Journey to the inner city: A Tern Link D7i oddissey..

An impromptu arrangement...

I contacted Master Urban Cyclist Mr Sin Tai Lim through the Facebook messenger and asked: "What's going on?"
He replied by saying that he's going to ride in Bandar Tasik Selatan and survey the Mines area.
Sin, who took up cycling in 2011, said that he wants to retire and concentrate on setting up a company specializing in bicycling tours.

The LD7i in its integrated bag and trolley rack

The plan

I told him that I am heading into the city by KTM Komuter.
My plan was to give the Tern Link D7i a try.
He agreed to meet in Dataran Merdeka and my offer to him was a lunch meeting and a couple of beers.
So, I took the LD7i and rode towards the Subang Jaya KTM Komuter station.
I don't have much an opinion on the Shimano Nexus 7 IHG drivetrain and kinda underestimated its capabilities.
To my surprise, the bike was pulling at 25km/h on the straight.
It took me less than 30-minutes to reach the station.

At the KL railway station

With KTMB's HQ in the background

City riding, a totally different animal!

I reached the KL railway station about 45-minutes after traveling from Subang Jaya.
By the time I set up the bike, I was already running late.
The plan was to ride to the KL City Gallery and link up with Mr Sin.
He spotted me cycling around the dataran and gave me a shout.
We linked up and went down to Jalan Silang for lunch at a Nepalese restaurant..

At the KL City Gallery

We caught up by having a conversation during lunch.
That was where I heard about Sin's intention to retire and set up his own business.
I wished him luck and all the best.
"Where do you want to go?," asked Sin.
I told him that I was testing the Link D7i and had no preference.
Using that as his pointer, Sin led me to the riverbank on the Klang River.
We cycled along the drainage and checked out the graffiti walls.
I told him that safety is paramount and that the viaducts are normally home to vagrants and junkies.
So far, so good, no issues cycling in the area.
It was a short ride through KL City's sub-culture and I watched as the bustling life zips by above us on the street level.

Cycling along the riverbank and drainage

The City's graffiti walls

A journey back in time..

We headed off to the Selangor Club, a century old establishment in the city centre.
There, we had a few beers before parting ways.
I rode back to Subang Jaya via Brickfields and the Federal Highway motorcycle lane - a facility I knew too well.
It took me about 45-minutes to reach home and concluded the 41-km ride.

A familiar sight

I am never keen in cycling around the city.

Traffic can be hazardous and moving around with the buses and cars meant a more aggressive stance in cycling.

That said, I prefer the countryside, but nevertheless, it's always a refreshing sight to see KL's City Centre from a different perspective.. 

First impressions: Tern Link D7i

Something decent from Tern Bicycles..

Tern's Link D7i

K2 Asia's product guy Kevin Fong delivered the Tern Link D7i to my office a couple of weeks ago.
I haven't got the time to test this bike until recently and I must say that I am very pleased with its quality, built and finish.

An all-inclusive bike

Unlike the bike I saw on Tern's on-line catalog, the D7i came as a full-spec bike with all the bells and whistles thrown in.
Most impressive, are the Biologic Joule II dynamo hub which is used to power up a Spanniga head lamp which is neatly mounted on the bike's front fork.
The Joule can also be rigged to charge a Reecharge power pack, but you will need a separate set of accessories to do so.

The LD7i also came with a tail light fitted with two batteries, which means that you don't have to waste time and money shopping for lighting gear for your bike.
The value for money part on the LD7i, is the trolley rack.
I've seen the pictures, but having felt it for the first time, I must say that the design of the rack and its concealable bicycle bag was truly innovative.
This puts Tern Bicycles as one of the leading edge manufacturers of bikes that are meant for city commuting.

The trolley rack and bike bag which is nicely integrated

A really smooth ride..

After rigging up the new bike, I took it for a short 3km spin around my neighbourhood.
The Shimano Nexus 7 drivetrain on the LD7i was smooth.
Compared to the Alfine 11 internal gear hub, the Nexus does lag a bit in terms of transition from high to low gear.
You need to crank it up to one and a-half revolution before the next gear kicks in.
No issues if you are used to IHG transmission, but if you are not, it will take a little getting used to. I will get down to this on a full review of the bike later.
The Schwalbe Citizen tires lends a bit of class to the bike's overall appearance although I would prefer the much proven Big Apple 2.0 tires.

Good things don't come cheap..

Throw in the lights, dynamo hub and trolley rack, the LD7i commands a price of RM2.99K a pop.
Is it really worth it?
I would say "yes" in terms of all the good stuff that are fitted on the bike.
I don't quite like the saddle and "soap bar" folding pedals, but this can be easily upgraded.
Way I see it, if you want a bike that can be used for commute and even short bikepacking rides around the country, the LD7i would be it.
From the height of the rack shown, it can be rigged with a small pannier and a nice trunk bag.
The LD7i is priced higher than the sleeker LP9, (about RM199 more)  but with the quality, fit finish and all the accessories thrown-in, I would say that you don't need to think twice...
Tern's Link D7i is available through Rodalink bike stores in the Klang Valley and K2 Asia's appointed dealers throughout Malaysia..