The "Chilli Api" : Tern Link N8

The competition is heating up...

What that would be a docile bicycle distributor is now cranking-up their efforts to compete with a rival and a new player from the North to dominate the beginner and intermediate-level folding bike market.
After five years of enjoying the publicity and limelight, the guys who are responsible for bringing Tern Bike into Malaysia are finally giving the customers a run for their money since the Dahon agency was taken away from them.
Otherwise, they would remain in slumber and the mistakes from the past are still haunting them till today.

The low-down..

Okay, what on Earth is the "N"-designate on a 20" Tern folding bike? 
I was told by the head-honcho over a simple lunch meeting that the N-bikes were meant for the Japan market where riders need a "smaller" frame.

A compact package: the Link N8

Pricing factor: a winner! 

The Tern Link N8 is priced below RM2K.
This makes it a highly desirable bike to own for beginners who are working on a tight budget.
What's nice, is the fact that good components are used for the bike.
Schwalbe Kojak tires are stock-standard on the Link N8 and for the city commuter, a set of SKS fenders are fitted onto the seat stay and fork assembly. This is handy if you are riding in wet areas.
Tern didn't cut any corners with the N-spec bike by giving their customers Shimano components 
You'll find a Shimano Tiagra rear derailleur and a Shimano non-series 8-speed single shifter on the bike.
What I find a bit jarring, is the crankset and the pedals. Other than that, the bike is faultless.

A versatile and compact bike: the Link N8

Set to soar

What I personally like about Tern bikes: especially the Link platform, is the fact that you can accessorize the bike for any riding levels.
Put a cargo rack on the rear, you are in business for a multi-modal commuting ride or even bikepacking trips around Peninsular Malaysia.
Based on the decent component package and a good pricing factor, I think the Link N8 will enjoy a good and captive audience here in Malaysia.

Where to buy? 

Head down to Johnny Ng's My Bicycle Shop in BU4 in Bandar Utama. Call him at 016-632 2599 for an appointment to view the bike. In the Klang Valley, Tern bikes are sold 
at Rodalink outlets in Desa Hartamas, Bangsar, Bandar Botanic and Putrajaya.

Smitten by Archery

The "early" days..

I recall being a casual laborer for some older boys back in school when it comes to setting up target buds, an easel and putting signs to warn other people that an archery practise is going on at the school field.
In the years that I was in secondary school, I managed to shoot at least five times.
This was "on the behest" of the archery club's head honchos, who in turn, were actually entertaining their peers with some choice recurve bows.
Best of all, the arrows were short of landing on the target bud and went straight into the ground.
School days was fun, but the kids were taught the wrong techniques and used outdated equipment.

"Glamping", where it all begins again.. 

Ugh! I hated the word: "Glamping". But when the shit hits the fan, that'll do.
I was tasked to run a teambuilding event, but the company has no budget and made it really difficult to get things started.
So, the other alternative was an outing with an outdoor products distributor who invited my team to attend their "Glamping" event.
And it happened.
I didn't give two fucks about sleeping in a tent with an air mattress and my role in this particular event, is to make sure that everything goes as planned.
Part of the activity set for the second-day of the event was archery.
The company's archery division had set up a short range with two sets of bows and arrows.
And while the crowd was away on their tour of the Putrajaya Wetlands where the Glamping event was held, the guy in charge of archery had allowed me to give their 10-meter outdoor range a try.

Posing at a standee at the camping ground

The tents

And it all came back.. 

The organizers supplied two sets of 30lb bows. 
It was really hard to draw, but, with a little bit of experience, releasing the arrow onto the target bud was a matter of correcting the path of the arrow's flight.
So, that said, while the others were away, I managed to shoot three rounds and found that it was not that hard to put the arrows into the target area.

Trying out the bow 

Not bad for an old man.. 

And so my journey begins.. 

I must say that I was hooked on putting the arrows on the target bud and went for a few rounds at the archery range till late in the evening.
That inspired me to do more research on getting a set of bow and arrows to learn and improve on archery.

Beautiful bikes for big people: Tern Node D16

The Node D16 24" folding bike

A quiet entry..

Tern's new Node D16 folding bike made it's way to our bike store's shelves almost unnoticeable.
It arrived sometime in early January and response has been really warm for this 24" folding bike.
As a matter of fact, the Node made its debut in August 2013 at the Eurobike show and is meant or tall and large-sized cyclists.
You can see the similar frame geometry on the Node if you compare it to the Tern Link D8 and the discontinued P9 bikes as it is a "larger" bike.
And as far as handling is concerned, the Node is one sweet bike to ride. It's sturdy and solid and is perfect for beginners.

What's cool? 

The Node D16 is a 16-speed bike capable of handling any terrain thrown at it. It has a 11-30T cassette which is decent enough to cruise around town, your neighbourhood and even for bikepacking rides.
To ensure years of fun under the Sun, Tern did not cut any corners to package this bike with decent mid-range components.
And for a pricetag of RM2,400, you get the good stuff like Shimano shifters and rear derailleur.
There's even a piece of chainspotter (which is crude compared to higher-quality components) that protects the bike's frame and at the same time: prevents chain slips when you are shifting gears.
The stock-standard tires are the Schwalbe Kojak 24x1.50 tires. These are great for pavement riding, but if you want more out of it I would recommend an upgrade to the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme or Big Apple.

The Spartan rack

Cargo rack

Definitely, a bike for keepsake..

There are endless possibilities with the Tern Node D16.
All you need to do, is add some cool accessories such as the Biologic cargo rack and spartan rack and your bike is ready to do some light and medium touring.
What's nice about this bike is it's compact size when folded. If you commute regularly, the bike can be fitted into a carry-on cover. Though most "city riding experts" would consider this 12.8kg bike "heavy", I'd say that you don't have to lug it everywhere with a bag. Best of all, the 24" bike is so versatile, you don't even need to take the train if you live in the city centre.

Availibility

The Tern Node D16 is available from Johnny Ng's My Bicycle Shop in BU4, Bandar Utama and most Rodalink outlets in the Klang Valley.