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| Riders in layang-layang |
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| Riders in Renggam |
Within minutes, Malcolm and Sue, led by Ivy also pulled in. Everyone exchanged greetings and hurriedly assembled their bikes. It was difficult to work in the dark. Sue had a problem with her brakes and cried out for help. Ray was summoned!
Meanwhile, VT and Claudine were also blindly feeling for the fork dropout and the quick release. Thomas offered some help and with the lights from the smartphone, all problems were quickly solved.
Very soon, dawn broke and more riders arrived. The drive from the city to Sedenak is a good 40 minutes away and many riders scurried to the toilets to relief themselves. The early arrivals did a few quick rounds to test out their bikes but got restless in no time.
When it was noticeable that there were still more cars arriving as late as 7.15 am and there was no urgency for some to suit up, the slower riders decided to push off. After all, a head start or handicap is always a gentlemanly gesture in sports!
So, with a quick goodbye, VT, Malcolm, Claudine, Yew Loong and Thomas left. Within minutes, VT dropped behind to sweep the group. Malcolm overtook Claudine with an apology....she had cheekily warned him earlier, not to video her back posterior too much!
We crossed the railway tracks and entered the oil palm estate. It was such a shame that a newly tarred road of less than a year is now riddled with holes. Beside avoiding holes, we also had to keep a look out for cow dungs!!! Then, there were a lot of fresh kills on the road too....rats, squirrels, kingfisher!!!
After a few hills and kilometers, the more able riders begin to stand out from the rest. Thomas was teleported somewhere ahead.... Yew Loong was a vision from afar.... and Malcolm and Claudine played a continuous game of overtaking each other.
Back at Huo Guo Shan, Sue and Ivy under the tutelage of Jolin, kicked start their ride. Much later, Captain Leo, Agnes, Khan, Voon, Donovan and Wil gave chase.
We all crossed Sungai Skudai, Sungai Siku and Sungai Besoi today. We also saw smaller brooks that runs through the oil palm estates.
We suffered the stench of the chicken farm. The smell wafted further than a one kilometer radius!
We passed a swallow condominium...those ugly, grey, multistorey building with small little holes for the poor birds to move in and out. What a great deception of the little minds, but you wouldn't call them bird brains for nothing!
After mashing the pedals for less than an hour, we arrived in Layang-layang. Thomas, of course was already waiting for some time. Yew Loong who pulled over in case of getting lost was led by Claudine to the ultimate stop....the best wantan noodle in Johor! Malcolm who doesn't know the way followed suit.
Sue was at her best element today. Coached by Jolin, a professional cyclist, trained in China she has progressed from 15.4kph on October 10, 2015 to 24kph today!!! Taking into account that she bull powered all the way to Layang-layang on a front wheel that was set up the wrong way, her sheer determination will see her as good as Agnes one day!
All riders eventually trickled in at their own pace in no time. While some languished behind for the succulent noodles, Leo, Agnes, Khan, Voon, Donovan and Wil rode on to Renggam. They were later met halfway by Chi Wei and KG, who yet again came with his fixie bike!!!
Everyone returned to base at their own pace, though Sue, Jolin and VT were delayed by a train crossing. We rode back the same way we came from, crossed the same rivers, suffered the same chicken stench, saw the same road kills....though they are more mutilated by now, probably rolled over many times by passing vehicles....
Sedenak to Layang-layang is a beautiful route. It is very popular among cyclists for we were also informed Delta, Chun and a few Madcat riders also made it today!!!
Nice write up Amoi! Good to see ya n the road today.
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