2nd Overnight: Team Firefly Makes it as One!
Mersing to Kuantan Malaysia. 202 kms, 220 225
WE do learn fast and started this segment from Mersing to Kuantan together. There were planned stops after 50 km and another after 40 and the last with 15km to go (due to a hill). WE rode as a determined pack…determined but not yet tuned. Riding in a close pack with about a wheel distance between each other is a typical routine for professional riders and cyclists who regularly flock together. Not that easy and effortless for us but we did have a fair level of success to ride safely and efficiently…and safely…
And in an instant just 5 kms into the ride the Polis hit by speeding scooter and totals his small bike against the right rear pannier of the 750 Honda 4…The Polis asked the speedster, “did you see the convoy? did you see my flashing lights, my ala firefly vest? So why did you still hit me? Poor guy could only answer “yes”. I guess the scooter driver’s abrasions and shock was too much to have a right answer
Incident #2
“Ho Left! (that’s a Hole for you) shouts Bernard , as I’m on the other side I cry out and point Hole Right, a commotion at the back, Joyce goes – “Aiiii!!” and Lyndon avoids the hole but hits a bump and his front wheel touches the back wheel of Joyce in a single bound and crashes! – Blagagagganmm!” Our first Crash…everybody stops, Lyndon stands up, just scratches (later tells me he hurt his knee and he was…) and we pedal on to the next stop.
Bloop…
It was on the 2nd push that the 40km interval was established and our coordinator was to pick a joint on the road where we can; rest, eat, drink, park and ease our bladders. On our first try Su Pei was teased by Lyndon who was asking how many fingers he was flashing resembling the difference between 40 and 60 kms. I think that was just 57kms Lyndon…
Rider in Focus of the Day…
Basti is quiet today …why? He’s up in front setting the pace with either Rushdi or Bernard, Joyce, Wei or me. He doesn’t see anyone else so he has no one to remind…but I think it was because it was between 12 midnight and 1:30 am it was really, dark, less stars, the growing crescent covered by more clouds, the road was flat and straight, it was so straight you wouldn’t notice the turns over a landscape that was asleep save for us who were here for a reason…sounds crazy but yes, crazy and for a reason.
But we managed to successfully ride together as a team despite the 1st and hopefully last crash of the ride (which Lyndon admitted to lowered alert levels due to lack of sleep – or sleeping while pedaling – a near circus act).
WE covered over 200 km tonight/today and allowed 5 of us to race to the hotel over the last 15km…under thunder, lightning and rain…in finishing order; Basti, Wei & Bernard (pls check the photofinish file), Rushdi and I within 1 minute of each other. Strong extra fun finish but I got wet and I didn’t like it for the sole purpose of my shoes…cycling shoes, its soles, have a gallant tradition and reputation for splitting from its lasts after being subjected to rain – something with the not so waterproof adhesive makers use. And I don’t have a spare shoe in tow.
Biker/Bike results; 9 happy finishers, unfinished fix of Fara’s front derailleur and seat height, Lyndon’s landmark circus crash with sound effects – the Polis and the scooter F1 rider and Su Pei’s kilometric conversion table of distances. The silence of One Basti, One Joy Riding Joyce, Two flipflopping lovin’ Filipinos, and the Fab Five Singaporean Slingers aka; Rushdi to d Rescue (i.e., the most helpful one according to Fara), boss Lyndon d Weaver, Am@Casey, On-One Way Wei and Ho-Ly (that’s Hole Left) Bernard cycling.
Firefly sighting: 9 happy fireflies on the road, but with an increasingly unhappy count of road kill seen– mostly feline …some indescribable but may be classified from its time of impact and stench.
Mersing to Kuantan Malaysia. 202 kms, 220 225
WE do learn fast and started this segment from Mersing to Kuantan together. There were planned stops after 50 km and another after 40 and the last with 15km to go (due to a hill). WE rode as a determined pack…determined but not yet tuned. Riding in a close pack with about a wheel distance between each other is a typical routine for professional riders and cyclists who regularly flock together. Not that easy and effortless for us but we did have a fair level of success to ride safely and efficiently…and safely…
And in an instant just 5 kms into the ride the Polis hit by speeding scooter and totals his small bike against the right rear pannier of the 750 Honda 4…The Polis asked the speedster, “did you see the convoy? did you see my flashing lights, my ala firefly vest? So why did you still hit me? Poor guy could only answer “yes”. I guess the scooter driver’s abrasions and shock was too much to have a right answer
Incident #2
“Ho Left! (that’s a Hole for you) shouts Bernard , as I’m on the other side I cry out and point Hole Right, a commotion at the back, Joyce goes – “Aiiii!!” and Lyndon avoids the hole but hits a bump and his front wheel touches the back wheel of Joyce in a single bound and crashes! – Blagagagganmm!” Our first Crash…everybody stops, Lyndon stands up, just scratches (later tells me he hurt his knee and he was…) and we pedal on to the next stop.
Bloop…
It was on the 2nd push that the 40km interval was established and our coordinator was to pick a joint on the road where we can; rest, eat, drink, park and ease our bladders. On our first try Su Pei was teased by Lyndon who was asking how many fingers he was flashing resembling the difference between 40 and 60 kms. I think that was just 57kms Lyndon…
Rider in Focus of the Day…
Basti is quiet today …why? He’s up in front setting the pace with either Rushdi or Bernard, Joyce, Wei or me. He doesn’t see anyone else so he has no one to remind…but I think it was because it was between 12 midnight and 1:30 am it was really, dark, less stars, the growing crescent covered by more clouds, the road was flat and straight, it was so straight you wouldn’t notice the turns over a landscape that was asleep save for us who were here for a reason…sounds crazy but yes, crazy and for a reason.
But we managed to successfully ride together as a team despite the 1st and hopefully last crash of the ride (which Lyndon admitted to lowered alert levels due to lack of sleep – or sleeping while pedaling – a near circus act).
WE covered over 200 km tonight/today and allowed 5 of us to race to the hotel over the last 15km…under thunder, lightning and rain…in finishing order; Basti, Wei & Bernard (pls check the photofinish file), Rushdi and I within 1 minute of each other. Strong extra fun finish but I got wet and I didn’t like it for the sole purpose of my shoes…cycling shoes, its soles, have a gallant tradition and reputation for splitting from its lasts after being subjected to rain – something with the not so waterproof adhesive makers use. And I don’t have a spare shoe in tow.
Biker/Bike results; 9 happy finishers, unfinished fix of Fara’s front derailleur and seat height, Lyndon’s landmark circus crash with sound effects – the Polis and the scooter F1 rider and Su Pei’s kilometric conversion table of distances. The silence of One Basti, One Joy Riding Joyce, Two flipflopping lovin’ Filipinos, and the Fab Five Singaporean Slingers aka; Rushdi to d Rescue (i.e., the most helpful one according to Fara), boss Lyndon d Weaver, Am@Casey, On-One Way Wei and Ho-Ly (that’s Hole Left) Bernard cycling.
Firefly sighting: 9 happy fireflies on the road, but with an increasingly unhappy count of road kill seen– mostly feline …some indescribable but may be classified from its time of impact and stench.
Hi Joaquin ,
ReplyDeleteThankyou for adding me to your family & i certainly hope so we could share more great moment of cars & cycling as well.
Cheers !!!! Thanks.
Kin.