weekly newsletter – 9 september 2009 / issue number: 457-36-2009

8/14/2019 Weekly Newsletter 9 September 2009 / Issue Number: 457-36-2009

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Weekly Newsletter 9 September 2009 / Issue Number: 457-36-2009

PCC, Your Perfect Cycling Companion

This issue

The week ahead M+D P2

The week ahead T+G P2

Rules of road riding P5

Guidelines to Trail Etiquette P7

Spare wheels project P8

Club membership P8

Sub-Editors Note

First and foremost, a very happy birthday to

our editor. To mark his 21st

birthday, he has

gone and bought himself a carbon Ellsworth

Epiphany 2010 frame. You should be seeing it

on the trails soon.

Secondly, we welcome back with open arms

Su Chin and Kim back into the world of MTB.

Kim who has had suffered a very bad fallbefore Chinese New Year was off saddle for

awhile. Its good to see her on the trails again.

Thirdly, we are looking for some young blood

who is interested in joining PCCs Editorial

team. Do email us and let us know if youre

interested.

And finally, the muddies do apologise as

there is no ride scheduled this week. We are

needing more ride leaders to help us out.Please do e-mail us [email protected]

should you want to offer us a hand


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The week ahead M + D Sunday ride 13 September 2009

The week ahead T + G Sunday ride 13 September 2009

Tar + Grime by The Don

After that incredible ride to Gap last weekend, it hard to find a ride to match or

even come close to it. Yeah, easily the best route Ive been in a while. So, well

be riding to Batu Arang town via Batu Berjuntai & fruit farms. A total of 115km

of rolling roads & some climbs near Batu Arang & Guthrie Corridor.

Newbies & returning riders should opt for Option A for a nice cardio workout.

Fit people should try Option B: its no walk-in-the-park but then if it was, you

probably wun be waking up at such an ungodly hour to ride, would you? Option

C is for people with big kahunas and lesser grey matter! You guys rock myworld!

Date: 13 September 2009

Time: 7:00 am sharp (this trains leaves on schedule, so please come early)

Start/End: Centrepoint carpark, Bandar Utama (CP)

Options A: CP-Kota Dsara-Kg Subang-Guthrie Corridor-Persiaran Kuala Selangor- U-turn- Guthrie Corridor- Kg Subang-

Kota DSara-Tropicana- Riana Green-CP (42km);

Option B: CP-Kota Dsara-Kg Subang-Guthrie Corridor-Persiaran Kuala Selangor- Ijok Petronas (regroup & U-turn)-

Persiaran Kuala Selangor -Guthrie Corridor- Kg Subang- Kota DSara-Tropicana- Riana Green-CP (82km);

Option C: CP-Kota Dsara-Kg Subang-Guthrie Corridor-Persiaran Kuala Selangor- Ijok Petronas (1st regroup)- Batang

Berjuntai (turn Right)- Batu Arang (2nd regroup & refuel)- Persiaran Kuala Selangor -Guthrie Corridor- Kg

Subang- Kota DSara-Tropicana- Riana Green-CP (115km)

What to bring: 2 water bottles, hydrating salts sachets, energy bars, spare tubes & pump, hp & $$. No helmet, no ride.

Ride leader: Don is the Ride Leader for the ride. He can be contacted at 017-8830538 if you have any queries. See yuh on

Sunday!

Safety & general comments:Road works are still in progress in Jln Sungai Buloh stretch plus heavy traffic, so advise alert &single-file riding. Be courteous to other road users, dont hog the road & offer hang signals (no, not the finger!) to fellow

riders. Pace yourself, ride at your own tempo & at a good cadence.

There will be no ride this weekend for M&D. Things will resume back to normal from next week onwards.


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The week that was T + G 6 September 2009

entong-The Gap, Frasers Hill, Sept 6, 2009 By Lee Yu Kit

or a ride with an advertised high pain quotient, some two dozen riders still turned up at Bentong on an overcast morning. The

ir was crisp and clear with no low cloud or mist, so that you could see the grotesque multicoloured abominations up on the hillhat Genting passes off as hotels, defacing the landscape.

We took off a little past 8am, passing the bustling Bentong market on a Sunday morning, onto the Bentong-Raub trunk road,

which was busy with traffic, including big lorries and buses.

ortunately some 6km later, we veered left into a small road marked Bukit Fraser. This was a long 20-plus km stretch with

ery little vehicular traffic. There were old rubber plantations, secondary jungle, small settlements, small farms, and the

ccasional factory along the road, which was gently undulating.

Our pace was leisurely and measured perhaps everyone was mindful of the long climb up ahead and holding back. At a T-

unction, we came to a few shuttered shoplots. This was Tranom, surely a backwater if there ever was one. A few minutesycling to the right brought us to Kampung Tras, two rows of shoplots flanking the narrow main road.

ras looked as if it belonged to another period, a quieter, less busy, more innocent age of less care, more trust and cleaner air.

he wooden and brick shoplots, although well maintained, were decades old; a comfortable gloom seemed to inhabit the few

hops that were open. We seemed to have stepped back in time an old Morris Minor passing by would not have looked out of

lace. There was an air of abandonment, or perhaps it was contented decrepitude.

nd so too it was with the Pahang approach to Frasers Hill: we backtracked to Tranom for the 21 km climb up to the Gap,

which marks the border between Selangor and Pahang.

Dense jungle rose in a sheer wall to our left, while the right side of the road fell away into deep green verdure, steep ravineslothed in the rich fabric of equatorial rainforest.

he road wended up steadily, a narrow ribbon of asphalt with almost no traffic other than us. It was mostly well-surfaced, but

eemed hardly used.

he gradient was steady but not particularly steep so that I could maintain a steady cadence in the top few gears without

etting winded. And it was cool, with the sky still dull.

Other than some roadworks which spilled mud across the road, it was a cool, quiet ride, the sort that puts you in a trance-like

ontentment. At the Gap, we had a short break in the cool air, before turning back.

Downhill was an exercise in cautious braking or an opportunity to let rip, depending on your disposition. It was intoxicating to

e able to set up, lean into and slingshot out of twisty turns. Halfway down, I slowed down to see Bernard recover his water

ottles from what he called a wipeout. Minutes later, he overtook me, pedaling like mad, bloodied from the crash.

motorcycle group on mostly flat-twin BMWs had the same idea as us, tearing down the straights, cooking the tyres on the

orners, to disappear around the next twist in a flash of angry brakelights.

We regrouped briefly at Tranom, as did the BMW motorcycle group, and started the long haul back to Bentong after the heady

1-km downhill stretch. I fell into a peloton headed by the indefatigueable and undefeatable Vong, who kept up a steady speed

n the mid-20s with a bunch of us clinging onto his slipstream all the way back on that long, empty stretch.

e picked up the pace somewhat the *&^%$!! as we hit the main road, right into Bentong town around 1.15pm. My

ripmeter read 103km. on a route that surely rates as one of the best cycling roads around.


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uel for my fire, Gimme what i desire.

orn between dirt and tar last weekend , tough choice but knowing there is a climb and a longer descent will always be desired.

ooled with my neighbor, so sleepy we ask ourself how do we get there. The weather seems to be holding but roads already

wet , surely positively it will be a nice day.

he riders starts to trickle in at bentong's ice kacang place, doesnt seem much but least there is a safe car park,petrol station for

dump and a quick grab of Red Bull to fire a higher thermal growth.

retty much a gradual warm up to Tranum , kinda of steady progressive pace like " I aint gonna go any faster because i wanna

njoy this weather, kayy.." but everyone knows thats just a slice of the journey.Steady state all the way till we grab a quick drink

& fuel back at a nice village before the incline.

raser is always kinda subtle in its terrain with all sort of debris . Never mind ,its still gonna put some fun between the legs.

nowingly the main culprits would be playing snake and ladder, throwing with the dice up the corners. Its easy to get venomed

n the rhythm especially when someone set the frequency a lil louder with tempos alil more tighter but what a feeling beating

o it.

egrouped and rest , everyone refreshed.

eaving the Gap , we all sat in letting gravity enthrall by setting up the dives , sweeps and curves. But as any gambler knows

when to hit and when to back off in situation. This gambler got cheeky with greedy knowing to artful dodge all but the sharpest

orner with enough cards on hand but the tarmac decides to let loose with losing bite by bite,it's ugly alright. Being a descender

as its reprecussions and one of it is biting the dust, and it ain't yet talking about about the chain reaction. Hey wait,whats theound? someone else is coming down.....indeed some drama-rama but we still need to ride down. Brush off , let's move on.

ast Forward , got some aid back on the 1st rest village, some coffee and took a steady ride back. Top notch domestiques with

outique wheels came to aid this rider back with pulls.Grateful indeed,honors back the deed.It was an excellent ride with good

weather with good riders@the ice cream shop.

ast Forward 2X , today this rider aint too sore but unable to sleep on his favorite side , but gonna fueled to smack it right back

his coming weekend.


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entong to Gap Ride By Teik

s it too much to ask for clear and concise times and directions?! For goodness sakes man... Last week I was the laugh of the

eleton as I slid into the MTDC carpark at 7.45am. Now the PCC newsletter said the grand depart was at 8.00am and this was

ubsequently overridden to 7.30am but who knew?!

ast forward to this week and the directions in the newsletter were as clear as mud (thanks again Don!). Take the Karak

ighway 26km's after the toll then turn left he says... yeah, right. You mean turn into the &*#@!!! highway barrier?! So I call

Don and he says I've got a long way more to go... just great! Suffice to say, I cover the next 20km's in less than 10 minutes

that's more than 120km per hour for the mathematically challenged among us). (Thats whats GTis are made for.Ed)

ut I finally make it to Bentong and was thankfully not the last one too...

ut enough about my travails. More on the ride. It was a pleasant surprise to see both Dennis and Jeff back in the saddle again.

nd a good turnout for the fasting month. It's 8.15am and we're moving out through Bentong town in a group of 30+ riders.

raffic was heavy on the main road heading out of town and it was single file for a good 7km's but then Don took us on an

mazing back road with low vehicular traffic with a minor upward grade all the way to Tras - superb!

s per normal, Vong unselfishly did more than his fair share pacing and pulling the peleton while PK swept the rest of the back-

markers as we made our way into Tras. And then a quick re-fuel before we hit the foot of Frasers.

With 20km's of climbing ahead, everyone was sussing out each other but before you knew it, Don was off with Clarence and

utting the hammer down. Us mere mortals were right on the rivet hanging on to dear life and thankfully, the pace slowed

own a little to let us climb back on. Bernard was then off, leaving everyone for dead while a smaller breakaway group of 4

ncluding Don and Tycoon Tan were narrowly behind as the leaders crested the top of the climb to the Gap.

o with some ego's well satisfied and others mildly bruised, everyone regrouped, rehydrated, refueled and then set off for the

ong and windy road back down. From what I saw, everyone made it down unscathed despite having to share the road with big

ikes save for Bernard who took a spill - but he bravely soldiered on all the way back to the car.

o all back in one piece by 1.30pm to enjoy the famous kow-wow ice cream and yong tow foo before setting off for home. Total

dometer distance was 105km's and while Bentong isn't near for most, must admit that it was a more fun albeit challenging

de compared to our normal KKB to Gap route - kudos to the ride director and ride leader for another great ride!

o my only request in this - please, please, please get the @#*&!!! time and directions right in the newsletter next time ok?!

Mr Road Editor - we you know who you are. Don? Are you listening?!)


6/8


Impromptu Saturday M + D rides

Spare PartsChoy with his ever willingness to ride, be it morning, noon AND night will be taking calls with his mistress

Rachel from the Yeti Clan by his side, he would certainly ride anything and everything as often as he can. So contact him

for the Saturday Goodness at +60123955255. All levels and ride suggestions are always welcomed.

Change positions correctly Slower moving traffic stays to the left; faster traffic to

the right. Never overtake on the left of the group!

Pass slower moving vehicles on the right; announceyour intention to do so

Announce hazards Most cyclists do not have a full view of the road while

riding in a group

Announce potholes and other hazards so others canavoid them

Call out the hazard and point down to it, either left orright. No need to yell like a maniac tho.

Watch for traffic from the rear The last rider should frequently check for overtaking

cars

Announce "car back" clearly and loudly It is also helpful to announce "car up" on narrow

roads or when riding two abreastWatch out at intersections

Leader should announce slowing or stopping atintersections, if necessary

Cyclists should not follow others throughintersections without first looking for themselves

Each cyclist is responsible for checking cross traffic; ifyou must stop, signal

Leave room for cars On narrow road or during climbs, leave space

between every three or four riders

Motorists will utilize the shorter passing intervals topass the group

Good relations with motorists is the responsibility ofevery cyclist. Remember, we share the roads with

others; its not our Grandfathers road.

Stop off road When stopping for mechanicals or regrouping, always

move clear off the road

Always indicate you are stopping with your right handasking them to overtake you on the right.

Always yield to traffic in the roadway

Rules of Road Riding T + G

Practise Good Peloton Etiquette Everyone in the peloton has to contribute to the

workload. That means taking your fair share of pulls at

the front. Its ok to do shorter pulls, especially if you are

tired. Just do a token pull, indicate and pull off to the

right & back after youve established it is safe to do so.

When you go to the front, always keep a constant &steady speed. Do not accelerate or show how fast you

are. It is not a race, moron!

Typically everyone climbs at their own pace. So after aclimb, recover & regroup before setting off again.

Do not pull too long at the front. Always reserve someenergy

Ride single file It is illegal in some areas to ride more than two abreast.

Avoid doing this.

In our country, the roads are narrow and winding. It isbetter to ride single filed in this case, unless it is safe to

ride a double pace line.

Rules of Road Riding

By The Don

Weekday T + G rides

TUESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL TAMAN TUN (SUITABLE FOR ALL LEVELS)

Ride distance: 25km (TTDI Damansara Heights TTDI)

Time: 830pm (check in 15mins before)

Meeting place: In front of KSH (Taman Tun Dr Ismail)

Contact person: Kevin (012 354 7181)

THURSDAY NIGHT RIDE NEW (SUITABLE FOR ALL LEVELS)

Ride distance:

Time: 700pm (70km) / 830pm (35km)

Meeting place: Putrajaya Mosque Car park

Contact person: Vong 016 287 2066

Ride Guideline: Well maintained flat to undulating

roads.

Objectives: Improving endurance,leg strength and

road bike skills (eg. Drafting technique,

signalling, road safety)

COMPULSORY TAIL LIGHTS

FOR ALL NIGHT RIDERS

NO HELMUT, NO RIDE


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Guidelines to Mountain Bike Trail Etiquette

FROM VARIOUS SOURCES IN RELATION TO SHARED TRAILS AND NON BIKE

SPECIFIC TRAILS.

PERSONAL SAFETY- Wear a brain bucket (yes..thats a helmet) whenever you ride.- Do not travel into remote areas without informing others- Ride within your capabilities. Ensure that if you want to push your

limits, your buddies are around to support you.

- Know your bike and bring the necessary/essential spares.RIGHT OF WAY IN RELATION TO OTHERS (NON RIDERS)

- Give way to non motorised trail users, i.e. hikers, horse riders, becausepeople judge all cyclist by my actions.

- Give way to motorised trail users, i.e. motor cross bikes etc, becausegenerally we will end up worse off in a an accident.

- Alert others when approaching. Get a bell, or Excuse me works quitewell.

RIGHT OF WAY IN RELATION TO OTHER RIDERS.

- Riders have the right of way. If you are pushing your bike, leave theriding line open for others to go past.

- Rider up hill has the right of way.- Allow faster riders to past

SPEED

- Approach turns and bends in anticipation that theres someone there.- Make your presence know when approaching someone or any turns.

IMPACT ON THE TRAIL- Leave the wildlife and fauna alone. Magic mushrooms are bad for you.- Stay on designated trails and avoid destroying vegetation if possible- Dont take short cuts over/around technical sections. If you cant ride

it, walk it.

- Learn how to use your front brakes so that you minimise skidding yourrear wheel. If you refuse to learn, then ride only in bike parks where

people are paid to maintain the trails.

- Do not litter. Take out whatever you take in.- Practise minimal impact riding, take only photos and memories with

you.

FUN- You are to have loads of fun, talk lots of cog, and make good friends on

your ride.

- Develop of sense of humour. Some people say its good for the soul.

FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO ADD TO THIS? DROP US A LINE. WE WILL ADD IT IF IT MAKES SENSE.


8/8


PLEASE DO NOT CALL US AT THE 11th HOUR ASKING FOR A BIKE. ALLOW 2 DAYS NOTICE MIN

Spare Wheels Project

Your friends have heard you rant about the drops and

the endos and have seen the breathtaking scenery

from your flickr, Facebook and not to forget the fridge

door photos.

They finally want to get off their bum and join you for

a ride but running behind you, sitting on your top tube

or dinking them are probably not the best ways for

them to experience it with you. Of course, he/she

could be shit hot, then no one would probably say

anything.

In any regards, PCC has the SPARE WHEELS PROJECT

underway. Currently made up of generous owner's

bikes, they are available for people to borrow and

ride. Some of them have been ridden more than thevillageernever mind. They've been ridden a lot.

Boon Foo has recently offered his assistance to put

together a few hard tails, and together with what we

have now, we should be able to cater for height

ranging from Snow White's pals to the Yang Mings

who want to give this ago.

In all SERIOUSNESS, if you have someone who wants

to join us for a ride, please do not hesitate to drop us

a line and we WILL do our best to get them a bike for

the next suitable ride. Take note that there will be a$15.00 charge to cover expenses such as ferrying the

bike around (only if you are riding with us), washing it

and of course its ongoing maintenance.

Rob (012 6191 308) / Peter (012 227 4443) /

Alvin (012 3070 830) / Adrian (012 383 2618)

CLUB MEMBERSHIP

Be a member of PCC. Sign up at our site at http://pcc-

cycling.freeservers.com by downloading the form and mail the

completed form to [email protected]. or sign up by

simply joining our yahoo groups site at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pcc_newsletter which also

automatically subscribes you to our weekly newsletter Spokes

n Nipples.

Membership is FOC, no subscription fee. All

that is required is your commitmentto Ride!!

(bicycles that is) Welcome onboard and

have fun.

The Spokes & Nipples is the official newsletter of the Pedalholics Cycling Club. Unofficially, its the medium by which members and regulars will kay

poh amongst themselves! Target is to publish it every Wednesday but do not be surprised if you receive it only on Thursday or, worse still, Friday. After

all, we got another job to tend to which unfortunately demands more priority from us.

We welcome ride stories and articles from everybody as well as your feedback but do try to submit them to us at [email protected] before noon

each Wednesday; otherwise well pin the blame on you if the newsletter is delayed! And of course, like they always say, we may edit all articles

submitted for publication. Just to make sure you say nice things we like to hear! The Spokes & Nipples is distributed via the eGroups.com portal. If

this newsletter has come to you unsolicited and it irks you like heck, please unsubscribe through the address listed below. Otherwise, we welcome you

with open arms and legs to our little circle and, most of all; we look forward to riding with you!

Group URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pcc_newsletter

Group Email Address: [email protected] subscribe: [email protected]

To unsubscribe: [email protected]

PCC Website: http://pcc-cycling.freeservers.com

PCC Forum: http://pcccycling.forumup.comPCC on Facebook: PCC Malaysia Group

weekly newsletter – 9 september 2009 / issue number: 457-36-2009

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