Old Roots, New Routes

IIUM Endu-ride 2020

Posted on March 1, 2020 by alchemyrider

During a R@SKLs ride in November last year we met a group from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) who were doing a recce for a planned 280km / 1,200km cycling event. They invited us to take part. “Not a chance,” we all thought to ourselves.

Never say “never.” Fast forward to this weekend and Johan S, Kenneth, Mokhtar and I had signed up for the 280 km / 174 mi ride from the IIUM campus in Kuantan to the IIUM campus in Gombak via the IIUM campus in Gambang. We had 26.5 hours to complete the ride.

The 1,200 km / 746 mi Ultra-ride event includes a visit to the IIUM campus in Pagoh. That event (going on as I write this) is many kilometres too far and many hours too long (105 hours) for us.

The logistics were painless thanks to Mokhtar. He has an apartment in Kuantan where we stayed on Friday night and a pickup truck that transported our bikes. He even drove us from KL to Kuantan.

The view from Mokhtar’s balcony in Kuantan

We got to Kuantan at about 1:00 pm. We had some time to burn before collecting our ride packs, so we got a head start on carbo-loading at lunch.

The ride pack collection and briefing went very well.

Photograph courtesy of Ali shamsul Bahar

I don’t know why my name was the only one not in all capitals.

I’m not sure that we needed to carbo-load as much as we did at dinner.

We were ready to roll out of the IIUM campus in Kuantan as scheduled at 7:30 am. Fazwan was a great help driving the pickup and loading and unloading our bikes.

We had a detailed plan for the ride. Our strategy was to take short breaks every 25 km or so and to maintain a pace which would get us to the Suria Hot Spring Resort on Bentong by 6:15 pm. That was the plan anyway!

The route to the IIUM campus in Gombak from Bentong is via Genting Sempah. That road is unlit and in need of resurfacing. It would be a risky ride in the dark, so we chose to spend the night at the Hot Spring Resort.

The first checkpoint was at the IIUM campus in Gambang.

We got there on schedule but stayed much longer than planned. The organiser was serving cendol, and we had to have some after we got our MyPassports (akin to a brevet card) stamped.

The cendol was worth lingering for. From that point, we fell further and further behind our schedule as each five minute stop stretched to ten or fifteen minutes.

Our next stop was at Restoran Mak Lijah in Kampung Berkelah. We ran into Brian, who was doing the Ultra-ride.

I have driven to Kuantan and back along these roads many times. Passing through places like Kampung New Zealand. I don’t know why it is so named, but now I have cycled through it.

Our next scheduled stop was the just after we rode through Kampung New Zealand. The Two Brothers café was closed, but we made ourselves at home anyway.

About 10 km later we pulled over to chat with AiLin and Mark, who were on their way to Kuantan by scooter.

We got to Taman Jaya near Temerloh at about 1:45 pm. It was 36ºC / 97ºF, so we lingered at over lunch for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Despite it being even hotter at 3:00 pm – 38ºC / 100ºF – we had to get moving if we were to have any hope of getting to Bentong before nightfall.

We only made it about 20 km down the road before we needed to cool down at the Petron station in Mentakab. By which time we had resigned ourselves to getting into Bentong after dark.

We had 45 km to cover before the next checkpoint at Mempaga. Those kilometres happened to be some of the hilliest of the day, with gradients approaching 10%.

We got to the Mempaga checkpoint at about 6:30 pm.

We all needed fluid, and in some cases, food. It wasn’t until 7:15 pm before we turned on our front and rear lights and left the Petronas station in Mempaga.

The run into Bentong includes a nasty little climb which rises 125 metres over 5.8 km. Welcome to Bentong!

The last 10 km to the Suria Hot Spring Resort is along an unlit road. I would not like to be riding on that road alone at night. Which is what Johan did. He stopped to eat as soon as he got to Bentong town. We planned to eat dinner at the resort. Johan told us to proceed without him. He made it to the resort unscathed.

234 km in the bag.

We all slept like babies that night, despite the children carousing outside our rooms at 1:00 am.

We were ready to get going again at 6:20 am. We had to be at the IIUM campus in Gombak by 10:00 am to make the time cutoff. 46 km and 570 metres of climbing away. We couldn’t afford to dilly-dally today.

We stuck to our plan of short stops at the Bukit Tinggi and Janda Baik junctions. We made such good time to the McDonald’s at the Genting Sempah R&R that we were able to have breakfast there.

A McDonald’s scrambled egg sandwich always tastes better during a ride.

Photograph courtesy of McDonald’s® Malaysia

All that was left between us and the 19 km descent to Taman Permai Jaya was the 1 km 7.9% average gradient climb up what is known as Hamburger Hill.

Success!

There was a slight sting in the tail on the final 3 km to the finish at the IIUM Gombak Sport Complex. A small matter of a few 6.5% slopes to get over. We got a bit lost inside the campus too, but that didn’t dampen our sense of achievement as we got our MyPassports stamped at the finish.

Hamzah was of the guys who last November invited us to take part in this event. He was at the finish line.

46 km on the day.

280 km over the two days. Thumbs up all round!

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Bentong, Gambang, Gombak, IIUM Endu-ride, Kuantan, Mempaga, Suria Hot Spring Resort. Bookmark the permalink.

BRM200 Pink Ride 3.0

Posted on January 14, 2020 by alchemyrider

This was the view outside the MesaMall in Nilai at 4:05am.

Why would anyone be awake, let alone ready to ride, at that ungodly hour?

This is why.

Graphic courtesy of Audax Randonneurs Malaysia

Twenty R@SKLs did the Pink Ride 2.0 in 2019. Four of us from that group signed up this year. Eight other R@SKLs, including six who had never done a 200km ride, joined us this time.

I collected brevet cards for most of the group the day before the ride.

Together with the brevet / cue card we got a Pink Ride 3.0 sticker and a cash voucher worth MYR150 / USD37 from the Cyclist Wardrobe.

Some of us spent the night in Nilai. Better to be asleep than driving from KL very early in the morning. That plan didn’t work for me. There was a night bazaar next to my hotel. And live bands that played until midnight.

Despite the interrupted sleep, I was at the Old Town White Coffee On The Go outlet at the MesaMall just after 4:00 am, waiting to hand out brevet cards to the rest of the R@SKLs. They were already arriving at the mall.

While riders were waiting for the start, they could take a selfie in front of the Cyclist Wardrobe banner. The selfie with the most likes on social media at the end of the event would win an MYR888 / USD218 cash voucher. Thank you, Max, from Cyclist Wardrobe for your generous support for this event.

We were ready to roll at 5:00 am. Except for Marvin, who set his alarm for 3:00 am and then went back to sleep until 4:30 am. We started without him.

Which is why none of us was wearing the reflective bands that Johan Sopiee bought for us. He rode from his home to Nilai 😳. Marvin had the package of reflective bands in his car.

The route took us clockwise from Nilai to Seremban 2 and Rantau on the way to the first checkpoint in Port Dickson. The second checkpoint was at Morib. From there the route passed through Banting and back to Nilai.

The public restrooms at MesaMall weren’t open that early in the morning. I, for one, was glad to see a Petron station 1.5km after we started.

Our first proper stop was 30km later at Mambau. Our group had split into two after a series of short climbs. Marvin caught up with us before we stopped. We didn’t have to wait long before the group had reassembled.

Our next stop was at the Shell station in Rantau. It was starting to get light as we left the petrol station. We had an unexpected stop 10km later when Ernestine had a puncture. That was the only puncture our group suffered.

It was overcast to Port Dickson. The home of the Army Museum. The temperature was between 22ºC / 72ºF and 24ºC / 75ºF for the 78km to the first checkpoint.

We got to the McDonalds at the PD Waterfront at 8:30 am. We were ahead of schedule, in spite of the flat tire.

We got stamps in our brevet cards and queued up with dozens of other cyclists to order breakfast.

Afiq latched onto our group as we cycled past the Army Museum. He introduced himself as we waited for a traffic light and asked if he could continue to ride with us.

“Of course you can Afiq.” He is in purple on the right.

The roads from Lukut to Sepang run through rolling terrain. Rain fell on that part of the route while we were eating our sausage and scrambled egg sandwiches.

Sam Tow founded the Audax Randonneurs Malaysia (ARM) club in 2015. Sam is now the country representative for ARM, which organizes audax events which adhere to the regulations set by the Audax Club Parisien.

Photograph courtesy of Audax Randonneurs Malaysia

As well as overseeing the logistics involved in running an event for nine hundred cyclists, Sam also drove the route in his personalized Land Rover Defender. He took almost two thousand photographs along the way.

Sepang marked the end of the rolling terrain. It was also where we stopped to regroup, catch our breath and refill bottles.

The sun broke through the clouds as we left Sepang to ride the remaining 95km. By the time we had covered the 27km to Tanjong Sepat, it was 31ºC / 88ºF. It was also almost noon. We were ready for a cold drink and some food.

Mark planned to meet us in Tanjong Sepat. He sent me his location via WhatsApp. It looked strange to me. I remember that point being in the middle of a group of houses. “Maybe he found a little-known restaurant,” I thought.

We rode to that location and found a group of houses. But no restaurant, and no Mark.

Then I saw this message from him.

Haiya!

We rode back to a restaurant where some of us had stopped in the past. There was some grumbling about having to ride extra kilometres, but everyone felt better after a cold drink and some calories.

We were on the road again at 12:45 pm.

We had managed to stick together as a train since that first stop in Mambau, and we continued to do so on the way to the second checkpoint at Morib.

Photograph courtesy of Sifu Ecam Warnanyata

We got to Morib at 1:20 pm. There were water and bananas for us at the checkpoint. Thank you ARM.

We claimed the shade under this tree for twenty five minutes.

1:50 pm. 35ºC / 95ºF. 50km to go.

The heat and fatigue were beginning to take a toll. So we made more frequent rest stops over the remainder of the ride. First at a Shell station in Banting, just before we crossed the Langat River. Then at the Petronas station in Olak Lempit.

We were 25km from the finish and still riding in a single group. Amy, Ernestine, Geetha, Huey Ling, Vanessa and Lokesh were well past their previous longest ride distance, and they were going strong. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

We took a five-minute break on the shoulder of the Nilai-KLIA Highway. Our last stop was at the Petronas station in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi. We were there for almost ten minutes, mentally preparing ourselves for the 180 metres of climbing over the last 8.5km to the MesaMall.

As we started riding, we noticed low black clouds and lightning in front of us. It would be a race to get to the finish before it started raining.

We lost.

It started pouring on us when we were less than 2km from the finish. A final 2km which included grades of up to 6.3%.

Everyone finished safely. Wet but very happy with hard-won medals in hand.

The rain did not dampen spirits in the least. Johan does look a little tired, though 😂.

Congratulations to everyone in the group for completing the Pink Ride 3.0. I am so proud of you.

As it turned out, those extra kilometres in Tanjong Sepat were worth the effort. The official route was 198.8km long. It would have been a bummer to be short of 200km. Riding around in Tanjong Sepat got us all over the 200km mark.

Postscript

We celebrated our achievement in R@SKL style, with a feast on Monday night. An evening filled with laughter as we relived the ride.

New bucket list entry anyone?

Photograph courtesy of Audax Club Parisien

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SJICC Fellowship Ride

Posted on December 15, 2019 by alchemyrider

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 😂.

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.

The next stop was at the L32 end of KLIA runway 2. By that time, it had stopped raining.

After watching a few aircraft landings, we rode the length of runway 3.

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.

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.

A Half Dozen to Port Dickson and Back

Posted on December 12, 2019 by alchemyrider

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.

We took our regular route to Jenjarom, and then rode the quiet secondary roads to Tanjung Sepat.

The only animal life we saw on the way to Tanjung Sepat was of the domesticated variety.

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.

And pretty good fish balls too.

20km later we were waiting for the ferry across the Sepang River.

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.

It was 1:30 pm and 34ºC when we got to Port Dickson. Our first stop was for bowls of . . .

We checked in to our usual PD accommodation. The Waterfront Boutique Hotel.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Our route back was slightly different from the one we took to get to PD.

We took a detour to Avani Sepang Gold Coast.

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.

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.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Al-Arefin Bistro, Lukut, Port Dickson, Rimbayu, Sungai Pelek, Tanjung Sepat, Waterfront Boutique Hotel. Bookmark the permalink.

Bentong – Raub Golden Ride V2

Posted on December 2, 2019 by alchemyrider

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The ride was starting to take some prisoners.

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.

It was one climb too many for some.

Then it was downhill to the finish.

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.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Bentong Raub Golden Ride, Lembah Klau, Sang Lee. Bookmark the permalink.

Through the Paddy Fields

Posted on November 25, 2019 by alchemyrider

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.

The first 25km was through palm oil plantations.

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.

The narrow rectilinear roads separating the rice paddies are excellent for cycling on.

We had breakfast in Sekinchan. Then stopped on the way back through the rice paddies for a group photograph.

We were back at Bestari Jaya by 11:30 am. Thankful for the overcast sky throughout the ride.

I can see doing this ride again soon.

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The Germans visit Malaysia Part 3

Posted on November 12, 2019 by alchemyrider

Day 7

The day started with breakfast at a reasonable hour. There was no cycling done this day.

We loaded the vehicles, checked out of the resort and drove to the Boh Sungai Palas Tea Centre.

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.

Safe in Penang.

Beer – what else? – @Chulia.

Dinner was another new experience for the first-timers to Malaysia. Banana leaf rice.

Day 8

The tourist in front of @Chulia before heading off to see the sights of Penang.

The first stop had to be for some Penang laksa.

Then it was out and about in the markets. This chicken might have been too fresh for Patrik’s tastes.

There was a funicular railway ride up Penang Hill.

A walk through a fishing village.

Visits to temples.

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.

The day closed with a steamboat dinner.

And gifts for the Germans. Zaryl kindly brought them with her from KL. The T-shirts, not the beer!

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.

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.

The clockwise route runs past the Penang Bridge.

There are the climbs up to Teluk Bahang Dam.

And a ride through Batu Ferringhi.

There was a quick stop at @Chulia for a beer or two.

Then it was time for the beach party.

Of course, with lots of beer and wine. I don’t know why they wasted space bringing a Coke.

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.

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.

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.

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The Germans visit Malaysia Part 2

Posted on November 12, 2019 by alchemyrider

Day 4

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.

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.

Pai and TH took the Germans sightseeing in Melaka.

Lunch was at Restoran Seng Kee.

I don’t think the Germans remember much about the drive back to Kuala Lumpur.

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.

I must say Ralf was resplendent in his lederhosen. Doing it “My Way!”

But he sometimes runs out of steam.

Leonard was a wonderful host. He does talk a lot though 💬💬💬.

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.

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.

It was 31ºC when we got to Sungkai. We stopped for drinks and ice-cream.

Zaryl had a more urgent reason to stop. Her saddle had come off her seat post. It was Patrik the mechanic to the rescue.

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.

We made another drink stop at Tapah.

We had lunch at Kampar. We were 85km into the ride.

That is when Patrik discovered his souvenirs from the Hyatt House Hotel.

Pai dressed for the heat when we left Kampar.

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 🤬.

I must admit that one flat tire among twelve cyclists riding 115km each is good going.

Happy to be at the Mornington Hotel.

After a shower some of the group went for a massage. Starting with the feet.

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.

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.

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.

The road was relatively quiet, and it was cooler than it was the day before.

It wasn’t long before we were spread out along the road.

That sign reads “Heavy Vehicles Keep Left.”

Thank goodness for our support vehicles. They created a buffer between us and what little traffic was on the road.

And were on hand when there was a puncture and a floor pump was needed.

The support vehicles waited at the 43km point in case any of us wanted water, or in the case of the Germans, beer.

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.

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.

There were no more tree-lined roads like this for the last 20km to Strawberry Park Resort.

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.

Patrik lit a fire.

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.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Brinchang, Gopeng, Kampar, Kampung Raja, Melaka, Mornington Hotel, Simpang Pulai, Strawberry Park Resort, Sungkai, Tanjung Malim, Tapah, Waterfall Cafe. Bookmark the permalink.

The Germans visit Malaysia Part 1

Posted on November 11, 2019 by alchemyrider

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 1^st 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It wasn’t long before there was a puncture.

A stop after 14km was a bit sooner than expected.

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.

The highlight of this ride, or lowlight, depending upon your point of view, was the climb up Bukit Jugra to the lighthouse.

We spent twenty minutes enjoying the view over the Langat River. Then it was time for food at our favourite Jugra ride restaurant.

After a meal of rice, fish and vegetables we pedalled back the way we had come.

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.

Everyone finished the ride safely. Back at Mont Kiara, the guys demonstrated an essential part of German culture. Beer.

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.

The Germans rode the short distance from their hotel to Pegasus Cycles, where about twenty other cyclists were waiting.

We rode from Pegasus Cycles to Damansara Heights.

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.

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.

We rode back down Changkt Tunku and into the Lake Gardens. The Tugu Negara (National Monument) is there.

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.

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.

The last landmark we visited was the PETRONAS Twin Towers.

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 😆.

We finished the ride well before noon. To keep the Germans entertained, Pai took them to Batu Caves that afternoon.

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.

Unsurprisingly, the Germans ended the night in a bar 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Bukit Jugra, Cendol Santan Sawit Mak Lang, Dataran Merdeka, Germans, Hyatt House, Jenjarom, KL Tower, Pegasus Cycles, Petronas Twin Towers, Rimbayu, Roti canai, Thosai, Tugu Negara. Bookmark the permalink.

TCCP 2019

Posted on October 21, 2019 by alchemyrider

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.

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.

Our first brief stop was after 18km.

Not long after that we turned right and rode along the southern end of the runway at Penang International Airport.

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.

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).

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.