Training, training, training..

Getting soft..
Michelle and I had managed to get a place at the CFAL4 ride in Penang this coming September.
Now, that said, the climb to Balik Pulau and Titi Krawang is a feat that one could only achieve with the proper training.
So, we decided to ride in Hulu Langat Bt 18 in Selangor again to get our long-distance legs going.
The course is a straight forward 82km loop around Penang island.

True grit: Michelle and her three-speed Dahon on Dead Man's Climb

 Back to basics
I made arrangements with Starmetro Cycling Team captain Kevin Tan who dragged along our Assistant Chief Photographer Glenn Guan to cycle at Pekan Bt 18.
The plan was to cycle down the Semenyih Dam and back.
But when we pushed off from the starting point, Michelle said her front tire developed some problems.
It swelled up and was wobbling.
She asked for the car keys and rode back to the Police station where we parked.
Kevin, Glenn and I continued.
I also met Mr Sam Choy's group of foldies at Pekan Bt 18 and there were about 10 of them who were cycling to Pekan Titi in Negeri Sembilan.

Made it! At the junction

 The Curves needs its service..
We left our small Dahons idle and it was collecting dust and Husky fur.
Michelle's Dahon Curve D3 had a front tire blowout sometime back. I fixed the problem by replacing its damaged inner tube.
That obviously didn't help as she had to ride her injured little red bike to the starting point.
While she was at it, I rode behind Kevin and Glenn.
We reached the farmhouse and just ahead of it: 'Dead Man's Climb'.
I remember this clearly as an elderly man died while cycling the last 800 metres to reach the Kuala Klawang - Semenyih junction.
This place has changed a lot. 
There's a communication tower that enables Celcom users to get a clear signal.
I gave Michelle a ring to tell her on where to meet when we ride back.
Kevin, who rode his Tern Verge X20 for the first time, said he wanted more climbing action and proceeded to the 10km uphill ride.
I waited there and while I was at it, a pick-up truck pulled over.
The driver got down to set up a support base for their cyclist.
Minutes later, Michelle was making her way up Dead Man's Climb.
Barely moments after that, a fat guy who was clad in black was struggling uphill.
He pulled over at the support car.
By the looks of it, I guess he must have been a VVIP customer of some bigwig at NAZA who tried out cycling.
Later, we rode back to the 18th mile village to have our breakfast and called it a day.
We will continue to train in Hulu Langat as a means to prepare ourselves for the CFAL4 ride.
But before the next session, I will have to send my Curves for a tune-up. The brakes are gone!

The Seremban Experiment - Part 2

The plan...
I told Melvin that we are only going to check out certain parts of Seremban.
Mainly, the busy road stretching all the way to the Mantin junction and back to Rahang where we can find some good food...

The lonely Strida on a busy Seremban road...

We rode the entire length of Jalan Yamtuan and headed back South.
While we were cycling in town, Melvin spotted an old skool bicycle shop, so, we stopped by to check out the place.
An elderly man who was fixing an old bike, told Melvin to see his merchandise in the store.
He gladly obliged and took some photos of the bikes.
For an underdog, Melvin works very had to promote his ware and he is sincere enough to admit that the Stridas aren't built to handle the longer distances.
So, Seremban is an ideal set up for such small urban bikes.
Later, we rode off to Rahang where I showed him the best fishball noodles stall.
We decided to have lunch at a wantan noodles stall. 
This is said to be one of the best makan places at the fringe of Seremban.
But before we could get there, I made a bad judgement call and actually got lost.
We made a detour out of town towards Tampin.
So, after re-adjusting my bearings, we headed back towards town and found the noodles stall, which was partially hidden behind parked vehicles...

At one of the busy intersections in town

Wantan mee for the soul.... 

Food, glorious food! 
I never knew that Seremban has so much to offer.
In the past, I would give this town a miss.
The only KTM Komuter experience I ever had, was a visit to my ambulance-chasing lawyer's office off Jalan Yamtuan.
That was more than 10 years ago and I remember specifically walking for 3km from the KTM Komuter station to visit the lawyer.
At Rahang, we had a good fill at the wantan noodles stall.
I was told by the owner that he had been in business for nearly half a-century! Amazing....
I picked up the tab for the marvelous meal at RM13.50.
Then, we moved on to Choi Kee chicken rice just a short distance away.
This is said to be a 'must try' in Seremban.
The food was okay and while we ate, we shared our table with a local dude.
He was amazed to see our little bikes.
Even the lady who collected the bill commended us for utilizing our bikes to see parts of Seremban that I never knew existed.
After we were done, we rode towards town and made a pit-stop at a local bicycle shop.
We took some snapshots and can see that the shop owner had waved to us.
He gestured for us to see him.
Melvin, who was ever obliging, lend his bike for a test-ride.
The owner said he had never seen a Strida, which was in that point in time: the only folding bike of its kind to ever hit the streets of Seremban...

Seremban's most electrifying chicken rice...

Public Relations work: Melvin taking a shot of the bike shop owner...

From what I saw, I can clearly sum up that the bike shop was formerly dealing with electrical home appliances.
It as a drastic decision to switch from selling refrigerators and washing machines to bicycles.
We later rode off to the KTM station and packed out bikes to board the 2:30pm train to head back to KL Sentral.

A successful mission! 

As usual, the train was late.
And swarms of commuters boarded the Komuter which was providing a service to Rawang.
Again, the ratio is like 80% foreigners to 20% locals.
While I was chatting with Melvin, this fucking Bangladeshi dude had put his foot on the railing, obstructing commuters from moving into the coach.
I stared at him and he eased up a bit.
Even at 3:00pm, the train was crowded.
We chose to travel during the school holidays where the KTM Komuter was a choice transport for people living in the fringe of the Klang Valley to head towards Kuala Lumpur's city centre.
The train was packed like Sardines and towards the end of the journey, people were really squashed-up.
Melvin got off at the Mid Valley station while I carried on towards KL Sentral to make my switch for the train to Subang Jaya.
It was a quick affair as I had only minutes to get back into the right platform to board the Klang-bound train.
In the Komuter coach, there was this well-to-do dysfunctional family who boarded the train.
A middle-aged couple with her two sons were lugging their suitcases.
What I couldn't stand was the fact that their teenage son was a skinny assed faggot with earrings. 
They were talking so loud, it was not funny.
At this point, I wished I had my ipod on full-blast. Fuck them!
Anyways, after a short ride, I got off at the Subang Jaya station. My job was done.


Talk is cheap
Funny thing is this: There are people who can talk you to death, they end up doing nothing.
The Seremban experiment clearly shows that folding bikes can be brought along on excursions as long as you are civil-minded about sharing your space with other people as well as courteous enough to bag your bike.
If you ride a mountain bike or a road bike, forget about it.
While those self-proclaimed gurus out there are still imagining things, I set out to do what I had to do, board the Komuter with my folding bike and ride at my destination.


Summary

• IF you expect comfort, well the Komuter isn't much of an ideal ride. For Seremban-bound commuters, I heard that the SKS buses are the way to go, its faster and cheaper..
• Be prepared to offer your seat to the elderly and handicapped...
• Xenophobia strikes with so many foreigners onboard, its not funny. Felt as if I was in Bangladesh or Nepal at some point of the journey..
• Be prepared to wait for trains that are behind schedule.
• Avoid boarding and traveling on the Komuter during peak hours and public holidays. Its bound to be packed with people.
• Bring an ipod or MP3 player to switch off from noisy people
• Expect people to kick your bagged bike when the coach is crammed like a can of Sardines...
• Carry a lot of small change as some of the Komuter ticketing machines do not accept notes.
• Most of the stations are not equipped with elevators, or if they have a lift facility, its broken down, so, be prepared to lug your folded bike up the flight of stairs.
• Invest in a good bike bag. Don't be stingy, be kind, bag your bike...

And lastly, BE ALERT at all times. You have to keep your eyes on your personal belongings as well as your bike....
That said, enjoy your commute and REMEMBER: Be a responsible foldie so that other folding bike owners too can enjoy a ride on the KTM Komuter.


* This public service is brought to you courtesy of the ROGUE RIDER

The Seremban Experiment - Part 1

All the hoohah and hoolabaloo...
Ah Wai Kor, my numero Uno honcho had requested for an article about train commuting and bringing folding bikes into the coach.
Seems that his Brompton-riding hair-stylist/photographer/adventurer friend had a run-in with the station master about bringing a bike into the train.
He gave the task to investigate and publish an article based on this to our The Star's Star Cyclist. 
Way I see it, Ah Wai Kor is a high-profile guy.
Even his hair-stylist/photographer/adventurer friend is presumed as a high-flyer.
So, when you add the high-flying lifestyle, lots of money in the pocket, you get instant attitude.
Like I said in my piece on the RapidKL Foldie Ride: Some people are just fucking assholes. 
They could not take "NO" for an answer.
And just because they have a little bit of money, they thing the whole world owes them a fucking living.
It would be nicer if you are courteous.
And for this, credit is due to cycling and train commuting guru Mr Bil Choy who advocates sharing with other train commuters.
Choy encourages his fellow foldies to bag their bikes and lead a good example. 


But, but, butts... 
There are folding bike owners out there who thinks they know EVERYTHING.
From my earlier experience with KTMB's station masters, there's never been an issue boarding an intercity train or the KTM Komuter with a folding bicycle. 
Just as long as you bag it and make ample space for other people to share the coach, everything is good.
Some foldies got turned away when the wheel their bikes right into the station. 
They want to board with the entire bike deployed.
This is just unacceptable.. 

Waiting for my ride this morning..

I get annoyed when people give me half-assed information.
As for the cyclists, there has been run-ins where some idiots had tried to board the Komuter with their Mountain and Road bikes.
Instead, the KTM charges RM10 each on a single passage for oversized luggage.
I think this is very fair for the benefit of other Komuter passengers.


The Seremban experiment...
I wanted to dispel the hype and myth that you cannot travel on a KTM Komuter with your folding bikes, so, I embarked on a journey to Seremban from Subang Jaya with a transit in KL Sentral.
For this, I brought my trusty little Dahon Curve SL.
To me, 16" wheeled bikes are just perfect for train commuting. They don't take up a lot of space in the train.
So, I bagged my Curve SL with a Dahon carry on cover and walked into the KTM station in Subang Jaya. 
None of the KTM staff actually stopped me from entering the station to board a train to KL Sentral.
I've also made prior arrangements with Melvin Tang from Strida Bikes Malaysia to meet up in the transit hub and travel together to Seremban....


Carrying a foldie into a train ain't practical...
It was supposed to be off-peak period at 09:30am, but boy, I was wrong.
The Komuter coach arrived just in time and as I boarded, I had to stand close to the door so that I could get out easily.
Right beside me, there was this lovey-dovey couple. The guy, a fugly Ah Beng had made an unsavoury remark about my oversized bag.
Well fuck him! My focus was to get to KL Sentral without the carry on cover ripped to pieces.
Even at 09:30am, the coach was packed to the brim.
It felt like I was taking a train in Bandung, Indonesia, rather than a local electric train.
The ratio is roughly at 80% foreigners and 20% locals. Seems that the people here in the Klang Valley prefer their RapidKL LRTs rather than the Komuters.
With a large bag, I had to keep my eyes on the backpack that I was carrying.
If you move too far into the coach, you might lose the opportunity to get out at your destination.
And the people who commute would rather stay at the entrance of the train rather than filling up the entire coach. 
I learn that if you want to commute with a train and carry your bike, be prepared for the worse!

Alienation: The Komuter is a foreign worker magnet

It worked, and I am halfway there.. 
The KTM Komuter is a cheap way to get around from townships in fringe of Klang, Subang Jaya and Petaling Jaya.
My fare from Subang Jaya's Komuter station to KL Sentral costs RM1.60 one-way.
It takes about 30-minutes to get to the main station and on a day where the train is packed, pray hard for getting a decent standing room! 

With Melvin at KL Sentral

PROOF: Me and my lil Dahon in its carry on cover

The slow ride..
I met Melvin at Sentral and purchased a ticket to Seremban for RM6 one-way.
Other than paying at the vending machines (never accepts paper currency), you can either get a ticket from the sales booth or use your Toch 'n Go card.
Melvin opted to go cashless while I purchased my ticket over the counter.
We found some space at the front section of the Komuter and had a long chat while the train was hauling us down to Seremban.
I told him that if we pack our bikes properly, there won't be any issues at all about traveling around the Klang Valley and beyond with a KTM Komuter.
So far, we have not been chased out of the train or gotten ourselves in trouble by bringing our bikes into the train...

After an hour-long ride, we reached our destination...

RapidKL Car Free Day foldie Ride - Part 2

Ahh, the friendly station people..
For the record: the RapidKL station staff are the friendliest a folding bike owner can ever meet.
I mean, if you are humble, willing to bag your bike and are conscious to the people around you, its very certain that you will earn the respect of a train commuter.
We are talking about responsible bicycle ownership here..
I was hanging out, having a drink, out of the blue, a Prasarana staff walked up to me and asked: "Which Press are you from?"
I told her that I am from The Star and was at the station earlier because I didn't join in the ride from Damansara Perdana to Kelana Jaya LRT station.
We talked a bit and as the station staff started to crowd my bagged bike, one of them had asked if he could see the bicycle.
I obliged and began to open the bag and assemble the Curve SL.
Most of them were surprised to see a bike so small. 
I told them that the 16" wheel is perfect for train commuting.
One of the auxiliary cops even asked for a test-ride. 

Announcing the arrival of the entourage: Ahmad Nazmi (centre) is RapidKL's Kelana Jaya Line Rail COO. He handled the media conference..

The Press Conference

Cops looking after the cyclist's bikes...

And the moment had finally arrived.. 
There was a commotion at the ticketing gates.
A group of 20 cyclists had arrived from the Kelana Jaya station.
Their 'celebrity' status was apparent as most the cyclists were VIP customers at the Folding Bike Trading store in Damansara Perdana.
Being the Rogue outfit, I watched from the distance.
And right there in the crowd, was Kamarul Azhan Nordin or Encik KA of the Putrajaya Urban Riders. 
We knew each other, but have never met in person. So, this event was an ice-breaker.
Kamarul is an engineer with Sapura and is a talented sketch artist.
He shared some of his works with me during the lunch break.
I also met Prasarana's PR man En Azahar who greeted me at Sri Rampai.
RapidKL's Mohd Nazmi gave the briefing and this was followed by Folding Bike Trading's Boss Ms Well Tan.
He said foldies are allowed to board the KL Monorail and RapidKL LRTs and encouraged the cyclists to bag their bikes.
And for the record, NO LARGE BICYCLES are allowed on the trains. 
I posed this question to Ahmad Nazmi who said that big bikes would not be practical in a high-density commuter train.
The media briefing was short and sweet and the crowd broke for lunch soon after.
At the dining table, I sat down with Kamarul who shared his sketching experience.
With him were Pamela Lim, a scuba diver, former Miss Pahang and now, an on-line journalist and another dude who was owns a Dahon Eco C7.
I met Pamela more than two decades ago during an attempt by Raleigh International Ventures to swim across the Malacca Straits.
She is now a proud owner of an ORI bike.
The other dude wanted to join epic rides like the Ko Lanta expedition organised by bikepacking guru TT Siang.
I told him to get the details from Andrew Sia, The Star's Star cyclist and folding bike guru...
After the crowd had dispersed, I saw Azahar, the PR man doing some work, so, I think this opportunity to file in a quick take and send it via email to the newsdesk
In less than 30-minutes, the job was done.
I hauled-ass and headed towards the ticket vending machine to purchase my ride to Taman Jaya station...

The very-talented Kamarul showing off his masterpiece drawn in Pulau Langkawi 

A kick-ass view from the train window...

The journey home.. 
I boarded the train and the only thing in my mind, is to get back safely.
While I was chilling out in the train, a middle-aged guy shouted out: "Hey! Folding bike! What brand ah?"
I entertained this guy and later plugged-in my ipod. 
It was sweet music all the way.
While the train was approaching the Universiti station, I made a snap-decision to get off there and hit the Federal Highway's motorcycle lane.
The journey was smooth all the way towards SS 13 in Subang Jaya.
While I was making my way towards Summit USJ, I waved left to join the lane at the Kewajipan roundabout.
A brown-coloured Proton Wira was hesitant to give way.
When I passed, the driver and its passengers slowed down and gave me a dirty look.
I didn't let this bother me as there's still plenty of kilometers to cover.
The driver's action had showed that many motorists are disrespectful of other road users and are unwilling to share the road...
Since I didn't take breakfast or lunch, I decided to make a detour to the USJ 7 hawker centre.
There, I had Mee Bandung Muar at Gerai Mat Bess.
And man, this is the HIGHLIGHT of my day! 
The best mee bandung I've ever had so far.... 

My little and faithful Dahon Curve SL

Best Mee Bandung Muar in Subang Jaya USJ!

By 4:00pm, it was all over. 
I reached home to my lovely Huskies and parked the bike to prepare it for storage.
On the whole, I've clocked 37.83km in well over 2 hours of cycling. Not bad to close the day...
Later, I rang up the newsdesk to get confirmation on the story that I had emailed earlier.
The desk OC said everything was good go to, so, that was all in the day's work!

RapidKL Car Free Day foldie ride - Part 1

Bah! Humbug!!!!
I had the misfortune to be associated with EVERYTHING when it comes to Folding Bikes.
Just the day before, I taunted The Star's star cyclist Andrew Sia about the Prasarana Negara Berhad's Folding Bike Ride on its Car Free Day campaign.
He said he will be riding with the Folding Bike Club Malaysia cyclists in an effort to feature commuting and train rides.
So, I let it be...
Then, the next day, I got hauled up by my boss and was told that his big boss wanted a short take (short news update) for Sunday's Final Edition (Dateline at 7pm).


The assignment..
Ever since leaving the New Straits Times with a fucking big grudge back in 2007, I haven't been writing deadline stories. 
At The Star, my job was very straight forward: manage the regional edition of Starmetro.
So, the plan is to cycle to Asia Jaya's LRT station, board the train and head towards the Sri Rampai station where a media conference is expected to take place.
Now, I was told to give a short piece. Writing in such a way, is my specialty.

At the Federal Highway motorcycle lane, best small vehicle lane in the world! You've got to try it to believe it!

Enter: The Rogue Rider
I am not affiliated to any clubs or groups.
So, on Saturday morning, instead of joining the herd from Damansara Perdana to Kelana Jaya LRT station, I rode solo.
The plan is simple - hit the Asia Jaya LRT station.
It took me a little more than one hour to reach my destination and I must say that the nightly beer sessions had taken a serious toll on my level of fitness.
For this task, I chose to re-activate my Dahon Curve SL.
She's the lightest and fastest folding bike of her class and for train commuting, this is the best size - 16" wheels!
Weighing at 9.5kgs, the Curve SL is a serious contender for multi-modal commutes.
And I am happy to report that the little Dahon had performed flawlessly, delivering me to the LRT station and back in one piece..

The Rogue Rider waiting to board 

The journey....
I am no stranger to the LRT.
Michelle and I had used this transport mode to access the KL city centre back in April for the Sports TOTO Charity ride.
Now, my big boss Ah Wai Kor had told me about his friend who had a beef with the KTMB people.
He was not allowed into the train.
Similarly, I heard that a Rockstar-like foldie too had an argument with the train people.
Way I see it, people with a bit of money comes with a baggage.
They have attitude problem.
These people think the world owes them a living.
If you say: "Please and Thank you" to the station master and be really nice to him, I'm sure he will allow you to board the KTM Komuter or any intercity train.
Being a foldie, a Rogue one at this time, it doesn't hurt at all to be nice and courteous to other people. You must also think of other commuters in the overcrowded trains.
Now, if you plan to commute and ride, BE SURE to bag your bike.
I boarded the train to Sri Rampai at 11:15am. 
This gave me an hour's advantage so that I can rest and scout the venue for places to work so that I can send my story via email to the newdesk who is expecting a piece from me.
Somewhere near Pasar Seni in Kuala Lumpur, I spotted two Prasarana staff, they were smiling and giggling at each other.. Wierdos.
Well, lucky for me, I brought my apple ipod. 
With Gun's N Roses blasting all the way, my journey to Sri Rampai was smooth...

The station staff with my lil Dahon

This guy couldn't resist a ride on my Dahon Curve SL

Getting ready..
I arrived with my bike bagged, walked to a convenience store to get a bottle of Gatorade.
From USJ 26 to Asia Jaya, its roughly about 19.8km, not bad for short distance ride..
I was psyched-up for one thing and one thing only: Do the job.
Being professional, it doesn't matter if the organizer was the Folding Bike Trading boss, a real piece of work!
What matters the most - is completing my task...

Warming-up for the city ride

The 21km loop around Desa Park City

The OCBC Cycle Malaysia ride is only a weekend away.
Right now, I've sorted out nearly 50% of what's needed to get our Starmetro cycling team on the road. 
What's majorly disappointing was people who claimed to be friends.
Once the sponsorship request letters were out, they went 'poof!'
So, last weekend, I made prior arrangements with my buddy Billy to cycle around Desa Park City near Kepong.
The deal was to ride a loop for 21km.
Seems easy, but can be tiring because its like going in circles.
Once I got there, I met OCBC's Kok Leong and his big boss Jeff. 
They must have been doing it almost every week in anticipation of the main event.
This was also an opportunity for me to warm-up my Dahon Curve SL.
Its been neglected since the Jetstream EX came into the picture.

The Curve SL was perfect for the job

While setting up the bike, I managed to catch a glimpse of the OCBC team.

At least 30% of them were foldies.

There was a familiar face with a Raleigh i8 folding bike and the rest were Dahons.

The average distance on the loop was 2.1km, so, we rode alongside some roadies.

To achieve 21km, we have to cycle 10 loops.

After the fifth round, I picked up speed and rode past some of the foldies. 

Some road cyclists were not too far in the distance.

On the final lap, they rode past me and went straight to the Max Value supermarket's parking lot.

After finishing my loop, I waited for Billy. 

For him, its an achievement to ride 21km non-stop.

The OCBC ride has an equal distance, but the only hurdle is the climb towards Jalan Duta and Kenny Hills...

Crunching gears!

The toughest 800-metres climb

Maintaining cadence plays a role in climbing.
I found out that that if you cease in the middle of a ride, you either fall flat on your face or simple stop dead on your tracks.
Last weekend's ride in Putrajaya was a good indicator as there were gears to crunch and long gradual slopes to climb.
My only worry was being half-bonked due to the lack of sleep and spending the entire day on a company trip.
With training, climbing in undulating terrain was no sweat.
I learned to drop my gears and slowly crunch it to the lowest cogwheel on my 9-speed Dahon Curve SL.
Small wheels have been proven as easy climbers and when you have the combination of the right gear setting including a steady cadence, its easy.
Like one of the foldie gurus had said: "The slowest gear is the fastest gear".
I bet with his experience in bikepacking throughout Asia, it was not a real big deal when it comes to tackling mountainous roads.
Many would fear a short climb, but the long undulating slopes are the worst. They just sap your energy and if you have a series of slopes like those in Genting Sempah and Bentong, be prepared to sweat it out.
And when all else fails, don't kill yourself climbing. 
Get down of your bike and take some time to recover.
The best way to tackle hills are a combination of training that includes strength and endurance.

Putrajaya Interparks ride series 10

My boss and I at the new age monument in Putrajaya

Mr Chan and his Dahon Speed P8

The night ride

After a day-tripper to Ipoh in Perak, I made my way to the ERL KLIA transit station in KL Sentral.
With a ticket to ride, I sat on the electric train which was only two stations away in Putrajaya.
Tired, but still fueled with enthusiasm, I met Michelle at Putrajaya Sentral's taxi stand.
She too had her day worked out as both of us had left our homes at 6am for our chores.
From the pick-up point, we made our way to Precinct 2 at the Putrajaya mosque.
There, we met TS Bok who just bought his Red Dahon Speed P8. It was his first time out riding in an event.
Bok had earlier contacted me on how to go about rustling a good deal for his new Dahon.
I suggested that he check out Mr Sam's shop in Sri Serdang. The pricing is said to be the best in the entire Klang Valley.
After setting-up our bikes, we rode down to the new age monument for registration.
Upon reaching our destination, I noticed that my rear tire was wobbling.
I realised that I was cycling with a near-flat tire and immediately went down to work.
A flat tire just moments before an event is a mood-killer.
Lucky for me, the Curve SL was easy to fix. I removed the back wheel skewers and struggled a bit with the Schwalbe Marathon Racer tire.
At first attempt, Michelle and I had failed to locate the cause of the punctre.
I even inflated the tire with my Topeak Two-timer C02-fueled pump, but our attempts to get the Curve back on the road was futile.
After popping out the inner-tube for the second time, Michelle spotted a rupture on the valve's neck.
This was the main cause and the only way to go about it is to replace the tube completely.
Since my Pedros saddlebag is armed to the teeth, a spare tube was in place. It took me less than 20-minutes to set the bike back to its running condition.
My only worry was the tire pressure, but a Marshall whom I met on the ride assured me that all is good.
By the time I was done with the repairs it was already dark.
At the fair grounds, I met riders Ronnie Soon, Mr Chan and DC Ong for the first time.
These are the guys who are active on the Google Group's Malaysian Foldies.
I've been in correspondence with Ronnie who rode a CDM Dahon Archer.
Chan, on the other hand, had a fully-pimped Dahon Speed P8 while Ong rides a Rally Art folding bike.
Michelle and I also met Wey Pang and Ming, our old-time foldie friends at the monument.
Flag-off was prompt as we rode towards the 25-km course.
I was surprised with some of the folks who had no lights on their bikes.
Lucky for me, I had my Cateye HL-EL530s and the twins had literally owned the night.
It was funny that when I rode, some fellas in front of me had taken advantage of the bright lights. As soon as I overtook them, they were riding really slow.
At one stage of the ride, I powered away with the Curve SL on its high gear and overtook a bunch of Mounties.
It was hard catching up with Michelle as she was right in front. There were a few slopes that were long stretches in this course and my Garmin's GSC10 speed and cadence sensor had picked up a peak reading of 210rpms.
At the slopes, some folks were pushing their bikes as it was too much to bear.
The night also had taken a toll on some cyclists as they fell when their narrow wheels were caught on the steel gratings.
We completed our ride at the finish-line and waited for the main event which was the lucky draw.
To sum it up, the Putrajaya interparks ride is one of the most well-organised rides in the Klang Valley and is gaining popularity. 
The total turnout was 1,700 participants.

Dahon Curve SL dropped from 2012 line-up

Sayonara Curve SL: This lil bike has been dropped from the 2012 line-up

Dahon has taken out the Curve SL and Curve XL from its 16" line-up next year.
I managed to catch a glimpse of the 2012 Dahon sales kit from a dealers conference held in Croatia in May.
A new model called the 'Jifo' would be introduced into the 2012 catalog.
So, if you love the Curve and want something high-end, better grab the 2011 Curve SL which comes in the sexy obsidian black frame.
This is one of the best 16" Dahon folding bike I've ridden so far.

Photo Malaysia Cycle&Makan Putrajaya Series 05, July 02

The cycle&makan gang: (L-R) John, Din, Khai, Maxby, Samo and Michelle

We took a 16.3km route around Putrajaya's lake area

I guess Sunday mornings are reserved for snooze.
We got up as early as 05:00am in the morning to catch the Photomalaysia.com's cycle&makan ride in Putrajaya. 
Maxby, the forum's owner had posted a note about this session.
He thought I was in Singapore for a round-island ride. I had to work, so the trip down South was out.
It was mentioned earlier in a mass-email to the folding bike club people. I guess you'll have to own a Brompton or a Birdie to be accepted into the 'inner sanctum', hahah!
Anyways, the light rain in Putrajaya didn't stop us from having fun.
Maxby asked me to lead the ride, which I did by taking a lakeside route.
From our experience with the Putrajaya interparks series rides, its no sweat leading a group around the fringe of the lake.
We started in Precinct 2 and moved towards Precinct 6.
Since there was an overcast, its not really a great day to shoot photos.
The Photomalaysia.com members were very accommodating.
We later worked our way back to Precinct 2 at the Putrajaya mosque and parted ways with John Ishii, one of the cyclists.
Then, we rode towards a makan place near the new century monument (monumen alaf baru ).
There, a late-breakfast was in order. 
We've worked out a good appetite for nasi lemak and roti jala.
The conversation was pleasant and as we were working our way out of the restaurant, another group arrived.
It was Col Azzudin's Putrajaya Urban Riders.
I had a chat with the Colonel who outfitted his Dahon Speed P8 with a set of travel racks.
The guys who rode along with him too were a pleasant lot.
They were surprised to see the Dahon Curve SL. Adib, one of the old hands were there too, he rode off on his own.
By 11:30am, the whole show was over. We packed our bikes and I waved at Maxby and Khai who left the mosque in their vehicle.
If there would be another Photomalaysia ride, that might take place in Malacca..

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...