Grow Your Jersey Collection One Ride at a Time – 2016

Posted on January 3, 2017 by alchemyrider

This is my fourth annual gallery of jerseys and T-shirts that were given out by event organisers.

You can look at previous year’s galleries here:

The first event jersey for 2016 was collected in April at the BP MS150. This is normally a two-day 150mi / 241km charity ride from Houston to Austin. In 2016 inclement weather forced the organisers to reduce the ride to one day. I was a part of the team representing Hess Corporation, a company I worked for from 2006 to 2010.

I don’t have the 2016 Hess jersey. I must have left it in Houston. Here are my friends and I, in what is one of the better Hess jersey designs that we have worn over the years.

hess-bp-ms150-2016

The RHB Shimano Highway Ride LEKAS was at the end of April. The unique thing about that event was that it was held at night, on a closed highway, under LED street lights.

lekas-2016

Next was the Perak Century Ride in May. I didn’t know the significance of the bull that featured prominently on the event jersey was. Reader Hanafiah Aris pointed out that it is not a bull, but a seladang, or gaur in English. Hanafiah also reminded me that the Perak state soccer team is nicknamed the Seladang.

I have a jersey from the Klang Premiere Century Ride that was held in July. I didn’t ride in that event though. I opted to do the two-day BCG Tour from Klang to Port Dickson and back, which happened on the same weekend, instead.

klang-premiere-2016

The next event jersey that I “earned” was from the Campaign For A Lane ride in Penang, at the end of August. For the first time the organisers required participants to wear the event jersey during the ride. If not riders would not get support at the water stops and at the finish.

cfal-2016

Participants got a finisher’s T-shirt as well.

cfal-t-shirt-2016

The Putrajaya Century Ride was held on the first weekend in September. This was one of the more elegant jersey designs of the year.

putrajaya-2016

The last organised ride with swag was the Satun International Century at the end of November. It was a rather subdued affair because Thailand was in mourning following the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyej.

satun-2016

There was a T-shirt for that event too. The design was very much like the event jersey.

satun-t-shirt-2016

As I have done in previous years, I will offer these jerseys to anyone who wants one. Better that they are worn regularly by others, rather than sitting at the back of my closet.

I wonder what event jerseys 2017 will bring.

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Posted in Gear and Tools and tagged BP MS150, Campaign For A Lane, Jersey, Klang Premiere Century Ride, Perak Century Ride, Putrajaya Century Ride, RHB Shimano Highway Ride, Satun International Century Ride. Bookmark the permalink.

Audax BRM300 Malaysia 2017

Posted on January 3, 2017 by alchemyrider

Graphic courtesy of Audax Randonneurs Malaysia

December 31^st for most people means staying up until midnight to watch fireworks and to welcome in the new year.

For about 550 arguably slightly unhinged people, December 31^st 2016 meant either staying up past midnight, or waking up in time, to make the 2.00am start of the the Audax Randonneurs Malaysia BRM300.

I was amongst that crowd. Regular readers of this blog will recall that after the very first official Brevet in Malaysia, the BRM200 in January 2016, I said that it was unlikely that I would ride another Randonnée.

“Famous last words” is a quote introducing my post about the BRM400, which I rode in September 2016.

My excuse for participating in the BRM300 is that my Biker Chick said that I should, because “The colours of the medal are nice.”

Photograph courtesy of Audax Club Parisien

I didn’t have a comeback for that. So I booked a room in the Acappella Suite Hotel in Shah Alam, and Biker Chick and I made a weekend getaway out of the ride.

The BRM300 started in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam. I have driven there many many times for weekend rides. So why the need for a hotel this time?

Biker Chick and I live a stone’s throw from the PETRONAS Twin Towers. Where most of Kuala Lumpur seems to congregate as the sun sets on New Year’s Eve. Roads in the area become clogged, and are then closed to further traffic as midnight approaches. I really had no choice but to flee to the relative calm of Shah Alam before the area around the Twin Towers ground to a standstill.

Biker Chick dropped me off at MyMydin in Bukit Jelutong at 1am on New Year’s Day. Lay, Liang, Chon and Mark were already there. They would be my riding buddies for the next fifteen or so hours.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The MyMydin area was an excellent choice. There is lots of parking, and options for food and drink. A number of restaurants, a 7-Eleven, and even a burger stall or two.

Audax BRM300 Ramly Burger Sam Tow.png

The Audax Randonneurs Malaysia team had been at the start since 11.00pm, ready to distribute brevet cards. A brevet card and a cue sheet are the two essential documents for a randonneur. The cue sheet indicates the route and the location of the checkpoints. The brevet card is stamped at each checkpoint. The stamps verify that the rider passed through those checkpoints between the opening and closing time for each checkpoint.

Photograph courtesy of Sam Tow

There was a bit of rain about forty five minutes before the start. As it turned out, wet weather gear was not required because the shower was short and localised. Although the ground was wet at MyMydin, the roads were dry by the time we got to Jalan Sungai Buloh.

Photograph courtesy of Sam Tow

With our brevet cards and cue sheets in our pockets, we rolled out exactly at 2.00am, behind the Audax Randonneurs Malaysia liveried Land Rover. With Sam Tow, the President of Audax Randonneurs Malaysia, at the wheel.

Photograph courtesy of Sonny SK Chang

We headed north out of Bukit Jelutong, through Rawang, toward Tanjong Malim and Checkpoint 1.

audax-brm300-route

We made our first stop in Rawang. It was almost 4.00am, and some of the guys were hungry. Restoran Al Basheer was one of the few eateries open at that hour. In 30 minutes we had finished our roti canais and iced Milos, and were on our bikes again.

The moon was in a waxing crescent phase, with only 3% of it illuminated. The sky was very dark. Until we got to Rawang, the lack of moonlight wasn’t much of a problem. There were street lights along most of our route to that point. In some places the artificial lighting was so bright that we didn’t need our bike lights.

Photograph courtesy of Lee Lee K

That changed after Rawang. It was very dark between the towns of Serendah, Rasa, Kering and Tanjong Malim. My riding buddies and I appreciated having 1,400 lumens from my Lezyne Deca Drive 1500XXL lighting up the road ahead when necessary.

It took us 4 hours and 20 minutes to get to Checkpoint 1 in Tanjong Malim. By which time the sky was brightening, ahead of the sun rise.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Soh

Lee Lee K, Stanley Low and Ong Hock Seong were the Audax Randonneurs Malaysia committee members and volunteers waiting outside the Restoran D Warna Warni to stamp our brevet cards.

Audax BRM300 Checkpoint 1 Volunteers Sam Tow.png

Photograph courtesy of Sam Tow

Riders spent time at Checkpoint 1 eating,

Audax BRM300 Checkpoint 1 Food Sam Tow.png

drinking, refilling bottles, and in some cases, napping.

Audax BRM300 Checkpoint 1 Sleep Sam Tow.png

And waiting in line for a bathroom!

It was light when we pushed off toward Checkpoint 2 in Sungai Besar. There had been some rolling terrain between Rawang and Tanjong Malim. After we made the left turn at Behrang we hit some steeper hills. That was the last climbing of any consequence until we got to the Dragon’s Back climbs at the very end of the ride.

audax-brm300-through-the-estates-peter-lim-hang-weng

Photograph courtesy of Peter Lim Hang Weng

After those hills we were on Jalan Sungai Panjang. A 45km / 28mi stretch through oil palm estates on one side, and secondary forest on the other. With almost no sign of habitation for most of its length. Certainly no roadside stalls or restaurants.

We had ridden Jalan Sungai Panjang in the opposite direction during the BRM200. I had forgotten just how boring that had been. Especially the sections where the road was straight and seemingly never-ending as it disappeared into the horizon.

We pulled over 40km / 25mi after leaving Tanjong Malim for a stretch and a rest. We stopped again at the first sign of civilisation in 35km / 22mi. There were some sundry shops at Merbau Bedarah, where we bought cold drinks and some cakes.

I had packed some peanut butter and some kaya toasties. It was my first attempt at carrying food other than energy bars and gels. I had given up gels some time ago. I think I’ll give up energy bars in favour of toasted sandwiches from now on.

Apart from eating and drinking, it was also time to smear on some sun block. The weather had been overcast and cool for longer than is usual in the morning, but the sun had broken through the cloud cover. It was definitely time for some protection from sunburn.

4km / 2.5mi from Merbau Bedarah the oil palm and secondary forest was replaced by paddy fields.

audax-brm300-sekinchan-rice-fields-tourism-selangor-my

Photograph courtesy of http://www.tourismselangor.my

But only for 6km / 4mi before the oil palm estates taook over the landscape again.

We had 40km / 25mi to go to Checkpoint 2. At 10.45am we got to Sabak Bernam. We were still some way from Checkpoint 2, but we were hot, thirsty, and hungry. We could not resist the attractions of KFC.

We spent 45 minutes ploughing through plates of fried chicken and chicken nuggets. That perked us up enough to get us to Checkpoint 2, the McDonald’s in Sungai Besar. We had our brevet cards stamped as soon as we got there. Then we stood outside eating lime sundaes. Which were just as good as they had been during our credit card tour to Teluk Intan.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

There was about 100km / 62mi to go. We were on our way from Checkpoint 2 after a 30 minute stop.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

As we drew close to Sekinchan we caught up to Danial and Farid. Two guys who ride with another group of cyclists that Lay is also a part of. The seven of us rode together the rest of the way.

Marco wasn’t able to ride the BRM300, but he met us south of Sungai Besar, and took on official photographer duties.

audax-brm300-toward-bestari-jaya-marco-lai

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The sun kept breaking through the clouds often enough for us to get hot and sweaty, so we needed to stop in Sekinchan to get some ice and refill bottles. We hung out in the shade for 25 minutes before moving on.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

After Tanjung Karang we had some long arrow-straight roads to endure. Jalan Raja Musa includes a 7km / 4mi stretch heading due east, then a ninety degree right turn and 2km / 1mi due south, followed by a ninety degree left turn and a further dead straight 17km / 10.5 mi.

The sun was still out while we were on Jalan Raja Musa, but an hour later, ominous looking clouds were on the horizon.

Photograph courtesy of Ray Lee

The route had been fairly easy to follow throughout the ride, although there were a few tricky sections. I had learned my lessons from the BRM400. Which were to study the cue sheet and a map of the route before starting the ride. I also added the distances between turns to the cue sheet, so I wouldn’t have to rely on potentially faulty mental calculations mid-ride while trying to figure out how far it was to the next turn.

I’m happy to report that we didn’t get lost this time.

brm300-cue-sheet-revised

The others stopped at the Burger King in Bestari Jaya. Hunger had struck again. Lay and I didn’t need to eat, so we pressed on.

The slightly rolling roads after Bestari Jaya were the merest hint of what was the final act of the BRM300. The 16.5km / 10mi and 360 meters / 1,180 feet of climbing that is Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari. A real sting in the tail after more than 280km / 174mi.

Petrol stations are a regular stopping point on long rides. Lay and I bought a final cold drink at the Caltex station at Bandar Seri Coalfields. The last petrol station between us and the Dragon’s Back.

audax-brm300-caltex-happy-cycling-photos

Photograph courtesy of Happy Cycling Photos

There were quite a few other randonneurs there as well. All psyching themselves up for the test ahead.

Lay and I made it over the seven humps of the Dragon’s Back and down the last kilometer of Jalan Sungai Buloh and Persiaran Gerbang Utama to the finish at Kafe An Nurs. Which got us that last, all-important stamp on our brevet cards.

audax-brm300-brevet-card

Then it was time for finish line photographs.

Photograph courtesy of HC Lay

Photograph courtesy of HC Lay

audax-brm300-finish-farid-and-danial-danial

Photograph courtesy of Danial

Liang, Mark and Chon arrived safely at Bukit Jelutong too. Which was the result we had all hoped for when we left Bukit Jelutong fifteen and a half hours earlier. No punctures, no crashes, and not getting lost were bonuses.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Those rain clouds on the horizon? By the early evening riders were getting doused.

Photograph courtesy of Mohd Radzi Jamaludin

By 7.30pm a storm hit the Shah Alam area, creating what one rider described as near typhoon conditions. The combination of torrents of water, wind, and poor visibility forced some riders to walk up the climbs on Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari. As far as I can tell, everyone who was out on the roads during that deluge made it to the finish without incident.

Congratulations to all finishers!

Photograph courtesy of Stanley Low

Photograph courtesy of Sam Tow

Photograph courtesy of Ray Lee

Photograph courtesy of Anthony Heng Chin Boon

Photograph courtesy of Sam Tow

Photograph courtesy of Lee Lee K

Photograph courtesy of Ck Nacci

Photograph courtesy of Lee Lee K

Photograph courtesy of Calvin Ooi

Photograph courtesy of Lee Lee K

Photograph courtesy of Happy Cycling Photos

So despite the rain showers and storm, the BRM300 was a great success. Due in no small part to the long hours and hard work put into organising this event by the committee members of Audax Randonneurs Malaysia.

Thank you very very much:

Sam Tow
Okay Jaykay
Chong Su
Ray Lee
Lee Lee K

Photograph courtesy of Lee Lee K

I hesitate to ask Biker Chick if she likes the colours of the 600km medal.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Audax BRM300, Audax Randonneurs Malaysia, Bestari Jaya, Bukit Jelutong, Rawang, Sabak Bernam, Sekinchan, Sungai Besar, Tanjong Malim. Bookmark the permalink.

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.

Apidura Rackless Packing Systems

Posted on December 4, 2016 by alchemyrider

Graphic courtesy of prettydamnedfast.com

A couple of my cycling buddies are experienced bike tourers. As in riding across China, or riding from the Malaysia – Thai border to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, carrying all they need with them on their bicycles. They own touring bicycles. Touring bicycle frames are differentiated from ‘standard’ road bike frames by having

A more relaxed geometry to provide a comfortable ride and stable handling
Mounting points for the attachment of mud guards, carrier racks, panniers and three water bottles, and
More clearance in the frame to accommodate 28mm or wider tires

As the rest of us followed their progress enroute, and heard their post ride stories, the thought of doing a bike tour ourselves started to appeal. After all, if The Tandem Men can ride around the world unsupported, we could surely do a multi-day ride, albeit something much less ambitious.

Those thoughts coalesced into a plan to spend four days riding through southern Thailand. For our first foray into the world of self-supported tours, we decided on the ‘credit card’ variety. We would carry basic cycling gear and clothing, then pay for things like meals, supplies and overnight accommodations as we travelled.

This lightweight approach would allow us to ride our road bikes. All we needed were some ‘rackless’ touring bags. Leslie pointed toward Apidura for the bags.

I had first come across the Apidura name in a feature on the Rapha website. Rapha had partnered with Apidura on a series of rackless packs. The feature made interesting reading.

Apidura was founded by Tori Fahey. An experienced cycling tourist, she took some time off work in 2011 to race in the Tour Divide (a 4,400km continent-crossing race from Canada to Mexico). In an interview published online in The Guardian, she says “It was through my trip from Canada to Mexico that I discovered pannier and rack systems and my revelation from the trip was that I was never going to use them again.”

So, in 2013, Apidura was born, producing storage solutions for people looking to travel the world by bike, race across continents and carry all they need to do so.

Today Apidura produces a range of packs and accessories.

Graphic courtesy of Apidura

I bought three items, all of them the dry versions designed to keep water out, even in a sustained rain.

Saddle Pack Dry (14L)

Photograph courtesy of Apidura

Handlebar Pack Dry (14L)

Photograph courtesy of Apidura

Accessory Pocket Dry (5L)

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Photograph courtesy of Apidura

All five of us on the southern Thailand tour had Apidura saddle packs.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The Apidura saddle packs meet four important criteria:

They are easy to pack, and then to compress and close.
They attach simply and securely to the seat post and saddle.
They do not adversely affect the handling of the bike.
They are waterproof.

We tested the waterproofness early on, when we were caught in a torrential tropical downpour. It was so wet that our brakes were almost useless, and it was too dangerous to keep riding. Despite the deluge, not a drop of water got into the packs.

s-thailand-tour-1-torrential-rain-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

I was the only one with the handlebar pack and the accessory pack as well. The handlebar pack was just as easy easy to pack, close, and attach to the bars. The accessory pack clips neatly to the handlebar pack, and together have negligible impact on bike handling.

The only thing to watch for with the handlebar pack is that it doesn’t press on the cables in front of the bar enough to actuate the front brake. That happened to me, and the only solution was to lighten the load in the handlebar pack.

Apart from that niggle, the Apidura packs performed brilliantly. The large 14 liter / 3.7 US gallon capacity saddle pack accommodated a full set of cycling kit, a pair of sandals, a pair of shorts, two tee shirts, a small foam travel pillow, toiletries, a spare inner tube, tire levers and a multitool, and a rain jacket. With room to spare.

One trip is not enough to satisfy a fifth criteria, that of durability. The materials list from the Apidura website, however, points to products designed to cope well with the rigours of bike touring in all conditions.

Dimension Polyant VX21 is the main body fabric. This 4 layer laminated fabric offers a combination of superior waterproofness, light weight, ultra high abrasion and tear resistance, and low stretch.

Ultra-durable hypalon is used in high abrasion, high stress areas to provide additional protection against friction and puncture.

Woojin buckles are used in the fastening system for enhanced reliability.

HDPE structural support to reinforce the shape of the pack, ensuring that it does not interfere with the ride.

I must report that I managed to separate the top and bottom parts of a clip on the handlebar pack to which a strap from the accessory pocket is attached. I pulled too hard on the strap to tighten it. Fortunately Marco was able to maneuver the two parts of the clip back together again.

While the Apidura packs are clearly built tough, care must be taken when tightening straps.

So far so good though. I think I speak for all five of us when I say that we are very happy with our Apidura packs. I recommend them highly to anyone interested in a rackless packing system.

Logo courtesy of Apidura

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Posted in Gear and Tools and tagged Accessory Pack, Accessory Pocket, Apidura, Handlebar Pack, Rackless Packing System, Saddle Pack, Waterproof. Bookmark the permalink.

Southern Thailand Tour Day 4

Posted on December 1, 2016 by alchemyrider

s-thailand-tour-4-hat-yai-skyline

This was the view when I opened the curtains in my 28th floor hotel room. It was nice that we did not have to get up before sunrise on this last day of our bicycle tour. We planned to be on the road at 9.00am. Which gave us time for breakfast in the cafe behind us before we changed and packed our stuff into our Apidura bags.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

The route from Hat Yai to Padang Besar is mostly straight southward for 46km / 29mi before a turn to the east at Sadao for the last 13km / 8mi.

s-thailand-tour-4-route

Philip took the lead once we were on Route 4, and he proceeded to pull us along at an average of 36kph / 22mph for fifty minutes. I was more than happy to stop for a drink by the time we had covered 30km / 19mi.

It isn’t hard to find places serving drinks on the road side. There are the more upmarket chains like Amazon Coffee, which often have shops in petrol stations. Or just look for a hut displaying drinks, and perhaps a sign. Like the one we stopped at.

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It had comfortable seating in the shade, icy cold drinks – one of my all time favourites is Thai iced tea, and as you can tell by the mobile phones in our hands, free wifi!

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

After giving us thirty minutes to catch our breath, Philip and Leslie stepped on the gas again to Sadao, where we made the turn onto Route 4054 to Padang Besar. If you stay on Route 4 you arrive at the larger border crossing at Bukit Kayu Hitam.

s-thailand-tour-4-turn-to-padang-besar-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

It was a hilly 11.5km / 7mi from Sadao to Padang Besar. That didn’t stop Philip and Leslie from maintaining a fairly torrid pace as we rolled over 130 meters / 426 feet of climbing. We were in Padang Besar in twenty three minutes.

Leslie wanted one last meal in Thailand. He saw a place that he liked the look of, and we all went in. Marco and I needed a fan and something cold to drink more than something to eat. The others ate an early lunch.

It is a couple of hundred meters from that restaurant to the border crossing. First we went through Thai immigration control.

s-thailand-tour-4-padang-besar-thai-border-crossing-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

Then through Malaysian immigration control.

s-thailand-tour-4-padang-besar-malaysian-immigration-marco

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

And we were back on home soil, just minutes from where we had left our vehicles. Our cycling adventure was over. What a fabulous adventure it was. The riding was good, and the company was even better. These four days will live long in my memory.

Thank you guys for a wonderful time.

s-thailand-tour-4-padang-besar-home-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

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Posted in Cycling in Thailand and tagged Apidura, Hat Yai, Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel, Sadao. 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.

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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.

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All waiting to load passengers coming out of this place.

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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.

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.

Southern Thailand Tour Day 2

Posted on November 30, 2016 by alchemyrider

After our 65km / 40mi warm up ride the day before, it was time for the main event of the tour. The Satun International Century Ride 2016.

The organisers served a light breakfast in the Satun City Hall. So we were on the quiet road from the hotel at just after 6.00am.

s-thailand-tour-2-sicr-off-to-the-start-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

When we got to the City Hall the doors were already open and participants were digging into you char kway (called pathongko in Thailand) and knocking back warm soya milk.

Photograph courtesy of WeSee Sport

We took a photograph before heading into the hall for a bite and a drink.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

There were, at most, two hundred riders gathered at the start. Thailand is in the midst of a year-long period of mourning following King Bhumibol’s passing. As a result very few Thais participated in this event.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

The extent of the loss felt by all Thais is reflected in the caption on the event jersey.

Serve the King’s Wishes
Create Virtues for Siam

s-thailand-tour-2-sicr-serve-the-kings-wishes-create-virtues-for-siam-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We were ushered to the street beside the City Hall to observe 89 seconds of silence. Then there was a speech or two before before we were sent on our way just before 7.00am.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai.

We rode an anti-clockwise loop.

s-thailand-tour-2-sicr-route

The road conditions over the entire route were uniformly good. Smooth, unblemished tarmac with a generous shoulder. Typical of not just the Satun area, but everywhere we cycled during our four days in Thailand. Their roads are such a pleasure to ride on.

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Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The first water stop was 50km into the ride. Where friendly volunteers waited with ice cold water and bananas.

s-thailand-tour-2-sicr-50-km-water-stop-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

That water stop was very strategically placed. The terrain got lumpy as soon as we left that water stop.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

After a few kilometers of rolling roads we hit a short but very steep climb. Shades of the Wang Kelian climb from the day before.

Graphic courtesy of veloviewer

This was where the escorts provided by the organisers came in useful for some riders. Marshals on scooters or motorbikes had attached themselves to each of the groups of riders that had formed on the road. They rode ahead of the group to indicate upcoming turns. They rode beside the group to keep everyone on the right side of the road. And they gave flagging riders a helping push when the gradient got too challenging for them.

This was the young man who followed our group for much of the day.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

This marshal was offering bottles of water to anyone who wanted one.

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Photograph courtesy of WeSee Sport

There were also uniformed personnel stationed at every crossroad, T junction and side street. It was nearly impossible to get lost.

Philip had shot off from the gun. We didn’t see him again until after we finished. Leslie wasn’t far behind Philip for the first half of the ride.Lay, Marco and I caught up with Leslie at the second water stop – see photograph with marshal above.

Leslie coasted along with us for a while, took our photograph, and then bolted away again. It was Lay’s first century ride. Marco and I did not want it to be his last, so we were sure to keep the pace manageable.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

There were enough lumps and bumps over the second half of the ride to keep us working, but we were careful to stay out of the red.

It was a hot day though. By noon it felt like 38°C / 100°F. We were glad to see a 7 Eleven at a PTT petrol station after we had covered 110km / 68mi. The you char koay and the banana I had eaten that morning had been all burned away. It was time for a cheese toastie and a large Yakult.

We lounged in the air conditioning of the 7 Eleven for almost thirty minutes. Completely forgetting that we had a motorcycle escort, who waited patiently outside for us. Which was embarrassing. We compounded our embarrassment after we got going again by asking him if there were many riders behind us. He didn’t speak English, so we tried hand signals. He interpreted our hands pointing behind us a request to stop riding beside us. Ooops!!

He then latched on to another couple of riders ahead of us who needed a push to get over a series of rollers. Fortunately we managed to catch up to him at the last water stop and thank him for looking after us.

We might not have been very convincing, because he didn’t follow us when we left that water stop. He was replaced by a young couple on a motorbike, who stayed with us for the remaining 16km / 10mi to the finish.

Including waiting patiently while I replaced a flat front inner tube. Punctured by a staple with just 6km / 4mi to go!

s-thailand-tour-2-sicr-with-5km-to-go-marco

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Our motorcycle escort stopped traffic at intersections, and with 2km / 1mi to go, told us to sprint into the finish. We were already doing about 34kph / 21mph. We weren’t going to go any faster.

s-thailand-tour-2-sicr-finish-wesee-sport

Photograph courtesy of WeSee Sport

As I had anticipated, Philip and Leslie were already in the Satun City Hall, eating lunch, when we got there. I needed a liter of ice water and a few minutes under a fan before I could contemplate eating anything.

I don’t normally eat anything right after a long ride. But this was Thailand, where the food is always delicious. Including a shredded and fried fish with curry leaves dish that went very well with white rice or fried noodles.

“Where are the photographs?” you ask. I do apologise, but none of us took any pictures of the lunch buffet. I assure you though. It was very good.

The Satun International Century Ride organisers, i.e. Khun Metharin and her team from WeSee Sport, had already done an outstanding job looking after the riders. Three meals. Excellent signage and marshalling along the route. Plenty of cold water at all four stops. Ice available at all but the last stop. (It was such a hot day that all the ice at water stop four had melted by the time we got there). Motorcycle escorts accompanying participants as they rode. A jersey and a matching T shirt.

Add to that a lucky draw with attractive prizes. Leslie won a set of tires, and Lay won a water bottle.

s-thailand-tour-2-sicr-lucky-draw-leslie-wesee-sport

Photograph courtesy of WeSee Sport

All this for just a RM160 / USD36 registration fee per participant. Khun Metharin and her Wesee Sport team put many a Malaysian century ride organiser to shame.

We expressed our appreciation and gratitude to Khun Metharin for a thoroughly enjoyable event. And we will definitely keep an eye out for the next event she organises. She did drop a hint. Krabi in March 2017.

s-thailand-tour-2-sicr-khun-metharin-leslie

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

The main event was well worth the trip. And we had two more days to look forward to. Well, after a shower and a nap, that is. And dinner around the corner from the hotel. Which was delicious.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Then it was to bed. We had an early start planned for Day 3.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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Posted in Cycling in Thailand and tagged Thailand, You Char Koay. Bookmark the permalink.

Old Roots, New Routes

Grow Your Jersey Collection One Ride at a Time – 2016

2013

2014

2015

Audax BRM300 Malaysia 2017

Congratulations to all finishers!

Sam Tow
Okay Jaykay
Chong Su
Ray Lee
Lee Lee K

Udang Galah Tour – Teluk Intan to Petaling Jaya

Udang Galah Tour – Petaling Jaya to Teluk Intan

Roadies and Fixies Cendol Tour: Melaka to Kajang

Roadies and Fixies Cendol Tour: Kajang to Melaka

Apidura Rackless Packing Systems

Southern Thailand Tour Day 4

Southern Thailand Tour Day 3

Southern Thailand Tour Day 2

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On the Wheel . . .

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Congratulations to all finishers!

Sam Tow Okay Jaykay Chong Su Ray Lee Lee Lee K

Previous Posts

On the Wheel . . .

Follow Blog via Email

Sam Tow
Okay Jaykay
Chong Su
Ray Lee
Lee Lee K