Bike selection exploration 2- A visit to basikal Akmal's workshop 23rd April 2013

Last year when I met Ricklee, he recommended me to talk to Basikal Akmal for building a touring bike and also advise. After communicating with Akmal on FB, I decided to visit him at UPM on 23/4/13.

After understanding my requirement he recommended me to get a tangle frame bag. I was like Huh!? What is that? I never heard it before. But after he showed me the picture of the bag, I immediately agreed with him that it is one of the best options for my Scott as it will not jeopardized the integrity of the bike frame.

How it looks like mounting o a bike

Revelate M size tangle frame bag dimension: Top length 19.5", front height 1", overall height 4.5"

He also introduces some cools gadgets like take a look eye glass helmet mirror. I personally think that it is a super cool gadget which acts as a rear mirror. After attaching it to my spectacles, it kind of feel like new Google spec that is expected to launch in the end of the year and it looks futuristic. Of course it is effective in serving its purpose. It is very clear when looking back. Conventional look back mirror is being mounted on the handle bar. The problem with it is that if you turn left or right with your handle bar during  cycling, you will not be able to look back of your bike. But since take a look is mounted on the spec or helmet. It doesn't have the issues. 

Take a look eye glass mirror

Take a look eye glass mirror mounted on on my spec

How it look like mounting on spec

Image of view from Take a look eye glass mirror

Never realized that there is also automatic shifter for bicycle....

Automatic gear shifter, change your bike gear without you shifting it. The down side is that it has 4 gears only 

Akmal actually had done the route before, he would recommended us the following route. 

Day 1 : Alor Setar to Penang taking coastal road –and skipped Sg Petani

Day 2: Round Penag Island

Day 3: Penang to Taiping ard 50km

Day 4: Taiping to Ipoh

Day 5:  Ipoh to Telok Intan

Day 6: Kuala Selangor to Shah Alam ard 150km

Will further discuss this with Prem.

Akmal also recommend android apps -Oruxmaps. According to him, the apps allows us to save the route map on phone. This comes especially handy when there is no data connection.

Read More

Reading material

Book recommend by Dave for the trip

The book talks about a lady and her friend 'e experience embarking on a journey round peninsular Malaysia on a bike in 2009.  The book provides useful tips do's and don'ts and insight thoughts about the journey.  

Read More

Bike option exploration 1-volt shop visit 22 April 2013

Bike Advertisement only RM 699

The actual promotion bike

Yew Khuay posted the volt promotion on his FB. The deals looks good. I went in and check it out on 22/4 after came back from Langkawi. To my surprise, the salesman strongly recommend me not to go for this bike. Apparently, he got a lot complain and bashing from customer after buying it. According to him, the bike will start to give problem after 50km. He thinks that it does not suit my purpose. For touring, he recommend me to get a Releigh. He google the bike for me and thinks that Releigh Oakland fits my requirement.

The Releigh touring bike that they sell, nice spec, but out of my budget

He ask me to check it out on other shop as they do not carry the model. 

Before i leave, i saw ORTIEB Ultimate classic. 7L capacity, water proof. Maybe i can mount it in front of my Scott. I can use it to put my shirts and hand phone and other accessories. But the volume might be a bit small, i need another options to carry the rest of the luggage eg. spare tyre and tubes.  i was also concern that whether is it suitable to mount on my carbon fiber handle bar?

Prelim idea of mounting Ultimate in front of my Scott

Read More

Touring bike options

After seeking advice and talk to people, we conclude with 3 options.

1. Get a new touring bike with budget of RM 1500 (include rack and pinion), but I am not sure whether will I like touring or not. If I like bicycle touring after this trip, it would be a good investment. Otherwise, it would be a white elephant. Furthermore, I still have to consider the storage after travel.
2. Modify a cheap mountain bike by changing the tyre to touring bike tyre and add rack and pinion and bag, walaa….i have my bike. But still have to concern about storage after the trip.
3. Use my existing scott bike (which is the most economical way) and add rack and pinion to it. However, bike shop people do not recommend me to do so as it might break the frame easier if meet with accident. The tyre will not be big enough to support the additional weight.

Every option comes with pros and cons. I need to explore further..... 

Read More

My Cycling Touring Dream

Original copy of class magazine before published. Thanks Siew Yee for loaning me the copy

This is where my cycling dream begins

The dream chart that has been hanging in my room for the past 3-4 years. Have no clue , no idea, no information about cycling at all during that time. Even the bike type was wrong. Just get any bike photo and put it up. It is amazing to see how it got materialized.

"What will you do after SPM?" This was the question ask by editor in preparation for our class magazine during form 5. I wrote down cycle from Alor Setar to Kuala Lumpur. I would like to stop by and tour the major city along the route. I just think it was something unique. It fits my appetite and character. But most important of all, i love it! I can't really recall what went into my little brain that time because i just don't have the right resources to do it. No one around me has ever did that before. I don't know where to get the information. I don't even have a bike to begin with. The idea just sound ridiculous and impossible at that time. But thank god, my classmate never laugh at me (maybe at the back, but definitely not that that i know of).

Years passed. After graduating, i still remember the dream but was busy earning money and learning new things. It was being put aside. The dream stayed dormant until i meet up with Ricklee in Bukit Bintang with his touring bike and 2 yellow panniers. I went on to talk to him. Apparently, he was planning for a trip to cycle to China. It would take him 6 months to do so. This got me very excited. My cycle touring dream got revived and i planed to do it in 2014. But, few weeks ago when spoke to Dave Ern (one of the experience cyclist), it seems like everything is in right place.Therefore, i decided to make it this year June. And so, the preparations begins. 

17 years man! 17 years and finally the dream is going to materialized....! Thank God! I am very excited and looking forward to it. 

Dreams... do come through, just be patient and never give up.  

Read More