"Holiday on Bikes 2003 - 1" Sungei Pusu 
22 - 23 February 2003
  

  

A smashing success! PCC’s first ever fully self-supported mountain bike camping went beautifully without any hitches other than a broken rear carrier that couldn’t take the weight and thrashing! And many a bruised ego as we tried maneuvering the ruts/roots/rocks and 20lbs on our back failed to stop some of us from flying over the bars! Trail was fantastic (interesting, extremely fun and challenging) and campsite was paradise! Whoever built and maintains the campsite, you truly have our appreciation and admiration. Kitchen, dining table complete with benches and stools and huts with raised platform, all made from bamboo and tree trunks, alongside a crystal clear stream! We couldn’t have asked for more. Check out the stories below, especially Izzy’s, oops sorry, we mean Moh Tuck Teng’s account despite his not being there.

  

The Stats

Date: 22-23 February 2003

Trail: Loop from Melawati to Sg Pusu to Kemensah, including 1km of river walk!

Total ride distance: 32km

No of adventurers: 22

Weather: Couldn’t have been better!

Trail conditions: Godsend! Despite the wet weather of late. Superb downhills! Of course lotsa killer hills before that!

Leechometer: 1/5

Campsite: 5/5

  

The Pioneers:

PainMaster, Cool Lane, Ivan, Annie, James Bak, Oneil Ah Siang, Louis Cheong, Dr. Eric ‘Orang Gunung’ Tan and ‘Smokinn Babe’ Adrian of Singapore, Mark Adams, Eric and friend, Emilia, Ariff, Simon, Rob Schorr, Thighland Meng, Danny Ng, Keith ‘Hilux’ Lim, Patrick, Kompressor and Yellow Manta. 
    

    

Sleepover "Nightmare" Stories
   

Roughing it Out – Mountain Bike Camping! 
by the Yellow Manta 
  
It was close to 5.00pm when Leyienne dropped Danny de Kompressor and me at the trailhead in Kg Sg Pusu last Saturday. Due to unavoidable circumstances, both of us couldn’t join our buddies going in that morning for the Sg Pusu Sleepover. Dark clouds loomed overhead and thunder could be heard rolling in the distance. On antibiotics and running a fever of 100°, my main concern despite that was not avoiding a drenching but to get to campsite before nightfall. Between the 2 of us, we only had a micro LED keychain lite! A lucky draw prize at last year’s annual dinner actually.  And contrary to what I was led to believe, Danny had never been to the actual campsite and it would be entirely guesswork 3km beyond the first river crossing! Consolation was it was one-way in only. Still we weren’t sure of the terrain…
  
The Kompressor had disappeared beyond the horizon as I pushed slowly up the second rutted hill, like I did the first, balancing a 10kg pack on my back. There was no sun but sweat was streaming down my face and I could feel this burning sensation coming from within my body. My head felt steaming hot inside the helmet. Perhaps it was the still and humid air coupled with my fever. At the top, all I could do was to dump the bike, drop the heavy knapsack and plong heavily onto the ground, gasping for breadth. That’s when I spied this track cutting through the trees in the distant valley below. It dawned on me once again that Malaysia is truly a paradise for mountain biking.
  
Logging tracks, both current and ex, plantation trails and forest singletracks all of which we have in abundance right here at our doorstep and offering a wide choice of terrain. They range from laterite tracks on level ground providing easy riding for all levels of ability to rock-strewn and rut-filled paths which may be the only way down a steep mountainside, demanding top physical fitness, excellent techniques and steady nerves. In between these 2 extremes, we have hard packed dirt tracks interspersed very frequently during the monsoons with knee-deep mudpools in which wild boars frolic! Indeed, it’s one of the marvels of the modern mountain bike that it is capable of dealing with such diverse environments.
  
But bike camping is a totally different kettle of fish, especially if you are headed for the tropical rain forest and not some nicey campsite off the highway or by the beach. Agree with me or not, mountain bike camping is the ultimate in roughing it out and one of the most intense experiences in nature. There is something truly liberating about riding on an overnight trip, powered completely by your own body and carrying everything you need by yourself. No need to rely on 4x4 support, like our previous HOBs. 
  
Mountain bike camping is certainly not for everybody, especially wuzzies who fear leeches (de Orange, how was the ride at Putrajaya?). The last thing you want to do after a long hard day’s ride is to set up a campground, start a fire and cook your dinner. Also most mountain bikes, especially the full susp ones, are not exactly designed to efficiently carry the extra load whilst still allowing you a good degree of control and balance on a rutted track, uphill or downhill. Bike camping is definitely not easy. But it can be done and is extremely fun as proven last weekend by 22 pedalphiles at Sg Pusu. Key is to pack sensibly, keep everything as lightweight as possible and sharing the load when it comes to common equipment like tents, burners and cooking utensils. Check out the stories below.
  
And yes, Danny and I made it to camp before nightfall, just barely. Except for a few drops, the rain held back. The trail was superb and the downhill stretches were some of the best I’ve ever ridden! Best of all, there wasn’t a single leech in sight! And the benefit of coming late into camp is everything has been set up nicely, dinner cooked and hot coffee brewing. I can’t wait to do it again and find another excuse to ride in later… Yong, you missed a great one, and to think you were the prime mover of the whole thing! PainMaster, thanks for organizing it! You did it again!
  
   
Homecoming of the Long Lost Son
by Cool Lane
  
Our M&D section talked me into joining the first HOB of 2003 which was Sg Pusu, the first ever self-supported overnight off-road ride. I must admit that it has been a long while since I had gone for an off-road ride and one that involved climbing some hills at that but the call of the wilderness was too strong to ignore. Consulted some of my partners in crime to join me but they all had fallen into the dark side and the excuse was too many leeches. So did my shopping for the trip and sent my mountain bike that had collected quite a bit of cobweb for service.
  
Woke up bright and early on Saturday and together with Ivan and Annie headed down to the Caltex Station at Taman Melawati, the meeting point for the trip. At about 7.30am, everybody arrived and after a short briefing of the trail, we headed towards UIA where the trailhead began. Almost immediately we began to climb the hill which was rutted and quite unrideable and made worse by a 20-lb backpack! The climb up to the peak was a real lungbuster not that I rode most of it but pushing was bad enough. 
  
After what must have been forever, we finally reached the first peak and began the downhill blast which was quite exhilarating. It had been so long and I had forgotten what a rush an offroad downhill blast can give you! Soon the fun ended and the second climb started and it was as bad as the first one but as with everything that goes up, it must come down and the downhill was as good as the first. The downhill led us straight to the river where we were to set up camp for the night. Unknown to us, there was a reception waiting for us at the campsite hosted by some jungle trekkers who had built the makeshift facilities at the campsite. After scoffing down some teh O and cucuk udang, we set up camp after bidding farewell and thanking our host who had moved on up river for a 2 and a half hour trek to a waterfall upstream for some kelah fishing (wish I could join them!). After setting up camp, we had lunch and whiled away our time by chitchatting and just simply enjoying the serenity of the surroundings. As evening approached, we pooled our food rations and shared it with everybody which resulted in some fine variety of grub. 
  
After dinner, Peter and Danny arrived, as they had left much later in the day due to work commitments (talk about being hardcore!). Night came and we sat around the dining table sharing stories of past rides while downing endless cups of coffee and more food. A small surprise was in store as that day happened to be Meng’s 29th birthday (or the 20th anniversary thereof) and a cake was brought out as we sang Happy Birthday while Danny played his harmonica (a man of many talents, should hear him sing!). We went to sleep at about 11pm. Some people complained of a passing train but I didn’t’ hear a thing, must be their imagination.
  

Day 2...  Woke up bright and early and washed in some icy cold water, followed with breakfast. The night before was pretty cold somewhere in the low 20’s. Once we were warmed up, we broke camp and so began the second part of our little adventure. This part of our trip had nothing to do with our ability to ride a bike but how to balance our bikes and backpacks (which were much lighter after scoffing down all our food) through some pretty nasty ground. Here some of us picked up some hitchhikers who were there not for the ride but for some fresh blood. After traipsing through the river for about half an hour, we reached a section where 2 rivers meet and the sight and ambience of the place can’t be described; you have to be there to appreciate it and who would have thought that you could stumble upon an abandoned overhead railway track smack in the middle of nowhere! A short distance upriver, we reached the trailhead and began the climb to the peak. The weather had started to heat up and we were not covered by canopy as much as earlier. This time around the hills were quite rideable, they were not too steep or rutted. Again as everything goes up must come down, we blasted downhill but not for long as the trail was so badly rutted even some full sussy had to push down too. We exited the trail at Kg Kemensah waterfall entrance where Danny appropriately stopped an ice-cream man and all of us promptly attacked with vengeance. The weather had started to become hot and heavy as we finished our cool ice cream and continued with the last 5km to the Caltex Station.
  
While having lunch, I pondered about my experiences over the weekend and what I had been missing ever since abandoning M&D! The weekend had taught me one thing and that is no amount of road riding can replace the sheer joy you get from riding a good offroad ride, being at one with nature and its surroundings, clean air and water that you could drink without hesitation. Some may beg to differ saying it’s messier and the distance too short but it still is great fun and gives more adrenaline rush for the buck. So I am going to maker it a point to return to my roots and do more offroad rides this year.
  
So Mother Nature, I am Coming Home!  BIKE TILL YOU DROP!
   
  
Another Great and Memorable Ride with PCC 
by Eric ‘Orang Gunung’ of Singapore
  
Adrian "Smokinn Babes" Ho and myself left Singapore at 3.30am, only to arrive slightly late for the 7.30am rendezvous with the rest of the riders. After a quick (but regrettably heavy) breakfast of nasi lemak and curry sotong, we made the ride towards Kg Sg Pusu without much issue.
  
From there it’s off the tarmac, and almost immediately it was dismount and push time… the upward slope though rather gradual, was too rutted to ride. It was mainly uphill from then and after lots of pushing (for myself at least), we finally made it up to a junction that leads either to Genting Highlands or to our campsite. From there, it was an excellent technical downhill on the “mother of all ruts” track. Deep ruts on both sides await to eat up those who go astray for not riding the ridge well. Poor Smokinn Babes was eaten up… twice, and myself once… I somersaulted after my front wheel hit flat against a ditch, the mistake I pay for choosing the wrong line! The “mother of all ruts” led to a river with slippery logs (hear that someone slipped and fell off those slimy logs), and from then it was no issues to the campsite. 
  
A 2pm entry into campsite must have been a first for PCC HOB! The campsite was a lovely surprise… huts, tables, chairs, clear river, butterflies everywhere… what’s more we were warmly welcomed with snacks and tea! How’s that for a self-supported ride???
   
The early entry to the campsite was excellent for me thought… time to chill out by the river and catch up on my much-needed sleep! Lots of the other riders, so used to a typical hectic PCC ride, found it difficult to chill out.
  
Dinner was a sumptuous experimentation of all conceivable junk food… from “sandy” rice, to Friskies. Yeah we lived to tell the tale. Smokinn Babes and myself zonked out soon after dinner… it was blissful 12-hour snooze in the cool mossie-less night, to the call of frogs and crickets. 
  
The morning mood was just as relaxed… a relatively late waking, a simple breakfast, and then off to hit the tracks again. This second day experience was totally unique again… an initial few kilometers of true forest single-track… bunny hopping over roots, great V-dips across pristine forest streams, and the occasional duck from the many rattan vines out to catch the unwary. Then it’s river running time… a good long push of the bike along the river to soak those aching muscles cold. 
  
Out of the river, and onto the hills. Not too difficult… many of the up slopes were very doable, provided you have enough momentum. 
 
What goes up, must come down… but to my dismay, the most of the downhills were technically too challenging for me to ride down, with narrow ruts and ridges leaving little room for error. With the heavy pack on the back, I was not willing to take the risk.
  

At the bottom were the plains to Klang Gates. A short ride brought us back to the fringe of civilization, where we all treated ourselves to a few servings of ice-lollies.

  
Thanks again to the crazy guys of PCC for yet another great ride…. 
    

 

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