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

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

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...

Penang Hill : Ultimate DH paradise in Penang

Penang Hill. 168 hilltop as referred by Hikers or Bikers.

Getting up to Penang Hill, you can choose the hard way (Video Below)

Or the easy way :

Penang Hill Tram !

Both ways.. brings you to the top eventually...

The downhill experience in Penang Hill is so far the best that Team AEG have had. Let's show you a sneak preview of how fun it can be.. and how "eventful" too...

Stay tuned for more.. we will be heading there soon again to get better videos...

Youth Park MTB Touge Movie

To make a Downhill trail movie more interesting, Dan and I choreograph this video to make it look interesting. With the help of my wife Jessie as the Videographer.. I think we did a great job.

Location : Youth Park #3 , Penang

Enjoy !

Balik Pulau 25km round trip

May 17th.. A long awaited date for our long distance round trip. Found the trail in Everytrail.com http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=133031 and we loaded into our bicycle GPS. We had it in 3 units.. GPS 60, HT Diamond and another one.. just in case we really got lost in the jungle.

Started off from Taman Mutiara, we took the Botanica.CT road to avoid traffic and head towards Balik Pulau town for brunch and to stock up on energy bars, lunch packs and water...

Cycling up from Balik Pulau town towards Kpg Titi Serong is simple. Mostly tarmac and slight climb. However right after the first Hut built in the middle of the road, the climb became intense. Certain parts are as steep as 30 degrees. So, I ended up pushing my bike in most parts of it. To add on to the pain, it started to rain. We sheltered under a huge Durian tree for 25 minutes and alas, we were drenched, so decided to continue on... the rain stopped right after we had out lunch on the hilltop hut.

From hill top hut, we cycled another few KMs and we lost out way.. found out that we had to make a turn in the a jungle track.. to our surprise, the track is a 1 foot wide cemented path in the jungle ! Some of the cement path were cracked or washed away, but 80% of it is still quite nice.

We also met with a few fallen trees. Had to push the bike over it, under it and sometimes adventurous enough to ride thru it..

We met another gang of riders shortly, and the world is so small, we found Jane Lim's blog with their ride's updates.

Some part of the track, our GPS signal was lost due to thick trees and valleys.. But we were on track as we can follow the trails that the others left behind. Our main problem was always the Y junctions and the cross roads.. We need to ride an additional 50 - 100m to check out the trajectory. (we went off course a total of 3 times.. )

Anyway, right after we reached the cross roads to Tiger Hill, IronX, Dam, Sg Pinang.. The ride became easier.. Weee....

Then we reached this Vegetable Farm.. with Water Crest plants and Mint plants !! The air was filled with smell of fresh mints. We stopped and took some pictures... and me, the crazy one tried an Iron Man pose.. which I regretted later as it ached my already tired muscles on my body...

The ride from there towards the final stretch of cemented road towards Titi Kerawang main road was nice... I was nearly bitten by a dog...

and Ooi drifted and nearly crashed..

We cycled a bit uphill to Titi Kerawang Waterfall after reaching the mainroad. All because our CamelBaks and HydraPacks are all dried up already.. Went there to wash our faces (and hair), bought drinks and we even washed our bikes.. 

After which, we just cruise our way back to Taman Mutiara.. and I got the GPS tracks loaded and plotted this out.. Our first contribution to GPX mapping.. hehehe

- THE END -
Stay tuned for more next week...

Team AEG's first event of the year will be NTMTBA's event on 21st June  2009 !!

We have got ourselves registered !! 

More info @

http://ntmtba09.blogspot.com/

The trail :

Elevation - Click here

Penang Hill 84/Youth Park Offroad DH

After warming up from our previous week's ride, Team AEG joined some of the experts in DownHill biking to Penang Hill !! And yet again, this time it turned out different from our plans again. We were suppose to be there early to catch a Truck ride up to the top of Penang Hill. Instead, the truck was full and we were forced to cycle up to 84. While the rest on the truck will go up to the peak of Penang Hill and offroad downhill to meet us at 84...  Hmmmpmmm

Well, we arrived at 84 at last, after much stopping and pushing. Actually just on time too as the rest from the hill top had also arrived at 84. Having hot drinks and chatting. 

See the boy in orange ? He is SuperBoy I think.. he cycled with us from the foot up to 84. As we were too slow, he went ahead to 84 first... but after 25 mins of waiting.. he came back to look for us and cycled back up to 84 again... and did not even sweat !

First shot of me along the trails. This time I am riding a Polygon Axion 2007 - Full sus. Overall, the bike is quite good. A bit of the heavy side, but it is kinda comfortable. But I wasn't in a good position to comment much as this is my first Full Suspension bike. 

Another shot of the Polygon, this time, stuck in a Ditch ! And rain clouds are all over us.. it was about to rain !

Well, it did rained.. and we did get wet. But after that, we manage to reach Youth Park trail and the sky cleared to have some nice pictures !! Too bad I only brought my handphone along.. pictures wasn't quite nice.

KM, Ooi and Teoh. We are all wet and the bikes are kinda muddy after the rain... But we are anxious to have a blast along Youth Park Downhill trail. (For more video on this trail, you can click on the videos on the right)

Reached the car park..  and this is the shot of my shin/knee guards...  DIRTY ! 

Anyway, this is really a nice trail. Especially the Youth Park one.. I will surely come back for more Penang Hill Off roading.. but, with a better Full Suspension bike.. Gonna throw sell off this Polygon... 

Team AEG's First big adventure

Team AEG's First adventure after the Team was formed was on 12th April. Initially we planned to have just a normal Air Itam -> Air Itam Dam and back kinda trip. However, we then changed the plans to downhill to Balik Pulau and take the same route back....  None of us thought that this plan is about to change again !!

A last minute tweak on Ooi's hydro brakes. His AVID Juicy 7 were leaking, so loaned one from Teoh. Chye helped to hold the bike still while Ooi and Teoh is using all their force to pull out the Grip.. hahaha... While I do the most useless thing of all... Take pictures.. 

Story cut short.. The uphill part to Air Itam dam was normal of us.. I did not take pictures but instead, some videos.. 

It was tiring.. especially for the newest MTB riders amond the team, me... We had a lot of stops, because of me too.. 

Reached Balik Pulau, had lunch : the usual Famous Balik Pulau Laksa (just like any other MTBer in Penang) and we had a crazy idea! Let's ride back to Air Itam using the Tun Sardon road ! It is easier... 

Here I am, looking fresh as if nothing happened.. Actually I am very tired..

Ooi and Teoh.. They are not acting fresh, they are still fresh and not tired at all.

Downhill from Jalan Tun Sardon was GREAT !! I manage to break my land speed record (on bike that is).. 61.5km/h on a Kona Roast !

After reaching the foot of Jalan Tun Sardon, instead of taking a turn to Air Itam, we made a right for more downhill action towards Relau... 

We sort of gave up actually.. and parked the bike at my parents in law's place and took their car to get our cars in Air Itam.. haha..  Well, it was a great adventure nevertheless !!