Maiden Long Distance Ride of 2009

Date : 17 OCT 2009

CYCLIST: Farhan, Qayyum, Batjau, Kicap, Stuart, Mek, Black, and Chan


everyone immediately grab their bags and leave UPNM once we got our leave pass, but not the 8 of us. instead of going holiday, we went long distance cycling.
among the 8, more than half never ride on highway and our stamina level varies.
pushed off from UPNM around 10am and gathered at PUZIDA. had our quick breakfast at Pekan Sungai Besi.

as i'm the senior among the 8, i led the ride.. the 1st 10km i wasn't feeling good cost few riders couldn't catch up with the speed. i have not decided where we'll go once we reach Putrajaya. so my short goal is to reach there. in less than 30 minutes, 2 riders went missing.


as u can see, only 6 of us including the photographer was there. Qayyum and Batjau couldn't catch up, and they've never been to Putrajaya cycling. tried to call them but failed. i'm in deep shit.



i told them to take picture with the mosque background coz everyone who bike here must have this picture. still waiting for the 2 missing fella.. Black brought no bottle for this ride=.= while the others come with plain water. no electrolyte in the bottle and go long distance? thatz ridiculous no 1 of the day. i have a handful of sport beans and Power Bar and Gels with me, just incase we're going more than 100km.


Stupidity no2, only 2 riders have spare tubes in the bento box. Me and Farhan.


here is our first stop, at the Pullman Hotel where 70.3 IM was held. i told them to refresh themselves and drink more fluid before we go harder on the road.
we have money with us, and saw the vending machine. BUT, we have no coins. we're lack of 20 cents. normal days 20 cent is just no big deal and no one could be bothered to pick it up when we see that by the road side. and now, because of the 20cent, we can't even buy a can of 100 plus. we even offered 1 ringgit to change with 20 cents! but still, no means no...


we stopped for a while.. discussing how to get cold drinks.. then we continued our ride to nearest R and R at Dengkil. the 2 missing fella made their way there earlier than us. one of them cramped already. after some refreshments, we go on.. i've never been to this place, and the heat is killing me. it has been 8months since after IM that the sun didn't see me on the road. i'm really not in good shape.
we decided to ride below 35km/h, itz really slow, and i know it'll take longer to reach UPNM and i hate slow rides on flat road. really really challenge my mental till the max. looking at the glass and nails on the road, i hope nothing goes wrong. only 2 tubes available. just few seconds after, Mek's tube punctured. i put on my CO2 Canister to the valve and here it goes my first CO2. i really need to figure out how to use it before IM, and i told the juniors to record the scene to prove that i can do better than Chrissie Wellington=p hahaha! Farhan lead the way from there as i have no idea where are we heading.

about 10kms after i changed his tube, 2 staples penetrate into my tire and tube and pierce my rim tape. what a wonderful day right? how come good samaritan have no good return? i thought i helped Mek and i should deserve a better day?=p nevermind..
i changed my tube.. this time i need to use my hand pump=.=
no more CO2...

we passed Negeri Sembilan, and snapped picture.

then we passed the signboard "Selamat Datang ke Negeri Selangor Darul Ehsan".
when we picked up our bike, Farhan's tire punctured. no more tubes available. so he gave me pacthes without glue and he told me his patches need no glue. huh i was suprised with his patch=p ended up failed to repair the tube.

today really challenge our survivability. while waiting for help, we sat by the road side and took turn to ask for help. some cars just honk and didn't stop. ARGH!

Then my father called.. he asked me where i am and bla bla.. so i told him i'm lost at Selangor and bla bla..
then.. "can u please figure out how to call celcom hotline from overseas"

i was mentally blocked that time...

took a deep breath, and said "yes i'll help u figure that out."

the worst day of my life but the juniors always tell me IRONMAN NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. AHAHAHA very funny.. =.=

i called CELCOM and the operator asked me lots of question which i don;t know how to answer. then i just hang up. sigh..
called again.. finally got the number "*123#" to call CELCOM from overseas. Fuh! another problem solved.. hehehe.. yea now i see the "IM NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE"... *grins*



PLUSLINE patrol car finally came to help us. they led us to the nearest Bukit Makhota at Nilai area. when we reached the town, few guys screen down and said "u guys stylo" haha stylo la sangat, dah satu hari kayuh.. we're getting more and more attention..

bought some drinks and a super glue to patch his tube.

successfully patch his tube.. but when put it on, i hear the hissing sound near the valve area. how can i stop "mencarut" right? another ARGH!



this old auntie asked us where we're from.. itz a disgrace to say we're from UPNM. hahaha! she knows Joo Ngan and some famous cyclist.. she saw me patching and we had a great chat with her! haha modern old lady. it was raining cats and dogs so we have to find shelter. she told us the nearest KTM is around 3kms away! wow here comes our hope!


since one bike punctured, we do a duathlon all the way to the KTM, Qayyum and Black was wearing running shoes, so the took turn to run till we reach there.


Look at the road. Road bike or CYCLOCROSS??? Mat Black with his nice running form.


Mek escorting Qayyum to KTM train station...


once we reached there we were super happy and quickly buy ticket.
then there's this very arrogant train station supervisor i suppose, he scolded us.. and he refused to help us. Long story to explain to him, but we understand he is doing his job.
another ARGH! of the day... 40km to go back UPNM. even if we do a crazy fast marathon it'll take us 3 hours plus dragging the punctured bike and and ride back out to the main road! need a better solution.


so i tried to patch his tube again. thats the final piece of patch! we're really really desperate that time.. people looking at us with the weird stare..
the place is kinda isolated and we're now at KTM Bangi...

Qayyum looking at me patching the 3rd hole in one tube! can u imagine! see the bigger tube at the side? Kicap went to the town to buy tube but he doesn't know the size! no size available, no choice..


the punctured tube and punctured riders.. such a long and lonely day..


last solution.. pack up our bike and take train. bike become baggage!
Mek is always positive and cheerful throughout the day, now i know the juniors are way better than what i expected. Kicap, Farhan, Mek, Batjau, Black, Qayyum, Stuart how can i forget u guys?!


packing our bike.. Qayyum went for Prayers.. hoping that God will answer his prayers..
when he came back, a local man offered us a lorry and i managed to patch Farhan's tube!
Qayyum was so touched that he felt like crying.. huhu..

later when the KTM man know our story, his arrogance somehow gone and show some sympathy to help us packing our bike..
itz too late though, we got help from somebody else..


already Maghrib and we sat on the bike box waiting for help... Batjau, Kicap and Mek..
no one regretted for coming this ride. they said they learned a lot of things..


all of us except Stuart and Black.. Stuart snapped this photo and black went for maghrib prayers..


here is Stuart with me... Photographer of the day, may the National Geographic hire him one day to make a documentation of Sesat Riders..

the truck can fit 3 human beings and barang-barang (stuff)..

So, the 2 local man and black will sit at the front (Human Being)
and the rest are all barang-barang baik.. ( the other 7 riders )


all the way back to UPNM.. it was really cold on the truck.. we're super exhausted.

my aunt called me when i was on the truck. she is the first to know i'm lost..
then my mum quickly call me once my aunt told her..

got back to Sg Besi camp, paid the driver 100 bucks..
we bike in a double file all the way into UPNM. that night, PTD and few other big shots having malam Raya and the camp look so beautiful=)

Farhan's tube with 3 puncture i pasted just now can survive the final 3 km to get into UPNM!

arrived at 8.30PM... in 30 minutes time we gathered again at Regimental Police, then pushed off to go makan makn at Sg Besi. Aiman is organizing a fucntion in his house, but we really can't make it. so we had our own function...

Moral of the story:
1. bring extra tube
2. drink electrolyte to prevent cramp
3. plan before a ride and don't make new cycling routes
4. train hard before cycling outside
5. stay cooperative no matter what happen
6. pray to God when u face difficulties

I had a great experience with Mek, Farhan, Black, Stuart, Qayyum, Batjau, and Kicap!
make good use of the lessons learned.
as experience is a painful teacher, u do it before u learn it..