Saturday, September 15, 2007

polygon xtrada



This is my mtb.
An imported 24-speed Polygon Xtrada. It's imported from Indonesia, that is. Bought it secondhand from a friend's friend for a few hundred. Would cost me RM900+ brand new. For now, I'm not ready to fork out that kind of money. Well, I don't have that much, anyway... :)

So far, it's been a good purchase. Although there's a little annoying sound coming from the crankset. I suspect that the crank is a bit hammered. Anyway, for the sum I paid, there's nothing much to complain, really.

Well, here's the spec:
Frame: Aluminium 6061
Fork: Polygon
Handlebar & Stem: Polygon
Headset: Ritchey
Grips: Tioga (upgrade)
Saddle: Selle Royal Energy
Seatpost: Polygon Alloy
Drivetrain: SR Suntour Crank, Shimano C050 FD, Altus RD
Controls: Shimano Brake + Shifter combo
Brakes: Front - Tektro IO Mech Disc, Rear - Tektro V-Brake
Wheelset: Araya rims, Shimano hubs, Kenda Kwick 26/1.95 tires

Monday, September 03, 2007

Layang-layang in Pasir Gudang

I promised Marsya to play kite, and so last Saturday we went to Bukit
Layang Layang in Pasir Gudang.
I had bought a RM6.00 kite like a month ago, with the string and a spool.
Total: RM10.

At 10.30am it was quite windy at BLL, it made us forget that the sun is
baking our skin.
A few tries were not successful, but soon after (well, about 20 minutes
trying) we managed to fly the kite quite high.
I think it was the highest I had flown a kite in my entire life.
Marsya & Adam enjoyed the outing. We had the entire BLL all to ourself and
another professional guy with his manouverable kite.
The kids had their turn holding the spool and I helped them fly the kite.
Alhamdulillah it was windy and the day was bright.
Too bad, we forgot to bring along the camera.

We went into Muzium Layang-layang an hour later. Entrance fee is dirt
cheap. RM2 for adults, RM1 for children.
There's a collection of beautifully crafted traditional Malay waus, as well
as kites from all over the world, especially in the Asian region - most
notably from Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia.
Also in the collection are huge nylon shell kites.
What I like most is that there are info on how to make the traditional
kites - wau. from the basic - getting the material, right to the finish.
there are also technical info on how to fly kites.
There's also an area for a wau maker to demonstrate how the intricate
details of making the beatiful wau is done. The guy was not there, though.

A video presentation is always shown on the top most level of the museum.
Mostly showcasing the previous Pesta Layang-layang.
In the video, there was this stunt kite demo from 5-man Perlis team. It's
awesome!
Like watching the Red Arrows minus their engines and coloured smoke).

An annual event, Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival is held during
February, drawing participants from around the globe.
There are corporate kite flying contest, international contest, and many
other categories.
Also, there are exhibition shows like the stunt kite.
Being there and watching colourful kites of many shapes and sizes is simply
breathtaking.

I rate the museum 4 stars both for the info and its collection. If you do
live around Pasir Gudang, do at least get in there to learn something about
our heritage.
If you're from elsewhere, I invite you to the annual Kite festival in
February. It will be worthwhile.

I'm looking forward for our next kite outing. And we'll be prepared with
sunblocks, caps and sunglasses insyaAllah.
On, and the camera too.