Distance covered : 34.26km. {105km.}
Starting Time : 7:45am
Time Taken : approx. 3:13:43hrs. (for myself)
For full list of riders see GANGNAM STYLE RIDE / USJ-JENJAROM
NOTE:
To get into the mood, click PSY-GANGNAM STYLE for video/music to play to accompany this blog. It will open in another window, click on relevant tab to get back here.
PRELUDE
With the present Gangnam Craze, a ride with Gangnam as its theme was bound to happen. And who else to organize it but our jovial senior Yong Sin Ng. And more than 30 riders registered for this ride, crazy huh?
Well, we love to ride and have fun at the same time!
In the weeks leading to this, there were a lot of chat on how to learn this dance. Many searched the net for videos showing how to dance including this - "How to Gangnam Style Dance Tutorial".
Our co-rider Dr Yangman went even further and did a caricature of Gangnaming with a bicycle. That would be something if somebody can really do that!
Yong Sin had planned the ride to start from USJ with the destination as Jenjarom. I had some other appointment for lunch, and concerned that I could not make it back for the lunch do, I planned to ride with the group just up till the far end of Kota Kemuning and then turn back.
It would have been great if I had continued on with them, for they went even further than Jenjarom and extended the ride to Jugra! That would have been an interesting ride. But then duty calls.
We met at USJ1/1a, an area of shophouses with ample car parking. Unloading our bikes we prepared ourselves. Some came earlier and had breakfast at nearby coffee shops.
The Ride
Yong Sin did a quick briefing. He will be leading the ride and his better half, Lim Hui Min, will be the sweeper. They had walkie-talkies to communicate with each other and whistles to guide the riders.
With a blow of his whistle, Yong Sin kicked off the ride.
Just rounding a corner and we were riding past the Mydin USJ Hypermarket. Even at the early hour, the traffic was already building up. This is a busy area indeed.
Not wanting to ride on the busy Jalan Kewajipan, we went onto the parallel residential road Jalan USJ2/2. However, slightly ahead we had to push our bike across a dirt path to access to the ramp leading down to the KESAS Highway. Well better to be safe than sorry.
We had an early regroup at the bus-stop here before riding onto the biking lanes of the KESAS Highway. They were around 25 of us, another ten riders would be joining us at Kota Kemuning.
It was a good thing too that we will be on the biking lanes, the traffic was fast as can be seen in the above photo of the ramp we were on. The moment the traffic light turned green, cars & motorcycles would be zooming past.
AND we were on the biking lanes! But the hedges growing close to the lane did not help as it pushed us to cycle almost at the center of the lane.
Slightly ahead, construction were ongoing and part of the bike lane was closed. A narrowly temporary barricaded lane was formed onto the highway itself. It was too narrow and motorcyclists were impatiently riding behind us.
For most of the stretch, the biking lane was relatively flat... and unshaded! It was a good thing that we were doing this in the early morning as we would be riding the lane for close to 10km.
We did pass under some fly-over, the clearance seems rather low - the minimum required by law?
As we approached closer to Kota Kemuning, the lanes did get shadier.
And we are into Kota Kemuning! Off from the biking lane and the highway.
We reached the meeting point for the other bikers (the Kemuning group), i.e. opposite the Columbia Asia private hospital.
But where are they? We waited patiently and looked around. Nowhere to be seen!
There was a bit of confusion, they were at the hospital compound while we were waiting at the bus-stop on the road opposite the hospital.
But no despair, a couple of calls and they soon joined us, and we took a group photo.
Now for the dancing! Some of us did the Gangnam dance, while most of the others looked on. A shy lot we bikers are!
Anyway, those that danced had a ready audience who cheered us on.
With the full group we were ready to bike on.
We rode along the shady roads of Kota Kemuning, heading for the far end of the housing estate, where it joins Kampong Batu 7 - another 3km. inwards.
Here at where Kota Kemuning ends and Kampong Batu 7 starts, I had to turn back - to ride back alone. I waved goodbye to by biker friends, both new and old - wishing them a pleasant and safe ride.
After seeing the last of them riding off, and with a feeling of melancholy, I rode back alone. Soon I was back at the biking lanes heading back for USJ.
To offset my loneliness, I took photos of interesting spots along the way. Like these intersecting flyovers.
..... at an overpass looking downwards at busy traffic.
And I continued on keeping to the safety adage of riding a far left as possible, as the motorcyclists were really zooming by fast.
DISASTER!
Riding up the ramp from KESAS leading to the Summit USJ Complex, the traffic queue was long. There were motorcyclist behind me; impatient and wanting to overtake.
So the first chance I had, seeing a splay in the road ahead, I swung left to let them past.
Not good.....
..... distracted by the motorcyclists behind I did not notice a manhole with its cover in the wrong direction.
The wheel of my bike went in and I was sent flying, landing flat-faced onto the road. Luckily, other than abrasions on my face, I was not seriously injured.
I used my on-board first-aid kit to to attend to my wound - cursing at the stupid manhole and cursing at myself for my lapse in alertness (for details of this accident see SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS #3 : The Accident).
Fortunately, my bicycle was not badly damaged. I must thank my lucky stars!
I was able to cycle the last 3km to the Start/End point.
After packing my bike into my car, I went over to the coffee shop opposite to have a drink to calm myself down from the shock of the accident.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw my bloodied face.
A lesson learnt.
Via my mobile, I sent photos of the offending manhole to warn my fellow bikers of the to avoid it on their return journey.
I drove off for further treatment; and later at home I lit a candle and said some prayers for the protection that God has given me.
Many thanks to :-
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7:40am - Although we started from the built up area of USJ, with a short moment we were riding down a road along SS13 (SS - stands for Subang Sungai Way locality). The road separates newer residential area of USJ Subang Jaya (which was on the right) and the industrial area of Sungai Way on the other side.
We rode pass several village houses of Kampong Kenangan, with me being awed that just a stone throw away from those busy high density residential area are pockets of calm, quiet rural life. AND ahead it got more interesting.... ahead was a quiet, long road that seem to run through an unpopulated area. The dense flora had hidden everything away. On the right were kampong houses and on the left, the Klang River. Our route would make a U-shaped loop that skirts the river, but unfortunately we did not get to see the river... perhaps the next round we would explore some more.
In front we took a left across a bridge spanning one of many irrigation canals of this area....
... and Waaaala! We leave the kampong scene and are back at a built-up area, passing by the huge Putera Heights MRT Station which loomed overhead and seemed to dwarf Jason who was riding ahead. We are taking a short detour into Putra Heights for breakfast.
Shriyasz Curry House like many newer mamak outlets trying to meet the challenges of today's younger gastronomic palate, have come out with some innovative creations on their menu; creations which reminded me of the Roti Doll I had in Alor Star.
Jason went for another innovative dish - Ghee Tosai!
Tummies filled and with a short ride we were back on that rustic road that runs parallel to the Klang River. It is interesting how a river can divide different communities; on this side things were all rural and quiet. On the other side was the busy township of Kota Kemuning.
A bit of off-road adventure here, along a narrow earth path that would lead us out from Bukit Lanchong. We could see some factories nearby, these are the ones at the rear section of Taman Alam Megah. But we won't be heading there...
... but instead cut across to another quite kampong called Lancong Jaya. These days the kampong houses are mostly built in concrete and bricks, but there are still a few wooden houses around.
Yup... we are at Lancong Jaya. At the back is one of the wooden houses right next to a huge brick house. I do hope that more of the timber houses will be conserved so that this village will still retain it's old world charm.
We rode pass the fringe of Taman Alam Megah and the were into an industrial area, the Shah Alam Premier Industrial Park. It was a Sunday and most of the factories were quiet and the roads almost devoid of traffic. Yippeeeee!
We hit the Shah Alam Expressway (which forms part of the South Klang Valley Expressway).... now how are we going to get across this very busy highway. Use a pedestrian bridge!
A tip here on easy carrying of the Brompton bicycles - hook the seat over your shoulder, at the soft muscle part midway between the neck and the upper arm (not on the collar bone!). Carried this way, the bike perfectly balances on the shoulder.....
The bridge took us over to the HICOM Industrial Park .... again a quiet and nice place to ride on with some stretches nicely shaded.
Another interesting feature along the way, double round tunnels running below Elite Highway. These tunnels will take us back to the Subang locality. Over on the other side is the Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park.
Time for eats again, time for brunch at Restoran Wai Kwan. This is a coffee-shop with many hawker stalls; we opted for something light, Chee Cheong Fun (CCF). A stall here also sells a variety of CCF including Ipoh-style CCF. I had this Teluk Anson CCF but drenched in curry; guess I still miss the Roti Float from earlier on.
Anther stall sells very good pau, this one is their Char Siew Pau filled with very tasty mince Char Siew within a fluffy bun.
The pau were so good we pack take-away to take back for loved ones back home (have to score Brownie Points, yah?).
11:35 am - We are back at the Wawasan Station, our cars were parked at a car-park just slightly in front.
