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...

Cycling etiquette

Some Ah Beng had added me as a friend on his Facebook.
I responded by accepting the dude.
Seems that he had bought a folding bike and have been actively riding solo around the Klang Valley.
Then, a question popped up: "How much for folding bike extra charge?"
I didn't get it at first because of the linguistic barrier and poor communication.
After trying my best to answer this dude, his response was: "I MEAN PRICE OF TICKET."
So, I told him that he don't have to be loud and his reaction was: "SORRY, MY KEYBOARD WAS BREAK. CAPS LOCK CANT FUNCTION..."
I thought I was getting punked by some retard, so, after giving it much thought and referring to some past case studies, it all came to mind.
He was referring to odd-sized luggage charges by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) for cyclists taking their Electric commuter train service.
Now, it seems that there was a blowout between some cyclists and a station master in Klang.
This was during a trip by some foldies to savour Bak Kut Teh around the area.
Someone rolled her bike into the station ticketing machine and wanted to board the train but was stopped by the station's staff.
Instead of being allowed into the coach, she had to pay RM10 extra.
I think the Ah Beng was referring to this, or had experienced the same thing.
What I learned was that during the incident, the cyclist had blown her top.
This is where etiquette comes in.
Like a veteran foldie had put it, we have to share the train with other people and show that we too are responsible cyclists.
If the folding bicycles are properly packed in a carrying bag, things would have been different.
This also boils down to your personality and how you handle explosive situations like being confrontational.
That said, I have bags for my 20" and 16" Dahons and have never experienced any issues from the KTM staff.
In fact, I have travelled to Ipoh twice with my bikes.
Now, having said that and all, the irony is this: The Ah Beng asked: "When can I join you for touring rides ah?"
I guess that would be the next challenge. How to say 'Yes' or 'No'.

Gorillas in a bicycle shop..

Bicycle shops aren't what they used to be these days..

I was told that best bargains for bicycling goods can be found in Taman Megah near SS2 in Petaling Jaya.

The said shop has years of experience and started out as a humble outlet catering to bicyclists in the neighbourhood.

Their owner was a guest-of-honour at my wife's best friend's wedding some years back.

When a business unit is small, the owner and staff would have time to give their customers some service and personal attention.

Now, fast-forward 15 years, the said shop had moved to a new and bigger location near its old location.

I made a trip there to find out more about cycling helmets.

During lunch, it was packed with customers and in a single glance, I realised that some of the regular clients there are from the upper class market.

At least two of the guys there were bigwigs and the rest were yuppies.

If you expect counter service at this place, well, better forget about it.

I approached this Gorilla-like retard at the counter - a Malay dude probably in his late 40s with long hair and a Quasimodo hunch.Then I asked: "Eh bang, saya nak beli helmet, bajet lebih kurang RM200.." (I want to buy a helmet with a budget of RM200).

His reaction: "Kedai kita ni bukan macam orang lain, helmet murah pun boleh dapat, RM50 dah siap. Kat sini, barang kita mahal.." (We don't sell cheap stuff here).
I was taken aback with his attitude.
The Gorilla didn't seem to bother with casual walk-in customers and I was warned about the owner's reputation of licking rich people's ass.

So, with that in mind, I have strucked off one bicycle shop on my list.

They can have the best deals in town, a variety of tools and gadgets and all the shenanigans on Earth, with their attitude, they can eat the peanut out of my shit.

Now, 10-minute's walk away from this shop, the scenario was entirely different.

I went to an outlet owned by Kean Seng Heng (KSH Bikes) and the service people there are from a different planet.

This is like comparing fire and ice.

For a posh joint, I was surprised and humbled with their courtesy and attention given.

Even for asking, I get a smile and Herbert, the guy who took my inquiry, was kind enough to show me around.

In terms of sale, this guy got my vote.

The other shop may have everything lined-up for success, but if they expect me to kiss their owner's saggy ass, they can forget about it.

If there is a business model that can be expanded, the KSH retail chain would have a lot of prospect.

At the end of the day, its how you treat people that makes the difference.