Azmi's Penang Hill Downhill Adventure, 16 July 2000

Hmm, how should I write this? You know, sometimes I've got problem to start a journal. Especially writing the ones on a trail that I have been visiting godzillion times. Nothing fancy about the trail already. Maybe it has been too familiar for me. Not saying that I am now an expert to the Penang Hill uphill trail. You know what I mean lar....

Anyway, it was decided that we were going to do this as an "easy" ride. Tough legs, or "teng kar" would ride up to 168 on the Jeep track at the Botanic Garden. Weak riders will meet at the tram car station of Air Itam to take the half an hour tram car ride up to the peak. We had big turn out here. 23 riders to be exact, which included Gary's kid riders and Sup's Penas colleagues. Oon and Ah Hwa decided to go with the teng kars, which I later found out that only Oon and Ah Hwa managed to reach the top while the rest decided to turn back after one of them couldn't take the torture after they completed half of the journey! It is a tough ride. I have been trying it four times and I only managed finished the ride once! Once! It was my hell!

We stayed in 168 for breakfast and we started our journey down to the foothill half an hour after Ah Hwa and Oon's rest. It was a big group going to down. Traffic jam was already anticipated but I never expected a grid lock! The trail condition was terrible at the first portion. Thorn leafs and fallen trees all over the trails. If one is not careful, he's going to get his tire punctured! Luckily the trail cleared out to be ride-able after we approached our first pit stop, which was just next to a bungalow at a flower orchard.

The rest of the journey was just adrenaline rush of high speed downhill! Maybe I did not do the uphill this time, I pumped all my energy at the downhill. The speed was just awesome. Most of the riders, especially the young riders who joined the ride today, was just couldn't believe that uncle like Turbo Snail could go that at narrow and twisting single track! I must admit it was my best downhill ride! Unfortunately, I do not have a cyclocomputer to track my speed but I think it should be between 55 to 60kph. "How the hell did you attack that hairpin turn without slowing down? You were so fast!!" Frankly speaking, I did not know! Hehe....

We finished the ride without any major casualty except a puncture experienced by William and one of the young riders fell from his bike when he was trying his luck to climb a steep slope. You see, experience counts here. If the rider does not know how to balance his body and the machine on a very steep slope, the front wheel is going to lift and whole thing will be off balance! Lucky for him. The thick bush and light weigh saved him from falling down to the cliff!

A rather short journal I would say. Next time lah. No mood to write lately. Job pressure starts to show sign of wearing me out. Maybe it's time for another vacation again. How does Colmar Tropicale of Bukit Tinggi sound like?

Stay tuned!

P.S.: My thighs still sore after the ride. Shit isn't this supposed to be an easy ride??? Just try maintaining the squatting position for two hours and tell me how you feel!