Journey to the inner city: A Tern Link D7i oddissey..

An impromptu arrangement...

I contacted Master Urban Cyclist Mr Sin Tai Lim through the Facebook messenger and asked: "What's going on?"
He replied by saying that he's going to ride in Bandar Tasik Selatan and survey the Mines area.
Sin, who took up cycling in 2011, said that he wants to retire and concentrate on setting up a company specializing in bicycling tours.

The LD7i in its integrated bag and trolley rack

The plan

I told him that I am heading into the city by KTM Komuter.
My plan was to give the Tern Link D7i a try.
He agreed to meet in Dataran Merdeka and my offer to him was a lunch meeting and a couple of beers.
So, I took the LD7i and rode towards the Subang Jaya KTM Komuter station.
I don't have much an opinion on the Shimano Nexus 7 IHG drivetrain and kinda underestimated its capabilities.
To my surprise, the bike was pulling at 25km/h on the straight.
It took me less than 30-minutes to reach the station.

At the KL railway station

With KTMB's HQ in the background

City riding, a totally different animal!

I reached the KL railway station about 45-minutes after traveling from Subang Jaya.
By the time I set up the bike, I was already running late.
The plan was to ride to the KL City Gallery and link up with Mr Sin.
He spotted me cycling around the dataran and gave me a shout.
We linked up and went down to Jalan Silang for lunch at a Nepalese restaurant..

At the KL City Gallery

We caught up by having a conversation during lunch.
That was where I heard about Sin's intention to retire and set up his own business.
I wished him luck and all the best.
"Where do you want to go?," asked Sin.
I told him that I was testing the Link D7i and had no preference.
Using that as his pointer, Sin led me to the riverbank on the Klang River.
We cycled along the drainage and checked out the graffiti walls.
I told him that safety is paramount and that the viaducts are normally home to vagrants and junkies.
So far, so good, no issues cycling in the area.
It was a short ride through KL City's sub-culture and I watched as the bustling life zips by above us on the street level.

Cycling along the riverbank and drainage

The City's graffiti walls

A journey back in time..

We headed off to the Selangor Club, a century old establishment in the city centre.
There, we had a few beers before parting ways.
I rode back to Subang Jaya via Brickfields and the Federal Highway motorcycle lane - a facility I knew too well.
It took me about 45-minutes to reach home and concluded the 41-km ride.

A familiar sight

I am never keen in cycling around the city.

Traffic can be hazardous and moving around with the buses and cars meant a more aggressive stance in cycling.

That said, I prefer the countryside, but nevertheless, it's always a refreshing sight to see KL's City Centre from a different perspective..