Friday, June 27, 2008

Touring Lessons I've learnt...

Urgh! Another hill
Bagged foldie - your ticket to adventure & fun!

Get the best room your budget allows you to... nothing like a good rest to be refreshed

Be adventurous not just on the saddle. Try new foods!

This friendly farmer stopped his Landrover to have a chat with us. Nice!

Foldies going into the room with no trouble at all!

The KTM trains are quite comfortable and spacious. A conductor "testing" the seats.

A sense of humour is arguably more impt than a spare tube at times!

1. Foldies truly open your travelling options - The bus we took had a pretty tight luggage hold that only foldies could fit in. The hotels did not mind us bringing the bikes into the rooms, even unbagged, giving us 100% security. No worries coming back in the train with foldies. The conductors were ok with 3 guys & 3 bags with foldies. This trip could not have been done with a full size bike, travelling the BHT way we did.

2. Having a bike gave us the ticket to explore places freely and made interesting places so accessible. I reckon everyone should bring along a foldie on their trips. You see and experience so much more.

3. Foldies bring out the best in people. Smiles, curious questions, friendly waves & toots on the road and a general desire to help us. One restaurant invited us to fill up our water bottles for free. This makes all the difference when you travel.

4. Do not underestimate hills. They can kill you esp when they come wave after wave. On hindsight, I should have ridden my Bike Friday Tikit fitted with Biopace 42t chain ring for superior climbing ability. But their touring rack is still in development. Lynette, help!

5. Always eat well and sleep in comfortable rooms. Also, bring water. Too much is better!

6. Watch out for your ride buddy. Rides are fun and safer when you are not out to prove anything. Its also ok to ride together with different bikes. Sadly, some narrow minded folks don't think so. Mutual encouragement, sharing of resources, concern and help for each other make all the difference. Putting on a servant attitude will make your ride real enjoyable for everyone. Don't forget to bring along your sense of humour too!
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7. ??? Do add to the list if you like, click comments :) I would love to hear from your experiences.

4 comments:

ChrisW said...

Insightful pictures as always. Banyak susah lah, the life of a KTM train conductor. Hours of watching the world go by and probably the same amount of time spent in the buffet car. Burp!

Oldyonfoldy said...

Quoting Mr Brown, "as a matter in fact", there was no food in the Buffet Carriage. We were famished! I do have some idea who was responsible for this :)

paul said...

We went to the makan carriage to get food but there's NO MORE FOOD la. Damn th cook, damn the greedy 'fello'. Luckily the train stop longer than it should at the next station due to machanical,electrical and hydraulic (3 in 1)problem. I mannage to grab 6 packets of 'MasiLamak' and 3 packets of tea tarek...well I are 4 pack of MasiLamak..hehe.

Michael Khor said...

Q: What bike should I get for touring?
A: The one that brings you back with a huge smile on your face la :-)