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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

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

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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!

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The next landmark was Ko Yo island in Songkhla Lake.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Southern Thailand Tour Day 1

Posted on November 30, 2016 by alchemyrider

Almost exactly three years ago, I did my first bike ride ride in Thailand. The excellent Samila Century Ride 2013. Since then my friends and I have occasionally discussed doing another ride in Thailand. Nothing came of those chats until the Perlis Bike Ride 2016 was cancelled due to lack of interest.

The Perlis Bike Ride had been scheduled on the same weekend as the Satun International Century Ride Thailand 2016. I had opted for the Perlis ride as Perlis is the only state in Peninsular Malaysia where I have yet to ride.

With the Perlis ride off the calendar, Leslie suggested that we do the Satun ride instead. And to make the long drive to Satun even more worthwhile, he suggested we take a few days to ride around in southern Thailand.

That sounded like a good idea to Lay, Marco, Philip and I. As Leslie had already done a few bike tours around Thailand, he volunteered to map out a route and itinerary for us.

The five of us met at the Sungai Buloh R&R area at 6.00am. Leslie, Marco and Philip in one vehicle, and Lay and I in another. We had 490km / 304mi to drive to the border town of Padang Besar.

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Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The only concern we had about the entire trip was where to park our cars in Padang Besar. Our worries about leaving our vehicles unattended for three nights were put to rest when the sergeant at the Padang Besar Police Station let us park inside the station compound.

With parking sorted out, we get ready to ride.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

The Padang Besar Police Station was the official start and end point for our four-day tour of southern Thailand.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We rode from Padang Besar to Satun.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

The most convenient border crossing between the two towns is at Wang Kelian. The road to Wang Kelian and beyond bisects a ridge of hills between Padang Besar and Satun.

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The switchbacks were a significant challenge.

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Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

Graphic courtesy of veloviewer

Like the rest of us, Lay was glad to get to the top after more than 200 meters / 760 feet of climbing over 2.5km / 1.5mi.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

Just as we were about to negotiate the switchbacks down to Kampung Wang Kelian, the sky suddenly darkened and it started to pour. It rained so hard that water was streaming down the road. The risk of skidding was high, even at low speeds. Keeping my speed low was difficult because my brakes were getting very little grip on my alloy rims. Philip had so little braking on his carbon rims that he had to walk his bike down the steeper sections. It was a sketchy descent for all of us.

We waited out the rain in a small sundry shop in Kampung Wang Kelian.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

The rain was torrential for about fifteen minutes. Just as suddenly as it had started, the rain stopped.

(I’ll write a review of our waterproof Apidura saddle packs. Suffice to say here that our belongings stayed bone dry, despite the deluge.)

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

4km / 2.5mi down the road is the Thai-Malaysian border.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

Immigration formalities didn’t take long. Then we were back on our bikes for the 14km / 8.5mi ride down through the valley before reversing direction and riding south to Satun.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We had to be at the Satun City Hall by 5.30pm. The program for the Satun International Century Ride included a pre-ride dinner and remembrance ceremony for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. We didn’t want to be late.

The first order of business was to say hello to Khun Metharin. She had organised the Samila Century Ride in 2013, and together with Wesee Sport, was the organiser for the Satun ride.

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Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Also in the photograph are the emcee for the event, and a news cameraman. The three of them conspired to get me to do a recorded interview about where Team Flipside was from, how we felt about participating in the Satun ride, and to share my thoughts about the passing of Thailand’s revered and beloved king.

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Photograph courtesy of WeSee Sport

Then it was dinner time. The start of four days of good eating in Thailand!

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

The evening ended with some speeches by officials from Satun Province, followed by 89 seconds of silence and a remembrance ceremony for the late King Bhumibol.

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Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We gathered up our goodie bags, turned on our bike lights, and wove our way through an unexpected night market on our way to the SinKiat Buri Hotel. Our home for the next two nights.

It had been a very early start to the day. And there were many kilometers to ride the next day. Time for me to call it a night.

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Posted in Cycling in Thailand and tagged Padang Besar, Satun, Satun International Century Ride, SinKiat Buri Hotel, Thailand, Wang Kelian. Bookmark the permalink.

How to Talk Like a Cyclist in Malaysia

Posted on November 17, 2016 by alchemyrider

cycling-lingo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Food Hunt Ride II

Posted on November 14, 2016 by alchemyrider

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

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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

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

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

My diet started today!

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

Food Hunt Ride I

Posted on November 14, 2016 by alchemyrider

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

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Thong

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

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

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

Small Chainring + Biggest Cog

Posted on November 8, 2016 by alchemyrider

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Alchemy Bicycle Co.

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

Graphic courtesy of veloviewer.

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Danial

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

Photograph courtesy of Danial

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

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

The view back across the valley is worth the climb.

Photograph courtesy of Simon Soohu

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

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

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

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

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

titi-rubber-tapping-knife

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Eugene.

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

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

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

The Replacement Melaka International Century Ride 2016

Posted on October 31, 2016 by alchemyrider

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

You can read about the 2015 edition here.

You can read about the 2014 edition here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photograph courtesy of sgmytaxi.com

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

Photograph courtesy of TH Lim

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

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-route

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Simon Suhoo

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

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

Photograph courtesy of wikipedia.org

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

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Kino Lim

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

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

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

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-lunch-parking

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

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

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

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Simon Suhoo

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

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

Photograph courtesy of Simon Suhoo

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

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

mcr-2016-substitute-ride-makko-tripadvisor

Photograph courtesy of Tripadvisor.com

Well worth a visit, despite the hour-long wait for a table. Nyonya food at its best.

Photograph courtesy of tripadvisor.com

Despite the frustration over the cancelled century ride, we all had a good time.

Good company, nice roads, and delicious food.

WC_LOGO

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Ayer Molek, Bayou Lagoon Park Hotel, Glutton Street, Jasin, Kedai Makanan Yong Kee, Kocik Kitchen, Melaka International Century Ride, Muar, Novotel Melaka, Otak Otak Cheng Boi, Restoran Makko, Tangkak. Bookmark the permalink.

The Tandem Men Depart Kuala Lumpur

Posted on October 2, 2016 by alchemyrider

Logo courtesy of thetandemmen.com

After three days of rest and relaxation, and catching up with friends, John Whybrow and George Agate resumed their circumnavigation of the globe by tandem bike.

Nine of us met John and George, and their hosts from the previous night, for breakfast in the Ampang area. This restaurant is a branch of a very well-known eatery in Alor Setar, Kedah.

Photograph courtesy of syarulzaman.com

Breakfast was the staple that is roti canai, or the less usual nasi kandar. Then it was time to start pedalling, but not before some group photographs.

Photograph courtesy of The Tandem Men

Photograph courtesy of The Tandem Men

Photograph courtesy of Alvin Lee

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

It was 9.30am when we started leading John and George from the restaurant onto the MEX highway, and then onto the KESAS highway. Retracing the route we took with them into KL.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

KESAS was the preferred option, rather than alternate routes out of KL, because of the motorcycle lane that is separate from the main roadway.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Which gave me the opportunity to distract George with some chatter.

the-tandem-men-out-chatting-on-the-road-mark-lim

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

My Flipside friends and I regularly ride along the KESAS highway between Bukit Jalil and Bandar Botanic. We often stop for breakfast in the township of Kota Kemuning. Which also happens to be where Meng Thai Cycle Sdn. Bhd. is located. One of our favourite bike shops.

It was 11.15am. Meng Thai normally opens at 1.30pm on Sundays. We called Lee to see if he would open early, and give Daisy the tandem bicycle a once-over. The doors were open when we got there at 11.30am.

Daisy got a bit more than a once-over. Lee washed her thoroughly.

Photograph courtesy of The Tandem Men

He also installed a new chain and new disc brake pads, and gave her a tuneup.

Photograph courtesy of The Tandem Men

All free of charge. A massive thank you to Lee and Meng Thai Cycle for their contribution to keeping The Tandem Men rolling. Check out those shiny chains.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Daisy was in the best shape possible. The only downside was that it took Lee three hours to get Daisy sorted out. Enough time for the nine of us to talk the ears off George and John, to eat lunch at the restaurant next door, and to each have a bowl of yummy cendol.

Photograph courtesy of cavinteoh.blogspot.com

It was hot when we started in the morning, and it was hotter when the eleven of us got back on the road at 2.30pm. We were between Shah Alam and Klang, where the temperature reading was 33°C / 91°F.

Graphic courtesy of The Dark Sky Company LLC

The “feels like” temperature was even higher. 40°C / 104°F in Kota Kemuning. Because of the temperature, the time, and how far we had to ride to get home, we decided to bid farewell to John and George when we got them back to the KESAS highway.

The guys were concerned about where they would stay for the night. It is a three-day weekend, and when George checked during lunch, all the reasonably-priced accommodation in Port Dickson was fully booked. Given the time that they left Kota Kemuning, they weren’t sure that they would even get to Port Dickson tonight.

The lucky charm must be working.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

John and George didn’t get to Port Dickson tonight, but they did find a place to stay. A dangau, or traditional plantation hut, in a campground near Sepang.

Photograph courtesy of George Agate

Here’s hoping that charm brings good luck to John and George throughout the rest of their travels.

All of us will be following their progress with great interest, and hope and pray that they get back to Canterbury safely, and as Guinness World Record holders.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Guinness World Records, Kota Kemuning, Meng Thai Cycle, MEX Highway, The Tandem Men. Bookmark the permalink.

The Tandem Men

Posted on September 30, 2016 by alchemyrider

Logo courtesy of thetandemmen.com

Three months ago a former colleague of mine asked if he could connect me with two guys who are attempting to be the first pair to circumnavigate the globe on a tandem bicycle. A ride that would take them through thirty countries.

Photograph courtesy of thetandemmen.com

Andy told me that at the time, the guys were cycling between Istanbul, Turkey and Tbilisi, Georgia. Their route from Thailand to Singapore would bring them through Kuala Lumpur.

I replied “I would love to meet up with your friends when they come through KL.”

It then went quiet until last Monday, when I received a WhatsApp message from George Agate, one of The Tandem Men. John Whybrow and he had just crossed the border between Thailand and Malaysia, and were on their way to Georgetown.

That’s when I opened up their website, The Tandem Men, and checked their route through Malaysia. John and George has started their 29,000km / 18,000mi journey from Canterbury, England in June. Since then they pedalled through France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey (arriving there on the day of the attempted coup d’état), and ending the European leg of their round-the-world trip in Georgia (due to a detour after not being able to get visas to enter Iran).

They then flew from Tbilisi to Mumbai, India, to start the Asian sector. From Mumbai they cycled down the west coast of the sub-continent to Nagercoil, before heading northeast to Chennai. A flight across the Bay of Bengal took them to Bangkok, their first stop in South-East Asia. Now they were almost on my doorstep.

Map courtesy of thetandemmen.com

My initial reply to George was to welcome them to Malaysia, and to suggest an alternate route for them to follow from Georgetown to Kuala Lumpur. The route on their website was via the North-South Expressway. This would not work because bicycles are not allowed on the North-South Expressway. Never mind that the volume and high speed of the traffic on that highway make it a dangerous place for cyclists to be.

I suggested that they use the coastal roads through Seri Manjung and Kuala Selangor instead. Further to pedal, but more scenic, and with less traffic to contend with. That route would also allow my friends and I to meet them in Bandar Botanic, and to ride with them along the KESAS and MEX highways into KL.

I also offered to host them while they were in KL, and I was delighted that they took me up on my offer.

George and John did follow the coastal route, spending nights at Seri Manjung and Kuala Selangor on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. On Thursday morning, Lay, Marco and I rode to Bandar Botanic, where I had suggested we meet.

The three of us got to Bandar Botanic a bit early. We parked ourselves at Restoran Resepi Warisan for nasi lemak, teh tarik and iced coffee. The restaurant was a couple of hundred meters from the point on Jalan Langat where I had suggested we meet.

I sent The Tandem Men our location via WhatsApp. A few minutes later John and George rolled up to the restaurant.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Fantastic!

We got another round of drinks before heading to the motorcycle lane along the KESAS highway.

One of the many rules rules stipulated by Guinness World Records is that George and John are not allowed to draft. So the tandem bike led the way, complete with its 35 kilo / 77 pound complement of panniers, bags and water bottles.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Taking KESAS to get into KL from the west was certainly a better option than coming in from the north via Jalan Kuching. Not having to share the road with cars, vans and lorries is a definite plus.

Being separated from other traffic does not prevent punctures though. George and John noticed that they had a slow leak as we neared the Kinrara R & R. The rear tire leak was slow enough, and we were close enough to home, that we decided to take the risk of pumping it up and continuing on our way, rather than changing the inner tube.

We exited the KESAS highway at Awan Kecil and took the MEX highway to Jalan Tun Razak.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

One kilometer to go.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

John and George graciously agreed to go to Le’Park@Nasi Lemak Malaya for dinner, and to share stories with some of my cycling friends.

Photograph courtesy of Danial Marzuki

The Tandem Men have so far covered 10,651km / 6,618mi over 114 days. About one third of the distance required to become the first people to circumnavigate the world by tandem bicycle.

One of their personal goals is obviously to complete this adventure of a lifetime. Another is to raise at least £100,000 / RM537,000 / USD130,000 for the three brilliant causes that they have chosen to support on their journey. The work of these charities changes the lives for many, both locally and internationally. These charities are:

Porchlight (which will receive 34%)
Great Ormond Street Hospital (which will receive 33%), and
WaterAid (which will receive 33%)

If you would like to donate to these charities, please click the link below.

DONATE

It has been a treat and an honour to meet and host George and John. My friends and I will be following their progress as they cross Australia, ride up through New Zealand, make their way from San Francisco to Panama, and finally ride from Marrakech up through southern Europe and back to Canterbury in England.

Godspeed, and fair winds George and John.

Photograph courtesy of thetandemmen.com

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Bandar Botanic, Circumnavigation, Guinness World Records, KESAS, Le'Park@Nasi Lemak Malaya, MEX Highway, Tandem, The Tandem Men. Bookmark the permalink.

Old Roots, New Routes

Southern Thailand Tour Day 3

Southern Thailand Tour Day 2

Southern Thailand Tour Day 1

How to Talk Like a Cyclist in Malaysia

Food Hunt Ride II

Food Hunt Ride I

Small Chainring + Biggest Cog

The Replacement Melaka International Century Ride 2016

The Tandem Men Depart Kuala Lumpur

The Tandem Men

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