Mavic Crossride Disc Wheelset

Mavic Crossride is one of Mavic's budget wheelset. The rims are made of 6106 aluminum and is available in black. I've never seen any other colors. The spokes are bladed spokes which is a bit costly to replace compare to normal round spokes.

These wheelsets comes with 6 bolts or centerlock depending on which one you prefer. I prefer bolts as it is easier to change the disc brake rotor. But some prefer center lock as it will not loosen the rotor after constant braking.

From inquiry at the bike shop, there are 2 types of models and have different quality. The ones that come along with bike are made in China whereas the ones for aftermarket are made in Romania. The price difference between the 2 are also quite significant as the ones made in Romania are of better quality and more durable.

From info I got from 2 bicycle shops, there are a few cases where the hubs break and the whole hub need to be replaced. So you are planning to get one, get one that is made in Romania which is a bit harder to find compare to the one that is made in China.

Penang Car Free Day 12/11/2011

Suntour XCM V3 Low end budget Suspension fork

If you are looking for a budget suspension fork below RM250.00, this is one of the fork you could buy. It is a coil suspension fork with Turn Key Lock. This fork also has hydraulic damping which is not bad considering the price. On the right side it has the hydraulic lock out and on the left  is the coil spring.

I comes with 80, 100 or 120mm travel which can be adjusted by a professional bike shop. For a beginner this fork is ok and could take a lot of bashing. However the bad thing I dislike is this fork is heavy which makes it not that suitable for XC racing but for recreational rides it should be no problem.

XTC 2 (2011) Mtb frame

I bought this used frame to upgrade my bike. This is Giant's XTC race performance bike frame. A brand new 2012 model would cost approx RM1,300. Therefore I opt to go for used 2011 model since there is not much differences compare to the 2012 model.

This frame weight is less than 1.5kg which is considered under the super light category of mountain bike frames. Any lesser than that would be carbon fibre or mix of alloy and carbon.

What I learn from the seller who sold me this frame, the previous owner upgraded to carbon fibre frame.

 

In my opinion, if you are able to get a reasonable price used super light frame which is still of good condition why not? 

The balance you can use to spend on other items such as hubs, rims or a carbon handle bar.

Merida Matts Lite XT (2012)

The Matts Lite is one of Merida's top end Hardtail mountain bike. It comes with triple butted superlight alloy frame which is lighter than the Matts series. This bike below comes with almost full set of Shimano XT components except the brakes.

 This bike also comes with Fox 32 Float 100 suspension fork which cost almost RM2,000.

If you are looking for a bike that comes with most XT components, this bike could be considered as one of your choice. Just need to change the brakes to XT brakes and you will have a bike with complete XT groupset.

The price of this bike is not cheap either. It cost about RM6,100. However, the advantage of getting this bike, is you don't have to upgrade or change unless the components wear out. If you want to go higher it will carbon fiber frame and Shimano XTR groupset.

Polygon Helios 300 (2011)

While surveying some road bike. I notice this road bike by Polygon. This bike come with almost full set Shimano Tiagra 9 speed components. This bike also comes with a carbon fork which is very common even for entry level road bikes nowadays. The handle and brake angle is also positioned higher so a beginner rider don't need to bend too much. I inquired the boss and he told me this bike cost about RM2,400.

In my opinion, this is a very good price. This bike is also a step higher than the Helios 200. If you want to shift to racing from mountain bike and don't want to invest a huge amount, this bike is also worth considering other than the Helios 200. Although it is a bit expensive, you get full set of Shimano Tiagra which is one step lower than the famous Shimano 105.

Polygon Cozmic CX5.0 (2012)

Polygon Cozmic CX5.0 is one the top line hardtail mountain bike below the CX6.0. This bike comes with full set Shimano SLX 30 speed components and Shimano Hydraulic brakes. No upgrades are needed until the components wear out.

Another thing, this bike has Ritchey stem and handlebar which is not cheap if we were to purchase it separately. The suspension fork is Marzocchi Marathon LR which is an air fork with coil. From the Marzocchi website this fork is approx 1.9kg which is a bit heavy. Base on reviews, although this fork is lean towards heavy side, it is reliable.

For the detail you can visit the link below:
http://www.polygonbikes.com/index.php?pgid=d_bike&bikeid=378&par=78

Giant TCX Advanced SL – Just In - BikeRadar

Arriving on the BikeRadar office doorstep just as the heart of the cyclo-cross season is getting underway is Giant's TCX Advanced SL flagship, which is being raced on the World Cup circuit by Katie Compton, Bart Aernouts and Gerben de Knegt.

The TCX Advanced SL shares much of its design DNA with the road-going TCR Advanced SL, with features such as a tapered front end, rectangular-section MegaDrive down tube, extra-wide PowerCore bottom bracket with press-fit bearing cups, and integrated seatmast. Giant have made a number of adjustments to make the TCX Advanced SL more suitable for its chosen discipline, however.

Ride quality is high on the list of priorities here, with the TCX's shallower seatmast cross-section, offset seat cluster, slim seatstays, much flatter top tube and generally smaller-profile tubes throughout all intended to provide a smoother feel on rough courses. The tapered front end is also downsized from the TCR (1-1/8 to 1-1/4in instead of 1-1/4 to 1-1/2in).

Read below for more info:

Giant TCX Advanced SL – Just In - BikeRadar

Penang Arab Restaurant - TajSaba for Original Arabian Cuisine

It's been a while since I visited this Arab restaurant in Bukit Gambir. This place is the cheapest place for a good middle eastern food in Penang Island.

First to be served is the chili paste(Sahawak), soup and Arab blackcurrant drink (Vimto)

Next comes the mutton mandi rice set. As shown below the portion is quite big. It comes with some salad by the side.

Next is the Chicken Mandi Set which I tried last time. This time, the rice used are Basmati rice which are longer and more fragrant.

The mutton is one of the best I've eaten. The meat is tender and full of flavor. It is so tender that you can tear it just by using fork and spoon. Even the tendon parts are very soft and not tough.

They also have whole roast chicken which is made to order. The chicken is wrapped in foil and roast to perfection in the brick oven. This dish is made to order.

The chicken is very tender could be easily cut into half just by using fork and spoon.

For those who fancy economy middle eastern cuisine, this is the place you don't want to miss. They are open from 12.30 until at night. The best time would be around 12.30 when they just finish cooking as the dishes are fresh.

For bookings you can contact the manager
Ibrahim @ 016-4334460.

Address :2-1-18 Halaman Bukit Gambier, Ivory Plaza, 11700 Penang, Malaysia.
Email : sabarestaurant@yahoo.com

BM Mtb Carnival 2011

This event is organized by Love Pedaling (LP) Mountain Bike club. The venue of this event is Sg Lembu Bukit Mertajam in a light industrial complex which is almost abandoned. I took my friend's place as he could attend the event. All riders gather at 6.30am, it was a surprise to see so many of them. Approx 1,600 participants.

The riders are escorted by supercars at the start of the event.

Girls sticking stickers on riders number plates as proof. This is the first checkpoint which is the starting line. There are total 6 stickers which all riders need to collect from 6 checkpoints to complete the ride. Minimum 4 stickers is entitled for door gift.

This trail is quite tough as there are 2 hills to climb and most of it are single track. The amateur riders including me push our bike up the slopes as it is too steep for us to ride up. This is also to save energy.

The trail also led us into oil palm and rubber plantations which is cooling and nice in the morning. However, climbing up the hill is very tiring.

My friends and I was not really prepared for such a tough ride. My friends and I were told it was a tough ride but it beats our expectation. Some of the riders, whom we befriended during the ride also admit it was tough. We didn't finish the ride, after collecting our 5th sticker, we were told to ride back to finish line as it was getting late and hot. Overall, this is a valuable experience and I hope to join again next year.

Polygon Helios 200 (2011)

My friends and I were discussing if we should try out road bike since none of us has ridden one before. With a budget not more than RM2,500 we began to survey what does the market had to offer. I found a few 2011 models which fits into our budget range. We haven't seen the 2012 models on display yet as the shops say road bikes are not fast moving compare to mountain bike.

This bike above is the Polygon Helios 200 which cost approx RM1,600. This the the cheapest model that is I could find with 18 speed. It comes with alloy frame and carbon fork which is very common for a decent road bike. Next it comes with a mix of Shimano Sora and 2300 gears and FSA Vero crankset.

Not much can be said on the price and the accessories . However, if you are a newbie to road bike, this bike can be considered as a first bike before investing larger amounts of money for a high end road bike. If you find road bike is not suitable for you, it will be easier to sell than the high end models and you won't loose a lot.

King of Mountain (KOM) Cameroon Highlands bicycle ride

This is the 2nd King of Mountain (KOM) ride up Cameron Highlands on 10/9/2011. I didn't go for the ride as I'm not free on that day. These pictures are courtesy of my friend who went for the ride and this is his experience.

 From his observation, he told me most of the riders rode road bikes. There were not many on mountain bikes. From the pictures, it looks like an easy ride up to Cameron but in reality it is not.

Base on their feedback, it is a tough ride and it would be good to have a support vehicle following from behind if you plan to ride on your own in case there is an emergency. Other than that it is also a good place to train uphill rides.