AhPek Biker - Old Dog Rides Again

Monday, August 12, 2013

Penang : A Night Ride With New Friends

You are at - Jotaro's Blog / AhPek Biker / Cycling Malaysia / Penang / A Night Ride With New Friends

AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

Penang : A Night Ride With New Friends

George Town : 2nd August 2013

Medium-sized Group Ride - Macalister Road>Karpal Singh Drive>Jelutong Expressway>Cycling Lane>Jelutong Expressway>Esplanade>Cheapside>Macalister Road.
Distance covered : 18.83 km.
Time Start : 9:20 pm Time End : 11:55 pm
Duration : 2 hrs 15 mins.

Route Recommendations :
1. Do stop by the IJM Promenade to view the giant floating Hornbill Mascot.
2. Cycling along the bicycling lanes would have been nice once they are completed.
3. If planning to eat at Cheapside, ride in from the back so as to avoid the crowded front.

PRELUDE

I am on my regular trip up to Penang again. This time round I took the Alisan coach from the 1-Utama Transportation Hub to Penang's Komtar. My favorite bus company the 5-Star coach had discontinued their service for this route.

The Alisan's coaches are not too bad, with individual TV in-bus entertainment (several channels but no video-on-demand) and their fares are cheaper too.

I will also be trying out my new yellow Keen adventure sandals. Hopefully, in this debut ride, they will perform as well as expected.

And along the ride we will get to see the large Hornbill mascot, a 20-30 feet blow-up floating in the sea off the IJM Promenade.
With so many yellows, this will definitely be a royally lucky ride.

THE RIDE

Cycling Route - Macalister Road>Karpal Singh Drive>Jelutong Expressway>Cycling Lane>Jelutong Expressway>Esplanade>Cheapside>Macalister Road.

This is a casual ride, meeting up with new friends and riding with them from Macalister Road to E-Gate via Karpal Singh Drive. Return route was down to Cheapside and back.

I have earlier contacted an old friend Larry and he had asked me to join his friends and him for this night ride. Yes, this will be a ride with some new friends.

That's Larry in the centre wearing an orange jersey. Here I also met a few new friends but more interestingly I met up with Winson Gan, he had contacted me through my blogs and was keen to ride with me. So I clued him in on this ride and here he is, in a yellow t-shirt - another yellow, another lucky stroke! Next to him is Lemon, contrary to his name he is not a sour fellow but a real cheerful person.

We met at Mako's place (that's on the left in a orange jersey, he operates this laundry shop he owns). Here too, I got to know Agnes (third from left) and Jimmy & his wife Aliya (they are not in this photo but are a wonderfully helpful couple as I later found out at another ride).

At 9:20pm, we rode off, and riding through the quieter streets we headed for the IJM Promenade for an interesting sight.

My Brompton with the Hornbill Bird Mascot.

What's the interesting sight - it's a large 20-30 feet blow-up Hornbill mascot floating in the sea off the promenade.

And here are my friends, new friends and me in a group photo with the floating mascot.

From there we took the busy Jelutong Expressway heading for our next destination, the Queensbay.

Somewhere near Udini Road, we decided to try out the cycling lanes that have been constructed. These lanes are made from concrete and are wide enough for two cyclists to ride abreast.

Oh-oh! Parts of the cycling lane is still under constructions. So, for fear of loose nails puncturing our tires, we abandoned our plans to ride to Queensbay.

Instead, we took the next pedestrian bridge (near e-Gate) to head back to the city.

Larry, Jimmy & Winston.

Did some barrier hopping too to get back onto the road.

Via the Jelutong Expressway and making some turns here & there, we are soon riding on a quieter Beach Street.

Taking a short break.

OCBC Cyclist at the OCBC Bank in Beach Street.

At the Esplanade, near the old Town Hall Building, we too a group photo at th"Ships" sculpture (that's the photo right at the top of this blog) and headed for ....

.... supper at Cheapside Alley off Chulia Street.

After which we rode back to the start point and called it a night.

It was a good ride, especially the part of meeting with new friends!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Penang : Launching Of The Green Road Sharing Concept

You are at - Jotaro's Blog / AhPek Biker / Cycling Malaysia / Penang / Launching Of The Green Road Sharing Concept
AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Penang : Launching Of The Green Road Sharing Concept

Tanjong Bungah : 4th August 2013

Subsequent to me checking out the mock-up trial cycling lanes the previous morning; we heard through the grapevine that the Chief Minister of Penang would be officiating the launch of the "Green Road Sharing Concept" the following morning.
Many of us had plans to cycle on that beautiful August morning, but when we heard about this launching, we dropped our plans and went to support the event; after all it's an initiative by the state to promote safe cycling.
We cyclists definitely have to support such a move!

It is an ambitious plan to provide thirty kilometers of such shared cycle lanes from the Tanjong Tokong Fire Station up till Balik Pulau. Today's launch will commence a public consultation before the implementation of the lanes.
One signboard shows the extent of the plan, with comparison given of such implemented schemes in other places such as Australia, the United States & Taiwan.

On another signboard were write up of the materials that were proposed to be used together with samples shown.

This proposal is to "paint" a metre wide green lane on both sides of the planned route. These lanes will not be dedicated lanes specially for cyclists to use but a lane on the same carriageway to be shared with other vehicles (... see blog on lane construction).

Three mock-up lanes each about one meter wide and thirty metres long, with each constructed of different materials, were put up for the public to view and comment.

Many cyclist from all walks (or should I say "all cycles") of life came to support this event; even parents with their little children came.

In a make-shift shed and dais, the Chief Minister gave a short speech to commemorate the launching.

He is a simple person, and many of us including yours truly, got to shake hands and take a photo with him.

With formalities over, it was time to cut the ribbon .....

... and we are off to try out the mock-up lanes.

(Photo courtesy of Sandra Leng)

Thumbs Up for this initiative!

Related Blogs :

Checking Out The Trial Green Cycling Lanes

3rd August 2013

It was an honor for me to give a cyclist's opinion on the trial

cycling lanes that the Penang state government had put up.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Penang : Checking Out the Green Cycling Lanes

You are at - Jotaro's Blog / AhPek Biker / Cycling Malaysia / Penang / Checking Out The Green Cycling Lanes
AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Penang : Checking Out The Green Cycling Lanes

Tanjong Bungah : 3rd August 2013

While I was up in Penang, Suzie a friend of mine asked me to go check out the mock-uo cycling lanes that the state government had put up a few days earlier. Suzie is the secretary of the community committee for the area where these lanes have been put up.

These are three trial lanes of thirty metres each. The lanes were each about one meter wide and thirty metres long, with each constructed of different materials. Suzie wanted my opinion from the cyclist point of view - I was most honored indeed to carry out this task.

These trial lanes are located in front of the Dalat School in Tanjong Bungah, on the side heading towards the city.

Okay, lets have a look at the lanes themselves; starting with the first one view in the direction of traffic flow (Bear in mind that this in only my opinion based on my limited knowledge).

This one is of a coarse surface & applied with polyurethane material surface. Polyurethane is the material used as floor hardeners in basement car-parks and heavy-duty factory floors.

The only thing is that this material is quite glossy and with the sun shining there is glaring sheen reflected from its surface - after kilometers of riding with this glare, it could become uncomfortable to the eyes (especially if one is not wearing sun-glasses like most casual cycling commuters). Of all the three materials used this is the most expensive but also the most durable.

Next up, is the surface that has been painted with road paint, the type that is used for painting car-parking lines in private car-parks.

Painted directly onto the road surface it provided a coarse surface and is of a matte finish. Of the three materials, it is the most economical but least durable.

The third stretch was with a thermoplastic surface, the same material used for road centre and side lines. It is applied by a roller machine in strips. As seen in above, three strips were required to form the adequate width of the cycling lane.

The thermoplastic surface is much smoother making rides lies bumpy when riding faster. The question is are these cycling lanes for racing or speeding?

The next question is, will this thermoplastic be slippery when wet?

Whichever material used, I believe the authorities will be the best to judge in terms of cost versus durability. After all, it is a commendable effort by them to provide for the safety of cyclists; an effort that will have these bicycling lanes stretching on both sides of the road leading from Tanjong Bungah to Balik Pulau.

The official launch was carried out the following day and was officiated by the Chief Minister of Penang (... see blog).

By some coincidence, while I was checking out these lanes, a camera woman and reporter from the local press was there. They asked me questions regarding these lanes and I gave the the same opinion as stated above.