Happy 2017!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very happy and pleasant new year! This blog is pretty new and I don't have nearly as much experience or content as most other bloggers out there but I'll strive for constant improvement in hopes of effectively sharing with you guys my views and opinions on this sport we all know and love. If you're reading this or have read any of my previous posts before, then from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the support!

I'm not into the typical new year cliches of 'new year, new me' and all that. I believe that goals, in order to maintain their significance, have to be long term aspirations and chronic challenges we have to face in order for us to better ourselves. Which is why for 2017, I have no new goals or aspirations because I already know, at least as far as cycling goes, what I want, which is to be a progressively better rider. So I wish all of you the best for 2017 and remember, ride hard and stay safe on the roads!

Shop Tour - Pedalspot (USJ 10/Taipan)

Located in Taipan, the Pedalspot bicycle store carries a wide range of bicycles to cater for the beginner cyclist all the way up to a full-blown pro, provided you have the money to match. They have a branch in Petaling Jaya as well as 2 more branches in Kuala Lumpur. However, the one I visited was the Taipan branch.

One can't be blamed if one has driven around Taipan and missed the store before as Taipan is essentially 50% traffic, 40% signboards and 10% shops. But with a little focus and concentration, the store shouldn't be too hard to find. Here's a link to their Facebook page, Instagram, website and here's a link to their location via Google Maps. 

Upon entering the store, a sense of professionalism can be felt as the bikes and accessories are very neatly displayed for customers to see.

A beautiful Cipollini sits on a shelf to your right while a stunning row of Merida Reactos sit on the floor not too far away.

On the left, a bike purist will appreciate the stunning Colnago C60 frames, made via their tried and true lugs and tubes design. Despite being a fan of more aerodynamically advantageous bikes, the C60 is definitely an exceptional dream bike of mine.

Folding bike enthusiasts out there will be familiar with the Brompton brand and their reputation when it comes to these portable ponies. Personally, I'd get one myself if finances allowed it. when combined with the convenience of the LRT or monorail, who'd ever need a car anymore?

As you go deeper into the store, you'll come across some colourful Cipollini frames sitting above the main counter along with other accessories. 

Behind the counter, you'll find all the gear, tools and accessories any cyclist will ever need. from mini pumps and saddle bags to cycling computers and gloves. The store is about as complete as can be.

Most bike stores I've been to generally carry Shimano groupsets, so its nice to see a store with something different once in awhile. This store is one of the few official distributors of SRAM in the country. I personally have never riden a bike, both road and mountain, with a groupset other than Shimano.

As I mentioned at the start, this store is more than capable of catering to amateur professionals with the cash to spare. Hence it's no surprise to find the range topping SRAM eTAP groupset on sale.

 Apart from that, you'll find other tiers of SRAM groupsets along with some Ceramic Speed products and a power meter or two within the glass counter, all signs pointing to this store being anything other than a small fry.

Ceramic Speed Jockey wheels for those marginal gains

Quarq powermeter

Moving onto bikes, the store is an authorised distributor of Merida, Colnago, Bianchi and a couple of other major bike brands to name a few, with their most extensive line being Meridas. From Merida 100s to top of the range team-edition Reactos, a bike to suit every level of rider. They even have a handful of mountain bikes, mainly Merida too of course.

An interesting bike that caught my eye while I was strolling through the store was this Speed X Leopard bike. For those of you who don't know, Speed X is a company out of China and turned heads when their pioneer bikes, the Speed X Leopard and Leopard Pro broke records on Kickstarter for a bike-related project, ranking in the top 50 Kickstarter campaigns of all time.

Dubbed a 'smart' bike, the bikes feature composite frames with full internal cable routing, full Shimano drivetrains, carbon wheels, and a variation of the SpeedForce stem, called ‘Smart Control’. Pricing for the 105-equipped Leopard and Ultegra Di2-equiped Leopard Pro was US$1,499 and US$2,499 respectively. You'd be commended for pulling the trigger on these bikes for their prices alone. But what really sets them apart is their integrated cycling computer which measures everything short of power.

Moving on, as I mentioned before, the store does sell Colnagos but unfortunately I am no expert on the brand. So, apart from their flagship C60 and their beautiful Concept below, I don't know of any other models by them. If you're interested in a particular model, perhaps give them a ring? I saw a couple of Colnago cyclocross bikes too.

The Ferrari of bicycles

Campag of course, what else would you want to put on such an Italian bike?

Ernesto Colnago

 

Beautiful one piece bar-and-stem, carbon fiber of course

Simpler Colnagos, for us mere mortals

All the way at the rear of the store is their work area, a little cluttered but what's that saying about brilliant minds? 

They also have a variety of MET and Mavic products for sale, that includes Mavic wheels, shoes and helmets.

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Keeping to the theme of pro-level gear, we'll zipp (hehe) on over to aero wheels. Most aero heads will be familiar with the Zipp brand and their rather effective marketing strategy. whether you buy into the whole 'aero is everything' craze or not, you can't deny their success as far as reach goes. they're probably one of the first brands people think of us far as aero wheels are concerned. in the store, you'll find some 303s, 404s, even the wallet-hurting Zipp 808.

At the time of writing this post, the new sawtooth style 454s have been released but when I visited the store in September, they had yet to be announced so I couldn't ask the store attendants whether or not they'll be bringing a pair in. however, looking at how extensive their range of products is, I wouldn't be surprised to see a set or two sometime next year on display.

Apart from wheels, you'll find some Zipp handlebars too.

Apart from Merida and Colnago, they carry a good range of Wilier bikes too.

Roads and folders aside, they've got a few mountain bikes as well as mountain bike-related equipment for sale too but they're definitely overshadowed by their more tarmac-oriented brethren.

That's about it. A rather short post on the store. It's not the biggest bike store I've been to, but it's no less professional than some of the best. To be honest, this was the second ever store I visited to do an overview on so I was still quite inexperienced at the time as far as questions to ask and what to look out for, which is why this post might not be as extensive as the posts in the Treknology 3 or Specialized PJ stores. I'd highly recommend stopping by if you're in the market for a Merida or Wilier or anything else I've mentioned before, they drive very competitive prices. 

That's about it for now, thanks for reading! As always, feel free to leave any and all comments or questions in the comment section down below and I'll try my best to get back to you.

Pedaling Across Malaysia - Progress up until now

With only a few days left in 2016, here's a brief summary of what I've prepared up until now and what I've yet to do.

Bought the following equipment:

• 2 spare tubes (was initailly 3 but I'll get to that later) RM54 (RM18 per tube)

• 2 Continental Gatorskin 23mm tyres - they're known for their high degree of puncture-resistance. RM320 for both tyres. The outgoing pair was riddled with holes, cuts and tiny pieces of metal stuck in them. Quite surprised they were in such shape. I'll be hanging on to them though, to use as potential spares on the ride should I need them.

New Gatorskin tyres, will probably do a review of them soon 

Couple of holes on the old treads

Didn't notice this sliver of steel in the old tyre

Amazed it didn't pierce the inner tube

• 1 spare 10 speed chain - the current chain on my bike is already worn out but my shifts are still crisp and the chain has yet to jump under load so I'll keep the old chain on first. In the event it snaps along the ride, I'll switch to the new one. RM100

Loaned/sponsored equipment:

• Sony HDR AS300 Action Camera - I've gotta thank Mr Timothy Gan from Sony Malaysia and Carmen Cheong for mentioning me to him. Would never have gotten such a cool camera without either or you.

• Bicycle lights - Front and rear lights sponsored by my aunt, thank you Aunty Peng!

Already owned items:

• A mini pump
• 1 spare inner tube
• Multitool with a chain tool
• Tyre levers
• Chain quick links X 2
• Saddle bag
• Ruck sack
• Bicycle lock
• Helmet

Sent bike for servicing - I normally do my own servicing but I thought that I had best let the professionals have a look at my bike at least this one time. Just in case I missed anything. So I brought it over to the Specialized Concept Store in Petaling Jaya to let the guys over there have a look. Plus, it came with a wash and wheel truing all for RM50, pretty good deal considering they normally charge RM45 per wheel, excluding other services like the wash. Although if I'm being fair, they did accidentally puncture my inner tube and replaced it with a tube I purchased as a spare....so I guess that sorta makes up for the price. 

Booked my flight ticket (Air Asia) along with check-in baggage (RM67- No sponsorship from Uncle Tony) - Good thing bikes are relatively light. And I managed to find a bicycle box that was going to be thrown away to store it in so it doesn't get too roughed up during the flight. Pedalsport Taipan (check out my shop tour of the store here) was cool enough to just give it to me. So in return, I bought an extra inner tube from them since I always planned to have 4 in total anyway. Thanks guys!

One big empty box - check!

Things yet to be done:

• I've yet to make hotel reservations.
• Check all the equipment 
• Wash my bike prior to leaving
• Pack my bag

So, up until now, I've spent approximately RM591 on gear and travel expenses. That's a big bite out of the almost RM1000 (RM985)  I received from very generous sponsors. So in no particular order, I'd like to thank the following swell human beings for their generosity and kind-heartedness in helping me out in this little endeavor of mine. You've all helped so incredibly much and I'll never forget your kindness. Thank you all so much! :

• Mr Edmund Lim
• Mr Siew and family
• Ms Elizabeth Loke - all the way from the Land Down Under
• 2 more donors who wish to remain anonymous. 
  

And that's about it for now. I think there'll be 1 more update post after this one and then the ride begins! I'd like to extend my gratitude to everyone who's given me support and encouragement up until now. As Day 1 draws closer, I must admit that I'm getting a little more nervous day by day. But maybe that's my body's way of telling me I'm ready. Only time will tell.

To all my readers, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2017!