Tag Archives: Broga

Bicycle Out, Train Home

Posted on March 13, 2017 by alchemyrider

I wrote about taking road bicycles onto KTM Komuter trains in Bikes on Trains in Kuala Lumpur. Since then I have incorporated a train into my ride a few more times.

Once was over the Chinese New Year holiday in early February. In the last week I’ve done two more bike and train rides.

The KTM Komuter network operates on two lines. The Port Klang line runs east to west, from Batu Caves to Port Klang. Batu Caves is less than 15km / 10mi from home, so a train ride from there doesn’t make sense. Port Klang, at 50km / 31mi away, is further, but not far enough away to make a one-way ride to that station seem worth it. And the ride to Port Klang through an entirely urban landscape is boring anyway.

The Seremban line runs from Tanjung Malim in the north to Rembau in the south. Tanjung Malim is about 90km / 56mi from Kuala Lumpur. Rembau is more than 120km / 75mi from Kuala Lumpur. Those are reasonable distances to cover during a morning’s ride. Much of the riding in either direction is through countryside and villages, so the views from the bike are pleasant.

KTM Map

We covered both directions last week.

Map courtesy of Ride With GPS

Five of us did a mid-week ride to Rasa station in the north. The destination was meant to be the railway station in Kuala Kubu Bharu. Afternoon plans meant that we had to be on the train by noon. A series of flat tires in Rawang and Bukit Beruntung slowed us down. We were at risk of missing the train at Kuala Kubu Bharu.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

So we had something to drink in Rasa town, and were in the station with plenty of time to spare.

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

Eight of us rode out on Friday morning, bound for Seremban. The early challenges were to get over the Ampang Lookout Point and Bukit Hantu climbs.

It was a clear morning, so it was worth stopping halfway up Lookout point for a photograph. The Twin Towers are just about visible to the left of Liang’s head.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We needed a bit of sustenance after the 200 meters / 650 feet or so up climb to Lookout Point, and before the 259 meters / 820 feet up Bukit Hantu.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

Coming off the descent of Bukit Hantu, it was nice to see the Semenyih Dam full again after such a long time.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

25km / 15.5mi later we were in the town of Broga, and desperate for a drink. It was turning into a hot day.

This caught our attention.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

Waiting for our coconut shakes and pineapple shakes to arrive.

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

Delicious!

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

Seremban was 30km / 18.5mi away. Unlike Wednesday’s ride, we all got there with only one flat tire between us. Which happened, unfortunately, just seven kilometers from Seremban. Or to put a positive spin on things, fortunately, because the flat came just after a 150 meter / 490 feet climb. Which gave everyone the opportunity for a rest.

Photograph courtesy of Leslie Tong

We got to Seremban in time for food and drinks at the Pasar Besar Seremban, which is the main wet market in the city. The fresh vegetables, meat and fish are sold on the first floor, and part of the second floor. The rest of the second floor is occupied by food stalls.

There are ramps leading up to the second floor, so we rode our bicycles right up the the food stalls.

Photograph courtesy of Evelyn Bird

The railway station is a short ride from the market. Marvin forgot his cycling shoes, but his sandals were a good stand-in.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

We discovered that Fridays are not the best day to ride the train with our bikes. There were a lot of people waiting on the platform for the 2.15pm train. Luckily there was space in the last carriage for us and our bikes.

Seremban Train

More people with luggage got on at each successive station, and before long it was standing room only, with people squeezed in between our bikes. Friday afternoons must be a popular time for people to start their weekend trips.

Quite a lot of people got off at the Bandar Tasik Selatan station, which is linked to the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, KL’s main long distance bus terminal. Some people got on at that station too though. So it wasn’t until the train had passed through KL Sentral station that seats became available again.

Lay and I got off the train at Bank Negara station. The others in our ride group got off one stop later, at Putra station.

We needed food and drink en route to home from the station. League of Captains provided the coffee, and Souled Out on Jalan Ampang provided the satay.

We may never go this far to get our bicycles onto train tracks,

Seremban Rail Bike

but we will definitely be on the train with our bikes again and again.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Broga, Bukit Hantu, KTM Komuter, Kuala Kubu Bharu, League of Captains, Lookout Point, Rasa, Rawang, Seremban, Souled Out. Bookmark the permalink.

Shimano Highway Challenge – LEKAS 2014

Posted on November 24, 2014 by alchemyrider

Thirteen Flipsiders lined up for the second Shimano Highway Challenge. Eric is missing from the picture below.

Photograph courtesy of Keat Wong

The route was very similar to last year’s edition. But instead of a rolling mass start, this year’s event had a self-seeding start sequence. We had to estimate our finishing time; less than 2 hours, 2-3 hours, 3-4 hours, and greater than 4 hours. If you thought you could finish the ride in under two hours, you set off first.

We all decided which start pen we wanted to be in. But by the time we finished taking photographs and catching up with friends, the riders in the first pen had started. So we scrambled to the start, and squeezed in where we could. I ended up in pen three.

Not that it made a difference. Those pen 1 people averaged better than 40kph / 25mph. A tad faster than I am capable of. In spite of the excellent riding conditions. A multi-lane toll road all to ourselves, under overcast skies.

Photograph courtesy of Cyclinghappy

The event logistics and organisation were superb. As they were last year. From the guides with torches steering us to the parking lots in the pre-dawn darkness, to the smiling volunteers manning the massage booths and the food and drink service at the finish, the support for the riders was outstanding.

One of the things a few volunteers had to do was divert riders around some broken glass in the middle of the highway. Unfortunately not before at least a dozen riders suffered flats. Including Marco, who had a cut rear tire into the bargain. Danny stopped to help, and Shahfiq and I stopped to provide moral support.

Once we got going again I was thankful for the cool weather, as I am sure the other 2,137 participants were. Especially as we dropped into the small ring / largest cog combination on the KOM Challenge. A 2.4km / 1.5mi climb that rose 165 meters / 540 feet. It was a relief to see the arch marking the end of the timed climb.

Photograph courtesy of Mohd Farid Abu Bakar

Not that we were done with climbing. There were a few more hills to conquer before we got to the opening in the ARMCO barrier that marked the turnaround point.

Around the halfway point I ran into someone I hadn’t seen in a while. She was in a Flipside jersey to boot. To top it all off, Sharon’s is the best action photograph of any of the Flipsiders I could find.

Photograph courtesy of Happycycling

It was just starting to warm up when I got to the finish. I needed a few cups of ice-cold Milo from the green truck in the lower left of the photograph below.

Photograph courtesy of Shimano Highway Challenge

Then we hung out, discussing the ride, while we waited for the rest of the Flipsiders to finish. Chon, Chris, Griffin and I stood out in the sun.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

We should have done what Liang and Kai did. Take advantage of the shade afforded by a pickup truck.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

I didn’t see Eric at all. Late to the start, and then one of the first to finish. He had already gone home by the time I rolled over the finish line.

Photograph courtesy or Eric Seow

While we were waiting, Keat ran into an old friend from Singapore, whom he hadn’t seen in years. Cycling events are good places to bump into old friends.

Photograph courtesy of Keat Wong

I headed home after the last of the Flipsiders finished. Medal in hand.

Most of the others went to a post-ride carbo-loading session at a favourite curry mee stall in Broga.

Photograph courtesy of Keat Wong

I must say that iced coffee and ais kacang looks good.

(You didn’t think I would write an entire post without at least one photograph of food, did you?)

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Ais kacang, Broga, Curry mee, Milo, Shimano Highway Challenge. Bookmark the permalink.

Yin and Yang

Posted on June 9, 2014 by alchemyrider

My riding buddies and I try to do two rides on weekends. Usually the intent is to make the Sunday ride a slower, more relaxed ride. Usually the Sunday ride ends up being as hard or harder than the Saturday ride.

In most cases we alternate between a route that includes the Guthrie Corridor Expressway to Kampung Sri Kundang, and a jaunt up Jalan Gombak Lama to Genting Sempah and back. This time we did a variation of the Kampung Sri Kundang ride on Saturday, and a new loop from Semenyih to Lenggeng and Broga on Sunday.

Our Saturday ride started as it usually does, with a relatively quick run to Kampung Sri Kundang for roti canai and teh tarik. Liang, Marco, Mark, Marvin and I made short work of breakfast. There were no table scraps for the cat.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

We then decided to tackle the Dragon’s Back on the way back. Despite the rising temperature. We had an 18km run to the PETRONAS Puncak Alam petrol station, where we stopped for cold drinks and the bathroom.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Then it was on to the main event. I’ve shown this profile before. The Dragon’s Back starts at the 47km point with a wall that hits 12%. Then it is up and down the rest of the way back to Bukit Jelutong.

This is Marco, happy to see the end of the first half of the Dragon’s Back.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai

Needless to say we were all toasted by the time we got back to D’Bayu.

So it made a very nice change to have a true recovery ride on Sunday. About fifteen of us made the drive south from Kuala Lumpur to Semenyih. After a pit stop at the toll plaza we rode onto the LEKAS Highway. The same highway we rode during the Shimano Highway Challenge.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

This was a very relaxed ride. VERY relaxed.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

After 25km we exited the highway. Not long afterwards we came to the only serious climb of the day. 100 meters up in about 2km. In keeping with our 16kph average speed to that point, we took it very easy up the hill.

The view at the top is spectacular.

We had quiet back roads all to ourselves.

And the leisurely pace meant we had time to explore. There was a time when rubber was the number one agricultural export of Malaysia. There aren’t many rubber estates left now. Most have been replaced by oil palm , or housing estates.

The goal of the ride was the Broga ABC Pan Mee shop.

The best place to be is around the back, sitting at a marble table, eating curry mee. This was Mark’s order. With roast pork and cockles. I had the no-meat option.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

And drinking iced coffee.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim

Now this is the kind of recovery ride that I want more of.

Shall We Climb?

Posted on January 7, 2013 by alchemyrider

Wind comes with the territory, so to speak, in the Netherlands. So often the key decision for the Not Possibles is whether to start a ride with the wind or against it. Hills come with the territory in Kuala Lumpur. The choice to be made here is to ride a route with some climbing, or to ride a route with a lot of climbing. The choice on recent weekends has been to climb a lot. 1,319 meters / 4,300 feet the Sunday before Christmas. 1,069 meters / 3,500 feet the Saturday before New Year’s.

So it was nice to climb ‘only’ 684 meters / 2,240 feet last weekend. The Racun Cycling Gang met at Pekan Batu 18 at the usual unearthly hour of 6.45am. Well, some of us were there at 6.45am. This is Malaysia after all. Our peleton of folding bikes, mountain bikes and road bikes started into the mist along Jalan Sungai Lui at about 7.15am.

11km later we got to the T-junction with Jalan Sungai Lalang and Jalan Hulu Langat – Kuala Klawang. Every other time we have turned right toward Tasik Semenyih. There is some climbing along the way to the Sungai Tekala Recreation Park, but nothing like the climbing awaiting those who turn left.

On this day our only option was to turn left. The road to Tasik Semenyih was still closed following a landslide that took a section of the road into the reservoir. Here we are at the T-junction, waiting for the folding bikes to catch up to us. Mark is helpfully pointing out the “Road Closed” sign.

Photo courtesy, I think, of Shahfiq Abdul Manap

We regrouped, girded our loins, and started the 9km climb to the summit of Genting Peres. I had struggled to the summit from the opposite direction during the Broga 116 ride in November 2012. This time the climb was almost pleasant. It was much cooler, and I didn’t have cramping quadriceps.

A third of the way up the climb we turned a corner to a spectacular view of the mist-shrouded valley below. That view alone made the climb worthwhile.

The summit of Genting Peres is on the border between the states of Selangor and Negri Sembilan. We waited at the border marker for the rest of the foldies to arrive.

As always the payoff for all the climbing, the view notwithstanding, is the “look ma, no brakes” descent. Well, perhaps not quite “no brakes.” It is a twisty road, the surface is a bit sketchy in one or two spots and there are cars and motorbikes to watch out for. Nevertheless I surprised one driver by overtaking at 60kph.

The mist had burned off by the time we got back to the T-juntion. We had blue skies and a crescent moon overhead (I promise the moon is visible in the photo) as we rode back to Pekan Batu 18.

Photo courtesy of Mark Lim

From Pekan Batu 18 some of us rode on to the Sungai Congkak Recreational Forest. The others drove there. We all went there for this . . .

Photo courtesy of Shahfiq Abdul Manap

Nasi lemak, curry puffs and teh tarik of course. At the stall beside the river. Note that the unopened packets of nasi lemak were not for me!

All that was left to do after a beautiful ride and yummy food was to roll back down the hill and gently pedal the short distance back to Pekan Batu 18.

Photo courtesy of Mark Lim

And of course to take a nap once I got home.

Your Country Very Hot

Posted on November 12, 2012 by alchemyrider

My biker chick ZAZ and I have moved a number of times from our tropical home to more temperate climes. Each time we struggled initially with the cold but we did get used to it. Almost without noticing our increasing tolerance for low temperatures. Until we got home again.

We have a catchphrase that we use with each other a lot in the first few months back home. “Your country very hot.” I shouldn’t be surprised that we have to reacclimatize to the heat and humidity. It does take a few months before I don’t feel the need to take four or five showers a day.

Yesterday’s ride confirmed that I am not yet used to being back in a hot and humid country. I was invited to ride the Broga 116. I had expected to be part of a group ride. What I hadn’t expected was that I would be part of a highly organized group ride. A group ride with two SAG support vehicles, three water stops, photographers along the route, lunch at the finish, a t-shirt, and in a first for me at any organized ride, a route ‘tulip‘ sticker for my top tube.

All put together by a cycling club, without commercial sponsorship, for anyone who was willing to pay RM 30 / USD 10 to participate. At least fifty of us stumped up the cash and were ready to roll from the car park at the Sungai Tekala Recreation area at 7.30 am.

I had three 25 ounce bottles of Nuun-treated water, a layer of sunscreen on every bit of exposed skin, and a cap under my helmet to soak up sweat. In other words I was unprepared for the heat and humidity.

On previous rides I had noticed that my average pulse rate was 10 to 15 bpm higher than it had been in the Netherlands. I knew that was because of the higher ambient temperature in Kuala Lumpur. It was about 28C / 82F with a relative humidity over 80% at the start. It would get considerably warmer as the sun rose in the sky. That fact should have been my first warning that I would have a tough day.

Graph courtesy of The National Weather Service at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/heat/index.shtml

The second warning came 35 km into the ride, in the form of the first climb of the day. The Bukit Mandom 1 climb is only 1 km but it has grades of up to 10.2%. By the time I had crested that climb sweat was dripping onto my top tube and I was already into my second bottle. The descent at 60 kph plus cooled me off a little but that was scant respite. After 1 km the road tipped upward again as Bukit Mandom 2 presented itself. By the time I completed the 1.8 km to the crest of that hill I knew for certain that it would just get tougher as the ride progressed.

As indeed it did. Bukit Tangga (literally Stairway Hill) was bigger and badder than the previous two hills. I started cramping in both quadriceps on the lower slopes and had to stop 3 km into the climb to stretch. If nothing else that gave me the opportunity to take this photo of my fellow cyclists grinding up the hill.

The spasms from heat cramps in my quadriceps were my constant and faithful companion for the rest of the ride. Whenever the grade kicked up above 6% I had to slow down to below 10 kph. I found that if I rode in my inner ring / largest cog combination (why oh why didn’t I have my compact crank?) and maintained a very slow cadence I could continue to pedal without completely cramping up. The observant among you, dear readers, will have noticed from the route tulip that the planners had saved the biggest climb of the day for the end. 13 km long and a total of 470 meters upwards. I have never been so glad to to see the back side of a hill.

Nevertheless I took several positives from this ride. The organisation was excellent. Which was a very good thing. The water stops saved me from becoming severely dehydrated. I had 75 ounces / 2.2 liters of fluid in my bottles at the start of the ride, which turned out to be woefully insufficient. I picked up at least another 2 liters of water at the stops, along with, pardon the pun, a bunch of bananas.

The views, when I wasn’t staring fixedly at my front wheel so that I wouldn’t have to look up at the never-ending slope ahead of me, were lush and verdant.

I learned that Aesop knew what he was talking about. My slow and steady 6 to 8 kph up Genting Peres meant that I caught and passed a number of other riders who had started the climb at speed but then had to stop for a breather before the top. And I finished the ride on my bike and not in a SAG support vehicle. Not that I am competitive or anything!

Our sea freight had been delivered so I was able to do the ride in my Not Possibles jersey.

Best of all I made new friends, courtesy of Syihan Nik, who invited me to do the Broga 116. By the way I still haven’t decided if I should thank him or thump him. Here are Syihan and I early in the day, looking and feeling considerably better than we did at the end. As you will soon see.

I finished the 114 km soaked in sweat but my cooling mechanism hadn’t coped very well with the conditions.

Despite cold showers and iced drinks my core temperature stayed elevated for the rest of the day. So there is no doubt about it ZAZ. Your country very hot.

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Posted in Cycling in Malaysia and tagged Broga, Heat, Humidity, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nuun, The Not Possibles. Bookmark the permalink.

Old Roots, New Routes

Tag Archives: Broga

Bicycle Out, Train Home

Shimano Highway Challenge – LEKAS 2014

Yin and Yang

Shall We Climb?

Your Country Very Hot

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