BURUNG HANTU (NIGHT OWL) MTB JAMBOREE 201112

It appears that night mountain bike jamboree is becoming more enticing than daytime jamboree. I could justify this by the number of bikers who took part in last Saturday's night jamboree in Air Keroh, Malacca. 2500 bikers were there at Dataran Sejarah Air Keroh to participate in the jamboree. Last year, the same jamboree attracted close to 2000 bikers. The number of bikers in Air Keroh last Saturday night was exceptionally large; in fact, larger than the number of bikers that had participated in any one of the daytime jamborees that I had attended so far.

The jamboree (ride) was flagged off at about 8.30 pm and lasted until the early hours of Sunday morning. It was a 45-km ride, so I was told later. Somehow, I didn't care to find out how long the trail was that night. Judging by the time it took me to complete the ride and by the pace I was going, I reckon it was a 45-km ride or thereabouts. Trying to keep track of my ride via my cyclometer at night would not be a wise thing to do. Such an effort, I thought, was also unnecessary since I had already made up my mind as to how I would like to go about riding the trail that night well before I started. What was important to me, I thought, was for me to take on the challenge and enjoy the ride and complete it the way I wanted  so long as I did not end up becoming the last rider to cross the finish line. That, I believe, is important since it would tell me where I stood in terms of my fitness and my endurance. For health's sake, I do not wish to be biologically 64. I don't mind being chronologically 64 since it's something that I can't change. But, I could be biologically 46 or less if I made an effort to be one. Being biologically younger means I would still remain strong and physically independent. This would mean that I could go on biking for a few, if not many more years; something that I would love to do if I could. Moreover, there were 2500 bikers riding the trail that night and I just had to be careful about the way I rode lest any loss of focus or concentration on my part could result in some adverse or unpleasant outcomes  for which it would only be wise for me to avoid.

Just after that last jamboree in Sg Buaya, it looked like I was set to go for another one the next weekend. But somehow, the response from E.T.Riders for the jamboree was rather low and I decided to drop the idea. Only four bikers from E.T.Riders finally turned up for the event (UPM MTB Fete 2012). Perhaps, any jamboree organized too close to KL might not be viewed upon as an attractive option by some since much of the area surrounding  the federal territory has been subjected to human exploitation and development. The trail may not be as attractive as perhaps,one organized in a jamboree further away from it. So, after quite a lapse following the Sungai Buaya jamboree, I was naturally looking forward to this night jamboree in Malacca which the organizers dubbed 'Burung Hantu' or the 'Night Owl'.

But Burung Hantu 2012 was not my first night jamboree. I participated  in the same jamboree organized at about the same time last year although held at a different venue. We had a good night ride last year and this time I expected the same thing from the organizers. It did not surprise me that the jamboree this time had attracted 2500 bikers from all over the country including some from overseas. I believe those who had participated in this same jamboree previously must have been happy with the trail and the way the jamboree was organized that they decided to come back again for another one this year. Good words too must have spread around and so more bikers had decided to turn up to join in the fun.

And as I had expected, I wasn't disappointed this second time although some participants were not too happy with some of the arrangements made by the organizers following completion of the ride. But as for the trail and the manner the ride was organized, I am happy with what that had been put in place despite the huge number of bikers participating in the jamboree. The whole ride was well controlled despite doing it in the dark and on a trail 45 kms long which included some long stretches of offroad tracks and single paths apart from the usual share of tarmac one would normally expect in a jamboree.

The organizers had decided to draw up a trail rideable to everyone which catered to the needs of the seasoned and the less seasoned bikers alike. A trail too tough or too rough could prove hazardous to beginners and the less skilful riders more so at night. We were served with a trail that was not too tough nor too easy which most of us could handle even at night yet one that could still push our heart and our endurance to their maximal limits. But still I would say, it was far from being an easy trail more so the single track that made up one third or more of the overall trail length. Though we were lucky it didn't rain that night, some sections of the trail still remained wet and slippery made so by the rain that fell almost daily several days before the ride. Riding on this narrow and slippery single track was a real test of our skill as well as our concentration and proved to be no easy task, at least for me. It's like treading a fine line which calls for a rider's full concentration and control lest they would get their bikes out of line and land into some hazardous situations. This happened to me several times during the ride. The already slithery nature of the single track was made more slippery by the several hundred riders ahead of me. Several times during the course of negotiating some sections of the single track, I almost lost control of the bike and was on the verge of falling off it. Only my quick reflex plus perhaps a bit of my skill and experience had prevented me from falling off my machine. Still, I did fall off the bike once although I managed to clip out the pedals in time to avoid a more serious fall.

As for the obstacles one could expect to encounter while riding, these too were not many nor were they too stern. Except for some pits on the track which had been well marked and their presence forewarned, there were no really serious obstacles that could cause considerable congestion or delay to the riders. There were some ditches  found running across the trail but these too were easily managed. While some hills the riders encountered during the early part of the ride did slow them down a bit, but this was not for long since the hills were not too long nor too steep.

I hope to be able to participate in another Burung Hantu next year. Maybe the organizers may want to consider scheduling the event a little earlier next year so we could avoid the rainy season. Sure it's still possible to ride in the rain or on a wet trail at night, but rain or too much of it could make it impossible for the event to achieve its real purpose: that of allowing riders to enjoy their ride at night and to do so in the safest manner possible. After all, Burubg Hantu is a jamboree and not a race. Furthermore, not all of us who participated in the 2012 Burung Hantu are seasoned and highly skilful bikers.The trail could still be made challenging even without the rain.

Am I now champing at the bit for another mountain biking adventure? You bet! Even this morning I could not resist the temptation to get in the saddle for a quick ride. I had thought of going out for a ride sometime after noon but the urge to cycle just could not be held back and so I went out pedaling in the morning instead. And now I am wondering if I should go out again for another quickie this afternoon (ride, I mean...haha!). But I will let it pass for now. If the urge does come back nudging me for another one, I will see how it goes. After all, didn't I say time is now on my side although I do get the feeling that as I age, it seems to pick up speed and goes faster than when I was younger. And what if I do really become the odd man out one of these days? Well, it doesn't matter. I will still continue to ride even if I have to do it alone.

Another mountain biking adventure is coming this 10th November in Sungai Buaya -- again. But the organizers have promised us a different trail this time. I hope to be able to be there with other members of E.T.Riders. Maybe, I should attempt to push myself harder this time to find out how far I could really go. It would be great if I could do better than what I managed to do the last couple of jamborees. This chronological and biological age thing really arouses my interest. In the name of healthy living and for health's sake, I am keen to find out how far I could go to keep myself biologically strong and healthy while chronological age can continue to catch up on me. At this stage of my life, I am all for healthy living and a healthy lifestyle.

Wouldn't it be great if we could  all continue to remain physically strong and independent for as long as we live?