Thursday, December 22, 2005

Penang Jamboree 2003 - Expect the Unexpected

Penang MTB Jamboree 4 - 5 October 2003
Saturday : Sunset Boulevard Ride
Sunday : Expect the Unexpected (Pain-nang Hill Challenge)
350 participants

Article below : This ride set new standards with a record-breaking 350 participants attending a leisure mountain bike event.

Below : Yes, another award-winning hand-drawn map.



This time round, we hired a Sri Maju bus which took us from Golden Mile to the doorsteps of our regular Penang haunt, Hotel Waterfall. It rained cats and dogs the moment we arrived until the start of the ride on Sunday morning! Bring out the raincoats and mud tires!

Below : The neverending spiral of torture....reminds me of an Escher painting...

Below : And finally, the part we've all been waiting for! The downhills are to die for.


Below : And finally, we see the light at the end of the tunnel!


After experiencing 2 jamborees, we realise that bike pushing (both uphill and downhill) and portaging was expected to be part and parcel of any penang ride. It was the wet weather and landslide which was unexpected!

The man and lady to touch the top of Penang Hill gets to be crowned "King" and "Queen" of "Pain-nang Hill" respectively. However, the overall winner who comes in in record time ahead of all others get to be the "Winner of Overall Mountain Bike Jamboree" for all men bikers and lady bikers. Think since then, they'd created a veteran category.

In 2003, Becks clinched the "Queen of Pain-nang" title, winning her a hamper which I accepted on her behalf as she zipped off early with Swee Haw, accompanying him on a long car ride back to Singapore. Turns out kopi was spilling out of that huge hamper from all corners....and Becks doesn't even drink coffee! We might still be drinking that same coffee today! haha!

For more juicy accounts from folks who embarked on this journey with us, go to :-
Chi's Account

Smurf Bikers Account

Ironhorse's Account

Thank you notes

And the cold hard evidence...
My Album 1
My Album 2
My Album 3
Winnie's Album

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