Tag Archives: Van’s Urban Bicycle Co

My Local Bike Shop (LBS)

Posted on January 13, 2017 by alchemyrider

Wikipedia defines local bike shop or local bicycle shop as a small business specializing in bicycle sales, maintenance and parts.

To become my local bike shop, the business has to meet a few more criteria.

It has to be not more than 5km / 3mi from home.
The staff are there because they love it and really want to be there.
The staff are knowledgeable and keep up to date on the latest technology.
The staff provides exceptional customer service.
The shop provides value for money.
The staff do not unnecessarily upsell, when a simple repair will suffice.
Points 2 to 6 come together to create a “je ne sais quoi” that makes me want to go back there.

My first LBS was West End Bicycles in Houston, Texas. The story of how I found West End Bicycles, in 2009, is here.

Photograph courtesy of West End Bicycles

West End Bicycles has been in business for thirty one years now, and long may they prosper. I moved away from Houston in 2010, but have been back a few times over the years to ride the BP MS150. Most recently in April 2016. Every time I visit Houston I make sure to call in at West End, which is my favourite LBS to this day.

I moved from Houston to Den Haag, The Netherlands. It took me a year to find a group of like-minded cyclists to ride with. By which time my bike needed a full service. David Porritt introduced me to Tom Schouten Wielersport.

Photograph courtesy of Tom Schouten Wielersport

Like West End, Tom Schouten Wielersport is an owner-operated bike store. Tom was always there to talk to and connect with his customers.

The personal touch matched the quality of service provided. My bike felt like a new one when I got it back. All the cables had been replaced. The hubs, bottom bracket and headset had been cleaned and greased. The wheels had been trued. It had new bar tape. It was cleaner than it had been since the day I took delivery of it.

The only downside? It cost me €175 / USD187 / RM833. Enough to convince me to attend a bicycle maintenance course!

There were a few other bike shops within a 5km radius of the Benoordenhout area where I lived. Which would not be considered unusual in cycling-mad Holland. Van Herwerden and Mammoet Rijwielen were two that I used on occasion when I needed an inner tube or a bicycle light. Tom Schouten remained as my go-to LBS when my bike needed work that I couldn’t do myself, like replacing a broken spoke.

In 2012 I moved back home. My first ride in Kuala Lumpur was with a group from Van’s Urban Bicycle Co.

Photograph courtesy of BaikBike.com

It was during that ride up to Genting Sempah ride that my bike developed a nasty creak. Read about getting that creak fixed at Van’s here.

Van’s Urban Bicycle Co. met most of my criteria for an LBS, except the “local” part. The shop was in Petaling Jaya. More than 15km / 9mi, through city streets, from where I lived. Six months later the shop had moved to Kampung Tunku, which was even further away.

As time went by I gravitated to a group of road bike riders, rather than the folding bike riders that Van’s catered to. Those roadies introduced me to Meng Thai Bicycle Centre.

Photograph courtesy of Meng Thai Bicycle Centre

Like Van’s, Meng Thai Bicycle Centre ticked all the boxes, sadly except for the accessibility one. The shop is in Kota Damansara, about 20km / 12.5mi away. To make things worse, the traffic on the way there is usually terrible, and once there, parking spaces around the shop are very difficult to come by. Which is a shame, because Husher and his team at the shop have that je ne sais quoi.

About a year ago Lee and another mechanic moved to their new branch in Kota Kemuning.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

The drive there and parking is much easier, but the Kota Kemuning shop is 40km / 25mi away. Though I must admit that, despite the distance, that shop is relatively easy to cycle to from where I live. Up onto the MEX Highway, and then onto the KESAS Highway to Kota Kemuning. Nevertheless, Meng Thai Cycle is not local.

There is one bike shop that is a 6km / 4mi ride away from home. I went there twice. Once to address a mechanical issue, and once to buy an inner tube. Both times I came away disappointed. I didn’t feel that the mechanic knew what he was talking about with respect to the mechanical issue, and I was charged 30% above the market rate for the inner tube. I will never go there again.

They say that good things come to those who wait. A new bike store opened 2.5km / 1.5mi away in December 2016. The Bike Artisans.

Photograph courtesy of Adrian Goh

Jeff Liew has certainly given his bike shop a generous dose of je ne sais quoi. Helped in no small measure by the drool-worthy bike frames, kit and accessories carried by The Bike Artisans. Brands include Pegoretti, Stelbel, Look, Cervélo, Slide Away, Moulton, Black Sheep Cycling, PEdALED, Warsaw Cycling, Apidura, Kask, Tacx and MCFK Carbon.

Jeff is clearly passionate about the products in his shop, and he is happy to chat about all things cycling. Lim is the in-house mechanic. I am very happy with the shifting tuneups he did on both of my bikes.

And despite the high-end gear in the shop, an inner tube sells for the market rate.

I’ve found my Kuala Lumpur LBS.

Graphic courtesy of redbubble.com

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia, Gear and Tools and tagged LBS, Local Bike Shop, Mammoet Rijwielen, Meng Thai Bicycle Centre, Meng Thai Cycle, The Bike Artisans, Tom Schouten Wielersport, Van Herwerden, Van's Urban Bicycle Co, West End Bicycles. Bookmark the permalink.

Team Flipside at the Kuantan Century Ride 2014

Posted on June 3, 2014 by alchemyrider

The first century ride of the year for Team Flipside was in Kuantan. This was my second KCR, having ridden the event last year with Team 165.

Fifteen Flipsiders made the three-hour trip to Kuantan from KL. A number of us got there late on Saturday. We were thankful to Mark for collecting goodie bags on our behalf. The Power Bar and granola bar came in handy during the ride.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

I stayed with my cousin and her husband. By coincidence they had decided to take me to dinner at the same restaurant where the other Flipsiders had made a reservation. It was a good thing that a reservation was made. Alor Akar Seafood Restaurant was packed with diners. Good food at a reasonable price. A recipe for success anywhere.

We met at the start at about 7am. Some drove from their hotels. I rode from Izan’s and Paul’s home.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Once everyone had gathered we posed for the obligatory group photograph. We need to get Griffin a Flipsider jersey.

Photograph courtesy of Cycling Evolution

The Flipsiders have made a habit of starting rides at the very back of the pack. In the case of the KCR 2014 we were so far back that we were behind the police escort vehicles. It wasn’t long before we were told to move up.

Over 2,000 riders signed up for the event. So it took a while before we back markers got across the start line.

Photograph courtesy of Faizal Shaupi

The route took us north-west before curling south.

I didn’t remember Kuantan being hilly. I know better now. Fortunately the climbing was limited to the first part of the course, when it was relatively cool.

Photograph courtesy of Mohamad Shazreen Arif

It wouldn’t be the KCR without a portion of the ride along the beach. It was a particularly scenic part of the ride. Unfortunately by the time we got to the beach it was getting hot.

Photograph courtesy of Zue Rahman

34° C / 93° F that felt like 42° C / 107° F hot. I was so glad to see Pam, Maggie, Cindy and Van at the second rest stop. With a van full of ice cold 100 Plus and water. And bananas and energy bars.

Photograph courtesy of Iskandar Ahmat

They were out in support of Team Knog. Seven friends from Van’s Urban Bicycle who completed the TCR on folding bikes. Chapeau to those guys.

Photograph courtesy of Wan Amril

The third stop was on the grounds of the University Malaya Pahang campus. Where ice-cold cendol was being served. I had five servings. Did I say it was a very hot day?

The heat took its toll and quite a few starters did not make it to the finish line back in Kuantan. All the Flipsiders completed the ride. Marco and I finished together. Hot and tired, but happy to get a finisher’s medal.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

I’m not sure which was worse. Riding in that heat, or being one of the girls who handed out the medals, waiting in the heat for the last of the finishers.

Photograph courtesy of Cyclomotion

Speaking of medals, these were pretty impressive.

Everyone I spoke to who had done the ride last year agreed that this year’s route was an improvement. The omission of the Gebeng Bypass was greatly appreciated.

We all had nothing but good things to say about the organization and planning that went into the Kuantan Century Ride 2014. The ride strted on time. The marshaling of the route was excellent. All the rest stops were well-stocked with cold drinks and fruit. Thumbs up to the organizers and volunteers for a great event.

Kuantan Century Ride 2014 JM Cycling Evolution

Photograph courtesy of Cycling Evolution

Now if only they could do something about the heat.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Cendol, Flipside, Heat, Kuantan Century Ride 2014, Van's Urban Bicycle Co. Bookmark the permalink.

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble Part Three

Posted on August 26, 2013 by alchemyrider

The third installment of Van’s Rumble Cycle Challenge had to be delayed. The date for this event had been 16th June. An unanticipated need to close the shop at 3 Two Square took precedence.

Twenty two participants met at VUBC‘s new shop in Kampung Tunku. The early birds had time for a teh tarik, courtesy of Michael.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

Each team of two or three had to ride to eight pit stops. The challenge was to find each pit stop, in order, and once there to complete one or more task to earn points. Winning required a combination of a fast finishing time and as many of the forty points available. Amril covered the rules, regulations and safety advice, and then sent us on our way.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

Some got away quicker than others. Mark and I took a while to figure out how to get to the first pit stop . . .

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

The first stop was at a McDonald’s, where any customer wearing a red t-shirt was asked to pose for a photograph.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

At the second pit stop we had to find and photograph a particular shop lot.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

Mark and I had our mechanical problem of the day at this stop. Mark’s rear tire was under-inflated. I had a pump. The tire went from being a bit flat to being fully inflated to being completely flat after the valve core unscrewed along with the pump hose.

We got going again fairly quickly and soon got the photograph and telephone number required at pit stop 3.

Pit stop 4 involved finding the price to three items on a restaurant menu.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

The fifth stop was at the bus stop nearby. We had to get the full name of the stop, and figure out the fare from that stop to another stop.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

Pit stop 6 was at a Light Rail Transit station. I didn’t yet know what the tasks were for this stop, so was very intrigued to see this as we arrived.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

This was a collection stop. Three different types of leaves (which you can see at her feet), three different types of flowers, three 10¢ coins, and three strands of white hair.

I was suddenly very popular!

Mark and I got it badly wrong trying to find pit stop 7.

The destination was the KK Supermart, Dataran GLOMAC. There are a number of places with GLOMAC in their names. We elected to ride to one of the wrong ones. A U-turn and some lost time later we arrived at pit stop 7.

We got through the task, which was to buy exactly RM1.90 worth of items, very quickly. Mark went straight for a bottle of 100-Plus, which he knew cost RM1.90.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

The task at pit stop 8 was to photograph a vehicle number plate that had a ‘0’ and a ‘5’ in it. Followed by a dash back to the finish line at the VUBC shop.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

All members of a team had to be in the shop to present their answer sheet and collected items before the clock stopped.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

Then it was time for a cold drink and smiles all around as we waited for the results to be tallied.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

It was a close contest. A few seconds here and a wrong answer there separated the top three teams. Chang Pak Loong and his team mate won the prizes for finishing first. They got a goodie bag of Knog products and Bern helmets. Here they are flanked by Vanessa of VUBC, and Wei Yeng of Wheeelove, who donated the Bern helmets.

Photo courtesy of Albert Koo

Thank you everyone at VUBC for organizing a wonderful series of events. We are all looking forward to the 2014 edition of the Rumble Cycle Challenge.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Rumble cycle Challenge, Van's Urban Bicycle Co, Wheelove. Bookmark the permalink.

Velo Fit First Steps

Posted on August 21, 2013 by alchemyrider

I announced the birth of Velo Fit in early April. I had my Retül certification. The Retül equipment and other bike fitting tools had been ordered. The business had been registered. The logo was being designed. I had a location for my fit studio.

There were still things to do. Design a website for instance. But I was confident that I would make my target of first appointments in June.

What is it that Robert Burns said about the best laid plans of mice and men?

I opened for business in mid-August.

Here is what happened. The lease at Van’s Urban Bicycle Co. came up for renewal and the expected rental increase was more than Vanessa, Ray and their business partners was willing to bear. So there was a scramble to complete the renovations at the new premises and to vacate the old shop. That pushed the availability of space for my studio to mid-July.

Also it took longer than expected to find a carpenter to build a rotating platform. The platform isn’t an absolutely essential piece of kit, but having it makes a fitter’s life much easier. Retül customers in the USA get a completed platform as part of their equipment order. It is a very heavy item though. Not surprising as it has to support the weight of at least two people, a bicycle, and a turbo trainer. So international customers get a box of screws, washers, casters and other metal parts, and assembly instructions.

In early August my cousin Yasmin put me in touch with a carpenter who could read plans. Two weeks later my rotating platform was delivered to the newly-opened Van’s Urban Bicycle Co. shop in Kampung Tunku.

In the meantime I had accumulated the other bits and pieces I needed to equip my studio: some chairs, a trolley to hold a laptop, a projector, tools etc., and a massage bed for the biomechanical assessments. I was ready for business.

My first client was Mark.

My second client was Marco. Thank you Mark and Marco for setting me on my way, and bearing through all the teething troubles as I got the equipment, and myself, up to speed.

As you can see I changed the studio set up as I went along. Hanging a sheet on the back wall as a screen for the projector was a bad idea. Here’s the studio as it is today.

Fortunately there is just enough space for the rotating platform to actually pivot.

I am excited to finally be up and running. My website at http://velofit.org has already generated some appointments. I am flashing my business card where ever I go.

Friends and family are helping me advertise. The next few months will tell if this is a good idea.

In closing, here is a suggestion I got for a sticker that could go on each bike that comes through my studio:

Size doesn’t matter, but fit does!

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia, Gear and Tools and tagged Bike Fit, Biomechanical Assessment, Retül, Van's Urban Bicycle Co, Velo Fit. Bookmark the permalink.

Flying the Colors

Posted on June 16, 2013 by alchemyrider

I thinned down my collection of cycling jerseys when we came home to Kuala Lumpur. Among the jerseys that I kept were my local club jerseys. The camaraderie that those jerseys represent makes them near and dear to me.

“Club” sounds a bit formal. “Group” is a better word. My first cycling group was West End. So named because our rides started outside the West End Bicycles shop on Blossom Street in Houston, Texas. The shop owner, Daniel Murphy, told me about the group and the rides that they do. There are Tuesday and Thursday evening rides that start at 6.30 pm, and Ted’s Taco Ride on Sunday mornings.

I met Daniel not long after I started cycling. In my days of riding my Trek 7.5FX hybrid bike in my baggy shorts, t-shirt and tennis shoes. My first ride with the West End group was spectacularly unsuccessful. I got dropped within the first few kilometers. Dropped so badly that I lost sight of everyone’s tail lights. I didn’t know the route so I had to go home.

The next ride went much better. Largely due to a few riders hanging back to make sure I didn’t get lost again. I can’t thank them enough for that.

The West End group introduced me to riding further than 16km / 10mi in one go, how to change a flat tube, what to bring with me on a ride, and the culinary delights of Jax Grill and Doña Maria.

West End Bicycles sold these jerseys. I know about Frank, the dearly-loved and sadly-departed shop cat. I don’t know anything about the dog in the shop logo though. I can tell you that the West End group lives up to the motto on the collar. Fast and Friendly.

There have also been a series of 6.30 jerseys. Including this one, which I no longer have. I donated this jersey, along with others, to an aid organization in Den Haag. Perhaps someone is still sporting this jersey somewhere in South Holland.

Photo courtesy of West End Bicycles

It took a while to find a group to ride with in Den Haag. All the Dutch cycling clubs that I encountered were very serious. In the typically Dutch way they were very well-organised and had excellent facilities. They were also geared toward the competitive rather than the recreational cyclist. Some even required that you met a qualifying time for membership. Ride 40km / 25mi in an hour for instance.

So a year had gone by before I heard of the Not Possibles. A group made up largely of expatriates living in the Den Haag area. Weather permitting, the Not Possibles meet outside the DAKA sports store in the Leidsenhage shopping center on Saturday mornings. The route for the day often depends upon the prevailing wind, and is usually about 40 to 60km / 25 to 37mi long.

Th group was described to me as one that rode at a pace between 20 to 25kph / 12.5 to 15.5mph. I learned on my first ride with them that this was not strictly true. They averaged about 25kph / 15.5mph for the entire ride. Including the slow rolling start from Leidsenhage, the stops at traffic lights and the slow rolling through built-up areas. I spent most of my first ride with the Not Possibles frantically trying not to lose sight of the tail end of the group as it sped through the trees in the dunes. This struggling on the first ride was becoming a bad habit.

A few months after I hooked up with the Not Possibles we decided that we needed group jerseys. This is what we came up with.

The Not Possibles introduced me to routes north, east and south of Den Haag (west was not possible because the North Sea gets in the way), riding in the rain, harnessing a tail wind for 60km / 37mi and taking the train to get home, and the delights of apple pie and coffee at the Coffee Club.

I hooked up with a group of cyclists within a few days of arriving in Kuala Lumpur. As soon as my bikes arrived I was off on a ride with the Racun group. “Racun” is the Bahasa Malaysia word for “poison.” In this case the name refers to how people are poisoned by the cycling bug. One bike becomes two bikes becomes three bikes. Every bright and shiny new accessory becomes a must-have.

The name is especially appropriate because the Racun group are linked to Van’s Urban Cycling Co. Where new temptations are constantly presented. Like the new Knog Blinder Road light. I am not the only one in the group who is sorely tempted by this light.

The Racun group has introduced me to the world of folding bicycles, urban night rides, breakfast at Sharif Roti Canai, and orange + green apple + lychee juice.

Van’s was sold out of the original yellow and black Racun jerseys. Fortunately for the new joiners a second batch of jerseys was made up.

The jerseys may be different, but they represent the same things. A love of cycling, fun and friendship. I fly these colors with pride.

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble Part Two

Posted on May 14, 2013 by alchemyrider

“Hill Chasers” was the second installment of Van’s Rumble Cycle Challenge. We met at the VUBC shop at 7.30am to sign waiver forms and size up the competition. After a safety briefing we headed off for our first look at the track.

Amril and his band of organisers had found a closed stretch of freshly-paved road not far from the VUBC shop. All we had to do was clear away some loose stones and other rubble. It wasn’t long before we could lay down a finish line and start racing.

We were in teams of two or three riders. Each team’s result was determined by the time of the second rider across the finish line. We had so much fun charging up the hill that we decided to ride the hill twice and take the average time to determine the winning team.

Here we all are after our two runs.

Photo courtesy of Van’s Urban Bicycle Co.

Then it was back to the VUBC shop where Ray worked out the final results.

Leong and his brother were a team of two, but they had enough firepower between the two of them to win overall honours. On a mountain bike and a foldie no less. Here are the happy winners with the event organisers: Ray, YC, Vanessa and Amril on the right.

Photo courtesy on Van’s Urban Bicycle Co.

There was also a prize for the fastest individual. That went to a roadie.

Photo courtesy on Van’s Urban Bicycle Co.

We are all now looking forward Rumble Cycle Challenge Part Three. The Scavenger Hunt on 16th June.

Let’s Get Ready To Rumble *

Posted on April 15, 2013 by alchemyrider

Ladies and Gentlemen . . .
Van’s Urban Bicycle Co is running a three-part cycling event: The Rumble Cycle Challenge.