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The Bukit Kiara "Maiden's Killers" Ride
Sunday, 25 Feb 2007
Writing is hard, especially when you are down with food poisoning plus you are still recovering from exhaustion ~ thanks to the gruelling 9km ride in Bukit Kiara!
The stage was set. Fouth ride. The venue, Bukit Kiara - a legendary track that every MTBikers should trudge at least once in their biking life! But it should not be for the faint hearted ~ as many of us learned during this trip.
This trip was really about the new bikes and new riders and the new experience that is way way too different from the FRIM stage. But tis an opportunity not to be missed, except by three of our members ~ Udin, Zul & MatYen ~ from our recent trip. Despite an unheeded caution by Apai that "newbie might gantung his bike" after Kiara, none were deterred. Not even our el-presidente whom has been here before!
As we made our way to the parking area at TTDI recreational park, almost everyone was eager to see (and test ride??) my new AM1000! Truth be told, after collecting the new bike from Uncle's Bikeshop the day before, I have not yet gave that baby a try. Well, Ijan was the first person to take her for a spin after she was assembled at Uncle's. Not too sure about this, but I think Azilan also had a go with her when these two brothers was also at Uncle's shop that Saturday afternoon.
After getting the AM1000 out from my car, few people came to gave her a spin ~ (I think) Faizal, Shah, Faizi & CheMat (whom took her around quite a bit as I quickly rode his Specialized into the parking lot - we parked alongside the main road, except for PokLeh & Seken whom found spaces inside). There, attentions were directed towards the two new AM1000 as well the other two new KHS Alite. Hmmmm...... the day of the KHS???
CheMat doing the honour of taking of the reflectors from my AM1000!...hehehehehe...
Eleven riders started off from the parking area on the tarmac road.... I was playing 'sweeper' role - just as well, as the other Sabri a.k.a Wak was strugling with keeping his pace ~ prolly still learning the right gearing going uphill. But, I have to say, he's a lot of spirit and was able to keep up with everyone on this trip...bravado bro!!!! salute.....
But as we arrived the first checkpoint, one rider had actually made his way back after his bike suffered mechanical damage that couldn't be repaired. We'll see on our next ride, mate! Anyway, here's the only pics of Ikram from this trip....
At checkpoint (or rather...rest stop) #1
PokLeh, Chemat & Faizi was still at the AM1000...... and CheMat took particular interest - seen here intimately discussing the nitty gritty of the bike with Seken, the pioneer owner in our group....hmmmm.... will there be another surprise on our next ride? .... lets wait n see..... hikhikhik...
And while Pokleh was hard at work charting out our trail with CheMat.....
Some others took time to pose (which by the way includes PokLeh...hehehehe...)
The jungle trail ride began with a demanding uphill battle.... at least three riders gave in to the steep slope --> me included! Well, I was playing sweeper together with Shah & Pokleh (whom by the way quoted his heavy backpack as the reason for his sloppy effort that day!), and I must say its less stressful at the rear!
I swear Shah was saying "what a big b#tt you have there....".... hehehe..... but it turned out PokLeh couldn't sock it when he wiggled his behind!
As for me... the rest was energizing...
We actually did our second pitstop at the usual place riders do when riding here, i.e. at the 'tokong' place. But no pictures there.... and after a too short a rest time, we rode again into the jungle trail, taking directions from PokLeh as he tried to make sense of where we were at junctions. Well, we took time to pose for our website......
The two "twins" ~ KHS Alite & AM1000 - together for the first time since they came out of their womb....
... and another "twin" meeting for the first time today....hikhikhik... Wak & Shah....
The road splits were few but a few too many....
The one that we chose took us to this hut ~ a good resting place, with chairs and sofa even! Also, a proper toilet (attention PokLeh..!!)
But as some of us were chit-chatting,
We were oblivious to this jungle critter nicely tucked in on the roof of the hut!
Well, the one thing that every posse fear - lost in the jungle! harharhar...without GPS on any of us, we manage to lose the trails that was charted out by PokLeh earlier..... We came to a Indon makeshift huts and they directed us to what would be an unforgettable experience of our MTB'ing life!
The next hour or so from then on, we were physically tested as we do a jungle trekking while trying to either push our bike or carry it over our shoulder...hmmmm.... a highly physical xtvt !!! As a result, everyone was exhausted as we reach the hilltop! Just imagine this..... even the hiking would demand a high level of fitess.... let alone doing it with a 15kg load on your shoulder!
Seken's remark was " this is no longer menyeronokkan...."
and the two new AM1000 would have remarked similar if they could talk!!! hikhikhikhik
However, when we re-grouped at the hilltop, and although all water was actually finished, not a drop to drink, we were relieved that that experience was over. And it shall remain as an unforgettable life's experience for us.... Would we do it again....hmmmm....definitely not intentionally!
The mostly descending trail after that gruelling uphill trek gave everyone a sense of relief and form as a reward after a really hard effort put in... it was all smiles again as we sped through the narrow single-track, in-between rubber trees, downhill race.
And what a relieve it was when we again hit the tarmac from where we first set out in the morning. The time has already surpassed our budget... we were supposed to complete this trip around 1:00pm, but it was already close to 2:00pm when we hit the tarmac road.
And while the rest of the group chose to finish off the ride via this tarmac road, Seken insisted that we hit the trails again that would lead to the carpark area. So, there we were, five of us ~ Seken, PokLeh, CheLan, Ijan and yours trully ~ were gearing up for another set of offroad trail - promised to be mostly mild downhill...
However, this extra push took it tolls on Seken, when tiredness (or rather fatigue and exhaustion) took the better of him and caused him to spill a couple of time before reaching the parking area..... it also took away his bike's saddle!
But, as it was with all our other rides, we were all smiles and displaying expressions of satisfactions the minute we reached our cars.... And few of us showered some love onto the bikes!!!
Still Seken could only scratch his head wondering how he lost the saddle (well, not actually losing it, but it came off from its holder in one of his spill).
here's some satisfied (or could it be relieved?) faces at the end of it all...
The riders that made it happened that day:- PokLeh, Seken, CheLan, CheMat, Faizi, Shah, Ijan, me, plus the newbies Faizal & Wak; also Ikram, though he only managed to be with at the starting line.....
So, what was my (really) take on this ride...err....the new bike..? hmmm...... a picture tells a thousand words....hikhikhik...
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story & pics: sabri the fireball
started 26feb07, completed 6Mar07
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