Kuala Lumpur-Selangor : NENGH Super Loop Pt.2

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Kuala Lumpur-Selangor : NENGH Super Loop Pt.2

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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

NENGH Super Loop Pt.2

Kuala Lumpur-Selangor : 22nd February 2014

Small Group Ride: Titiwangsa>Dato Keramat>Setiawangsa>Wangsa Maju>Gombak>Sentul>Jinjang>Kepong>Sri Damansara>Damansara Perdana>Bandar Utama>Taman Tun Dr Ismail>SS2 Petaling Jaya>Section 17>Federal Highway>Titiwangsa

Distance Covered: 83.37 km.
Time: 7:15 am to 5:45 pm
Duration: 10.5 hours (Including stops for breakfast, lunch, tea, toilet breaks, rests and photos)

Route Recommendations :
1. Although the distance was one that many of us did before, due to the heat it did become taxing. Rehydration is important and we did a few stops for topping up water.
2. Cutting through Pulapol will require special permission.
2. The beef noodles at Argyle Cafe, Jalan Ipoh is pretty good.
3. Do take a short stop to view the army vehicles depot at Batu Cantonment.

PRELUDE

We are on a sort of a self-challenge ride, i.e. to ride at least eighty kilometres before we can head home.
In Part 1, starting from Titiwangsa we had rode a circular route, and had a break at Jalan Ipoh for an early lunch. Now to continue our adventure, we head into Jinjang & Kepong.

THE RIDE

NENGH Super Loop Cycling Route Map (click for Map Link)

Ride Route: Titiwangsa>Dato Keramat>Setiawangsa>Wangsa Maju>Gombak>Sentul>Jinjang>Kepong>Sri Damansara>Damansara Perdana>Bandar Utama>Taman Tun Dr Ismail>SS2 Petaling Jaya>Section 17>Federal Highway>Titiwangsa

As can be seen from the route summary above, we did really cover a lot. We rode through many major suburbs of Kuala Lumpur and punched into Selangor a few times. The map above does not show a complete loop, as I had completed more than eighty kilometres and headed home for another appointment. My strong friends continued on and rode all the way back to Titiwangsa.

Lest this blog will become as long as the ride, I will simplify this blog and capture some moments of our ride at the suburbs. *grins*

JINJANG & KEPONG

We are onto Jalan Kepong, having left Jalan Ipoh via the round-a-bout below the Jalan Kuching overpass.

It was only a short stint at the Kepong main road, with a couple of turns we were into the Jalan Jambu area of Jinjang South.

Passed by this man who was carrying loads of stuff, probably to a stall he is operating somewhere nearby. While we here are cyclists who cycling for fun and to keep fit, these are the people who depends on their bicycles for their livelihood.

We are cycling through a light industrial area now. Luckily for us this place was quite shady, as out in the hot sun the temperatures were reaching close to 40 degrees.

Although our route did not take us pass any beautiful scenery; it took us through a changing landscape of sub-urban housing, kampongs, industrial areas, etc. and it also gave us an opportunity to view the different lifestyles of the people from one area to the next.

12:00 noon - Near Desa Complex, Alex said his goodbyes to us. He has to leave for some work appointment.

But before Alex could leave, we noticed that Fenn had fallen off her bicycle just slightly ahead. Fortunately she was not seriously injured.

TAMAN EHSAN & TAMAN DESA JAYA

Yes, Fenn is a strong girl. Here she is continuing riding with us below the LDP and ready to turn into Taman Ehsan.

Taman Ehsan is a suburb with a quiet residential section...

... and some commercial areas. Oops! It's not so quiet after all, as at these commercial areas the traffic started building up. Ahead at the industrial section, the traffic got even worse and there we found it difficult to cross the roads.

Above, rain clouds seems to be forming. "Please let it rain. Please let it rain! The heat is scorching." was most probably the thought that ran through most of our minds.

A very colourful signboard.

A short stint on busy Jalan Kuala Selangor (that's the road that lead from Kepong to Kuala Selangor) before we turn up to Bandar Sri Damansara.

I must really take my hat off to Sussana. In this scorching sun, she is wearing just a single with exposed arms - with no arm sleeves or sun-block protection. AND she don't seem to get sunburnt! Does she have bionic skin?

SRI DAMANSARA & DAMANSARA PERDANA

Wasn't it a relieve when we reached the McDonalds in Sri Damansara. The shaded outer seating area gave us a much needed relief from the hot, merciless sun. Here, Anne joined us.

Riding along the ring road of Sri Damansara, somehow four of us got detached from the group. We had missed a critical turn off. No realizing that this is a ring road we rode round a big circle until somebody remarked "Hey! Isn't that the McDonalds we had drinks in just now?"

Oops!

We managed to meet up with the rest, they were patiently waiting for us under shady trees at Persiaran Meranti.

From here, Anne took us on a road (that runs through a construction site and hardly used by normal traffic) that is a short-cut over to Damansara Perdana. The road is a bit steep and part of it uncompleted and un-tarred. The more tired of us resorted to pushing up hill.

Over that hill and just like that we were into Damansara Perdana, happily whooshing down the slope.

WARNING! A bit of care is needed when free rolling down here lest one ends up in a mishap like me (... see Accident blog). There are three gratings with slots running parallel to the road; Harry can be seen here swinging right to cross the grating diagonally.

At Folding Bike Malaysia, we carried out a small task for Machu Picchu of the Cycling Kuala Lumpur, Bicycle Map Project. i.e. distributing the Kuala Lumpur Cycling Map to bicycle shops to create awareness of this map.

BANDAR UTAMA & TAMAN TUN DR ISMAIL

To cut through to Bandar Utama, we used the shady pedestrian walkway at Jalan PJU7/1 Mutiara Damansara.

At My Bicycle Shop, another bicycle shop was made aware of the Kuala Lumpur Cycling Map.

Fenn will not be continuing on with us. Even wounded she was all smiles, after all she has covered close to sixty kilometres. Well done Fenn!

A bit of a hiccup just into Taman Tun Dr. Ismail; it was up the pavement to avoid construction works.

To get over the busy Damansara-Puchong Highway, it was via our favourite pedestrian bridge at the Taman Tun Dr. Ismaii wet market.

SS2 PETALING JAYA & HOME (YAHOO!)

Nope! We are not looking for parking space here at the Tropicana City Mall basement car-park. It's our short-cut to SS2 without having to traverse the SPRINT or Damansara-Puchong Highway highways.

4:15 pm - Final pit stop at the Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Noodles outlet at SS2; hot, tired, sweaty and smelly yet smiling....

... smiling because of this thirst quenching, mouth watering ice-kacang.

And this Rojak fruit salad; one with a spicy oomph!

Having done my 80, I left my friends at SS2. Happily, and perhaps with a tinge of envy, they waved goodbye.

By the time I reached home, I had clocked in 83.37 km. - that double loop at Sri Damansara helped :). Not bad for an AhPek on a scorching, energy zapping day!