Sungai Sedim! 26 August 2001
It has been quite a while we have not visited Sungai Sedim since our last visit in May. I think it is exactly a month. Last visit was on 27 May 2001, according to KOTRT journal entry. Is it coincident or what? I don't know ler. Sometimes our intuition, or unconscious mind plays a major part in this coincident thingy. The old folks might call it faith(whatever!). I call it unconscious urge to pay an old place a visit. It's just like sometimes you want to know what has happened that girl you used to hang out with but not anymore doing now. Is she okay? Does she still miss me? Will she think of me when she needs someone to give her a big bear hug? Etc, etc... Ok lar, enough of bullshit. I think I start talking nonsense again. Lets go back to this Sedim ride.
It was raining in the dawn. Azmi called me very early in the morning to make sure I would join the fun. Hell, if I wanna go, I will get up and be there at 8am okie? Anyway, I hoped Azmi told me that the ride was cancelled. But it did not happen, I still have to drag myself up at seven forty five and meet the rest at Shell BKE! We did not have big turn out since there was another ride organized by Viper Ong. Most of strong riders decided to test how strong were they at Viper Ong's charity race at Mertajam Hill. I tried it before, 13 years ago when I was very fit and riding my Alan Carbonio. It was one hell of the ride that I would never forget during my roadie time. Cranking 42-21 in the afternoon was no joke. But I managed to reach the peak with smoke coming out from my head and cramped legs! Since then, I have never visited the hill again! Bad memory lah. Anyway, 12 riders, which included Knights, Nuikars, 2 riders from Taiping and 2 lady riders, decided to pay Sedim a visit. My high school could not make since he had to take care of his newly wed honey. Understand one lah. Got new toy to play with. Lets see what happen a year or two later. I want to see if he's still that "kuk lak"(rajin in Malay, diligence in English). "Honey ah, can take me to the wet market or not?" "Can't you go by yourself? You have driving license right?" Normal lah. When first together, everything hubby can kautim and call him honey. Some time later, Honey becomes horny and later becomes "si kooi"!(I really don't know how to translate this one. I think the closest one should be old fart???)!
After a quick breakfast at Karangan, we proceeded to the trailhead. The sky was still dull and cloudy. I was thinking what would happen to the ride if it rained again. Luckily, after that morning shower(which was a big one!), the guy up there decided to give us a break and let us enjoy our weekend activity. Since Azmi has volunteered to be the sweeper of the ride, I was "forced" to lead the ride. But it did not matter. After I fitted her with my old favorite WTB Velociraptor 2.1, I wanted to try my red devil on Sedim track anyway. The ride finally started after 20 minutes of bike set up and ST's briefing. We were warned that the trail was going to be muddy , slippery and wet, which spelled fun to me! We started the ride by first tackling the steep and rocky slope across the river of the base camp. With the help of rear suspension and 32 tooth sprocket, I managed to finish the climb with no problem as most of the riders would have to come down and push the bike. I think the Velociraptor helps too since it provided awesome grip on dirt. As I reached to the top, I did not bother to stop to wait for the rest and began pumping the pedals to go faster.
There was still rider tailing me. I did not try to find out who that guy was until I cleared the twisty, wet and muddy trail. Storm rider was right behind me. He rode an XTC AC1. I think if he were familiar with the trail, he would try his best to overtake. Still, I did not give him the opportunity to tail so close. I shifted to the highest gear and went all out! At the beginning, I did not see him from behind until I reached a junction that I was supposed to turn. But I was too fast. By the time I realized I had to turn, the turn was already 100 meter behind me! Storm rider was tailing behind again. When I turned back, I realized that one of the Nuikars was also with me! Man, the ride down was awesome. The Red Devil finally showed her color as one of the best dual suspension bikes of the year 99! I was full of confident that I hardly applied any brakes at all! I just felt like I was flying down the trail! The Velociraptor tires and stiffer rear suspension help to boost my confidence to go faster and faster. Does it mean that I have my SCRAM unit fixed? Lets see what happen when I climb to my old trusty race machine first!
We stopped at the second base camp for a breather. The rest of the group showed after we waited for about 10 minutes. The second part of the ride would be the "downhill" trail that we last visited in May. I decided to slow down my pace since there was this steep climb on tarmac waiting for me to be conquered. I wondered what would the expression of the riders that hated the climb. It was this steep climb before hitting the dirt again. We stopped at the bottom of that "downhill" trail to wait for the rest to catch up. It was not long when ST caught up with us. We decided to proceed since the lady riders already had Azmi to take care of. But I did not know that one of the lady riders was already with us until I saw her climbing on that muddy slope. It was this gradual slope that leading to an open space, which would be our second regroup point. Such a strong rider. I could see that she was a lady that did not easily give up. Although at last she had to climb down and push her bike, for someone who just got involved in mountain biking and only climb she had done before was AID road, this was one hell of achievement. When I was about her level a year back, I could not even finish one half of the climb!
The fun began when we the ride to the connecting trail back to the race track. It was not long when one of the lady riders shouted for Azmi for help. Man, it was the softest plead I have ever heard. My body was full of goose bumps when I heard it! "Azmi ah, Azmi! My bike don't move!" He did not hear it when she pleaded for help. I was with Julian and Shaharin. When we realized Azmi did not know that he was required, I decided to mimic the way that lady rider called Azmi. The rest of us was laughing left and right when I used exactly the same word and tone to tell Azmi that his service was needed! Man, "Azmi ah. Azmi...." Hahahaha.....
The ride continued after we shared a good laugh. This time the three musketeers decided to stick together. The trail started to go downhill after we left the place where Azmi was helping the lady rider to get the chain back to the crank set. I still had a bad memory about me giving up after only half way. But this time I found it easier to go down! Was it because I had overcome my fear of going down, or the VooDoo Zobop really good in descending? I think I have to come back to the same trail with my Diamondback and try it again! It was a long traffic jam since we were the last three riders to take the downhill. It was shorter than I remembered and the trail was much tamer than my first visit three months ago! Something had happened to me. Either the fear is no more, or someone has done something on the trail!
It was a fun ride. Although it was wet and in some section was very muddy, the weather had made the ride much enjoyable! We finished the ride after we cleared the rest of the race track. Some of the riders decided to take the short cut, but for those who followed me, we took longer route back to base camp. I know one of the riders was cursing like hell when he realized that we were riding back to the base camp via the twisty trail. The downhill became uphill! I was not with him as I was leading the Nuikars and Storm rider back to the base camp. But I am pretty sure he was cursing like hell since this was his first ride after three years absent from saddle!
We ended the ride with a good lunch at Pelita Chai Leng Park. Speaking of which, I think I have to write about this Nasi Kandar restaurant. Let me find some time lar. I find that their chicken drumstick is the best I have ever eaten! You should try it next time!
Stay tuned!