The wait at the KLIA baggage carousel gave me time to turn on my mobile and swap my Dutch SIM card for my Malaysian one. Electronically reconnected to family, friends and the World Wide Web in moments. Could I get organised enough to be able to ride on the weekend?
Our air freight was scheduled to leave Amsterdam on the same day that we boarded our flight to Kuala Lumpur. Perhaps my bikes had been on KLM 809 as well. Delivery was expected by the end of the week.
I already knew that road cycling had taken off in a big way since I last lived in Malaysia 4 years ago. Seeing copies of Cycling Malaysia and Cycling Asia magazines on news stands was the first clue. Being invited by a Malaysian friend to join the Cyclistis group on Facebook was another clue. Seeing a cyclist pedaling along the Maju Expressway as we drove to our hotel merely confirmed it.
My first purchases after getting settled in the hotel were the latest issues of Cycling Malaysia and Cycling Asia. It was a bit disconcerting that the first articles I read were titled “Safe Roads?” and “Are Cyclists Free From Mugging?” Riding in a group rather than riding alone seemed like the smarter option.
So job one was to get connected with a cycling group in KL.
Old Roots, New Routes 