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"Abang Besar" or "Big Brother": A term used to refer to a gang boss, a triad big brother

Why "Big Brother" ride? I want to keep it as a secret for a while. Only those who joined the ride this morning would know. Let's park it and focus on the ride. This Kajang-Cyberjaya-Putrajaya route is what the CA's call as the "The Big Cyberjaya-Putrajaya Loop". We haven't been riding on this route close to a couple of years now. 

The rendezvous point hasn't changed, it's at the PETRONAS Station SILK Highway located on the SKVE, near the Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia. From there we headed straight to Cyberjaya trough the SKVE. We then took the Putrajaya-Cyberjaya Expressway all the way to Persiaran Perdana in Putrajaya. From here we continued on through the Lebuh Persiaran Timur and all the way to Precinct 14 where we took a break at a Mamak restaurant. We then ride on the Jalan P14, took the exit to Jalan Ayer Itam and back on the SILK highway to Kajang.

The wether was nice and sunny early in the morning but it gradually became hotter at 9am, searing hot at 11am onwards. We had a good ride. I had a good training after 1 day recovery. The good balance between workout and rest has been achieved.

 Below are the ride pics.


Mata-ne

Ride data



I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of the 2-in-1 concept, like shampoo  etc. Well this entry is no different, it’s a combo entry. My fingers need to rest. You'll understand what I mean as we go along. I’m going to start off with training recovery and then my visit to Sam’s bike shop.
 
The past few weeks have been very productive for my recovery program. I’ve managed to stick to the plan and I can see incremental improvements be it fitness level, cadence, average speed, power output and heart rate zones. Plus the wether has been amazing. It’s sunny and chilly during the weekends even though technically it’s the rainy season.

But these couple of weeks I’ve experienced a couple speed bumps. It’s easy to be demotivated when there’s an apparent lack of progress. It’s very important to stay focus and persevere during lagging moments. The fact is, more training doesn’t make you fitter. Getting fitter isn’t just about busting your legs by increasing your training intensity, it’s about recovering from the workouts too. Recovery or resting is important in order to avoid accumulating “tiredness” as this will impede fitness.

Fanboy
noun fan·boy \ˈfan-ËŒbȯi\

Definition of FANBOY:  a boy or man who is an extremely or overly enthusiastic fan of someone or something.

The last time I went to the TREK showroom was somewhere in April 2013. It's located at a perpetually busy shop lot area at Solaris Mont Kiara.  Finding a parking spot there was almost impossible.  I still remember how I had to make a few rounds before I found a spot and it was a couple of hundred feet away from the showroom. 

The shop was cramp with bikes from low-ends to high-ends, kiddies bikes, helmets, shoes, wheel sets, apparels, accessories, bike parts and a service area right at the back. I'd assume this would be the reason why they couldn't have the latest models on display back then.

Earlier this year they've relocated to a 3 floors showroom at Kota Damansara. Just recently I went and paid them a visit. I just had to check out the new Madone 9.  I reached the flagship store at around 4pm.  It's spacious on the inside and had it's own parking bays. 

Rather than writing a thousand words about the experience, check out the pictures I took while I stroll around the impressive setup. The Madone, Emonda, Domane, Speed Concept.... you name it, they've got it. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable.  They also have "The Spartacus" TREK Domane on display and it's not for sale.
 

The haze condition that shrouds the sky and dims the sun for the past few weeks is gone. The air is fresher the skies are back in its glorious blue and the sun no longer looks like a dim red ball. We're back on our weekend morning spins on the Sungai Long dragon's back. It's good to see more cyclists on the road, burning their legs climbing those hills on this route. 

I'm still in my recovery mode, phasing my workout to get fit again. So far the progress has been positive. Thanks to STRAVA, it's much easier pin point exactly where and what to fix. This app can track and measure every possible aspect of the rides such as speed, distance, cadence, heart rate, power output, elevation, calories burned. Regardless of the issues, one can't ignore the way STRAVA is changing the way people are engaging within cycling and how cycling logs are being shared. Looking forward to the ANT+ sensors integration. It's going to be awesome.

A group of roadies on Sungai Long
The Mantin Mission, though not as smooth as expected, is technically a success. Long distance ride is both challenging, and rewarding. That feeling of satisfaction of setting yourself a goal that seems difficult, if not impossible and reaching it, exhausted, battered, tired, but full of pride. This sense of accomplishment usually kicks in a few days after the ride itself, depending on individual recovery period. 

Going into the red zone and pressing on when your body is screaming at you to stop is just part of riding, whether you are tackling a hill or trying to keep up with posse on a long distance ride. Not only you have endure burning legs, it comes with a buffet of other discomfort such as numb crotch , sun burn and body aches. But that's what I love about cycling, to thrive on pain and use it to spur and push myself to the limit.  There were times when I went bonked, zilt, nothing left in the tank to finish the ride. I keep saying to myself if i stay positive, these experiences will make me stronger, mentally and physically.

A day after the Mantin Mission, which was last Sunday, I thought of resting my tired pair of legs. But it was a perfect morning for a good short ride. Checked if the posse are riding and it was On-On. I joined the ride but I mostly cycled on my own pace to avoid over exerting myself. Kept the HR at Zone 3 and 2 most of the time even during climbing. 

Today I did another short ride. Felt good, the spin and cadence were better especially during climbing. Clocked 27Km with improved average speed. I reckon it will take at least a couple more rides before going for another “century” ride.

The thing is pro riders can spend 5-7 hours on their bike, but they’re getting paid to suffer like that. For weekend-amateur cyclist, we can have different program to cater to different fitness level within the group. The strong helps support the not so strong cyclists through the ride. It’s neither a race nor a place for show off. Long distance ride can be fun by making sure the we take plenty of stops to stand up, get off the bike, walk around a bit, and stretch. This will help restore blood flow, stop muscles from cramping, and help us feel better no matter how challenging the route is. Break the route into check-points to make the ride more manageable.

Take it easy, spin in an easier gear than normal, and really take the time to enjoy the sights and company. It is more about the ability to endure than to go fast. Hammering all morning with lung busting pace is the fastest route to going bonk. 

It’s important to be mentally prepared. Things are going to get sore, muscles are going to cramp up, riding into a bad headwind under searing hot sun and it feels like eternity before you reach your check point. You may even get chased by a couple of dogs. These will only make the urges to quit stronger and you could just give up especially if you slip at the back of your group, riding alone without support. Regardless of how strong you are, we all have defeatist thoughts in us. It's how you dial it down.

Human being are much more resilient mentally and physically that we thought. Most often than not our life experiences created the limitation in out minds. Riding through those aches and pains and low morale moments are part of what makes riding long distances so fulfilling and rewarding. Overcoming our own perceived limitations and doing things we thought were impossible. 

Next mission - Bagan Lalang... Let’s go!
UKM-MTDC -> Bagan Lalang ->UKM-MTDC

Mata-ne

The tail end of the group.



I didn’t really know how to begin writing about our recent interstate ride. It was literally “One HELL of a Ride”. Four guys, 90KM (+/-) ride on two highways, a few dragon’s backs, a couple of hills , multiple cramps, uncomfortable crotch, battered legs, a few cans of Coke-100plus, sunburn, 35℃ hot weather and the wave of heat rising from the tarmac baked us.

This by far, was one of the epic and memorable ride so far for 2015. It’s not that I haven’t done this route before but taking into consideration a few variables such as long hiatus, sub par fitness and endurance level and over-confidence, this one ride truly tested my limits.


Last Tuesday I paid a visit to a friend's bike shop because I wanted him to check on my cranky BB90. It was at about 9.30ish in the evening and typically during this time, they'd be cleaning up and calling it a night. But to my surprise I saw a few people on rollers and trainer busting their lungs spinning those wheels like hamsters.

Apparently this friend of mine now does "night class" program for those who want to improve their cycling techniques and cores such as posture, spinning, cadence, endurance and aerobics.



They serve nice food here...
The haze condition was kind of bad. From personal observation, while driving to the RV point in Batu 18, Hulu Langat, the visibility was reduced to approximately 50-70 meters. Initially I had second thought about this ride but i made a promise. The wheels go on! 

In the morning The Batu 18 and Sungai Gabai are almost always covered with mist, plus the smokey smell wasn't that obvious. The only problem was the visibility. But certain areas en-route to Genting Peres were bad. The air was smokey and it was kind of hard to breathe. 

This ride to Genting Peres was my first after 8 month of cycling hiatus. As expected my variables were all “out of tune”. But conquering Peres was an important morale booster for myself. The plus-minus 10km up the hill with elevation gain of about 400m from the the T-Junction was hard. My thighs were screaming out “murder!” and the crotch was extremely upset and cursing all the way to the top.  After an arduous 48 minutes journey, cracking just at 9-10KM/H I made it to the top. Never thought the chant “Shut Up Legs!” actually worked wonder and helped me through when everything else said “Stop! Let’s call it and turn back!”. All in, I clocked 41.7Km and had a good meal break at the Bahulu Classiq with the Cyclone posse. 


Rode with CA posse on our regular route today. The weather was perfect. I didn't check on the API but the haze condition was better this morning. The air no longer smell smoky and the sky is brighter but still a little hazy. 

We've had had bigger group before. Today It was just the hardwired Cycling Addcits: Zaha, Misai and Zam, the hardcores. I guess you guys don't have any other hobbies.  For that, each one of you deserves the hashtag #IAMLEJEN. Mietador, what a curious case. He went rouge, joined another posse's ride to Setul on LEKAS. Najib was on ninja mode. We couldn't see him. SBJ...he's on his Jedi training. I shall say no more. Just don't want to get the "So What?" message again. 

I know some of the old gang member opted for early retirement for different reasons. What ever your choices are, we hope you're happy. One of these days, we should do a "Ngeteh" get together session. We've got a lot of catching up to do. 

Good ride guys.

Mata-ne!



Ever had that thought? Or someone asked you the question?



It doesn't matter if you’re new or a seasoned, cycling aficionado, at some point in time you’d come across these questions: “Should I get a carbon bike? What’s the price tag and which brand or make?”. For the deep-pockets, It’s a matter of preference, just point and pay. But for an average person, this could be the most expensive hobby ever. He or she is about to make a hole in his/her savings for the first genuine racing bike than most people pay in full for a motorcycle. In fact, it could be more expensive than a scooter, a two-wheeler without engine.

Epic Ride to Port Dickson
Cycling has always been my all time favourite pastime ever since I was a kid. I cycled everyday to school and everywhere with my buddies. We had our weekend rides too and usually accompanied with “mandi sungai”, river floating, shooting birds with slingshot (never hit one actually), playing rounders, football and all other outdoor. My friends and I are always outside enjoying the outdoor activities. Then I went to boarding school in Penang. I was into hockey, played for the school and appointed as assistant coach of my school’s hockey club. I picked up cycling again in college but just for a brief moment because I was into serious hockey team for competitions. 

I’ve been into serious cycling for a few years now. Come to think of it, I’ve come a long way since the day I bought a second hand mountain bike from a friend of a friend. That was somewhere in 2008. I started joining Saipol and Farizal on cycling rides. Our usual route was Sugai Long. Then we changed to road bike. My first road bike was a second hand Scott, then a second hand Trek 5200 USPS edition, it's Trek Project One Road Bike from the Lance Armstrong heyday. Now I am riding a Trek Madone and an MTB which I use for training and leisure rides. My cycling posse got bigger and we expanded our routes covering more miles, going to places like Bagan Lalang, Genting Peres and Port Dickson. We truly enjoyed the companionship.


Trek 5200 USPS edition
But once in a while we especially me would go below the radar because of mixed reasons. The hiatus period varies and so far the longest for me is close to 9 months. Hiatus means you need to do recovery training to get back into shape. This is the critical make or break moment that will decide whether someone will comeback to regular rides or forever be in the ride-in-the-park mode. Recovery is hard and requires support from your peers or cycling buddies. Consistency is key. Find things, stories or role model that can boost morale, motivate and inspire. Set realistic targets, stick the program, evaluate progress periodically and adjust the difficulty level accordingly. It’s hard but not impossible. 


Speaking about inspiration, a friend shared a YouTube video, Martyn Ashton - Back On Track. It’s truly inspirational. The excerpt from the video description is self-explanatory: 


Following his injury in 2013, Martyn Ashton, trials legend, creator of Road Bike Party 2, and, above all family man and bike rider, began his inspirational journey to get back on track. Joined by his friends Danny MacAskill, Chris Akrigg and Blake Samson and filmed by long time collaborator Robin Kitchin, this is Martyn Back On Track. 

He is a former British and World Champion mountain bike trials rider, stunt rider and team manager. He had been riding professional trials since 1993 and a mountain biking legend, the star of Road Bike Party YouTube sensation. Click the link-> Martyn Ashton Videos 

Thank you Martyn, you inspire many people out there to never give up, work hard and enjoy life. You've certainly have answered this quote:

 Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'
Martin Luther King, Jr.


Mata-ne!

 Cycling can be addictive. You could pretty much tell when casual weekend ride is no longer enough and this could probably be one of the signs of you're addicted. Then slowly you begin to intensify your frequency. When your buddies aren’t keeping up, that's where the solo ride urge kicks in. It will start with familiar, safe routes. Over time your confidence builds up and you'll start to venture on different cycling routes. 

But then there is confident and overconfident. You’ve grown so comfortable that you’d ride solo without considering whether you riding choices are actually safe. There were a few incidents of crime involving cyclists on Silk Highway and LEKAS last couple of years. If you’re cycling alone on lonely route, or during quiet periods such as early morning or at night, you’re an easy target. 


These crooks know you’d be bringing some cash, a phone and gadgets. They know the perceived value and there's demand for cool looking, branded carbon bikes. Some cyclists were knocked down from their bikes, hacked with machete or the likes. The point is, they don’t usually say “hello” before they attack and rob you. The threat of being robbed and hurt during solo ride is real and the “not going to happen to me” attitude will just increase the risk. 



NOTE: This entry was never published since the ride on January 21st, 2012. I really don't remember why, but it was there in draft mode all this while. I found it while reviewing the labels in the content listing. 


It has been 2 weeks since I took my TREK Madone for a ride due to work obligations. My most recent ride was the The PD Recon Mission. A long break break after a ride like that could be a bit overwhelming since the the 2 weeks was mostly filled with classroom activities with minimal space in between the tight schedule to do cross training to maintain my aerobic conditioning. Gotta start slow and build back my fitness a step at a time.

The original plan for Saturday ride was a reverse Sg Long route from Jusco Cheras Selatan to Semenyih via SILK highway. I've done a reverse route before with CA guys but we usually carry our bikes across the road near the Sg Long Toll Plaza. I was really looking forward for the ride as I'd be I'm cycling with new gang of roadies, En. Azmin, Alain and Kwan (I hope I got your name right). All of them are proud Pinarello Paris owners.

We rolled out from Jusco Cheras Selatan on a sunny and bright Saturday morning via the SILK highway enroute to Semenyih. Most of us except for En. Azmin knew the route's special offerings, yes the dragon backs or rolling hills and the "Big Kahuna" or "Big Mac", the long climb at the last hill, perfect for cardio workout and to strengthen those legs.
Hello!

Those who dared...
It has been a while. Quiet but not without activities. It's just managing priorities. My love for cycling is still intact, in fact its expanded a little bit. Recently I bought a foldie bike for my son. To be honest, i was never a fan for folding bike or any bicycle permutations. Don't know if this is the right word, but yeah I am old fashion in that sense. It's either a roadbike or a mountain bike.

 Bicycle has been here long time ago and the history is a little muddled. The concept was probably invented in 1418 when Giovanni Fontana built the first human powered land vehicle which had four wheels and used an endless rope connected via gears to the wheels. As a product like bicycle develops over a long period of time new technology becomes available. This lead to changes in the way the product looks, its mechanical efficiency and design features to the consumers. To keep ahead of the game bicycle makers always look for modern technology to innovate and apply them to bicycle design.
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About

Cycling Addicts is a blog mainly about cycling. My cycling posse consists of average folks who love cycling on weekends and public holidays. This is our ride journal.

We mostly do road rides in Kajang, Hulu Langat, Inter-state and Putrajaya.

This site is still work in progress. There's a lot to be done to enhance this site to give it a fresh new look and experience. So bear with me.

Mata-ne!

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