Selangor : Petaling Jaya 1st Critical Mass or the Whodunit Ride?

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Selangor : PJ First Critical Mass or the Whodunit? Ride

Petaling Jaya : 28th February 2014

Public Ride Event- Around Petaling Jaya

Cycling Distance Covered : 12.4 km.
Time : 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Time Taken : approx. 2 hrs. (including stops for rest & regrouping)

PRELUDE

On several of our cycling FB group pages, somebody posted this blog with this cute poster calling for a Critical Mass Ride in Petaling Jaya (PJ for short). No Critical Mass has been held in PJ or Selangor as far as I know; so this was a FIRST!
I created an FB event for this ride so as to inform my friends about the ride; and they wrongly assumed that I was the organizer *blush*.
So who was the organizer then? Whodunit?
We will come to that later, in the meantime let's just enjoy riding.

MEETING & MAKING FRIENDS

At the start point (A&W Drive-In PJ), the atmosphere was one of gaiety. Like a sort of reunion of cyclists from different cycling groups who have not met each other in a while.

It was one of making new friends linked just because we were wearing similar themed T-shirts in support of the Pink Ribbon effort.

It was one of meeting long lost friends like Seang Nee. Well, actually not that long but a few months of not riding with a friend seems like ages!

It was a night of people like Franklin (from Singapore & working here), Maccu Picchu (of the Cycling KL Map Project) and Aedewan (a long-haul cyclo-tourer) meeting up, chatting and trading tales from their different perspective but with one unifying factor - cycling!

Tailim (of the hApPy HaPpY blogs) and me made new friends with a couple of Singapore girls, Elena & Avarielle. They are working here in Malaysia, and like to cycle too.

Regulars from the KL Critical Mass - Justin (2nd from left), Maccu (centre) and Yvonne (left).

I was surprised to see quite a number of cyclists who are regulars of the Kuala Lumpur Critical Mass Ride here too! Kuala Lumpur has a similar ride every last Friday of the month too (... see blog).

IT'S TIME TO RIDE!

Petaling Jaya First Critical Mass Ride Map (click for Google Map Link)

Ride route - A&W Drive-In PJ>Jalan Universiti>SS2>SS1>Jalan Templer>Jalan Pencala>A&W Drive-In

It was a simple route, a short route but an important route. It was a route for a show of force, of us cyclists cycling in unison.

There were cries of "Let's ride! Let's ride!"; and with SK (he was perhaps an impromptu ride leader) leading the way, we headed off.

Heading up the Jalan Timur flyover ramp.

A quick regroup at Jalan Bukit 11/2.

Oops! MaRiNa developed tingly cramps on her toes. Seksan and a few others were quick to come to her rescue. After this she recovered fast and rode with us all the way.

We were surprised to see the rest of the group waiting for us at Jaya One. Yes our motto could be the same as the Marines - "Nemo Resideo" that is "No One Left Behind!".

At the SS2 wedding botique row.
Nope! These are not wedding photographers, they are cyclists who are also avid photographers getting their gear ready to capture highlights of the ride.

This is the risk of taking photos while cycling at night, ended up with a blurry image of a ghost cyclist or phantom rider. Still it came up as an interesting photo.

Rest & Regroup at the Petron Station in SS2. Chee Too in his regular cycling wear - a batik sarong with a Pagoda singlet top.

A friend on his self-made bicycle, one with an unique sleek curve frame and a carved wooden seat.

A closer view of his bike showing the wooden seat with single spring, and handles wrapped with rattan strips. Cool!

A large concrete truck "escorting us".

Riding into the red light district.

And BIG HURRAH! before ending the ride.

WHODUNIT?

So who was it that kicked of this inaugral PJ Critical Mass?
Was it SK who led the ride? OR...

Was it Seksan, a long-time cyclist pushing for support from the state government for bicycle lanes in PJ?
Or was it Maccu, the cycle mapper?
Or was it Yvonne, the seasoned biker biker who has been a strong supporter of the KL Critical Mass?
Perhaps, it could be all of them, who while on a coffee chat just said "Let's Critical Mass PJ!" *light bulb blinking up*