Friday, November 26, 2010

To Sell or To Keep????

My New "Deuter"


Just purchased this bag. It comes with Microban 3.0 Liter water bladder. Any suggestions on the question above?

Monday, November 1, 2010

PCP DH n XC Race - 13 n 14 Nov 2010

I'd love to see the competition but have to work. I hope all other bloggers will have tonnes of pics or vids to share when the day comes.

My dream DH bike - GT Fury 2010. Bila la aku boleh beli beskal DH????

PCP XC Race
XC race will be held on the next day. Will be riding in the Mens Open category under Beskal.com. This will be my second race. (First race was @ PCP Speed Challenge 2010 - riding for Mercury - Team 2) I was really hoping to join the veteran category but they had change the age limit from 36 above to 40 above .......... What to do?

My 2-in-1 PCP Speed Challenge Plate No/Certificate



Yesterday (31/10/2010), was my 1st ride after taking a long 2 months break. I was struggling to finish one lap (Race nanti 4 lap beb!) Started at about 9am and finished around 11am. Normally I can finish a lap in about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Will have to train more to get my stamina up. Thinking of using Bro Strike's herbal drink (Bro Strike - makjun kuat sebotol!) For the previous PCP race, I had train by going swimming at nite. It was a huge mistake!! I had a flu days before the race. This time around, will be going to the gym instead. (time to hit the treadmills!)

Anyway, I have about 2 weeks to get ready. Mentally and physically. Not forgetting my T-Bolt 661, need to be in tip top condition. Time to go to Muzack's bicycle shop @ BMC.

06/11/2010@BMC
Tonite, I will carry on with my T-Bolt's setup for the coming race. As usuall, will be going to Muzack's house. Will be changing the 2.35 tires with the old 2.1 Panaracers which is more suitable for XCs. Muzack had given me his limited edition Shimano Deore LX (Gold) Shifter.

07/11/2010@PCP
Arrived at PCP at about 8:45. Muzack was still at home, woke up late. May be tired from our T-Bolt Project last night. Meet Alvin, Muzack's friend who had been waiting for about 15 minutes with his green T-Bolt. Alvin and I decided to go on ahead. It was Alvin's first time at PCP. I had informed that PCP is not the same as FRIM, so he better be extra cautious. As usual after the first climb uphill to Gazebo A, had to rest awhile before going into the XC trail. Furthermore, Alvin had not been cycling for 2 months. So far so good. We continued to the famous PCP switchback before the climb up to Gazebo B. Alvin got through it slow and steady. I continued downhill. Then Alvin flew over his T-bold handle bar. He got some scratches on both his shin. He had pulled the front brake too hard. After Alvin recoverd from the crash, we slowly climbed uphill to Gazebo B. Then went straight back to PCP complex via the tarmac.

Muzack had just arrived and was waiting at Gazebo A. Time to rest again while waiting for Alvin who went to the gents. After the ordeal he was still insisting to carrying on.... (That's the spirit Bro) Later, Fino arrived and joined us. It has been a long time since my last ride with him. Fino had been in Nigeria for 6 months. When Alvin's came up, he told us that he was going to wait us at Gazebo B. By the time we reached there, I saw Alvin was going back up the tarmac to PCP complex. May be he was too tired to continue. Anyway, hope to see him again at PCP.

Muzack, Fino and I continued to 'Bukit Orgasm' (named by BC Kelolo.... due to the sound made by some female riders who managed to conquer it.... hahaha) and straight ahead to the second and slightly steeper 'bukit' (not named yet.... any suggestions?) There was nothing much to say about the rest of the trail. The most exiting part was at the pump trail. PCP management had upgraded the jumps there. Yeeeehaaaaaaaa!!!! It was really great. The difficulty level had gone up a NOTCH, from RED to BLACK. (PCP trail standard) I jumped all the double ramps but was not ready to jump the triple ramps. That day, a DH rider had crashed there. I think he got minor bruises only - protected by his full body-armor. Will have to buy body armor first. I don't think my shin and arm guard is enough for that jump. After 2 or 3 loop there, we continued to lookout point and back to PCP complex.

Managed to get 6.8km with Muzack and Fino. I reckon I had cycle about 8km that day. Hopefully I will finish the race this coming Sunday.

(Info - courtesy of trailridermad blog)



Race Schedule
DH - Saturday 13.11.10
7-8 am - registration
8-8.30 am - race briefing
9.00 am - Seeding Veteran DH
Seeding Junior DH
Seeding Open DH
2pm - Final Veteran DH
Final Junior DH
Final Open DH
4pm - Prize giving
(Note: All DH activities will be at finish line)
XC - Sunday 14.11.10
7-8 am - registration
8-8.30 am - race briefing
9.00 am - Veteran XC race
10.30 am - Junior women and Junior Men Race
11.30 am - Women XC Race
2pm - Open Men XC race
4pm - prize giving

14/11/2010@PCP - XC Raceday
Arrived at PCP at about 8:30am. Veteran XC started on schedule. Then Jr Men/Women and Women XC were flag off simultaneously at about 10:30am. We heard that Open Men XC was going to be moved up to 12pm. I had planned to go back home to pick up the kids and the wife as the original schedule was at 2pm. So, I waited at PCP hoping the race would starts earlier. However, the schedule was changed back to the normal time. It was too late to go back to Kinrara. May be I'll bring my family next time.

2:00pm - Off we go! I followed the front pack and boy it was a big mistake. The front riders were very fast. I managed to keep up till the climbed uphill to the second round-about. The weather was very, very hot. I had finished a bottle of Gatorade and the small Thaaji drink 3/4 of the first lap.

2:45pm - Is was on his second lap. I had 1/4 way to finished my first lap. I followed Is till the PCP bridge but had to rest again at the end of the bridge. Did I mentioned that it was very 'the hot'. Earlier, I had threw up my Nasi Lemak breakfast and had stomach cramps. My body could not it anymore. Wanted to stop after finishing a lap. Felt dizzy and thirsty. Time to finished my lap. I went down the last trail from the lookout point.
At last, completed a lap. The spectators were cheering me on. Originally, I wanted to quit but after the moral boost by the crowd and a bottle of 100+ given by beskal.com/Mercury at the feeding point, I continued on my second lap. By this time the front riders had lapped me twice and was on their last lap. Can you imagine, they were on their second lap only 20-25  minutes into the race!(Kalau tak silap la - info dari Marshall while I was at the R'n'R (Gazebo C - below DH Gazebo).

Aaaaarrrrggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Cannot carry on. I had to throw in the towel. Managed to go through 1/4 lap in the second lap. Rested a while with fellow beskal.com team mate before going back via the tarmac. BTW, the time stated is an estimation only. The only confirmed one is the starting time and the time I got back to the feeding point which was around 3pm (Received SMS from the wife at 3:05 while resting at the feeding point)

P/S: It turns out that. In my excitement to race, I had forgotten to take my hypertension (HPT) medicine(Alasan jer nie). No wonder I felt dizzy and had threw up plus, did I mentioned that the weather was so Hot (lagi satu alasan). Anyway congrats to the winners. Especially for team Mercury riders who'd managed to finished top 6.