Polygon Helios A5.0

My friend told me of a reasonable priced road bike near Super tanker food court in Penang. So one day I decide to drop in and take a look at it. This bike below is the Polygon Helios A5.0, 2013 model.

This bike comes with mix of Shimano 105 and Ultegra rear derailleur. The brakes is normal shimano brakes.

The frame is made of alloy and comes with a carbon fibre fork. This bike weighs around 8.6 kg. This also comes with a standard non-series shimano wheelset. In my view this bike is good for beginners who want a bike with good groupset and value for money. 

Giant TCR Advanced 2 2012 review - Bikeradar

If you’ve been studying bike test form recently, then you’d  be daft to bet against Giant when it comes  to ride quality at any price. The TCR Advanced is a proper thoroughbred that will delight both experienced race jockeys and those just moving from a canter to a fast gallop.

Ride & handling: Super light, powerful and ultra precise

Please click here to read about the review.

Culprit Croz-Blade - Disc-equipped aero road bike

Culprit Bicycles, an American brand being made in Taiwan and selling direct to the public, are preparing to launch their first bike, the Culprit Croz-Blade. It's a lightweight aero road bike that will be aimed at racers, but with a twist.

Company founder Joshua Colp has the firm belief that "disc brakes are the future" for road bikes and will be offering the Croz-Blade either with hydraulic disc brakes (likely TRP Parabox) or TRP TTV brakes behind the fork and under the chainstay for those who want a more aero option.
He says the prototype shown here weighs 7.3kg (16.09lb) for a 56cm frame built with SRAM Red, TRP Parabox, a 110mm carbon stem, 440mm c-c bars and 58mm carbon clincherwheels. That's not forgetting the striking colour scheme, which will no doubt polarise the opinions of BikeRadar readers. Five paint schemes and five decal options will be available. For more info Click here 

BUILT TO WIN -- THE NEW 2013 GLORY.

Top five fitness tips for mountain biking - Bikeradar

Joe Rafferty’s top five fitness tips

Getting fit isn’t about eating an organic banana 34 minutes before your session, then gulping a protein shake three breaths after your last rep. For the average person it’s actually pretty simple. Following these five tips should set you on the right track:

Eat the right things: Cut your sugar intake, avoid overly processed foods, wean yourself off copious amounts of caffeine and you might just be able to hear what your body is asking for.

Avoid the weekend warrior trap: When it comes to improving, consistency is key. Four quality sessions per week will give you much better improvements than one long slog that leaves you needing the week to recover.

Rest properly: To improve, you need periods of stress (physical exertion) and recovery. They are of equal importance – sleep well and have at least one full rest day per week.

Commit: If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it properly. Find out what motivates you, plan, set goals and go for it. When things get tough, remember where you want to be and why.

Progression: Doing the same ‘grey ride’ week in, week out means you’ll eventually plateau. Progressing your training intensity and volume will keep you improving.

Read here for detail article

Lapierre Room 2012 Auto City

Went to auto-city last Sunday to have breakfast, and take a look at the Lapierre Room cycling event. I didn't stay there long because my baby boy is getting restless. I just manage to snap a bit of photos. 

I also didn't join the ride this time as it would leave my wife alone with my son. I would love to join if it is organized again next year.

For more pictures you can visit the organizer's Facebook page and the promotional video on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB3O-e1sdac
http://www.facebook.com/groups/lpmtb/

Sukhothai Seafood Sungai Petani

This north Thai restaurant is located nearby Taman Arked. After Giant Sungai Petani Selatan, take a left turn if you are coming from Butterworth or left turn at the traffic light in front of Sharp.

We happen to saw this eatery when we driving to visit my mother-in-law who is staying nearby.

This is north thai chicken clear tomyam soup which the restaurant recommended. Although it looks like clear soup, it's spicy and sour just like the normal red tomyam.

Next, we ordered steam red snapper in lime and garlic. The taste is sour and spicy with strong lime juice. I like it very much. We finish the everything.

Next, we ordered the otak which is also quite nice. However, at the bottom there is a lot of cabbage. The taste is also nice with strong coconut milk. We also ordered another toufu dish which I didn't take as you can find it in any restaurant.

Overall, we are satisfied with the food and service provided. The boss lady is also quite friendly. Lastly, the price is reasonable.

Scott Scale 40 (2012) - Scott's top line Alloy Hardtail Mtb

The Scale 40 mountain bike needs no more introduction to those who are into the mountain biking long enough. Back in 2008 this model won 4 out of 5 stars from Bikeradar verdict. It's Scott's top of the line Alloy hardtail racing mountain bikes

This bike Scott Scale 40 2012 model just arrived recently at Chin Aik Bike Shop in Lebuh Carnavon Penang.

The bike frame is made of triple butted alloy which is lighter and stiffer than double butted alloy.

The gear components are almost similar to it's 2011 predecessor. A mix of Shimano XT and SLX components and Avid Elixir hydraulic disk brake.

This bike comes with Rock Shox Reba Push Lock Air Suspension fork which is similar to the 2011 model.

The price for this 2012 model is RM5,599. However, the bike Shop owner Mr Chin Aik informed me the 2012 model is cheaper than the 2011 model by about RM1,000 and it weighs approx 11 kilos.

In my opinion, the price is reasonable as the the frame and suspension itself will cost almost 50% of the price shown above if bought separately.

Shimano SLX 2013

This is the new Shimano SLX 2013 that was unveiled in March 2012 and would be appearing in May and June 2012.

The crank copies the design from last year's XT and it looks good too.
So for those who want to upgrade to SLX do hold on for a while as the latest model is hitting the bike shops soon. You can visit the link below to read more.

http://bikemagic.com/news/shimano-unveil-2013-slx-groupset.html
http://singletrackworld.com/2012/03/shimano-2013-new-slx/

Silverback Strela 1.0

I went to check out this road bike when my friend inform me about it. Cost about RM3,500. However, the good thing about it is it come with with full Shimano 105 group-set. I didn't get to see the real bike as it has been sold when I got to the shop.

The frame is made of alloy and the fork made of carbon. The weigh is also not bad 8.6 kg which is the same weight as a Giant Composite road bike. However the Giant cost more than RM5,000.

If you would like to make it lighter, you can change the Alexrims to a better rim. Then just upgrade the seat post, stem and handlebar to carbon. RM3,500 for a complete bike is worth it as a full Shimano 105 group-set alone will most probably cost more than half the price of the bike.