Green Wheelers Pre "Ride With CM" ride -- Our Struggles.

Date: 6/9/09
Route: Refer this link: http://pbb.com.my/node/100, but our start/stop point is Park View Towers, total distance = 81km
Riders : WoeiTong, Ang, Mei Ling, Chng, Freddy, Hyo Young
Objective: To gauge whether MTB equipped with off road tires can finish 87km distance in 5 hours. ( Because Ride with CM jersey only give out to those can finish 81km in 5 hrs ).

Start riding time from Park View at 6am, but I only woke up at 5:45 am, can't hear the alarm, must be last night down pour made me too sleepy, but I do delight that my newly bought toy, Top Peak "Defender" mud guard can put to good use for this round island trip. Rushing to put up the gears, luckily I prepared the night earlier, if not, sure made them wait for me.

Start riding with empty stomach but Chng rear brake having problem, tyre still rolling although he have pull the brake handle to maximum. He decided to move on to see whether he can control his bike or not.

We ride down from Relau to Bukit Jambu Complex to meet up with Hyo Young. Chng rear brake still give him problem, he try to do further adjustments, but problem still persist. He decided to drop out since this ride involve few km of DH. Damn, first casualty of the day.

After we meet up Hyo Young, we start ride to Coastal Highway and I start asking Ang, what is the average speed we want to do on flat road, is it 25km/h?
Ang answered he do not intend to go fast, this sound surprise to me, but it didn't occurred to me that Ang is having problem with his knees. (more to this later).

When I hit Batu Maung traffic light waiting for red light turn green, I noticed Freddy and Hyo Young is at the far back, so I discuss with Mei Ling and Ang, probably is a good idea that I fall back to accompany Freddy and Hyo Young, since both of them not familiar with the route we're going. When I drop back to check Freddy and Hyo Young out, Both of their face look compose and Freddy actually is taking care Hyo Young because her bike don't have any lightning at all. This is dangerous, with the time at around 6:45am with cloudy sky, motor vehicles might just miss her.

I'm familiar with Teluk Kumbar up hill, because my favorite Gertak Sanggul route is around here, no problem for me to go full speed, and take a short break while waiting for Freddy and Hyo Young, but I wonder do I able to hold up when start climbing Balik Pulau? To my surprise, Balik Pulau up hill I able to pull through with 17km/hr to 20km/hr speed, I'm thinking that not a bad speed, it must be the cool temperature in the morning helping, because last time I cycle up I do it around ~12km/hr after came down from Gertak Sanggul trail.

While DH from Teluk Kumbar to Sg Pinang, we should see both Freddy and Hyo Young faces, both of their faces look happy. Freddy event shouting " Beh, this DH damn shiok ". I decided to take breakfast in Balik Pulau town, turn out is a wise decision, I able to con Hyo Young to have a Korean BBQ, just don't when it going to happen...haha. ( sorry to Ang and Mei Ling, I don't know they need to wait for nearly an hour in Teluk Bahang for us ).

Around 8:45am, we start climb from Balik Pulau to Teluk Pahang, I hit at the top first, noticed quite a lot of roadie using this route and no MTB except us!!!
However, I do solute Freddy and Hyo Young will power, I know they are struggling to over come the fatigue after the climbs, they still continue pedaling hoping to catch up with rest of us. I wish I have the same will power few months back.

I received a sms from Ang in front of Teluk Bahang Dam saying they waiting for us at one of the Teluk Bahang coffee shop. Man, they must be wait until black hair turn to white hair already. We joint up Ang and Mei Ling around 10 am, and start riding back to Park View through whole express way, my back pain is cropping up again after I ride around 3 km into Batu Ferringi. I decided to stop for water refilling, while waiting for Freddy and Hyo Young; Ang and Mei Ling stop for just ~500m front waiting for the rest of us show up. At this point we've cycled 66 km and time is 11am.

Since I know my back pain will cause me to stop almost every ~4km, I decided to pedal around 25km/h to 30km/h while leading the rest of the pack temporarily, so that I can have some time to straight up my back before they arrive. I don't want to leave too far behind, but I didn't aware that Freddy/Ang all start having problem to carry on the ride.

I getting word in Jelutong Expressway from Mei Ling that Ang having knee pain, he only able to pedal slowly, while Hyo Young and Freddy no where in sight, we decided to stop at Bukit Jambul Bus Station for the rest to show up. At this point we've cylced 82km and time is 11:45pm.

When time pass by, Mei Ling and me getting anxious, how come no one show up, I start making calls to Freddy ( I don't have Hyo Young hp # ) and Ang, Freddy have reached Super Tanker Hawker Center waiting his wife to pick him up and according to Freddy, he met Ang at Citibank where Ang is pedal slowly. That message crank up Mei Ling nerves, we decided to pedal back Park View straight a way, planning to use car to look for Ang, look like this guy having big problem right now. We reached Park View around 12:30, Ang call up ~1pm saying he have reach Park View, what a relieve, if this guy another 5 mins late, we have go out to search for him.

At the end of day, me and Mei Ling concluded ( but mostly me lah doing the conclusion ):
--> doing "Ride With CM" in 5 hrs is doable with MTB equipped with off-road tyre, but with minimum stops in between
--> need to well prepare psychically and mentally, water is important, I drank about 3 litre of water for today ride
--> need to prepare food by our own, if will be a tough ride for the last 20 km if we just take 1 meal for whole ride. Mei Ling and me is almost crawling up EQ and Bukit Jambul hill on the way back.
--> rest well before this kind of long distance ride
--> the route road surface condition is good, don't have big pole hole and big pile of water after raining

No pictures from this ride, I know if I bring my DSLR, the camera weight will kill me after 50km. And I didn't noticed other taking pictures also...all struggle to finish the ride...haha

By Woei Tong