The morning started off with the indecisive trail still been asked around. Are we cycling Pening Pening, Batu Arang or Sg Buaya? No one could give an answer to this, as everyone just wanted to go and ride, and have a nice time. Things became even more complicated when Grant announced that he has the 03:30pm flight to catch to the Philippines!

Finally and with everybody's blessing, the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) was anonymously voted to be the trail for all of us today. Sunny and Kor Yong were the leaders for this trail. The fact that most of us had been to this FRIM many times did not deter any of us from following along for the ride.

This time however, we drove to the Sungei Buluh orchid farm where we parked our cars in the hospital ground. From here, we cycled back via the jungle into FRIM. It was a reverse trail, which is very different from what we have been so used to doing; that is from FRIM into Sg Buluh orchid farm and vise versa.

The ride started off with a short road ride from the hospital ground towards the jungle, followed by a steep hill climb. The first casualty in less than 5 minutes - a tire wall burst on one of our rider's bike. Sadly, he has to abandon the ride and walk back to the car!

The ride up the slope was no laughing matter, as we also have to maneuver our wheels away from all the gaps and cracks in the ground. Surprisingly even without the rain the previous day, there were still 3 muddy pools that we had to encounter. I also noticed that the bushes seemed to have grown thicker compared to the last time we were going through this trail. And they seemed to be creating a threatening barricade of their own now.

Reaching the grounds of FRIM, Sunny immediately took us back into the woods via another trail. For a while there, we thought that it would be the same familiar trail that we would be riding but we were wrong! A promise of a very nice, pretty Mediterranean trail was assured by Sunny. And so it was … what a 'Mad-terrain' it was! Not that it was not as nice as expected but just that it was a steep climb up the slope all the way. But the effort was well worth it as we soon discovered one lovely trail filled and covered with brown leaves all the way - just as promised.

Cycling through the usual tall trees and bushes, the fallen brown leaves on the ground greeted us with the quietness of the forest. Like in the early dawn of spring, we were cycling happily through leaves and fallen tweaks. The tall trees crowded both sides of us while leaving a cleared path in the center for us to ride along. Indeed a very pleasant surprise and feeling as we never knew such scenario exist even here in Malaysia!

At the first hill, just after the slope, we were all charging downwards and suddenly, a dead end! What a blow to the speedster as they thought it was an 'all-out' all the way! Here is where my slowness in downhill paid off as when I came round the bend, I saw them, stopped in their track by fallen tress and over-grown thick bushes! Rather than continuing downhill towards the dead-end, I turned back half way, laughing and feeling satisfied that I was not fooled or tricked into reaching the frustrating dead-end! I guess it was a real quick relieve of trapped stress for everyone after the climb up here.

Finally, back down at the junction, again Sunny lead us to another trail out of this forest reserve. Another steep climb and a longer one too. I was beginning to get the idea that he loves steep hills a lot when indeed I was right! Instead of riding back the usual way he fooled us into taking a steep downhill ride and than a terrible steep hill climb back up another way! Talking of a fierce downhill ride; Adele seemed to have enjoyed herself as she just went charging downhill minus her brakes! This is where she earned her rights to be shouting back at us who are so afraid of not applying our brakes going down this terribly threatening downhill!

Somehow, Red Riding Hood and another rider was no fool and went the usual way thus escaping this torturous trail! Talking of which, I also noticed that Azlina (Red Riding Hood) have improved tremendously in her riding ability. She managed to keep up very close to everyone despite her slowness. Most important of all, she never gave up!

Finally as we enter the woods again, heading back to our cars, the sound of not just unseen birds but our wheels crushing the ground was deafening. This time round, I was trapped not once but twice by the mud pool. The first trap got my left foot into the mud ankle deep. Adele was laughing away and announcing loudly of my engagement with the mud, much to my dismay of course! The second incident, thankfully with Adele and the rest out of the way in front, was the worst. With Simon behind of me, I thought riding into the center of the muddy pond would get me pass through safely but I was wrong. The whole front wheel went in deep and was stuck dead tight in the hub-deep sticky mud! A funny scenario when I looked back and see my own bike standing minus me, stuck there and standing by itself in the mud! By the time I got my bike out, Simon was already long gone and I ended up been the rear and last rider.

Well, so much for FRIM and a great ride - and just when we thought we have seen all of FRIM! Thanks to Sunny and Kor Yong for today's ride. Or maybe it is also thanks to Grant who had his urgent flight to catch at 03:30pm?