Cycling to work worked using smaller roads

Cycling to work:

I woke up early this morning and decided to ride to work. After preparing my 2 bottles of plain water (1250ml altogether), wearing my reflector vest, cycling visor and helmet, I took off from SS2 into LDP at 0620hrs. I stopped at the underpassage rather than go up the flyover (as it is against the law although tractors and motorbikes tend not to abide by it). I took sips of water at every 5 km (approximately every 3 traffic light junction). At Western Digital traffic lights, I turned right into the industrial park to take the flyover onto the Federal Highway. After approximately 2 km, I took a right turn into Subang Jaya (Persiaran Kewajipan) passing SJMC (on my right) and going to the Summit. The Metropolitan College roundabout was challenging but you just have to stay on the lane (not too far to the left) and watch the car on your right. After the Summit there was another 2 traffic lights and finally I turned right again into USJ9/10 and another left to USJ9 where my clinic is situated. Total time taken was 50 minutes.

I took a took a shower at my clinic, changed and went for my breakfast at the Mamak behind my clinic for fresh 'Idli' and my favourite 'teh tarik'.

Return Journey:

I refilled my water bottles, changed into my shorts and left my bag of dirty clothes in the clinic and exited from USJ 9 onto Persiaran Kewajipan. I was happily overtaking the traffic at the Giant and the Summit Junction. At the Metropolitan College roundabout and I turned right towards Sunway Pyramid. At Sunway Mentari, I took the shortcut to the underpassage of the Motorola Flyover and turned right onto the Federal Highway motorbike lane. I took a left turn to Seri Setia (Sungaiway) and then headed towards Jalan 222 and took a left turn at Kah Motors into Jalan 223. At the end of Jalan 223, I took a left turn and headed to Rothmans roundabout and took a 12 o'clock towards SS2. At the first traffic light, I took a right turn towards LDP and kept right and at the first junction to the right I headed towards the housing area and found my way to my condominium. Total time taken was 50 minutes.

*I should have informed my wife I was going to do this but she wouldn't let me cycle to work. I actually cycled not too hard and took a break at Yong's bicycle shop to look at some handlebars. Maybe, I should take her along for one of my rides sometime?!
*I forgot my sunscreen lotion which would serve a purpose to protect my skin. Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile effort as I feel good at the end of the ride!

Exclusive Interview with Josiah Ng

Dear Josiah,

Thank you for agreeing to do an exclusive interview for my blog, Cycling Professionals. We recreational cyclists would require some encouragement to cycle safely and train well.

Let me start with the following questions:-

CyclingDoc: How old are you? Where are you from? How many years have you been cycling (in total and competitively)?

Josiah: I am 28 years young from Kuching, Sarawak. I have been cycling competitively since I was 14 years old. I first learned how to ride a bike when I was 5.

CyclingDoc: How has cycling changed your life?

Josiah: Cycling has had an amazing impact on my life. I live to ride and ride to live. It is my dream job come true. I have been able to see the world and meet the most amazing people, thanks to cycling.

CyclingDoc: How often do you train each week and what is the duration? Track / Road / Gym / Others

Josiah: I train a total of 11 sessions a week, twice per day on weekdays and once on the weekend. My weekly schedule includes 3 gym sessions, 4 track sessions, and 4 road sessions.

CyclingDoc: What would you advise recreational cyclists who are trying to improve their cycling skills and train better?

Josiah: I would say the best thing would be to ride with other cyclists. You can learn a lot from each other. If there is a local club available, join it!

CyclingDoc: How important is safety in cycling?

Josiah: I put safety first. Having a good knowledge and sense of safety is very important. I always wear a helmet when I am training. Follow road rules to the best of your ability is also a smart thing to do. I almost always obey traffic signs and signals. Of course there are certain exceptions where following rules made for automobiles would be more dangerous than not. Use common sense.

CyclingDoc: What kind of bicycle would you advise new recreational cyclists to get when they start?

Josiah: Buy whatever your budget permits you. Fancy equipment is not always better. Start modestly, and work your way up.

CyclingDoc: What would you like to see happen in the cycling sport in Malaysia?

Josiah: I would like to see more people more aware of the sport. Cycling is a wonderful sport and can have many benefits including green transportation, maintaining one’s health and also the social aspect. There are not many negative things about the sport.

CyclingDoc: What are your aspirations in cycling?

Josiah: My goal is to always ride my bike for as long as I live. I hope to enjoy the sport and pass it down to my children and grand children.

CyclingDoc: Thank you for taking your time to answer the questions. We treasure your input and we believe that you have placed Malaysian Cycling on the map!

Josiah: Thank you once again for this opportunity to share my thoughts. Best Regards, Josiah Ng.

Unwell: Off riding for a week

There are some things that I do not compromise although I am crazy about cycling. I was down with a bad bout of sinusitis and tonsillitis after working (and training) very hard. Since, the sinusitis also caused me to have a splitting headache and dizziness (not to mention) the purulent cough, I decided to take a break from cycling. I am better now and am planning to catch up on my training programme. I can't wait to loose more flab!

Guys, we on for this Thursday night when I get back from Lumut!

Night Ride at Ara Damansara

Thanks to Alan Ang we have a cycling route from Kelana Jaya Medical Centre through Ara Damansara and back (13km). Have a look at the photo and let us know if you are keen on joining us for a ride during the week day. We will confirm the date as soon as we can get 5 riders.

Update (7th August 2008):
We had 6 riders and cycled approximately 17-18 km taking approximately 1 hours duration cycling in cool weather without much interaction with traffic flow. I shall have to upload my data onto my laptop to obtain the exact information. Looks like we will make this a regular Thursday night ride (if it doesn't rain).

We're happy to have a Captain Alan to take the lead and Yong to make sure everyone is alright. We had 2 mechanics on standby and had several tubes and a pump in case of tyre punctures. I didn't feel that good because I had to work until 9.00pm and was a bit tired but nevertheless we were refreshed at the end of the ride and adjourned to the Mamak joint. We may split into a starter group for new riders and a regular rider group for those who are fit. The next time we will have our Marshalls having the yellow or red reflector vest to direct traffic if the group gets bigger than 10 riders.

Minors need to have your parent's permission to join. Those who are above 35 yrs are advised to get clearance from your doctor and use a heart rate monitor for the ride. Guys and girls who want to join in the next ride can contact me at 019-2103787 or draston@gmail.com.