YOGYAKARTA – The end of the year is coming near, and we’re celebrating the year with another activity. After a two-year vacuum due to the pandemic, #RidewithRodalink experience is now back to bring a different experience for our loyal customers. It was Bromo Adventure on 2018, Bali Summer Ride on 2019, and this year, Ride with Polygon Factory Racing in Yogyakarta.
Arrived in Surabaya on Nov 18, three selected Rodalink customers were ready to match their upcoming 4D3N MTB adventure in Yogyakarta with Polygon’s Enduro World Series (EWS) team, Polygon Factory Racing. Within the same event, they also had the opportunity to connect with other MTB enthusiasts from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Day One – November 18, 2022
If we were only allowed to give two words as summary of the day, we’d choose “feast day” as the words. Right after their arrival, two participants from Ride with PFR enjoyed a piece of Spikoe Surabaya – the city’s special-cake – before traveling for approximately 40 minutes to the city center. There, they will meet another participant before enjoying lunch together.
The first destination was a Padang restaurant. They were amazed by dozens of plates with various kinds of dishes served on the table. The waiters served them in a classic way, namely by stacking several plates at once in one arm. Preparation only takes a few minutes, and hungry tummies were ready to be filled. The strong taste offered by the food spoiled the tongue. “This Nasi Padang is different compared to back home,” said one of the participants. Time didn’t seem to pass because of the delicious foods.
The next destination is Wisata Rasa, a center for souvenirs in Surabaya. They had a chance to buy local delicacies to try at the hotel, or bring home for their loved ones. Favorite snacks were Pia and Bluder cakes.
The car then circled several famous landmarks in Surabaya such as the Bambu Runcing (lit. translation: Sharp Bamboo) monument – a symbol of the weapon used by Surabaya fighters during the independence era; the Majapahit Hotel – an iconic hotel still closely related to the history of the city of Surabaya, and passed Jalan Tunjungan – a main street in Surabaya surrounded by many European architectural style buildings, turned to a hit spot for the city’s youth.
After being satisfied to be invited around, the participants returned to Sidoarjo. There they enjoyed another typical Indonesian food dinner, preparing physically for tomorrow’s long journey. It was an enjoyable day, indeed.
Day Two – November 19, 2022
Expectations were rising for the second day – it’s time to visit Polygon factory! The participants were amazed when they saw the vast-yet-modern-looking building located in Sidoarjo. Polygon Factory itself had a bike park facility to test out the bikes.
They were greeted by Polygon and were at the same room as the stars, Polygon Factory Racing. Along with other MTB enthusiasts – mainly from Indonesia, the vibes were just there. “Polygon wouldn’t be like this, especially during pandemic without everyone’s help. We want to share precious moments with every rider,” said Steven Wijaya, Director of Strategy of Polygon Bikes.
The PFR also had something to say. Dan Wolfe, the PFR Captain thanked everyone in his witty way. “We are grateful because we have been given the opportunity to come here and meet the local community,” said Dan with a smile.
After that, participants were required to wear helmets and vests as part of the factory safety induction. Together with a representative from Polygon, Brady Stone and Matt Stuttard from PFR, the participants studied the process at the factory from raw materials to finished products. Every single detail couldn’t be separated from the craftsmanship of the employees who work on it. There were three big sections that they visited: welding, painting and assembly.
One of highlight was the storage system used by the factory. System-regulated, the Polygon factory had technologies that allow seamless settings, offering a more efficient way of working than usual manual checking of stock. Polygon factory showed itself as a place that blends craftmanship and technological advancement.
As a bicycle rider, the visit was certainly one of those precious moments in this trip. Brady and Matt who participated in the group also looked very attentive to every detail; our participants were excited as well – talking about the bicycle business and their perspective on the sport they love.
Smiles radiated and they were ready for their road trip to Yogyakarta!
Day Three – November 20, 2022
Staying in a hotel located on the outskirts of Yogyakarta area made the participants woke up freshly. Armed with riding gear for battle, they were full of anticipation of going to Klangon Bike Park.
Located in Sleman, Yogyakarta, Klangon Bike Park is one of Indonesia MTB riders’ homes. This place has often been a training ground for MTB athletes from Yogyakarta, as well as being one of the places where various MTB competitions were held. The new field was full of unexpected challenges for the participants’ ears.
When we say it’s challenging, we mean it. The route of approximately 2 km did look short on paper, but presented an adrenaline-rush experience. Unlike the terrain that’s often found in Singapore, where there’s still a lot of climbing section, the terrain in Klangon was almost full of derivatives – both steep and sloping descend. There were 3 Special Stages passed by PFR and participants.
The weather that day was very good. Having the majestic Merapi Vulcano as the background, one round was not enough – these MTB addicts were willing to try a second time. But on their second time, instead of using their Siskiu, they used the newest Polygon’s flagship machine, the Polygon Collosus N9.
The new bike was looking dashing among the other Polygon trail bikes – it was unveiled on the day. The Polygon Collosus N9 army green frame was coupled with Independent Floating Suspension (IFS) technology – six-bar linkage controls the wheel path and anti-squat independently of the leverage curve; meaning, riders will have the control of wheel behavior and the rear shock separately. This breakthrough had already been presented on the Polygon E-MTB bike, Mt Bromo N, and now can be enjoyed by larger enduro fans.
“I think it is the next generation. The six-bar system is really good. Especially around the bumps and hard breaking, you don’t feel the kick back. It feels really smooth,” said Terence, one of the participants after trying the bike. Will be released in Singapore in December, this bike ready to unleash more fun for the MTB enthusiasts.
The fun day was closed with a visit to one of the renowned places in Yogyakarta, Prambanan Temple. It was quite a busy day, but the temple complex, which consists of 240 individual stone temples and is divided into three zones, was awe-inspiring. The three biggest temples were photo-worthy, offering a traditional-yet-mystic experience for their visitors.
The three biggest temples are dedicated to the Trimurti, or three forms of gods in Hinduism: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Keeper, and Shiva the Destroyer; where every carving that were made carry a story to honor each of these gods. Enjoying sunset at Prambanan was another remarkable thing to remember.
Day Four – November 21, 2022
The adventures of the two cities in Indonesia must end today. The participants were ready to return home; bringing souvenirs of food and stories to share with family at home. The experience was sure worth to experience once in a lifetime. See you on the next #RidewithRodalink experience!
