Graphic courtesy of St. John’s Institution Alumni Association
I went to St. John’s Institution (SJI) in the 1970s. The SJI alumni, known as Johannians, maintains strong ties with each other and to the school. One of these alumni groups is the SJI Cycling Club (SJICC).
An SJICC WhatsApp group discussion about a Fellowship ride started in July. A suggestion to ride from Kota Warisan to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and back turned into a plan. About forty SJI alumni signed up for the ride.
It was gloomy and damp when I left home this morning. The drizzle started when I was on the MEX Highway. It got heavier as I drove through Cyberjaya and Dengkil. It was still drizzling at the ride start time of 7:30 am.
Map courtesy of Rainviewer Storm Tracker
The wet weather put some people off. Twenty-three cyclists had turned up at Kota Warisan. As well as several friends on scooters and motorbikes. They had volunteered to be our outriders. All of us were wondering if we would ride, or just stay put and order more teh tarik, nasi lemak and roti canai.
At 8:00 am the drizzle eased up a bit. We decided to go for it. As Rashid said, it was time to apply Velominati rules #5 and #9.
Rule #5: Harden The F*** Up
Rule #9: If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Velominati: KEEPERS OF THE COG
Most wore their club jerseys. I don’t own one, so I hid at the back for this pre-start photograph. Jeff, the other rider in pink, is an old boy of Cochrane Road School. He was allowed to join us because he sells very nice bicycles 😂.
Photograph courtesy of Rashid Ghazali
Not long after we started riding, the drizzle turned into rain. We were thoroughly soaked when we got to our first stop at the Sepang International Circuit.
Photograph courtesy of Yasser YaacobPhotograph courtesy of Rashid GhazaliPhotograph courtesy of Aston ChoongPhotograph courtesy of Bernard Chong
The next stop was at the L32 end of KLIA runway 2. By that time, it had stopped raining.
Photograph courtesy of Khalid.
After watching a few aircraft landings, we rode the length of runway 3.
Photograph courtesy of ZackJ
Our last stop to regroup and buy a drink was at the PETRONAS station on Lebuhraya KLIA Extension.
Photograph courtesy of Nageb Abdul Majid
9.5kkm after that we were back at the Restoran Nasi Lemak Royale.
Photograph courtesy of FariQue
We hadn’t ridden very far. We had long forgotten all thoughts of a second loop. What was more important after a very wet ride was some signature nasi lemak and fried chicken.
It was a fun ride. Due in no small measure to the support car and the outriders who kept us safe on the roads.
There is already some chat about doing a longer ride.
Some of the best rides happen with very little planning. A chat on the 5th led quickly to an agreement to ride from Kuala Lumpur to Port Dickson on the 11th. And back again the next day. We had four others opt-in within a few days.
Brian, Kellie, Kenneth and I started before sunrise from Petaling Jaya. We rode to the Sanctuary Mall in Bandar Rimbayu, where we met Jake and Mark. There was time for coffee, Milo and roti canai before we pointed our bikes towards Port Dickson.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
We took our regular route to Jenjarom, and then rode the quiet secondary roads to Tanjung Sepat.
Photograph courtesy of Kellie ItoePhotograph courtesy of Kellie ItoePhotograph courtesy of Kellie Itoe
The only animal life we saw on the way to Tanjung Sepat was of the domesticated variety.
Photograph courtesy of Kellie Itoe
It took us about two and a half hours to get from Rimbayu to Tanjung Sepat. Which meant it was time for food and drink. We went to Hai Yew Hin. Home of excellent rice porridge.
Photograph courtesy of Kellie Itoe
And pretty good fish balls too.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
20km later we were waiting for the ferry across the Sepang River.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
Kenneth asked where the river originates. I didn’t know the name of the river then, let alone its origin. Thanks to Google Maps I know know its name, that it originates in Sepang, and forms the border between the states of Selangor and Negri Sembilan.
Map courtesy of Google Maps
It was 1:30 pm and 34ºC when we got to Port Dickson. Our first stop was for bowls of . . .
Photograph courtesy of Kellie Itoe
We checked in to our usual PD accommodation. The Waterfront Boutique Hotel.
Photograph courtesy of Kellie Itoe
After a shower, it was time for a late lunch. We got into the Double Queue Thai Cuisine restaurant just in time. The kitchen closes for a two-hour break at 3:00 pm. A lamp post outside the restaurant was a convenient place to hang my laundered kit to dry 😂.
After a post-lunch nap it was dessert time. There is a McDonald’s within walking distance of the hotel. Mark has the McDonald’s app. As luck would have it, there was an ice cream promotion that he could redeem. A soft-serve cone, an Oreo McFlurry and the choice of a strawberry or a chocolate sundae for something like RM8.00.
Photograph courtesy of McDonald’s
Mark had the McFlurry. I had the cone and the chocolate sundae.
Mark and I sat in McDonald’s until dinner time. The others joined us there, and Jake researched dinner options. Gerai Hock Kee was on the opposite side of the hotel from the McDonald’s. We walked along the waterfront and past Port Dickson Public Library to Gerai Hock Kee.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
The restaurant is small and unpretentious. No flashing neon sign here. The food – thick noodles in dark soya sauce, fried mantis prawns, fried shark, oyster omelet, and green leafy veg – hit the spot.
There was beer at dinner. Which was enough for most of us. But not for two, who had couple of nightcaps at the Pattaya Pie Kitchen & Bar.
Photograph courtesy of Kellie Itoe
It was bedtime for the rest of us.
There used to be a bhangra pub beside the Waterfront Boutique Hotel. The loud music kept us awake for most of the night on a previous visit. The pub is gone, so we all had a good night’s sleep.
We were on the road at 6:00 am, with a breakfast stop 10km away in Lukut. Dawn broke through cloudy skies as we headed to the ferry at Sungai Pelek.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
Our route back was slightly different from the one we took to get to PD.
Maps courtesy of Ride With GPS
We took a detour to Avani Sepang Gold Coast.
Photograph courtesy of Kenneth LimPhotograph courtesy of Mark Lim
We also took the more direct route along Federal Route 5 from Tanjung Sepat to Morib. We stayed on Federal Route 5 through Banting before turning right onto Jalan Kampung Sri Cheeding.
Restoran Al-Arefin Bistro is our regular hangout in Rimbayu. And for many other cyclists. So much so that the restaurant recently installed a sturdy bike rack out front.
Photograph courtesy of Kenneth Lim
Jake and Mark ended their ride in Rimbayu. Brian, Kellie, Kenneth and I made it safely back to Petaling Jaya. Once again, lots of kilometres ridden without any punctures.
Murphy’s Law – If something can go wrong, it will – didn’t strike.
Yhprum’s Law – Everything that can work, will work – held instead.
I have ridden from Genting Sempah to Bentong and back many times. Only once have I ventured beyond Bentong. The route for this ride was new to me.
A few days before the event there was a landslide at the Lembah Klau area which made the road connecting Jalan Felda Mempaga – Klau and Jalan Utama Mempaga unsafe for cyclists.
Photograph courtesy of Roadcare BentongRaub
The detour through Kampung RTP Lebu added 6km to the route, making the ride 108km long.
Map courtesy of Ride With GPS
This event got off to a good start. Jersey and ride number plate collection were fast and friendly.
Photograph courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
Seven R@SKLs joined the five hundred registered riders at Dataran Bentong.
Photograph courtesy of ZeusPhotograph courtesy of Zeus
We were off at exactly 7:15 am. One of my pet peeves is events that start late. This event was one of the few which I have participated in that started on time.
It was cool and misty for the first ninety minutes.
Photograph courtesy of Jay Han
The first relatively steep climb came early in the ride.
Photographs courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
The Raub area is well-known for its durian orchards. We smelt durian in the air as we rode through Sang Lee Durian Valley.
I should have seen the Durian Monument at Kampung Baru Sang Lee. It was only 18km into the ride, and I missed it.
Photograph courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
The police and volunteers marshalled the route very well. They stopped vehicles while we rode past. They manned every junction, and in most cases, we had the right of way through traffic lights.
All the durian orchards mean many lorries during the fruiting seasons. The roads in many places were quite rough as a result. The green surroundings made up for the damaged road surface.
Photograph courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
The first water stop was after 28km at Taman Muhibah. We took the opportunity to refill water bottles. One can never be sure that there will be water left at the stops down the road.
Photograph courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
Our small group of R@SKLs got separated at that stop. As we restarted, AiLei noticed that one of her tires was flat. Bin Soo and Zeus helped to replace the inner tube.
Ally, Lokesh and I were already on our way. Zeus called me to tell me about the problem. I stopped and waited. Ally and Lokesh were ahead of me, and we didn’t see them again until after the finish.
The second water stop was after 52km at Kampung Tok Machang. There were water, ice and bananas at that stop. Things were looking good for the rest of the ride.
Photograph courtesy of Zeus
The third water stop was after 70km. Once again, water, ice and bananas were available. Kudos to the organizers for keeping all the rest stops well-stocked.
More climbs with some bite in them came just after the third water stop. The dragonback rollers at Ulu Gali – Lembah Klau.
42% of the route was uphill.
Photograph courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
The ride was starting to take some prisoners.
Photograph courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
Stop four came after 90km. The overcast skies of the early morning had cleared, and it was 33ºC / 91ºF. The stop was at the Bamboo Restaurant. The restaurant was closed, but their tables and chairs were available. It was nice to sit in the shade while eating a banana and drinking iced water.
That stop was before the last big climb of the day, which came with 10km left to ride. The final upward kick was 100 metres of elevation over 1.5km.
Photograph courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
It was one climb too many for some.
Photograph courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden Ride
Then it was downhill to the finish.
Photographs courtesy of Bentong-Raub Golden RidePhotograph courtesy of Ally
There were a few surprises at the finish. One was a lucky draw. It was no surprise that none of the R@SKLs was a winner.
The other surprise was the food. All you can eat satay, apam balik and cendol. The satay and apam balik were hot and the cendol was ice cold. Much nicer than the packet of cold rice and curry that passes for post-ride food at other events.
Everyone had a very nice time. We could be back for V3 next year.
Amy suggested a ride to the paddy fields around Sekinchan. To keep the ride length reasonable, we met at Bestari Jaya. Which meant a 50km or so drive from Kuala Lumpur for the fourteen of us.
It was misty during the 17km ride along Jalan Raja Musa.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
The first 25km was through palm oil plantations.
Photograph courtesy of Martin Low
We got our first glimpse of rice paddies after we made the right turn onto Jalan Sekembang at the Seri Tiram Jaya rice mill. The rest of the way to Sekinchan was through rice paddies, shown in pale green below.
Map courtesy of Ride With GPS
The narrow rectilinear roads separating the rice paddies are excellent for cycling on.
Photograph courtesy of Martin Low
We had breakfast in Sekinchan. Then stopped on the way back through the rice paddies for a group photograph.
Photograph courtesy of ZeusPhotograph courtesy of Zeus
We were back at Bestari Jaya by 11:30 am. Thankful for the overcast sky throughout the ride.
The day started with breakfast at a reasonable hour. There was no cycling done this day.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
We loaded the vehicles, checked out of the resort and drove to the Boh Sungai Palas Tea Centre.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of Chan Chee Leong
After some tea, sausage rolls, chicken pies and sardine puffs – a typical light Malaysian snack – we all drove back to Simpang Pulai. TH had left his car at the Mornington Hotel.
We split up at Simpang Pulai. Kelin was already on his way back to Kuala Lumpur. Kenix, Pai and I were also heading back to KL.
The rest drove to Penang. The Germans would spend the last few days of their visit in the food capital of Malaysia.
Photograph courtesy of Ralf Hamberger
Safe in Penang.
Photograph courtesy of Marc LinkePhotograph courtesy of Marc Linke
Beer – what else? – @Chulia.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Dinner was another new experience for the first-timers to Malaysia. Banana leaf rice.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Day 8
The tourist in front of @Chulia before heading off to see the sights of Penang.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
The first stop had to be for some Penang laksa.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Then it was out and about in the markets. This chicken might have been too fresh for Patrik’s tastes.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
There was a funicular railway ride up Penang Hill.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
A walk through a fishing village.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Visits to temples.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
On behalf of everyone who went to Brinchang and Penang, I must express our appreciation to our drivers Kurma and Vemam. They looked after us while we were riding, and ferried us to massages, dinners and around Penang. Our adventure would not have worked without them.
Photograph courtesy of Dieter Fecher
The day closed with a steamboat dinner.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
And gifts for the Germans. Zaryl kindly brought them with her from KL. The T-shirts, not the beer!
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Day 9
The last ride in Malaysia was around Penang island. Ai Lei and Bin Soo had also driven up from KL to join Zaryl and the others on the ride.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
A Penang exclusive is the availability of outriders to guide and help you ride through junctions. TH arranged for two outriders to accompany the ten cyclists.
Photograph courtesy of Ralf Hamberger
The clockwise route runs past the Penang Bridge.
Photograph courtesy of Chan Chee LeongPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
There are the climbs up to Teluk Bahang Dam.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
And a ride through Batu Ferringhi.
Photograph courtesy of Chan Chee Leong
There was a quick stop at @Chulia for a beer or two.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Then it was time for the beach party.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
Of course, with lots of beer and wine. I don’t know why they wasted space bringing a Coke.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Day 10
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Sunday was the day that Dieter, Marc, Matthias and Patrik flew back to Germany. Ralf flew back to Hong Kong.
Photograph courtesy of Chan Chee Leong
The Germany-bound four flew from Penang to KLIA. The flight from Penang was delayed but not enough to stop them from catching their connecting flight to Frankfurt.
Safely in KLIA.
Photograph courtesy of Marc Linke
And back in Germany. Looking cold!
Vielen Dank für Ihren Besuch. Wir haben es genossen, Ihnen ein bisschen Malaysia zu zeigen. Bis wir uns wieder treffen.
There were two items on the itinerary for Monday. A road trip to Melaka and Leonard’s 3-in-1 party.
The road trip started with a bak kut teh breakfast at Restoran Ah Hei Bak Kut Teh.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Once on the road to Melaka, it became clear that the Jalan Alor food stalls and/or alcohol had claimed one victim. Luckily a nap and some non-alcoholic Malta drink rejuvenated Matthias.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Pai and TH took the Germans sightseeing in Melaka.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C PaiPhotograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
Lunch was at Restoran Seng Kee.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
I don’t think the Germans remember much about the drive back to Kuala Lumpur.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Leonard’s 3-in-1 party was at the Grand Imperial restaurant in the Bangsar Shopping Centre. 3-in-1 because 1. the Germans were here, 2. because he recently scored a hole-in-one, and 3. it was his birthday later that week.
Photograph courtesy of Leonard YeePhotograph courtesy of Leonard YeePhotograph courtesy of Leonard Yee
I must say Ralf was resplendent in his lederhosen. Doing it “My Way!”
Photograph courtesy of Leonard Yee
But he sometimes runs out of steam.
Photograph courtesy of Leonard Yee
Leonard was a wonderful host. He does talk a lot though 💬💬💬.
Photograph courtesy of Leonard Yee
Day 5
The Day 5 ride was 115km from Tanjung Malim to Simpang Pulai.
Some bikes went into Amy’s truck. The other bicycles and people went into three other vehicles.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
It took about an hour to drive to Tanjung Malim. We parked beside a Shell station and got ready to roll. The entire ride would be on Federal Route 1.
Map courtesy of Ride With GPS
It was 31ºC when we got to Sungkai. We stopped for drinks and ice-cream.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
Zaryl had a more urgent reason to stop. Her saddle had come off her seat post. It was Patrik the mechanic to the rescue.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
12km further up the road, we arrived at a fresh fruit stall. Iced mango tastes very good when it is 35ºC.
The heat didn’t bother Marc though.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
We made another drink stop at Tapah.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
We had lunch at Kampar. We were 85km into the ride.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
That is when Patrik discovered his souvenirs from the Hyatt House Hotel.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
Pai dressed for the heat when we left Kampar.
Photograph courtesy of Dieter Fecher
At 2:30 pm we were in Gopeng. The air-conditioned KFC was closed for renovations. We had drinks in the open-air Alif Cafe instead.
I had a puncture 4km from our destination 🤬.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
I must admit that one flat tire among twelve cyclists riding 115km each is good going.
Happy to be at the Mornington Hotel.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng KengPhotograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
After a shower some of the group went for a massage. Starting with the feet.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
Then it was dinner time. The restaurant TH chose for us was hosting a wedding that night. I think the wedding party was a bit worried when our scruffy group walked in the door.
We were seated upstairs, though. Out of sight of the wedding guests.
The highlight of the meal was the steamed grouper head. Which was something out of the ordinary for our German guests.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Day 6
Our Day 5 ride had been our longest. Our Day 6 ride would have the most elevation.
We checked out of the Mornington Hotel and rode a few kilometres to breakfast at Restoran Nasi Kandar Pulai.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
The road is fairly flat until the PETRONAS station about 5km from the Mornington Hotel. Then it starts to rise. Gently for 7km, and then more sharply to the border between the states of Perak and Pahang.
Map courtesy of Ride With GPS
The road was relatively quiet, and it was cooler than it was the day before.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
It wasn’t long before we were spread out along the road.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
That sign reads “Heavy Vehicles Keep Left.”
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C PaiPhotograph courtesy of Chan Chee LeongPhotograph courtesy of Chan Chee LeongPhotograph courtesy of Chan Chee LeongPhotograph courtesy of Chan Chee LeongPhotograph courtesy of Chan Chee Leong
Thank goodness for our support vehicles. They created a buffer between us and what little traffic was on the road.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
And were on hand when there was a puncture and a floor pump was needed.
Photograph courtesy of Chan Chee Leong
The support vehicles waited at the 43km point in case any of us wanted water, or in the case of the Germans, beer.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
The Waterfall Café is 6km further up the road. We all stopped there for a rest, a drink, and some roasted peanuts.
The state border is 4km from the Waterfall Café.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
It is another 30km and 800 metres of climbing from the border to Brinchang. There is some relief in the form of a 9km descent from Blue Valley to Kuala Terla.
Kampung Raja is roughly halfway down that descent. We stopped for lunch at Restoran Lai Ki in Kampung Raja. Lemon chicken, batter-fried squid, fish in oyster sauce and fried greens hit the spot.
The virgin jungle between Kampung Raja and Brinchang is gone. Vegetable farms, tea plantations, and hotels and restaurants have replaced the trees.
Map courtesy of Ride With GPS
There were no more tree-lined roads like this for the last 20km to Strawberry Park Resort.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
There are potholes and patches on the road from Kampung Raja to Brinchang. We had to be careful on the fast descents.
Everyone got to Strawberry Park Resort safely. TH’s suite was the hangout room of choice.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Patrik lit a fire.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Some serious rehydration happened in front of that fire.
Kelin drove up from Kuala Lumpur to join us for barbecued steaks, lamb and chicken accompanied by sweet potatoes, sweet corn, potato salad and green salad.
And pasta. TH demonstrated his chef chops by cooking two versions of spaghetti Frutti di Mare. With marinara sauce and with alfredo sauce.
TH also provided a soundtrack via his Bluetooth speaker. Hits from the 80’s and 90’s.
The evening ended with dessert and wine. A lot of wine.
In October 2018 a group of R@SKLs had a wonderful time cycling in Germany. Thanks to excellent arrangements made by Ralf from Hong Kong, and Marc and some of his friends in Germany.
Being polite Malaysians, the grateful R@SKLs invited the Germans to visit Malaysia. To their surprise, the Germans accepted the invitation!
Not only that, they booked flights and would arrive in Kuala Lumpur on 1st November 2019 for a ten-day stay.
After several discussions over teh tarik, thosai and roti canai which began in mid-September, we had a plan. Which was a good thing because Marc, Patrik, Matthias and Dieter did board their flight from Frankfurt to Kuala Lumpur.
We didn’t realise it at the time, but this photograph was a clue, or more accurately a warning of what the next ten days would entail.
Photograph courtesy of Marc Linke
Day 1
Ralf had arrived one day earlier, and together with Chee Leong and Pai was on hand to welcome the others to Malaysia.
Their first stop after leaving the airport was Pegasus Cycles. CK and Danial reassembled their bicycles. Bike cases were loaded onto a truck and shipped to Penang.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
You should already be getting a sense of the logistics required for our plan to work smoothly.
Getting bicycles assembled was important. More important was to introduce our guests to an essential part of Malaysian culture. Food.
TH took them across the road to the Grand Imperial restaurant in Plaza Damas for a dim sum lunch.
Photograph courtesy of Ralf HambergerPhotograph courtesy of Ralf Hamberger
After lunch, we took the guys to the Hyatt House hotel, which was home for the next four nights. They soon discovered the infinity pool.
Photograph courtesy of Dieter Fecher
The last logistical piece for the day was to load the now-assembled bikes into Amy’s truck. Amy would take the bikes to the start of our Saturday ride.
Photograph courtesy of CK Lim
Day 2
We picked up the Germans at 6:30 am from their hotel and drove to Bandar Rimbayu. Our ride through the kampung roads to Bukit Jugra started at 7:30 am.
Map courtesy of Ride with GPS
It wasn’t long before there was a puncture.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng.
A stop after 14km was a bit sooner than expected.
Photograph courtesy of Ralf Hamberger
There was another mechanical problem soon after that, so we had another wait at the 7-Eleven in Jenjarom. Fortunately, that was the last forced stop for the day.
Photograph courtesy of Marc Linke
The highlight of this ride, or lowlight, depending upon your point of view, was the climb up Bukit Jugra to the lighthouse.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng KengPhotograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
We spent twenty minutes enjoying the view over the Langat River. Then it was time for food at our favourite Jugra ride restaurant.
Photograph courtesy of Ally
After a meal of rice, fish and vegetables we pedalled back the way we had come.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
After crossing the Langat River we stopped at Cendol & AC Santan Sawit Ross. It was time to introduce our German visitors to cendol.
The guys made a few new friends.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
Everyone finished the ride safely. Back at Mont Kiara, the guys demonstrated an essential part of German culture. Beer.
Photograph courtesy of TH Lim
Heng Keng kindly hosted dinner at his home. Complete with roast suckling pig.
Day 3
The first and third Sunday of each month is KL Car Free Morning. Roads in the city centre are closed from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. It seemed like a good idea to do a city ride.
CK and Danial mapped out a 35km route which would take us past some city landmarks.
Map courtesy of Ride with GPS
The Germans rode the short distance from their hotel to Pegasus Cycles, where about twenty other cyclists were waiting.
Photograph courtesy of Johan Sopiee
We rode from Pegasus Cycles to Damansara Heights.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
Then we stopped at the main entrance to the National Palace, which is the official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia.
Photograph courtesy of Lai Voon Kiat
Our next stop was at the top of the climb up Changkat Tunku, which is popularly known s Mayor’s Hill. There is a good view overlooking the city.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
We rode back down Changkt Tunku and into the Lake Gardens. The Tugu Negara (National Monument) is there.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
We then rolled through Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square). To the left is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which used to house the British colonial government offices.
Photograph courtesy of Lai Voon Kiat
Next on the itinerary was the KL Tower. It is a 421 metres tall communications tower. It is the 7th tallest freestanding tower in the world.
Photograph courtesy of Lai Voon Kiat
Photograph courtesy of Lai Voon Kiat
The last landmark we visited was the PETRONAS Twin Towers.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
We had ridden about 25km. It was time for thosai, roti canai and fried noodles with chicken. All washed down with fresh coconut water.
Dieter was suspicious of the fresh coconut 😆.
Photograph courtesy of Lee Heng Keng
We finished the ride well before noon. To keep the Germans entertained, Pai took them to Batu Caves that afternoon.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
Pai dropped the Germans off at the Pavilion shopping mall. They found a German bistro that serves everything from pork knuckles and ribs to cold cuts and sausages. The place must have been a dream come true for our five visitors 🇩🇪.
Dinner was close to the Pavilion, at the food stalls along Jalan Alor.
Photograph courtesy of TH LimPhotograph courtesy of TH Lim
Unsurprisingly, the Germans ended the night in a bar 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺.
A weekend trip to Penang for the annual round island ride has been a R@SKLs tradition since 2016. Over the past decade, this ride was known as the Campaign for a Lane Ride and was approximately 80km / 50mi long.
This year the ride had a new name. Toward Cycling City Penang. And the distance was extended to 100km / 62mi. The two out-and-back stretches at the lower left and middle left of the route accounted for the additional 20km.
Map courtesy of Map My Ride
The ride started right on time at 7:00 am. Kudos to the organisers.
The R@SKLs rode as a group for the entire ride. Speeds were kept to below 30kph so that everyone could stay together. Despite best intentions, a couple of riders did fall off the back of the group because of a mechanical problem.
Photograph courtesy of Cycling Malaysia Magazine
In the past, we stopped near the Penang Bridge. This time we didn’t so photographs of the bridge were taken on the go.
Photograph courtesy of Marvin Tan
Our first brief stop was after 18km.
Photograph courtesy of Zeus
Not long after that we turned right and rode along the southern end of the runway at Penang International Airport.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
In another departure from past practice, we did not stop for a restroom break at the Caltex station near Kampung Binjai.
😳Bladder control On.
The first extension to the route came at Taman Cahaya after 29km. In past years we turned right to tackle the climb up Bukit Genting.
This time we continued straight along the southwestern tip of the island for about 5km before retracing our route back to Taman Cahaya.
I had reached the limit of my bladder control at the U-turn and had to stop.
As I neared Bukit Genting I got a telephone call from Simon. He had stopped to help Eugene with his mechanical. As did Marvin. I thought they were behind me but I was wrong.
I was speaking to Simon via my Aftershokz Aeropex headphones. I took my hands off the bar and cupped them over my ears to reduce the wind noise as I spoke.
Simon: Eugene, Marvin and I are at the top of the first climb. Where are you? Me: I am at the bottom of the first climb. Everyone is at the bottom of the climb. Simon: OK. Wait for us. We will ride down now. Me: NO. Stay there. I am still at the bottom of the climb. Simon: OK. You stay there. We are coming. Me: NO NO NO. You stay where you are. We are all still climbing up to you.
Having my hands over my ears didn’t make me very intelligible to Simon. Fortunately, he understood enough to stay put while the rest of us rode up to the three of them.
Photograph courtesy of Marvin Tan
How did Eugene, Marvin and Simon get ahead of us? They skipped the extra 10km loop.
The first water stop was at the top of Bukit Genting. Despite the threat from the organizers of no service for riders who weren’t wearing the official event jersey, we all got water. In a nice move to reduce the use of plastics the organizers did not provide individual bottles of water. Instead, they filled each cyclist’s bottles from a water dispenser.
It is a high-speed descent (unless you are stuck behind traffic) to Taman Simpang Jaya and the sharp turn to the left that leads to a flat 15km through several kampungs (villages).
Photograph courtesy of Zeus
After 10km of flat riding, some of us stopped at Mysara Café for a drink. The others continued to the sundry shops next to the Chinese temple at the foot of the second climb of the day.
Immediately before the Chinese temple, we discovered the second extension to the route. A 7km loop to Pantai Aceh and back.
The Mysara Café contingent finished the loop and rode past the rest of the R@SKLs just as they were remounting their bikes for the 5km and 200 metre / 656 foot climb.
After the climb and descent, most of us regrouped at the rest hut overlooking the lake beside the Teluk Bahang Dam. Some had to get back to their hotels early to check-out so they went ahead.
There were 30km left to ride through Teluk Bahang, Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Bungah, Tanjung Tokoh and Gurney Drive to the finish.
Photograph courtesy of CK Lim
We collected our Finisher’s medals and rode straight back to our hotels. It was too hot to linger and many had to shower and check-out of hotels.
Or indulge in a celebratory cold one!
Photograph courtesy of Simon Soo Hu
The final act for five of the seven who rode to Penang was to load our bikes into Amy’s truck for the drive back to KL.
Photograph courtesy of Amy Ho
Until 2020 then.
Graphic courtesy of Serrena LauGraphic courtesy of Tien Hotel + Residence
Our Penang-based friends ST Chan and Dennis Tan kindly agreed to lead a group of R@SKLs on a ride to Pantai Merdeka. Pantai Merdeka is the only sand beach in mainland Kedah. More important to the R@SKLs was the prospect of mee udang (prawn noodles) at Kampung Pulau Sayak mid-way through the ride.
In addition to the seven R@SKLs who rode to Penang, there were about twenty other R@SKLs who had made their way there by road or by air. Together with perhaps a dozen riders from Penang, we made a big group as we headed down Lebuh Chulia at 6:15 am toward the Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
The ferry service to the mainland is free. As soon as the barriers opened we rode onto the 6:30 am ferry for the fifteen-minute trip to the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth.
The route to Pantai Merdeka headed directly north, crossing the border between the states of Penang and Kedah at the Sungai Muda.
Map courtesy of Ride With GPS
Once we were north of Penaga we had lovely views of paddy fields.
Photograph courtesy of Martin LeePhotograph courtesy of Mark Lim
The group spread out and split up into smaller clumps over the 35km / 22mi or so toward Pantai Merdeka. Most R@SKLs rode all the way to Pantai Merdeka.
Photograph courtesy of Marvin Tan
A half dozen of us turned left at Kampung Tukang Jusoh, about 2km from Pantai Merdeka, and rode straight to Usop Mee Udang at Laut Pulau Sayak. We wanted to be at the front of the queue for the mee udang.
Photograph courtesy of Zeus
While waiting for our drinks and mee udang we enjoyed the views of the beach and Pulau Sayak.
The much-anticipated mee udang . . . .
Photograph courtesy of Nabila A
The ride back to the Sungai Muda ran closer to the coast. We didn’t have any views of the sea but we still had views of the paddy fields.
Photograph courtesy of Martin Lee
We turned left toward the bridge over the Sungai Muda at the Kota Kuala Muda Tsunami Memorial.
The memorial is a poignant reminder of the devastating tsunami which took place on 26th December 2004 following a powerful 8.9 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. The Kota Kuala Muda region was badly affected with one hundred houses destroyed and eleven villagers losing their lives.
Photograph courtesy of ismakedah
Surprise surprise! When we got to the tsunami memorial it was hot. 32º C / 90º F hot. About twenty minutes later we stopped at Padang Tembusu for a cold drink.
Photograph courtesy of Ally
Then we rode the 17km / 11mi to the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal and the ferry ride back to Penang.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
We took a little detour to Lebuh Downing to collect our ride packs for the next day’s Towards Cycling City Penang round island ride before riding back to our respective hotels. All the R@SKLs finished the ride safely. The rest of the day was spent in the Tien Hotel’s Chulia Restaurant and Bar.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
And of course at the food stalls.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
Carbo-loading for the Towards Cycling City Penang ride.
Bin Soo joined us for the Taiping to Penang leg. She and Ai Lei had driven to Taiping. Mark told Bin Soo that we would all meet in the hotel lobby at 6:30 am.
I am sure we were all still asleep when Bin Soo and Ai Lei got to our hotel at 5:11 am 😲. They were there early to take us to breakfast. Ham chim peng (Chinese fried doughnuts) and coffee.
Photograph courtesy of Khoo Bin Soo
Amy and I didn’t make it to breakfast. I for one was nowhere near ready to head out of my room before 6:15 am.
We rolled out of Taiping at 6:30 am. I used Ride With GPS to plot the shortest route from our hotel to Federal Route 1. We would spend most of the day on that road.
All went well until 7km from the hotel. We came to a right turn where the paved road became a narrow gravel track. Too narrow for the truck.
Map courtesy of Ride With GPS
So Marvin had to find a driveable way to get to Federal Route 1. We forged ahead into the unknown. I had no idea how long we would be riding off-road.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
All credit to Bin Soo for being willing to ride over gravel and through puddles on her brand-new bike.
No one dared to ride across this bridge.
Photograph courtesy of Martin Lee
The track was luckily rideable enough to get us to Federal Route 1. Except that we were on the wrong side of a divided highway. That required a dismount and quick sprint over the highway divider.
We came to another interesting bridge across the Sungai Sepetang 14km into the day.
We made our first restroom stop at the PETRONAS station in Bagan Serai after ninety minutes of cycling. The ride itself was unremarkable. So much so that trailing a tractor for a short time was exciting.
Photograph courtesy of Hsing C Pai
The reason we didn’t draft behind the tractor for longer was that it was moving too slowly.
We took a short detour off Federal Route 1 for a pit stop at Bandar Baharu. Marvin guided us to this place on the Sungai Kerian. The food here was excellent and cheap.
Photograph courtesy of Google Maps
We were back on our bikes at about 10:00 am. One hour later we were sitting in Nasi Kandar Rizq in Simpang Ampat. It was already 35º C / 95º F. Significantly warmer than it had been at the same time the day before. We all needed cold liquids and some shade.
There were 22km to go to the Penang Sentral ferry terminal. The run from Simpang Ampat was in the most traffic we had encountered on the entire trip. There is a lot of commercial traffic on the roads to Butterworth. For the most part, we had no other route option to take. We did a detour to avoid riding on the Butterworth Outer Ring Road over the last 5km to the ferry terminal.
We were on a ferry at 12:50 pm, having paid the princely sum of RM1.40 / USD0.34 each for the privilege. Which is incredibly cheap because no ticket is needed for the return trip from the island.
Photograph courtesy of Marvin Tan
The ferry ride takes fifteen minutes. There is a nice view of the Penang Bridge during the crossing.
It is just over 1km from the Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal on Penang island to our respective hotels on Lebuh Chulia.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
After getting cleaned up we wasted no time getting to one of the main reasons to come to Penang.
Photograph courtesy of Khoo Bin Soo
Photographs courtesy of Martin Lee & Marvin Tan
Food glorious food! Both on the streets and in the cafés.
Lots of Penang food was a very nice way to celebrate riding about 330km / 205mi over three days. Without a single puncture amongst us.
We are already talking about where to ride to next.
Old Roots, New Routes 