070310 Port Imperata Cylindrica

Bandar Baru Bangi - Bagan Lalang

No other rider from the clan wanted to ride today. All gave a million lousy reasons, like my cousins "BBBD" belly buttons banging day lah & all sorts of nonsense. Me? I got sick of the same old route. The last time I rode to Bagan Lalang was more than a year ago. 21 December 2008 to be exact. Why the long absence? Simple...
1) The route is swarmed with vehicles, light & heavy. Sometimes you get dead cows by the road. Monitor lizards are the norm. Dogs & cats aplenty...

2) It can get damn hot at times, well - most of the time. Start too late...You'll boil your puny brain.

Bagan

Lalang

Basic Epistemology

According to the Dewan Dictionary/Kamus Dewan, the "Bagan" word has lots of meaning. One of it is - Pillars that's newly build. In the same tone, it refers to pillars/stilts/sticks or a platform made of wood on sticks/stilts where you dry your sea produce. (Fish, squid, etc...). It can also be referred as an illustration/drawing. The usual meaning would be a small port, hence houses/entire village with small jetties which are build on stilts by the Port/Bagan near a river mouth. Get it?

Bagan = Pengkalan/Port

Lalang = Tall Grass/Imperata Cylindrica

Imperata cylindrica, also known as congo grass or kunai grass. It is a perennial rhizomatous grass native to east and Southeast Asia, India, Micronesia, Australia, and eastern and southern Africa. The plant is listed as an invasive weed in some areas, though some nations use it widely for thatching the roofs of traditional homes.

Don't be a "Lalang" is a Malay proverb.

A person without principles, swaying left nor right - like tall grasses getting blown by the wind.

Clone & clones

Ate 3 pcs of white bread & two slices of cheese plus a mug-full of cereal mixed with some oat. That should be enough to sustain the 100 km.

A fortnight ago we did the 92km from Bandar Baru Bangi-Semenyih-Tekala-Perez. "It was torturous & Kuala Kelawang was even worse. The distance to Bagan Lalang was nothing compared to those two" said John John.

Wak Jali, Baby & Rahman were already waiting in Teras Jernang, so we took a slow spin to warm up till Bangi Lama.Pedalling towards Jenderam Hilir, they did a Harry Houdini. Then my cell beeped. "U roll-on first lah Azman, I'll wait for Zanudin"Zanudin, another bloke who we greatly missed. I haven't seen him for months. It was Wak Jali recovery ride after a month hiatus. His shoulder got whacked during the LTDL KL Ride. "Beep-beep" again, "PCC behind you guys woi..." he shouted by the wind. By that time I & John were already near Sepang old town.

Dark clouds were hovering above & it started to drizzle. 5 minutes later it poured! Puddles of water slowed us down quite a bit. Got us totally drenched & made the SIDI all squeaky & squishy. Yuck! We arrived in Sepang Goldcoast at 9am. Surf sounds breaking on the beach. Oh what a sight for sore eyes, after being beaten hard by the rain.

Me, John John & my twin

Settled down for a snack & some time later the PCC people trickled in. Caught Hsing Ling Colnago, Vong's Specialized & Don Hider's Orbea Orca (Not the Killer Whale) & decided to join them for a cuppa. Strangled & "Peek A Boo" Don. He shrieked as it has been months since I met him in Orang Asli Hospital, Gombak after a horny day with a very good "Mak Janda Baik" which took us with open arms.

It was a pleasure riding with PCC, but it's totally a different group from years ago. One old familiar face from those days was probably Don Haider. I only knew a handful. Vong, Hsing Ling & Razali. Only noticed Razali after he mentioned about the 2008 Aids Ride - but what the heck, it beats riding alone.

Form a bunch (Like our grandfather's road), we doubled-up side by side, enjoying the camaraderie. We were on a roll right after Pekan Sungai Pelek when the peloton then got into a single line as soon as the road got narrow in Sepang.

Then someone had an adrenaline rush & started the blistering pace. 35kph & at times reaching 43kph. I was searching for my breath but lucky enough, a spare canister of pure Oxygen (O2) was found embedded in the far corners of my lungs.

Four blokes disappeared right after that - trailed by 3-4 other groups. Took a light gear for the climb De Palma, Salak Tinggi & right after the peak, we pushed hard to catch up with the leaders. We hooked them all the way till Jenderam Hulu. Because of the regrouping, the pace was frenzy from Bukit Unggul passing Bangi Lama & MINT. Downhill to Teras Jernang came passing by. Sprinted to the usual finishing by the durian stall & 2km before MTDC, it was the cooling-off time. Never do an abrupt ending - You'll kill your self.

I'm glad we tagged along the PCC (Pedalphiles Cycling Club / Blog) http://pcc-cycling.freeservers.com & http://pcc-cycling.blogspot.com . At least I could test my endurance with the speed demons. Most importantly, cycling in a bunch is fun. Mono cycling tends be a bore.

The ride back to Bangi was simply furious! This could be the best ride for this year. Speed RULES!

Don Haider

UKM - Bagan Lalang

Google route

* "BBBD" Belly Buttons Banging Day
Loosely translated from the Malay saying - "Berlaga Pusat/Berkahwin"
Two belly buttons banging each other = Marriage/Shagging lah, that oso must tell u ah? Aiya...

280210 Unikeb - LEKAS - Mantin

The Clan wasn't sure of where to ride. Showed up in Unikeb & decided to roll with Pak Berahim & half of the MAPLAY Club roadies. Don't play-play fellas. When the "Bearded One" arrived, we knew we're gonna be in lotta trouble. Back fro Hajj & snarling for action, Tuan Haji Zamani pounced on us victims & trashed us like a rag-doll beyond recognition.

Pak Berahim said that we should do some drafting today.

Right from the start he led the pack on a wild goose chase but I figured there's no wild goose or duck in sight. So, follow the leader lah & smack we're rollin down LEKAS highway to Mantin.

As we were turnin into the highway, a Lone Rider (Not Lone Ranger) minus his sidekick Tonto came rollin pass us. Howled him to join us & for all you know it was Nizam. Apparently he saw Rashin packin the bike this mornin but decided to go solo. Probably he got sick ridin alone & as I glimpse, I saw him trailing behind. Ah, another cook wouldn't spoil the broth. It'll make it tastier! There were aptly 12 riders who rolled off Unikeb but Syarul Hulk had to take a rain-cheque. It's his daughter's Birthday. Good papa, good papa...

Shakri

A shower would be good during these hot times, but a shower-head for an urinal is really way-off. Pretty amusing eh?

me, my twin, Hj. Zamani, Rashin, Pak Berahim, Nizam, Shakri,
Mr. Won, Rizal, (Squat L-R) Zairi, Yazid, Cikgi Hisyam & Dr. Pauzi (On bike)

Yeah...drafting it was until our tongues were waggin like a thirsty K9. Every time it was my turn to draft, every time it was an incline. Hey you people, you wanna kill me eh? My chest was beatin like a syncro drum, beating into trance mode.

Ignoring the huff, puff & lactic asid buid-up, we pushed on with a frenzy monotonic propulsion till Mantin rest area. The pack that trailed behind was just 5 mins away. Mad...

Like Nizam Family XTVT (said "During drafting lah, we could check if we're truly strong & full of stamina. We could judge if we could ride as a group or otherwise..."Further stressing that the felt he rode better than the previous ride in Perez where he was down with cramps. He thanked everyone for the experience albeit his cheap bike.

Nizam, I personally don't care if you ride a cheap/2nd hand/chap ayam/chap monyet bike or whatever. It's never been about what bike you ride - It's about what rider you are. As we enjoy ridin with anyone, we enjoy ridin with you too.

Right after the Bangi Lama Hill, we had split into two clans. Hj. Zamani geared up & most of us were left with our reserves. Me & Rashin could only tag before the last 2 km. Rashin's heart was pounding beyond the rate limit. As the Domestic Anchor Man, Hj. Zamani is one sentimental guy. To follow him is to have the guts to accept torture. His average is normally 35kph. Once a while we should do that, not too sure if I could tag him every other weekend. You'll bust your chest!

Pix from Yazid's on-board digicam, which later went kaput after the violent shaking.

Yazid was really a Pisser. He would entice & foul-up every intervals from the peloton - which is good to psyche you up! If you can't follow, you're pissed! Rizal the Single Speedo is definitely the sprinter, to hell with gears - I don't need them. The KOM otai is Pak Berahim area. Don't be fooled by his age, his youthful vigor will blow you away.

Excerpts from Rashin's thots - In every race group, every rider has a job to do. Domestic Rider, Sprinter Rider, Climber Rider & the Pisser Rider. The Pisser is like a Sprinter, but he will torment the peloton. He will create intervals & occasional sprints to leave the peloton. In actual fact he's merely playing around tactically. When a Pisser strikes, the peloton will follow, this will happen when points are being chased at a particular stage. Point stage plays an important factor for the colored jersey, KOM - Sprint King & the Overall Winner (Yellow Jersey). That's teamwork & the pisser is amongst the strongest amongst his team-mates. Collecting points is the most important thing to do in a race, nothing else matters. Xcellent drafting vids by Yazid of MAPLAY here.

Unikeb - LEKAS - Mantin

Google route

It was a merciless ride, full of challenge. Solid yet...WE Suffered Well.

210110 Jalan Reko - Perez

This is my first time threading this route. I was sceptical as the distance is 92km to & fro from BBB with excessive hills by the Semenyih Dam, long stretch at the Kpg. Orang Asli & Perez. But you'll never know until you've tried.
In the wee hours of the mornin' while everyone is still in deep sleep, Wak Jali left his Baby into my arms. Wak Jali has yet to recover from his injury which he somersaulted during the recent KL Ride.

Zharin arrived a few minutes later with John John from Canada. JJ haven't ridden for 2 years & the bike had to have the headset readjusted after being cooped up for years in the treasure chest & he lamented "I dunno how I'm gonna fare after a long absence on the saddle". He yapped happily to our amusement, but he's a very nice bloke. Not the kind you sometimes come across on your rides. They tend to be a snob. I wish Hans my Kraut friend was here too. Both of them are strong riders. They suit Amin very well.
What's truly amazing is that this two blokes, Amin & JJ does everything else so well. They're a perfectly tuned cadence machine, with a metronomic style that allows them to attain maximum torque up the hill. While keeping energy in reserve, they could burst up without hesitation. They're a league beyond.

Mr. Won & Azam joined us in Jalan Reko, Kajang & so, 7 blokes gathered & by 7:30am we spun towards Semenyih.

Easing oneself by the bushes

The road was practically void of any guzzler this mornin.

We came across a lot of cyclists. Being me, we had to stop & salam. I'm not the kind to just wave & say goodbye. Of all the 70 or so that we have met, I'd probably had rode with all of the before. Can't remember all their nick names but we share the same passion & camaraderie. So, we ain't no stranger friend. Today we had lotta pricey looking rides, but the beauty was, the owners today ain't no proud & "Lansi" at all. They were great riders!

The cool ol' riders from Way2Ride & many others.

Mohd Fadzil, long time no see.

The killer - 1st. 500m of Perez

Took my own bloody time to climb up. To say I wasn't fast is an understatement. Neither was I too slow. Rode with Baby & Mr. Won for about 2km & after Baby's chain came-off near a doggie, I had to Leave them To their Own Devices - Pet Shop Boys. Though the wind was merciless, I whirled up the slope without much thought.

The sight of the rotting log & small waterfall at the tip of my right eye singnalled that I'm so near, yet felt so far from the peak. Pedal on brudder - U aint much farther...

Came across Dr. K & Nizar who were like a flock of birds flying together (Not A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran - so far away) & noticed Jeff wobbling 100 metres before the peak. Whipped his butt, Aww!...& like a hapless toy boy he quickly scuttered up the mount for KOM points.

me, Azam, Zharin, John John, Jeff, Amin, Mr. Won, Baby & my twin

Amirul, daddy Amin, Jeff & Azam

Cikgu Hisyam was there too after starting with the Cycling Addicts from Bt14. They looped the hardcore Bald Hill/Bukit Botak.

CIOCC's Clan & The MAPLAY Club riders

Right after taking the much needed recharge in Tekala the lst 25km was fast. Azam, Baby & me took turns every 2-3 km & burned the road with a blistering 30 kph +++, only to leave behind the other guys. I mean we didn't mean to leave them but I just remembered that I need to sand my daughter to the "Plink-Plonk" piano class. The straight from Tekala to Semenyih was great but the pot holes made it difficult for us to be in total tandem. Nearly bust my wheels in one of those.

5km from Tekala it started to get pretty heaty,

We were not so pretty, as we're all very-very sweaty,

Oh what a pity...

Some how or rather, while tagging along Amin & John, Azam lost his way back. He ended up near Hole 3 at Kajang Hill Golf Club.Baby & I ended near an old shack by the train tracks. Amin had to re-track & after 4-5 calls, we managed to sniff him out. He'll be damned if he's unlucky. The reason we took the highway in the morning was becoz this Kajang Hill route packs a lot of wolfie's. I hate them chasing after my puffy butt.
In another story, Mr. Won went through the Kajang Market & got lost in the maze. Aiya...from the highway we got split & all ended up somewhere to nowhere. What a hilarious misfortune. I was laughing I could blow my tummy!!! Ha ha!
Pak Berahim initially invited us to ride from Bt18 (Sorry Pak Berahim), but I declined politely as I badly needed some good mileage & climbs.

What a ride it was. 92km of hills & gullies was good for the muscles & body. I know, the next time we ride to Bagan Lalang...WE WILL burn the road!

Jalan Reko - Semenyih - Tekala - Perez (Genting Peras)

Google route

140210 WWM - Wheelin Windy in Mendum

Welcome Haizaimi Bulat & Shahril Bokat to da Clan of CIOCC

Re looped the same loop again albeit a slight change. Why? becoz I don't wanna kill Bokat & Bulat, but they don't know what they're gettin into!! Ha ha! Lets see if they can survive Mendum Hill...

These guys are full of wit. The first half of the way they pedalled & pedalled & pedalled until we reached Beranang. Then they started asking me when we're gonna stop for a refuel. "Anther 4 km to go" I said as I watched Bulat giving me the funny stare.

Pity Bokat & Bulat. I know that thay were cursing behind my back for taking them to Mendum's hells gate. They made it half-way. Not bad for a newbie. Like a drunken master, Bulat whipped the hill from left to right only to be slapped back to the tar. Bokat trailed behind with Zharin, but he too succumbed to the strain. Zharin edged up the hill effortlessly like an old pro. Slow but steady...

The strong wind didn't deter us from tackling Mendum. Leaves & twigs were dropping from the branches & it feels like Autumn is coming, instead the sun rays burned thru the skin & melted not the snow but our cholesterol.

me, Arief my son, Baby, Zharin & my drone

Like pappy - like sunny, both wore the same polka dot suit & both swept Mendum away. Well, pappy had some help from his twin.

Baby & Arief were certainly KINGs of the Mountain that day. These 2 young boys triumph the hill. What can you expect from 13 year olds. The 2 "Otais" Zharin & ManCIOCC were not too bad either eh? We didn't walk, we rode up ok!!!

me, Bulat, Zharin, Cikgu Hisyam, Arief, Baby, Bokat & my clone

We left Lenggeng after the regular "Nasik Lemak Ikan Keli / Semilang Darat". Want to know more about Ikan Keli / Semilang Darat? Click here. I didn't dare take too much of rice & sambal or I'll be breathin fire. Worse you'll burp chillies!

The ride back from Bangi Lama Hill was easy but the searing heat left Arief sharing my water canteen. Lucky for him, his daddy's got half a bottle left. Poured some over his head & handed the remainder for him to gulp it down.

Unikeb - Lenggeng - Bukit Mendum

Google Route

Next time boys. I could see steam rising from both Bokat & Bulat. It was certainly an extremely hot day but most importantly, even though this was your first time riding the distance. Despite the odds, cramps & dehydration, both of you made it with flying colours!

Mendum? Let it be. It aint goin anywhere. She'll be waitin for YOU!

Chow from the pixman!