Penang Hill MTB DH Race on 27 Sept 2009 prt 2

Second part of the race, longer version of the video.
Hope enjoy the video



Cheers
Dan

Penang Hill MTB DH Race on 27 Sept 2009

Penang DH team had successfully organized the Penang Hill Mountain bike downhill race on 27th Sept 2009 Sunday.

I was been told by Johnson that we have an assignment from Penang DH team 2 days before the race, we been assigned to be videographer for that day. It’s our pleasure to have chance to be videographer in such great event. Johnson was trying to get another Canon 500D for me so that both of us can take full HD video but the plan was turned down the night before the race and I have to use a normal quality viewcam to record the race but Johnson still can record full HD video by using his Canon 500D, that is still not total bad news.

Total 30 downhillers participate in this race. The qualifying race starts around 9.30am. After qualifying race all qualified for final race rider have chance to take some light breakfast before the final race. Final race starts around 11.30am. The race end 12.30pm.

Here is the video and hope all enjoy the video.



Cheers

Dan & Johnson

Mountain bike jumping and resting

I like mountain bike jumping very much. Not really good in it, always crash after jump but sometime just forgot the lesson learn and start to pedal faster again and pull the bike up and jump over the bump.

Recently just did the mountain bike jump again in Penang Youth Park MTB trail and this time is with Johnson's full HD video SLR camera. In earlier post I did mentioned about this and I not going to repeat again here.

In this post, just thought of sharing some short video of jumping riding and some photo resting after battle the whole hill.







Cheers
Dan

Full HD, Canon 500D, Mountain bike

Canon, the world leading manufacturer in doing camera business. SLR camera - Single lens reflex camera is one of highiest end camera in the camera line up. Most pro, semi-pro photographer or photographing lovers will like to use SLR camera to take photo, you will never see a pro photographer from any famous bridal house will take a slim body, light weight, limited parameter adjustment camera to take photo for a pair of bride and groom or any sports photographer will use small compact camera to take photo in MU vs Arsenal match or super fast Red Michael Schumacher Ferrari F1 over taking Alonso Blue Renault. There're a lot of models for SLR, cheapest below RM2.2k and most expensive could be over RM20k.

Few years back, digital camera with video recording feature is no more new thing for user but SLR camera with video feature is definitely new technology, thanks to camera manufacturer, they never stop to bring new technology to us - consumer, they come out with embeded video feature SLR camera. In another word, we need to save more money to buy new gadget. SLR camera is the highest end camera in the product line up and for sure the camera manufacturer will not put in any cheap skill video technology in it, they introduce the new full HD video SLR camera. Full HD - full High Definition, 1920 X 1080 pixels in 16:9 ratio wide screen which creates a frame resolution of 2,073,600 pixels in total.

Now a day, a lot of movie maker starts to make their movie in full HD format. What is benefit of full HD video versus normal conventional video? I believe a lot of people knows the different between full HD video and conventional video. Full HD video produce sharper and finer image. The latest full HD video recorder offers reasonable low price but yet still provide very high quality video.

One of our team member - Johnson, just bought a Canon 500D SLR camera, the camera is with build-in full HD video feature. He made few HD videos by using this new camera. The quality is superb nice with non fast moving video. We would like to show you a sample of the video and hope everyone enjoy the video below.




After the non moving video testing, we decided to test the camera with some fast moving action video such like our favorite sport - mountain biking. We decided to re-visit Penang Youth Park Number 3 trail again but this time is with full HD camera. Our intention this time is not to record the trail, we had the full trail last time in one of June posting, our purpose of this trip is to test out the HD video and capture some nice scene of Penang MTB trail and promote Penang MTB trail in our blog.

Hope everyone enjoy the video, especially the green of the trail. This is the short one and hopefully Johnson can edit a longer version one soon and sure we will put it in our blog again once we have the longer version video.



Cheers Dan & Johnson

Mountain bike, suffer, fun, 最緊要好玩

Mountain biking, one of thousand sports. Some people play safe, some people play aggressive and some people play crazy. Play safe riders will have their own fun with little sweat, play aggressive rider will also have their own fun but with accompany of some unwanted "presents" and play crazy's rider need very much courage to repeat the action which just cause him/her almost dead. Everytime they get through the fears, they able to upgrade their skill to next higher level and they all is crazy rider.

I am not a crazy type rider, I play aggressive but definitely not crazy. I have very lousy skill and I learn a lot of lessons when everytime I push myself beyond my limit. No matter how much price I need to pay, I just can't resist to try it again and again. I cracked my helmet, crack my ribs and palm bone but I still hop on my bike after recover. Mountain biking is a sport you will get addicted after you try for the very first time. It has magic power to attract you to continue.

Palm bone fracture after Nibong Tebal Jamboree 21 June 2009, from the X-ray photo, can see a small screw put inside the bone to align the bone to original position.

The X-ray photo before put screw, obviously can see the bone is break into 2 and already dislocation.

We didn't capture video how high I airborne flying and how I crashed, all I heard from Johnson is he saw me airborne and landed but he not too sure why I crash after the landing. But we did capture some videos after crash, Teoh is giving me some anticeptic spray. That's real pain.
No matter how, after 1 month plus be a good boy stay at home, then I start to hop up on my bike again to try out something mild, riding in my flat's multi storey carpark and some road riding.

Mountain bike sport is very depend on the rider's thinking to see how he/she enjoy the process. The process of pedaling uphill could be exhausted and suffering, everytime I will ask myself why I want to take this suffer, by this clock I should still lying on my lovely bed and just kill the time by doing nothing, why I just not to do so but come to nowhere in the middle of jungle and suffering leg muscle pain and lung explode pain. Well, the rewards is something can't describe with words, when after all efforts put in to pedal uphill and finally standing at the top of the hill and see down, the earth is under my feet. The feeling is so much enjoy. And the most important thing is the next thing you going to enjoy is the downhill. This is the greatest rewards. Mountain biking is a fun activity, just depend on you, how to enjoy it. You find the way to enjoy it then mountain biking will be fun and if you don't then you will find some crazy people doing some crazy thing. Sam Hui (許冠傑) sing a song name 最緊要好玩 (Fun is most important thing), we just need to enjoy every moment in our life no matter it is pain and joy, just like doing mountain biking. No matter how suffer uphill, then the joy will come. Play hard and enjoy is the most important thing. I hope all will enjoy my video below.
Cheers Dan

Gambir Hill Trail prt. 1

Gambir Hill trail is XC type trail and is definitely perfect offroad trail for high speed rider. It doesn't have any superb tough technical drop or jump but holes, rocks and drain on the trail is enough to get the rider's adrenalin rush when go high speed. I believe most of offroad type rider will not fully enjoy cemented trail, me too, this trail mixed with cemented trail (40%) and loose soil offroad trail with rocks and holes (60%). This trail not consider very steep and thus, if want to go real high speed, rider need to do some pedaling to gain enough adrenalin rush speed.

Sunday morning, heavy rain in midnight. The trail become wet and slippery. After do some preparation, such as seat angle adjustment and tires pressure check up, Teoh and I start ride. It's easy ride up, can still chit chating while pedal up (I would consider this trail is super easy ride up) while enjoying the green of the trail. If you look carefully on the grass beside the trail, you can see frogs, some unknown insects, bugs, lizards and some time you can see snakes (eventually I saw snake yesterday). But, this trail is very safe to ride, those creatures will not attack human unless their life in threaten. We take the trail heading to Paya Terubong, took us about 40 minutes to reach the junction to Paya Terubong. Take some rest then we start our video action.

Every time do video, sure very exhausted pushing the bike up again and again to get best shot. Teoh and I quit after few times push up our bike again and again and we decided to continue the video for the rest of trail section next week. Just to share the video we got yesterday and hope everybody enjoy the video. This video is just sneak preview part 1 and we will do another video this coming Sunday and will be sneak preview part 2. We have no idea when we will have full version video for this trail but for sure we will try to do our best to record the whole trail and share with all riders. Nothing big deal than sharing, cheers Teoh and Dan

Bike and free time

Every people has 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Everybody has 168 hours a week. 9 hours a day sit in office and 5 days a week. Spend 8 hours a day sleep and 0.5 hours a day doing some 'daily important business' (may vary depend on each individual, some loves to talk to the toilet for longer time and they will spend more time), probably 1 hour a day do some day dream, spend probably 1.5 hours a day stuck in traffic jam and 3.5 hours eat breakfast, lunch, tea break, dinner and supper, after deduct this and that, everybody still have 21.5 hours a week and that means everybody got 3.07 hours a day as free time. Each person may use different way to spend their 'earned' time.

Some people spend their time shopping

Some people spend their time enjoy natural scene

Some visit to famous place

Some spend their time walking around and take photo
Some enjoy good foods

With friends
And gathering with friends
Some spend few hours a week do sport such like badminton, soccer, basketball, tennis and many more... and kung fu action

For me, I will spend 70% of my free time with my bike (I am so glad that my wife allow me to spend 70% but not 0%). How could it be possible I can spend my 70% of free time to do biking? I don't have other things to do? Let me tell you all how I do it, everyday come back from work I always can do some riding near my house area. It not necessary to be hill, the fun biking place can be just in the multi-level car park, curb of road side and many more... Here, I would like to show you all a mtb video taken after I come back from work in weekday. Doing some skill practicing, staircase descent. It's not too hard for me to do with my Kona CoilAir. In fact, I just feel like I am sitting in a very comfortable car which the absorber of the car 'eat' up all the steps.

Again, nothing big deal than sharing and enjoy the ride. Everybody can enjoy their ride in their daily free time.

Kona CoilAir Supreme build diary

Oct 21, 2008, Tue night
Won bidding of a Kona CoilAir Supreme in ebay. The frame is 90% new, the first owner is pro rider. Communicate with the seller in few emails, get to know that he decided change to XC riding instead of Freeride. To me, I gonna to build the bike into All Mountain type. Will put a XC type crank on it. Very happy after won the bidding but also start to worry about my pocket, I gonna to fainted next month after receive the card bill.

Oct 31, 2008, Fri noon

Received an email from my friend who in US that moment for his business trip saying that he received the package. So happy the shipment arrives in time. Ask my friend to snap a photo of the parcel to show me.

The parcel nicely packedThe bike also nicely packed

Nov 01, 2008, Sat Morning

Received email from my friend he has to ask his colleague who is re-locate in US at that moment to help me bring back the bike frame due to the frame packaging is over the standard size and cannot be shipped. His colleague only will be back on June 2009. OMG!!! What a nightmare. What else can I do, just can wait.

Wait... Wait... Wait...

And Wait... Wait... Wait... Wait... again...

Time flying, very fast celebrate last day of 2008 and welcome the first day of 2009. Then CNY, then June come.

June 9, 2009, Tue Morning

Received email from my friend's colleague, the shipment arrive in Penang safely. What a good news. I can get my long-waiting frame finally.

Happy smile when holding the frame

June 13, 2009, Sat Morning

Bring my frame to Lim Bicycle shop to assemble into complete bike. Swap all the components from my old Giant NRS to the new frame.

Work in progress

My old red Giant NRS hanging on the wall after remove all the components, feel sad :-(

After fully build up then take a photo of the bike. Can see all old component

Luckily Johnson (AEG member) willing to take up my old NRS. I know he will be a good owner for the NRS. This also mean that I need to return all the components that I 'borrow' from his NRS after he buy over the NRS. OMG!!! Pocket punctuated again... Well, this also be a good reason for me to get total new bike (new bike and new component)

Items need to upgrade:

1.) Crank

2.) FD

3.) RD

4.) Seat post (borrow from another AEG member, Kona seat post size is very odd size 30mm diameter, need to pre-order)

5.) Handlebar

6.) Stem

7.) Wheelset

8.) Pedal

9.) Chain

10.) Headset

Part by part purchase... slowly build the bike into totally new bike...

Get Kona Wah Wah pedal for better grip performance

Then get Ritchey handlebar 710mm wide
Then get a pair of white wheelset...
After 100% fully build Kona CoilAir Supreme

The next thing after build up the bike, sure is take photo lah... and of course hop on and ride...
Cheers and happy riding.

Bunny Hop Practicing

Bunny hop is a very fundamental skill for mountain biking, it looks easy to learn but takes time to master it.
We can use bunny hop skill to clear some obstacle objects such rocks and roots on trail while doing XC riding. Some time in our riding, we meet some unavoidable obstacle in front of our way, some time if we just hit on the obstacle, could possible cause some unwanted circumstances happen. Rider always can stop in front of the obstacle and push their bike over the obstacle and then continue the riding but we also can just sit on saddle and use bunny hop technique to clear the obstacle and continue pedal without put our feet on ground. It just sounds so easy in the paper. Can start practicing the bunny hop by jumping off a low object first. Pedal some speed and lift the handlebar then lift rear wheel to clear the object. I been practicing the skill for long time but I still need very long time to able to master this skill, be frankly. From the video attached, you can see me trying my best to do the best bunny hop but seems like I still need more practicing to make it perfect. I am just beginner in this mountain bike hobby, a lot more need to learn.
This just a sharing. Nothing big deal than sharing and enjoy.
Cheers and enjoy the video.

Our 1st Round Island Trip

Team AEG had our 1st Round Island trip !!

Too bad Dan Ooi can't join this round as he is still recovering from his fracture.

It was raining in the morning.. from 3am till around 8am.. Our initial plan was to push off at 7am but was delayed to 8:15am because of the rain.

Pushing off from Tesco Egate.

Me with the Giant NRS3 from Project NRS. It is fitted with 1.5" Slicks for the trip.

It was a successful trip. And we covered 80km on this route : EGate - Jetty - Gurney - Tg Bunga - Bt Ferringgi - Teluk Bahang - Balik Pulau - Genting - Teluk Kumbar - Bayan Lepas - Bayan Baru - EGate

The only problem we faced was me getting bitten by a stapler !

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Check out our video !

Project NRS - Day2

By the end of 2nd Day.. Project NRS completed.

Added the missing items:

- Shifter cables (learnt how to measure and cut cables to fit)

- 1.7" Tubes on 1.9" Tyres

- SR Suntour Crankset

Additional items added :

- New set of Tektro Mechanical Brakes + Haynes 160mm disc

- Cateye VELO 8 cycling meter

- Bottle + Carrier

- Saddle Bag

The completed bike weighs 13.5kg.. Surprisingly light for a full sus bike with standard components... May get 12kg if I upgraded to some XT components.. but, that will come later..

Project NRS - Day1

End of Day 1... middle of the night...

I have gotten the NRS frame setup with :

- RockShok Judy Fork

- Stem

- Headset

- Handle bar

- Tektro Mechanical Brakes (Front and Rear)

- FD and RD

- Shifters (missing cables)

- Seat post + Seat

- Rear Cassette + Rims (Missing Tyres)

I am stuck as I can't get the Crankset taken out from the donor bike... (Which I later found out how to use the tool from the Bike toolbox I have..)

This is the Donor Bike... Don't be surprised.. A Kona Coilair Supreme... Looks familiar ? Yeah, it is Dan Ooi's bike.. assembled from the Frame imported from US... and now, I am hogging his parts.. hehehe

The bike tool....

Stay tuned.. for the next episod of Project NRS....

Project NRS

Team AEG's Dan Ooi recently upgraded from his Giant NRS 3 to Kona Coilair Supreme... Leaving behind his old frame, we decided to re-build this frame..

Stay tuned for the development of Project NRS... We will begin with building up the bike using left over spare parts from our personal "Store room" Then later on make it into an ultimate Lightweight XC machine... (IF the bike wasn't sold yet... hehehe)

Mt Erskine DH

Team AEG was invited by Penang DH Team to Mt Erskine. We were honoured to have CKOoi teaching the techniques starting from Beginner to Advanced.

Here are some of the practicing moments... enjoy !!

Next videos.. We will be trying to get Helmet Camera's for rider's view...

Team AEG @ NTMTBA

NTMTBA... and we were off !!! 1,030 riders on the road.. this is what it looks like..

TEAM AEG members had a full participation in the recent NTMTBA Jamboree. We also flew our Team AEG T-shirt... as you can see in the picture below.

This is the first time I am joining a Jamboree, I just realise, if you end up at the middle of the group when you are offroad and uphilling, you are doomed.. You are forced to join the crowd to push the bike up...

This was the Team's worst nightmare. KMChew's fork leaked !! All the air and oil came out from the middle of the tube..

Finally, with some Mc Guyver trick by using Allenkeys and high pressure pump.. The fork is serviced... We stick together as a team.. !!

The 2nd Casualty was Dan Ooi, took a serious hit when we were Downhilling the Checkpoint 2 to 3 section extremely fast... The crash was serious and alas, he broke his palm bone.

Although at the end, we did not manage to complete the 4 checkpoints (we got 2 and then guided by the marshalls to cycle on the tarmac back to starting point)... The team stick together, helped each other and we had a great time !!

Looking forward for more Jamborees... and to Dan Ooi : A speedy recovery (Doctor's advice : 3 months of rest)

Saddle for weight and comfort

My IronHorse came with WTB Pure V Race Saddle. Which I thought it was really good as it is comfortable and quite light (Compare to my other bike's Royal Selle)

* WTB "Pure V Race"
* Anatomic groove
* Synthetic leather cover
* Hollow chrome-moly rails
* 150mm width
* 277mm long
* Black
* 355gm
* Combines the wedge tail of the Rocket V and the drop nose of SST
* Flex-tuned Comfort Zone dual density shell. Love Channel soft tissue pressure relief groove
* Kevlar corners, lightweight DNA padding


Then recently, I got a great deal for a Bontrager Race Lite Saddle. The moment I lifted it, I felt that it was really light !! And the material was quite good too. My doubt was, it will not be comfortable.. However, after a few test rides.. It was proven to be as comfortable as the WTB... and since it helped me shave 150g off my bike's weight.. I am very happy with it



Bontrager Race Lite Saddle

* Superlight padding helps keep the saddle weight low
* Same great design as the Race X Lite
* Lux model has double the padding of the standard Race Lite saddle

Specification
* Cover : Synthetic Leather
* Rails : Hollow Stainless Steel
* Size : 278mm / 135mm
* Gender : Unisex
* Color : Black / Black
* Weight : 200g

Shimano DX Pedals PD-MX30

A new toy... Shimano PD-MX30... The only Shimano Platform pedals designed for DH... It comes with 10 exchangable studs each side... So 40 all together..

More info : http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/pedals/mountain/product.-code-PD-M647.-type-pd_mountain.html

The box contains 2 pieces of manuals and warnings with instuctions to change those grip-pins, 1 pair of pedals (of course) with pre-installled shorter grip-pins and a bag of longer grip-pins..

Here are the pedals with pre-installed short grip pins.. For flat shoes and XC usage...

The bag of grip-pins includes an AllenKey to install or remove those grip-pins.. .I started by removing them one by one.... :( Takes ages to remove all 40 of them..

Compaing the longer ones (one the right) with the shorter ones (on the left)

Another comparison, installed on the pedals itself...

The pedals side by side with my Wellgo pedals which came stock with my Iron Horse. Looked more futuristic.

Weeee..... Looked nice on my IronHorse...

Closer look of the grip-pins... and the markings on the side is DX... not XC !!! hahahahha

After riding test riding it, trying to jump a few bunny hobs and riding down some stairs.. I immediately posted my old pedals up for sale. There is no turning back after installing these pedals.. The grip is very nice.. and I managed to shave 100g off the weight of my bike !