Rogue Rider: Projek Jugra - Part 4

Destination: Jenjarom
I had my sights set for Jenjarom, a town located about 7km away from Banting.
This route is also one of the most treacherous part of the ride.
Heavy vehicles drivers have no regards for small bikes. 
This is also where the road accident statistics is at its highest.
Its just a matter of split seconds that you are faced with a life and death decision.
The road is just too narrow for a bicycle to share its path with heavy vehicles like trucks and trailers.
To make matters even worse, there are motorists who drive too close to the white line.
That didn't matter. 
My mind was set. Its ride or die.
After cycling for 7km, I pulled over at a Caltex petrol station.
There, I went to the convenient store and purchased a bottle of 100PLUS sports drink.
While quenching my thirst, I had some time to reflect on the trip.
So far, I've already clocked about 83km.
I spoke to the station attendant, a teenager whom I think is no more than 19 years of age.
He told me that I can take a detour via Jalan Kampung Jenjarom to Jalan Kebun in Shah Alam.
With this detour, I can avoid Teluk Panglima Garang and Sijangkang where traffic is really heavy.
After some deep thoughts, I decided that its best to do so...

Jenjarom is in the distance.. 

My last refreshment break

Into the unknown.. 
I knew what I got myself into by taking the 'detour'.
This will save me about 13-15km of traveling time.
With the directions given by the pump attendant, I made my way towards a village road.
It was unpaved, but I was lucky to have my Jetstream EX. 
This bike is built to take the worse punishment any road conditions can throw.
The front suspension was in working condition, taking off the bumps and roughness off the handlebars, which proved to be a relief to my hands during the long ride.
I had to cover at least 23km of unpaved road.
And it was clear to me that this section of the route was actually used by people who wanted to cut across towards Kota Kemuning and Bukit Rimau.
The journey was interesting as I get to see the real "Hidden Selangor".
Just barely 6 kilometers into the ride, I saw a peat swamp. 
This reminded me of my snakehead fishing days. Its very promising as I can see some activity in the water.
I can also see that the landscape in Jenjarom is vastly changing. A highway will cut across the area, linking Shah Alam to Banting.
Slowly, I made my way to the fringe of Shah Alam.
I reached Seksyen 30 in less than an hour and was back in civilization after crossing a big void.
It was like traveling into the middle of nowhere.
Unlike the earlier ride from USJ 26 to Tg Sepat, I was in a better shape. Physically, I looked like shit, but this time, there was no issue with pain and fatigue.
I crossed into the 100km mark when I reached Jalan Kebun. 
This was my fourth Century ride on a folding bike.
I was in awe and felt great with the sense of achievement. You don't see people doing 100km rides on a folding bike everyday....

The 'shortcut'

This peat swamp will soon be gone to make way for a highway...

From Jalan Kebun, I crossed the KESAS Highway again, this time, towards KM13 near Kampung Jawa.
I've bypassed Teluk Panglima Garang and Kampung Sijangkang.
From this point onwards, it was an easy cruise towards the Puchong interchange via the motorcycle lane.
I reached my home before 4pm and had spent at 6hrs 11minutes cycling. The total mileage clocked was 113.5km.


Conclusion
It was an interesting ride.
But if you are new to long-distance rides, be sure to train up for your stamina and strength.
Mental endurance is also very important in determining how far you can go.
With some experience on this route, I knew what to expect and was prepared with my gear including spares.
The only thing that is out of my hands, is a complete mechanical breakdown on the bike.
I found that the tour of Jugra Lama is enjoyable and with the new shortcut from Jalan Kebun to Jenjarom, my 'Journey to Land's End' project for 2012 seems possible...

The distance recorded on my EDGE800

Route map of the ride

This time, there were issues with the drivetrain. I need to get this fixed.
Other than that, I felt fine and there were no problems with sore muscles and pain.
Immediately after the ride, I downed a glass of Hammer Recoverite to prevent sore muscles the next day.
The bike gets a hose-down after picking up dirt and grime.
I certainly look forward to more Century rides, perhaps to Kuala Selangor from USJ 26 in the future....