For downhill junkies, like me...

Pic fm CGOAB Northern Thailand

One of the joys of cycling is freewheeling downhills, particularly long and steep descents. My good friend Chris recently send me his youtube upload of a spectacular ride down Mae Salong to Chiang Rai, Thailand on his Surly LHT touring bike. I don't know how he video it so well and I hope he didn't do it one hand style.

Some of my best downhill experiences so far are in Laos and Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. I hope to try Northern Thailand one day real soon!

Fasten your helmet and enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWaT0xCmokI

Just another Friday

Packing materials galore... safe and sound

The epitome of thoughtfulness

I was so impressed with how Green Gear Company handled the slight crack on my old tikit that it gave me the much needed nudge to order another of their great foldies.

My needs are simple - I want a foldie that I can ride around the world. It must be reliable and uses standard parts (easy to repair/replace), have triple chain rings for those steep climbs, wider tires to handle the off beaten path, mudguards and have front and rear racks to hold 4 panniers. It must also offer a comfortable riding position that can be adjusted from time to time as I have a bad back, gives me a precise ride and firm handling, thus no broken/split frame for me and must fit into a suitcase for easy travelling. I hate paying airline surcharges!

My research for that illusive foldie ended up here - The Bike Friday Pocket Expedition. It boasts a higher BB for better ground clearance and has everything I want, plus more. It comes standard with a Thudbuster seat suspension and is offered in stealthy Black. My dearest wife lugged it back for me from Washington DC last week (I owe her big time) and it arrived safe and sound in Singapore.

I can't wait to go to Singapore in Dec to ride the Expedition. A trip to Langkawi, West Malaysia is already in the pipeline. Meanwhile, time seems to drag and its just another Friday here in Perth...

My heartfelt thanks to Buddy Chris for these great pics and for babysitting my new child.

More business travellers with bicycles

Lurking through Bike Forums, I came across an article dated 19 Oct 09 from NY Times. It reported that recently, more business travellers bring along their full size bikes or rent bikes when they go overseas for their meetings. Cycling is claimed to be the quickest cure for jet lag and a bit of cycling sharpens and freshens a person for that high power demands of work.

However, those bringing full size bikes are facing huge air travel charges and its not easy to get a good rental bike from the hotel one stays in. We already know this is the forte of foldies and I was very glad to read this in the article...

For a business trip to Hawaii in March, it would have cost $450 to fly his bicycle from Virginia. He said he recently bought a folding bike that fits into a regular suitcase. “It’s really the only thing that allows me to keep riding,” he said.

I'm not sure what foldie he bought but I do this all the time with my different foldies when I travel. Good to know that more people are discovering the joy of travelling with foldies!

Tech Talk - Valves

One of the drawbacks of a non-standardised global bicycle system is different standards applied across bike manufacturers. This is especially seen in the tyre valve stems where there are at least 3 types - Schrader, Dunlop and Presta.

If you own several bicycles and thus possibly have to live with different valves, this can be a pain as you either have to keep switching the pump adaptor or carry an adaptor permanently in your wallet (I do this!).

So lets start with the most common valve first - the Schrader also known as the automobile type valve. It was invented in 1891 (yes, that long ago) by an American called August Schrader. It is the most widely used valve even outside the bicycle industry where it is common in aircon and refrigeration applications. It is usually found on thicker rim bicycles as it is 21/64" in size. By far the easiest valve to live with for me, as any petrol station air pump will do the job. Also because it is very common, its easy to buy tubes with Schrader valves especially in third world countries and is my choice for touring. It is also arguably more robust.

That said, the Dunlop or Woods valve (patented 1888) is reported as still popular among third world countries especially in China or some parts of Europe. Its was invented by a Scotsman C.H. Woods. Its a very rare valve where I come from and I've seen them only on Flying Pigeon Chinese bikes in Singapore but surprisingly, Schwalbe website claims its the most common worldwide!


I don't know why but when it comes to Presta valves, they seem to be sexy and held in high esteem. This is probably because they are used strictly in racing bikes or roadies and more expensive bikes, as their narrow rims demand the smaller sized Presta. They are also easier to pump as there is no spring pressure valve unlike the Schrader type. They usually also have a lock nut to prevent the tube from slipping/shifting in the rim. Purists would claim they are more aerodynamic.

Its main disadvantage is because the hole in the rim is so small, only a Presta valve tube can be used making it extremely challenging when it comes to fixing a puncture while cycling in Angkor Wat, Cambodia and running out of tubes! Of course, you can always travel with a file like my buddy Chris when he tours.

And yes, both Presta and Schrader valves are capable of managing high pressures... don't let anyone tell you different though Presta seem to hold air for a longer period of time.

I reckon the world would be an easier place if there is only one valve, be it Schrader or Presta!

Borneo on Video

As per the tradition of Dr Kevin Soh, our multi-talented videographer cum surgeon, here are two colourful video accounts of our Borneo trip he produced. Its really great to have people with different skills all chipping in to make a trip so amazingly fun!

Video 1

Video 2

Hope you enjoy watching them!

Gastronomical delights of Borneo

Kadazan bamboo shoot

Here in Perth, the one thing I do miss is the incredible variety of great, exotic and cheap food of Asia. In our recent Borneo trip, we were confident that all of us would lose some weight from all the exertion on the saddle but sadly, we all ate too well most times and came away with very little weight lost!

Anyway, here are some of the food we ate. Yes, I know this is a foldy cycling blog but being able to sample these incredible and exotic dishes thanks to our foldies make it deserving of a posting.

So here they go, starting with healthy fruits first...

On the road, we usually eat pretty simply like fried noodles with coffee and tea laced thickly with condensed milk (or I like to call it condemned milk).

We had a chance not surprisingly to enjoy an English Tea complete with scones which was a very reasonable US$5 only! I had to order vanilla ice cream somehow as the weather was too hot...

It is interesting to note that the Indians have made their mark too in Sabah and we enjoyed a fiery curry lunch with Bryani rice. This was really good value as it ended up only US$3 a person with drinks.


But by far the most memorable meal we had was at Great Ocean King Restaurant in Sandakan that I mentioned briefly earlier. This place is a seafood paradise and here are some of the dishes we had. The whole 6 course meal was only US$12 per person total plus drinks.







Great food certainly compliments great cycling, doesn't it? And it helps when we have some foodies who ride foldies in the team! So thankful too for the joy and privilege to enjoy good food because of His generous provision to all of us...

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A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? Ecclesiates 2:24,25 Wise words from King Solomon indeed.

The Tikit in Borneo

It is well known that the tikit is an excellent commuter bike, perhaps the best in its class. But I brought it along as I wanted to see if it could handle the rigours of hard core, no holds barred bicycle touring in headhunter land.

Lets start with the downsides first. Luggage carrying capacity is not its forte especially with the one sided commuter rack. With a heavy 7 kg touring pannier, it affected steering feel. This issue is easily solved with the twin touring rack so I guess to be fair, I was using the wrong rack for the wrong purpose. I ended up carrying the tikit's pannier on the other folder. With the rear rack (which my tikit did not have yet), this would greatly enhance its carrying capacity.

Secondly, my tikit has limited gearing and this applies to all folders with single chain ring. To tour, a twin or triple chain ring or a dual-drive system is absolutely essential (tikits can be custom ordered with this set up) especially for long climbs and fast descents. However if the terrain is relatively flat unlike Borneo, then this is not an issue.

Those 2 matters aside, the tikit impressed me no end with its comfort (despite 16" wheels), sharp handling and extreme stability at high speed descents. Even through broken roads, it felt surprisingly stable. I give credit to the rigid, unbroken frame design for these sterling qualities. The adjustable handlebar height also helped to get that perfect riding position, and being able to change it from time to time did ergonomic wonders to ease sore shoulders, back and palms.

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The tikit was also was the best climber among the 4 folders as it felt very agile. Celia who rode the tikit most times commented that she liked the tikit because it was "light and fast". Even when it came to pushing the tikit up unmanageable hills, she was surprised that it was very "balanced" and could be done by just holding only the seat! When I asked if the tikit was comfortable over such a long ride, Celia (a Phd Spine Physiotherapist) remarked, "I won't survive the tough ride if it wasn't good!"

Mike commented on how rough the road became after a nice long descend, and exclaimed as he whizzed by, "My gosh, I lost my dentures! Ha, ha... "

The tikit also somehow drew more attention than the other folders, which can be a liability at times. But that is the price to pay for being such an attractive bike, at least in my eyes.

The ease of folding and packing the tikit also bode well for it compared with the other folders. It was always the first to go into the bag, and the first to be ready to ride. It is also very helpful that the deraileur folded inside, thus preventing damage during transportation.

All things considered, I would certainly choose a NWT or an Expedition for a Borneo tour over the tikit. However, touring on a tikit is possible and I dare say that this could very well be the best 16" touring folder, if properly set up. Don't underestimate this commuter bike as it could be a joy to use on tours where the terrain is more "civilised". I came away respecting its incredible versatility.