.
This means, try to draw a route where it's not too secluded or too far away from civilization.
The stark reality shows that even when you ride prepared, if there's a breakdown, you are entirely on your own..
If you ride solo, be sure to include stages where you can bug out with your bike. Point in case, flooding on the bike lane or an all out mechanical breakdown.

2014 World Car Free Day

What to expect when you are expecting? 

Well, nothing much actually. Hahahah!!!
The World Car Free Day is an annual affair where the public is encouraged to cycle, run or walk or take public transport.
What does this mean? 
Leave your car or motorcycle at home, walk to the bus stop, take the commuter train or walk all the way to your destination. Simple as that.

Cycling, my preferred weapon of choice..

If you have a bike, get it serviced, make sure it's roadworthy. You can use it to cycle to work or carry out your chores.
By cycling to work, you are doing your co-workers a big favour by giving more parking space in the office.
And by doing so, you might encourage more folks to take the green initiative.
On the road, do make it a point to carry your bike tools, spare inner tube and patch kit. And when all else fails, say, you encounter mechanical breakdown or have both your tires flat, there's always a phone call to your buddy or spouse for a rescue.

Safety, safety, safety..

Speaking of using the road, sharing it with others who utilise it, do make it a point to wear head protection.
Now, I know that there are some nutjobs out there who prefer to cycle without any head protection, that should not be taken as a good example. After all, it's your head, everything in it needs to be protected.
And when you are riding in failing light, please make an effort to ride bright, use lights and be seen.
Lastly, if you are taking the cycle to work challenge on September 22, ride safe! 

Cycle to work: The Al Jazeera experience

Honoring a request...

I was contacted by Pak Hardjito Warno, a cameraman and video editor for Al Jazeera (a middle-eastern cable TV news channel) to do a video for their Bike to work feature.
He needed some footage of people cycling to work.
I also informed him about the MBPJ Car Free Day which enables him to get some extra footage on cycling activities in the Klang Valley, in which he did.
Then, we've made an arrangement to meet up for the shoot.
I told him that I cycle to work from my house in Subang Jaya to Petaling Jaya.
And that the course is about 43km in a loop.
Hardjito agreed and engaged a colleague riding a motorcycle to trail my ride.
I've actually done a "Cycle to work" video last year with The Star Switch-Up TV and gave Hardjito the reference on YouTube.

Screen grab: Leaving home for the office..

"How on Earth did you find me?"

I asked Hardjito on how he had located me.
"Google", he said.
So, after filming the required segments, we met up at the One City Mall and I had my Tern Eclipse S18 rigged with a GoPro action camera.
The guys came to my house and taped me leaving on my bike. You can see my pooch Sir Naughty in the background.
I rode towards USJ 1 onto the Federal Highway where the crew had set up a few shots.
This includes an overhead shot on the bike lane from the 222 intersection near Petaling Jaya..

 

Riding along USJ 20

Rolling along

Negotiating traffic in USJ 1

The 10-second interview

We did a few re-shoots and I was actually running late.
By the time I arrived at my office, I had 15-minutes to boot before the morning editorial meeting.
The shoot took place on a Monday where I am rostered on duty as the person in charge.
So, on the whole, the shoot had turned out fine and when the footage was released, I was suprised that it was used as the lead segment in the feature.
This was a recognition given by Hardjito's editors and I am glad to be part of the Car Free movement especially when it comes to cycling to work.. 

So, you want to cycle to work.. Part 2

In part 1, I covered some background on what got me started cycling to work. Now, I am going to share some of my thoughts on the highs and lows of riding a bicycle to the workplace..

Okay, you are raring to go, but are your employers ready? 

On any given day, bicycles or any form of personal transport are not allowed into the office.
There are designated parking spaces for bicycles.
In this case, factories do have them.
You will find a wide open space where bikes are parked. And from this perspective, cycling to work is a norm..
So, the argument here is purely from the urban and city dweller's context.
Will your employer allow a bike in the office?
If you have spent a substantial amount of money on your bike including all the bells and whistles, surely you wouldn't want to bolt your ride in the basement. The risks are simply too high.
Near my office block, there at least two salarymen (Japanese term for office workers) who cycles to work.
Every evening, I can see at least one of them, a roadie, making his way home.
They must have struck an agreement with their management to stash their bikes at the workplace.
In my case, the top echelon are supportive of employees taking the green initiative.
There was snag in the beginning. Someone raised the issue of bikes being brought to the office. I gave the head of security my reasons. He demanded for paperwork, my colleague drafted a letter which was signed by the company's CEO, end of the story. Bikes are allowed.
So, my take on this: Be nice, negotiate. 
Don't behave like just because you cycle to work, the entire universe owes you a living. 
Nice begets nice. Word!

Bicycles at a factory near Tangkak, Johor

Parking my 16" folding bike near my table at work

So, which bike? 

My weapon of choice: a folding bike.
Why? It can be folded, carried into the office and if need be, tucked underneath my table.
For this job, the 16" bike fits the description extremely well.
It folds small and doesn't get in people's way.
But to do a 43km round trip from my home in Subang Jaya to Menara Star in PJ, one has to be really physically fit.
So, to sum it up, I have ridden 16", 20" and 24" bikes to work.
I have also incorporated the "bike to work" thing as a means to test new bikes.
You can cycle a road bike or a mountain bike, just as long as you have a place to store it safely.

This 2008 Dahon Curve SL is one of my favourite commuting bikes

Be kind, clean up...

Sometime back, some dude took a lashing on me. 
He said I posted a picture where I was smelly and dirty.
Come on! The last thing I want to do, is to give my co-workers a hard time.
I pack a spare change of clothes and it does help to shower (there are shower rooms in the company's gymnasium) or do a wipe-down.
Petty things like body odour can be a small issue and create dislikes among co-workers, so, be mindful...

Doing it, and be prepared to take the risk and face downtime...

Okay, say you are ready to cycle to work, there are some issues that stares at your in the face when you ride along busy roads and on bike lanes.. Here's what I know: 

• Be early, try leaving your home before peak hours
• Be street smart, avoid busy roads if you can, use alternative routes
• Make it a point to be seen. In this case, use lights, blinkers and wear a bright shirt
• Safety is paramount, be sure you ride with head protection (yeah, I know, its a choice and some psychos with issues will go after me for "imposing" my opinion. Fuck them!)
• Always carry your bike tool, tire lever, spare inner tube, first aid kit, puncture repair kit
• And whenever in doubt, call off the ride. If you own a folding bike, bag it and switch to public transport.
• Always make it a point to informed your loved ones that you are on the road. That way, they are kept in the loop.

Share the road.. Really!

It doesn't mean that if you are a cyclist, other road users must drop on your feet.
To earn respect, you must give respect.
Give way to pedestrians, motorcycles and cars. Observe the traffic rules. Do not attempt to jump the traffic lights.
If you make a hasty decision on the road, you might end up getting hurt, or go home in a body bag. There is no two-ways about it.

The benefits of cycling to work

• You burn fat, not fuel
• More parking spaces for your co-workers
• You spend less on gasoline and parking fees
• You don't contribute to environmental pollution
• You end up physically-fit

Short, medium, long? 

So, what is the ideal commute distance? 

From experience, some dudes cycle about 10km a day from their home to their office. I making reference to a guy who has his own business.

Some dudes conduct a multi-modal commute. They bag their bikes, take the train and ride to work from the train station.

In extreme cases, I knew a scholar who rides about 80km from his home in Kajang to the city centre. This outstanding individual have calves as big as coconuts!

I cycle an average distance of 43km from my home to the office. 

It takes me 1hour 30minutes one-way.

And along the route, there some hills, flats and roads paved with debris such as broken glass, nails, metal shards and so on.

But, with the advent of technology, my tires are made to resist punctures. So far so good.

And for the record, I am not a fast rider.

My average moving speed is 13km/h. And I am comfortable with that..

Lastly: "Be Prepared"

Don't be an idiot, carry your tools and bike recovery kit, our weather is uncertain, always pack your rain gear. If your bike is equipped to accept a luggage rack, a pannier would do the job of transporting your spare change of clothes.

And do make it a point to learn on how to recover from a puncture. Best to do it yourself rather than depending on watching YouTube.

Well, I hope I have covered some grounds here, feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'll be glad to answer them to my best ability.

So, you want to cycle to work.. - Part 1

A little background.. 

I cycled to work in my late teens.
My longest part-time stint, was with a steak house in Plaza Bukit Bintang.
There, I worked as bus boy, dishwasher operator, waiter, cashier, cook and as an apprentice in the food assembly area.
Sometimes, I cycle to work with my Raleigh road bike.
I mounted lights on it and installed a Cateye cyclometer.
On the average, I cycled about 20km on a round-trip from my old house in Jalan Genting Kelang to Plaza Bukit Bintang. 
The outlet manager allowed me to park near the store room. And the bike was locked at all time. I didn't wear a helmet until I started work at the New Straits Times as a reporter.

The team Raleigh-Panasonic replica which was similar to what I have

Rebuilding a classic

My life had hit a "reset" button back in the mid-90s.
I switched careers from being a photographer to a reporter.
In late 1995, I took a bold move by enrolling with the New Straits Times' Pre-Entry Editorial Training Scheme (P.E.T.S).
I signed a contract for five years (bonding for cost incurred in the programme) and started work as a reporter in 1996.
I sold my car, a Suzuki Jimny 4WD because I could not afford to upkeep it.
So, it was back to the basic.
Walk, take the bus, board a cab, you name it, I've done it all.
I worked for another year before I had the idea to revive my Raleigh road bike.
Paid more than RM1K to get it restored with second-hand Shimano parts.
The thing was this: a bike from the 80s is already obsolete.
I didn't follow the development on road bikes at all and was completely oblivious to jargons like: wheelsets, groupsets and bla-bla-bla.
At the time, a bike is a bike, is a bike.
After restoring the Raleigh, I fitted it with a luggage rack and a set of panniers and rode it to work from my old home in Setapak to Jalan Riong.
This lasted a few months until constant breakdown got in the way.
Eventually, I abandoned the idea because a few years later, I bought a Piaggio Hexagon 150 scooter. This was followed by a Gilera Runner 180SP.
They've became my source of transport as the Raleigh was kept in storage. 

Toying with the idea of a folding bike...

Sometime in the late 90s, when the NST had a leased-line for internet browsing, I did some research on folding bikes.
The name "Dahon" came up on my Yahoo searches.
Eventually, I contacted a dealer in the US selling a Dahon folding bike.
It cost about USD$800 for the bike, and a further USD$300 to get it shipped to Malaysia.
I abandoned the idea and later, sometime in 2006, after settling down with my wife Michelle, I came across a selection of Dahon bikes at St Kilda's beach in Melbourne.
My interest in Folding Bikes was rekindled.

 

A vintage Dahon Speed, similar to the one I saw in Australia back in 2006

2008 Dahon Speed P8, my first folding bike...

I never hesitated to grab the Dahon Speed P8 when I first saw it at the Rodalink Bike Store in USJ 10, Subang Jaya.
It was going for RM2,095 and I managed to get a 5% discount for it.
I rode it around, found it nippy and compact enough to be carried in my Perodua MyVi.
Since I got acquainted with the Speed P8, I started to develop an interest of traveling and sight-seeing with the bike.

2011 World Car Free Day: The catalyst for cycling to work..

It was September in 2011.
Andrew Sia, a colleague of mine had wanted to do a story on World Car Free Day. 
He also wanted to cycle to work from his home in Bandar Utama with his Dahon Mu P8.
I told him that I would assist in terms of making the number by cycling from my home in USJ26 to Menara Star in Section 16, Petaling Jaya.
I clocked-in about 45km on the return trip and found that the route was quite practical for riding from Subang Jaya to Kuala Lumpur.
That was also the year I bought my third folding bike: The Dahon Jetstream EX. This was the last year the bike was ever made and I am very proud to be an owner of the Jetstream EX.

Riding to work from Subang Jaya to Section 16 using the bike lane on Federal Highway

Vehicle down-time, an excuse to cycle to work..

About two months later, my Perodua MyVi had started to screw up badly.
It had to be repaired and was stuck at the workshop for a couple of days.
My only choice, was to cycle to work.
Since I have done the first ride in September, it wasn't a real big chore to repeat it.
But my Jetstream began to develop some issues.
I thought it was my SRAM DDII drivetrain, but it turned out that the Ashima hydraulic disk brakes were faulty.
From this point, I continued to cycle to work until my car was fixed.

It's official: Cycle to work

On my second day cycling to work

Better prepared

The Jetstream EX suffered from brake drag.
To get it running, I had to bleed the bike's hydraulic fluid.
Later, I found out that a broken piston was the culprit.
While the Jet was grounded, I had my trusty Dahon Speed P8.
This was a real nice bike to ride.
The Schwalbe Big Apple 2.0 tires took the knocks and bumps on the road and its puncture resistance provided me with a safe and uninterrupted ride from my home to the office.
But people in the office are not used to seeing a fellow colleague commute with a bike.
They say the small 20" bike and asked a lot of questions.
To me, it's all I have to take me from home to the office and back.
And my co-workers were very supportive. They didn't complain about the bike being wheeled into the newsroom.

The Dahon Speed P8 next to my table

Courtesy

I observe courtesy when I wheel my bike into the workplace.
To earn the respect of my fellow colleagues, I made sure that the bike didn't get in their way.
And when I am done with work, I pushed the bike into the elevator, head to the ground floor, set it up nicely and ride off.
Similarly, on the road, I observe the traffic rules.
No jumping the red light, constantly keep watch of impending traffic, especially maniac drivers.
And so far, so good!

Next, in part 2: What you need to observe if you want to ride to work...

May Day Ride

Some people have to work...

I was rostered for duty on May 01, which is a National holiday.

And since my bikes are rigged for the road, I decided that it was best to go Car-Free for the day. 

It's also an avenue to test my Tern Eclipse S18.

Michelle too had decided to cycle to her work place, some 8km away from our home in Subang Jaya.

We woke up, set the bikes and rode out to USJ 16 to have our breakfast.

After doing so, we rode out to the USJ4 intersection where we parted ways.

Leaving for work..

Our boy

A new route..

I rode towards USJ 4 and exited near the KESAS bridge. 

From there, it was a short climb and the Federal Highway Motorcycle Lane was not too far away. This is roughly about 10km from our home.

I hit the bike lane and rode towards Jalan 223 and exited the lane through a slip road near the Naza car dealership.

This is the back road in Section 14 which leads into the Section 13 industrial area and a left turn gets me on the Section 16 road.

Back-to-back, it's basically a little bit shorter than the usual ride from USJ26 towards USJ 20 and USJ 1.

Breakfast

Leaving USJ 16

Char Koay Teow

Heading to USJ 16

Riding along USJ23

The bike, rolling downhill

A quiet day at the office..

I reached my work place at about 10:45am. And was the earliest executive around.

Prior to an arrangement made with the Security office, I had no problems bringing my bike into the office.

Later in the day, my boss remarked: "What is this? I can't bring my son into the office and you are parking your bike next to you!"

I told her that I had clearance to do so and children are not allowed into the workplace for safety reasons.

Obviously, that had struck a sour note and left a bad taste in her mouth. But a fact is a fact, we have paperwork to allow us to cycle to work. Thanks to my buddy Eddie who cleared this with the main man in charge of the newspaper: We can cycle to work at any given day. That includes parking the bike next to my desk.

At the Federal Highway Bike Lane

Dressed up for work!

The skies, getting dark.. 

It was raining in Petaling Jaya and seeing that there were enough people on the desk, I changed back into my cycling gear and pushed off.

There was really no point in staying behind because I had a day off the following day and was looking forward to finish up the May issue of the The Malaysian Foldie at home.

So, with the remaining daylight, I set out towards the Federal Highway and entered the exit near SS13 in Subang Jaya. 

By the time I got across to the USJ 1 interchange, the sky was already dark.

My only source of lighting was the Valo 2 headlight powered by the Joule 3 dynamo hub which performed flawlessly.

I slowly made my way to USJ20 near the Main Place shopping mall.

This part of the ride used to be quiet to traffic, but with the new shopping place, its kinda busy and unsafe.

Nevertheless, I made it home and took about 1hr 35minutes to get home from the office. And the rest was history...

Cycle to work @ 2013 Pre-World Car Free Day ride

We won the battle...

Eddie "niceguy" Chua, my colleague whom I have known for more than two decades had drafted a letter which he managed to get the top man at The Star to lay his signature.
The content stated that a few of us are cycling to work and wanted to bring our bikes to our workplace.
Our big, big, boss agreed. 
He sealed the deal and there are no more controversies about bringing a bicycle to the workplace.
Eddie did not agree to park his bike in the loading bay and since it was a folding bike, there were no issues having it at the workstation as it does not get in the way.

Far and few in between

I cycle to work whenever I need to.
On a few occasions, I had no choice but to cycle because my car was in the workshop.
To do so, I must give myself at least one hour head-start to slowly make my way from USJ 26 to the Federal Highway motorcycle lane.
This is roughly about 10km from where I live.
And for the record, I am the only guy from The Star who cycles to work regularly.
Now, with the permission granted to do so, I do plan to do more often.

Living up to a tradition...

Cycle to work was initiated by Star Two Assistant Editor Andrew Sia back in 2011.
He wanted to do an article about commuting to work with a bike.
I obliged by cycling from my home in USJ 26, Subang Jaya, covering a distance of 43km on a round trip.
Last year, I continued the tradition by roping-in Eddie Chua. Only both of us cycled on Car Free Day.
This year, the plan was the same. Meet up in Sungai Way and cycle to work.
The only difference was having three more guys joining us.
I also put up a request for a video shot by multimedia.

This year's gang.. 

We had The Star Cycling Team captain Kevin Tan on his Tern Verge X20 folding bike, Mohd Sean Shazarin who ride a GT mountain bike and StarMetro Assistant Editor Jacobus Jeyaraj who also rode his GT mountain bike.
So, we gathered at Tukang Basikal Fook Sang at 08:00am in Sungai Way and ride towards Menara Star in Section 16.

Samo leading the way.. 

Negotiating the traffic

A simple ride..

We set out from Fook Sang with ease, rolling down towards Jalan 223 and half-way through, I received a call from the multimedia videographer.
He was late, so we met up with him in Medan Selera Jalan 222.
After filling with some Nasi Lemak and teh tarik, Patrick, our video guy shot some footages.
I also liaised with Award-winning photographer Azman Ghani for the lead photos.
Throughout the ride, we coordinated and planned where the best angles are for the shots.
Azman did a superb job and so did Patrick with the editing and linking up the video on YouTube.



The video put up on YouTube

Arrival at the office.. 

It was a short ride to the office, the only tough part was the long climb from Section 13 to Section 16 at Jalan Dato Abu Bakar.
I had no problems keeping up with Kevin who seemed to be cycling with much ease.
We waited for Eddie and Jacob to climb the hill and I can see that Eddie was struggling to keep his pace.
After clearing the hill, it was a smooth roll to the office.

And there's work to be done.

The moment I got to m workplace, I began to work on the story.
Later in the day, I saw to it that it sees print with an on-line photo gallery and the video link.
My work day came to a close at 06:15pm when I clocked out from the office.
It took me another one and a-half hours to get home.

Likes and dislikes...

The YouTube video was put on-line and publicly shared. On the last count, there were four likes and nine dislikes.
I don't know whether the losers who disliked the video were simply trolls or people who hated cyclists. 
But hey! The least we did, was to cycle to work and we did just that.
I hope that the next cycle to work venture will attract more people. At least this year, we had three more guys joining in the ride. 
And for a company with more than 3.000 people, five cyclist out of the lot goes to say that something is very wrong..