Tribute to an old friend called Specialized

When you have a outdoor hobby like mountain biking, living in a condo with a family with only 987 square feet to move around, it is almost impossible to store the bike with all the accessories.

Unfortunately for me, that is my scenario. Fortunately for me, there is an empty unit in front of my unit that was vacant since the condo was built and is now under bank receivership. Why, fortunately, well, that is where I kept my bicycles. Did I mention "kept" and "bicycles"? We'll start with bicycles.

When my wife and I just got married in 1989, we bought 2 Lerun bicycles to cycle around in the evenings which we are still keeping. When the kids came, we bought 2 children bicycles of different sizes. Then there was another bicycle that was left behind by a tenant that I refurbish to make it ride able.

I got involved with mountain biking in the year 2000 when I took part in the Malacca Mountain Bike Hash and bought my first "high end" Specialized. Cost me RM1,700.00 and I thought it was a bomb. Never thought bicycles cost more than 1K at that time and since then, have upgraded the rims to Mavic, the gears to XT, fork to lockable Rox Shox, pedals to Shimano clipless, crank to Truvative and most recently, change the seat to Fizik.

I bought another bike, this time a full suspension IBIS Mojo SL last year and alternate the usage of both bikes. Bike components are not cheap and I have installed almost all the top range components for the IBIS and would like to minimize the usage and prolong it as much as I can thus will use more of the Specialized. Specialized will see action on every Wednesday and Friday night rides and IBIS will spring to action on weekends and mtb jamborees (ECC members call it the Jamboree bike).

6 bikes of different sizes in the store room.

Penang Kayuh Lasak 2005

This schedule was working out well until yesterday.

The management office had informed us that there were queries on the vacant unit that will be up for auction so I thought we better start clearing our stuffs. Yesterday morning after sending the children to school, I went to the unit and found it unlock. Hemmm..... maybe I forgot to lock it on Sunday after washing the bike that came straight after a hash ride.

I noticed something different, where were was my Specialized? For a moment I thought I might have brought it back to the office. Then I realised my daughter's Schwin is not where it should be. The only bikes left behind are the Lerun and children's bikes.

Then it hit me that someone has stolen the Specialized and Schwinn bikes.

Thank God I decided to keep the IBIS in my own unit after washing it.

On the way to Sagil, Johor for the Gunung Ledang ride

After 9 years of confidently keeping my precious in this vacant unit, never did I imagine losing it this way. A most likely suspect would be someone staying in the same property that has been eyeing my movements whenever I ride the bike out and when and where I keep them. Or else how would the thieve know exactly which unit to break into?

I have since informed the management but I know it is a long shot of getting it back.

Today's posting will be on the mountain bike that has gone many places and brought good memories of rides around Malaysia.

May the thief receive the same "blessings" he gave me in 10 folds.

Here's to my Specialized Rockhopper.

2006 Damai Laut holiday with the family

2008 The Malacca Water Wheel

2007 KLMBH Epic Ride

The safest place, my work room

Gunung Ledang ride with Lee CH

By the Malacca river

2008 Boat ride to Pulau Besar

The cockpit when fully loaded

~ Farewell old friend ~

Happy Hunting Ground

There is a saying that when a native American (in TV language, Red Indians), dies, he goes to the Happy Hunting Ground or Heaven to most of us.

I looked up Wikipedia and it has an interesting quote and explanation for this caption.

The Happy Hunting Ground was the name given to the concept of the afterlife by several of the great plains Native American tribes, as well as the Iroquois, Cherokee and Algonquians. It is an afterlife conceived of as a paradise in which hunting is plentiful and game unlimited.

"I will follow the white man's trail. I will make him my friend, but I will not bend my back to his burdens. I will be cunning as a coyote. I will ask him to help me understand his ways, then I will prepare the way for my children. Maybe they will outrun the white man in his own shoes.

There are but two ways for us. One leads to hunger and death, the other leads to where the poor white man lives. Beyond is the happy hunting ground where the white man cannot go."

Many Horses - Oglala Sioux

That made me think. When a mountain biker passes on, can we say "He has gone to Whistler Mountain Bike Park"?