Rogue Rider - projek Bagan Lalang, part 3

Getting there is half the fun..
Single-handed cyclist Master Meng Fook Cheun once told me: "Don't fear the hills, and getting there is half the fun.."
Meng is one of the leading recumbent cyclist in Malaysia and has a large following especially among newbies.
So, after riding for 10km, I reached Morib.
The sun was scorching and the first thing on my mind was to get my water supply replenished.
Its important to stay hydrated and I always made sure that my water bottle was filled.
I was packing my Ortlieb flight 27 backpack.
This was the first time I hauled such a pack on the road.
Its waterproof, but a bit heavy to lug. 
It contained my much-needed spares as the ride was solo and self-supported.
For this, I relied heavily on my Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires. It performed flawlessly, hardly a single puncture since I procured the Jetstream in July this year.

Refreshment break in Morib, Selangor

On this ride, I was also testing the Olympus EP-3 micro four-third camera.
I was issued an EP-3 body with a 14-42mm zoom lens.
Earlier, I communicated with a PR consultant for Olympus and managed to secure a review for the camera.
My Canon Powershot G12 is reaching the end of its lifespan.
So far, so good, the EP-3 performed well. I've gained respect for the camera although its made entirely in China. 
After a short break in Morib, I cycled towards Batu Laut and Tg Sepat..


The phone, it kept ringing and ringing and ringing...
I've had a sackload of missed calls on my cellphone.
Its mostly work-related.
The slave-drivers at the office are still pressing for work to be done.
As far as I am concerned, I'm out of the office.
But, there were pressing issues, especially on my upcoming book project.
I made a few calls and had it sorted out.
From Batu Laut, Tg Sepat is around the corner. 
My initial plan, was to have a glass of iced-cold coffee and Mui Choy pau.
But time was not on my side.
Instead of stopping, I pushed on to Bagan Lalang.
Now, the point-to-point travel is roughly about 100km.
I still have to ride home from there.
And its no fun as the short 16km stretch from Tg Sepat to Bagan Lalang is mostly a void..
I rode as far as I could, reaching a small break area before the junction towards kg Sg Rawang.
There, I sat down, and refilled my empty drinking bottle. 
Just as I was getting comfortable, a man rode into the area on his motorcycle.
We chat a bit and he kept telling me how fast the heavy vehicles were zooming past the Federal road along Selangor's coastline.
I was not deterred by this. 
Bagan Lalang, is just around the corner. Its either death, or victory..

There's no turning back

Peat fire at Bagan Lalang

I rode along this path before and the last few kilometres ain't gonna hurt.
The evening sun was slowly setting as I made my way towards the Bagan Lalang beach.
There was smoke billowing from an area near the village.
A fire truck rushed by and as I rode towards the location, I can see the vegetation catching fire from the heat.
The coastal area in West Selangor is known for peat fires..

Rogue Rider - projek Bagan Lalang, part 2

The journey continues...
After getting the rear brake problem fixed, I decided to ride to Bagan Lalang.
Its more than 83km away and by the time I hit the road, the sun was already above my head.
Earlier in the day, I couldn't decide.
I spent the first few hours after daybreak watching 'Fright Night' on ASTRO.
Then, a thought came into mind. 
If I don't do this, I will regret it for the rest of my life.
I will never know my true potential.. ahhahaha!
So, fast-foward to mid-day, I was heading out towards Banting.
There were a group of cops manning a routine roadblock underneath a flyover.
One of them stopped me.
I knew that the Dahon Jetstream had attracted his attention.
He flagged me down and as I pulled over, I was bombarded with plenty of questions.
The cop wanted to know if my ride was a folding bike.
I said yes.
He told me that he read about it on the newspapers.
Folding bikes are now growing in popularity. Thanks to the media and the 'representatives' of the community.
We chat a bit and after a couple of minutes, I pushed on...

The friendly traffic cop and my Jetstream

A fellow cyclist, waving for the camera...

Feeling the heat..
I knew what I was getting myself into.
The afternoon heat was punishing.
But this was not the first time I cycled under the sun, my focus was reaching Morib.
This means I have to cycle past Sijangkang, Teluk Panglima Garang, Jenjarom and Banting before getting to Morib.
The SRAM DDII on the Jetstream wasn't 100% restored.
Despite the tune-up, the rear cogwheels were still 'skipping'.
I've pushed this bike to the brink and I think it will get me there and back..
It took me about another 45-minutes to reach the Banting bridge where the DDII was put to its test.
Despite the loss in torque and the constant skipping, I managed to get up to the mid-section of the bridge and roll down towards Banting town.
There, I took a short break at a petrol station before pushing off to Morib..

Rogue Rider - projek Bagan Lalang, part 1

Is it possible?

Commuting guru and Brompton God Ng Chor Guan told me that he had done a 200km ride..

I'm not sure whether his attempt was a one-way ride or a return trip.

I've done 150km, it wasn't easy.

Seeing that it was feasible, I gave it a shot.

It was a cool morning, I started late (which proved to be a grave mistake) and headed out towards my planned route.

I was to ride from my home in USJ 26 to Bagan Lalang and back.

When I plotted the route on Google maps, it was a clean 100km single-journey ride.

If you have a GPS log to track your ride, then its verifiable.

I am not sure if Guan had logged his on a cyclometer, which is inaccurate at most times. But I would never doubt his sincerity on this.

Ride hard, Ride far, or Die..

This was to be my second solo ride.

I did it the first time from my home to Jugra Lama. It was enjoyable.

The road to Banting was paved with danger.

There are inconsiderate drivers on the road, trailers that could sweep you up and make a pile of minced meat out of you.

So, its either you, or the trailer.

I set out at 9am in the morning. The sky was gloomy. It was a good day to ride.

Half-way reaching Kota Kemuning, I noticed that my Ashima PCB disk brake was dragging.

Even after bleeding it, the problem was apparent.

In our weather, the Ashimas are useless.

The road to Banting

A detour

I had a decision to be made.

Either scrap the journey, or head to Bandar Botanic to get the bike fixed.

The option was clear. 

Even with the brake drag, I can't get home without losing lots of energy.

So, I picked the option of getting the bike fixed.

I knew the store supervisor EK at Rodalink Klang. He's good.

So, to get the bike on the road, I had to first remedy the brake problem.

I am not sure if the guys at Rodalink are capable of doing it, but hey, no risk, no gain...

While the boys were tending to my bike, I had the chance to fill up my tummy.

Its the wantan mee at a corner coffee shop behind Rodalink that made my day! 

Wantan mee for the soul...

Catching up...

I utilised the down-time in Klang to chat up with EK.

He told me that since the Tern bicycles were launched at the Rodalink in Bandar Botanic, they have been receiving plenty of requests for the Verge P18.

Seems that my 'first impression' preview had generated some interest.

Its a shame that Le Run or K2 Asia depends solely on their customers to do their work.

If the marketing people there have half the brains, they would be aggressively selling their Tern bicycles instead of using the local cycling magazines...

I hope that they will deliver when the Terns arrive in March this year.
Yeah, I am still sore about being used, abused and conned into helping these buggers!

We talked a bit, and I wished EK all the best..