Sungai Tekala Forest Park Hike

Michelle and I at the peak of the waterfall

The park's inhabitant

I am ashamed to admit that I have never cycled to the Sg Tekala Forest Park near Semenyih.
This place is about 24km from Pekan Bt 18 in Hulu Langat and my wife did it on her 3-speed 2009 Dahon Curve D3.
So, having given much thought to this awesome place, I decided to check it out. Not by cycling, but a hike in the park.
There is an entrance fee of RM1 per person and on a fasting month, we were surprised to find that the streams were actually full of people.
At the park entrance, I spotted a Portia jumping spider and went to work on it with my Canon MPE-65 macro lends.
We later hiked about 2km to the peak of the Tekala falls. 
There were two strange-looking dudes dipping themselves in a pool with dive masks.
I don't really know what they were doing, but these guys were oblivious to their surrounding.
One sad part was the rubbish that were strewn all over the area.
People use this place for their recreation, but they don't seem to bother at all with the environment.. 
After hiking up the park for four hours, we called it a day..

Putrajaya Interpark Ride series 09 - Part 02

Joining the flock

Combined group photo with the Folding Bike Specialist riders

Godzilla meets Mini Mouse: The crash in front of MOF in Putrajaya

Some leftist described the ride around Putrajaya as 'a trip to the Neo-Facists' Disneyland'.
Well, like it or not, this place is a well-organised city which is also clean and well-maintained.
We had no issues cycling all the way to the Equestrian park where a group photo was taken with the riders.
This time round, there were plenty of newbies.
Among the familiar faces were some buddies I made from Photomalaysia.com and a large rider who never misses a single ride.
I have plenty of respect for him as he made it all the way. This guy is inspiring.
On newbies, well, there were some really unpleasant situations where guys had overtaken a single file and some idiots showing off their prowess on two wheels were picked up by the event's support truck.
While I was cycling towards the last five kilometres, I noticed a young girl, probably no more than 13 years old zig-zagging.
My hunch was that she will crash and right there before my eyes, she crashed into an older dude.
It was like driving a Mini mouse bike into Godzilla on a tricycle.
And just like that, they fell to the ground.
Since I was riding behind them, I set down my Dahon Curve SL and helped them.
And while I was at it, I shot a video and some still of the action.
One of their friends, a retard wearing an orange shirt shouted: "Jangan ambil gambar.. " (no pictures).
I set down my camera and moved the lightly damaged bike to the side and asked if the older dude was okay.
He seemed disorientated and an ambulance which was parked nearby had rushed to scene.
The first responder treated them and I was on my way.
Moral of the story: Keep your eyes on the road and if you are riding on the street for the first time: Be mindful of other people as well.
Michelle was waiting at the finish line as we completed a 23.5km ride on our Dahons.
On the whole, the ride was well-organised.
But the actions of selfish idiots may yield some unpleasant experience.
The next ride is on July 16 - which is a night ride...

Upgrades for Michelle's 2009 Dahon Curve D3

I've retrofitted the Curve D3's rear luggage rack with a 20" Dahon rack

The front bracket luggage truss

These lil' mean bikes are ready to Rock 'n Roll!

After some research and careful planning, I've removed the stock-standard rear rack on Michelle's Dahon Curve D3.
Its lower in height and could not be fitted with an Ortlieb frontroller panniers.
I'm happy to report that after the retrofit, the panniers mounted securely on the rack.
It takes a little bit of muscle power to bend the rack so that it could be bolted onto the Curve's frame.
I've had success with the Curve SL earlier with the black coloured rack salvaged from my Dahon Speed P8.
Initially, I had wanted to ditch it to the lowest bidder.
But lucky for me, I kept it and retrofitted it onto my Curve SL.
Apart from the 20" rear luggage rack, I also added a luggage truss on the Curve D3.
This would come in useful when I mount a basket or a small back on the truss.
Now that the frontrollers are mounted, we can look forward to some short distance cruise on our Dahon Curves...

Upgraded Dahon Curve D3

Upgraded: The 2009 Curve D3

Biologic ergonomical grips

Selle Royal's E-Bike seat

Cateye Reflex Auto rear light

Topeak bottle cage

Michelle's Dahon Curve D3 folding bicycle had undergone an upgrade.
First, I ditched the 'jellybean' grips on the bike's handlebar and replaced it with a Biologic grip.
This is a much better set of grips with plenty of comfort to offer for long-duration rides.
Next, I've added a Topeak bottle cage on the frame.
This eliminates the need for lugging a Camelbak hydration pack for the short duration rides.
As the Curve D3 is equipped with a rear luggage rack, I've also added a Cateye Auto Reflex light.
This is by far, one of the best safey lighting system and at RM90 a pop, good things don't come cheap.
Unseen is the Cateye Velo cyclometer (now, repackaged as the 'Urban'), which is one of the best entry-level wireless gadgets around.
And lastly, I've also transferred the Selle Royal Premium E-bike saddle from my Dahon Speed P8 to the Curve D3.
I think this would suite Michelle very well. I tested the saddle last week and found that the angle adjustment may be totally off as my balls were sore after a 20km ride.
To remedy the ball-busing issue, I've acquired the Selle Royal Ergo-Gel plug in series saddles..
Another upgrade on the Curve D3 which is yet to be implemented is the 20" rear luggage rack.
This is slightly higher than the stock-standard rack that came with the 2009 Curve D3.
I've figured out a way to rig it up and hope that this would be able to accommodate the Ortlieb frontroller panniers...

Kayuhan Kesihatan MPSJ series 1 - April 24, 2011 Part 2

Cockpit view of the ride

Ex-national cyclist Kumaresan (right) perparing to shed his riding gear after the ride

Michelle, riding back after a 30km route in Subang Jaya...

In the second-part of my article on the Kayuhan Kesihatan, I will wrap up by breaking my observation.
I must say that I had really enjoyed myself, sweating it out and completing the 15km ride around Subang Jaya.
The ride was well organised. Here are some highlights of the ride..

HANDLING

There were ride Marshalls and enforcement officers blocking the road and clearing a path for the participants. This is one of the better organised rides around. MPSJ is the second municipal council in the Klang Valley to do so.

SUPPORT

I must say that the MPSJ was backed by some experienced riders. They have former National cyclist M. Kumaresan who proved to be a hit among the young riders. Light meals and water was give to the cyclists which came straight from the council's coffers.

THE GOOD

Solid ride along the long stretches in Subang Jaya. Good enforcement although some motorists had managed to slip past the line. The organisers capped the maximum speed to 20km/h. They stuck to their 'Kayuhan Kesihatan' not 'Kayuhan Kesakitan' at the 50km challenge organised by the Ministry of Health last year.

THE BAD

There were potholes and uneven road along the route. We paid assessment, this should not be the case.

THE UGLY

Hahaha! Some middle-aged moron on a Merida road bike tried to block Michelle when she was riding her Dahon Curve D3. He nearly fell off the road. We were also mocked by some roadies who have never seen a fast 16" wheeler on the road. To put it simply, even when you have a full carbon or titanium road bike, if you are not fit, you are done. Just pull over to let others pass.

CONCLUSION

We had fun and since this is a once-a-month event, we will take part whenever time permits..

Kayuhan Kesihatan MPSJ series 1 - April 24, 2011 Part 1

Beamshot of my twin Cateye HL-EL530s

At the Municipal Council's gate before flagoff

Enthusiastic cyclists at the starting line...

Our municipality council had launched a health ride every last Sunday and this weekend, they launched their first-ever ride.
Michelle and I were excited about this and had our Dahon Curve D3 and SL serviced at a Rodalink outlet in Bukit Tinggi, Klang yesterday.
So, we woke up early this morning, rigged up our bikes to the Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya's sports complex in USJ5, whic his roughly about 7km away from our home in USJ23.
The only way to get there without ending up as a roadkill, is by taking a flover on the LDP highway to USJ 20 and cross the the three-lane Persiaran Tujuan.
We made it to a Dimsum restaurant for an early breakfast in USJ21, but if was not open.
So, the next best thing, is McDonalds in USJ10, which is about 5.6km from our home.
Even at 06:30am the drivers were speeding like maniacs.
We had our Cateye Auto Reflex light and Topeak helmet blinkers to stay visible in the dark.
Breakfast was a breeze as we made our way to the sports complex.
We were among the early birds who had arrived at the starting point of the ride.
The distance is about 15km and the route took us to four of the Council's major 'Boulevards'.
Other than rodies and mounties, we were the few foldies at the scene.
We met a couple from Puchong who rode more than 11km on the LDP.
I told them to be very careful as the route is laden with heavy traffic.
Leading the ride were some former athletes and ex-national cyclist M.Kumaresan.
We were told that the average speed is 20km/h which is something that the foldie would do.
After the airhorn blared, we were on the road..

Broga Ride

The long undulating terrain towards Nottingham University's campus in Broga

At the Selangor-Negeri Sembilan border

Having a warm glass of Chinese tea during lunch

Michelle and I have been talking about Broga and riding in the area for some time. 
We put this idea into full swing this morning by driving to Semenyih town and setting up our 16" Dahon Curve D3 and SL bikes.
Since my wife had encountered a busted valve two weeks ago, the bike has been plagued with problems.
Just barely minutes into the journey, we pulled over near an orphanage to adjust the rear wheel of the Curve D3.
Seems that the chain was loose and this causes the internal hub gear not to engage.
So, throughout the ride, Michelle was only riding with two gears.
I can say the same with my Curve SL as the rear derailleur kept jumping.
I tried tweaking this a bit and it kinda held up.
We rode into Broga at 10am which is kinda late for our cycling tours.
By mid-day, the sun was up and the weather was very hot.
At the last kilometre before reaching Broga Hill's trail head, we took a break by the roadside. 
This shaded area provided relief from the sun.
After a good rest, we rode into Broga town and circled the area before taking a refreshment break at a coffeeshop.
The main attraction here is a Chinese temple at the edge of town, roughly about 1km away.
We rode there and checked out the temple before heading down to a makan place for an ealry lunch.
A good meal made up for the ride, which is roughly about 9.5km from Semenyih.
After filling up our tummy, we rode back to town, packed our bikes and headed home.


Trip summary


Total distance covered: 19.6km
Number of stops: 1
Number of punctures: 0
Average speed: 18km/h
Top speed: 32km/h

Tire tube blowout

Michelle and her trusty Dahon Curve D3

Our first blowout, luckily, we managed to recover on the spot

We have been riding our Dahons for three years and so far, things have been rosy.
Virtually incident free.
But for Michelle's Dahon Curve D3, her bike has been plagued with tire problems. Her bike front Schwalbe Big Apple tire had a puncture earlier. 
Seems like the spoke was the cause of the problem. We got the front tire tube replaced at a bicycle shop in Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya.
On Sunday, while riding back from Berjaya Times Square in Jalan Imbi to Bangsar, I heard a loud bang and I noticed that the back wheel on my wife's back was wobbling out of control.
The previous night, I noticed that the valve on the rear tire was giving some problem.
I know for a fact that the Schwalbe Big Apple can take up to 85psi at the max.
So, with that noted, I filled the tires with air up to 65psi.
This is adequate to take the bikes around and yeild a smooth ride. 
The Big Apples are the best there is offering comfort.
Getting back to the blowout story, I told Michelle to pull over by the roadside.
There was a barricaded section where we can work on recovering the Curve D3's rear tire.
The first thing I did was to get my spare 16" spare tube out and get it fitted onto the tire.
We were fortunate to have Uncle Bil Choy, a veteran folding bike cyclist, Wey and Ming with us. 
Their presence offered some comfort in times like such.
Michelle went to work with her wrench as I prepared to inflate the tube with my Topeak two-timer hand pump.
One of the distinct advantages of having this gadget along the rides is the C02 inflator.
Pop in a cartridge and you are in business.
Bil instructed the tube change while Michelle get her hands-on the crippled bike.
We spent about 20-minutes fitting in a new tube and before we knew it, we were back on track, cycling another 5km towards Bangsar via the city centre and Brickfields.
With the new tube fitted, the Dahon Curve D3 didn't give any problems as we worked our way back to the Bangsar LRT station for a ride to our car in Taman Jaya.
So, we were lucky because I did carry a spare tube and an extra C02 cartridge on that day...

Putra Heights Training Ride series 2

Training for our tour in April

We took our bikes for a spin this morning. 
It was already late and we managed to squeeze about 11km climbing Bukit Lanchong and rounding Putra Heights.
Michelle found it odd to ride her Dahon Curve D3 as there are only three speeds for her to play with.
I had no issues with my Dahon Curve SL which performed flawlessly.

A ride in the paddy fields

Michelle riding along the paddy field in Sekinchan on Saturday

At the location marker

On a bridge in Sungai Tengi, Sekinchan, Selangor

I was supposed to have conducted a recce ride around Sekinchan late last month, but never got around doing it as the weather was bad.
A couple of weeks ago, veteran adventure cyclist TT Siang and his wife Angela had put up an invitiation to ride in Sekinchan which I gladly accepted.
I planned an early ride around the rice fields and linked up with the couple later along with a few other riders who came with their families.
So, we shot off to Sekinchan from our place in Subang Jaya at 06:00am and arrived there around 07:45am.
As soon as we got there, we wasted no time in setting up the bikes for a ride around the town area and proceeded to Jalan Parit 6 and made our way to Sg Tengi where Michelle used to work, laying down a network of gas pipes in the trans-Peninsular gas grid.
From the pumphouse, we rode to Sg Burong and the Bagan To fisherman's village.
Now, the tricky part was to get back on the West Coast trunk road where traffic is heavy.
On one instance, a truck flew past us so fast, we just a few feet away from being hit by it.
Fucking asshole driver!
The loop across the paddy fields and towards Sekinchan's coastal fishing village was roughly about 36km and with an average speed of 15km/h, we covered the route in about 2.5 hours.
Later in the day, we took a break in a coffee shop while waiting for Siang's group.
We caught up with them around 12noon.
They were late due to some riders who were not punctual.
In an outstation ride, its very important to observe time as there are many factors that would make a ride unpleasant.
Lucky for us, we managed our time pretty well.
From Sekinchan's Harbour View hotel, we rode back to the paddy fields and made our way to the Bagan for lunch.
That's where we parted way and shot back to Subang Jaya.

Hulu Langat Training Ride Series 3

The hill section heading towards Kuala Kelawang in Negeri Sembilan

Michelle with some of our friends about 3km before pekan bt 18, Hulu Langat

Michelle and I did our second training ride in Hulu Langat yesterday.
It was raining like mad and riding in the rain is something which I am not really fond of.
At the first 7km, I pushed myself and got a two-minute lead ahead of the reast.
Then, a road cyclist overtook me at the 8km mark.
Later, a lady cyclist on her 'Mini-Cooper' bike shot past me.
I'm not taking a swipe at her, but throughout the rides, this is one of the most reckless cyclist I've come across.
She tends to ride on the middle of the road and makes unscheduled stops to take photographs.
What poses a danger to herself and other road users is the fact that she parks her bike on the middle of the road.
In a distance ride, safety is paramount. If you ignore that, you might wind up in trouble
After cycling non-stop for 9km, I slowed down and Michelle had finally caught up with her 16"
Dahon Curve D3.
Right behind her was a guy in his 26" mountain bike.
We rested at a break area, mid-way to the second check-point along the training route.
Three other riders had to turn back and the guy on the mountain bike complained about feeling nauseous.
We stayed behind to accompany him before deciding to head back to pekan Bt 18 in Hulu Langat.
Although we did not complete the ride (another 7km), we felt good that we didn't go flat on the hills.