SPOKES _n NIPPLES

2. THE WEEK AHEAD

Mud & Dirt (MTB) by The English Nose

Since we did a little maintenance work there, I for one have not been back. Back to Batu Dam that is.

This weekend we’ll be going back to see what’s changed.

Please bring along a parang or any other tools you can ride with as I’m sure there will be some deadfall and water bars that need touching-up.

Further to this, I want to clear a new 500m trail and I will need more than 1 pair of hands.

Remember to bring leech repellant. I found last time I was there, soaking your socks in Detol solution work well, so bring a small bottle of diluted Detol

Weekend MTB Ride – Batu Dam

Date: Sunday 20^th July 2008

Meeting/Starting place: Gates of Batu Dam

Ride distance: 15km

Ride description: Great single-tracks initially running along the lake’s edges before veering off into secondary jungle. Mostly under tree canopy with a series of long hard climbs, all rideable if you’re fit. A couple of river crossings so expect to get wet and – leeches! As usual bring plenty of snacks and titbits for R&R at the river break. Suitable for all levels of rider.

Directions: Turn off the MRR2 at Batu Caves and head left, away from the caves entrance, over the train tracks. Come to traffic lights at shop lot area and turn right towards Ulu Yam. Continue straight past Petronas on your left about 3km down and then past a Rapid KL Bus depot on right. Continue straight as road narrows and follow all the way to the end, which is the Batu Dam gates. Park just inside.

For more info, call Rob on 012 6191 308 or Pete on 012 227 4443.

Upcoming M&D Rides

Date	Ride	Distance
20 Jul	Batu Dam	15km
27 Jul	No Ride – try the KLMBH hash!!
3 Aug	RRI	18km
10 Aug	FRIM	20km

NO HELMET NO RIDE

 

Tar & Grime by Don ‘Fei Chai’ Chan

This weekend we are heading for the plains of Ulu Langat for an easy recovery ride, specially for our pedalphiles who went up to Ipoh for an overdose of century eggs last week. Ulu Langat here we come!

Sunday Road Ride – Ulu Langat (5km)

Date: 20^th July 2008

Time: 7.30am

Meeting/Starting Point: Batu 14 Community Hall

Ride Route: Batu 14-Batu 18-G Peres-U turn-Tekala-Batu 14

Ride Distance: 65km only

To get there:

From PJ – Take the Metramac Highway towards Kajang and exit at Batu 9 after the RM1.00 toll booth. Head straight and make left turn at the T-junction traffic lights towards Batu 14. The Community Hall is on your left a few km down the road.

From KL – Take the Loke Yew roundabout towards Kajang. Exit Batu 9 after the RM1.00 toll and follow same directions as your cycling buddies from PJ.

For more info or if you got lost, kindly call your long lost Ride Leader Ivan Basuh Chan on 012 379 2979 or Soh on 016 212 2696.

NO HELMET NO RIDE!

WEEKDAY TnG RIDES

PCC Tuesday Nite Special – Taman Tun

Revised Loop: New route from TTDI – Damansara Heights and back (25km)

Time: 8.30pm SHARP

Meeting/Starting place: In front of KSH Bikes, Taman Tun.

Please check in at least 15 minutes before start. Suitable for all levels of riders.

Please call Kevin on 012 354 7181 for assistance.

Thursday Putrajaya Recovery Ride (Fortnightly)

Every 1st and 3rd Thursday (30km)

8.30pm SHARP

Meeting/Starting place: Putrajaya Mosque Roundabout (near PM’s Office)

Introducing the Putrajaya recovery/scenic ride. Suitable for all beginners and intermediate riders looking for short recovery ride in a low vehicular environment. And yeah, do remember to bring your Humour and Wit.

For info and details, please call Mac (012-603 1511) or Vong (016-287 2066)

 

Please call the respective ride leaders in advance to confirm ride is on.

Taillights COMPULSORY for all night rides! This is for your own safety.

NO HELMET NO RIDE! SAFETY FIRST!

 

3. THE WEEK THAT WAS

Mud & Dirt

Date: 13^th July 2008

Venue: ½ Prison Loop ½ Stage 2 Prez in reverse

Distance: 25km

No. of riders: 37

Conditions: Perfect

Keepign it together by The English Nose

The hills loomed big and large…. and that was just on the tarmac in-road where a few riders were off and pushing already. Think they were advised that they had little chance of getting all the way up. It’s a 200m climb to the top, in about 3km, so it’s grind, grind, grind.

Even so, our attempts to re-group were a bit fruitless as the tail-enders were a good 45mins behind and it was hard to keep a flow to the ride.


I have to take my hat off to Pete again for bringing up the rear and thanks to Simon for helping out too.

With a big group like that it’s not easy to do our usual ride and re-group tactics but we got through with James leading back the riders on the last section while Tom, Teik and me hung around for Pete, Simon and Yong and the back runners to see if all was OK.

Anyway 25km good hills and back by 12-12:45.

The trail – we climbed up to the highest point of the Prison Loop trail, turned right at the top to take the reverse of Stage 2 from last year’s Prez. This would of course mean doing the big downhill to the abandoned housing project.

It was big and fast – think it’s 2.5km of 35+km riding but to be honest I prefer the other downhill to Nirvana. It’s more interesting and last longer as it’s broken up into sections. Next time loh.

 

Tar & Grime

Drink and Ride people – Note to self (Ipoh Century Ride Report) by Big Mac

KRI (Kelab Roadrunners Ipoh) annually organizes the Century Ride. This is my first time that I am attending it together with some of the PCC members. Upon arrival at Casurina Ipoh to collect our goodie bags, we were enlighten with the "ride/race" briefing ala PCC Interstate. The tulips accompanied within the goodie bags also reminds me of the Interstate.

Upon collecting some of the goodies and stuff, we then went out to recce the start point of the ride which happen to be closer to Chemor town (ie 10km from Ipoh). Back we went for rest and pre ride bike check and some carbo loading at Tesco extra Ipoh.

Early morning of Sunday, we pushed of towards the start point and were there much like PCC normal 160km ride. Except rather then the usual 60 odd riders, we were amassed with 400+ officially riders and "unofficial" riders. PCC was well represented with familiar faces such as Adzim, Andrea, Azhar, Chris Milton, Daniel Lim, Lim Yew Meng, Lisa, PK and family (already one small peloton), Terry and William. Other familiar faces were Fadzil, Jaja, Ihashal, Azmar, Shazly, Stupe and Wendy.

I would say that atmosphere was like a Competitive Carnival kind of atmosphere and the makeshift car park was packed. We checked in and was flagged of at about 7:10 am. The route and Terrain was (as typically described by PCC) described as rolling hills was actually flat downhill for 40km and then short undulating walls of climbs. For those who did not do the full route, it can be described as a mix of two of Puncak Alam Dragon Back, Temple Section before Ijok, Batu Arang and Sungai Tengi all in one ride. It was quite a fast ride for those who manage to cling on to the Peloton but was a lonely ride for me back to the starting point as I suffered severe cramps.

Unfortunately, I have not been heeding the advice that I usually give most people, drink every 15 minutes on long rides – well, I deserved the cramps. I would like to record my thanks to Azmar though for stopping by and dropping a few salt tablets to help me recover. Those bus stops along the Kuala Kangsar Sungai Siput road look very tempting though. The weather was, however quite beautiful though, (wonder how KRI manages to managed that as well) so I pulled myself back to start line after 7 hours.

Overall, I would like to on behalf of PCC to congratulate KRI for the ride. The Marshalling was excellent, the water stop was very good and that last water stop with the sponge bath really helped me.

PCC members did quite well in the overall race/ride. Our girls managed to be on stage to receive prizes (50%) namely Andrea (1), Lisa, Mei and Adeline. The guys also did extremely well whereby Lim Yew Meng and Danial came first and third.

A Century in Ipoh by Andrea The Camel Tan

The date has been set : 13 July 2008. The distance : 160km. A quick glance at the notice board showed the total number of registered participants : 400+

7.10am and off we go. I stared at the back of the peloton with Adzim, Terry and Wai Lam. Vong and Alwin was supposed to be with us too, but we lost them in the crowd. It wasn’t easy trying to make my way through the mass of bodies and bicycles while trying to keep those guys in sight. Or maybe it’s because I am just a greenhorn at these kinds of events.

We stared out pretty smoothly with the usual shouts of "hole", "car" or "bike" from the peloton. The view of 400 odd brightly clad cyclists is an awesome sight to behold. We started our journey heading towards the small town of Chemor and Sg Siput riding in a tight pack. But somewhere along the way, there was a large truck which stopped right in the middle of the lane and we had to carefully cross over to the opposite lane. This was where the attack came and the peloton started shattering.

It was a majority flat and straight route for the first 30+km until we hit the left turn into towards Sayong where the undulations start. YM Lim’s warning sounded in my head. "If you get dropped on the first climb, then you gotta suffer through the next 20 alone." That was enough firepower to get me over the top in touch with my group of 20 or so riders as we tackle one climb after another. We flew past the first water stop before making the first compulsory pit stop at Checkpoint #1 to collect our stickers. My buddies decided to take a longer break to refill bottles and grab some bananas while the rest just stopped long enough to collect their stickers.

Then it was just down to Adzim, Terry, Wai Lam and me as we started our journey to Kuala Kangsar. Our train picked up and dropped off a couple of passengers along the way while we chugged along at a steady pace. The weather was excellent as we were spared from the usual heat from the Kinta Valley. We had a sprinkling of showers near Kuala Kangsar town, or was it the sweat bullets from Adzim?

After KK town, it was just ~40km till the finish line. I was tired, my legs aching and Adzim said, "Just think of it as Ijok back to CenterPoint". Yucks. I was never fond of that stretch of road. It’s usually hot, windy and the pace will send you into the red zone. But what needs to be done, needs to be done.

The final kms were the real test of endurance. I was half dying with more than 20km to go. My speed started to drop.. 36…35…34…33…32… At this point, my super domestique popped a gel, picked up my slack and delivered me to the finish line in one piece.

Overall, it was an excellent ride. A well mapped out route which lead us through kampungs, plantations, by the Perak river and royal town of Kuala Kangsar. All the rest stops and critical junctions were well manned and marshaled.

I would like to thank all the organizers for such a well run event. A lot have even sacrificed their own ride to take up marshalling and organizing duties. Special thanks and accolades goes to my super domestique. J

 

4. 2008 PCC CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

As always, it’s subject to change as we add or delete moving ahead!

Date	Event	What
March 23	Ipoh MTB Fellowship (MTB)	Completed! Well done, Ipoh Roadrunners!
April 19-20	Telemong Sleepover (Off Karak) Ride-n-Camp (MTB)	Completed! God blessed us with great weather!
May 17-19	HOB: Pulau Ubin Singapore (MTB)	Completed! We had a blast, including a night ride on those fabulous trails!
June 29	KLMBH Epic Hash (Ulu Rening) (MTB)	Completed! One muddy affair.
Postponed!	Sg Sendat Family Camp-n-Ride (MTB)	Seems most regulars are busily booked for all the weekends in June. Coupled with the bad weather of late. New date to be announced.
Postponed!	Sg Liang Sleepover (Raub) Ride-n-Camp MTB	Looks like all weekends taken up. Will need to reschedule again!
August	InterState 2008 (Road)	PCC’s much anticipated annual multi-day tour! Destination??
October 25-27	MUDD Camerons (MTB)	Mountainbike until drop dead! Not really. A great trail up in the hills!
November	PCC Annual Dinner	That time of the year when we leave behind the bike for fun of a different kind!
December	Penang MTB Jamboree (TBC)	Annual gathering of MTB’ers up north for a weekend of fun, food and pain!
June 2009	Presidential Ride (MTB)	We are skipping this year so that we can find new trails and thrills if not a totally new location!

 

 

5. OF STARS, PERSIANS AND PUGS by ‘Fei Chai’

As cycling enthusiasts, our weekend rides are not sufficient to improve our cycling prowess. We need to ride more than 3 times spaced out during the week to achieve that. As most of us work during the day, the only time we have to bike is usually after work, typically in the dark. Like PCC road rides on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Living in a tropical climate also means we face torrential rains in the late evenings. Under these conditions, it is more risky to cycle due to poor visibility and slippery conditions. However, that being said, let me say this. It has also been observed that cyclists who ride through adverse conditions crash far less than riders who only bike in fine weather.

Riding at night

It’s pleasant riding after sunset. It’s cool. There’s no need for messy sun block. Traffic is significantly less and even the air is fresher (well, depending on the time of the year). If we equip ourselves with the proper equipment, we can ride as safely at night as we do in the day. Remember the following:

RIDE TO SEE RIDE TO BEEN SEEN RIDE SAFER

Use battery-powered lights to illuminate the roads. However, we have to concentrate more than in the day, scanning for road hazards. Use hand signals or verbally communicate to fellow riders and other road users. Reaction time is slower due to poorer visibility. In very poor visibility (very dark or hazy), ride at a slower pace and further apart. Remember to carry extra batteries and even a spare bulb, especially on long rides. Your batteries will last no more than 1.5 hours of continuous use. This brings back memories of the good old reliable dynamo-powered lights. No alkaline needed!

Use rear blinking lights and deflectors will afford you greater VISIBILTY. I cannot stress this enough. Use brightly colored jerseys, the louder the better. The use of reflective materials is also highly recommended. For example: vests, helmets and shoes plastered with reflective material. Gloves with strips of these can help better communicate our intentions. Examples: Hand signaling when making turns will be more obvious. So will alerting riders or motorists when you are stopping.

We can also use our headlights to alert fellow road users to our presence. As it is harder to make eye contact at night, we can catch the motorist’s attention by either flashing our lights or twitching on the handlebar. Like it or not, bicycle bells or horns are excellent attention grabbers.

Night riding also poses a greater security risk. Riding alone in dark alleys, parks, industrial areas or isolated places will increase your chances of getting mugged or even raped. It is safer riding in groups. Narrow, shoulderless and unlighted rural roads with moderate to heavy traffic has the highest record for night riding crashes.

Tip: If a car is trailing you and you see your shadow from his headlights moving to your left, this will imply he/ she is overtaking you on your right.

Riding in the rain/ post rain

Riding in the rain is a risky affair. There are numerous reasons why you shouldn’t ride in the rain.

-Your visibility to other road users and of road hazards are significantly reduced.

-You cannot come to a full stop as easily as you could in drier conditions. The same holds true for motorists as well.

-The roads will be slippery and puddles of water may conceal a deep pothole waiting to gobble up your bike and you whole.

-Skidding is also very common. Control of the bicycle will be more difficult.

-Lightning can kill, or worse still, mess up your bike’s beautiful paint job.

Avoid riding in the rain if you can. It is better to wait for it to clear before starting your journey. However, if you must ride, wait a few minutes. Motor oil and grease on the road will rise to the tarmac surface when it begins to rain. The roads will be most slippery at the onset of rain. After a while, the rain will wash it away and it will be less slippery.

Forget using long raincoats. The tails of the coat can get entangled in your spokes and gears. If you must wear a rainproof jacket, get one with elastic bands at the waist. Also, take note that the jacket’s hood will impair your ability to look to the rear. Tie down any loose straps.

Riding post rain though significantly less dangerous, however, there are still risks. Here are some tips, which I think can help reduce those risks.

1. Use clear or yellow polycarbonate cycling lenses to protect your eyes against dirt, rain and mud. It also gives you better vision.

2. The use of front and rear lights is a must. High visibility is essential to safe riding.

3. Only ride as fast as you can come to a full stop or to avoid an unexpected obstacle.

4. Braking time is drastically reduced in the wet. Dry your rims by gently squeezing your brakes every now and then. Depress the front brakes less than you normally would in the dry. Use both brakes equally.

5. If the bike skids easily when you depress the rear brakes, the road is slippery. If you skid, release the brakes and turn into the direction of the skid. This will help maintain your balance. Don’t depress the brakes too hard, rather in a series of short pulsating pulls of the lever (like your car’s ABS…well ,if it has it )

6. Beware of road hazards, like manhole covers, steel grilled-covered drains, painted traffic road markings, leaves and branches, and oil slicks. If you cannot avoid the hazard, and it is rideable, then ride as perpendicular as possible.

7. Lubricate your chain after your ride. Water and sand will have washed away the chain oil. Also, it prevents rust from setting in and your chains will last longer.

Summary

Riding in the dark and the rain will be different from dry, daylight riding. It is more difficult to negotiate and anticipate. However, if you equip yourself properly and apply reasonable caution, there is no reason why the messy conditions should prevent you from having a safe and comfortable ride. Have a safe ride.

 

6. PCC INTERSTATE 2008

2. PCC CLASSIFIEDS

If you have extra bike parts cluttering up your house or an overflowing parts bin, this is the column for you. Just mail to us at pcc_news@yahoo.com particulars of parts you wish to unload as follows and we’ll publish them for the whole world to see:

http://bbs.kevinhan.net a local bicycling FTZ managed by Kevin Han that has since then grown immensely in number of ads, users and therefore has become much more useful as well!

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