Dahon Folding Bike Club KL City Ride 101010

Michelle and I got up really early this morning to join a city ride with some members of the Dahon Folding Bike Club of Kuala Lumpur.

We folded and packed our Dahon bicycles: a Speed P8 and Curve D3 onto our car before heading out to the Bukit Aman carpark in Kuala Lumpur.

The journey took about 20-minutes and when we reached the place, it was already full with cars.

It didn't take much effort to set up the bikes and just when we were done, Uncle Wee, one of the members arrived with his spanking new Speed P8 which is a 2010 model.

There were some noticeable improvements on the bicycle especially its rear deraileur and a basked attachment on its headset.

Wee bought they bicycle after he was offered a 20% discount at Rodalink's latest outlet in Bandar Botanic, Klang.

Later, Mior Aizuddin, another rider arrived at the scene followed by his boss Ng Sek San, a renowned architect.

I also saw a group of ladies with their GT folding bikes and had a glance of  Zakaria, one of our members who rode his new Speed TRP8 (modified tourer) and his son who rode a Red Curve D3.

Pauline Lee, our ride leader took the helm and led us to KLCC via Jalan Parlimen to Jalan Raja Laut.

Traffic was heavy as we manouvered our bicycles and a lot of people on the street were actually stunned by a group of folding bike riders.

It took us about 20 minutes to reach KLCC via Jalan Ampang where a part of  the road was closed to traffic for the Nike Run event.

We made our way to Nikko Hotel and continued our journey to the KL Tower.

By the time I reached the foothill, I was running out out energy.

Michelle rode all the way to the base of the tower while I accompanied a rider who had to push her bike because she was recovering from a fractured femur.

We parted ways at 09:30am as Michelle and I rode back to Bukit Aman carpark.

On the whole, it was an interesting ride.

We had a great time and will be looking forward to some future outings with the Dahon FBC KL riders.

A recent upgrade on my Dahon Speed P8

The luggage rack and SKS mudguard on the rear fender

My 'urbanised' Speed P8

Another view of the bike...

Its been more than a year since I've acquired my Dahon Speed P8 folding
bicycle and recently, it underwent some minor upgrades.I've added a rear rack to carry its stowaway bag and a set of SKS mudguards
for riding in wet weather.So, basically, its not so 'naked' anymore.I am also looking at the possibility of adding a spanninga rear LED light which
is mounted on the luggage rack.This item is not available off the shelves and I managed to trace it through its
manufacturer's website. Perhaps I would have better luck shopping for this part in Singapore.Right now, the Speed P8 is up and going without any hitches.I've added a Garmin Oregon 300 GPS mount on the handlebar and its also
equipped with a Catseye wireless cycle computer.With the Dahon Folding Bike Club established for KL riders, I can look forward
to some rides around the Klang Valley.My next riding adventure would be Malacca.

Pulau Ketam ride

Me, riding on a raised pavement on the island

Michelle, cycling around the village..

Michelle and I decided to make a day-trip to Pulau Ketam recently.We prepared our Dahon folding bikes for this adventure and researched a bit
about the island located off Port Klang which is about 20-minutes drive from
our home in Subang Jaya.But things had hit a snag when the Dahon Curve D3 bike's wheel tube had
ruptured.I heard a loud hiss after filling it with air and found a flat front tire.What a bummer!But luck was on our side as we found a bicycle shop in Sungai Way and had
the damaged tube replaced.It didn't take long to get to Port Klang as the roads on the second day of Hari
Raya was clear.To our surprise, we found a large crowd queuing up at the jetty and slowly
made our way to the air-conditioned ferry.This was also the first time we brought the bikes out and the boatman actually
shouted at us for bringing the Dahons into the cabin.We put up a poker face and boarded for the 35-minute ride to the island.When we alighted from the boat, the jetty area was full with people who are
mostly from the Klang Valley.In a zip, we set up the bikes and rode around the main village area.There were some temples which are the main tourist attraction on the island.After touring some of the spots including two main bridges linking the houses
to the main jetty, we decided to have lunch and call it a day.