Running with Safety pin
The safety pin , the essential item for all sports event.Found that it can be used for your gel used in this manner below. Pin it in front,then tuck it behind. When needed flip it out and yank it off.
at Thursday, October 30, 2008 0 comments
Shimano Dynasty
Kozo shimano leaves Shimano Corp?
Perhaps this can be some of the reasons
1. They are fast loosing market share (OEM).
2. 3rd party product are biting thru the revenue
3. Innovation is lacking for the past years.(only since 2006 did they start looking into wheelsets) and not riding the carbon boat.
4. 3 way component fight (now SRAM got Lance Armstrong, a 20 years shimano user)
5. late product cycle?
6. EDA has major bugs?
i dont know. you tell me..
at Thursday, October 30, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Shimano
PCC - MUDD 2008
Incredible..there are rides which are just rides. MUDD has to be one of those rides which you got to be there to know how doubtful , crazy , tension , cold and tired it was . It had literally everything. it is an extreme ride. It made everyone a lil better, a lil closer , and whole lot more confident.
Everyone in for MUDD has a story to tell..( I'll tell you mine )
Due to heavy down pour of several days ago the rivers swell, it was our concern earlier but nothing was going to spoil our ride.
this is how it went , we reached there about 2 in the afternoon unpack out stuff. 4 of us chilled out at the balcony facing the open valley shower comes as frequent like when one needs to go take a leak when its cold , Everyone chilled out at the veranda ( insects too ) soon as hours pass everyone trickle in till 1.30 am due to delays and bad jams in kl.
Could not get enough sleep as there are plenty of heavy snorers in the bunker.
So everyone woke up at 5.30 am to prep. About 40 of us descend 7 km down to take the bus for breakfast and packed lunch. The atmosphere is great the amount of people there makes it really nice... like a small mini interstate.
Start of the trail wasn’t all that great, cutting thru farm’s mud hole and stinking fertilizer. However the second part was crazy very slippery moss and water coated cements made it very slippery.
Bombing thru the 1st section 4 was Lim , Kenny , Dan ( qwailow ) and me tailing . This fast slippery part everyone braked, Dan got caught slammed his brake thus i slammed mine , my front end gave way , I bit the dust hard going down on right side then to all four about 3 meter slide. Knees, wrist and shoulder are banged up ( now on inflammation pills). Recovered got back up on the bike , limp back into the pack.
The river is horrendous, its like teh tarik..endless flow of teh tarik.. There was no way we could pass thru. We went to look for alternative recce, did a survey and in our surprise we found a bridge made of bamboo, native engineering type. (A1 grade if you ask me.)
How it was made was sheer brilliance, linked from the tree branch at the banks of the river to tree branch on the opposite end of the river , inter- linking it across with no nail nor steel cable , everything made from material found there. Imagine 4 parquet tiles wide with gaps of the river flowing thru without rail handles.
Soon , we walkie talkie back on the good news as the rest were waiting.
We cross in batch together with our bikes. Cracks are heard as pressure is laid on the some dried but slightly rotten bamboo. It does freak most of the riders, but darn it, it was pure adrenalin. (No ugly scene there)
Then we descend and cut across fallen rocks trees, mud traps. ruts and with leaves from small shrubs whipping our shin like we are asking for more, ironic masochist decision of going faster or getting whip harder.. all still very manageable.
We then came near to a real show stopper. A huge 40 foot swelled river crossing, some decide to turn back, and some decide to cross it. Everyone knew the risk bring trapped in between deciding and weighting (swept away or crossing the bridge again which is fragile)
Took the liberty to ask for a native helps which is isn’t too far away. One came to help us, 51 people stared at this native, all alone walked thru the torrent river flow by himself using his feet to feel the path of the invincible bridge below.
It doesn’t give confidence to most of all the riders and isn’t nice to see one going for a unintended ride with the class 5-6 rapids. Morale is at all time low.
I went back to the orang asli settlement. A massive climb greets me for the 3rd ...this time 5 of them came to aid us. However they will only help if they can ride my bike. They rode my bike as i walked back to the river bank.
Form a chain with bamboo-come-rope as support, we men cross 1st. The good feeling came back. Morale was good.
Everyone crossed the river safely but we lost massive amount of time with massive climbs ahead of us, nothing much we can do but soldier on...
The climbs to the constructed highway feels like genting, it grinds the granny, the need for traction. We (Lim .Kenny and me) got on to tar road for the 1st time in 8 hours, it’s just temporary. We manage to get into a construction site canteen which serves us fried rice and drinks. Gobble up, we had another 20 more km or climbs to go..soon more riders arrived , Rob, Kiat Dan, Joseph and so on.
I was alone most of the time when the rain came, the forest grows darker earlier with the jungle canopy. Pushing on, I dread the worst of not able to make it as its 7 pm now .I heard motorcyclist going thru with my friend on it pushing the bike while along on the motorbike , he told me he will send the motorbike back for me, soon, i met another biker so following him , but in a while i found myself ahead taking the wrong turn, going in 4 km away into the tea plantation , i was pretty afraid being lost in the dark with no orientation or lights but manage to bomb back down the hill again with to met the same biker named Ming again. I was seriously elated.
THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 7.00PM to 9.00PM:
Its 7.45 pm now, it’s very dark. Could not see a thing, but ahead we see a land rover coming, this orang asli came to help us by the alert of Kiat whom was on the motorbike.
We hop on, we went back to help the rest of the group about 8 - 9 they all seems pretty glad.
We got back by 8.15pm with 2 trucks one with bike the other laden with riders.
THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 9.00PM to 11.00PM:
There are 41 people out there still...its 10.30...it starts to shower hard..
10.30 pm ( Like 24 the series , except there is no terrorist ) We need a game plan to get them out. Deploy all capable vehicle to triage the stranded.Phones were ringing , calls are made.
Word out , everyone is out except Alvin , Pat , Brenda and etc. Stranded in some unknown place , order was out to get em move forward nearer to pickup location. Firstly we got to eat the roti canai before moving the VAN.
THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 11.00PM to 2.00AM:
Slowly the familiar faces starts trickling in wet clothes, pale and cold. it is not funny.
Last group came in at 1.45 am. physiological ride this is but what a memory.
at Monday, October 20, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Rides
Is it necessary?
I've come across lots of people who have a chip on their shoulder because someone has a more expensive/better/newer bike than them.
"All the gear no idea" : How can you have no idea? Riding a bike is as simple as, well, riding a bike.
"My bike cost much less than yours, but I'm faster/better/fitter" : Hey, good for you. More power to you.
"You don't need all that expensive stuff" : No, you don't. No-one needs a Lamborghini either, but many people want one.
"No i am not into racing thus i dont need it " No you dont't. Then stop racing on your weekend club ride , stop bragging.
" Its for the looks , to be part of the group " Dont see much team value there if its just for the looks.
Then on the flip of the switch . I've come across lots of people who have a chip on their shoulder because someone cant have a more expensive/better/newer bike.
" Prejudice to it, i can afford it but i dont feel the value proposition " In your own world , whatever that rocks your boat. i buy it , you cant.
" I ride with a less snobbish group without blings " Once you get better , you be snobbish with blings too.
etc etc...
i had enough in mind for today.
at Saturday, October 18, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Thoughts
YUMEYA-XTR
For those whom needs that extra touch. ( i know i dont ) but nice bike candy.
http://www.shimano-yumeya.com/top.html
at Wednesday, October 15, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Bikes
Ready for some Cameron Highland MUDD catch and release.
Looking forward to do this.. on MUDD@Cameron Higland... :) i am more excited on mtb than road. Once a mtber always a mtber..mountain biking because the scenery is always good. Even if your workout sucks for some reason, you can have fun being distracted, going slow, trying little stunts and what not, and MTB racing is an awful lot of fun. It’s just bein’ out in the jungle, only faster. I love cross country and think I like endurance racing, but can see how folks love downhill also.
On the other hand road riding is an extremely distinctive pleasure. Training on the road has an amazing purity of purpose and suffering, it is the bike ride stripped down to bare essentials of turning the pedals and suffering, and feeling the speed. There are moments of pleasure but it's like the day you allow yourself an ice cold coffee/Beer , reload - diet; the little pleasures are better only because the pain tends to be omnipresent. Roadracing is fun, sitting inside a psychotic dogpack running on a treadmill where you can’t get off and somebody keeps hitting the Speed + button over and over again ‘til you can’t take it has its own charm, in a " DAMM if i do , DAMM if i dont" sort of way. Then there are group rides where you make good friends, see character revealed and go so far beyond your limits that you don’t recognize the pre-ride self.
Each has its place. so let's come on over and shoot the shit.. 
I have neglected this bike for sometime now. Its time for some Highland "MUDD Tea" rocking.Got a secondhand 08 xt m770 for this..pretty sweet crank i'd say much better then my square taper'd BB crank. Got to get use to the weight of this pig again.
at Wednesday, October 15, 2008 0 comments
spokeholeplugs
Shimano Pseudo "veloplug" which is made in malaysia , now being recalled. too much sharp ridges on it. touched it felt it. felt blade like paper cut.
http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/Wheel/SpokeHolePlugs/0058A-001_En_v1_m56577569830630976.pdf
http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/publish/content/cycle/seh/nl/en/news___info/corrective_action.html
at Wednesday, October 15, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Parts Review, Thoughts
BONK or Low Glycogen training
Generally, athletes of all levels are told to have a carbohydrate-rich meal two to three hours before any training occurs, ensuring their glycogen levels are fully topped up.
But these studies suggest that purposefully manipulating your glycogen level so that it’s around one third depleted results in improved signalling, hence greater muscular mitochondrial mass and better endurance performance.
The idea is to purposefully lower your glycogen until it’s depleted to the right level, then to do some high-intensity training in that state.
Have a low-carbohydrate meal prior to the session and then beginning the workout with 45-60 minutes of low-intensity, steady cycling at around 70% of your VO2 max (a level where you can still breathe through your nose, with your mouth shut).
After your glycogen is sufficiently depleted, switch to intervals of five minutes’ hard exercise with a minute of rest in between.
This will train your signalling pathways to maximum effect.
Training Goal : BASE
Aim to build strenght and endurance so you're looking to build distance and resistance in this early stage.
Glycogen manipulation : Low glycogen training 2 to 3 times per week but ensure glycogen is high for strenght training
Training Goal : BUILD UP
Slowly incorp speedworks while maintain distance and strenght gains
Glycogen manipulation : Do low glycogen training 2 times early in the week and load up on glycogen for strenght and speedworks in later session in the same day
Training Goal : CONSOLIDATION
Do high quality training session while decreasing distance and resistance
Glycogen manipulation : Keep high glycogen for morning quality trainnig and low gylocgen for evening session atleast one or twice a week.
Training Goal : COMPETITION
Glycogen manipulation : Keep glycogen High all time..
at Monday, October 06, 2008 2 comments
Labels: Training