Familiarization cycling experience with HASA R-1: 17 km ride at Desa Park City followed with 2 km run

Yesterday (Sunday June 12) I decided to follow a friend to Desa Park City for a familiarization ride with my newly bought HASA R-1. :) Since I bought it on June 4, I didn't have a chance to take it out to test ride. So yesterday was my first outing with my new toy - HASA R-1 carbon road bike. :) It was more of a familiarization ride than anything else. I thought I should spend some time to get to know my bike better so that I can be in better control.

Why Desa Park City while I stay in Sri Petaling?

Logically speaking, the closest place for me to ride would be Kesas Highway motorcycle lane. And I was told there is a cycling group that will ride there every Tuesday and Thursday nights. However, I thought I'd better familiarize myself first with my road bike HASA R-1 before I join the seasoned cyclists going on the Kesas Highway.


Also, I heard from another friend Julia about some horrible stories that happened at Kesas Highway. So that has made me scared for safety reasons.

Desa Park City is a perfect place for me to get to know my HASA R-1 carbon road bike. It's flat route and with civic minded people there driving slowly. It makes it rather safe to try out my first ride on HASA R-1.




17 km familiarization cycling ride with HASA H-1 at Desa Park City

I am not familiar with Desa Park City. So I just followed my friend riding on the wider loop of Desa Park City. At one point, we also rode the bicycle outside of Desa Park City to the petrol station.

We also ended up riding up the hill with breathtaking view.

As you can see, I was rather slow, covering only 17 km in 1 hour 19 min. lol!! Some elite runners would have run faster than me on the bike. No joke!!! In fact, some runners could have finished half marathon in 1 hour 19 min on foot! And I was on a bike, yet so slow!! hahaha!

Anyway, I am not bothered by the speed. I was really cautious. 

Since I had a scary encounter with a motorbike when I was coming downhill from a slope in my hometown Langkawi during my childhood time, I have had this phobia of cycling a bicycle especially going downhill.

I don't know why. The fear is still there even after so many years. Going downhill or going fast on a bicycle is something I'm very fearful of! I'm very worried about the danger of falling or accident! So I tend to go slow, brake as much as I can going downhill. It's just the opposite of my riders - with tendency to go fast downhill.

Anyway, my first riding experience with HASA R-1 was awesome!! Even though it was a short 17 km, but I was very happy with it. I felt very comfortable with my bike. I have found it to fit me well. And I love my bike even more after the first cycling experience!!

At top of the hill at Desa Park City

Top of the hill at Desa Park City

Beautiful View from the hill top at Desa Park City.

Am I ready for Half Ironman's distance of 90 km?

Of course....................................... NOT! :)

How on earth can I be ready when I could only ride 17 km for 1 hour 19 min? I needed to ride at least 25 km per hour in order to finish 90 km within cut off time!!

Time is running out with 2.5 more months to go!!! 

Oh no..... I'd better get serious about it! But for now, my main focus is still full marathon preparing for SCKLM and Kuching Marathon in August. 

Perhaps after that with the remaining 2 weeks or so, I shall then focus only on cycling and swimming leading to the 113 Triathlon in early September.

I hope I can make it! Keep my fingers and toes crossed!

I hardly have any cycling shot. So here is another one. lol!

Brick: 2 KM speed work after 17 km bike

BRICK : 2 km run right after 17 km slow cycling

I remember someone (if I'm not mistaken, it's Azlan) told me last year that cycling workout followed by running workout is called BRICK.

So I thought of trying it out running one 2km loop around Desa Park City's beautiful lake. 

Wah! Not easy to run immediately after cycling!! 

My legs are warbly like jelly! 

I couldn't even run properly. haha! But after about 200-300 m, then I slowly got back my running momentum.


What's Next?

I shall explore Kesas Highway, Putrajaya and Genting Sempah soon. But I will also follow my cycling colleagues to wherever they would want to bring me.

Now my only constraint is time as Sunday is the only time I can run LSD. No time for cycling. Let me crack my head on how to squeeze the cycling into my weekends.

Excited!! And I look forward to bring HASA R-1 out more often!!



Written on 2016.06.13