Sungai Ara Farmer Trail, 10 December 2000
We were supposed to do Tiger Hill today but kesian to newbies la. So we changed to ride at the Sungai Ara Farmer Trail, which is not as tough as Tiger Hill but with nice downhill and climb that's just good for you to work your lung out!
Eleven riders showed up at ST place. Hmm, it seems like eleven is our lucky for December. Last week ride was also got eleven riders. Coincidence? Anyway, we didn't have to wait for too long, our guest of the ride, Khairel, did manage to find his way to ST house. Yeah, for someone who is not familiar with Farlim, it is a maze out there! We did not spend too much time on socializing since Oon, ST and Xiang would have to be home before noon. After a quick breakfast at 1997, we were off to the trail!
It was a bright sunny day when we started our ride. The road that led to the first part of the trail did not seem to have lots of traffic. Although it was just a beginning of the ride, few riders had started charging at full speed. I decided to play safe. Though this ride was considered to be a moderate one, I was not in the condition to waste my energy at the beginning of the ride and suffered the hell out of it at the farmer trail.
As I paced along, I started to see some riders already saw sign of puncture. One of them was our guest rider. He is new to this cycling thing. I made the same mistake when I first got myself involved. It's normal for someone makes such mistake but me? A seasoned roadie rider that stopped cycling for ten years? Well, one thing for sure, I did not realize that my body condition was not as good as before and mountainbiking is a different ball game from road riding. Anyway, it did not take long for me to catch up with Khairel. I decided to baby-sit him. I was a newbie to MTB two years ago, and I understand the pain and embarrassment for being left behind and let others to wait for me.
It boosted his ego and will to continue when he saw that somebody was with him. It did not take long for him to catch up with the rest. I could see him gasping like a fish leaving from water for too long. Normal lah, ST's moderate ride is other's nightmare. I don't know about you but it is for me! I told the rest to continue and I would be the babysitter for our guest rider.
We continued the ride after Khairel had his rest. The ride to Bukit Jambul via the farmer trail was as confusing as before. Being four times to the trail and I still got lost. Can you believe that I missed two junction and brought my guest rider to Holland? It was lucky for him that the wrong way I took him was not a tough ride. We always managed to go back to the right way after a short ride into the wrong pavement.
We finally met up with the rest after the second miss-turn. Another short break again, and we were off to the fun of the day, the technical downhill to Yeap Chor Ee road! The trail was heavily eroded. Man, there potholes all over the trail. I was not used to the thinner tires yet. It made me very difficult to go down at blazing speed as I used to be. I thought I was the only one. Oon was having the same problem as well. Yup, we use the same pair of tires, the IRC Mythos XC 1.95! The 1.5 different in width made a big different in getting myself balance! Those riders who I usually beat them upside down overtook me one by one with a funny look on their face. "Why so slow today one?" Shit, a downhiller got beaten by a novice!
The real "fun" began when we finally hit the farmer trail. This is no joke. If you don't know how to pace yourself, you are not going to survive the climb! I was as usual, pacing inch by inch to the top and enjoying the scene of riders climbing down the saddle and pushing thier bikes. Ahh, what a sight! Especially those who went in full speed not long suffered the shit out of it. Everyone in the front pack except Hwa, Lai, Oon and Roger dropt dead one by one as the climb became steeper. I lost count of how many riders had I overtaken. Was it one? Two? Four? Hmm... Anyway, I was smiling to the finishing line when I realized that I was the sixth rider who completed the suffer. But, a big BUT, the fifth rider was a lady rider! It is a big thing for a typical MCP like me! Beaten by a lady on saddle? It is a disgrace okay??? So I decided to train harder. Beaten by lady riders twice is not beautiful! Lets see, how about climb two times a day at Lima Kingsi hill? Hmm...
It was a short ride. Any rides that last less than two hours are short ride, no matter how far we have covered! Is this s&m or what? I don't know!
Stay tuned!