Category Archives: Cycling in Malaysia

Udang Galah Tour – Teluk Intan to Petaling Jaya

Posted on December 19, 2016 by alchemyrider

teluk-intan-overview-blog-tourism-gov-my

Photograph courtesy of blog.tourism.gov.my

Teluk Intan extends into an oxbow meander of the Perak River. The Yew Boutique Hotel is the blue and white building to the left, about halfway up the spit of land.

This is the view from the hotel rooftop.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

The hotel is bicycle friendly, with a Cyclist Corner in the lobby. Bicycles in rooms? No problem.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

After breakfast in the hotel, we were on the road at just after 8.00am. It looked and felt like it would be another roaster of a day as we made our way out of Teluk Intan. But after 25 km / 15.5 mi it became overcast, and consequently a little cooler.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

The cloud cover was not total, so weather vacillated between being overcast and being sunny. Which kept the temperature relatively high, but thankfully it never got to the boiling hot levels of the previous day.

Despite feeling warm, we were comfortable enough to make good time to Sabak Bernam, where we made our first stop.

The fried egg, sausage, baked beans and toast breakfast at the hotel had been burned through, so we had brunch at Restoran Ammin Maju. Roti telur, thosai, and lots of teh tarik and iced Milo.

The sun continued to play with us, alternately toasting us and retreating behind the clouds, as we made our way through Sungai Besar. Sticking to our schedule of a stop every 30 km / 19 mi, we pulled into the PETRONAS station at Sungai Haji Dorani. We already had 57 km / 35 mi in the bank.

I wasn’t the only one who had started out in the morning feeling dehydrated. Despite drinking lots and lots during and after the previous day’s ride, I hadn’t replaced all the fluid that I had lost to perspiration. All of us commented on how little we had in our bladders through the night and into the morning.

No surprise then that dry mouths and empty bottles signalled the need to stop after 90 km / 57 mi. We had been looking for a cendol stall. We came upon a few. All were closed.

Then we arrived at the Gudang Food Court, with its large sign advertising coconut shakes. The coconut shakes were good. The cendol shakes – not so much. I think it was because they used the same coconut water mix in the cendol as was in the coconut shakes. Cendol needs coconut milk to taste right.

The cendol shake was however cold and wet, and everything is improved by a dollop of ice cream. So down it went.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

We had been watching the sky since leaving Sabak Bernam. There were rain clouds to the east, and at one point we thought the precipitation would come our way. It never did. The skies continued to alternate between overcast and sunny. It never got as hot as it did the day before, but we were riding faster, averaging about 27 kph / 17 mph. Thus we were sweating a lot.

We decided against stopping for lunch, or for another visit to the coconut water stand, in Kuala Selangor, but we did need to rest and refill water bottles at the PETRONAS station there.

We were more than halfway home, and we were moving onto roads which we had ridden many times. Interestingly, the state of the roads was better coming south. Even the stretch near Sabak Bernam was less rough on the southbound side.

Perhaps spoken a bit too soon. Mark had a pinch flat as we made the left turn onto Jalan Kuala Selangor. The Caltex Assam Jawa station was a convenient place for Mark to sit down while changing his inner tube. And for me to have an iced lolly!

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Once we got going again we were heading toward the rain clouds. By the time we got to the entrance to the LATAR Expressway, the sun was well-hidden by the clouds. Which was a very good thing. Up to that point the route had been pan flat. Now there were some hills to ride over along the LATAR Expressway and the rest of the way back to Petaling Jaya.

It was about 2.45pm. Often the hottest time of the day in these tropical parts. On this day it was just over 30° C / 86° F. Very nice. We were able to stay cool as we cruised over the hills. So cool that we didn’t need to stop as planned at the Kundang Timur R&R. Instead we carried on into Kampung Melayu Sri Kundang, looking for a stall selling banana fritters, cendol and the like.

We found Cendol ABC Setia across the road from Tasik Biru Kundang. Exactly what we were looking for. Cendol, banana and cassava fritters, and prawn fritters.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The last 30 km / 19 mi of this ride were much more comfortable than the equivalent kilometers the day before. We weren’t feeling beaten up by the roads and the heat. We made a final stop at the PETRONAS station in Kuang to fill our bottles. Then enjoyed a relaxed ride back to Petaling Jaya.

Once again I had a lot of fun, laughs, and good eats, with great friends for company. Thank you Lay, Marco and Mark for a wonderful bike tour. Let’s do another one soon.

Quote courtesy of Alistair Humphreys

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Cendol ABC Setia, Gudang Food Court, Kuala Selangor, Kuang, Kundang, Restoran Ammin Maju, Sabak Bernam, Teluk Intan, Yew Boutique Hotel. Bookmark the permalink.

Udang Galah Tour – Petaling Jaya to Teluk Intan

Posted on December 19, 2016 by alchemyrider

Graphic courtesy of ITBM

Two days after completing the Cendol Tour to Melaka, four of us embarked on a credit card tour to Teluk Intan. This time Mark and I had Marco and Lay for company.

Everyone was on road bikes this time, all sporting Apidura saddle bags.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

We started the ride under the sun, the moon, and clouds. It looked like we would have nice weather for our ride. Looks can be deceiving!

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

We rode from Ara Damansara to Denai Alam. Once on the motorcycle lane alongside the Guthrie Corridor Expressway, we cycled past the Lagong toll plaza to Exit 3501. There we joined the LATAR Expressway toward Ijok.

Our first stop was at Sin Loong Kee Noodles in Kampung Baru Kundang. Steaming bowls of beehoon and mee, accompanied by strong coffee.

That breakfast set us up nicely for the ride along the rest of the LATAR Expressway toward Ijok.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

At this juncture it was still overcast and relatively cool. It didn’t stay that way. By the time we were riding through Bukit Rotan on our way to Kuala Selangor, the sun was out, and the heat was on.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

We stopped in Kuala Selangor for a photograph by the Selangor River. And truth be told, a bit of a rest.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

Then we were on the hunt for something to drink. Which we found at a roadside stall advertising ‘kelapa wangi’ (fragrant coconuts). You pick the coconut that you want, or just let the vendor choose for you. Four or five swings of his cleaver, and the top of the coconut is off. Add ice and guzzle.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The sun was unrelenting. By 1.00pm the “feels like” temperature was 40° C / 104° F. We were in Sekinchan, and had covered 101 km / 63 mi. It was time to stop for lunch.

We sat in the KFC in Sekinchan for seventy five minutes. Half of that time was spent eating. The rest was spent sipping drinks and summoning up the willpower to leave the air-conditioning and venture back out into the furnace.

We got as far as Sungai Besar before we needed another dose of air-conditioning. This time in McDonald’s, where we chilled our insides with lime sundaes. The green food colouring in the lime topping might have been flourescent, but there was nothing wrong with the taste. Those sundaes hit the spot.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Back on our bikes again, we were starting to get worn down by the double whammy of the broiling heat, and the frequent stretches of rutted, poorly patched, and pot-holed roads. We were expending a lot of energy negotiating around and over the holes and bumps in the road. A raised or depressed manhole cover is just an irritation to a driver, but it is a hazard to a cyclist.

After a particularly bad section of road north of Sabak Bernam, where even the patches over older patches had themselves been patched, we pulled over under some trees, beside a small Indian shrine, to rest our tired hands and forearms.

indian-temple

It was nine and a half hours since we left Ara Damansara. That dead straight road ahead of us seemed endless, disappearing into the horizon.

We had roughly 25 km / 15.5 mi to go. Not a lot. But we were getting to the end of our reserves of energy. We were at that point where every kilometer seems to take an age to cover. The distance markers at the roadside were becoming more of a hindrance than a help. Seemingly mocking our slow forward progress.

We covered just 15 km / 9 mi before we needed another stop. The Shell petrol station at Taman Aman was a haven of air-conditioning and cold drinks.

As the distance between us and the Yew Boutique Hotel in Teluk Intan fell to single digits, the sun finally dropped low enough in the sky so as to make the heat less oppressive. At this point the distance markers were in partial numbers.

Teluk Intan 3.5 km

Teluk Intan 2.5 km

At 6.00pm we made the left turn onto Jalan Mahkamah, and then left again onto Jalan Mahkota. We had arrived at the the place that was the reason for making this trip to Teluk Intan.

The Restoran D’Tepian Sungai.

The udang galah (giant freshwater prawn) restaurant right on the bank of the Perak River, where the participants in the BCG Tour to Teluk Intan had feasted.

Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia

We wanted to order our food ahead of time, so that we could come back at 8.00pm knowing that we had a table, and that our food would be ready. Just as the proprietor was telling us that the largest of the udang galah, the Grade A ones, were finished – “Boo”, a supplier pulled up with a fresh delivery – “Yahoo!”

We made one last stop before the hotel. The Menara Condong, or Leaning Tower, is the iconic structure of Teluk Intan.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

We were back at the Restoran D’Tepian Sungai at 8.00pm sharp. Waiting for us were 2 kilos / 4.4 lbs of those Grade A udang galah, prepared three different ways. 500 grams / 1.1 lbs of batter fried squid. And a couple of steamed crabs.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

It sounds like a lot of food. It was. But we consumed all of it!

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

You would have thought that everyone was full after eating all that. Think again.

Teluk Intan is noted for its chee cheong fun. The best is reputedly made by Liew Kee (Ah Lek) Chee Cheong Fun. Which is not far from the Yew Boutique Hotel.

We took a few night shots of the Menara Condong on the way to the chee cheong fun shop.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The chee cheong fun shop looks like a maximum security prison. There are no tables and chairs. Strictly takeaway only. Nevertheless, the queue was long. The place is famous far and wide.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

There was talk of a few drinks before calling it a night. That turned out to be talk only. Once we got back to the hotel all thoughts turned to sleep. And dreams of cooler weather for the ride back to Petaling Jaya.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Apidura, Kuala Selangor, Liew Kee (Ah Lek) Chee Cheong Fun, Menara Condong, Restoran D'Tepian Sungai, Sabak Bernam, Sekinchan, Sin Loong Kee Noodles, Sungai Besar, Teluk Intan, Udang Galah, Yew Boutique Hotel. Bookmark the permalink.

Roadies and Fixies Cendol Tour: Melaka to Kajang

Posted on December 18, 2016 by alchemyrider

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

Our plans for an early start were scuttled by rain. We lingered over breakfast while waiting for the rain to stop.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

We rolled out of the Fenix Inn at 9.00am. Not to immediately head north toward Port Dickson and Kajang, but to ride to the ruins of the A Famosa fortress, and to the Stadthuys. Two of the most photographed colonial buildings, the first Portuguese and the second Dutch, in Melaka.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

Photographs snapped, we crossed the Melaka River and started our 150km / 93mi ride back to Kajang.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

We retraced our route from the day before. We also followed our schedule of stopping every 30km / 19mi or so.

The first stop came at a coconut water stand 27km / 17mi outside Melaka. Mark and I had become separated from Alvin and Liang by that point. We stopped again at the junction of Route 5 and the M142 to make sure that they didn’t miss that turn.

Riding together again, we got to Kuala Sungai Baru at 11.40am. The Kuala Seafood restaurant already had its lunch offerings on display. Everything tasted as good as it looked.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

We lingered over lunch and drinks for an hour. It had been hot the day before, and it was already hot again. I were all dehydrated, and our bodies needed all the fluid we could take in.

The weather can change very quickly, and it did so after lunch. We had to take cover at a bus stop near Batu Ibol as a sudden cloudburst rolled by.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

The rain eased after ten minutes, so we headed back out onto the very wet road. We rode through drizzle and on wet roads all the way to Port Dickson.

We stopped at Azmi Cendol in the town centre to dry off a bit.

And for some of this.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

And some of this.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

We were just over halfway home. The sun came out again as we sat at Azmi Cendol. Time to reapply the SPF70. The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. No punctures!

It was hot and steamy. We stopped for a much needed rest and something to drink just before the 100km / 62mi mark. Coincidentally at the 99 Speedmart in Tanah Merah where we bought Cokes and such the day before.

There are 140 meters / 460 feet of climbing in the 12km / 7.5mi between Tanah Merah and Sepang. Which was especially hard work for Alvin and Liang on their fixies. They fully deserved the stop at the Shell petrol station in Sepang.

The climbing doesn’t stop after Sepang. There is another 465 meters / 1,525 feet of elevation in the 45km / 28mi to Kajang. By the time we got to Pekan Salak we all needed to refill our bottles.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

We needed to catch our breath one final time with 20km / 12.5mi to go. Then it was a leisurely ride past some high tech bodies: the Atomic Energy Licensing Board, the Malaysia Genome Institute, and the Malaysian Nuclear Agency.

The National University of Malaysia in Bangi is the last landmark before the right turn toward Bandar Teknologi Kajang. From there we had just 5.5km / 3.5mi to the police station where we had parked. Oh, and a final 100 meters / 328 feet of climbing, just for laughs!

It had taken us ten and a half hours to get from Melaka to Kajang. Six and a half of which were spent on our bikes. We had done the return trip in about twenty five minutes less than the outward leg the day before. Kudos to Alvin and Liang for pedalling for every second of those thirteen hours and fifteen minutes, as we covered a tad over 320 km / 199 mi over two days. Very impressive!

We closed our credit card tour with dinner at Restoran Yip Sheng, down the road from the police station. Fried rice, lemon chicken and braised beancurd.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

A tasty end to a very enjoyable two-day tour in the company of very good friends.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged A Famosa, Cendol, Fenix Inn, Kuala Seafood, Kuala Sungai Baru, Melaka, Port Dickson, Sepang, Stadthuys, Tanah Merah. Bookmark the permalink.

Roadies and Fixies Cendol Tour: Kajang to Melaka

Posted on December 18, 2016 by alchemyrider

Photograph courtesy of i1os.com

Four of us, two on road bikes and two on fixies, did a credit card tour to Melaka. We started from Kajang. After breakfast, that is!

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

The road bikes were fitted with Apidura saddle packs. The fixie riders carried backpacks.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

The ride didn’t start very auspiciously. Liang had a puncture after 8km / 5mi.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

You know that feeling you get when one of your mates gets a puncture? That “Glad it’s not me” feeling? I lost that feeling as soon I got back on my bike.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

My rear tire was flat.

I checked the tire for any embedded sharp objects that would have punctured the inner tube. I didn’t find anything, so installed and inflated a new tube.

Which immediately started losing air. So I had to go through the whole process again. We were at this bus stop for fifty five minutes, fixing flats.

As we were in touring mode, the delay didn’t bother us. And with Alvin and Liang having to pedal nonstop, even going downhill, speeds were moderate.

We figured on a stop every 30km / 19mi or so to rest and fill bottles. The PETRONAS station at Pekan Salak came at just the right time. As we left the petrol station we spotted a small bicycle shop, where Liang and I stocked up on inner tubes. At what was a slightly overpriced RM18 each. But as the saying goes, beggars can’t be choosers.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

From Pekan Salak the route took us to Sepang, where we joined Route 5 to Port Dickson. Our route was almost identical to that taken by the BCG Tour from Kajang to Melaka.

Our next stop was at the 99 Speedmart in Tanah Merah. For Cokes, Nestlé Bliss peach mango yogurt drink, and water.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

We got to McDonald’s at the Port Dickson Waterfront at about noon. That McDonald’s has become a standard stop on any of our rides through Port Dickson. Usually for something to eat as well as something to drink. This time we just had a drink. Lunch would be grilled chicken at Cowboy Place in Teluk Kemang.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

When we got back on our bikes, I saw that my rear tire had flatted. Again. I was getting tired of this. It’s a good thing I had bought some inner tubes in Pekan Salak.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

An almost forensic examination of the tire finally revealed the culprit. Undetectable by touch, and visible only by flexing the tire.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

Another flat tire, and I would have been tempted to leave my bike up a tree.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

By the time we got to Cowboy Place it was 1.30pm. We were all hungry. To the tune of one and a half chickens, a plate of mixed vegetables, and two omelets. Washed down with pitchers of watermelon juice. In retrospect the grilled chicken wasn’t all that good. But as I said, we were hungry at the time.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

As we were finishing our lunch, a storm rumbled through to the north east of Teluk Kemang. All we got was a very light sprinkle. Nonetheless, very much appreciated as it cooled the air. But not for long. The sun came back out, and the air turned steamy as the day warmed up again.

With the sun beating down, we were ready for our next “every 30km / 19mi” stop. Which came at Restoran Kuala Seafood in Kuala Sungai Baru. We rehydrated, and caught up on essentials. Be it social media updates, or a nap.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

After Kuala Sungai Baru we hit 25km / 15.5mi of rolling terrain to Tanjong Kling. Liang and Alvin stopped along the way in Sungai Udang to get something to eat. I am not surprised that they needed food. Riding fixies had to be really hard work.

Liang was riding a 48 tooth chainring with a 16 tooth rear cog. Alvin had a 49 tooth chainring with a 17 tooth rear cog. That means that for each turn of the crank, Liang travelled 6.3 meters / 20.6 feet, and Alvin travelled 6.0 meters / 19.7 feet. Those are hard gears to push on the flat, let alone uphill. Without the opportunity to coast and rest every now and then.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

Mark and I continued on into Melaka to visit a bike shop. While fixing my first flat tire of the day, I had discovered a cut in the sidewall of my rear tire. I had booted the tire with a one ringgit bill (a benefit of plastic notes), but didn’t want to risk riding on it for longer than absolutely necessary.

KHS Bicycles installed a new tire for me. And in the process discovered that I had a suspect tube in my front tire. So my ride to Melaka cost me five inner tubes. I bought four inner tubes at KHS, for a more reasonable RM15 each.

Alvin and Liang caught up with Mark and I at the bike shop. Which Alvin and Mark must have mistaken for a bar!

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

It wasn’t far from the bike shop to the Fenix Inn. Our home for the night. Chosen for its proximity to the historic heart of Melaka, and for the fact that it allows bicycles in the rooms.

Showered and changed, it was time for dinner. The original plan was to walk to Restoran Nyonya Makko. However that restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. So Mark consulted Google for alternatives.

We chose Big Nyonya Restaurant on Jalan Merdeka, which was a short bike ride from the Fenix Inn.

Chicken rolls, fried brinjals with chilli, cincalok omelet, pineapple prawn curry, and of course cendol for dessert.

The food was as good as we have had before at Makko, but pricier.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

After dinner we took a short ride to the Riverine Coffee House on Lorong Hang Jebat. We sat out back, right on the edge of the Melaka River. Where we watched the river cruise boats race by.

Alvin took some arty photographs with his new Huawei P9. The smartphone with the Leica co-engineered dual lens camera. The low-light shots are impressive.

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

Then it was bedtime. We wanted to have an early start in the morning.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Big Nyonya, Cowboy Place, Fenix Inn, Kajang, KHS Bicycles, Kuala Sungai Baru, Melaka, Port Dickson, Restoran Makko, Riverine Coffee House. Bookmark the permalink.

Southern Thailand Tour Day 3

Posted on December 1, 2016 by alchemyrider

Any plans to have a long lie in after the Satun International Century Ride were quickly put to rest. We had about 150km / 93mi to cover from Satun to Hat Yai, via an extended route which would take us around Songkhla Lake.

s-thailand-tour-3-route

We were all present and accounted for at the entrance of the SinKiat Buri Hotel at 7.30am.

s-thailand-tour-3-satun-departure-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

Our first task upon rolling out was to scan the streets for a place to eat breakfast. We didn’t see anything that looked promising for the first couple of kilometers. 7 Eleven came to mind, but Leslie reminded us that convenience stores should be our choice of last resort. He had a point.

Then we found this place, selling packets of nasi lemak, just like we get at home. But with a Thai twist. The nasi lemak came with a variety of toppings to choose from. Fish, or shrimp, or egg, or plain sambal.

I had already grabbed some pulut with kaya (sticky rice with coconut jam) as well.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We were on the only road that links Satun province with Songkhla province to the north. Route 406, like the other roads we had already ridden on in Thailand, was wide and smooth. And in this case it was a dual carriageway.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

About 27km / 17mi outside Satun we were diverted to the opposite side of the dual carriageway. The northbound side of the road was closed. A bad accident perhaps?

A few minutes later we saw the reason for the diversion. There was a row of more than a dozen double decker buses like this one parked on the road.

s-thailand-tour-3-bus

All waiting to load passengers coming out of this place.

s-thailand-tour-3-satun-cowboy-land

I can’t find any information about Satun Cowboy Land, so why hundreds of people were there remains a mystery.

1o kilometers later we were riding through the karst outcrops that mark the border into Songkhla province.

s-thailand-tour-3-on-the-road-to-songkhla-province-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

It was turning into another hot day. We had planned to stop for a drink every 30km / 19mi or so, and we stuck to that plan. Our first rehydration stop had been just past Satun Cowboy Town.

At about 60km / 37mi we were in Ban Na Si Thong. We bought large Sunkist orange and milky green tea drinks here. There was enough Sunkist in my drink that I could dilute it three times over from the water dispenser near our table.

We were grateful that the Thais are also not stingy with ice. The drinks come loaded with ice, and are often accompanied with a bucket of more ice. We were always able to keep our bottles topped up with ice.

s-thailand-tour-3-make-that-a-large-cold-drink-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

By noon we had covered 75km / 47mi. The temperature was up around 38°C / 100°F. Too hot to ride a further 15km / 9mi before stopping again.

A 7 Eleven in Khuan Niang to the rescue!

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We felt much better after fifteen minutes in air conditioning.

Lunch was about forty five minutes away. We may have been smiling on the bridge at Ban Pak Ro, but we were hot and hungry.

s-thailand-tour-3-pak-ro-bridge-hot-and-hungry-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We found a great restaurant on the other side of the bridge.

s-thailand-tour-3-riverside-lunch-1-marco

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

We were on the water, in the shade, under a fan, with cold drinks in hand. (Note the blue ice bucket on the table). We kicked back there for almost two hours.

Oh! We did eat too.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

We roused ourselves and got back onto our bikes at 3.40pm. We had 55km / 34mi to go to Hat Yai, and we wanted to get there before sunset at about 6.00pm.

The 10km / 6mi from the restaurant was the only bad section of road we encountered during the entire 430km / 267mi tour through southern Thailand. We felt right at home. Which is a bit sad!

s-thailand-tour-3-bad-roads

The next landmark was Ko Yo island in Songkhla Lake.

s-thailand-tour-3-apiduras-on-ko-yo-island-marco

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

30km / 19mi to go to Hat Yai. We had been riding long enough from lunch that we needed a drink and to refill our bottles for the stretch to our final destination.

There are lots of roadside drinks stalls to choose from. All identifiable by the rows of syrups and cordials on display.

s-thailand-tour-3-drink-stand

There is nothing quite like an ice cold Coke!

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

There was about an hour before sunset. So Philip and Leslie proceeded to pull us along at 31kph / 19mph for the next thirty minutes. Then we made the left turn onto Lopburi Ramesuan Road, heading south into central Hat Yai.

We had prebooked the hotel in Satun, but had not done the same for Hat Yai. So it was hotel hunting time. We were turned away from the first two hotels we tried, when we revealed that we intended to take our bikes up to our rooms.

While Lay – our designated negotiator – was trying for the third time to get us into a hotel, the Lee Gardens Plaza, I struck up a conversation outside with a security guard. He was quite impressed that we had ridden from Satun, and was interested in our bikes and saddle packs.

When Lay returned with the news that once again we wouldn’t be allowed to take our bikes into our rooms, the security guard was not pleased. He immediately pulled out his walkie talkie, and after thirty seconds of conversation – the only word I understood was “Satun” – he ushered us all, bikes included, into the hotel.

If you visit Hat Yai, stay in the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel. Especially if you bring your bicycle!!

Showered and changed, we wandered along Prachathipat Road looking for a nice place to eat. We chose Jaepen Restaurant, on the basis of a stall at the entrance selling leng chee kang (a sweet drink or dessert containing lotus seeds, longans, lily bulbs, dried persimmons, and malva nuts).

The leng chee kang turned out to be a bit of a bust, but the food was excellent.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Not only is the food in Thailand delicious, it is also cheap. We had steamed grouper, omelette with crab meat, squid in curry sauce, fried shrimp with petai, fish and shrimp cake, and white rice. Plus two bowls of leng chee kang and two bowls of bubur cha cha (a Nyonya dessert of bananas, sweet potatoes, taro, and sago pearls cooked in pandan -flavoured coconut milk).

All for THB 1,820. Or RM46 / USD10 per person. So there was enough cash left over for a mango with sticky rice dessert on the way back to the hotel.

It had been a long and hot day. Add a full stomach. No wonder I was ready to hit the sack. Day 4 to come.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Hat Yai, Jaepen Restaurant, Ko Yo Island, Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel, Satun, Songkhla. Bookmark the permalink.

How to Talk Like a Cyclist in Malaysia

Posted on November 17, 2016 by alchemyrider

cycling-lingo

Paceline. Groupset. Magic spanner. Aero. Sticky bottle. Bike throw. Road rash. Endo.

A small sample of the English words and phrases likely to come out of the mouth of a cyclist. Throw in the French, Flemish, Dutch and Italian terminology common to the sport, and it is no wonder that most non-cyclists are baffled by cyclospeak.

Not to be outdone, Malaysian cyclists have a few cycling terms of their own. Such as:

Bojio
A Hokkien phrase which means not inviting someone along to an event or activity.
Often used in Facebook comments in response to postings of Strava ride summaries.

Ceria rider
The Malay word for “cheerful.” Refers to someone who rides purely for fun.
“No lah. I don’t want to do a century ride. I am a ceria rider only.”

FFK
The abbreviation of Fong Fei Kei. A Cantonese phrase which means a betrayal or breaking of a promise / deal made with another party.
In this case a person who did not turn up for a group ride as promised.
“Next time you FFK, you have to buy everyone breakfast.”

Hantu / Ghost rider
The Malay or English word referring to an unregistered, non-paying rider in an organised event.
“The registration damned expensive. So just be a ghost rider lor.”

Just buy a new bike
The standard advice given to any cyclist who has even the slightest thing go wrong with their bicycle, or who muses about buying a new component or upgrading an existing one.
“Eh. Your shifting quite noisy. Just buy a new bike lah.”

Kaki besi
A Malay phrase meaning “iron legs.” Refers to a strong rider.
“That guy kaki besi one. I can’t follow him.”

Kaki jelly
The opposite of kaki besi. Literally means “jelly legs.”
“So much climbing today. I got kaki jelly now.”

Kena conned
Refers to being tricked into riding further / faster/ higher than anticipated.
“She said we are riding about 50km today. Ended up riding for five hours. I really kena conned.”

Kena racun / Got poisoned
This Malay or equivalent English phrase is used to refer to a person who was persuaded to upgrade an existing, or buy a new, bicycle component.
“He kena racun and bought a set of Zipp 404s.”

Nubis Kubis
A term for a newbie. If anyone knows why the Malay word for cabbage, “kubis,” is part of this phrase, let me know.
“I am a nubis kubis. Dare not use clipless pedals.”

Pancit
A Malay word that is most likely a corruption of the English word “punctured.” The equivalent of “blowing up.”
“I have to stop for a while. Pancit already.”

Santai ride / Chillax ride
The Malay word for “relaxed,” and the English portmanteau word combining “chill” and relaxed.”
“Don’t worry. It will be a santai ride. Average speed less than 25kph” (See Kena conned above)

Smoke me
What a kaki besi does to a nubis kubis. Leaves them in the dust.
“That girl smoked me. After a few kilometers I couldn’t see her anymore.”

Tarik me
The Malay word for “pull.” With the same meaning in a cycling context.
“You got kaki besi mah. So you tarik me lah.”

I’m going for a santai ride in the morning. I’ll be alone, so no one to tarik me. Hopefully none of my friends complain that I bojio them.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Cycling, Lingo, Terminology, Terms. Bookmark the permalink.

Food Hunt Ride II

Posted on November 14, 2016 by alchemyrider

The Saturday ride was so much fun that we did the same again on Sunday. There were a few minor differences. We had more people in the group this time. It was already sunny, rather than misty, at the start. We rode to Rawang via Kuang instead of along the LATAR Expressway toward Templer Park.

And we stopped for breakfast at Restoran Sri Indah, which is 500 meters / 0.3 mi from Restoran Teratak Nogori. Lay had recommended that restaurant to us.

It was a very good recommendation. They had my favorites. Nasi lemak, sardines, brinjals and pumpkin. And a fried egg for good measure.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

After breakfast we showed Evelyn, Lay and Wai Choong our scenic discovery from the day before. This time posing for a photograph at the entrance to the Templer Park Country Club, with that impressive limestone outcrop in the background.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

We duplicated our route back into Kuala Lumpur. Right down to stopping at Born & Bread Cafe for drinks and more cake.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

I didn’t expect it, but that pandan crème brûlée topped with jackfruit slivers was excellent.

We had planned to head north from Rawang after breakfast and do the Ulu Yam climb in reverse. It was so hot that we decided against it.

As compensation of sorts, we left Born & Bread Cafe and dragged ourselves up Changkat Tunku to the official residence of the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur. Hence the nickname of that climb. Mayor’s Hill.

Once heart rates had fallen enough so we could see properly, the view of the KL skyline from 120 meters / 394 feet above sea level is quite impressive.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

food-hunt-skyline

As hot as it was, we naturally had to stop in TTDI for a bowl or two of icy, sweet cendol before finishing the ride.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

My diet started today!

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Mayor's Hill, Restoran Sri Indah, Templer Park. Bookmark the permalink.

Food Hunt Ride I

Posted on November 14, 2016 by alchemyrider

Admittedly most of my Flipside group rides involve food. We have a list of restaurants and coffee shops that are on regular rotation.

Last Saturday we tried somewhere new. Mark (our expert food spotter) had noticed a particularly crowded restaurant during one of our previous rides through Rawang. We decided that would be our breakfast stop that morning.

It was very misty as we rode along the Guthrie Corridor Expressway towards the Lagong Toll Plaza.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

About 50km / 31mi into the ride we arrived at the red awnings of Restoran Teratak Nogori.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Thong

Mark had been attracted by the sign advertising steamed nasi lemak. The nasi lemak was as good as advertised.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

After we got back onto Jalan Rawang we took a little detour into the housing area bordering Templer Park. The road is much quieter there, and the views are nice too.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Our route back from Templer Park into Kuala Lumpur took us toward the junction of Jalan Sentul and Jalan Tun Razak. Right where our Bangsar Cycling Group buddy, Danial, has just revitalised the Born & Bread Cafe.

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We had to stop there for a coffee and some cake.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The mist of the morning had long burnt off, and it was hot when we left the cafe.

To get back to where we had started our ride, we had to cut through Taman Tun Dr Ismail, popularly known as TTDI. Which happens to be the location of a good cendol stall. Given the temperature, a cendol stop was called for.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

An excellent way to set us up for the last 15km / 9mi of a 100km / 62mi ride.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Born & Bread Cafe, Cendol, Guthrie Corridor Expressway, Rawang, Restoran Teratak Nogori, Templer Park. Bookmark the permalink.

Small Chainring + Biggest Cog

Posted on November 8, 2016 by alchemyrider

The first road bike I owned was equipped with a standard 53 / 39 chainring and an 11 – 25 cassette. That was seven years ago in the flatlands of Houston, Texas. I was fifty two years old.

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Two years later I moved to Den Haag. North Holland is not noted for hills, but South Holland and Belgium are. A trip in April 2011 to the Ronde van Vlaanderen sportif introduced me to the many short, sharp hellingen which have made that race one of the Monuments of professional cycling. The Muur van Geraardsbergen featured that year, with its maximum gradient of 19.8%.

There were other hilly events to be ridden in the year to come. One was the Amstel Gold sportif down in the corner of South Holland that shares a border with Belgium to the west and south, and Germany to the east. Another was the sportif which preceded the 2012 UCI World Championships, held that year in Limburg, South Holland.

My first encounter with the hills of Belgium convinced me that I needed lower gearing on my bike the next time I ventured south to ride. A few months later I had a second road bike. Equipped with a compact 50 / 34 chainring and an 11 – 28 cassette.

alchemy-isky-2-2

At the end of 2012 I moved back to Kuala Lumpur. Where any ride to the north or east of the city means venturing into the foothills of the Titiwangsa Mountains. These mountains are molehills compared to the Pyrenees, the Alps, or the Rockies, but they do present more than enough of a challenge for my now fifty nine year old knees.

My rides these days are on a bike with a compact crank and an 11 – 32 cassette.

Photograph courtesy of Alchemy Bicycle Co.

I use the 34 tooth chainring – 32 tooth cog combination quite a lot. On yesterday’s ride from Batu Lapan Belas to Titi and back for instance. This is the elevation along the route we took.

Graphic courtesy of veloviewer.

The climb to the summit of Genting Peras “officially” starts at the Simpang Peras T-junction. The warm up for the climb proper is the 50 meters / 165 feet of elevation over the 1.5km / 1mi on Jalan Sungai Lui before Simpang Peras.

This is Lay, Eugene and I heading into the mist on the lower slopes of Genting Peras.

Photograph courtesy of Danial

9km / 5.5mi and 404 meters / 1,325 feet of elevation later Marco and the rest of the group were catching our collective breaths at the summit.

Photograph courtesy of Danial

The first time I did this ride, I thought that the 13km / 8mi from the summit to Kampong Kongkol was all downhill. Imagine my surprise when I found that the descent is broken into three sections, with 200 meters / 656 feet of climbing between sections.

Of course we had to take the scenic way from Kampong Kongkol to Titi. Through Kampung Chennah and Kampong Puom. That is the loop to the right in the elevation graphic above.

It is a very pretty ride down into the valley formed by the Sungai Kongkol to Kampung Chennah, and then along the Sungai Kenaboi until Kampung Temelang. The road is bordered by a series of small villages, rubber plantations, goat farms, oil palm estates and a durian orchard. Then you have to pull yourself out of the valley and back up to Jalan Kuala Klawang – Semenyih.

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

The view back across the valley is worth the climb.

Photograph courtesy of Simon Soohu

There are a number of good Hakka kopitiams (coffee shops) in Titi. We were very ready for our breakfast of pan mee, soft-boiled eggs, toast with kaya and iced coffee by the time we sat down.

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

Titi is one of those small Malaysian towns far from a major highway, where time passes slowly. As illustrated by the sign and chick blinds at this shop across the road from our kopitiam. Along with the usual necessities: clothes (baju), shoes (kasut), and fabric (kain), Ho Keng Kee sells a much more unusual item. Rubber tapping knives (pisau penoreh).

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

You don’t come across this in your local supermarket.

titi-rubber-tapping-knife

All that remained after breakfast was the little matter of 650 meters / 2,130 feet of climbing back to the summit of Genting Peras.

In preparation we filled our bottles with fresh coconut water and ice from a stall in Titi. Notice the pink funnel. They must fill a lot of bottles for cyclists.

Photograph courtesy of Eugene.

Then it was small chainring + largest cog time for the 13km / 8mi from Kampung Kongkol to the summit of Genting Peras. We regrouped and had a bit of a rest at the summit. Then we all rolled safely down the mountain and over the final 11km / 7mi to Batu Lapan Belas.

The odds are I will be in the small chainring + biggest cog during my next ride. My knees aren’t getting any younger.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia, Gear and Tools and tagged Compact chainring, Genting Peras, Kampung Kongkol, Standard chainring, Titi, Titiwangsa Range. Bookmark the permalink.

The Replacement Melaka International Century Ride 2016

Posted on October 31, 2016 by alchemyrider

I was one of about 3,000 people who paid to participate in the Melaka International Century Ride 2016. It would have been the third consecutive time I had ridden the Melaka Century Ride.

You can read about the 2015 edition here.

You can read about the 2014 edition here.

This year’s Melaka Century Ride was scheduled for 30th October. On the evening of 25th October, the event organiser, Myskill Media Sdn. Bhd., issued a statement announcing that the event had been cancelled due to “financial problems.”

This announcement was met with disbelief, and not a small amount of anger, by everyone who had coughed up RM130 each to participate. Many felt that the approximately RM400,000 in participation fees collected by Myskill Media, plus support from sponsors, was sufficient to run this event.

Myskill Media’s offer to hand out event jerseys and finisher’s medals on the day before the ride was scheduled added fuel to the fire, prompting comments that can be summarized as “You can keep your ****ing jersey and medal. I want a full refund.”

The plot thickened when the cycling kit supplier announced that he had not released the jerseys and medals because Myskill Media had not yet made full payment for them. Myskill Media subsequently cancelled the distribution of jerseys and medals, instead saying that they would post the items to participants. None of us believe this will happen.

I suspect the effect of this cancellation will be felt for some time. Not just by Myskill Media, which has had numerous police reports made against it, some at the behest of the Chief Minister of Melaka, who stated that the state government would support police investigations by standing as witnesses.

But also by other cycling event organisers. Many in the cycling fraternity feel that they have been conned by Myskill Media. That financial fraud has been committed. Riders will think twice about trusting the organisers of future events. It may be that the number of road cycling events in future will shrink to just the few which have established a positive reputation. Events like the Janamanjung Fellowship Ride, which has been a standout example of excellent event organisation for some years now, and the LEKAS Highway Ride, which has benefitted from having heavyweight sponsors like Shimano, RHB, and IJM Land.

The money that we participants had sunk into this year’s Melaka Century Ride was not limited to the registration fee. Many had paid for advance hotel reservations, bus charters, flights and so on.

Bayou Lagoon Park Resort, the official hotel for this event, deserves credit, kudos, and appreciation. The hotel management offered participants the option of a full refund, or room vouchers valid for six months.

I was among a group of eleven who were booked into the Novotel Melaka, so we were out of luck as far as refunds for accommodation were concerned. To make the best of a bad deal, we decided to travel to Melaka as planned, and to ride our own route. Most of the group made a weekend of it, with a round of golf on Saturday, enroute to Melaka.

I don’t play golf, so I drove to Melaka on Saturday evening. I do eat though, and joined everyone at Kocik Kitchen, in the Jonker Street area, for a bowl of cendol. Made at that stand outside the entrance.

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-kocik-kitchen-sgmytaxi-com

Photograph courtesy of sgmytaxi.com

The next morning we were all present and accounted for, ready for our ride.

Photograph courtesy of TH Lim

We rode to Muar first. It was my job to guide the group along the route used for the Audax BRM400. I am pleased to report that I didn’t get lost this time. Rather than ride straight back to Melaka, we took a longer return route through Tangkak and Jasin.

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-route

The first order of business upon arriving in Muar was a group photograph in front of the monument built to commemorate the coronation of the current Sultan of Johor.

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-muar-simon-suhoo

Photograph courtesy of Simon Suhoo

Attention then turned to more important matters. Muar is home to a noted oyster misua restaurant. We had to find it though.

After 30 minutes of fruitless searching we came across Otak Otak Cheng Boi on Jalan Bentayan. No chairs and tables here. Just a couple of men at a long grill turning out dozens and dozens of grilled fish cakes. You place your order, pay, and leave with your piping hot otak otak.

Photograph courtesy of wikipedia.org

We left with 100 of these feather palm wrapped grilled fish cakes. 50 to a box. We finished one box while standing in the covered porch in front of the shop. The other box went into a backpack, to be taken wherever we ended up for lunch.

That turned out to be Kedai Makanan Yong Kee on Jalan Haji Abu, better known as Glutton Street.

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-yong-kee-kino-lim

Photograph courtesy of Kino Lim

We got there at about 11am, and the place was packed. Every table was taken. So we spread out and stood behind people who looked like they were almost finished eating. Waiting to claim their stools and their tables as soon as they stood up.

Within ten minutes we had commandeered a couple of tables. Food orders had been made while we were still waiting for tables, so it wasn’t long before we were tucking into bowls of wan tan mee. And more otak otak.

Midway through our meal, we all had to get up and move our bicycles. We had stacked them around an unoccupied street stall outside Yong Kee.

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-lunch-parking

The vendor had arrived, and wanted to open for business.

Fed and watered, we headed back over the Muar River and north to Tangkak. Well-known as the main entryway to Gunung Ledang (Mount Ophir). We gave the mountain a miss, opting for the cool of a PETRONAS station instead.

It had been a largely overcast day, but by the time we left Tangkak for Jasin, the sun had started making itself felt. We ducked into the forecourt of a Petron station in Jasin for a rest and a toilet break. We agreed to stop again at whichever petrol station we came across after the next 2okm / 12mi or so.

We needed that next stop for two reasons. One reason was that after 70km / 43mi of almost pan-flat terrain, we had ventured into hillier country. We were all working harder to get ourselves over the rolling countryside. Hence a short rest along the way.

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-break-time-simon-suhoo

Photograph courtesy of Simon Suhoo

The second reason was that the weather went from dry to raining very hard in a matter of minutes. As good fortune would have it, a PETRONAS station appeared exactly 20km after we left Jasin.

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-petronas-simon-suhoo

Photograph courtesy of Simon Suhoo

It was literally a cloudburst. Lots of water fell in a short time. Then the rain stopped and the sun came back out. As we rode away from that petrol station in Ayer Molek I noted how quickly the roads had dried.

We all rolled into the Novotel car park 15km / 9mi later. It was time for something cold to drink, and later that evening, something to eat.