Centerpoint - Ijok - Sg Tinggi Ride (27/4/2008)

If yesterdays ride wasnt enough.........i dont know why i made a crazy decision to join Bahri and Clarence and the PCC group ride today. Finally my name CrazyDarren is justified.

I just wanted to do a short ride today........coz i duwana punish my legs anymore beyond repair. yesterday was punishing enough.

Okay heres a recap..........

5.20am
I had to wake up really early today coz i have to ride to Centerpoint, near 1 Utama.......FROM Wangsa Maju. Zzzz.......this is what happens when i dont have a car. I ride there. Google earth says its 22km to the gathering point at Centerpoint, Damansara. So got up........legs felt better than yesterday.......hope they can survive today. By 6am i was on the move to CP. Im taking the MRR2. A faster route is the Sprint highway from Jalan Duta but at this dark and early morning........i rather take a route i know very well. So........cycling on the MRR2 alone in the wee hours was.......err......interesting. And i managed to keep steady pace of 25kmh........and by simple estimation.......i should reach CP in under an hour.

6.50
After all that navigation on the highway and slowly taking my time..........i finally reached 1 Utama.....and went straight on to CP abt 1km away. I was just in time. Just had 10 minutes of rest. I saw Bahri and Clarence. They were obviously stunned i actually cycled from wangsa maju to damansara..........im pretty amazed myself. Saw Kenny also from yesterdays ride. He also gave me the thumbs up for making it. Vong was there to. He memang is power rider one. Not a problem for him. PK Yeoh, ride organiser was on scene to coordinate and brief everyone before we left at 7am sharp. I dont know what hell im going to go through. Well........kayuh jer lah. Die die la

So we left CP........went on to Kota Damansara........then took some back road till somehow we reach Sg Buloh........i also duno what route is this coz its my first time. Slow first 20km. Well slow means 25kmh above.........with some pro riders in the field i am a bit worried at times if i can catch up. Then someone had a puncture........so we all avoided colliding into him and he stopped by the side to change tube. I guess he was ok.

SO after we stopped a while at the Guthrie exit where the 45km riders will turn back.........i was feeling quite sayang........how nice if Clarence n Bahri also were taking here......then can go back early n sleep more. Zzzz.......about 7 ppl took the route back. Still we had like 25 people in the main pack. We zoomed off towards Ijok from here on. Roads were undulating as PK said. And the pace was fairly high, 30-35kmh. Somehow, thank God, the legs felt good and can keep up. No cramps or tireness from yesterday much present today. Got abit la..........but bareable. By now about 30km or so covered. Ijok not far actually but today everything just seemed further and time was slower.......zzzz........half regretting now tat i followed.

Now this road from sg buloh to ijok and to kuala selangor i know very well coz its the same road me n my dad takes to go home. And after the small undulations we will hit the snake road.......it twists and turns for about 2km...........a tiny uphill. As we entered the snake.........i lost the first group. I cant follow. Bahri was infront. Clarence n kev were behind. Forgot to mention Kevin also joined. Finally saw his new frame.........Trek 5500 carbon frame.

There were ppl still behind me.........but i was by myself when suddenly Debbie caught me halfway in the snake. So well i did the job to pull her along at a steady 30kmh. The first group was like 200 infront. After exiting the snake i manage to catch Bahri and we reached the Petronas station in no time. Everyone regrouped. Bought loads of 100PLus, chocolates, bars, bread. Refueling time. And coz we are pretty large sized group in a petrol station..........we got attention ALOT. Haha.......nice thing is we are cool and healthy people. Who needs Paris Hilton?

I was talking to Kenny asking him how was he after yesterday. He seems fine. And he will do the full distance 140km. Bahri also doing. Clarence at first doing 80. But Kevin n Bahri poisoned him to go. Idiot fella. Betray his own words. NOW all 3 of them attacking me to go also. Coz i wanted to turn back from here with the 80km group. I didnt want to go any further.

Bahri : Come la Darren, even PK's son go all the way
Darren : That is PK's son. IM not PK's son!
Clarence : Come la, if u come Bahri sure send u home........u no need pedal back.
Darren : No la.......i really duwant.
Kevin : Come la........u are Darren u know............u can one
Darren : yeah so? U guys go la
Bahri : Aiseh........this fella.......cis

So after about 20 minits we left. The 80km ppl go back the same way. The 140km ppl go on ahead. Bahri left. Kev left. Clarence left. Then i left as well. Pedaling slowly. I just hope i made the right choice..............

Well...........u know me..............crazydarren.............

At the last possible moment........i chose the 140 group. I duno why i did it. I just lay it all before God and hope He just takes care of my legs.

So now i had a nice game to play...........creep up and quietly follow them. For 1km they still didnt realise i was following behind. Then clarence n Kev saw me......so cat out of the bag. Bahri was way in front. As soon as clarence wanted to spring up to bahri to tell.........i had a plan. I sprinted pass all of them........and stuck behind bahri for a while. He didnt notice me right behind his wheel for a long time.

Then our traffic commander of the day.........duno whats his name........decided to sprint ahead to catch the front group. We at the back about 8 of us were taking things slow. Then suddenly........we all heard a loud squeal........and our commander was virtually drifting sideways and 45kmh........holding on for dear life. His back wheel has locked.........i noticed his chain is stuck. We all slowed and let him some space IF he was going to crash. But thank God he handled the bike superbly...........manage to get to the side........and do a checkup. We all stopped to help him. the lead group was far in front. But we attended him first. Hes ok. Mechanical problem. And he also lost a screw and spring for the rear brake......with out it........he has no rear brake. After some time he gave the all go to continue.......salute him. I checked with him and he was ok. Told him minus the rear brake more challenge mah. Test skill now. Haha.

So we found the lead group waiting.........we all went on to the outskirts of Sg Tinggi. But before we reach there........its a very long long long straight road.......no end ahead and we were doing constant 31- 35kmh. I drafted behind the whole time.........legs were starting to get some burning felling.......but was bearable. As long i was behing someones wheel at least 1 foot.......im safe in the slip stream. It really can be felt. If i just peek out of the persons rear wheel........i can feel the wind pushing me.......then when i get back behind..........i get very still n quite air. Saves 30% of energy to draft behind riders, which is why group riding is an important skill to learn if doing long distance. You have to be able to ride in the group behind a rider in double file with the rider next to u just 5 inches away. Some people find it hard to ride even 2 feet beside.......let alone 5 inches.

Drafted steady when i notice lots of activity at the front. I was guessing a sprint and attack coming. True enough they uped the speed to almost 40. I didnt want to be part of the attacks for today, My legs gotta get me all the way back. After some really boring 30km long straight road........we reached our stop of the day a fruit stall. Lots of bananas and coconuts and drinks. We had a fruit feast. Me and clarence got some coconut water......me added a coke and 2 bananas later. Then we talked abt the incident earlier. Really like Tokyo Drift. Haha. Jokingly i said he must have been practising at Sepang.

My meter reads 97km now........officially its 71km......extra 26 was from house to CP. So at about 10.30 we left for CP again. So we went back the same way to Ijok. Just as we got in a smooth pace......someone puncture and so we stopped to wait........I welcomed another opportunity to rest actually. Haha.......at the expense of anothers problems. We all waited under some shade and joked abt for 10 minutes. Later we got on track again back the long potholed rough and dirty road. Reached Ijok petronas again at abt 11.30..........stopped to refuel more again. Somehow half the gang decided to lepak in the station with the aircond munching away chips and bread and more 100Plus and coke.

Almost 12pm now........and we were off again. Grouped up.........and rode as a unit.........that is when we reached the snake again. This time Kenny picked up the pace..........and another rider followed. So happen i was in front also.........4th rider........so me and 3rd rider gave chase. Steady 40kmh we did...........and we split the bunch into pieces. After a while for about 3km i gave up........even PK's son faster than me.............but hey.......i did Broga the day before k? Excuse me.

Then i caught Kenny........and Debbie was behind me drafting. About 7 guys were infront going well at 40. They disappeared from sight. For sure cannot catch. I just did 28- 30kmh slowly pulling Kenny n Debbie. I knw they are tired so i took liberty to pull them. Then down the road the stopped at and underpass waiting. The lead group was in a shed 100 meters ahead. We waited for PK and the rest.......Clarence Kev and Bahri. Abt 5 minits later PK Kev and another 2 came up.........Clarence and Bahri still behind. Then as soon we saw them we left. The lead group was long and gone.

We turned into the Guthrie Highway which is a shortcut back to CP........slightly faster than using Sg Buloh. But that place was like pure highway.........ntg but open road and hot sun beating down on tired legs and not to mention........pesky uphills again. The remaining 10 people were split up again.........riders in front and back of me. I went slow at a comfortable pace. This time was like almost 1.30pm. I was really praying for CP to come sooner.......my legs almost cannot tahan. We got off the Guthrie after about 20 minits...........slow ride..........then we stopped at another petronas...........hogged the aircon and ate more. I had ice cream. ^^ hot days............

10 minutes rest we went on for the final push.......i sense we are not that far. Lots of signs pointing to Kota Damansara and Tropicana. So i led the group this time........pulling them again at 30kmh. Till we reached a hill............which reduced me to 23kmh..........i knw ppl at the back were like cursing me for being slow.......but hey..........i did 290km prior to this.........now meters were reading 150+ on mine. Shouldnt be far if estimates are right. So we entered Damansara area finally after 10 minutes. A malay chap, Kenny, Debbie me and Kev were together........riding towards CP. PK and wife n son were slightly ahead of us. Behind us further were Bahri Clarence n Jeff.........apparently all 3 of them cramp. Zzzzz...........kesian..........

I overshot a traffic light to turn right. But somehow i backtracked to catch up. Luckily got hill to slow them down so i can catch up. Then i saw tropicana golf and country resort. We are really near the finish now. I began shouting like no ones business. Just little bite more to go. After some corners.......and another 1km+ riding........i saw CP......... OH MAN!!!!!!!! Something i have been asking to see since 7am this morning. Man.......i really cant believe what i just did.

Arriving at 2.30 i just really sighed a huge relief and let off more steam. Even Kenny had some encouraging words......we both did Broga 135km the day before.......and today we did 140km Ijok..........well 167 for me.......so i did 302 km in 2 days. Think of it as preparation for Interstate in August. But for now........im just so damn happy i finished. The lead group all cabut earlier. They got here 1hr ealier. Zzzzzz........

Now all i had to do is wait for bahri and clarence. Bahri promised to send me home. And THAT is why i chose the 140 km. I rather have a car home then ride home. Coz if not i be riding home alone on the MRR2 in mid day which i dont want to do. Rather suffer with riders.

Both of them came in abt 10 minutes later. Relating their problems and ordeals.

But they both were also drained...........them? Drained? Even Kev complained it was tough. Yes it was.........but unless u did 135km Broga the day before they have yet to know what my poor legs have gone tru. Now im almost like a fried sausage........from raw color to cooked color.........

But after 10 minutes rest we all cabut home. I just wana be in time for church sevice at 5pm. Yes i knw im tired. But still God deserves the same attention always.

Until now my legs have finally felt the pain. Comparatively todays ride was hard but not as punishing as the previous days ride. Its more bearable. But its still an achievement in my cycling experience. Duno if i will do another crazy thing like this

CP - Ijok - Sg Tenggi - Ijok - CP
Dist : 140km (Original), 167km (Darrens meter)
Time : 6hours on the bike , 7.5hrs total time
Avg speed : 27kmh

GILA!!!!!!!

Broga Ride (26/4/2008)

Today was suppose to be the day that i am introduced to one of malaysian cycling's most daunting routes, Broga. Above is the map of the route roughly sketched by a fellow rider. Curi for a while ya. Hehe

So it was to be a 138km hill torturing ride more than 5 hrs long.

Saturday (26/4)
6. 00am
I got up and brushed teeth. Did all the usual. Packed a little the night before. Day before i bought 3 bunches of bananas and 2 big 100Plus bottles as a sponsor for this event. Proved handy later. Then my ribena softpack was nicely strapped to my seatpost with electrical tape. Never know when u need Vit C and glucose boost on long epic journeys.

As i was done and changed.........SUDDENLY.........i felt this sharp pain on my left tummy side which literally got me to the floor. Man, i tot this was it. I cant go. Somethings wrong. Of all times. But i remembered one thing, pray for healing! So i layed my hands on my tummy and prayed in tounges for healing. Literally SOS call to God for healing coz i really wana ride this trip. Every cyclist should at least try Broga once in their life. So after 3 minits of prayer.......the pain gradually subsided. THANK GOD!!! Hallelujah! I got up.....quickly got ready and left house at abt 6.30. Meeting Axy (W2R rider and ride organiser) at Shell station beside Carrefour Wangsa Maju.

6.45
He reached with brother along. So we packed my bike in the boot. 2 bikes on roof. And we shot to Batu 18, which is in Hulu Langat, the edge of Selangor and the Titiwangsa mountain range, which is Malaysia's backbone.

7:25am
Everyone gathered at a small carpark and got ready for the ride. About 10 of us. Mostly guys from W2R. Loaded 4 bananas in my rear jersey pocket. Need it man. Bottle up with 100Plus n plain water. Unfortunately we had a small hiccup with Axy's brothers bike. We cant change the pedals so tat he can ride. Sad. Tot of going home.........first find the missing car keys. So we left.......and i knew Axy's brother was disappointed.

7:45am
We are off! In the map the arrow shows a counter clock direction which is the classical route normally ppl take. This way is u will go on flat roads then tackle the hills. Which is more torturous esp when in the mid day sun. But today we take the hills first and then flats last......at least its not TOO bad, but still looks bad.

From here on as we steady head to Perez, which is the longest climb of abt 10+ km long. I got and idea suddenly for Axy's brother : Why not he become support car with our supplies? I still had loads of drinks n bananas in the car. Axy rang his bro and he was glad to be our support car. Yay! After about 8-10km or so tru kampung roads (this place really is ULU)........we came to the junction to turn left to Perez. And we started climbing immediately. Guys like Arif, Alwin all kuat kuat belaka climbed in front. I just wanted to enjoy the ride and see what this route is like.

Perez is much like Genting Sempah, but it has many flat areas. Only the peak u have to push up more. But the view of the hills, mountains, forests from up here is beautiful. Cool air in the 8.20am morning sun. Really nice. By 9am we all regrouped at the top of Perez. Two ladies, Michelle n May Senn came in with Vong companying them. Ate some bananas. Then continue.......see........i told u the support car was handy! What goes up must come down..........and so i thought. Just when i tot going downhill was about to be fun coz the corners here are nice and long and some really sharp and technical........the road goes up more abit. Sienz..........

From Perez we passed Jelebu, yes that means we are actually in Negeri Sembilan liao........at this point mileage is abt 30km+ i think. Maybe 40. Long lonely winding roads before we stop at Kuala Klawang. Axy and me got chased by two dogs but i told him to relax and just keep pedaling. Usually dogs that chase wont bite. They are just protecting their territory from strangers. So just ignoring them will be good enough. Regrouped finally at Klawang. Waited for the tail end. Chatted. Got to know each other. Then view the bikes. And funny enough........Alwin noticed my calfs being huge and with all the veins popping out. I admit yes........they are really cyclist legs........just tat i duwana brag abt it. Now they all refer my veins as tali dawai.......just coz its so huge and........errr..........exposed? Purely cosmetic i assured all of them.

From KK we will proceed to Lenggeng, a fairly quite town. But we had to tackle the famous Bukit Tangga hill. When i first saw it i was like..........in awe. It just goes up.......moderatel gradient but its for 4 solid km u have to climb. Even the lorries are struggling in 1st gear. The mental part is when we reached a corner.........it just winds going up even more.........me and Axy were like......HOLY CRAP. Slowly we paced up. The champ of the group is Amin. 19yr old malay boy. But a very very strong rider. Used to ride for Wilayah Perseketuan Team. So......theres real cycling blood in him. He went up Bkt Tangga........came down........and went up again! At that time we still have yet to reach the top!!! Nuts wei.........seriously........

After we finally got to the top.......caught our breaths, and then the fun part...........DOWN! The downhill was really fun.........not technical like sempah.........so we can go faster and worry less. Headwinds were very strong.......it just slams to ur bike and can throw u off the bike. But i managed to handle. After down, we regrouped again at the road leading to Lenggeng. By now about 70km covered........i tink. My meter was a little cuckoo today......wont read my speed sometimes. So off again to Lenggeng. And just as i thought hills were over.......this one big monster just stared right at us. I was like shouting "Hooi! Apa benda itu???!!!" I was almost at the point of cursing. This was a solid 2km climb as tough as Bkt Tangga. Man these things just never end..........and after we got down this monster......another one pops up after that.........cant get any worse can it?

12 noon
Finally after much huffing n puffing we got to take lunch at Lenggeng. Yes it was 12 noon. We were all under the sun and on the bike for 4 hours. Good time for some carbo loading. Had 2 Ais Sirap and Maggi Sup. After about 30 minits eat n chit chat, we had to get going. By now already 80+km covered. Anoter 50 or so to go..........zzz.......when will it end.

As we exit Lenggeng onto some new roads still under construction and in repairs.......the 6 guys in front started to pull away with speed. At this stage i couldt catch up with them. I was actually just bent to keep riding at my pace. Axy i saw him struggling too but he was far in front. And Vong with the 2 ladies was behind me abt 100 meters. They caught up. Axy and the 6 guys were gone in front. I though i would just join this slow group. Slow.......was........an understatement. They were faster than me. And i had to play catch up alot. And Vong happily offered services to push the ladies forward. Not to me...........buat duh ajer dia. Ni yang tak aci pulak..........

After some time i got to go infront of them........and some how after some water and a banana.......i manage to get the power to push hard forwards. The road was widing........but thats what i like.......coz to me i go faster on winding roads.........probably there was tail wind as well which pushed me. I left the 3 behind. And far in the distance i saw Axy slowly riding. I notched up a gear.....and got into race position and finally caught him after about 5 minutes. We slowly rode.......and no sooner we were in the outskirts of Kajang. We had to use a short section of main roads..........civilization after 90km. Thank God.

Then we turn into the road which links back to Kuala Klawang and Batu 18. From here it was a very long straight busy road. Lots of potholes.......and my chain jumped off at 1 point. But i managed to get it back in without stopping.
The time at this moment was approximately 1.30 in the afternoon. more to 2pm i think. I wasnt focused on distance. I was just focused on getting home. I was in mid day hot sun. My arms have turned red......my legs are getting tired and im almost out of steam. Even Axy looks fresh than me. And he keeps complaining its boring coz the road is too straight and empty. Zzzz.........we entered Semenyih.......yes back in Selangor. I just reflected the last 100km or so when we crossed the Titiwangsa range and into N.Sembilan.

We passed the Nirvana Memorial Park and Christian Memorial Park which was super huge and really nice scenery. We had to cycle abit more to Tekala, a recreational spot with rivers and waterfalls. Finally we met the front guys there........happily sitting down drinking. Now its like 2.30 afternoon. We needed the rest........i was really almost unable to go further. Legs hurting. And theres still 23km left to the carpark. Stone markers help alot in times like this. AFter a milo ais and another banana.........we were on the way again. As soon we exited the Tekala rest area.........the last climb of the day looms ahead. Its not steep.......but long also. About 2km i think. The front guys always get away.......just me in the centre and the rest at the back slowly climbing. From here i got to see what the Semenyih Dam looks like. Its relatively a small dam........the front of the dam was nicely decorated with grass n trees.

But when u get pass the front wall........u will see the huge lake that forms behind it. It was HUGE! And awesome! Really beautiful scenes. It really took my breathe away.....apart from the climb that i was still doing. The road goes along the lake shore.......and since it winds in some parts........u can see different views of the damn and lake. The km's ticked by one by one slowly as i go through more lonely ulu roads. Some winding and a little downhills. Which im happy coz i almost dont wana pedal anymore. Finally we reached the junction to turn back to Batu 18 that we passed earlier in the morning. Now i got a little motivation to go fast. Just 10km more.......and im through with Broga. Funny i didnt mention Broga itself coz it was actually a small town, ntg much. Just ride through it only.

The final 5km seemed like eternity to get back. Takes abt 15 minutes or so but i felt its likt 30 minutes. Maybe coz im starting to get delusional. Lack of brain matter. But no doubt after suffering the final few km..........i reached back at the car park. Alwin, Arif, Amin all sampai dulu. I came in later followed by Axy the Vong and the two girls.

I really got of the bike and let off some steam........btw.......the time at the point was 3.50pm. We have been riding for almost 8hours........6 hours on the bike........2hours for rest. My legs were all stiff and literally out of shape. Walking was like an impossibility. I really felt the suffering of the climbs, the long roads, the heat and the exhaustion. This was a really epic ride. I think for this year.......Broga is enough for me. We packed the bikes and had more food at a stall beside. Then by 4.30 we are on the way home.

Man..........sickening tiredness was all over my legs the most. And i stood in the shower at least 10 minits to cool off.

Now i just had one tiny problem...........im riding tomoro (Sunday 27/4/2008). 80km........why? Coz i made a promise........which i tink was a wrong one to make.

I just hope the legs can recover fast..........or else im dead.

Broga Ride
Dist : 135km
Time : 5hrs 50 minutes
Avg speed: 24kmh

Memories for all time.............

Everytime my heart looks back

All it sees is the foundation
The upbringing
The times

What cant be encased in the natural
Will be encased in the spiritual
In the soul in the spirit
For eternity remembers
What we do in life, echoes in eternity

The journey is memorable
The pain was forgettable
The joy was out of this world
And the heart still remains there
The have more of life

But for now
Memories play the role of a long ago era
When it was then........an experience

Our very own 3 Stooges.....
(Aizat, Wen Han, Alif)

Chow Kit has come to ACS.......nah kiddin.......lepak gang......
(Yue Kiong, Kaixun, Aizat, Asyraf, Wen Han, Alif, Terry)

Thats wat they call gaya.
(Evelyn, Khairunnisa, Angie, Amy)

Lesbians? Heck no.......just can stay away from each other
(Cheah Yen and Lin Foong)

Beverly Girls 32000
(Chin Ping, Ivy, Chin Yee, Siew Ying, Adelene, Lee King ,Mei Hwei)

Where will u find two gals praising our waste management system?
(Amy and Khairunnisa)

The athlete......
(Darren)

Dancing to the music of "Ayam Kepak"

(Cheah Yen, Chian Yin, Huey Ling, Lin Foong)

Always remembered.......
(Mee Soon, Terry, Alif, Loga)

Buddies + Brains = Craziness? Answer : Yes....
(Darren and Chee Eng)

Moulin Rouge reenacted
(Cheah Yen, Lin Foong, Chin Peng, Mei Hwei, Chian Yin, Huey Ling, Adelene, Ivy, Pei Xuan)

Brothers........in class only
(Kai Wei and Joseph)

The hysterical group.......
(Yue Keong, Kaixun, Kai Wei, Wen Han, Joseph, Darren, Mee Soon)

Arm wrestling minus the table?
(Kharunnisa and Chin Peng)

Malay beauties
(Munira, Fadhilah, Raja Nur Mahirah, Nurfathiah)

It would be a crime not to include the lady of the class, Pn Che Suzannah
(Caroline, Pei Xuan, Khairunnisa, Angie, Amy, Cheah Yen, Ivy)

Best of Buds
(Caroline and Caryn)

Who can ever forget them? Monitor and Assistant?
(Su Mee Soon and Chew Mei Hwei)

Another duo
(Chandra and Sagunthalai)

All the guys

Remind me to never pose like them...........
(Cheah Yen and Amy)

Well some love and peace to all i guess........
(Amy and Cheah Yen)

Best couple.........no doubt........
(Peter Tok and Lin Foong)

Strange Foreign Beauties
(Chian Yin and Huey Ling)

Finally........all the girls

Wait.........i aint done yet.....its not the end...........


Ok......now thats more like it

Thank You 5 Science 1

The End

Memories that last a lifetime............

This is something u all have to see from my school days! The most precious videos i have had from SMK Methodist ACS, Sitiawan.

This video was taken during the class photo session for the school magazine. So we happen to lepak at the school forum.........when we were all enjoying the pic taking moments........this happened...............

Narration by Tan Chee Eng n Darren Chan


This was during our preparation for the district Science and Innovation Carnival. Our projet was a Solar Hotdog Cooker which uses a parabolic mirror to focus light at a focal point to cook hotdogs. It really works as a hotdog is cooked in 5 minutes with sunlight. Temperature recorded at the focal point exceeded 100 Celcius. HOT! So as we dismantled the huge thing to be loaded in the car............drama unfolded...........

Actors : Tan Chee Eng, Darren Chan, Eve Teo

Memories..............*sniff*

Genting Sempah route profile

Heya folks........still feeling the KOM fever here. SO i managed to get the actual mountain profile for Genting Sempah.

The pic shows the genting sempah route that cyclist always use. The most bottom at 0KM is from the Islamic School. Even from there out actual altitude is abt 100+ meters.

The X - axis is distance and the Y- axis is altitude. Peak altitude, which is where the finish line was is at abt 600 meters. Distance is roughly25km but usually we all start counting from then Hospital Orang Asli (HOA) which is abt 7km from 0km.

Avegare gradient for genting sempah (or any hill tat u wana calculate) is : (Total Altitude Gained/ Total Distace traveled) x 100.

So GS is roughly (600m/15000m) x 100 = approx 4%.

4% is really shallow for a climb. Genting Highlands route on the other hand is about (1200/17000) x 100 = 7%. But some places it shoots to 20%......which means u go up 20 meters in 100m of distance traveled. Awesome..........

KOM Official Results

So heres what u and me have been waiting for..... King Of the Mountains results hehe

Yeah baby, i finished!

Name : Darren Chan Wai Mun
Race number : 100
Position : 62
Time : 43 minutes 16 seconds
Avg Speed : 20.9km

Can check the link if u dont believe me - http://kom.way2ride.com/
Hehe

Overall im pretty happy with my performance

^^

KOM Part 2 - More photos

More photos from King Of Mountains race. Enjoy them!!

King Of the Mountains Bike Race 2008 - Genting Sempah

Well something that i have always wanted to join on a big scale event.......joining a bike race. I remember back in secondary when seeing all those TdF and TdL reports........i wondered, when can i feel what its like to be in a race.

Heres the chance now. After registering and paying the fee plus collecting my lucky number 100 tag, Sunday (13/04/08) arrived. My preparation for this was really shallow coz i was busy lately. But then i just went ahead and give all that i have.

Got up at arnd 6.45am and wanted to go there early. To my horror i was drizzling. I did want to wait there.......but i thought it be even better to go there early to get all things sorted out. So what the heck.........i rode in the rain at 7am on a sunday. And mind u, its freezing cold. And the faster u go, the colder it gets...........brrr............i was wishing for a windbreaker badly. Now i know why they need to keep warm in the rain.

I reached the starting point which is at the Islamic School in Gombak. Nice little space for bikes n cars to park. Expected riders to turn up were over 180.......maybe 200 or more. This is a phenomenal sight to see........considering IM IN IT! Haha. Since it was only 7.30am.......just lepak around see who comes in. Lots of vans and cars with bikes all over the place. Banners for Polar heart rate monitors and PowerBar were all over as they are the main sponsors. Thanks to them, the entrance fee was kept real low. And we get 1 free PowerBar as well. ^^

I finally saw Mr Jamil, the first rider i met in KL since i brought my bike. Was good to see him in this race. We really chatted and caught up with one another. And fortunately Benny , store manager for Bike Boutique was on scene as well to provide free bike checkups and tuning. Jamil had a flat tyre........just what the doc ordered.

Time of start was at 8.30. More riders came in.......far as JB and Melaka n Kedah n even EAst coast. Once again i got really excited. Did a few warm up rounds so i didnt get cold legs. Then saw some of my riding mates. Even saw Khalid who came from home. Came here the night before.

Organisers got the field to line up at abt 8.30am. It was suppose to be a 7km rolling start. We dont race until we reach the proper 0km mark after the Orang Asli Hospital. At 8.45......we were let off in one big bunch. We had 5 police bikes to help clear the way and make things easy for 200 riders to cram on one small road. I was still nervous to go in the main peloton as im affraid of crashes. But no sooner than i thought..............the bunch uped the pace to 40kmh! It was suppose to be a slow start. But then they went fast.........and we havent even reached 0km. Haiz.......so early suffer liao. How will i get up sempah with this kind of pace? Boys from the Armed Forces and the National Sports Council were dominating the pack........as well as our own W2R guys. I just hung at the back drafting.

As we crossed traffics lights.........took corners...........people saw us. Wonder what they felt seeing this peloton racing past them. I forgot to set my meter so i was really a bit blur abt my distance n avg speed. But luckily i knw the route well enough.

Suddenly in front the bunch was in chaos as 2 or 3 riders fell. One was at the road side.......looks ok to me but must be a bit dazed. Crashes at 40kmh are not pretty. I can wreck the bike n rider sometimes. i managed to gain some position up the field. We just passed the Hospital and the starting line is just after a small bridge. I heard the air horn go off and we were underway racing. The peloton just kept going ahead. I couldnt follow. I didnt want to follow coz i knw i will get in trouble. I just kept the first few km high pace to catch up some time. Behind me are still more riders esp the Mountain Bikes coz they are heavy and slower. In front a line of riders strung out along the road. Slowy i caught some.

After the first hairpin which where the real climb starts i was alone for a while. Then i caught two guys in front and just followed a while. It was Tabira and another guy actually. So i passed them steady at abt 23kmh. They tried to follow me. I just kept pace and after a while i lost them. There is a section of road abt 3km long which is flat and there i turned up the gears and made like a train on tracks. Soon i caught another two riders. A chinese guy. and then the other i realised was Alim. His pace is as good as mine so i stuck to him. Two guys working together is better.

At this point already a million thoughts ran in my brain. Wheres the peloton? how far are they in front. whats my actualy ride time (i forgot to time n set everything coz things just went too fast to stop and check). i kept pace with Alim around 19-20kmh. Using my second lightest gear to get a nice good cadence. The chinese guy eventually fell behind.....just me and Alim most of the time. My legs were already hurting. I was taking extremely huge breaths of air. My heart rate was almost at max level. And i still had to go on. I pushed really hard. Didnt give into temptation to slow.

Alim really tried to lose me a couple of times. Sudden bursts of sprints. But i manage to catch. But at one point he led me abt 10 meters and i was just keen to keep my own pace. In front we found a few more slow riders. Potong sayur we did. LOL.

In Genting Sempah, if u reach the transmission tower......ur nearing the end but u will be getting the most punishment........ 4 short steep climbs. One is really short abt 30 meters........the longest is abt 100 meters. And these are tiny switchbacks actually. Switchbacks are like hairpins........sharp corners but goes UP in elevation. But i have found a way to tackle these guys and i knew which ones i can attack and which ones i just keep steady.

The first SB i manage to reel in alim........and i was along side him now. Then he went behind me. Now mind u my legs were in deep hot pain by now but i didnt want to slow down. And i didnt want to let Alim get ahead of me. On the second shallow SB i opened up a small gap. we had a girl rider tagging us also for a while after she drafted behind some cars......which was really "main tak aci" aka "not fair". well i didnt mind at all. So 3 of us stuck together. I heard there was abt 2km left to climb and i just sat and conserved energy for the final push. My strategy was to attack on the final corner. To many that is a hell corner coz its steep, but i love it for some reason and i can climb it really nicely. And the last 2 SB's are actually just 200 meters apart. So after the 3rd one i was ahead of alim and the girl. And i kept a distance with some pace. And as soon i got to the last corner i dropped 2 gears to my 21 rear cogset and stood up and mashed the pedals. This time i really split the 3 of us apart and my tactic worked. I had destroyed the small group i was in. Haha. Finally something worked in this race.

And i saw the 1km marker as soon i got to the top............so i pushed some more........i constantly checked back to see if anyone followed me. up until 500 meters i still couldnt see anyone. I kept pushing. There was just one more small bend to go before i see the finish line. I kept at around 25kmh. And soon........the sight i was waiting for........the FINISH line. I took one finaly look back and i saw them 100 meters back. I just sat up as i came across the line. And now i can finally REST.

MY heart pounding. taking lots of air. And i was exhausted. Legs were like jelly. But i made it to the line. Happy to finish a race. Then Alim and some others came in. I found a place to rest waiting for the other frends to come in. One by one they came. Few minits apart. And after was all said and done......we gathered and talked abt the ride, sharing wat we went through and chit chatting. We had to wait for all to finish then only will the prized be given. I got from Alim that his time in was 46minits. So i should be at 45 minits since i was a bit infront. A personal best for me up this 550 meter tall mountain. Its taller than KLCC by 100 meters!

Later i found out the winner was clocked at 33minits to the line. Seriously nuts. And what more since they are National Sports Council riders training under national coaches. There should be an elite category and a general category. Other wise the results wont be really justified.

After all the prize giving and all.........we went back down the mountain. Balik rumah and rested. But later one went to PC Fair with Zhang Song to find a new motherboard for Faiths pc. And then i went to attend church's second service at 5pm. Honestly i was sleepy n tired n dozed off a lot of the time. Sorry God but i was really tired. So i didnt really rest until later at night after the Man Utd vs Arsenal match.

My legs were so damn sore. But anyway...........Man Utd beat Arsenal 2-1.......... wohooo!

So next years KOM i hope to improve my time and postition.

p/s : Official positions and times be out later this week after all things are sorted out with the organisers.

KOM Photos!!

Here are some KOM photos from the race. Courtesy of mr Jamil and G2Cycles. Later more pics n the story coming soon.

All systems go!

Its me on race day morning! Howdy guys!

Me n Mr Jamil having some time to make history.........

On your marks riders!

Go Go Go!!!!

The pack on the move!

Can see me? Im in the centre behind the red jersey rider. ^^

The riders arriving at the finish.....

Sprint to the max! And an MTB beats a roadbike.........malu siot!

Haiz...........tak menang menang lagi tahun ni........

We are one hot bunch of guys arent we?

Posing cool........steady.........control hansem

Just did u all see that pink elephant in the forest? I swear it was pink!!