For Sale - Oakley Radar

Authentic and genuine Oakley Radar for sale.


Model: Oakley Radar.
Frame colour: Carbon Fibre.
Lens customisation: Choose one between Black Iridium or Positive Red Iridium or G40 Special.
Lens style: Path.
Price: 580.00.

Call/SMS me at 012-7037575 or drop me an email.

Bike Fitting

I thought that this article from singletracks.com is useful for fitting yourself on a mountain bike. Enjoy...:)

[The graphic of chart-size below is taken from the above wesite]

Nevegal vs Dred Tread

I used many models of tyres from various manufacturers, and these are the listing:
> Continental Explorer 2.1”
> Continental Mountain King 2.2” (both the normal version & Chilli version)
> Geax Saguaro 2.1”
> Kenda Nevegal 1.95”
> WTB Wierwolf 2.1”
> Specialized Roll-X 2.2”
> Maxxis High Roller 2.1”
> Kenda Dred Tread 1.8”

Due to limited availability of others tyres and also the above tyres, I have been using either Continental Mountain King (Chilli version) 2.2” or Kenda Nevegal 1.95” or Kenda Dred Tread 1.8”.

I use the Continental Mountain King (Chilli version) 2.2” only for racing due to its low weight. The rest are for trail riding.

So, I was called to make a comparison between the Kenda Nevegal 1.95” and Kenda Dred Tread 1.8”. The comparison (or review) is based on the rear tyre application only, for XC (slightly to the XC extreme side) trail riding application.

I use the following rating system to evaluate the tyres:
5 – Exceed expectation.
4 – Meet expectation.
3 – Meet expectation but can do better.
2 – Below expection.
1 – Does not meet expectation.

Climbing Traction:
Kenda Nevegal 1.95”.
Damp soil – 3/5.
Dry – 4/5.
Loose – 2/5.
Dry roots – 3/5.
Wet roots – 1/5.
Rock – 2/5
Slight sandy condition – 2/5.
Sub-Total: 17/35.

Kenda Dred Tread 1.8”.
Damp soil – 4/5.
Dry – 5/5.
Loose – 3/5.
Dry roots – 4/5.
Wet roots – 2/5.
Rock – 3/5.
Slight sandy condition – 3/5.
Sub-Total: 24/35.

Pedalling Rolling resistance (Higher number represent lower rolling resistance and better traction):
Kenda Nevegal 1.95”.
Damp soil – 3/5.
Dry – 3/5.
Rock – 4/5.
Sub-Total: 10/15.

Kenda Dred Tread 1.8”.
Damp soil – 4/5.
Dry – 4/5.
Rock – 3/5.
Sub-Total: 11/15.

Braking:
Kenda Nevegal 1.95”.
Damp soil – 4/5.
Dry – 4/5.
Loose – 4/5.
Sub-Total: 12/15.

Kenda Dred Tread 1.8”.
Damp soil – 4/5.
Dry – 4/5.
Loose – 3/5.
Sub-Total: 11/15.

Off-camber:
Kenda Nevegal 1.95”.
Damp soil – 5/5.
Dry – 4/5.
Sub-Total: 9/10.

Kenda Dred Tread 1.8”.
Damp soil – 3/5.
Dry – 4/5.
Sub-Total: 7/10.

Total points:
Kenda Nevegal 1.95” – 48/75 (3.2 - Meet expectation but can do better)
Kenda Dred Tread 1.8” – 53/75 (3.6 – Meet expectation)

[Dred Tread's profile]

[Dred Tread's sidewall & label]

[Nevegal's profile - Photos from old archive showing front tyre application]

[Nevegal's sidewall & label]

General comments:
For me, the Dred Tread is a better tyre than Nevegal by a small margin. But that small margin is at the most important part of trail riding especially in Malaysia i.e. climbing over roots.

Some comments on the tyre constructions:
For the Nevegal 1.95”, I wish the knobs are not ramp and this hopefully gives more traction. As clearing mud, Nevegal is far better than the Dred Tread.

For the Dred Tread 1.8”, I wish that the casing is wider at least to 1.95”, and this should give more volume for more supple ride. I also like the tiny knobs running across the middle section, and I wish these tiny knobs are extended towards its side. The side knobs are too close together, hence the mud clearance is just OK; and I believe spacing the side knobs a little bit more won’t affect the traction much.

Body Geometry Gloves

My riding buddy, Jimmy Kok, went to Taiwan for a holiday, and got me this nice Specialized Body Geometry riding gloves. He got it from Taiwan's Specialized Concept Store.

It fit so well. Thanks a lot bro!

Here is some info about the Body Geometry gloves from Specialized:

To learn more about Body Geometry, click here.

Epic, I'm Specialized

For MTB, I'm sticking to Horst-Link designed suspension. All by suspension bikes were and are using Horst-Link design. So, does my new Specialized Epic.



Here are some reviews on my new steed:

Technical Fact Sheet (with some comments):

Frame and suspension:
Frame (new) : Specialized Epic, M5 Manipulated Alloy, M-size.
Rear shock (new) : Specialized AFR shock, BRAIN inertia valve with BRAIN fade and rebound adjustable, 100mm rear travel.
Fork (new) : Fox F100 FIT RLC, 100mm front travel (blink, blink..)

Side notes: All photos are with my old Rockshox Reba TEAM.

Cockpit:
Headset (transfer) : Chris King 1-1/8”.
Stem (salvaged from my store) : Tioga 60mm, 25.4mm clamp (this is heavy.. 200 grams!).
Handlebars (transfer): Syntace Carbon XC Low Riser, 25.4mm.
Grips : Some cheap but rubbery lock-on grips, really grippy (I replace it every 6 months due to its fast wear).
Saddle (new) : Selle Italia Shiver Gel-Flow (slightly heavy, but super comfortable)
Seatpost (new) : OTA 30.9mm, grey (look exactly like Thompson’s seatpost, yet lighter).
Seat clamp (new): Specialized QR, 34.9mm, black.

Brakes:
Front brake (transfer): Shimano XT, with Servo Wave & Free Stroke features.
Rear brake (transfer): Shimano XT, with Servo Wave & Free Stroke features.
Front rotor (transfer) : Hayes 6”.
Rear rotor (new) : Quad 6”.

Drive-train:
Front derailleur (new): Shimano XT, DMD, top swing, dual pull (I work with 2x9 only).
Rear derailleur (transfer): 2007 SRAM X-9, long cage (I need to change these soon…).
Front shifters (transfer) : 2007 SRAM X-9, 3-speed trigger (But, I work with 2x9 only).
Rear shifters (transfer) : 2007 SRAM X-9, 9-speed trigger.
Cassette (transfer): 2009 Shimano XTR, 9-speed (11-34T).
Crankset (transfer): Truvativ Stylo, 175mm, with 2-chainring (36/24T).
Chain (transfer) : Shimano XTR, with KMC bra-link.
Pedals (transfer) : Crank Brothers Candy SL (will be Candy 4Ti in near future)

Wheelset:
Front rim (transfer) : Stan’s No Tubes ZTR Olympic.
Rear rim (transfer) : Stan’s No Tubes ZTR Olympic.
Front hub (transfer) : WTB LaserDisc Lite, 9mm.
Rear hub (transfer) : WTB Laser Disc Lite, 9mm.
Spokes (transfer) : DT Swiss 2.0mm/1.8mm double-butted 1.8mm stainless, all black colour spokes except for and 2 silver colour spokes in between the air tube valve, with brass nipples.
Front QR (transfer) : OTA 9mm (Aluminium body, stainless steel shaft)
Rear QR (transfer) : OTA 9mm (Aluminium body, stainless steel shaft), with aluminium drop-out guard.

Side notes: All photos are with my old XC717 wheelset.

Ground contact:
Front Tire (transfer) : Kenda Nevegal, 1.95”, DTC.
Rear Tire (new) : Kenda Dred Tread, 1.8”, DTC (I love this tyre…!)
Front inner tubes (new) : Maxxis Flyweight 1.75”/2.15” (really light, less than 100 grams)
Rear inner tubes (transfer) : Cheng Shin 1.75”/2.25” (heavy at 175 grams, but never has problem with it for more than a year now & still counting)
Front rim tapes (new) : Maxxis Flyweight tape.
Rear rim tapes (transfer) : 17mm masking tape (wrapped twice).

Weight (with pedals, Cat Eye Wireless Meter, sensor & magnet, a bear bell & an old aluminium water bottle cage):
25.9 lbs (at Jimmy’s scale)
25.1 lbs (at Boon Foo’s scale)
25.2 lbs (at KSH Taman Tun’s scale)

My previous KHS XC904R weighted at 27 lbs.

Performance:

Cornering:
I’m talking about descending switchback first, and the Epic steers quickly but with good measure of predictability, so that I don’t go overboard.

On uphill switchback, the steering is mutually fast, so I need to step on the pedal as quick as I’m turning. This is where the BRAIN shines, as it resists pedal hammering to bring me forward; it just feels easier. On my other bike, even with Pro-Pedal is ON position, the rear suspension will be compressed first (little bit, but you can still feel it) before it carries you forward; so you lose time, distance and more importantly it feels harder.

On a singletrack, I’m very sure of the front fork and short stem tracking ability.

Side notes: I also chose the Medium size frame, to give me more knee-to-handle bar clearance during full cornering. Some people questioned my judgement, but it feels right during the tight cornering.

Descending:
Remember, this is a cross-country machine. So riding in series of trails in Bukit Kiara, with some serious drops (rock drops, tree trunk drops and technical downhills), I need to slow down before I approach them. I then let go of the brake as soon as the descending starts, and just feather the front brake or rear brake when necessary. Somehow, this cross-country machine gobble up rocks, roots and surface chatter with confidence. The small bump sensitivity of the AFR shock and Fox FIT RLC keep the bike on the trail surface nearly all the time. When the wheels take off the ground, the shock and fork open up responsively to ensure controlled landing. I also feel that this is the time that BRAIN is working full time to respond to the bumps.

Additionally, this is also the time that I’m satisfied with the choice of Medium-size frame, as the top-tube length is very inviting for technical descents.

Climbing:
The suspension works so well on reasonably smooth surface uphill climb because the Brain ensures that there is no bob. I really feel like riding a hardtail and it is a joy to crank-up the gear & standing up.

On technical climb (rocky, rooty, sketchy soil or undulating surface), the suspension also gives a lot of traction and opens up nicely. However, it also depends on how I setup the BRAIN Fade. If I set it up between zero to 2 clicks (from FIRM), it will behave like a hardtail, so you need that extra effort to go over obstacles and it can be harsh. From 3 clicks to 5 clicks (from FIRM), it will react to obstacles, but you need to go at certain speed from Brain to open up. So after 15 rides at various places, finally I settled at 2 settings. One for Bukit Kiara trail riding (which is super technical) at 8 clicks (from FIRM), and the other one at hash (which is more like hammering i.e. racing) at 3 clicks (from FIRM).

The BRAIN is the critical factor that isolated my KHS XC604 (with Fox RP3) in terms of climbing ability. The BRAIN makes every pedal uphill easier and more efficient than before.

Another important thing is geometry. The Epic has the same geometry as my previous KHS XC904R or my current KHS XC604. The head angle is 70 degrees and the seat angle is 73 degrees. Both my KHSes are agile climbers; the Epic with BRAIN exceeded my expectations.

Pedalling:
From my testing, the Epic equipped with AFR BRAIN shock, resists all pedal feedbacks up to 6 clicks (from FIRM setting) either during sitting or standing. As described earlier, I have 2 settings; one at 3 clicks and the other at 8 clicks.

At 3 clicks, the pedalling feel is super firm and it only equates to my old, old GIANT XTC (with carbon rear ends) pedalling feeling, either sitting or standing. Do I have to describe more?

At 8 clicks, it depends on two distinct situations. If I pedal hard during sitting, there is no bob and I feel the suspension is as hard as at 3 clicks. However, if I’m standing, the suspension will move very slightly.

Side notes: I tried the BRAIN setting to full open, and it behaves the same as my RP3 (on full open) on my KHS XC604. At RP3 (on Pro-Pedal ON) my KHS XC604 will move either I pedal hard during sitting or during standing. It is even worse during standing.

Since the cockpit is generous, the transition between sitting and standing positions is easy and very inviting. It makes pedalling feel snappy when I need to put the power down. As a result, I’m very happy with my 36/24T front chainrings combination with 11-34T cassette. I’m thinking of 38/24T front chainrings now.

The good stuffs:
I’m extremely happy with my choice of Medium-size frame as I can reap the benefits especially during switchbacks and downhill sections.

In short, the BRAIN AFR shock works!

The bad stuffs:
Specialized draws the cables under the down tube (front triangle), thus in soft soil or muddy conditions it suffers from soil/mud sticking easily to the under carriage. Dear Specialized, not matter what are your excuses, it just plain bad design.

[View from the back, with my previous XC717 wheelset]

[The cockpit]

[Syntace Vector Carbon handlebar]

[Downtube...]

[M5 Specialized's alloy & DMD Shimano XT front derailler]

[Horst-Link pivot & my trusted and old X9 rear derailler]

[The tiny swing link]

[Foreground - The Specialized AFR shock. Background - Old Nevegal was replaced by Dred Tread]

[The BRAIN]

[The BRAIN Fade adjustment dial (trail tune) & Shimano XT caliper]

It has been a pleasure...

I have been riding KHS XC904R since early 2006. It served me well, weekends after weekends.

Have a look at my XC904R here, here and here. I changed the components over the years due to wear and tear, or even personal preferences.

It is a very good bike. I quoted from Mountain Bike Action (MBA) magazine, October 2004, to show how good is the bike... " The KHS XC904R has that light and fast NORBA look. And in this case looks are not deceiving. Keeping the XC904R from earning perfect 10 is that USD3500 price tag, we expect a lighter wheelset. But the past two years have been good to the XC904R. She's all grown up and ready to be bell of the cross-country ball. How can we resist? We can't."

Last Wednesday, I stripped the XC904R naked, to make way for a new steed.


Salute to XC904R.. it has been a pleasure.

What is your IQ?

IQ is the acronym for intelligent quotient, and refers to a score given for several standardized intelligence tests. The first of these tests was developed by French psychologist Alfred Binet in 1905. Today, the IQ test is commonly based on some model of the Stanford Binet Intelligence scale.

So, what is your IQ?

My last IQ test was about 14 years ago and scored 127. I don't care what it means, do you?

In cycling, Specialized Bicycle Company (Specialized) has developed an intelligent suspension shock that has God's know what's it IQ test score. The suspension shock is called BRAIN. Have a look at these videos to find out more...

1. BRAIN - The explanation.

2. BRAIN - The theoretical settings.

3. BRAIN - The pratical sag settings.

4. BRAIN - The pratical rebound settings.

My 2x9

I posted about 2x9 before, click here for the link.

Since then, I was looking for the right setup. I considered several options, including purchasing the Rotor Agilis 2x9 or SRAM XX, or using the current crankset with various chainrings options.

The Rotor Agilis and SRAM XX are too expensive for me. So I decided to use my existing Truvativ Stylo (104/64 BCD) setup.

I also decided to go for 40/27T setup. However, these rings are hard to get by here in Malaysia. I even thinking of asking my sister-in-law who lives in United Kingdom to get the rings for me (either Middleburn or TA or Raceface), but it can get complicated with all the shipping, taxes, bla, bla...

Prior to that, I also tried my friend's, Jimmy, bike who has a KCNC 42/29T setup. I found that riding in Bukit Kiara, with lots of uphills, pointing up switchback, short & steep ascending sections of trails and never used the 44T, I revised my option to go for 40/27T setup.

I found a ratio of front chainring and rear cassette from the Rotor website, and did some re-calculation & reconsideration based on the terrain in Bukit Kiara and some of the hash routes that I did before. The best setup would be 36/24T. It might be small, but for weekend rider who love to climb the hills, I think it would be suitable for me.. at least on paper.

Here are the tables for the ratios:

I was very lucky that one of the LBS carry a set of Raceface bash/36/24T chainrings. I quickly grabbed it as it was the only one available.

I only put on the 36/24T rings & left the bash guard out, and I had to buy a shorter chainring bolts to accommodate the 36T. Another thing, the 24T is made from steel, which I like, and it should last longer than its aluminium counterpart.

I didn't weigh the rings, but with the new setup the bike now weigh at 26.3 lbs compared to 27 lbs before. However, weight is not my concern here, less front derailleur shifting and less spinning are my targets.

Here are some of the photos:

[My old Truvativ Stylo with a new set of 36/24T Raceface chainrings]

[The close up - Click on it and you can see the 36T and 24T inscription on the rings]

I tested the new setup for 3 rides at Bukit Kiara, 2 rides (6 loops) at the Carnival race trail and 2 rides at the hash trails. These trails, I my opinion, represent the variety of terrains that I ride every weekends. The Bukit Kiara trails and Carnival race trail have lots of uphill climbs, technical switchbacks (descending & ascending) and nearly all singletracks. The hash trails are mostly doubletracks and firey road, representing fast riding experience.

I'm very happy with the ratio of the rings. The 24x34 is slighly tighter than my old 22x34, but the torque feel is different (better feeling and control) and I spinned a lot less when climbing (especially on rooty trails e.g. Lightning Ridge). The 36x11 is high enough to keep the fast pace when riding the firey road or even on flat tarmac. Yeap.. the front shiftings are a lot less now, and I need to get use to it.

Yes... the SRAM XX or the Rotor Agilis may advocate the 40/26T or above ratios; but for my riding, the 36/24T hits my targets spot on. Either on paper or on the trails, the ratio serves me well.

Money wise, the Raceface set cost me RM250 + RM35 (for installation and general servicing). That is RM285, which is about USD81. A set of SRAM XX here in Malaysia is about RM4000 or USD1150, and the Rotor Agilis is about RM1800 or USD515. If you're thinking about return-of-investment (ROI), the route that I went gave a considerably high ROI.

In fact, I have ordered a new set of the Raceface bash/36/24T for my other bike as well.

Being single doesn't pay

The Canberra's mountain bike course that host 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championship is quite a fast course, with no long climbing section and the technical downhill sections are relatively easy compared to the Beijing 2008 Olympic course. But they have several sections of technical climbs including uphill switchbacks. You can watch the full coverage here.

In the UCI Mountain Bike World Championship on 5 September 2009, multiple Olympic & World Cup winner, Julien Absalon, decidedly and presumptuously went to use single crank ring with 10-speed cassette.

The result! He lost in a pathetic way.

The photo below shows the Nino Schurter is celebrating the win, and look at Julien Absalon uncharacteristically trying to spin the large gear.

In my opinion, Julien Absalon should be also to go faster and smoother on the uphill technical if he chose dual chainrings, because sometimes he was pushing up (briefly) rather than cycling up. During this time, Nino Schurter was able to catch up easily with his smaller ring.

Even his new helmet looks odd. His previous Catlike helmet is much more handsome and functional.

2x9

A 3x9 is a typical setup for mountain bikes. Three chainrings in front (at the crankset) and 9 cogs of cassette at the rear tyre, hence the 3x9 or 27 gears. However, not all combinations can be used.

A 2x9 has the cassette but only 2 chainrings at the crankset. It only has 18 gears. Is sounds like having less gear is of no good. But, 2x9 setup is reportedly to have better chainline that allow all combinations. It is also lighter.

My riding buddy, Jimmy Kok, swapped his trusted Shimano XT 3x9 crankset with a KCNC 2x9 crackset last month. He said he is happy with the performance, where he is now gathering more traction rather than more wheel spinning when the trail is pointing upwards.

I tried the crankset on one of our Saturday morning rides (on Jimmy's bike, of course), and I'm liking it. It is true that the traction is well within control and the legs opening & spinning are more natural.

However, his KCNC has a 42/29T setup. Personally, this is slightly heavy for me. I would prefer a 40/27T. Since KCNC has only one setup, so I started searching for other options.

After searching from the Net, these are the options that are available:

1. KCNC - Chainring setup at 42/29T. BCD 94mm.

2. SRAM XX - Chainrings setup options at 39/26T, 42/29T and 44/32T. Each has propritery BCD bolt setup.

3. FSA - Chainring setup at 42/29T and 40/27T, with their own BCD bolt setup.

4. Rotor Agilis - Chainring setup at 40/27T. BCD 110/74mm.

For compatability purposes, I like the KCNC and Rotor BCD setup.

Personally, I want the Rotor Agilis 40/27T. As bonus, it comes with Q-ring eclipse rings.

Birthday

On 7 May, it was my birthday. So, I decided to get myself a few good and replacement stuffs for my mountain biking hobby.

I got myself 2 pairs of cycling gloves, one from Nike and one from Louis Garnears (LG). I’m not sure the Nike’s gloves are good enough but they surely put some bling on my riding attire. The LG gloves are just fantastic; their gels are ergonomically located to minimize numb feeling.

Next, remember my previous blog about the top 3 best things for mountain biking. One of them is a tyre from Continental. Yes… I bought myself a pair of expensive, light and sticky Continental Mountain King 2.2” Supersonic.

New Year, New Chain

According to material science, material fatigue is defined as the structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to repeated loading.

The causes of material fatigue could be from frequent state of stress, material type, internal defects or environmental factors (high temperature, high humidity, etc).

The solutions to material fatigue can be redesign of parts, replacement of parts or use of other materials.

Real life situation:

Cause of Material Fatigue:
I have used my bicycle chain, Shimano XT, and for slightly less than 2 years it has borne my load. Just before the last Ramadhan, it broke while I was climbing a short uphill section at Snake & Ladder trail at Bukit Kiara. Two weeks ago, two of my friends’ chains also broke. Was it a hint by God?

Solution to Material Fatigue:
So, I bought a new chain to replace the ageing Shimano XT chain. I got the Shimano XTR/CN7701.

[Shimano XTR Chain]

Other Findings:
I’m also using KMC X9 Gold chain on my other bike.

[KMC X9 Gold Chain]

Putting those three chains on weighing scale, the KMC weighed at 265 grams (…also confirmed by www.sicklines.com and http://www.gramslightbikes.com/2007_10_01_archive.html )

The XT was at 285 grams.

The XTR was at 244 grams.

The XTR was also much cheaper than the KMC by RM45.00 (about 10 euros). Therefore, it is acceptable to conclude the XTR chain is quite a value buy.

However, it’s a shame that Shimano does not have “no tool requires” bra-type link for their chains, like the SRAM’s Powerlink or KMC’s Missing Link.

[KMC Missing Link]

No worries. I am using the Missing Link on my KMC X9 Gold and the outgoing Shimano XT chains. So, I believe that the KMC’s Missing Link can also be used on the XTR chain. Here we go…

Top Three

While waiting for my Nasi Goreng Thai (Thai Fried Rice) at Secret Recipes, I saw a beautiful girl holding a magazine. What intrigued me was the large imprint on the magazine that said “Top 3 Men's Characters You Should Look For In 2009”... huh...!

It triggered me to write about top three of the following:

1. Best mountain bikes.

2. Best mountain bike races.

3. Best equipment.

I will not write down in detail the reasons I chose them, it was just my intelligent guess, hunch and experience. Additionally, it will be written towards cross country (XC), but I will not neglect other mountain biking riding category such as downhill (DH). You might not agree with me.. Hey! This is a free world. Read on…

THE TOP THREE OF THE BEST MOUNTAIN BIKES (2008):

1. Specialized Epic 2009 – The best XC race and XC trail bike.

2. Titus Motolite Exogrid – Combination of titanium and carbon fibre. If you have extra money to spend, the bike should last for lifetime. So does the warranty.

3. Giant Glory – Downhill frame ready for the World Cup and beautifully matched with Rockshox Boxxer Team.

[Specialized Epic 2009]

[Titus Motolite Exogrid]

[Giant Glory]

However, there are two bikes that surprised me in positive ways when I rode them, the Santa Cruz Nomad and the KHS XC604. The Santa Cruz Nomad is also a beautiful looking bike that can be used all day hucking the 4-feet drop easily. The KHS XC604 is responsive and can be built to race, yet light on your pocket.

[Curvy looking Santa Cruz Nomad]

[KHS XC604 frameset]

THE TOP THREE OF THE BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE RACES IN 2008:

1. XC World Cup at Offenburg, Germany – Won by Julien Absalon (mens) and Irina Kalentyeva (womens).

2. DH Mega Avalanche, Alpe d’Huez, France – Descends 2600 meters over 33 kilometers. Arms and legs aching race.

3. XC Olympic 2008, Beijing, China – Exciting race in the Womens category, but pure domination by Julien Absalon in the Mens category. He retained his Olympic title. Click here to read more.

Special mentions have to be said about our local races, here in Malaysia.

For XC, the Kuala Lumpur Mountain Bike Carnival 2008 at Bukit Kiara was exhilarating to watch, although there were delays in publicising it. For next year, I hope they change the category level and also announce it much more earlier e.g. at least 4 months earlier. I recently posted about the race here.

For downhill, the Kiara Downhill Domination Race Series, again at Bukit Kiara, was lifting but a bit monotonous. Additionally, the trails used for the race series were also not compacted properly hence lack of sustainability. Nevertheless, it attracted many participants, local and overseas, and also brought the downhill mountain biking in Malaysia to another level.

For both races, I hope to see more participants from our local riders and also, for a start, riders from rest of Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

THE TOP THREE OF THE BEST EQUIPMENT (2008):

1. Shimano XTR M970 crankset – Tough yet light. Extremely suitable for XC, aggressive trail riding and even downhill.

2. Garmin 705 – Full fledge GPS i.e. topographic and street map capabilities, colour screen, lightweight and also comes with cadence & heart rate sensors.

3. Stan’s Olympic, Arch and Flow rims – For their applications, they are the lightest and tougher than their competitor. If you want to save your rotational weight, start here.

[Shimano XTR M970 Crankset]

[Garmin 705 GPS and Cyclocomputer]

[Olympic - One of Stan's No Tube rims]

I also would like to add two equipment that stand to their hypes. First is the Mountain King tyre from Continental, which grips the trail without adding any extra weight. Second is the Crank Brother’s Candy 4Ti pedal. This 200 grams per pair pedal is light enough for XC racing but definitely tough to handle everyday trail riding.

[Continental's Mountain King tyre]

[Crank Brothers's Candy 4Ti pedal]

Casper

After a gruelling tarmac uphill, I reached the 4-cross junction, and someone shouted my name.

Aahhh... it was Joe Adnan. Fimiliar face along with unfimiliar face... ehmmm.

Hi! Casper!

Casper is Joe's new bike. Casper... as hand-scripted on the head-badge.
Note: Casper is also Joe's nickname.

It was a good looking bike. After a chit-chat, he allowed me to ride his new bike. Down to 2K trail I went and continued to the technical uphill section of Twin Peaks.
I was speechless!! A very good bike was an understatement. It was excellent!!

It floats and goes everywhere... like the friendly ghost in the movie Casper.

Click here to find out more.

Don't get this saddle..

Just don't get this saddle. Look at the photos...

[Crocket titanium rail]

[No balance]

[Thin saddle, with crocket rails]

[Left: Dirty but usable saddle; Right: Clean but deformed rail]