"Wasteland" - The Understated Trail

I always look forward to a bike hash at Bukit Kiara. This year is no different, and it was held on Sunday, 18 January 2009.

Rumours said that there will be new trails replacing the ones that were bulldozed to make way for the horse trails.

Note: Before you read on, this write-up is written such a way that you are familiarised with the trails name in Bukit Kiara.

After the briefing, done by Pat (the lead hare) and Huang (President of TRAKS), we are off to the tarmac climb. Not even half way, we were directed to the short-cut trail which lead to Lung Buster. Surprise it was… Lung Buster is now longer and slightly easier to climb… Yippee! However, it still made me gasping for air after that.

We then rode though the following trails:

Continue Carnival (Lung Buster) > 4K > 2K > Apollo > Tarmac climb > Horse trail (P10) > Tarmac climb > Plan C+ > Horse trail (P3) > Bar-a-kuda (very short section)

[Bridge at 4K Trail - This is the replacement bridge after the old bridge was damaged after the hash]

After the very short section of Bar-a-kuda, the hares led us to the new trail, which the name is yet to be finalized… but currently called “Wasteland”). It was tight yet flowy singletrack and was built along a ridge. Suddenly, there was a bridge… a log skinnies to be exact. After the skinnies, the singletrack continued thorough nicely arrange river stones which looked more like cobblestones. It then led us to a series of uphill switchbacks (six switchbacks I think..) before we ended up at the other side of Bar-a-kuda. Pure joy!

[Skinnies at "Wasteland"]

Then, the following trails:

Bar-a-kuda (the other side) > Lower Short > Upper Short (till the peak) > 5-junction horse trails > Horse trail (P5) > Pure Quill + > Twin Peak > Flinstones > Rock Garden (Carnival).

I must say after the long climb from Lower Short till Twin Peak, the flowy and rocky section of Flinstones and Rock Garden (Carnival) was fantastic and exhilarating.

Plus, the weather was breezy and the trails were dry!

More reading and viewing at the following links:

1. Bikehash - Forum discussion.

2. Blog - Biawaktasik - Excellent photos

The Pocket Rocketman

[Azizul, in front, sprinting with Rizal Tisan]

Azizul Hasni Awang, a Malaysian cyclist, has won 2 gold medals at UCI World Cup Track Cycling and now has his own website.. err.. more of a blogsite.

He calls himself The Pocket Rocketman and appropriately the http address is http://thepocketrocketman.blogspot.com

Additionally, Rizal Tisan also won a gold medal at Beijing UCI World Cup Track Cycling for 1km sprint. Congratulations dude..!!

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]

UCI 2009 Calendar: Mountain Biking

If you’re planning to go on holidays next year, and at the same time you want to watch some exciting mountain bike races or even trying the race courses, the UCI 2009 Mountain Bike Race Calendar should help on your planning. For the rest of us, let us wish that they air the event on our local stations or ASTRO.

[Beautiful mountain bike trail at 2008 Beijing Olympic]

Will Julien Absalon win the world title again in 2009? Can Christopher Sauser catch him with his beautiful Specialized Epic? Don't forget the young talents such as Nino Schurter that emerged during the 2008 Beijing Olympic?

[Julien Absalon on the right]

As for the women, the Chinese girls such as Cheng Ryun Yen are too close for comfort for most. Could Gunn Rita Dhale regain her previous glory? Again the young talents will try to get themselves on the podium for example Maja Wloszczowska the silver medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympic.

[Cheng Ryun Yen]

[Maja Wloszczowska showing off her Olympic medal]

I predict it will be an exciting year..! Here are the listing for 2009 race:

UCI Mountain Bike Race Calendar: 2009

April 11-12: Round 1 (XC/DH/4X), Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

April 25-26: Round 2 (XC), Offenburg, Germany.

May 2-3: Round 2 (4X) / 3 (XC), Houffalize, Belgium.

May 9-10: Round 2 (DH), La Bresse, France.

May 16-17: Round 3 (DH/4X), Vallnord, Andorra.

May 23-24: Round 4 (XC), Madrid, Spain.

June 6-7: Round 4 (DH/4X), Fort William, Great Britain.

July 18-19: National XC/4X/DH Championship Weekend.

June 20-21: Round 5 (DH/4X), Maribor, Slovenia.

July 25-26: Round 5 (XC) / 6 (DH/4X), Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.

August 1-2: Round 6 (XC) / 7 (DH/4X), Bromont, Canada.

August 23: UCI XC Marathon World Championships, Graz, Austria.

September 1-6: UCI XC/4X/DH World Championships, Canberra, Australia.

September 12-13: Round 7 (XC), Champery, Switzerland.

September 19-20: Round 8 (XC/DHI/4X), Schladming, Austria.

September 26-27: National Championships XC Marathon.

I also wish that the 2009 Kuala Lumpur Mountain Bike Carnival will be somewhere in October 2009.

Happy New Year everyone…!

KL Mountain Bike Carnival 2008

The Kuala Lumpur (KL) Mountain Bike Carnival 2008 was held on 29 and 30 November 2008.

Initially, I planned to take part after I missed last year race due to injury. But, I have to skip it primarily due to family commitment and my master's thesis.

However, it didn't stopped me from watching the event which I look forward to it every year. I did not have the luxury to watch every race category, but here are some of the photos that I took during the 2 days event.

Disclaimer:
All the photos are not touched up, except for resizing and labelling. This is the first time I labelled my photos, so it means that they are my property... hahahehehh..! If you are interested on having them, please contact me.

I also have more photos in higher resolution on my harddrives, so again if you're interested, please contact me.

[Nurfarahdini Zakaria, Army, Malaysia - The winner of Womens Sport category]

[Lee Chuan Ling, Singapore heading towards her final lap]

[Adilah Junid from Team Thunderclan, Malaysia - Competing in Womens Sport category]

[Start of 18-30 years old category.. they are fast]

[Mohd Shahrul Mohd Amin, Malaysia - The winner of 18-30 years old category]

[Jeff Cole, USA - Total concentration on the downhill part]

[Chong Soon Yew or SY trying to pump up]

[Alexander McNab from ThunderClan Team, Malaysia.. still smiling as usual]

[Oopppssss...! It's SY again..]

[Towards the finishing line...]

[Lim Yew Meng from BikePro trying to catch up in the Mens Elite category]

[The winner of Mens Elite category - Bandi Sugito from Indonesia]

[Followed closely by Sharin Amir (Malaysian) at second place in the Mens Elite category]

Gold Medal at Track World Cup

Track World Cup 08-09 Round 2 - CDM, Melbourne, Australia, November 20-22, 2008

Keirin (Final):
1. Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia, GOLD)
2. Andriy Vynokurov (Ukraine, SILVER)
3. Francois Pervis (France, BRONZE)

Azizulhasni Awang created history! He is the first Malaysian cyclist to win gold medal in a World Cup event. Congratulation...!

Read here for more..
a. The Star
b. Cycling News
c. Picture 1
d. Picture 2

Trail Maintenance 16 Nov 2008: Carnival

Nearly every trail that I deal with on trail days is Bukit Kiara’s classic, but you cannot argue the iconic status of the Carnival trail.
From the moderate climb that leads to lung-busting climbs, uphill switchbacks, fast & furious singletrack, rocky downhill switchbacks, rock garden, river drop, 3-tier downhills, no trail at Bukit Kiara has such compilation of those characters.

It is also the host for the yearly Kuala Lumpur Mountain Bike Carnival, hence the name of the trail. This year race will be on 29 and 30 November 2008.

The challenge today is trying to fix Carnival to its best.

I don’t have the number, but about 15 people showed up. The Penghulu, Pat, divided us into several work parties. Me and Johnny were given no. 10, that was a fast and rooty section towards the end of Carnival. The rest got their number and location.

Here are a few photos that I managed to snap…

[Safety briefing before the trail work. The location is at Taman Lembah Kiara]

[BEFORE: Putting some rocks to protect the trees' roots. This was just the beginning...]

[AFTER: Smooth...! Under the dirt were lots of rocks]

[Jun and Tony]

See you guys at the race...!

Between Semenyih & Bandar Bukit Mahkota

It was quite a while since I rode my last hash. Although it was on Sunday, 9 November 2008, this hash was actually the October Hash.

The hash was actually at Semenyih, opposite Bandar Tasik Kesuma. It was also quite near to Bandar Bukit Mahkota, if you're coming from the east side.

There is no photos of me, except for my left hand on the bike's handlebar.

[Briefing]

[Towards the trails]

[Trail head]

[Kampung Rinching, Semenyih]

[Next to cows's feed lots]

[Riverside singletrack.. cool! That's my steed on the right]

[...and the singletrack led towards a kampung]

[A pigeon at a goal post.. ehmmm..??]

[At one of the checks]

[Megat and Joe(and Casper) at one of the checks]

[My left hand on my bike's handlebar, looking down towards the trail]

[Chicken out or go long?]