Cycle Friday: CycleFriday Bicycle Culture Ride.

I will be attending this simple event in Batu Pahat, in support of Cycling as a mode of transport.  Please support this event if you believe that the future of our cities and towns lies with cycling and walking, to make our place more livable. We should reject more traffic jams due to over population of metal boxes with 4 rubber tyres.

Cycle Friday: CycleFriday Bicycle Culture Ride.

9/2 Putrajaya Ride and 10/2 Hulu Langat Ride

The long Chinese New Year weekends is the only time I have at least 3 days off from work to go for cycling.

First up, on eve of Chinese New Year, I joined Putrajaya Reunion Ride on Saturday morning. Wonderful ride but without shades, especially the long straight between Putra Mosque and PICC. We visited a couple of parks (too many in Putrajaya to remember the names).

Putra Mosque at 7.15am, with clear blue sky

Group photo before the ride off – I am 3rd from the left (image by Fong)

Met a French bike tourer, Alain (image by Fong)

Met some ducks, geese, swans & pelicans at one of Putrajaya parks

On the first day of Chinese New Year, I joined another group for a ride at Hulu Langat to tackle the Genting Peres. This was my 2nd ride up to Genting Peres. We started at Hulu Langat Batu 18 police station at 7.15am, going through Jalan Sg Lui, detoured to Sg Tekala, and then went up Genting Peres.

We made a detour to this Hulu Langat Semenyih Reservoir & Hydroelectric Dam along Jalan Sungai Lalang

The stretch of Jalan Sungai Lalang wiped off by landslides earlier in December

Group photo next to the landslide – I wore a black tee (image by Sin)

My customary sandals, bermuda shorts and 100+ bottle at the back (image by Sin)

Target achieved. Reached Genting Peres for 2nd time (image by Sin)

Details at Endomondo

9/2 Putrajaya Ride (30km)

10/2 Hulu Langat Ride (55km)

27/1: Batang Kali–Sentul

Got up way too late for this ride. Only managed to leave the house at 7am. Got to Putra KTM Station at 8am. Finally only managed to reach Batang Kali station 10 minutes to 10am. I almost abandoned plan to ride from BK. Contemplated exiting at Rawang, but didn’t.

By the time I reached LRT station, the sky was already bright.

Can you spot the multimodal logo there?

Opie’s fully clothed before allowed into the station

Opie and I are ready to roll towards Ulu Yam Lama for breakfast (brunch)

Just as a reminder that in order to travel further from Rawang (i.e. KKB, Tg Malim), you have to transfer to another train at Rawang station. It cost RM4.70 for the train ride from Putra to Batang Kali.

As you can see, Ulu Yam Lama is quite near to Batang Kali

Ulu Yam Lama is not that far from BK station. It was just a 5-minute ride. You have to ride up a bridge over the railway line. Before the bridge was built, people had to use a pedestrian bridge to go to Ulu Yam Lama.

Took this picture at the bridge, but this is not Ulu Yam Lama

Can you see Genting Highlands up on the hills with the white clouds?

Sorry, no picture of actual loh mee, but I had mine at this restaurant

At Ulu Yam Lama, you can see street names like Jalan Pisang and Jalan Stesen. You can see some banana trees, but you cannot find any shop selling bananas. Weird. There are many restaurants and coffee shops selling loh mee. I think most of them should be nice. Many KL registered cars park outside them.

After my breakfast of loh mee, I rode back to the bridge and cycled along Jalan Ipoh (state road 1) towards Batu Caves, via Serendah and Rawang. The ride was uneventful. The quality of the road is pretty good, compared to my housing areas. The route was quite flat until I reached Kanching and Templer’s Park.

I passed by the LATAR highway entrance, and I was amazed at how the government was willing to rape the forests outside Rawang to build this tolled highway. Part of the forested hills were cut off to accommodate this ugly concrete infrastructure for use of heavy metal box with four tyres. Disgusting!

When I exited at Batu Caves, the atmosphere was electrifying. Thaipussam festival was held here. I have never seen it at Batu Caves, but so many people are here to pray. Exciting indeed.

a devotee carry a big “kavadi” with loud music and cheering by the crowds

Yellow is the main colour at this stall

It is just so hot out there, and the devotees were walking barefoot

After passing through Batu Caves, I continued my journey to Sentul (Sentul Timur station) to catch the LRT back to Cempaka station. It was a very tough and hot day. Lesson of the ride: go out earlier and bring lots of water.

Bicycle parking facility at Sentul Timur LRT station

Total damage today

Distance: 50.43km

Average Speed: 18.7 km/h

Duration: 2h 42m 8s

Shocking stat: my top speed was recorded at 56.9km/h!!!

Details at Endomondo

 

p/s: I never dress up my bikes when I board the LRT.

 

Happy Thaipussam!

Rides in the Q1 of 2013

I am currently planning a few rides in and about the state of Selangor and a couple interstate rides too. All my rides are not that far. They won’t be century rides.

I am planning to make full use of the “foldability” of Opie. I will most likely will be taking train rides out of KL, and ride back to the city. Other routes would be in Hulu Langat, which is very near to my house. I am also planning another Cheras-Seremban ride again. I want to try the beef noodle again and this time the Cendol too.

I am asking a select few to join me for the rides. I mostly love riding alone too. I don’t feel pressurized to ride faster than I am capable of.

Will I make it to Batang Kali this weekend? Batu Caves crowd must be humongous this Sunday. Must bring my big camera.

Of course there is the Batu Pahat CycleFriday Cultural Bicycle Ride on 30 March 2013, organised by Azizan. That will be interesting. Hope to make it there too.

25/12: Cheras-Seremban

(Testing: Translation by Google into Chinese Simplified)

Today, I finally did the ride that I had been talking about for a month. I wanted to test my endurance and stamina on such a ride. 60km is still my best ever. Do I have to aim for the century mark to enjoy touring by bicycle? I don’t know.

After a full breakfast at home, I went out at 7.39am. I was hoping to complete it in 3 hours, which I almost did. Never start a long ride without a full stomach. Also do your business before leaving.

E7 (Cheras-Kajang highway) is quite empty during the public holidays or Sunday. Interstate #1 has more vehicles from Kajang all the way to Semenyih. After Semenyih, the vehicle count thinned out until I reached Seremban.

A word of caution, there is an uphill slope from Mantin towards Lekas highway for 2+ km. Need to crunch the low gears. Or you can take a detour to Bangi and Labu to Seremban, but it is longer.

I found out the hard way that when I ride over 40km, my left knee will turn to Jelly. However, it will be alright the following day. I have to google how to exercise my knees.

On another note, I am proud to say that I have cycled 60km just to try a Seremban beef noodle. The noodle is unique and delicious in its own way, but I don’t think people in KL will like it. I like the gravy, sesame seeds and ground nuts. It is not cheap though. One bowl comes up to RM9 (with balls and soup).

Initially, I thought Seremban is a very boring town to visit, but I find that it has its own unique buildings. Colonial schools, churches, temples, Minangkabau roofs of state government buildings, the pre-independence rows of shops, Little India, etc.

What I didn’t see is the Seremban siew pau, or maybe I wasn’t looking intently.

Throughout the 60km ride, only came across 1 signpost of bicycle

After Branang, I am crossing the state line

after the ardous climb from Mantin to LEKAS highway, I am entering Seremban

The famous Pasar Besar Seremban

Have to taste the famous Beef noodle of Seremban

Opie in Seremban, yeah!

a very impressive church in Seremban

Opposite the church is a Hindu temple

Opie is all dressed up for ride on KTM Komuter

At Seremban KTM station

Certificate of completion: 2-tone skin

Today’s ride:

Cheras-Seremban