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

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.

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 !

Kona CoilAir Supreme - Dan's new Frame

Team AEG shares the excitement of Dan Ooi's new frame... a Kona CoilAir Supreme !!!
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/freeride-full-suspension/kona/coilair-supreme/PRD_416377_1543crx.aspx (Click for MTBR's review on the frame)









The frame is currently under completion to be an ultimate All Mountain/Freeride bike.. Which Dan will later use it as an Ultimate Penang Hill Downhill machine... Stay tune for his review...

Iron Horse Warrior 4.0

We heard of people getting presents for Birthdays, Christmas, Father's Day.... But I think this is first time in history, someone is buying a present for oneself on a Labour Day !!  (Well, just grab any excuse you can.. ) I bought a new bike for myself on Labour Day, as a Labour Day present...  All my hard work/labour in office, this is the reward !

Iron Horse Warrior 4.0 Trail Bike

http://www.ironhorsebikes.com/bikes/warrior/warrior4.php 

Size 17", FRAME 5" TRAVEL TRAIL DUAL SUSPENSION, SINGLE PIVOT W/ SEALED BEARINGS,
REAR SHOCK FOX VANILLA R COIL, 7.5"X2"
FORK MARZOCCHI Z1 Sports 160MM TRAVEL
HANDLEBAR ALLOY RISER, 31.8MM CLAMP
STEM ALLOY XC, 31.8MM CLAMP
HEADSET NO 10, ZEROSTACK
BB FSA POWER DRIVE, 73X113MM
CRANK FSA DYNA DRIVE 170MM,
RINGS FSA, 42/32/22T
PEDALS WELLGO ALLOY PLATFORM
CHAIN KMC Z-72
SADDLE WTB PURE V SPORT
SEATPOST ALLOY MICRO ADJUST, 30.0MM
F. HUB ALLOY DISC, 32H
R. HUB ALLOY DISC, 32H
F. DER SHIMANO Deore, 34.9MM CLAMP
SHIFTER SRAM X4
CASSETTE SRAM 11/32T, 8SPEED
BRAKES TEKTRO IHB W/ 160MM ROTORS
BRAKE LEVER TEKTRO (Which I later upgraded to 8" Shimano)
RIM WTB SX24, 32H
SPOKE 14G STAINLESS
TIRES ITS NINJA, 2.35" FRONT/2.1" REAR
COLORS BLACK SATIN

Well, no more excuse for not able to cycle up a steep hill .. or unable to ride downhill very fast.. hahah..