240109 To the Pasar with my son

My son, my shadow...




SEJATI - Sek. Keb. Jln. Tiga











"Papa, Amier Zain nak pi kayuh, nanti panaih sangat" said my son in a thick Penang accent. Jom kita pi jeuh sikit lah, kita pi market. Cuma 6 km pi balik saja... Took my T-Blaze & off we go, stopping by his Sek Kebangsaan to snap a few shots.

We then took a short cut under Jalan 3/4 in front of the school to avoid the main road, telling him not to be too adventurous & use it alone. (He goes to school by bus sekolah anyway). It can be muddy at times but today the mud was rather dry, so we could just negotiate through the underpass quite smoothly. Nice artistic graffiti on the wall but if you pass this route at after dark, you can get a "Free show"!

Sayang,what a nice path but the majlis, since donkey years, never bothered to maintain this route. You have school kids using this road every day. A pakchik who was jogging by us commented "Hah, xcersise ngan anak?" I just smiled & ya ya. The rain tree above us was a sight for sore eyes. can't help but to stop & snap-snap some more. Luckily Amier's mood was good, being a photo model is no easy task. To "kowtow" him, after breakfast I bought him a BMW key chain worth RM3. You should look into his eyes... As I was rummaging through Wan's things, I got hold of a VW Bug replica made of clay. What a treasure, it looked rather antique. Toke Wan's daughter is good looking too, cun...mcm anak mami. He he he...

One thing I like about this pasar, It's got the ol' skool charm. The stalls are cute & the variety of food? Omigosh! Macam-macam ada. All the stalls got nasik lemak but Stall no.5 Gerai Kak Kiah's nasi lemak daun pisang is different. The nasi is soft for my liking & the sambal is fab. 2 bungkus as usual lah. Pakchik speaks Jawa but actually he is Melayu...huh! A cup of tongkat ali drink to "Perk me up" a bit. Mee rebus Kak Kiah pun sodap & they serve variety of kuih. The smell of pulut panggang was too intoxicating to me missed. 3 pliz, kakak. Packed some more nasik lemak & headed home.




Short cut from home & route from Bangi toll

ps: Soto best gerai no.1 (Toke, isteri, anak2 & menantu pun saya kenal)

250109 Kuala Kubu Baru - Bukit Frazer

Cyclo Maniacs, Sunday 250109 we're gonna conquer Frazer's Hill.

It's a 32 km ride from Kuala Kubu Baru till the Gap & 8 km of hard climbing afterwards.
This ride has been brought to you courtesy of Big Jack from JomKayuh.com
There will be a support car InsyaAllah. Roadies or MTB's are welcome This is not a race!
RV point will be in front of the KKB Police Station. Surf JomKayuh.com for the latest updates.

Leave your home by 5:00 am. Subuh prayers on the way or at KKB.


Route

Start at Kuala Kubu Baru
1. Head northeast on 55 toward Jalan Syed Masyor - 31.6 km
2. Turn left at 56 Destination will be on the left - 1.4 km Arrive at: 56
3. Head north on 56 - 5.8 km
4. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Jalan Genting - 0.5 km
5. Continue on Jalan Lady Maxwell - 0.6 km
6. Continue on Jalan Valley - 0.1 km
Arrive at: Jalan Valley, Bkt. Frazer

I have included here 2 maps to Kuala Kubu baru.
Driving Directions - Seri Kembangan, Sg Besi toll PLUS thru old road Selayang, Rawang to Kuala Kubu Baru
Driving Directions - Seri Kembangan, Sg Besi toll PLUS thru Jalan Duta toll PLUS, exit toll Rawang to Kuala Kubu Baru

Date : Sunday, 25 January 2009
RV : Balai Polis Kuala Kubu Baru
Roll out : 8.00 sharp
Total Distance : 40 km
Terrain = 32 km of some flatties & 8 km of Perez like hills.
*The route is moderate to a slightly tough, have a solid breakfast but not too heavy.
*Bring along a tube of CoolGel for cramps.
*To avoid cramps, have a teaspoon of Apple Vinegar.
View = Superb

180109 LEKAS Highway - Mantin, Ride da' Wind

Wind-wind, blow away, blow away another day...

Sun risin' & sapient ridin' Here I come Cycling Addicts, I'm addicted for endorphins, can I get 3 shots? Can, can, can...if you cycle 69km with us, you'll get it free of charge! The problem is you'll sweat a lot, get tired like hell & probably die at a very old age.

& so here we are, a bunch of drug seekers of a different kind, searching at every nooks & crannies, every towns & kampungs, highs & lows for the "KICKS". So high the kicks that Suhaimi PPZ... Luckily not PCP (Phencyclidine (a complex clip of the chemical name phenylcyclohexylpiperidine, commonly initaliased as PCP), is a dissociative drug, exhibiting hallucinogenic & neurotoxic effects... that Suhaimi PPZ was at my doorstep at 6:56:55 am! Last nite you can't even differentiate between right or left. Lu tekan apa semalam beb...?

Yeah, yeah...in cycling we do that a lot, cycling in a trance, like a dream hallucinating of acid. Come to think of it - "The Neurotic Cyclist", what a name, great name for a blog.

Adik Acap & Zamroni rolled in & Nazran who was b4 a "RAMPA", who hasn't rode with me for almost 2 years came along too. No sign on Zharin yet, probably he'll wait for "The Red Chiken Comb Rider". We took off to the RV point, SILK Highway, Bukit Kajang toll plaza. Panicked a minute, yes, a minute only. Cikgu Hisham called, we're behind you. WTF (World Taekwondo Federation), we thought we were at the wrong RV. Whatshisname...speak of the devil, Zharin appeared out of nowhere, like a genie from a lamp.

5 minutes later, Cikgu Hisyam & the junkies arrived & we exit Plaza Tol Bkt Kajang. Looped clove the Sg. Long highway & it lead us to the LEKAS toll plaza. Faizol was tellin me how windy it can get at times. Now u tellin' me. Oh man, why am I using my high profile wheels...

The druggies were a fun lot. Faizol busy with his vid. me & him takin each others silly antics during the ride after the toll booth where Zaha from Semenyih was already waiting. Wide open road, the highway seems endless. Like a runaway but missin the aircrafts. Like a bee without a flower & like a plug without a socket. Occationally you'd get gas guzzlers zooming by but frankly this road is under utilised. That means its good for us cyclist. You'd pass above Kpg. Kuala Pajam & Bandar Akademia. That's the only civilisation to be seen on the route. Everything else is left-right jungle. The terrain isn't too steep but manageable. Smooth paving makes a silky ride. Watch out for crosswinds which can blow you away. At times you might have to cycle downhill. Cycle downhill, that bad ah? I dunno, ask Faizol. The wind the killer & the wind is your only enemy here.

The weather was fine & cool but the "spotlight" was gettin' bigger & bigger. Luckily the crosswinds wasn't that bad in LEKAS today. We could manage 25-30 kph all the way to the Mantin toll both where we regrouped. All decided against turnin' back as the heat might get the better of us. Lagipun some of us have yet to have breakfast or brunch. We swarmed the kedai makan like a bunch of piranhas, leaving this townfolk awed by our colourful presence. Me juz took a plate of rice & tofu. One glass of choc & a bottle of gatorade but not a single one dare touch the "Tapai". Nite eat tapai, me sure no sleep!

As we're about to leave, Md Nor called & asked us to wait. The Balung Ayam rider rode to Lenggeng alone, had to make a detour to Sg. Jai coz the "Mantin road tak boleh keluar, Sg. Jai patah balik sini naya ah..." Whateverlah Red Comb Rider, wa tabik sama lu, lu memang Powerbar kayuh sorang-sorang. Punyalah Power Rangers, on the return leg, u terus pecut at the junction of Jalan Enam Kaki! (History of Jalan Enam Kaki - The kampung road started off to be 6 foot wide hence the name, "6 Feet Road"!) No-no-no, the road got no legs...Not "6 Legs Road". @%?*&! direct translation...tak sekolah ke?

The wind was unforgiving right up till Beranang. The C50 feels like a kite. Goodness gracious, finally we got out of the wind tunnel. At my weight, it might blow me away. I'm glad that all decided unanimously to cut short thru Jalan Enam Kaki. The sun was really blazing her beams now. Arrived BBB at 12 noon, mak ai cepat nye. LEKAS have got it's plus points. This route is my cuppa tea but I ain't gonna turn back the same highway unless I'm being chased by mother in law. I'd rather go out to Mantin & use the ol' road & finish it off with a ride thru kampungs. If you're a speedster & you're in a rush or some pack of K9 are coming after u, use it!

Moral of this ride - If da' winds nevah' goin' away, we better go n fly kites!

Da Route, sorry it doesn't exist in Google yet.

2 pcs white bread-140 kcal + 2 chicken slice-100 kcal + 1 cup MILO-200 kcal
Calories intake, breakfast = 440 kcal
Calories burned = 2375 kcal
Average heartbeat = 154 bpm
Total distance BBB - Mantin - BBB = 69 km
Average speed = 24 kph

ps: we forgot to take a groupie shot...aiya...

160109 Cycle Friday

The preparation & ride.

I cycled to work...on a Friday

Out of the blue, without no reason, the urge was suddenly so great. I mean, I have indulged in so many other weird things but cycling to work is definitely the least of my priorities.

After subuh prayers, had a glass of milo & the 2 slices of bread topped with cheese & strawberry jam was eaten within the first km. What a cold morning, cool but not damp. I was really hoping it didn't rain. It didn't... good for me.

The first few km was a breeze. Kajang town never have been so tranquil.
By 7:15 am the Jalan Cheras highway was still ok, wide road means you'll get all space u want. But u gotta watch out for the junctions as "kopi licence" drivers are the rule of the day. No signal no nothing they'll just barge in & out of to nowhere.

Wham! A bee stung me...but not enough to deter me from continuing my journey. Sorry thing, I had to exterminate it. It got down to my belly. I remembered vividly of a similar incident I went thru 33 years ago. On my way to my aunty's house in Bukit Gelugor for tuition one unfortunate morning, I had a bee stung me right at the pinnacle of speed at a "Gon" (Penang lingo for a steep hill.) This puny bee sank it's barbed & it got lodged at my neck with it's sack full of venom still pumping! My aunt quickly applied vinegar, but the pain was too unbearable. I didn't go to school the next day I think.

Here's the exact location of the incident when I was 10 (at point B) in Jalan Lembah, Bukit Gelugor , Penang. Later in 1984, my Form 6 classmate who was ridin a scrambler, smashed his legs after kissing a lamp post at the same spot. He celebrated his birthday in GH!


The nostalgic sting route

There are things you could see when you cycle then you're drivin' or cruisin' on a motorbike. It's all chocked up when u approach Plaza Pheonix, Mad jam right after the toll booth. I'm all smiles, except by now I'm gettin' sick by the swarm of motorcycles.


Caught up with Azizan Fixie of Cycle Friday & we had short tour around KLCC.

Had roti telor kuah banjir to eat b4 my journey back to Bandar Baru Bangi. Left Pelita Restaurant by 'bout 6:15pm. Got stuck in Jalan Tun Razak in front of the American embassy. What to do. Ride on the kerb lah! Down south to the Kpg Pandan roundabout & took the ramp towards the ol' F&N factory into Jalan Lok Yew. As Kelolo would say, you'll feel the sense of bravado as you sweep by the jammed up cars. One fellow gave me a funny smirk. By now I was burping from the curries I gobbled earlier.

Zooming past Bt10 & Tun Hussein Onn was fantastic but every time I meet up with a junction, I make sure I'm xtra careful. There aint too many cars turnin' to the left but always look over your shoulder. Never take any chances & assume that the idiots notices you.
The bottom line is - Amber shades is a must (you get to see better, probably for some), blinkers & lights too. Helmet? Don't cycle without it. Aint gonna blab too much, watch the video for the detailed ride.

The route I took to KL

110109 Bt18 Hulu Langat - Perez. Ride On!

Daoh waited for the group at 6am! Then came Topui & Sham Dewatta Kerangga still with his sarong. Berkayuh di mana pakai kain nih? Kang lomah lutuit! Apai appeared off time & Zul Bangsar missed the junction. At bt18 Ulu Langat we saw a big group of cycle maniacs gettin' ready. Mak I, ramai betoi! Nah... group lain nih...
As it turned out, they're waitin' for us. 18 thorns & 3 roses!
We cruised pass Kpg. Sg Lui. Fahmi with Sham Dewatta Kerangga was “cool” with each of them sporting a long sleeve jersey. Bola2Api shivered from the wind and the cool morning air. You can hear birds chirping & their droppings. What a bliss.
Why name it Genting Perez? Real name, Kpg Peras, orang asli village.

Similar torture b4 getting to the top maybe, referring to the scale of difficulty.

We rolled fine for about 10km & as we came to the T junction of Sg Lalang & Perez/Kuala Klawang & Semenyih, Kash's chain got stuck between the cassette & the RD hanger. Got the chain back up but now the bloody wheel won’t set in. Oh ok, look closely…um, now the quick release spring pulak got reversed the other way round. How? Beats me…
While everyone was so sibuk, more of menyibuk looking at Kash’s bike been ruined by Apai, CH “aiyok-ayiok-ayiok!” came crashing into me! I’m not too worried about CH falling, but kissing my new bling-bling wheelset is a no-no.
Perez or Kpg. Peras is different ballgame/cyclegame all together.
For first timers, you'd probably die during the 1st km then if you get to live for another 6km & probably be dead again at the last remaining 1km or so.
Genting Sempah on the other hand aint forgivin'. If u attack early, u die on the spot! Besides the shady route from HOA upwards, you'll get trash strewn quite all over some places. Here its almost as clean as a whistle.

C. Hwa took off early to tackle the hill "...kalau I jalan dulu, I sampai sama lu orang, kalau I stat sama, I mesti belakang punya, kalau I belakang? I balik dulu lah...!" Aiya, like that one ah? CH was grinning ear to ear, his feet shakin'. Not becoz of the slope but shakin for the joy of conquering his nerves and of course the peak. Bro CH, after the 211208 Bgn Lalang ride u said u had enough of cycling...now look who's smiling?

There were a couple of newbies. Zul Bangsar ridin on a classic Look , Azwari with his new Fuji, new SIDI's, helmet & all. Rais Omar with his modified flat handlebar.

One after another started to drop behind. I was following Faizal Serdang, Zack Graphic, Azwari at first but Fizal was just going too damn fast. He shot off & this 3 stooges were left behind. 4 km towards the end we left Azwari, he went too fast too early. Tried to tag behind Zack but i gave up 1km to the top. At the presumably flat area, we we doing 20++ kph! This time,Suhaimi sporting his trademark goatee made it look easy with a granny. Spinning all the way up.

Some riders went down again to look for Zul bangsar. "...rasa mcm nak patah balik..." he murmured. If not for u guys who came & look for me, I'd probably stop & go home. Zul with his ol' skool "LOOK Bernard Hinault" flanked by Faizal Serdang , Zack Grapix & Khairi Tuareg from Cycling Addicts cajoled him. Thanks guys. From what he told me, the urge of finishing the climb was just too great to be missed. He wanted to prove himself & he did it! Zul...U Got Guts! Sham Dewatta was grinning. I know, u nearly went bonk climbing Genting Sempah the last time.

Rowdy reception greeted Rais & Zul for their never say die attitude. When u say u can, u definately can. Chilaka punya Man CIOCC, senang je cakap..."Nevermind, just ride slow, ride at your own pace. Kalau tak larat turn back. See how far you can go..." (quoted from Kash's blog) He he, they don't know what they got themselves into! Jahatnya aku...

Lucky thing I brought my tripod along. Moment of truth, 21 roadies all smiles.
Kash, I curik my "kepit" pix from your facebook album.

As we rolled downhill, we zipped passed bawdy & ugly humongous bugger bikes polluting the landscape with an eardrums breaking 10,000 decibels & releasing Carbon Monoxide? No wonder there's no "cousin" of ours waiting by the trees. At the foot of the hill, we had to stop. Daoh had a flat then out of nowhere Md. Noor Balung Ayam Merah & Zharin appeared. This two otai's rode all the away from Bangi. Sorry mate, we aint gonna wait. See u in Sg Congkak where we met up later after the ride.

From here till Bt18, the speed was menacing. 4-5 fellows were racing amongst one another. We were doing it at a breakneck speed of 40++. I just drafted behind the hell riders most of the time...he he. Saya otai baru belajor, kalu slow tolong lajukan!

Now CH pulak got a leak, waited again. En route to Pangsun, CH leak spread into an explosion, so we decided to turn back to Sg. Congkak. Three mommies were complaining about their rumbling tummies already.

It was total mayhem in Sg. Congkak as riders were jostling for the last few packets of nasi lemak. No no, not to worry says pakchik, ada banyak lagi dalam periuk.
I noticed the triathletes - Nurina, Aini, Kash & Hubby Rais Omar were whacking the ikan keli & pucuk paku (Catfish & nail shoots) masak lomak ciwi api . Ponyalah sodap, mak mertua lalu pun tak nampak! To know the difference between an ikan keli & ikan semilang go here.

Sorry Topui, we didn't get to go for the cool dip. We'll start from Sg. Congkak next time.
I know, I know, I'm craving for that too...

We bid "Adieu". Till the next ride humans.

Ciao!

3 pcs white bread-210 kcal + 1 slices cheese-110 kcal + 1 chicken slice-50 kcal + 1 cup MILO-200 kcal
Calories intake, Breakfast = 570 kcal
Calories Burned = 1375 kcal
Average Heartbeat = 145 BPM

*Damn & double damn, forgot about my daughter's plink-plonk piano class at 2pm...

110109 Green Green Trees of Home, Bt18 Hulu Langat - Perez (S'gor/N9 border)

We're going back to where be belong, by the deep jungles of Selangor & N9.
As usual conquering 2 states on a single journey.
Perhaps we'll get to see some of our cousins (not mine) atop the trees waving us by. RV in Pekan Bt18, watch out on your right. Right after the small town, park your gas guzzlers at a parking lot 50m after the small town after the junction on your right that leads to B19 . There's a few stalls there too. If your from the North or South, follow the directions from the linked map below.

Sg Besi KL - Pekan Bt 18 Hulu Langat directional map
Nilai - Pekan Bt 18 Hulu Langat directional map
Call me if you're lost - 019 3851723

Towards the end of the ride, once we're in Kpg. Kuala Pansoon, might as well we go for a dip in the cool Sg. Congkak stream. Its just 7km from our RV point, cool flatties.

Don't be late, we ain't gonna wait!

Route Map

(Start) Pekan Bt 18 Hulu Langat - Kpg Gemi - Perez (S'gor/N9 border) Turn back
- Kpg Gemi - Bt18 - Dam - Kpg Kuala Pansoon (R&R Sg. Congkak) - Bt 18 (End).

Total ride distance = 63km
Terrain = 9km of Genting Sempah type hills, some flatties & rolling hills.
*The route is moderate to a slightly tough, have a solid breakfast but not too heavy.
*Bring along a tube of CoolGel for cramps.
*To avoid cramps, have a teaspoon of Apple Vinegar.
View = Superb

ETA: 7:30 am sharp! Sorry we're not gonna wait this time round.
Pliz leave your house at 6 am after Subuh

Cycling directions
Start at: B52 / Bt 18 Hulu Langat

1. Head southwest on B52 toward B19 - 0.4 km
2. Turn left at B19 - 11.0 km Arrive at: B19
3. Head southeast on B19 toward Jalan Sungai Lalang - 3 m
4. Turn left at B32 - 8.8 km Arrive at: B32
5. Head west on B32 toward B19 - 8.8 km
*Selangor/N9 border, 400m above sea level.
6. Turn right at B19 - 11.0 km
7. Turn right at B52 - 0.2 km Arrive at: B52
8. Head northeast on B52 - 11.7 km Arrive at: B52
9. Head south on B52 - 3.6 km

Arrive at: Kampung Kuala Pansoon, Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia
*R&R by the Sg. Congkak Stream, best gile!!!

10. Head west on B52 - 7.7 km Arrive back at: Bt18 Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia

040109 Poster boys anyone?

What an unusual day. It's so ungay. The sky was so gray...

Good for ridin' in the overcast, just to get tanned on purpose!
Surpassed the sleeping time limit. Zack was already smack in front of my place.
A clan was already waitin' for us when we arrived at tye RV point.
Sham Dewa was there by 7:15am
Shouted to Zanudin across the road. Too bad but he didn't hear us. Never mind.
As we're gettin' ready, to our surprise, Burn @ Bakar an old ridin' friend of mine arrived.
The last time we rode together was probably a year or more.
Burn was leadin' the pack & as we turned into Teras Jernang he was gone!

Without the usual breakfast we proceeded to meet up with Adik Ayie Nexus at Restaurant Sedap (Sodap ah Ayie?) near Mydin Putrajaya. Eagerly calling me every 5 minutes for the ride. Zack started the bike rollin' by asking me to take a shot of him trying to look "ganas serious". Maaf bro, banyak sangat makan budu, nampak kelakar pulak. Some "guys" would die for his calf, thigh & power packed bottom. Ha! Ha!

As we left P14 & coming to Persiaran Timur, Suhaimi PPZ with his new bling-bling Fuji blasted off the track like a jack rabbit pursued by Azwari gettin' away scott free (because he's ridin' a Scott USA). Yeah-Yeah, new bike, new power rejuvenated. All the way till the end of Persiaran Selatan approximately 3.5km, was a total mayhem as Fahmi joined the fray trying to capture the lead apparently goin' 50++ kph!

Hey...rider baru like Azwari getting away? Sham Dewa & Suhaimi PPZ pushing the limit? Tak bole jadi ni. Well, it lasted for only a few km. The guys having a good time laughing at each others antics. Macam budak2. True, cycling makes you feels like a kid. Plus you get a bunch of so called loony fellas. What can u expect? A fun ride!

The view was spectacular from PICC, you could see a whole things from here. The gloom doom about to crash sky made it more dramatic. Pull in your stomach & grin. The saucer like structure would be mistaken by an invading alien. What a stylo looking spaceship. These odd shaped astronauts wear rainbow coloured tights & spots large looking "bulge".
Md Noor Balung Ayam Merah (he wears a bright red hood/scarf/bandanna which looks like a chicken's comb). You could recognise him 10 miles away!

We opted for a cuppa in P9 but what was left was a couple off laksa, meehoon & some bits off pieces & leftovers. I snarled but apologetic at a guard for asking us to remove our bikes form the food court. Apparently "someone" complained of our presence. I said " Ask the person to come & see me!" Ending the conversation with a "...basikal 15 ribu" I know he was just doing his job but certainly there are people "somewhere up there" who doesn't.
Similar case near the Putrajaya Masjid, read the grouses here.
More issues & the official complaint from our PERS friend here.

That's not gonna mar our "Poster boys Fun ride in the Sun"...er more of fun in the Clouds actually.

Zack lookin' aggressive here,
Some fella goin' downhill up there.












Welcome to our starship. Beam us up Scotty!




Man CIOCC, Ismadi, Suhaimi PPZ, Fahmi,
Sham Dewa, Azwari, Zharin, Zack, & Adik Ayie.


Giving the thumbs -up, Md Noor Balung Ayam


A picture is worth a thousand kilometres.


Cycling Directions