Marco, Mark and I attempted a ride to the KTM Komuter station at Tanjung Malim. We started from Mark’s house in Taman Mayang Jaya. We followed our usual route toward Rawang via the Guthrie Corridor Expressway. Our plan had been to get onto the LATAR Expressway and ride into Rawang from the south east.
But as we circled around the cloverleaf intersection to get onto the LATAR Expressway, we noticed very dark clouds and rain over Rawang in the distance. So we looped around the cloverleaf again and got onto LATAR going in the opposite direction, toward Kampung Baru Kundang. The skies were clear in that direction.
Our new plan was to stop at our favourite noodle shop in Kundang, and weather permitting, get to Rawang from the south west.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
It was spotting with rain when we had finished our noodles. We took a chance and rode toward Rawang anyway. The drizzle soon stopped, but it had already rained quite hard, and the roads were very wet. Why do I always have a white jersey on when we hit wet roads?
We rode through Rawang and onto Federal Route 1. Federal Route 1 is the oldest federal road in Malaysia, as is one of the nation’s earliest public roadways ever constructed. It runs the length of the Malay peninsula, from the causeway into Singapore up to the Thai border in the north. As we left Rawang toward Serendah the road dried up. We had pleasant, overcast riding conditions. The skies were gloomy, but we thought we had dodged the rain.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
Not so. The rain caught up with us while we were stopped at the Petron station in Rasa. We waited at the petrol station for about fifteen minutes in the hope that the rain would stop. It did not.
Photograph courtesy of Marco Lai
So we rode out into the rain. By then the conditions were miserable. Federal Route 1 is a busy road. We were riding through rain and the spray thrown up by passing vehicles. We decided to stop at the nearest KTM station, which was 8km / 5mi away in Kuala Kubu Bharu. Tanjung Malim was a further 20km / 12.5mi away. Too far given the very wet conditions.
We bought a ticket for our bikes, and tickets for ourselves, and sat at the station with a drink in our hands, waiting for the train.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
The towns along the KTM Komuter line to the north of Kuala Lumpur are smaller than the towns to the south of the city. Which may explain why there are less people on the trains going south from Kuala Kubu Bharu than there are on the trains going north from Seremban. We shared the carriage with only two or three others all the way to our stop at Sungai Buloh.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
We hopped off the train at Sungai Buloh, which was the closest station to Taman Mayang Jaya. By then the rain had stopped, and the sun was out. We had to negotiate some busy roads for the first few kilometers, but once we were in Kota Damansara the traffic was less fraught.
It was lunchtime when we got to Aman Suria, which is the neighbourhood adjoining Taman Mayang Jaya. Patty & Pie is in Aman Suria. Their burger lunch special hit the spot.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lim
Another overall enjoyable ride (bike) and ride (train), despite the rain.
Old Roots, New Routes 