Hong Kong - Sheng Shui

[fishtail]

yep finally found some challenges!



getting to the top was easy!

getting down was more difficult! this is about 1/3rd of the way down - havent mastered this yet - slope is - 40 degrees at a guess - and no run off at the bottom..

notice the flattened grass? thats basically where I landed




further along the track is a view of the MX track - looks like they in trouble as some one has put a fence up ringing off part of the track

[njhardy]

It looks horny!!- Just like 'Nam, but dryer and less trees. And not too slippy either... Hope you have nice, low gearing?? Stay wayyy over that back wheel and use the gears, not the brakes!! MX track- what's that?
Nick

[fishtail]

MX track - motor cross track - you can see its loops just above the pad on the handlebar cross brace.. they had some jumps there - which were fun..

yeah this part of HK is quite bare - a lot of small farms down there and they stripped the land of trees over the last few hundred years..

sai kung is way more tree-ey with bamboo forests and stuff... lots of walking trails that look sooo tempting to ride - but would get you in trouble with the law ( unless done at 3 am - which is kind of tempting... maybe Badcat has some advice here for me? )

there are loadsa of little tarmac'd single tracks snaking out to remote villages - in various states of disrepair - but they kind of dangerous as the local population tend to hoon around blind corners hoping for the best....

the gearing is - well actually I would guess standard - I guess I need to count the teeth - actually sprockets look kind of worn.. a big list of things I might do-

but anyways it had NO trouble getting up there.,, just hit in first - picked a line and rode the bumps out -

I think next time I will try stopping 1/4 way up and then head down... 500 meters of 40 degree is quite a scary place to start maybe.. you probably right about being in gear - I did take some shorter 45 degree drops without issue ( like 8-9 meters as part of a the trail )

on reflection I might have rode on the grass rather than all that dirt!

- I think I just bottled it and was on the back brake too much on this! anyways no harm done - I jumped off at the right moment.. didnt even break a mirror!

[njhardy]

Was joking about the MX track- where's your sense of humor Fishy?? Ha ha.. Yeah, the law is a problem too here in Nam- they just like stopping you, so they can get there little 'bribe' money- gangsters!! We normally head out about 6am, when its cooler and less coppers around... Since you can't really do more than about 90 km/hr here, I have re-greared mine with a 14 front a 51 back- she goes like stink!!

[fishtail]

well at least you CAN bribe them - here they are scared of the ICAC. ( against corruption ) which means they are quite square!

how much is typical? I was over in Saigon - and up the coast to Nha Trang a few years ago - hired a bike but luckily didnt get stopped.


whats that? oh yeah NOW i geddit

[njhardy]

Typical 'unoficial' bribe is between 100,000-200,000 VND (between 4 and 8 dollars) for a basic traffic offence, but that can really mean anything- they did me for offroad tyres last year... They get a cut of it and the rest goes to their bosses. They get paid poo, but act like gangsters, so nobody has much respect for them. You have to bribe them to do anything like report a robbery or accident...

The traffic police ride around 2 up on CM250 twins, so they have to physically stop you- which is why the public is only allowed to own scooters (up to 175cc), so they can catch you up!! Usually they stand in the road and wave you over with their batons, one still on the bike in case. Fine, you pull in ahead of them and wait for one of them to wander over, then just ride off!!- They never catch you on anything faster than them. Its exhilarating, especially when they case you... They can try to hit you if they suspect you are not going to stop, or they lay a trap with 750cc's up ahead for runners. Immediate loss of bike and a beating if you get caught!! With 10 or so MX bikes, they never bother us- even with no plates, lights, unrestricted pipes etc. So being in the ass end of the world can have its benefits!!

[njhardy]

That reminds me Fishy- how is the wheelie practice going?? Found the balance point yet??

[fishtail]

hmm - need more practice at dabbing the back brake -

got a bit overconfident one time , hahahaha - i think u can work out what happened..

got better tho - done some pretty long ones ..

the missus took a photo the other day.. shame a bit blurry..

[njhardy]

NICE!! I tell you- get a 51 rear sprocket- she will lift airbound in all first 3 gears. Can't do it in 4th though.... I like to get her on the boil in 3rd and then pump the front suspension to get her lifted up and balance her gently on the throttle- I don't really ever use the brake (in fact, I'm not sure I can keep my foot over the brake with boots on and the front up). Its rather like learning to use a pogo stick- once you've got the balance, you've got it!! Its also dead handy for popping over tree trunks and down gulleys in a controlled way.