Before the flag-off on day 2, a daunting 172km of rolling terrain, the chaplain received a prayer request. "Please pray for the hills to be flat!" Jimmi calmly retorted, "It depends on your faith."
That was a good response. For this was the 2012 charity Bike and Blade, a two-day cycling event to raise funds for the underprivileged.
304 km over two days from Kuantan to Kota Tinggi; new and familiar faces; road, tri, folding bikes and even a recumbent; potholes and tumbles; hot sun (40 deg max) and rain; beautiful sunrise and 100+ climbs.
We started by taking the coach up to Kuantan on Friday, and stayed at the luxurious Zenith hotel. We fondly remembered the great seafood in March and mobilized 6 taxis for a wonderful dinner. The rain after did not dampen our spirits, but set the stage for a cool weather the next day.
Day 1 was flat as a pancake, all 132 km of it. Organized into four groups, most of us were in the second. Each group had accompanying vehicles for safety reasons. Everyone settled down and before long, we were out of Kuantan. The highway was familiar for we came up that way (with strong headwinds) in March. We were expecting headwind going south, but it wasn't that bad.
We passed group one, surprisingly, and realized that one cyclist had a fall. Later we found out that it was CG, but fortunately he wasn't hurt.
It was not long later that group one - led by chairman AY - overtook us. And that caused a chain reaction or ripple effect. The train started to speed up to 40 kph. At a traffic light, the train broke and several of us decided to go back to the steady 30 - 34 kph.
The only incident of the day was when we came across a bridge and didn't see a big pothole. AY bunny hopped, I went straight through, and then heard a crash behind. One cyclist braked and swerved to avoid the pothole, and in so doing, clipped JC's front wheel. Thank God, JC only had abrasions to his knee and a sore back. We gingerly proceeded at a more conservative speed. Before too long, a faster group came along, and we tagged along for the home stretch. JC then charged up and overtook, assuring us that he was back in business.
Lunjut Resort was the end point for day 1, and the beach and pool were most welcoming. Dinner as usual was a time for relaxation, stories and bonding.
Met PMY at Lunjut, who cycled 230km from Singapore with some friends, and would be cycling 230km back! Kudos!
Day 2 started early at 6 am. The first 40 km were flat and we cruised together until we reached the forest. That was where the fun began. The strong riders surged on ahead, but the steady group was able to stay together most of the time, regrouping at water points.
Surprisingly, the weather was kind most of the morning, until 10 am or so. Then the temperature started climbing reaching a max of 40 degree (by my Garmin). BnB would not be complete without hot sun!
At 102km, we reached the much anticipated wantan noodle stall for brunch. A nice break it was.
More rolling terrain followed, and before too long, we reached the "mini dragon back", a series of three undulating climbs with pill boxes as guards of honor. I could still remember how much I suffered through this stretch two years ago. Suffer I did still, but less so this time, doggedly staying on the large chain ring.
Did I mention that we had personal support this year? Only if we stuck to JL who had L following her in the car. Glad to have L guiding us into Kota Tinggi as we had to make a couple of right turns amidst darkening skies. Our small group reached the end point just minutes before the heavy downpour.
Though that was my third consecutive year participating, Jimmi's prayer reminded me of "Faith, Hope and Charity".
While our faith may not be sufficient to remove the slopes, what we did was to bring hope to the underprivileged. This year, the beneficiaries would be the patients at St Luke's Hospital.
What of charity? I saw charity when we took turn pulling, offering others to draft us, waiting up for each other. It was charity when L shared drinks with other riders even though he was not an official supporter. It was also charity when Crazy2Tri offered us drinks when we most needed it. Charity was when LL accompanied another cyclist for 9 hours on day 1.
Indeed, charity was when volunteers helped secure our bikes, book our rooms, handed out drinks, drove and cheered us along. Charity was looking out for one another, a much needed word or two of encouragement, a suffering shared and understood, a handshake or pat on the shoulder at the end of 304 km.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
A big thank you to all the sponsors who generously contributed to make this event possible, especially those who chipped in for my participation. Most of all, a sincere thank you for my family who are my firmest supporters.
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