Final bash for the year 2012 and it's a night ride at the vast palm oil estate of Elmina, Shah Alam. Rode here before with GTL (Gemuk Tapi Laju) MTBers during the month of Ramadhan in 2011. We started around midnight after terawih when all the food had been properly digested, and ended around 2-3 a.m.
When it comes to night ride, I always have lighting issues. To make things worst, I only started to sort it out in the afternoon of bash day. Called everyone I know if I could borrow their lights. The always reliable Pak Mat lent me his DIY helmet lights but obviously the batteries were flat. Managed to get a good 1 hour of charging. Brought along my head light as back up and I'm glad I did.
Brought out the Louis Garneau hard-tail bike which had been collecting dusts and spider webs in the storeroom. Riding with Uncle Jo who I believe did not miss a single bash this year. Not many riders turned out for the bash as it was on Saturday evening. The ride started at 6.30 p.m. I got too excited, I forgot to wear my gloves which I had already packed in the car.
The ride was fast and smooth up to the point where the long and short ride parted ways which was already 1/3 of the long ride according to the hare stationed there. The DIY helmet lights didn't even see any action as it wasn't bright enough. So, I took out my head lights and put in some new AAA batteries. Now with the extra weight on my head, I carried on into the darkness.
At times when I was riding alone, I got the usual chill at the back spine. Couldn't ride fast because constantly looking out for papers. Over ran the paper trails about 3 times, but all with a group of riders. There this one situation where me and 2 other riders over ran a paper trail. Me and 1 of the riders decided to turn back to the last place we spotted a paper. However, the other rider stubbornly kept riding forward. He said he know that route is heading home. I gave him a shout telling him that I'm turning back and that we should follow papers. It's not a matter of getting back to home base, but it's a matter of riding the trails that the hares already set out for the bash ride.
Arrived back at the car after 2h 47m of riding. No mechanical break down
from the bike, and no cramps from me which is always good. Another
great night ride. Really need to get my own set of lights. I said this
in my last night ride in Sepang. I'd even said this after I rode with
GTL here a year ago =P
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| How we spent our Saturday evening |
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| You can't never have enough headlights |
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| Photo of KLMBH |
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| Photo of KLMBH |
