Have bike will travel

TRAVEL adventure show Let's Cycle, which airs on 8TV, showed its intrepid hosts Baki Zainal and Rickman Chia cycling all around Peninsular Malaysia in its first two seasons.
"If you want to marry someone, take [the person] longdistance cycling," quipped Baki, 36, in a recent interview.
"Because seriously, right from the first season, even when [Chia]'s cycling in front of me, I'll know if he's having a problem or an issue."
For season three of the show, the two hosts have gone even further and pushed themselves even harder on a cycling adventure in Sabah.
Sabah was particularly gruelling, as the area is so vast and the rocky road conditions meant that parts of their trip had to be done using a four-wheel drive instead.
The two experienced cyclists also had to undergo an intense mountain biking training programme to prepare for the unfamiliar and rougher terrains in Sabah.
Baki said: "If you want us to cycle over 100km, we'd be able to do it, there won't be an issue; but mountain biking is different, it's a whole other workout.
"Your core needs to be strong. Your balancing needs to be strong, and the cycling speed is different. You need to know where to put your weight, and when to shift it."
But making sure they possessed the stamina to tackle Sabah was nothing compared to the simple matter of dealing with missing the comfort of home food.
Luckily for them, the final week of shooting saw a guest appearance by fellow TV personality Soo Wincci, who had the important task of delivering Baki's mother's homemade sambal ikan bilis.
"I love the food in Sabah, it's good, it's so healthy. But the problem is I need my sambal!" said Baki.
Beyond the laughs, the show also highlights the sad fact that our own people often overlook what Sabah has to offer.
According to the two hosts, it's foreigners who are showing more appreciation for Sabah's rich biodiversity.
Baki said: "We were in Lahad Datu, where we met this couple. The husband is from Switzerland and they have a bicycle-friendly homestay where they just promote the Danum Valley (a naturalists' paradise).
"When you speak to these people, they are so much more knowledgeable [of our own country] than most Malaysians."
Chia agrees. "A lot of travellers are from overseas," he said. "And you actually get to see a lot in Sabah. When you go to Kundasang, you think you're in New Zealand. You go to Laban Rata, you think you're up in the Swiss Alps.
"You go to Long Pasia, you get to see the aurora, the Milky Way, and you're in awe."
He added that previously he had only been to Kota Kinabalu, but never visited the villages.
"[Now] I've experienced so many new things, that I understand why people say if you want to travel, you don't have to go overseas, because Sabah's beauty is just as breathtaking."
Besides a deeper appreciation for local flora and fauna, the show also put Baki and Chia's friendship to the test.
The two had to take on extreme activities like flying in an ultralight aircraft, buffalo riding, and scaling the via ferrata (iron road) of Mount Kinabalu.
Chia said: "The thing is, Baki is very brave, and he's always the first to try new activities.
"This season I got to try a lot of new experiences, [and] felt lucky to have Baki take care of me like a big brother, because (below, from left) Baki and Chia … (bottom) exploring Sabah by bicycle; as well as (left) scaling Mount Kinabalu with the rest of their team, including Soo (third from left). activities that are too extreme scare me."
On his part, Baki recalled one incident where it was Chia who had to reassure him.
He said: "We went to [Mount Kinabalu's] via ferrata, and it was such an experience because although we were scared of heights, it was more a matter of proving our trust.
"Every time I was breathing hard, I would hear [Chia's] voice behind me and he would assure me it was all good."
At one point, they had to let go of the rocks, and just hang loose by the side of Mount Kinabalu, with nothing but the rope holding them up.
Then, it was Baki's turn to calm his co-host down.
"It was super scary, but I assured him that he could do it," Baki said.
"He did it, and I think that proved – this season especially – that we have really learned to trust each other, with literally our lives hanging on the line like that."
Watch season three of Let's Cycle every Sunday on 8TV at 8.30pm, or catch up on episodes via the tonton app.