My 3rd RA Trip, Saturday, Jan 10th, 2009

prolog

Rindu Alam track is always waiting for us with its smiles always on its beautiful panorama. That smile always haunt everybody whoever was there before. That’s because this famous track is well-known for its beauty and challenges. Its popular name is spread among the mountain bikers from mouth to mouth in Jakarta and West Java province.

Some bikers said that this track can be assumed just like a Mecca for Muslim people, a biker will be certified as a true biker or a ‘Haj’ of biker if He/She has passed through this track. This was not my first trip. You can see my previous 2 trips on this track here and here.

The trip was set up by Om Mail and Om Edy, since they are the ones among the group who don’t have this trip before. Also the other initiator is Om Febby whose comeback for cycling after sometimes. They want to make their dream come true, and they set it up from weeks ago, including upgrading their gears and bikes….wow!..what a spirit!

The other bikers who joint this trip this time were Om Asep, Om Beny, Om Hendra, Om Dadung, Om Yusta, Om Eri, Om Kus, Om Agus, Om Teddy and Om Yono. Not forget to mention Mbak Ajeng and Mas Yudis, they are Om Eri’s kids. So there were 16 bikers of us who enjoyed the trip.

On Friday, I concerned for the weather condition at Puncak area within this month. and off course during this rainy season, we don’t expect too much for bright and clear weather. That’s why I suggested the group to prepare the gears properly to face the rain and muddy track, and just be ready for the worst. We should bring rain coat and another dry jersey (biker’s shirt). My prediction was right, when we arrived at Rindu Alam post on Saturday 06.30 am there was heavy rain and the track was so much full with fog. After 1 hour waiting, we decided to go on and we will observe the track condition on the spot, so we could decide later on whether we’ll continue this trip or not.

We started the trip at 08.00 am, after brief guide and the pray. I chose to become a sweeper, Om Teddy and Om Asep were the leader. We faced a foggy track at the beginning, and the fog was so thick and it obstructed our vision. Also the rain made our body so cold. From my handy talky I should remind the group not to split too far and concentrate on the bike handling, since track also was so muddy. We really concerned for the safety of the group. I remember when we had some accidents at previous trip. One of my friend fell down to the cliff at that time and left the scar on his face. Also I remember when Om Anto fell down on the steep-descend track, and his face smashed the rock so hard, and his lips were torn.

The track condition was really so bad, the rocks was so wet and slippery, and “the single-track” was so muddy.

We couldn’t pedaling the bike at this track. It’s really not “gowes-able”. Some bikers fell at this track and still we could laugh to each other after that. Seeing the mud all over the body was so exciting, proving that this trip was full of challenges.

The speed became so slow. We had to put our feet on the ground so many times, and squeeze the brake lever tightly. Our shoes became so wet and muddy, but still we didn’t care for the dirt and the anxiousness was still there. On the tea plantation we lost our way because we couldn’t keep our concentration on the direction of the track. We were so excited facing the mud and the fog, and since we lost our visibility in the fog we lost the way finally. We must turn back to the right way. The ‘downhill’ session was over after one and half hour. Everybody agreed to continue the trips since there was no rain anymore.

We entered Gunung Mas Plantation and we decided to have short rest there. We took some hot milk to warm our body. At this point I was so amazed with Om Eri’s daughter; Ajeng, who could cope the track successfully. It’s not an easy trip for a girl who doesn’t have a cycling experiences before. Om Eri!! you should proud of your kids.

At this rest area also we can find some really fresh vegetables from local farmers. I wish I had a basket I can fill in and bring it for souvenirs for my friend. I remember when my friend said one day before that she wanted a basket full with fresh vegetables as a souvenir from my trip.

After the rest, we came to the next track which full of ascent tracks. Up to this point we had passed a downhill session which is ‘technical’ track. The technical session for coping a difficult track, coping the mud, coping the slippery rocks, coping the steep descents, coping the roots crossing the track, and coping the holes trap on the track, so we could keep our butt on the saddle.

The first uphill challenge is Ngehe’ 1;

A funny name to express the long 30 degree ascent, the ascent which will make you run out of breath, your chess will be burn and your vision will be blur, and some times you’ll have seven stars circling your head. It’s nearly 700 meters uphill track. it really can make bikers to throw up, and spill the morning breakfast out. I had this track twice, so I can manage my pedaling and breath, and I can cope 75 percent of Ngehe’ 1 safely. For that achievement, I had a refreshment when I almost finishing it: a nice looking lady, wearing red jacket walked in front of me with a smile on her face…hahaha…I take that as a bonus for me!

The next funny thing was when I finished the Ngehe’ 1 along with Om Kus and Mas Yudis at the tea picker hut, there were no body! I had question repeatedly replay on my head: “Where is everybody?” As far as I knew, I was the sweeper, I supposed to be the last bikers in the queue. I tried to communicate with everybody wearing HT, but there was no answer. Another thought crossed in my mind: “May be all other bikers are so strong and they have left Ngehe’ 1 a while ago”. After sometimes, there were a sound from the radio calling my name, and saying that they were left behind. How come? The answer is that they have lost the way for the second time and this time they lost the way for a long distance…LOL. Finally, they showed their face one by one. According to the sound of their breath, they finished Ngehe’ 1 just like what I describe before….hahaha…bravo my friend!

Ngehe’ 1 took so many victims this time; some legs had muscle injured (cramps), some lungs were really burnt, and some faces became so pale.

But after seeing a beautiful panorama of tea plantation from the hut, those pale faces were shifted quickly to become a really happy faces, and they had so many smiles at that time. Just look at the smiles and optimistic faces below:

We had 10 minutes at Ngehe 1 station, and we decided to go further to Ngehe’ 2 and planned to have a longer rest there. We decided to do TTB (TunTun Bike – walk with your bike) on this track to save some energy for the next session. But that intention was not happen finally. We were attacked by the bee beetle. Everybody laid down and facing the ground for about 10 minutes. It just like soldiers in the battle field when they get the attacks from the enemy. Some of us ran so fast to get through “the bee’s area”, some succeed but some got injures at the head, face and hands. After some times, the bees were gone. Luckily I brought medicines to overcome the fever caused by the bee strike. We only stayed at Ngehe’ 2 station for only 15 minutes, and we decided to go on.

The tracks after Ngehe’ 2 was a mix of physical endurance and technical ability. There were some uphill track and downhill track.

We moved slowly, because the energy has gone already. Again, so many cramps and fallings were there, and again, so many pale faces were back. The sound of the bikers were slowly go away and finally only the sounds of dripping water and the whispering of the wind were passing trough the ear. The laugh were not so intense like before. Everybody was so tired already. But at this point I really enjoy the views and the smells of the nature. I could smell the grass and the wild flower fragrant.

But the laughs were back when we got the asphalt road, the sign of the ending session of this trip. And finally we arrived at Gadog and we finished the trip at 03.00 pm. Various menus were waiting for us at the restaurant just beside the finish point. We ate so much and we throw our biggest laugh there, we just got amazed by the wonderful and unforgotten 7 hours trip we just had. We all back home in one piece. Thanks Bro!!!

You can see the other photographs here

Do I need Clipless pedals? Which ones? How much will they cost? Will they cause me to fall over when I stop?

Whether you're looking at a road, mountain or hybrid bike, there may be a clipless pedal in your future. But before we get into details, we need to point out why pedals & shoes are so important, and then define what a clipless pedal is!

The pedals on your bike really serve only one purpose- as a means to transfer power from you to your bicycle. For riding around the block, they don't need to be very fancy...just plastic blocks with grooves or teeth to plant your feet onto. But if you want to go on longer rides (anything over 10 miles), you'll benefit greatly from something better, because:
Without something holding your foot securely to the pedal, it would be easy to slip off the pedal and send your foot into the wheel. Not so likely to happen on a trip around the block, but on a longer ride, when you're tired...
There is a correct placement for the position of your foot over the pedal axle
A good pedal/shoe system has to be able to transfer all of the power from your leg to the pedals without trying to bend your foot over the top of the pedal, which causes both fatigue and pain
You shouldn't have to think about how your feet connect to the bicycle while you're riding. You should be concentrating on having fun, not technique!

In the old days, bike pedals either were plain (with no straps to hold your foot in place) or they had toe clips & straps. The toe clip was usually steel (most are now plastic) and formed a space, or box, at the front side of the pedal that you slid your foot into. Keeping your foot there is the responsibility of either a leather or nylon mesh strap, which you can pull tight when you wanted to make sure your foot stays in place, or loosen so you can get your foot out when you stop.

Toe clips & straps are still the norm for nearly all bikes between $350 and $1000. They're very inexpensive and don't require the use of a special shoe. But when used with conventional shoes, they tend to focus pedal forces onto a small part of the bottom of your foot, creating fatigue & pain on longer rides as your foot tries to bend itself around the pedal. Also, if the straps are not loosened as you come to a stop... Of course, you can always leave the straps loose, but then your feet don't stay in place without conscious effort to keep them on the pedals. And if you've tightened them down, you need to reach down and loosen them prior to stopping (a somewhat risky operation).

It's time to enter the clipless pedal revolution!

With a clipless pedal system, you wear special cycling shoes (but don't let "special" put you off...many look similar to normal hiking or walking shoes!) that allow a "cleat" to be mounted to their sole. This cleat literally snaps into a receptacle on the pedal, allowing you to quickly (and without having to reach down!) connect your shoes to the pedals and take off.

But, of course, you weren't worried about taking off...you're more concerned about stopping without falling over! Well, that's far more easily accomplished with a properly-chosen and adjusted clipless pedal system than it would be with toe clips & straps. With nearly every clipless pedal on the market, all you need to do is pivot your heel outward and you snap right out of the pedals. It's that easy!

What about the shoes? What makes them so special?

A high-quality cycling shoe is designed to be lightweight, comfortable (some optimizing comfort for both riding and walking, while others are made for riding only), and efficient at transferring power from you to your bicycle without pain & fatigue. Popular brands include Nike, Shimano & Sidi (which, not coincidentally, are all lines Chain Reaction carries!), and prices range from $70-$350. Their durability is very good, and the workmanship is generally as good as, and sometimes better than, normal street shoes selling in the same price range.

And the different pedal systems?

There are two basic choices-
Cycling-only pedal/shoe systems, which will have a cleat that mounts below the shoe and is optimized for cycling (and will send you sliding across the freshly-waxed floors at Robert's supermarket in Woodside if you're not careful...just grab for something in the middle of one of those row-end displays on your way down!). These were designed originally for road bikes, and are inappropriate for mountain bikes, where getting off and walking occurs frequently.
The newer systems featuring a cleat that's recessed into the bottom of the shoe, allowing you to walk normally when required. These were initially designed for mountain bikes, but find their way onto more than half of the road bikes we sell as people like the convenience of being able to walk around without slipping or sounding like a tap dancer (which is what exposed cleats sound like on wood or concrete floors).

Why would you want a shoe that has an exposed cleat (making walking around impractical) when you can opt for one that's recessed? Mostly because the shoes will be a bit lighter weight (there's no extra rubber on the bottom of the sole, just a plastic bottom that the cleat mounts onto) and also because, with some systems (LOOK & Speedplay, for example), the interface between the shoe and pedal is larger and gives a more solid feeling while pedaling. However, great strides have been made with the recessed cleat designs, and they are now almost as light and efficient as the non-recessed designs.

What do the pedals cost?

For non-recessed (cycling-only) designs, very high quality pedals start around $80 for a basic LOOK pedal, to $125-$200 for the newer, lighter Shimano SL and Speedplays. All represent excellent choices and offer what's known as a "floating" cleat. This type of cleat is one of the most wonderful things to come along to cycling in years; it allows your foot and knee to determine their own alignment on the pedal, which is extraordinarily important in reducing knee stress and pain. Prior to these designs, an improperly-set cleat could actually cause serious knee injury!

For recessed-cleat designs, there are a number of designs out there, but it's tough to do much better than the basic Shimano SPD. Prices have come way down, with just $50 buying a great pedal (Shimano's M520). These are all dual-sided, meaning that you can step in from either the top or bottom, and, while originally designed for mountain bikes, are equally at home on road bikes. They also have rotational float, which makes them much easier on the knees than earlier designs.

Great deals that aren't. There are many other recessed-cleat pedals, but we generally don't recommend them because, in our experience, they are frequently far more difficult to get into and out of (Onza and Tioga are great examples from the past) and difficult to find cleats for due to continuous running changes in their designs. We've also seen some copycat Shimano-like pedals made for a major mailorder company. At first inspection they look pretty nice, but they interface very poorly with shoes. Check it out...a recessed-cleat pedal/shoe design requires that the shoe be supported at the outside edges of the pedal to keep from flopping around. But on these pedals and many shoes we've tried, the sole of the shoe sits well above the pedal, so the only thing supporting your foot is the tiny cleat itself. This is not enough for proper support; you get an uncomfortable, excessively-wobbly feel while pedaling. And they're not even that cheap, at $40/pair...sure, it's maybe $10 less than some others, but it's a bad place to save a small amount of money.

Proper cleat placement is important, even though the new floating-cleat designs have made it far less critical. There are basically two things to set up- approximate cleat angle and fore/aft positioning.

For the angle, we generally set up the cleats so that, when the shoe is moved inwards, your ankle won't quite hit the crank. With this position, all the pedal systems we offer allow a significant outward angle from neutral (in line with the bike), meaning that your foot can go just about anyplace it wants to. The only reason for changing the cleat position so it allows less outward movement is for those who have difficulty moving their heels out far enough to exit the pedals.

For fore/aft, we start by positioning the cleat so the ball of your foot is centered over the pedal. This position generally results in high energy transfer from foot-to-pedal without undue stress on the knee. However, for those who've experienced knee problems, the first thing that should be tried is to move the cleat towards the back of the shoe, dramatically reducing the amount of leverage that the pedal can exert against your foot and knee.

But will I fall over?

OK, we'll finally answer the BIG question. Once you get used to clipless pedals, the chances of coming to a stop before exiting your pedal (and thus falling over) are greatly reduced. BUT...chances are, in that first day or two, you'll forget that you need to twist your foot to the side (instead of pulling back) to get out. By the time you recognize your mistake, it's too late, as you've lost all forward speed. And, with no place to go but down...you get the picture. You will, in very slow motion, and nearly always with people around to see it happen, fall over. You're not likely to get hurt, but it's terribly embarrassing. And most likely there's nothing that makes you so special that you'll avoid the fate shared by just about everyone else. Just try and remember this...

It's almost impossible to come up with a truly original way to embarrass yourself on a bike. The rest of us have already, as they say, been there, done that.

(dikutip dari http://www.chainreaction.com/pedalfaq.htm)