Bali, Indonesia - Race Report

Gran Fondo New York - Bali Edition
A lot has changed in cycling over the past thirty years, most notably the invention of the "fondo."  It's a race but if you don't want to treat it as such, you can take your time and enjoy.  It was the answer to the overly stressful race scene and it worked.  Fondo participation is through the roof because they attract both serious and casual racers.  Like most, this event has a long and medium route - what they call a gran fondo and a medio fondo.  We started lining up at 5:30 am in our corrals.  The VIPs at the front, the gran fondo riders (of which I was one) and finally the medio fondo riders.  We watched the sun rise and chatted for an hour before the race began.

Bali, Indonesia - Escape

First of Two Locations
Bali is just a two hour flight from Singapore and in the low season you can find some great deals.  I bet it's even cheaper with the slowdown in travel at the moment though we'd book this long before the WuFlu outbreak.  I have a bike race on Sunday, up the side of a large volcano and back (more on that later) so we built a mini-vacation around it.

Chiang Mai, Thailand - Climbing the Tallest Mountain in Thailand

Get on the Strugglebus!
Doi Inthanon is the highest point in Thailand and one of the hardest climbs in Asia, if not the hardest.  Seven thousand feet of climbing up to 8,300 feet in just 24 short miles.  Endless servings of gradients in the high teens that made the rare bits of ten percent feel like a welcomed relief.  I went with a group of my riding friends to Chiang Mai, some of whom did mountain biking.  Three of us chose this crazy climb.  Odd, from Norway and Winnie, from Singapore - climbing on a mountain bike. 

Muar, Malaysia - Long Bike Ride

260 Miles in 36 Hours
I have hardly a friend here so when I get an invite I jump at it without thinking.  Since my last big ride in Indonesia, I've been getting more invites, this one from a Norwegian named Odd who asked if I'd like to "take a spin in Malaysia."  I immediately said yes without asking for details.  A few weeks go by and he explains that we're to get up early and ride to Muar, which is 130 miles north of Singapore.  "So, we're taking the bus back?" I naively asked.  No, he countered, we'll ride back in the morning.  I was stuck.  I'd been hoping to get invites and here I had one, so I pretended.  "I was just joking, come one, of course we'll ride back."

Ipoh, Malaysia - Racing

Practice Makes Perfect
I haven't raced in a long time and with a few more races coming in 2020, I viewed this as a practice race.  I've only been training seriously for about six months so I don't really have the fitness to race, but it's good to get out there and become familiar with it again, see what works and doesn't work, get in some reps.  With the technology available now, I knew what time was realistic - I was targeting around 3.5 hrs based on my power profile.  Everyone now uses a power meter, which measures watts of output, and based on this you can predict your times pretty accurately.  The past winners of my category - 45 years and up - finish in about 2.5 hrs.  So, realistically, I was racing myself.  I wanted to see if I could hold 80% of my hourly power for the entire race - especially since I was not feeling well.

Ipoh, Malaysia - Street Art

There is A Lot of It
Anarchy Grandma gets my vote.

Ipoh, Malaysia - Old Town

Faded Beauty
There's a small river that runs north-south, dividing the old town from the older town, but after I crossed it I didn't notice much of a difference.  Most of the town is composed of beautiful, if ancient and poorly maintained, shop houses.  The Brits left behind many larger, grander buildings in their colonial style also.  After the tin industry crashed, things clearly went downhill.  However, I must admit to being immediately captivated.  Some may see an old wreck, ready for bulldozing.  I see an elderly, elegant lady wearing pearls and a slightly frayed dress, a knockout in her day.

Ipoh, Malaysia - Center Square

God Bless AirBnB
I rented a small house on the SE edge of the city, near the start of the race.  It also happens to be close to many cave temples, which I hope to visit before I leave.

Ipoh, Malaysia - The Reason

It Seemed Like a Good Idea When I Signed Up...
I'm here for a bike race this Sunday.  A 37 mile long KOM (King of the Mountain) race from zero to 4,800 feet.  We start out in Ipoh and head up into the Cameron Highlands.  I will not be crowned king, not even prince.  More like pauper of the mountain, but it should be fun.  Not really fun, per se.  More like an interesting experience.

Ipoh, Malaysia - Bus Trip Escape

Visiting Northern Malaysia
You can fly to Ipoh in just under an hour or you can take a more leisurely approach to the 350 mile trip.  The nine hours on the bus include 30 minutes for customs and immigration as well as an hour lunch stop in a small town called Yong Peng.  When I surveyed the Singaporeans I know about Ipoh they were non-plussed, many admitting they'd never been.  I knew then that I was onto something good.  Matter of fact, the bus was almost empty, just a few of us on the top level and hardly anyone below.  The bus captain looked to be an octogenarian, the wiry, been-through-it all-type.  He gave me an eye roll when I asked for help loading my luggage, so a helpful passenger stepped in.

Batam, Indonesia - Training

I've Come Full Circle
I ride my bike as much now, maybe more, than I did as a teenager.  Five or six days a week, following a rigid training program.  I live like a professional amateur athlete, as in I'm serious and focused but slow and unpaid.  I've got a new bike, new kit, new shoes, carry homemade granola bars with me as I spin and grind fifteen hours a week, alone.  Once in a while I join a group ride if it's interesting and this one was.  A 100 miler across six islands in Indonesia connected by five bridges.  They call it the Batam Barelang Six Bridges Ride, an extra bridge thrown in, presumably for alliterative purposes.

Yangon, Myanmar - Shwedagon Pagoda

Magnificent
It was built 2,600 years ago and is purported to contain seven hairs plucked from Buddha's head.  The main stupa stands 13 stories tall is is plated with real gold.  I've seen many temples, churches and religious buildings but I cannot think of any more impressive than this.

Yangon, Myanmar - Catching Up

With an Old Friend
Thiri spent a year living with the Old Lady while studying in graduate school.  She recently quit her job in Laos and is back in Yangon looking for work.  We met her for lunch and sightseeing.  She then drove us to her son's school to meet him and her husband.  Rian was on a short break, playing outside and got back to it as soon as he'd said his hellos.

Yangon, Myanmar - Out for the Stamp

Visa Hunting
Since I don't yet have my Singaporean long term visa, I have to leave every ninety days.  We decided to try something new this time.  After a 3 hour flight we took a cab to the Wyndham hotel, where we will stay for one night before decamping to a more modest AirBnb in a local part of town.  The hotel is brand new and overlooks Kandawgyi lake and Karaweik palace, which was built in the early 70's.  I was surprised by how green the city is.  It's stuffed full of trees and flowers.