Bicycles for Charity - Conclusion

Finally, almost 2 years after the initial idea by Raja Saadi. I delivered 4 bicycles to an Orphanage. The Asrama Damai in Kuang.

The whole project went through many obstacles, the last and most difficult was repairing the bicycles we could gather. I finally solved this problem by finding lesser damaged bicycles from BBS.

This was actually a big problem as the cost of repairing a bicycle is more than if you purchase a new one. More so if it is a geared bicycle. We actually have a stock of at least 8 more bicycles to repair. After the initial effort. Ezad and me almost gave up.

Anyway, on the 1st of Muharram , 7th December 2010. I took 4 repaired bicycles in my car, together with Fahmi and Fahim to the orphanage. Adzimah, Fariq and Afiqah had helped repair them but could not be brought along.

It was an experience for the heart as the boys of the orphanage surrounded the car. " Tu aku punya. Yang biru tu aku punya, kau ambik yang merah tu. Yang hitam tu aku nak."

I could only imagine what they felt. In fact because of the rush, I forgot to take photographs of event.

We will be doing this again. Hopefully soon. Eddy has some bicycles as well.

The Ning site has moved to chengkau.mixxt.fm

Finally the official chengkau site has moved to chengkau.mixxt.fm which is a German site.

Tried spruz, webs, flux and grou.ps but did not work well.

Anyway, it seems this site is better but still learning to use it. It is already operational with a lot of content. So far the others are happy. Just sign in to be a member.

Ning Site has not moved yet!!!Major Malfunction

Ning will phase off free sites at the end of the month. The Chengkau website has not moved. Last minute.. Last minute.. Last minute.

Options already set at Webs, Spruz but not sure.

MAJOR MALFUNCTION of my head

The Ning site has to move

The Ning website has to move or it will be shut down and probably all content lost. It is a headache as I am not sure where to move it yet. There are a lot of choices but I'm not sure which is the right one.

Some sites are better but you are not sure if the move will be ok. Some sites offer what they say to be a hassle free move but not sure of the functionality.

Anyway, the choices are grou.ps grouply, webs, flux, me.com, crowdvine, collectivex and wetpaint.

Now all that remains is to decide to to actually make the move

Self Made Jersey - Cycling team style

I made a jersey, cycling team style, well not exactly cycling team style, but almost. Since I am a die hard Renault fan, having owned several models over the years. I made one using the Renault and associated logos.

Very proud of the result I am, looks expensive but actually not.

Costs - Jersey RM 23
Transfer Paper RM 55 - 10 pieces Canon Transfer paper ( Easyink - RM 36 but Canon better quality) I used only 4 pieces.

Ink - already in the printer but maybe say RM 20 at the most,

Logos - Free from Internet

Electricity - 1/2 hour of ironing

Total cost roughly RM 70

But better than the ciplak jersey you pay RM 75 for, not really liking the logos.

Directions- print the logos on the paper.
Cut nicely round the edges of the print. Use steam iron, without steam, normal iron is not hot enough. Warm iron up at max tempreture for 5 minutes and press on the transfer. Follow instructions on the transfer packages.. So far I found that Canon has best instructions.

Anyway happy trying.

Sweat Story

Long ago, when the American sitcoms were the "in thing" (it was not so much propaganda) I remember watching one, growing pains, I think. But I can't remember correctly. Anyway it was about 4 girls who were staying together with the teacher at a private school.

In one of the episodes, the high society girl, Brittany (I think) came back from an aerobic session all wet and sweaty. Blair ( the girl from Bronx) said" You'd better go take a bath and change, you're all sweaty." Brittany replied glassily " I don't sweat, I glisten". Blair replied " Well, you are glistening like a pig."

Well, we all sweat and have the smell that follows. As a cyclist, I must admit, I have never sweated so much in my life. The smell of my sweat has stuck on my cycling clothes. So much so my wife has given up in trying to find new deodorizers.

Anyway, the following story is not about a sweaty cyclist but of an incident that happened to me on the Monorail. I think this story is quite a common occurrence, given the number of people who take the train. But for me, the uncommon thing was the attitude of the girl in this story.

I took the monorail one day from my office at Sultan Ismail to Maharajalela, where Eddy's office is situated. He had given me a lift to work in the morning and was supposed to pick me up after work. I decided to save him the trouble of the jam and decided to take the monorail to his office.

When I boarded the train at Sultan Ismail, it was relatively empty, a girl stood immediately in front of me, with headphones on, seemingly oblivious to everything around her. Nothing strange about that. The train went on and soon began filling up. At Bukit Bintang, it was quite full, I suddenly noticed a very strong smell of an undeodorized person wafting in the air. Air condition coaches keep the smells in. Looking round, I saw this big Indian guy, all sweaty, who had just come in. He came and stood behind me, hanging to the rails, adding his powerful fragrance into the train.

I was smiling at the thought, when suddenly, the girl, (who apparently just noticed the smell) turned around and glared at me. I smiled back at her. She looked very angrily at me. In my mind, I was thinking, "Here I am standing next to you for almost 10 minutes, and you don't notice me at all, and when the smell comes in you think it is me?"

As if an answer to my thoughts, the Indian man spun round, walked down and hung his hand, on the rail beside the girl, his armpit in her face. She had to turn away. I had to control myself from laughing out loud.

Jim Corbett in memory (1875 to 1955)

Jim Corbett was a hunter, you can say professional, but he was not actually paid for his work, but he loved hunting.

I did not know him( he died in 1955) but I've read one of his books, The Temple Tiger, (first published 1954 and reprinted 1988) in which he writes of several of his hunts.

What made him different was that he specially hunted man eating tigers and other big cats. He did not hunt the normal tigers who were not a danger to man. He was called to do this of course by the British Government in India.

What impressed me really was one of his stories when he went hunting the Talla Des man eater. He had a big abscess (bisul) in his head due to a gun powder wound in the ear, and he had shot the tiger, injuring but not killing her. He knew that the tiger would become full time man eater due to the injury, if he did not kill her that time. If anything were to happen to the villagers, he was convinced that it would be his fault, so he went into the jungle alone to hunt the tiger, convinced that either the tiger would die or he would.

What amazed me was the fact that he went in alone, his eyes were not working properly due to the pressure on the brain,he could not see properly, his neck was swollen, he was deaf in one ear and he was in tremendous pain. He was already convinced that he would die but he went on in the hope that he could shoot the tiger before he died.

Luck was with him as the abscess ruptured in his head not into his brain, but outwards into his ear and nasal cavity, the pressure relieved, he managed to hunt and kill the tiger.

How many people would do that? I am not glorifying him but the fact is, if you fulfill what you think is your responsibility, despite the odds, the chances are you will succeed and remain in history when others are nameless ( he has a national park named after him). The same is true with our heroes, Datuk Bahaman, Datuk Maharajalela, Mat Kilau, Tok Gajah and others etc(although they have only roads named after them).

James Corbett was not a hero to the British although he was a British, but he was a hero to the Indian people, because he risked his life to save theirs.

Can we also become heroes?

Wonders of Digital Editing

I did test editing just now after updating the club website Chengkau Cycling Club just wondering if you can spot the difference ( very obvious )

Before


and after


marvelous kan!!! I used photoscape free software from internet

Chengkau Cycling Club Official Website is moving

Notice. Notice. Notice.

Attention Attention Attention.

The Official Chengkau Cycling Club website has been moved to Chengkau.ning.com. The moving process is still in progress but ramai dah pindah.
It is hoped that the new Ning website which is has much more to offer in terms of versatility to everyone will be beneficial. So to Ezad, Sue, Dodo Karu, Wak Rambo, MelBangi, Baling Biker, Scotts Obsession, Kelab PKNS MTB and others following the blog I wish to say thank you and hope you will use the new website for good use. I will not be blocking any members unless they are up to no good (tak nak pulak kena masuk jail macam brader blogger kita tu)

In the new site, just join as member and you are free to upload photos (up to 100 in single go, here only 5 at a time and selalu silap) post your own blog and most important post your own event and participate in events. You cannot do that here.

There are many other functionalities that I am only beginning to learn and will upgrade as we go on. I am hoping the new site will serve as a platform for cyclists to communicate with one another. I am now addicted to cycling.

The website is for cyclists by cyclists, part time, full time and sometimes.

Final story, Eddy called me and the following conversation ensued today. Eddy "Ron, hang dah buat coup d' etat, Presiden (Din) kat Hong Kong, tak dak sini, hang bok pelari blog, ha ha ha. Aku dah lama tak tengok rampasan kuasa macam ni, last sekali masa kita kat ITM dulu. Tak bagi tau, tak dak apa pun, tau tau dah tukarg. Memang rampasan kuasa" Me" Ha ha ha, memangla, hampa tak dak, dah call, sms berkali kali, sapa pun tak jawab, aku rampas kuasa la, ha ha ha" and finally with Din, Me "Din, Ha ha ha, Eddy kata aku buat rampasan kuasa masa hang tak dak, aku dah tukarg web site" Din " Ha Ha Ha, So I am now King without kingdom la, malam nanti kita jumpa"

Anyway, this blog will still continue, the title will be changed in due time, but it won't be a pure cycling blog anymore, old men like to tell stories.

I have posted links to the new site all over the blog, so you won't be lost. Just join the site, after all Chengkau Cycling Club is open to everyone, there are only really 3 of us goatherds, Eddy, Din and me. The rest is open to family, friends, acquaintances and all that we know, namely you. So just join the site and use it to fulfill your cycling need, social needs and whatever sane people do.

Bukit Fraser Ride 30th January 2010

Notice of Next Frasers Hill Ride 30th January 2010.

Tentative RV as previously

Kota Damansara Petronas A& W - 6.30 AM

Rawang Toll Plaza Exit 7++ AM

Splash Information Center 8++AM

Tentative Riders from:-

Chengkau Cycling Club

KakiTua Riders

Bukit Subang Elmina Group

Kelab MTB PKNS

As usual, anyone interested to join please contact me or Ezad of KTR

Estimated number of riders 20 plus

Bukit Fraser New Year Ride

We did the 2nd January New Year Ride. 21 of us, from various clubs, CCC. Kaki Tua Riders, Kelab Kembara MTB PKNS etc.

Anyway the start of the day went ok. Not smooth but ok. There were 3 RV's , 6.30 Kota Damansara Petronas. 7+ at Rawang Toll Plaza and 8+ at Splash.

I was at the caterer at 6.20 am, the karipap's were ready but caterer missing.Eventually he came back at about 6.35 after an early morning delivery, the teh tarik was not ready. So another wait. Finally we started at about 7.00 Rawang was 7.30 and Splash at about 8.30. So 30 minutes later than planned. Ride started 9.30 after breakfast.

The ride was smooth. Fastest Rider Wer and Adrian 11.00 am at Gap, Slowest was the Louis Garneau Fan Club 1.15 at Gap. I reached at 12.55 with Ezad. Fraser's Gate acheived at 3 pm.

Lunch, Zohor and Asar Prayers and back down at 4.45. reached Splash at 6.00.

Anyway, I did not take any photos this time. All photos are courtesy of KTR Fraser Ride Post , you can view it here.

Also Khalili did a GPS map of the ride route plus the gradients , very interesting.

Every one was very happy about the ride.




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