What a long 'rest'

School holidays and continuous other commitments by regulars riders hampered out weekly activity for the past weeks. I guess we only have this weekend before Ramadhan. If not we would certainly be down to ground zero as far as cycling goes. At least at my age it would not be easy to start all over again after a long ‘rest’ and eventual long eating season during Hari Raya month. Unless, one big unless, we somehow find ways to cycle around our ‘kampong’ at night. What do you say guys?

UKM Again After Lapse of Few Weeks

Although I was active every week playing football and what not I just knew I was going to pay for not cycling enough for the past few weeks. Having Acong and Mazri with their better machine as riding companions would be pushing it a bit for me. But I had to pay my dues. Getting to UKM was not as smooth as before for me and the climb was even worse as I agonizingly tackled the incline. Once we were in UKM Acong and Mazri raced up trying to beat each other and left me suffering alone. Indeed I was as with no one to help to pull me up I geared down to the lowest and inched slowly at my own pace. It was really painful :))

The thing I love riding in the early morning is to witness the morning sunlight breaking in through trees, if not forest. This somehow took the pain away a little bit. The first time I experience this was just after Teras Jernang’ junction moving towards UKM. It was so pleasant that I almost stop to bath under it. I was really tempted but since Mazri and Acong already in UKM’s vicinity I sped away to catch up. The second time was when we were already at our halfway point taking a rest. It was not as good as before, still it created nice feeling in me and rejuvenated me somehow.

Again I was left behind on the way home.

Cycling Alone at High Altitude

For straight two weeks I missed cycling with the guys. The first because of a family matters that I had to attend to and last weekend because I was away, suppose to be, recuperating. But here is my story.

BSP - Rinching Hilir - Enam Kaki Beranang - Semenyih - BSP, June 24, 2007

Mazri, Abidin and I came out around 0715 and knowing Acong was back eating durian at his kampong we thought it would be only the three of us. As we cycled along 3/7 we saw Zull's Giant outside and we knew he would join us. Actually none of us knew or have decided where to go that day and we spent few minutes talking about it and in the end we decided Rinchir Hilir, Beranang route and we did not decide where to go from there. We just left the option opened and began to cycle. The route was familiar to me but that day was my first time on my bicycle.

Our first turn to Kg Rinching Hilir and beyond this point until Beranang I concentrated on my cycling. I thought we were backtracking later and decided the photography would wait on the way back.

Mazri and Zull got to this junction first followed by me and Abidin. We took our break and took a few minutes to decide on which way to proceed. Our options were

the left going through Beranang, Semanyih and BSP, or to the right through Kolej Tunku Jaafar, Batang Benar, Nilai, Niai 3 and BSP, and the third option to turn back. At that point it was about 10km to Semenyih and further via Batang Benar. In the end we turned left.

When Abidin and I were left too far behaind Mazri and Zull stopped here to wait for us. At that point it was just a climb away from Semenyih.


While waiting I was looking across the road admiring the range in the distance when this lone biker passed by. From the look of his bicycle we concluded that he was a long distance biker and must be going at least to Seremban. Eversince I took to cycling two things that I observed. The first is that there are indeed a lot of serious cyclists on the road and second no matter who they are and where we met them we always acknowledged and glad to meet each other. The very least we put up our hands to say hello.

At the half the way from Semenyih to BSP I let Abidn passed me and took these two pictures from behind. The one on the left was when we passed the Kg Rinching Hilir junction and the one on the right as we turned onto Bangi Lama roads heading towards the bridge. Mazri and Zull were actually waiting for us at the hut there.

As always our final stop Midi Ceria Restaurant for 'tea o kosong', Limau suam and Roti Arab.

The Guys Went to Broga

I could not cycle last Sunday as I had to be a coach cum manager to our U12 football team and we were in a tournement. You have to go to another blogsite for the report of the game.

I assume Acong, Abidin, Zull and Mazri went to Broga. Initialy I thought they were to actually experience the real mountain biking that day but I was told later they did not. I suppose it was too late when they started out that morning for mountain biking. Even on the road Broga should be fun.

The beginning

I wrote this in Feb and it is about how it all started, more or less.

June 10, 2007 - Two new Bikes embraced UKM

Only four of us came out for this run, it would have been five had not for Mazri going for his company's family day. Didn't matter though as we had new comer in the form of Abidin and his brand new Trek to break in. We promised ourselves to tart off at 0700 instead it was the usual 0730 that we left PT.

This is my current ride and judging from the current speed of new (expensive and high-end) bikes being purchased it would be deemed second class faster than I thought.

Zul rolled out with his new RM 2XXX Giant bike on the tarmac of PT. Jealous, jealous.....

Then came along Abidin with his Trek and I just could not believe my eyes. I thought I am going to be the first to own a Trek in PT. No!!! somebody beat me to it. Jealous, jealous

The four of us getting ready to roll. Abidin, Acong and Zull


I sped off leaving everyone for quite a distance after Bangi as I wanted to take these shots. This is at the stretch after the junction to Teras Jernang and it was a bit lonely on Sunday morning and perfect for these shots.


Aidin came through first,

followed by Acong

and Zull

Abidin asked me when do we stop for a breather when we approached the UKM gate. On hearing that Acong suggested we stopped here for a bit of photographs.


Before we got to the bottom of the steepest and longest climb of the route we mentioned to Abidin that it would be climbing all the way now. We did not mentioned the length of the climb but the initial one was the the steepest. Apparently on seeing it Abidin thought that was it and confidently started his climb only to realise it later. He told us later he started cursing inside and because of the Trek he was riding he presevered. We just laughed and told him for a first timer he passed with flying colors. I took these shot at the 3/4 of the climb and Acong actually came back down just to be photograpghed he he...

At that point this is the remainder of the climb.


The last leg of this route is downhill all the way and this is the steepest of them all. Acong set off first launching like speed drag racer. In the picture Abidin took off with Zull watching closely.

I asked Zull to wait and let me go down first as he probabaly could guess I wanted to that shots at him coming down at top speed.


Up until now like a cowboy riding a horse with his six shooter drawn ready to shoot at will I hung my camera aroungd my neck and rode the terrain ready to shoot what were in front, behind and side of me. The agriculture 'valley' was fun to shoot that way.



Come to think of it these really breathtaking, one reason why I love to ride this route.

I was following Acong at top speed going down and decided to capture his back with my eyes on the view finder. This was really a cowboy shooting

Zull was behing me coming out of UKM and while riding towards home. Without looking at him I pointed the camera at him from my left side with my right hand.

I looked down and I saw my shadow. I was fascinated by it. With one hand I pressed the shutter release and now you can see what I saw

There is this unspoken rule, rather agreement, between Acong, Mazri and myself whenever there is newcomer to the group. I would run the front to push or manage the speed and coherant; and and Acong rules the rear to encourage and support everyone. Mazri would be the spoiler in the middle. Once in a while they took off and I would maintain certain disstance with the group at the back .