USJ to Langkawi- The First Tour

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Day 1; Tuesday 4th. Dec 2007

Subang Jaya-Klang-Kuala Selangor-Tanjung Karang-Sabak

Distance cycled; 120 km

The plan for touring had been hatched between father and son for a number of times, unfortunately it never got past the planning stage. Son finished his school finals in November, and suddenly there was this opportunity not to be missed as by January 2008 he wanted to start his college. Then there was the Air Exhibition in Langkawi in December and it provided an ideal motive for a destination. This tour is something of a personal statement for me. I had been unduly concerned about my general health, a lot of headaches and palpitations although tests by the doctors had found nothing wrong with my physicals. If at all it was in the mind this is the time to exorcise the demons that had been haunting my feelings. And sure enough the night before was full of self-doubts. It got so bad that the headaches came back and I was feeling feverish through out the night and almost reached the point of copping out. Some how I managed to drag myself out of bed at 6 a.m, had a thoughtful breakfast and changed into the riding gears. I kept the emotion to myself for fear of giving the wife chance to persuade me to back off which I suspected she had been having in the back of her mind

Subang Jaya Tuesday 4th. December 2007, 7.30 am all packed and ready to roll with brand new jerseys and cycling shorts, the shorts ( mine is a mountain bike short as I am a bit too modest for the tights) cost RM120.00 each and the jerseys are RM30.00 each courtesy of Razif a cycling friend who bought them from Bangkok. My carrier and bag are also new, bought the day before for RM350.00.

Flat out at the Federal Highway near Klang after riding for 20 km with misaligned wheels. This same problem will be surfacing later in the journey but it will not be like riding for such a long distance before realising you have been held back because the body of the bike is acting like a brake on the wheel.

Short break for liquid replenishment at a petrol station in Klang. It is almost always the 100 Plus big bottle for us and prices keep getting lower as one gets further away from Kuala Lumpur

We started out from our house and went through USJ 4, cut into USJ 13 and came out through Persiaran Kuala Selangor, left into Persiaran Jubilee Perak before joining the cyling lane of the Federal Highway at Padang Jawa. Morning traffic in Shah Alam was very heavy but except for the narrow roads on the overhead bridges the going was relatively pleasant as by keeping to the side of the road we were never in danger of being molested. We made a brief stop before reaching Klang to adjust the wheel of Mirza’s bike. It was out of alignment causing it to scrape the body of the bike.

We intended to take the Kapar road but made a mistake and ended up on the road to Meru. I stopped at the ATM to draw some cash and then we cycled all the way to Meru. At Meru there was confusing road signs and I relied on my hunch to turn left to Kapar. It was straight flat road and Mirza took the front and pulled me into Kapar. Surprisingly in spite of the speed I found the going not at all disconcerting to my stamina.

Another fiver and this time at Kapar after a burst of speed from Meru which is timed at an average speed of 27 kph for a distance of 10 km. To an old and grizzled tourer this kind of speed is like spending tomorrow for today, which I will soon find out.

Kapar to Kuala Selangor was uneventful and we reached Kuala Selangor at 11.00 am with still a lot of zest still in the bag. The last time I rode into Kuala Selangor which was in July, I still remember that it was like being roasted. The butts burnt like hell and I barely staggered like a drunk into the town, with nothing left for the day and just passed out at the hut near Bukit Melawati. This time maybe the proper cycling attire and Mirza’a company did help to make a difference.

Another break at a fuel station on the way to Kuala Selangor. Looks like sweat is starting to flow.

11.00 am and already at Kuala Selangor after covering a distance of 70 km. This is taken at the foot of Bukit Melawati.

Having packed lunch that costs RM4.00 but could not finish as the work out depresses the appetite. Rest for 2 hours and depart Kuala Selangor at 1.30 pm

Approaching Tanjung Karang the scenery began to change. There were now endless rice fields, which contrasted sharply with the urban buildings that were with us since we left Subang Jaya. The terrain was monotonously flat and we were in the largest gears all the time. I was now beginning to feel the tinge of pain in my right leg. My butt felt very sore in spite of shifting my weights, but how much can you shift around the tiny saddle, which by now became to feel smaller and smaller still. When the pain became intolerable we stopped for a short rest to forget the pain. The original plan was to cycle for every hour and take a five-minute rest in between, but it turned out to be the rest was sometimes taken every 10 minutes. Nevertheless we kept going, as there was no wanting in my breath, which had been my main worry.

Approaching Tanjung Karang. It has been flat rides all day.

 It is mid noon and on normal days would have been hiding in an air con shelter.

View from an overhead pedestrian bridge in Sekinchan. I have to cross over to visit the waterless loo, which you can see on the middle left of the picture.

 Son having a break while Dad is on the other side of the road for the visit.

The rice fields of Sekinchan where the production rate is highest in the country

The produce of Sekinchan, rice.

Iced cold air tebu comes as a shock to your warm body but very much welcomed by the parched throat.

Self portrait of  practitioners of self inflicted torture  ; the pains are still to come.

At the hotel in Sabak, after covering 120 km. Reach Sabak at 6.00 pm,  on the saddle for 9 hours. Every muscle hurts. There is cramp like pain behind the right knee and the butt is bruised. Asides from that other things are okay and the joy is in the sense of achievement. In spite of the heat and the noise from the traffic, I have a sound sleep and manage to wake up at 6.00 am the next morning.

 We are allowed to park our bikes in our room.

Room rate is RM30.00 and the toilet is shared. The front of the hotel taken at 7.00 am the morning of departure

We pedaled into Sabak at about 6.00 pm and asked around for a hotel and was shown a cheap one. We were in no mood to look around and were simply relieved that there was vacancy. Distance covered in the day was a bit too much for the first day as we soon found out in the next.

Day 2; Wednesday 5th Dec

Sabak-Hutan Melintang-Manjung

Distance cycled : 80km

We departed Sabak at 7.30am after a breakfast of carbohydrates at a local restaurant. The morning ride was cool and refreshing and soon we reached the border of Selangor and Perak at Sungai Bernam, traversed by a raised bridge with no cycle path. It was scary to have the lorries whizzing past and on the way down we kept the momentum by pedaling as hard as we could.

After the bridge there was road construction all the way to Hutan Melintang. I did not like it the least as the narrow road had to be shared with other road monsters and it was a relief to reach Hutan Melintang, where there was a dedicated cycle path along the road and we really enjoyed the facility by cycling abreast for the first time.

After Hutan Melintang, a fishing port, we took left over the Iskandar Bridge which crossed Perak River. There were a few stops for rest and recreation and by mid afternoon we reached Manjung. We decided we had enough for the day and furthermore my cousin Abang Din was staying in the area and we took the opportunity to renew old ties by visiting him and staying over for the night.

The cycling path is a joy and it is pleasing that the cars and lorries pay respect by not encroaching into the path.

We have a short stop before attempting the bridge across the Perak River.

This is the historical Perak River where the British started their intervention in the Malay States. They came upstream into this river, installed the ruler of their choice and only left 100 years later. 

The top of the bridge is reached in the smallest gear and the fun is freewheeling down for about 500m. Before the top there are flocks of green pigeons feeding in the trees by the side of the bridge and when they fly away, alarmed by our approach I can almost touch them

For the first time we see a coconut plantation. There are acres and acres of them, a sight not found anywhere else in the country.

The coconut water is adulterated, sugar is added to enhance the sweetness but still a welcomed relief after the ride in the hot sun.

Muscle cramps are coming at more frequent intervals as the fatigue starts to build up. Stop for a rub.

Just next to the house there are green pigeons, a wild bird normally shy of people, feeding on the berries in the trees, a sight to behold.

100 year old brass poster bed at Abang Din’s

Day 3;Thursday 6th. Dec

Manjung-Butterworth, we cheat by taking a bus

Butterworth-Sungai Petani-Gurun-Alor Star

Distance cycled; 85km

8.30 am departed Manjung by bus. The bus man almost did not allow our bikes on board but we pretended not to hear him and proceeded to load them into the luggage hold without his expressed permission. Luckily for us it was he who salvaged the situation by warning us he would not to be held responsible for any damages to either the bikes or other baggage.

The bus arrived at Butterworth at 12.00 noon and I scratched my shin while retrieving the bikes. We assembled the bikes and departed immediately. We stopped for lunch at a Mamak Restaurant and I had nasi kandar, a local meal, much popularized in Kuala Lumpur. To my disappointment the curry tasted rather bland, maybe due to the catering to the local taste. I would have voted for the Kuala Lumpur version anytime.

Whilst cycling past the airbase at Kepala Batas, Mirza had a puncture. After faithfully following the rules of repairing the puncture we still could not stop the leak. We then chose the alternative and replaced the tube with a new one. By then 1 hour had been wasted but I did not complain as the rest did me a lot of good. Later we discovered that we had left our pump at the place, this happened in spite of exercising extra caution in ensuring that everything had been packed properly before leaving. I had once left a map after repairing a puncture in Kuala Lumpur and therefore was fully vigilant against repeating the mistake. But it was not to be and I hit my head hard for the silly oversight.

 The first puncture.

Some how being too hasty we fail in the Puncture Repair 101. Very humiliating.

Approaching Sungai Petani the flat road gave way to undulating. Small gradients started appearing. The town of Sungai Petani itself was hugging the foot of a hill and we began to change into smaller gears to overcome the resistance. There was a need for more exertions but we rather enjoyed it after the monotonous flat behind us. Furthermore the gradients were still on the gentle sides.

A hotel in Sungai Petani we should had stayed in, such a promising description should not have been spurned

The skies were darkening and soon we were riding in light showers, which sometimes turned a bit heavy. When we got too wet we seek shelters along the road, waiting for the rain to ease and at the same time resting our weary muscles. It was becoming like a cat and mouse game and soon tiring of waiting too much we simply slogged on in spite of the rain and were soon soaked to the skin. Our valuables we wrapped in plastic bag and they were kept dry and safe.

At Gurun there was quite a bit of a climb but after that it was flat again and later we came to the rice fields of Kedah. The rain by then eased up the wind resistance helped to dry up our clothing quite quickly. By this time my body was aching all over and even though the flats are supposed to be easy we had to take it at slow pace with frequent stops to rest the weary legs. Because we were too slow it was quite dark when we rode into Alor Star. We started looking for the first hotel in sight, which turned out to be Continental Hotel. Miserable and fatigued, we were overjoyed to be informed there was room available. The rate was RM140.00. We were told we could park our bikes in the basement and after collecting our gears we went to our rooms and the first job before turning for the night was, like before, the jersey wash, done in the bathroom. After a warm shower we went down to the street to look for dinner, I in my sarong, and walking stiffed and cramped. That night was one of the most marvelous I ever had, dozing off the moment I hit the pillows and waking up at dawn without once the need to visit the toilet for a night pee.

Merdeka Bridge spans a river that is the border between Penang and Kedah

It rains and we take shelter at a stall near Gurun

The most gruelling 19 km in my life, cycling or otherwise.

Day 4; Friday 7th. Dec

Alor Star-Kuala Kedah-Langkawi-Kuala Kedah-Alor Star

Distance cycled 65km

After breakfast we changed into our cycling gears, which were still damp from the washing. We departed from the hotel at 8.00 and hit the road to Kuala Kedah to catch a ferry to Langkawi. On the way Mirza started to have problem with his front tyre. It was bulging at the sides. It looked like trouble coming, as we had no pump. We stopped twice at the petrol stations to use their air pumps but the presta valve being new to us was very difficult to manage and a full hour was wasted before we succeeded inflating the tyre again.

We arrived at Kuala Kedah 9.30 am and was lucky to get an offer for an earlier journey as the counters were only sell tickets for the afternoon trips. There was extra charge for the bike at RM8 per bike. Langkawi island was reached at 11.30. The sky was cloudy. Hunger was gnawing at my vitals and we started to look out for local restaurants and worrying that we would not find one, made us stopped for lunch at a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet. It was a bad choice as we have broken the cardinal rule of going local including meals. Regret was twice over when we could not finish the choice as their rice and chicken was a lousy combination. Later on we met a lot of local food stalls. The feeling was like waiting for the bus that never came, but when not needed they appeared in droves.

Leaving Kuah, we started to hit the hills. They were much steeper than we ever encountered in our trip. Soon we were puffing up the hills but nevertheless we welcomed the challenge. The sweetest reward was going a long long downhill into the airport. We stopped for a short while to watch the aerobatics of LIMA and shot a few obligatory photos but could not wait too long as we had to catch the ferry back at 6.00 pm. The way back to the terminal was taken through an alternative route through Pantai Chenang, the reason then we though it would be a flatter ride along the beaches. But it was not so as soon after leaving Pantai Chenang we encountered the steepest hills in our journey. It was so steep that labouring to overcome it caught me out of breath, so much so that I was almost on the verge of giving up. The failure to engage the smallest gear added to the agony. It was hills after hills and when we reached the end it was so exhausting that there was almost nothing left in me. The drink taken right after gave me pure joy.

Rain clouds were by then thickening and a few kilometers before reaching Kuah we were hit by the showers. As it was getting late we decided to slog through and reached the terminal, soaking wet, but still in time for the last ferry. We reached Kuala Kedah at 8.00 but had to wait for another half an hour before disembarking as there was a ferry jam at the harbour. There were so many ferries coming in for the last trip that there was a long queue to dock.

We disembarked at 9.00 and rode the last section in the dark. I was a bit apprehensive of our safety but the lighted roads did give some comfort although we should not have ventured into the night without adequate lighting. The only light we had between us was a small tail red light and we were praying that it would be enough to catch the attention of the motorists to our presence on the road. It was a cool night after a shower and we rode through the puddles quickly and made it to Alor Star in only ½ an hour for the ten-kilometer distance. We had a quick supper and by the time we were in bed it was already 10.30 and it meant our laundry could not dry in time for wearing the next day. Changing into damp attires was one of the bette noirs we hope to avoid in life.

At the ferry terminal Langkawi Island after the crossing.

At the top of the climb on the way from the terminal to the airport. The terrain is challenging as there are many climbs and as much there are the freewheeling downhill.

Waiting for the air show I manage to finish 3 glasses of local drinks.

Figure 35 : Showing off the tan, after 4 days of cycling

The two trusted steeds at Langkawi Airport. There is no meaning attached to the fallen one. It simply has no stand to prop.

The obligatory photo of the aerobatics at LIMA 2007, the arrow through the heart by the Red Arrows.

Caught by heavy showers on the way back to the ferry terminal.

The beginning of the end of the tour. Most of the efforts are now behind us.

Day 5; Saturday 8th Dec

Alor Star-KL by bus

Pudu Raya-KL Central

KL Central-Subang Jaya by Commuter KTM

Subang Jaya-Court 9

Distance cycled – 15km

From the hotel we rode Alor Star main bus station and purchased tickets to Kuala Lumpur. We departed from the hotel at 8.00 am and arrived at the Bus Terminal at 8.30 am. The bus departed from Alor Star at 10.00 am and we arrived at Pudu Raya Kuala Lumpur at 4.00 pm. The bicycles rode in the luggage compartment in the belly of the bus.

We cycled from from Pudu Raya to KL Central  and took our bicycles on the train. We were initially stopped by the guard but I put on a pretended air that I had taken bicycles on trains previously without troubles. He believed me. Reminded me of De Caprio in "Catch Me If You Can".   

From KL Central  to Subang Jaya the train took 40 minutes. Again were stopped by the train guard but this time it was at the exit point and it did not take any acting skill to take the bicycles over the barrier. 

We rode home and arrived at 6.30 pm. At last home sweet home.

After thoughts

Funny that I felt better after coming back compared to before going. There was no exhaustion that I had dreaded; instead there was the muscle fatigue only and nothing more. The exhilaration was overwhelming. Yes, definitely I would do the tour again. With this experience there were certain areas that I could do better

1. The first day should have been taken at easier pace to allow the body to adjust. By taking it to the extreme on the first day I had to endure a lot of pain and fatigue on the second. The third and fourth was simply amazing.

2. Avoid puncture repair on the road. I should have followed the basic advice to change the tube and do the repair on reaching the resting place at the end of the day. We wasted 1 hour trying to do the repair, which ended by the inevitable tube change as repairs done in a hurry were bound to fail.

3. Should have brought 1 proper change. Going down for the buffet breakfast at a hotel with night shorts attracted a lot of embarrassing attractions.

4. Should have not planned the duration. It brought a lot of pressure on the cycling and therefore missed a lot of photo opportunities. There were certain stretches that should have been taken at an easier pace instead of having the nose to the grindstone all the times. It defeated the purpose of cycling tour.