Around Penang Island -Where2Go Ultimate Challenge May 2014

Event:                   Where2go Ultimate Challenge 2014

Date :                    Sunday 11 May 2014

Location :             Penang Island

Distance:             81.45 km (on my Apps and not 84 km as advertised)

The following is a brief account of my FIRST cycling ride around Penang island done on the 11 May 2014.  This event was the Where2go Ultimate Challenge.  The route was a clockwise route around Penang Island.  The Funkier group had a major turn out of 12 persons who signed up early this year for the event.  Some of us car pooled to get to Penang from KL. Some drove up themselves due to work schedule.

Pic No 1:The funkier group at the front of the hotel

The drive up to Penang will take about 4 -5 hours depending on each individuals’ drive speed.   I hitched  a ride from Edward’s car together with Ernie in his BIG Nissan X-trail.

Thanks to Sam who blocked booked us at the Bayview hotel which was less than 2 minutes cycling from the starting point at Padang Kota Lama.

We arrived at the hotel/goody bag pick up point early at about 3:30 pm on Saturday a day before the event.  We retrieved our goody bags at the hotel and and checked into our rooms. After which we went searching  for the famous Penang  Cendol, Assam Laksa and Rojak on Penang Road just next to Joo Hooi Cafe.

Preview

My initial estimate based on my average speed in Ulu Langat hills,Selangor of 20 km/hr meant that to complete 84 km it would take me 4.2 hrs of continuous cycling.  But that duration discounts stoppage time for picture taking and pit stops.  So I estimated that it would take me 4.5 hours to complete. That meant that I would not meet the cut-off time of 4 hours.

Also I thought that I would need help to ensure that I had enough energy to ride continuously for that long a duration.  So this time I decided to use external “scientific” help i.e. get some power bars/gels and rehydration salts. The first time I tried the power gels was during the 2013  PCC MTB event.  I didn’t like the taste of it.  It had tasted extremely sweet.  Anyway this time I decided to get some again.  I also found out that I had to drink 250ml of water after eating the power gel. That made sense to me as it was so, so sweet that one would have to wash that sweet taste off with water, plenty of water.

So for the Where2go Challenge, I was more prepared against getting hungry and cramps.  I had power gels and rehydration salts to assist me.

The Main Event

Pic No 2: The stating line.  Waiting for the start of the event. Edward can be seen with his expensive sunglasses

We were early and we managed to get near the starting line.  As usual the photography sessions by the partcipants were going on while waiting for the start of the event. We were hoping that it would be cloudy with light showers in late morning/early noon.  Our journey to Penang the day before was very wet with heavy showers.

Pic No 3: Second Penang Bridge

The start of the event was uneventful. The event started off with the blare of the horn.


I  cycled about 15.4 kilometres  and stopped to take the first pic of the ride. The orange sign in pic No 3 on the right says “Penang 2^nd Bridge” and in the background as per the sign is the newly completed Second Penang bridge.  The bridge started operations in January 2014.

The first major climb of the ride is shown in picture no 4 below, one can see Bandar Baru Teluk Kumbar (Located south of penang island) in the background and the winding road from the right of the pic climbing up to the point where I took the picture ( at approximate KP 29.0)

Pic No 4: The first (1st ) major climb of the ride (approx 29.0 km)

After that climb it was a pleasant downhill ride on to flat elevations of riding through the country side.

To prevent myself from dehydrating and getting cramps I had taken a bottle of water at every one of the 4 water stations. That meant that my bladder was filling up.  So it was timely that I found the pit stop at the Jalan Sg Rusa/ Jalan Pantai Acheh road junction at KP 47.3.   A lot of the riders stopped at this point as it was the beginning of the second climb up the Balik Pulau hill.  The coffee shop there was doing a roaring business that morning.  I parked my bike in front of the temple next to the coffee shop and used the coffee shop’s toilet.

Pic No 5: Pit stop at 47.3 km

Pic No 6 :Temple next to coffee shop

From this point onwards the second major climb of the ride awaits. This time the climb is more gradual but it covers a longer distance.  This section of the ride in my opinion is the best part of the ride.  The temperature here was cooler  as the side of the hill helped to block part of  the morning sun at certain stretches of the road.

The second  major climb of the ride is shown in the picture No 7 below. The winding road can be seen at the bottom right of the picture( in the background) . The road  climbs up to the point where I took the picture ( at approximate KP 49.0).  Contrast this 2^nd climb (Pic No 7) with the 1^st climb (Pic No 4). There is so much more shade and trees making this section much more comfortable to ride.

Also one can see plenty of durian trees with the fruits about to ripen. The owners have actually placed nets just above the ground to catch the falling durians and prevent them from rolling down the hilly slopes.

Pic No 7: The second (2^nd) major climb (at approximately 49.0 Km)

Pic No 8 : Durians, Durians Galore (top of pic)

There were plenty of durian trees growing on the slopes of this stretch of the road.  As usual place your cursor on the pics and click for a zoomed-in view.

Pic No 9 The climb looking uphill

I also remembered passing a waterfall picnic area, Titi Kerawang waterfall at approximately KP50.4 km

About three quarters up the climb, there is a lookout point at KP50.6.  This is before the Tropical Fruit farm.  A lot of the riders chose to stop to take a pic there and to rest.  I managed to get a rider to help me take the pic below.  He too stopped to take a pic of his young son at the same spot.  Father and son bonding ride for the weekend.

While coming down the hill, I spotted a house with a sign on the fence “Home made assam laksa”. I was curious and wondered who would stop at this remote spot to eat.  I also passed a durian stall along the downhill stretch. Plenty of durians for sale there waiting to be eaten.  

Pic No 10 Lookout Point (50.6 km)

While cruising downhill when I first caught a view of the Teluk Bahang Dam, I made a mental note as I thought the reservoir was too close to the coast line.  On checking with google map later I found that the edge of the lake was only about 2 km away from the coast.  So I was right! (after all Penang is a small island, I suppose).  The water level of the dam was also not full as I noticed the lake’s water level to be below the treeline.  So the recent drought and water rationing in Selangor is not confined to Selangor alone.  Penang also experienced a drought. Also passed  a butterfly farm at Teluk Bahang.

I noted the remaining time and told myself that I had to minimise or cease my picture taking stops.  I had to try to make it within the 4 hours cut off time.  So in the end, I did not take pics of Teluk Bahang Dam, Butterfly Farm, Titi Kerawang Waterfall sign, the assam laksa house/restaurant and the durian stall.

The last leg of the ride along Batu Feringgi back to Georgetown was not particularly enjoyable as one had to cycle with the traffic along Batu Feringgi’s narrow and windy roads. Luckily it was a Sunday with less traffic(?).  There was an accident  at one of the hill side stretches involving a motorcar and a motorbike.  The motorcyclist was on the ground laying motionless as the police attended to the victim.  I did not stop as I was trying to make haste to reach the finish line.  It was getting hot and dusty with the addition of the buses, cars and motorbikes on the road.  As it was getting late, there were no marshalls to control the traffic at the traffic junctions unlike the early morning sections.  So one had to cycle at one’s peril at the traffic intersections.

Pic No 11: The clear view from the Lookout Point

I was glad when I reached Gurney Drive as I knew the finish line in Georgetown was very near. On reaching the the finish line, I made a beeline for the tent marked “FOOD”.  Saw the public toilet near the tent and went to the public toilet for another pit stop.  After that I lined up to collect my lunch.  It was only after I had eaten that I remembered the finisher medal.  I still did not know whether I managed to complete within the stipulated 4 hours.  Went to ask the organiser if the medals were still available and was told the medal counter was closed.  From my top of the head calculations, I estimated  that I had missed the 4 hour mark.  Texted Edward and he said that he was back in the hotel.  Anyway I went back to the hotel and got ready to check out as the hotel did not want to extend our checkout time.

It was only after we checked out when I had time to sit down on the hotel steps with the help of my Endomondo Apps that I was able to confirm my total time taken.

I had accidentally stopped my Apps when I stopped to take my first picture of the ride. So I had to start another file with the Apps.  Hence I have two profiles on that day. The first part was from the starting point at Padang Kota Lama heading south towards the second Penang Bridge which incidentally is not on the Google map. Google map has not updated their map of Penang. (From 0 km to 15.42 km )

Pic No 12 : Route details (part 1 of 2)

The second part was the remaining clockwise route back to the starting point (From 15.42  km to 81.45 km)

Pic No 13 : Route Details (part 2 of 2)

From my Apps record, my total time taken came out to be 0:30:58 + 3:37:50 = 4 :08:48  ie 4 hours and 9 minutes. (As usual place the mouse cursor onto the pics and click to zoom into the pics).  I came home “medal-less”  :-(   The rest of the funkier members completed the course within good time.

If one were not an avid cyclist, one would be thinking the following:-
“Are u out of your BLINKING mind?!!  Are you going to drive 4-5 hours from KL to Penang the day before.  Ride 3-4 hours around the island and then drive another 4-5 hours back to KL on the same day?!!!”

But it was an experience I had to try and I am glad that my reply to the question: ”Cycled round Penang island?", would be a: "Yes been there and done it!”    

Now what I need is a nice 2 hours of full body genuine massage which I could not find in Penang island but that is another story………