PIPR series 13

First cycling event of the year.. 
We've been laying off cycling events a bit.
Michelle's been traveling on her job and she hasn't been riding for at least two months.
She got back from Taiwan last week and I've planned to take part at the Putrajaya Interparks Ride which was held for the 13th time...

Michelle on the road

Mr CS Wee and SK Yeong

Team Jetstream

Old friends... 
While I was mingling with a bunch of people at the flag-off area, I met Mr CS Wee, one of the pioneer folding bike owners who rode a Dahon Speed P8.
I met Mr Wee in 2010 at the Dahon Folding Bike Club launch (Well, sadly, this club is as good as dead..) where we spent some time discussing about folding bicycles.
Mr Wee, a veteran cyclist, lives in Butterworth and Kota Kemuning. He cycles a lot in the North and the East Coast.
Another person whom I met at the event was Mr SK Yeong.
A long-distance cyclist, Yeong is one of the organizer of the "Smell the Roses" tri-state tour that will take place on February 4.


Newbies...
The folding bike crowd at the PIPR ride was amazing.
There were at least 40 bikes, twice as many compared to previous events.
We met a few people who are new to folding bikes.
At the event, I also caught up with some Tern bike owners...


The ride...
Spare the poor sods who crashed their fixies along the way, the course was really smooth.
Having rode most of the easy and moderate courses in the PIPR series, I must say that the organizers had done a good job.
Basically, the PIPR is a social ride and also an avenue for me and Michelle to catch up with some old friends.
After completing the 25km ride, we shot off to Broga for lunch.. 

Offers you wont regret...

I went to fetch my wounded Jetstream EX from the Rodalink bicycle store in Desa Sri Hartamas today and found that some really cool Dahons are on sale.
the biggest surprise there was the 2011 Dahon Jetstream EX which is now going for RM6,793.
This is a HUGE reduction from its street price of RM8,939.
Since Dahon had stopped production of the Jetstream EX, anyone who scores this bike would be in the 'Proud and the Few' club.
The next shocker was the Dahon Vector X27h which is going at RM4.8K.
You can never get such a deal anywhere else!

2011 Dahon MuXL - first impressions

The Dahon Valo light that fits snugly on the Andros stem

An all-black Shimano Alfine 8-speed hub gear

Handsome package: the 2011 Dahon MuXL

I made a trip to Rodalink's branch in Desa Sri Hartamas to find out more about upgrading the bottom bracket on my 2009 Speed P8.
While I was there, one of the mechanics showed me the 2011 Dahon MuXL.
This is rated as an 'urban utility' bike on Dahon's catalog.
Seeing it up close, I can feel the potential of this bike being a touring ride.
It has all the bells and whistles for a low-maintenance ride.
What's impressive, is the Alfine hub gear which is a fitting for some high-end town bikes.
The shifting was also smooth and if you are dealing with rides in wet and dry weather, there is little to worry about cleaning your drivetrain.
For 2011, the VRO andros-enable stem would make handling much better than any other bikes of its class.
I love the customizable stem adjustments. You can ride upright on in a sports position with this andros stem.
For performance, the MuXL comes with a set of Schwalbe Marathon supreme tires.
On the road, this 20" Dahon bike retails around RM4.9K, making it a premium priced item.
For the experienced folding bike cyclist, this would be an excellent second or third bike.. 

Improving the Dahon Speed P8

I'm loving every single moment riding my 2009 Dahon Speed P8

There has never been a single dull moment with my Dahon Speed P8 and 2009 was a great year.
Through the years, I've improvised the bike and the first thing that I changed was the pedals. I've done away with the stock standard Suntour folding pedals and replaced it with a set of MKS EXIM Superior folding pedals.
These are the best money can buy and I'm sold on the overall built quality of the pedals.
Apart from that, I've also attached a Minoura bottle cage adapter that proved to be useful in long-hauls.
And the lesson learned here is adding another adapter on the seatpost as there are places that too far apart for refilling the water bottle.
For warning incoming vehicles, I've also added an Airzorn (Biologic has one too) horn on the handlebar.
Navigational aid comes in the form of the Garmin EDGE800 that replaced the OREGON300 and this comes complete with a speed and cadence sensor.
The Speed P8 is one of the few folding bikes that can accommodate both sensors on its pedal and spoke.
For comfort, I've changed the Biologic saddle to a Selle Royal Ergo Gel plug-in. 
This has proven its worthiness on the trail as the NNS (Numb Nuts Syndrome) is no longer apparent.
While most add-ons and accessories may contribute to the weight factor, this is not an issue when you are touring.
Even with a three-quarter load on the Ortlieb panniers, the bike is able to climb with its 52T x 35T low gear set up.


IMPROVEMENTS

IF I am looking at some major long-hauls in the future, I would get rid of the existing drivetrain.
A viable option would be the Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 gear system. There would be a massive re-working of the bike to fit the hub and its transmission cables and shifter.
This would work even better with the Schlumpf speed drive crank system. It would give the extra push for the Rohloff Speedhub 500/14.
The next thing that I am seriously thinking of changing is the bike's handlebar stem.
On my mind, there's the VRO syntech system that is more superior to the Speed P8's existing telescopic handlebars.
Few moving parts are on this stem and its a standard fitting with the 2010 Dahon Speed TR (the present model has a Andros stem).
 And to top the icing on the cake: Ergon GC-2 grips! 
 

CDM Dahons

The controversial Curl - now a 20" ride available only in China

Dahon China's Ecosmo - a cute single speed bike

The Dove is as cute as it sounds... 

Here are some Dahon China Domestic Model folding bikes that you will never see on the shelves in Malaysia.
High on the list is the controversial Dahon Curl that is likened to the Brompton folding bicycle of the UK.
Since Brompton's folding technology is patented, the engineers and designers at Dahon were looking at ways to avoid infringing Brompton's patent.
But before they put the bicycle into production, some dude in Taiwan actually came up with their version called the Flamingo.
I'm not going into the details as this is a highly debatable issue.
There are at least a dozen different models of folding bikes in Dahon China's line-up and most of them are produced with entry-level components.

2011 Dahon Mu P24

I first came to know about the existence of the 2011 Dahon MuP24 trough a Facebook posting on the MyDahon page.

It carried a list price of RM2.9K and before I knew it, the bikes, about two of them, had vanished into thin air.

Some lucky bastide are riding this baby around.

The Mu series are actually a 20" version of the popular Dahon Curve.

In Malaysia, there is a large quantity of Mu P8s going around and the much rarer Mu XL - I knew for a fact that there's at least one.

Leading the pack was the Mu EX which was discontinued to pave way for the Vector X20.

Now, speaking of components, Dahon is using the NEOS trinity drivetrain to give the Mu its 24-speed range.

This replaces the SRAM Dual-Drive II and I am pretty curious about its overall looks and handling.

I hope that LE RUN industries would bring in more of the Mu P24s for the Malaysian market cos its wide-ranging gearing is pretty suitable for touring...

The NEOS trinity hub 

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...

Selle Royal's Premium E-bike saddle

For folding and electric bikes: the Premium saddle

I caught a posting on Facebook by MyDahon on Selle Royal's Premium line of bike saddles.
Pricing-wise its gonna go for RM170 retail at Rodalink's stores throughout the Klang Valley.
To get the low-down, I contacted Le Run Industries' Ruey Chan (product executive for Dahon, Selle Royal) and was told that the new saddle was meant for electric bikes.
Upon closer examination, I learned that this product is not even listed in Selle Royal's 2011 catalog.
So, Ruey gave me the first dibs to try out the saddle for short, medium and long-distance rides.
Hopefully, I would be able to do so on Saturday at the Broga Ride.

Mo better gadgets

Getting some flak - the massively souped-up Curve SL

The right stuff: Manfrotto's nano-clamp, medium hygrofriction arm and 492 micro ballhead

I drew some flak for showing my new camera rigs.
First, some dude was poking fun. Said that I better pack in an M-16, AK-47, bla-bla-bla, ding-dong-ding-dong.. 
That was okay.
The practical guys (whose ideas and advice I truly appreciate) said the ball-joint may not be steady.
True. No arguments about that.
But can we improvise? Of course.
What I showed, was how a super clamp, magic arm and quick release plate can be mounted on the bike.
There's no way that I would ride it without attaching a safety wire on it.
On the other hand, the medium hygrofriction arm, nano clamp and micro ballhead on my Dahon Curve SL's handle would seem like a viable option.
All I need to add for remote capture, is a remote control..

Kuala Selangor - Sabak Bernam - Kuala Selangor ride part 4

Tropical fruits galore: A scene from Sekinchan

Lights mounted: Preparing for the dark




From dawn till dusk, a scene at Kuala Selangor

 

We made it!

I checked my watch and it was already 5:30pm.
The only way we could make it back to Kuala Selangor from Sekinchan, which is 28.6km away, is to hit the road straight.
We had a light meal of fried noodles and Michelle suggested dinner at Pasir Penambang.
I was against the idea because this place would be packed with out of towners.
So, without hesitation, we hit the road.
At the outskirts of Tanjung Karang, we already feeling the effects of fatigue.
Our legs were pounded raw, at this point in time, it felt like the saddle was grafted onto my buttocks.
We stopped a few times to recover from muscle aces on our bottoms and proceeded to Tanjung Karang which was the last town before Kuala Selangor.
By the time we reached this part of the journey, it was getting dark.
Michelle signalled to pull over and told me to turn on my rear light and blinkers.
I slipped on my cateye twin lights and left it on as we cycled towards Kuala Selangor.
By 7pm, we could see Pasir Penambang.
Michelle flagged me down again, this time, at the town marker outside Kuala Selangor.
"Eh, ride so far, must take picture la.. ," she said.
I found an empty oil drum and placed my Canon Powershot G12 and took a few shots on self-timer.
After riding for 130km, our Dahons held up. No issues or any signs of breakdown.
We made it back to Kuala Selangor after spending 12 hours on the road.
The feeling was ecstatic! We did it!

RIDE STATISTICS

Distance covered: 132.32km
Average speed: 16.5km
Top Speed: 32km
Total flat tires: 0
Total stops: 20
Time spent on the road: 7hours 25minutes

The plan

After working out a decent route, this seems to look like a plan that will work..

I've given much thought about the killer stretch in Kuala Selangor leading to Sekinchan.
This is roughly about 25kms in a single line, but its treacherous with loads of heavy vehicles speeding past a two-lane trunk road.
The terrain is rather flat in this part of the Peninsula and some of the most gruesome road accidents were reported here.
My plan is to leave our home in USJ 26, ride into Klang and turn off to Kapar.
From there, we will cycle to Kuala Selangor.
Riding early in the morning would be an advantage and since we plan to cycle about 100km a day, reaching Sabak Bernam wouldn't be an issue.
The journey will be made in three stages.
First, get to Sabak Bernam, then off to Teluk Intan and the final leg of our mini tour would end in Bidor, Perak.
Let's see how it'll go..

Ready to roll..

My Dahon Speed P8 is touring-ready..

There is a long weekend looming ahead and Michelle is pretty excited about the prospect of taking our bikes for a tour.
I've outfitted the Dahon Speed P8 and TR with a set of Ortlieb backroller and frontroller including a rack pack.
This means, we can haul our gear for some extended ride across the stateline.
That said, my biggest headache now: is to search for a decent route and survive the ride.
We don't want to get killed or maimed, so, careful planning is the key.
Initially, I was thinking of Bikepacking to Kota Baru in Kelantan and roll our way towards Kuantan in Pahang.
Roughly, the distance is about 330km and the only rough patch is near Kijal where the roads are narrow, hilly and windy.
There has been a lot of mention about this route by touring riders on crazyguyonabike.com and I've been enjoying their journals.

The route from Kota Baru, Kelantan to Kuantan, Pahang

The idea of cruising the East coast was shot down as Michelle didn't take a liking to to bikepacking with public transport.
My plan is to take a bus to Kota Baru, ride down to Kuala Terengganu. We will spend a night there and ride early in the morning - averaging at 100km per day.
There's plenty to see and a few decent places to stay along this route.
Instead of doing the East coast cruise in four days, she suggested a follow-up ride from Sekinchan to Sabak Bernam.
Then, a bright spark came to mind.
We can actually cycle from our home to Klang and work our way to Sabak Bernam in one day.
But both Michelle and I concur that the route is dangerous as heavy vehicles have no respect for small two-wheelers.
We've experienced this in Sekinchan.
The distance would chart about 100km and this is ideal for our Century ride. From USJ26, I think it would clock about 150km one-way.
Our plan is to get to Bidor from Teluk Intan and jump into the ETS to head home.
Since I have a week to bash this one out, its time to get back on the drawing board and work out an equipment list.

2009 Dahon Curve SLBE - Brutal Edition

The latest incarnation: with a Minoura Space Bar and twin LED lights

The twin lights

GPS navigation, hydration, safety air horn and the twin lights

Finally, I've added a Minoura Space Bar to my Dahon Curve SL's handlebar.

Right now, its the most evil little bike in my neighbourhood.

Not exactly super lightweight as compared to bikepacking guru TT Siang's Curve SL, this little fella is ready to take on the streets as a town bike.

While the Curve series lacks the punch when it comes to going the extra distance, its distinct advantage is its size and weight.

I've added the time-proven Minoura Space Bar to fit a pair of Cateye HL-EL530 which is said to be 50% brighter (2010 models).

They fit like a glove on the Space Bar and with a little alignment, the ligths would shine on a single beam.

Sadly, due to bad Quality Control, the LED beams are not consistent in colour. 

One is off-white, almost yellowish and the other is blueish. 

I think I might give the Roxim lights a try.. If they are as good as they claim to be.

Or, the Princetontec Push, which is not available in our country. Well, maybe a trip to REI in the US would sort this out.

I'm pretty happy with the lights on the space bar.

With the Minoura water bottle cage adaptor integrated with a Topeak two-timer hand pump, the rig is complete.

I'm not so concerned with the extra weight as the Curve SL could take it.

The real test, is a night ride around Putra Heights.. And that is just what I need!

Enter the Flo..

The Flo is a full-sized mountain bike that comes with its own carrying case

Since it was backordered, only two are available for the Malaysian market.. 

I was chatting with Le Run Industry's Chanson Lau who told me that two Dahon Flo mountain bike had made it into Malaysia.
A post by Rodalink's Jimmy Tan on Facebook confirmed the existence of this fabulous high-end super extreme bike. 
This afternoon, I had a face-to-face with the Flo and its one amazing piece of engineering.
For 2011, the  bike has been upgraded with the lightweight Ashima disk brakes.
It uses a SRAM X-9 groupset and if I were to hit the trail, the Dahon Flo would be a good choice.
All good said and done, the 2011 Flos that are now on display at Rodalink Desa Hartamas and Bangsar are not the first to make it into the country.
At least one was sold at a staggering price tag of RM12K a pop!
This time round, Rodalink had adjusted to the price due to the lower US Dollar.
The pricetag for the 2011 Dahon Flo is around RM9K.

Dahon Curve SL ride update

Me and the 2009 Curve SL

I've been having loads of fun with my new 'old' 16" Dahon folding bike.
Previously, I never even took a second look at smaller folding bikes.
But after seeing them in action and how fast they can become, I slowly grew on it.
After picking up my 2009 Dahon Curve SL, I slowly outfitted it with a Cateye Velo wireless cyclometer, a light for cycling at night.
I also installed my black arclite rack on the bike. 
This proved to be useful as I am able to mount my Ortlieb frontroller panniers on it.
So, when it comes to riding this little fella, I must admit that it took some getting used to.
Compared to my Speed P8, I have to lean forward a bit as the bike is pretty low.
Its meant more for medium and small built people.
Handling wise, the Curve SL is pretty solid.
Its highly manouverable and is pretty nippy on the road.
The Schwalbe Marathon racer tires that comes stock standard is also pretty fast.
It free rolls better than by Schwalbe Big Apple.
The SL is much lighter than its popular cousin - Curve D3.
Speaking of bikepacking, now, I can look forward to lugging the Curve SL into the city centre.

Dahon 2009 Curve SL

The lastest 16" foldie in our family: The 2009 Dahon Curve SL

The older colour was not my preferred choice

Capreo shifter, one-handed operation

FSA crankset - simply badass!

The Capreo hub and cassettte

The 'flight' of my Dahon 2009 Curve SL had been plagued by a few problems.
First, it was the pedal mount.
I made a mistake by assembling it too soon without realising that there was a 'dimple' on the crank arm's pedal insert.
By doing so, the quick-release MKS MT-E pedals couldn't fit properly.
The problem was solved when I attached a metal washer on the mount.
Next, I couldn't get my Cateye 'Adventure' cyclometer to work properly. Either the battery was weak or the transmitter could not reach to the receiver.
After sorting out my pedals problem, I took the bike for a quick spin.
Now, the transition from a 20" folding bike to a 16" ride seems to be rather 'odd' and needs some getting used to.
Instead of riding upright, I had to lean forward.
The ergon grips on my Curve SL worked great. The bike is really solid.
But I did experience some 'flex' during a short climb on a slope.
And with the impact and vibration, a piece of the magnetix connector came out. I didn't realise this until I folded the bike.
Later, I recovered a piece of the magnet. The mounting screw and spring was gone.
As of now, the Curve SL is far from being ready for my rides.
But I am sure as hell going to get the hang out of it...

It's here!

Sir Naughty guarding my new ride...

The local Dahon distributor made me an offer I simply can't refuse.
I was in the market for a smally bike.
And having seen Uncle TT Siang and his wife with their 16" Dahons, I became inspired.
What nailed it in was the fact that my wife rode her 3-speed Dahon Curve on a 10km uphill course and made it all the way.
The new bike would certainly see some 'bikepacking' action.
But for the mean time, I would concentrate on short rides to familarise myself with the bike.
BTW - its not a current model. But something that was kept under lock and key for some time.
Now, its mine.

Pushing 20s - Training in homeground - Putra Heights

I've had a great weekend ride in Port Dickson.
And after giving it much thought, Michelle and I had decided that its best for us to do our training ride in our very home ground.
The course is a simple 20km ride to Putra Heights, covering Bukit Lanchong, section 4 - 10 and over to USJ21 across the LDP highway.
Since this is a busy place in terms of traffic, we were careful in choosing the route.
Sunday rides are the best and the overcast gave plenty of reason to actually cycle late.
I rigged my Dahon Speed P8 to carry a water bottle adapter made by Minoura of Japan.
Its capable of rigging a Camelbak podium bottle and I had also attached a Topeak Mini-Morph bicycle pump for my airhorn. 
The carrying solution is to mount it onto the water bottle cage. But the original screws were too short. So, lucky for me, I've had some longer screws stashed away. This solved the problem.
We pushed off at about 8:45am, took about 20 minutes to charge up the hill, slowly make our way to the Putra Point Sunday Market. 
Lots of goods are sold here and its an alternative to shop nearby.
We made our way to Giant Hypermart, then hooked left to section 10. There are a lot of empty spaces here.
The loop covered the edge of Putra Heights and part of Shah Alam's section 27. 
From there, we climbed back to Bukit Lanchong and free rolled towards our place in USJ26. 
We rode past our home towards the LDP exit and took the rear route to USJ21 where we had some late breakfast. 
The total distance covered was 21.6km. 
Compared to Hulu Langat, the course is straight forward with some long slopes and flats. 
No technical skills are required for the short climb and I am happy to say that Michelle and I made it with ease.
Since she's shooting off to the US on Wednesday, she won't be riding much.
The next big ride is in Malacca on March 26 with the Malaysian Dahon Folding Bike Club.

Port Dickson - Cape Rachardo Ride

At Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson's popular beach area

Cape Rachardo, Malacca

Its been a week since Michelle and I did some riding on our Dahon Speed P8 and Speed TR.

So, after putting some thoughts onto a simple route, I decided to try out Port Dickson, located about an hour's drive from my home in Subang Jaya.

We took our bikes and drove to the Costa Rica resort and parked at a residential area.

By the time our bikes were rigged-up it was already 08:45am. 

We rode towards the Army Camp near the Selesa hotel which is roughly about 6km away. 

Traffic was busy and having driven past this area several time, my first impression was a tough ride.

As it turned out, the hills and climbs were short.

All that training in Hulu Langat was not put to waste. 

I have learned to pace myself, shift into low gear when there's heavy resistance and control my breathing.

My cadence and speed has also improved.

Cape Rachardo is about 20km from where we parked our vehicles, so, I did expect cycling in heavy traffic.

By 09:00am, the sun was out blazing. It was getting really hot.

We rode to the foothill of Cape Rachardo and covered nearly 18km in total distance.

By 10:45am, we reached the Ilham resort. 

Michelle and I took some snapshots at the edge of the cape. We didn't go to the lighthouse.

From our intended destination, we rode back in to Port Dickson.

By 11:45am we managed to cover about 40km and the entire ride took nearly two and a half hours. 

After a good ride, we had some refreshment in PD town, saw a bunch of cyclists who were hanging out there. 

By the time we packed our bikes and loaded them onto our car, we shot off to Kuala Lukut.

But there were no food there, so, we ended up having lunch in Sungai Pelek.

Here's my assessment on the PD-Cape Rachardo ride:

Distance: 40km

Difficulty: Moderate

Observations: Heavy traffic, lots of lorries driving very close to the road shoulder

Terrain: Mostly flat, some areas are hilly.