3rd Overnight
Kuantan to Kuala Terengganu. 220 kms
The call time on the ground floor lobby was at 5pm and the target time to leave was 6 which is normally too early for cyclists. 5:30 would be better so that the tired bikers can max out the 30 minutes of additional rest. It may sound peculiar but half an hour means a lot. Still game and the good sport that everyone is, the whole entourage was present and went about doing the list of pre-ride preps…bike check, tire pressure check, food, drink, lights, capped with the lacing off shoes and snap on of helmets. 6:22 we were on our way…again…together…we were getting better as a pack and have established that Lyndon, Casey, Fara don’t have to stay in front to break the wind let any of the more experienced riders do this, take turns after 10-15 kms, any rider needing food or water to fall back towards the support van and chase back up, stop when the any of the polis or safety vehicles stop and conversely stop when any of the riders stop and continue to call out the hazards on the road coming up and the traffic from behind, keep the pace nice and steady between 23-25kph and slow down if necessary and regularly stop at 40 km intervals for the entire convoy and entourage to rest, eat, stretch and just chill – no I mean chilled, and iced choco drink or a spiking of energized coffee with ginseng and a root called tongkat ali…woohoo! (I heard a company carrying this brand declined to sponsor – what a miss for them). Though we were getting better and a system was evolving, it still wasn’t perfect as we had our second jackpot – a rear tire flat at 65 kms for Wei who was using a 650 c diameter tubular on his single freewheeling steel bike. Although it became another perfect 20 minute stop for pictures, gardening nature and just conserving energy. But just as we were waiting for Wei’s flat to be replaced, Bernard wasn’t feeling well and was having a major migraine. He wanted to press on but the paramedic told him to stop/pause/listen to the music that’s saying something to you, recover and ride on again when you feel better after a few kilometers…At 71 km we stopped for dinner at a unique and quaint roadside Malaysian resto which had seafood delicacies, options for shisha pipes and karaoke and a tag line to “Come, Eat and Releks!” and “Pay at the Casher”. Visa MC ok? I didn’t ask but I did ask for our first foray into how coffee with togkat ali will taste and feel…tastes just like coffee but after a few kms and we knew we found a novel product that can play with our imagination. The 40 km intervals were working well…so well that it gave Nature the chance to challenge our near perfect ride with a down pour after 120kms. Stop, under the shed of a Petronas gas station, wait for the rain to stop…and a question was popped… “if this goes on will You continue?” Some said No some said Yes…and when a consensus was being reached to Go…the rain stopped…Thank You!!! We took it easy for the first 5 kms and picked up the average tempo when we rolled over dry asphalt…to our next stop at 160kms but only after passing through a sight to behold…
You see red clouds from a distance and know that a city lies beneath it…as you near it you see a city rising – Petronas City – that powers Malaysia on both sides of the highway brilliantly operating 24/7 under a half moon rising a postcard perfect pic from a seemingly alien planet.
With the last 40km to go Bernard joined us and we again have a valuable addition to the bunch riding to Terengganu…we make it as One again…near perfect but with difficulty.
Biker/Bike Count ; 1 flat, Bernard recovering between km 80-160, Fara forced to stop after 120km due to sharp pain behind her knee (position, adjustment), 1 flat and sachets of kopi tongkat ali+ginseng gulped…Basti enjoying the front pace for over 160km with Rushdi, Wei, and Bernard. Casey stating that the style by which we journey is just as important as the journey.
Kuantan to Kuala Terengganu. 220 kms
The call time on the ground floor lobby was at 5pm and the target time to leave was 6 which is normally too early for cyclists. 5:30 would be better so that the tired bikers can max out the 30 minutes of additional rest. It may sound peculiar but half an hour means a lot. Still game and the good sport that everyone is, the whole entourage was present and went about doing the list of pre-ride preps…bike check, tire pressure check, food, drink, lights, capped with the lacing off shoes and snap on of helmets. 6:22 we were on our way…again…together…we were getting better as a pack and have established that Lyndon, Casey, Fara don’t have to stay in front to break the wind let any of the more experienced riders do this, take turns after 10-15 kms, any rider needing food or water to fall back towards the support van and chase back up, stop when the any of the polis or safety vehicles stop and conversely stop when any of the riders stop and continue to call out the hazards on the road coming up and the traffic from behind, keep the pace nice and steady between 23-25kph and slow down if necessary and regularly stop at 40 km intervals for the entire convoy and entourage to rest, eat, stretch and just chill – no I mean chilled, and iced choco drink or a spiking of energized coffee with ginseng and a root called tongkat ali…woohoo! (I heard a company carrying this brand declined to sponsor – what a miss for them). Though we were getting better and a system was evolving, it still wasn’t perfect as we had our second jackpot – a rear tire flat at 65 kms for Wei who was using a 650 c diameter tubular on his single freewheeling steel bike. Although it became another perfect 20 minute stop for pictures, gardening nature and just conserving energy. But just as we were waiting for Wei’s flat to be replaced, Bernard wasn’t feeling well and was having a major migraine. He wanted to press on but the paramedic told him to stop/pause/listen to the music that’s saying something to you, recover and ride on again when you feel better after a few kilometers…At 71 km we stopped for dinner at a unique and quaint roadside Malaysian resto which had seafood delicacies, options for shisha pipes and karaoke and a tag line to “Come, Eat and Releks!” and “Pay at the Casher”. Visa MC ok? I didn’t ask but I did ask for our first foray into how coffee with togkat ali will taste and feel…tastes just like coffee but after a few kms and we knew we found a novel product that can play with our imagination. The 40 km intervals were working well…so well that it gave Nature the chance to challenge our near perfect ride with a down pour after 120kms. Stop, under the shed of a Petronas gas station, wait for the rain to stop…and a question was popped… “if this goes on will You continue?” Some said No some said Yes…and when a consensus was being reached to Go…the rain stopped…Thank You!!! We took it easy for the first 5 kms and picked up the average tempo when we rolled over dry asphalt…to our next stop at 160kms but only after passing through a sight to behold…
You see red clouds from a distance and know that a city lies beneath it…as you near it you see a city rising – Petronas City – that powers Malaysia on both sides of the highway brilliantly operating 24/7 under a half moon rising a postcard perfect pic from a seemingly alien planet.
With the last 40km to go Bernard joined us and we again have a valuable addition to the bunch riding to Terengganu…we make it as One again…near perfect but with difficulty.
Biker/Bike Count ; 1 flat, Bernard recovering between km 80-160, Fara forced to stop after 120km due to sharp pain behind her knee (position, adjustment), 1 flat and sachets of kopi tongkat ali+ginseng gulped…Basti enjoying the front pace for over 160km with Rushdi, Wei, and Bernard. Casey stating that the style by which we journey is just as important as the journey.
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