There’s no pleasure more exhilarating than that of cycling outdoors—the wind in your hair and a trail marked by surprises at every corner. Faz Adhili, the founder of bike retail store, Plan A, was so hooked onto the world of biking that he turned to adrenaline-charged pursuits of professional cycling. Though compact in frame, Faz is a natural leader intense on the outside but goofy underneath; humouring us with his uneven tan lines. Prior to running Plan A, Faz was based in Milan, attached to a professional continental biking team for about a year. Now, Faz is building a community of cyclists comprised of everyone from prominent leaders like Dato’ Setia Aubry Rahim Mennesson and Azran Osman Rani to regular speedsters, through a movement he shares excitedly about in this Fitness Kickstart series.
My mum was in hockey and my dad was into running and football. I grew up watching sports a lot and when I was school, I was a state runner. In university there weren’t many track and field activities, until a friend of mine introduced me to cycling. We were not allowed to drive our car to college, so I had to bike every day and it was so convenient. That’s how I started.
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2. How is Plan A different from the usual biking store?
We don’t only sell products; we also sell a lifestyle. Every weekend we put together cycling expeditions at an amateur level: Beginners can join the Sunday session while those with experience can come for Saturday’s ride. We plan a 5-6 hours route on the weekend covering 140-200km. There are a few stops along the way for light drinks and refills. Sometimes we organise special rides from Putrajaya or maybe Morib. There’s a lot of beautiful scenery and amazing routes.
3. Why would you encourage someone to pick up outdoor instead of indoor cycling?
Indoors, you won’t get to experience, first of all, the real weather, scenic surroundings and some experiences you won’t encounter inside. Sometimes, you get into a mechanical problem or a friend’s wheel gets punctured. It’s going to be team effort to fix one problem. Another surprise element is at the change in weather. We may start when it’s sunny, then midway it rains but you can’t stop riding: you still need to get back to where you started. The whole adventure is something you won’t get indoors.
4. You’re training for a lot more duathlon and triathlon competitions: Why cycling over running any day?
On a bike you can go faster for a longer period of time and it’s not as intense as running, which impacts your knee. Even if you’re injured and go to physio, your doctor or physiotherapist will recommend cycling. It has the power to strengthen your knee and muscle activation.
5. Cycling clubs are growing in KL. What makes it such a popular recreation?
Although it’s on the same road, riding a bike makes for a different experience compared to a car. You see things you wouldn’t as compared to driving; you’ll chance upon an old lady selling coffee, stuff like that are the things we appreciate from cyling.
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6. 5 years from now, where do you see your cycling career taking you to?
I’m still young and keen to see how far we can go in competitions, but my main goal is to contribute back to our cycling community. I’ve gone through a lot, I get support from my sponsors, and I want to share these with others. I want to develop new young talent. I’ve started organising races as a perfect platform for them to showcase their full potential.
Credits
Photography
Khairul Imran
Video Editor
Dean Shaari
Videography
Khairul Imran