West Malaysia loop ride

Day one – Singapore to Kuala Terengganu

This is one of those rides where I am writing up the blog almost a year after it completed…in fact…I am writing this blog less than a week before the next ride! It has been a very busy time but I am glad I am finally getting to it.

We started up early at 6am meeting with the gang at our usual spot over at Mandai. Following that we went out over the causeway. One thing that I noticed immediately was the throng of people walking on the bridge over to Singapore. It was a little worrying having to be careful not to hit anyone. The bridge was just so full of pedestrians…and this bridge was NOT built for pedestrians really! We did eventually get across and filled up at the petrol station.

With our bikes filled up we went in search of breakfast. I was looking for a place that served good roti prata (or roti canai for Malaysian folks) and in my research I stumbled on Onn Kitchen. Pictures and reviews were good all round so we made a bee line there. Good thing we were the first to arrive as their regular customers came in fast and furious soon after!

With both the bike and the stomach filled up satisfactorily, it is time to head to our next stop. The roads are now starting to fill up…more traffic as more people getting out for their morning commute to work…it is Monday after all. Still…we were making good time…and the road started to clear as we rode further away from the city. More and more I filled my lungs with breaths of fresh air and feel the excitement of a brand new ride…it was AWESOME!!!

The start of a new ride is an important time whenever we ride with a new member in the gang. This is a time to assess the capability of the member…how he accelerates and brakes, how he perform overtakes, how he takes the corners and maintains speed and so on. Get this right and the rest of the journey will be easier. Neglect this and the rest of the journey can not only be painful…but also dangerous. Our new member, fortunately, was doing OK in most situations…except for maintaining a reasonable speed through the corners. A little bit of instruction and short demonstration ride solved most of this thankfully.

We pulled into Mersing not long after…as usual…it is time for the gang to get their SIM cards!

Eventually we got back on the road and pushed north. This would be a scenic leg as we hug the coast…the roads open up with big corners that brings on the smiles…no traffic…no rush…just beautifully paved roads that is perfect for riding.

The sun was getting higher up the sky and it was getting warmer as we went further. We eventually made a stop by the sea to enjoy the breeze!

Before long we got to Pekan…and this means…LUNCH!!!

Food can really get to you if you are not careful…so we headed out again! The next big town is really a small city…Kuantan. This place always gets to me because we usually get here around 2pm…and that is when the day is at its hottest! This time is no different. The worst is to get stuck behind traffic lights. So we pushed ourselves to get out fast…and once out…we needed another break!

The road from here up to Kuala Terengganu is mostly coastal with a little bit of industry here and there. I usually let the gang stretch their legs when there is a long straight stint and this is exactly one of those. Both Chris and Eric went on ahead while I rode behind Ariff. I was enjoying the ride very much…going not too fast…not too slow…just making good progress along a very comfortable road. At some point I caught sight of some toilet paper flapping in the wind in my rear view mirror. I turned around briefly to take a quick look…and to my horror…my the cover of my top box was nowhere to be seen! Good thing the contents inside the box…which were my toilet paper roll and my tank bag where I keep my phone, wallet, passport and other things…were all still there. Phew!!!

I walked back along the road for about a hundred meters or so trying to look for it but to no avail. I guess I should count myself lucky that nobody came along waving their arms madly with a top box cover in their hand! I decided then that I would simply ride on without a cover.

I eventually caught up with the guys and we found the place were would be staying at for the night. It was a simply but nice little homestay. We quickly changed and headed out for dinner. Unfortunately one of our favourite places by the airport was closed so we eventually settled on an alternative close by.

We went back to the homestay after getting some provisions from a 7-eleven nearby, got our showers…had a nice relaxing chat…and went to bed.