Taiping Foldies Ride - Part 3

Port Weld revisited..

We arrived at Port Weld from Matang in a short time.
The group was cycling in a single file, an orderly manner towards the town area in Port Weld.
Our host from Taiping did a good job leading the ride as well as keeping tabs on safety and staying on the route as planned.
In Port Weld, we were taken to some really interesting places. Some, I never knew existed..

A well-organized group

While we were at the outskirts of town, one of the riders had a puncture.
He had his tire changed at a local bike shop.
After he was done, we rode towards the fishing village where they took group photos.
The plan was to have lunch at a mee udang shop, but it was closed.

Processed seafood

The first railway station in the country

Port Weld

Yun, making a statement

Lousy noodles and a chance meeting..

We decided that it was best to have lunch at Mee Udang Mak Jah, that was opened on the day.
The guys made a beeline to get their orders taken and a plate of Mee Udang costs about RM8.
Mine had some rancid-smelling shrimps and it was so bad, I only at the noodles.
While we were chowing down, Mr Gan, a cyclist from Penang came by with his wife and son.
He said there was another group of cyclists from KL that were on their way to Port Weld.
We didn't meet them and after engaging in a conversation, we rode out towards the Matang Forest Reserve.
Encik Azam, the leader defacto of the Ipoh Foldies group had linked us up with the Matang Forest Reserve's forestry officer for a tour of the facility.

At the Matang Forest Reserve

Taking an educational tour of the managed mangrove forest

At a charcoal factory near Port Weld

Ending it with some fun stuff..

We were led back to Taiping by En Jamell's crew through Aulong, technically, a straight line from Port Weld to Taiping.
It was a short ride back to the Prison's bungalow where I had prepared some prizes for a lucky draw.
By the time we got there, it was already mid-day.
The group had pushed all the way back and everyone was accounted for.
En Jamell gave a short speech while we thanked Johnny Ng from My Bicycle Shop for lending his support, Le Run Industries for sponsoring some prizes for a lucky draw.

Jamell handing out a prize to a winner from the draw

Another lucky winner!

Hosing down the dirt and road soup

Johnny cleaning up his ride..

All's well ends well.. 

We parted ways with the Ipoh Foldies who went straight back to their hometown and spent some time catching up with fellow cyclists.
It was a good ride and we managed to enjoy the kampung scenery.
Later in the evening, we rode out to the Larut-Matang food court to savour some char koay teow and mee goreng mamak.
For the rest of the KL crew, it's an extra night in Taiping before heading back to Kuala Lumpur the next day..
Azam, the leader of the Ipoh group is mulling another ride and a workshop for beginners with support from the Youth and Sports Ministry. 
We at The Malaysian Foldies will see that it happens.. 

Taiping Foldies Ride - Part 2

Jamell and Megat

Early morning chores...

Yun and I were the first to rise. 
We had a mission: get food for the rest of the crew.
The night before, Encik Joned, the man who is in charge of the Bungalow, said he will come in first thing in the morning to switch off all the main lights in the facility.
"En Sam tak perlu bimbang, sini selamat," (You don't have to worry about safety) he assured.
I put one and one together and slapped myself on the forehead.
It's opposite the Taiping prison, one of the most "secure" buildings around.
I started the car and drove towards town.
Not a soul on sight.
My hunch was to get to the old train station because there is a mamak store there.
And we were spot-on.
We packed nasi lemak and teh tarik for the guys.
By the time we got back to the Bungalow, the guys were still in slumber.
Johnny and Mohd Radzi must be really tired.
En Joned came later with his family to make sure that everything was fine.
Then, it started to pour.
We ate breakfast in the dining hall and while we were at it, Mr Loo and his buddy Yong came all the way from Penang.
He asked for directions and I told him that it was best for him to load up on food before the ride.
I met Loo at Johnny's shop sometime back.

The Ipoh gang

Setting up for the ride

Signing an indemnity form

My part in this ride

I helped to coordinate and link-up with the foldies from the North.
One of my concern was safety.
Prior to the ride, I got Mohd Radzi to help out in getting insurance for the participants from KL on this ride.
This is so that we are covered in case of any emergencies.
To absolve us from all legal binding related to accident on the ride, we made the cyclists fill up an indemnity form.
We made it very clear that it was cycling at one's own risk and that the organizers are not responsible for any bodily harm.
While discussing about the route with Jamell's team, I also coordinated with Encik Azam who represented the Ipoh group.
All in total, there were 30 people from the North.
We just made the numbers and I also managed to get some support from Le Run Industries who donated some Tee-shirts and bicycling gear for a lucky draw after the ride.
I personally contributed some gifts for this event and Johnny did his part by handing down some trinkets.

The turnout

We were very impressed with the Taiping and Ipoh cyclists who turned out in a large number.
The Ipoh Foldies are possibly one the most disciplined group of cyclists I have ever met.
And they have no ego nor attitude problem like most of the riders from the Klang Valley.
After setting up their bikes, Jamell gave a short briefing about the ride and we set off towards a 52km loop around Taiping.
As Johnny had put it: "Just enjoy the ride.."

Cycling along the kampung route in Matang

These kids are disciplined and well trained

Taiping's foldies leading the way

The ride

We rode on a gloomy day.
It was fantastic because the weather was cooler than the usual.
Jamell's team led us towards the Lake Gardens and Changkat Jering before turning into Matang.
We rode past some kampung houses and I can't help notice the architecture.
Later, we came across a joss stick factory.
I grabbed the opportunity to snap some photos and Johnny was awestruck by a Godzilla-sized joss laid at a shelter.

The spirit of Malaysia lives in this wooden kampung house near Matang Gelugor

A worker loading up a giant joss stick 

Johnny with the Godzilla-sized joss in the background

From the joss stick factory, we weren't too far from Ngah Ibrahim's fortress.
This is now the famous Matang museum and it's really worth a visit if you are in Taiping.
The cyclists re-grouped at the museum.
Some went to check out the exhibits while others took a break before resuming the ride to Port Weld.

At the Matang Museum

The bikes

How tin was discovered in Perak

A diorama during the Japanese occupation in World War II

Jamell's team had made sure that the group had sufficient time to discover the Matang museum.
I saw Johnny seated at one corner, entertaining calls from his customers. He had to close his shop on a Saturday to ride in Taiping.
Yun and Mohd Radzi, on the other hand, were busy chatting with the guys from Ipoh.
After the re-grouping in Matang, we cycled towards Kuala Sepetang which was formerly known as Port Weld..

Taiping Foldies Ride - Part 1

Fellowship of the Foldies...

I met the ring leaders of the Taiping Foldies Fan three years ago in Penang.
Their honcho Jamell, is an avid cyclist and is well-known throughout Taiping.
We met earlier this year and planned a ride in Taiping.

Route planning and logistcis

Together with Johnny Ng of My Bicycle Shop, I planned a trip to this historical town to link up with the Taiping and Ipoh folding bike enthusiasts.
We put this up on the Malaysian Foldies Facebook page and response from the KL cyclists were just lukewarm.
Initially, it was a bikepacking ride. I contacted KTMB and told them about having a group discount and learned that the Ekspres Langkawi schedule has been revamped.
Instead of departing from KL Sentral at 08:45am, the train leaves at 10:00pm.
This screwed-up everything that we've planned and left us no choice but to drive up.
I spoke to Johnny about this and he didn't mind the long drive.
He was committed to see this happen.

Getting on with the plan..

And when the day arrived, I drove up to Taiping with Mr Cheng, a folding bike enthusiast who brought along a Brompton S-6 bike.
Cheng had agreed to share the cost of car-pooling and met me at the One City mall for pick-up.
He runs a business supplying sanitation products for companies and business outlets and turned out to be quite a decent person.
I learned that Cheng is an avid runner who takes part in international marathon and triathlon events.
We talked a lot about food and cycling and arrived in Taiping late in the afternoon after a pit-stop in Ipoh.
Our destination was the Prison's bungalow that can accommodate more than 20 people at one time.
There, we waited for Johnny and Mohd Radzi Md Nor to arrive from KL.
While we were there, I took Cheng around Taiping town for a ride and showed him around to the good makan places.
Sometime later in the day, we met Jamell who was hanging around at a bicycle shop in town.
We checked out some goods at Ah Hock's bike shop, a well-known outlet in Taiping and I was told that Yun, another foldie dude is arriving in Taiping town.
From Ah Hock's bike shop, we cycled over to Yut Sun coffee shop, a famous Hainanese food and beverage outlet in Taiping.
There, we had coffee and caught up with some small talk before Yun updated his time of arrival.

With Cheng in Taiping town

At the new railway station

Electric train undergoing test at the station

The Larut-Matang food court

Nightfall and waiting for our main players..

We caught up with Yun at the Taiping Mall.
He rode from Batu Gajah alone on his Doppleganger folding bike.
We then proceeded to have dinner at a hawker centre and while we were there, Megat @ Tok Chiru came by.
I met the man when I cycled alone in Taiping a couple of years earlier.
At the food court, we chat a bit before heading back to the bungalow so that Yun can settle down.
We agreed that it's best to take down the mattress on the first-floor of the bungalow and set it down at the living room.
Just after midnight, Mohd Radzi called. They got lost, so, I told them to wait in town.
While we were waiting at the Bungalow's gate, we noticed that the prison guards were keeping an eye on us.
Mohd Radzi called to inform us that he and Johnny were at the edge of town and were also very hungry.
They've endured a three-hour drive to Taiping.
We linked-up at last and went for some supper. Taiping after dark is as good as a ghost town.
Near the hospital's junction, we found a stall selling kuey teow goreng kerang and settled for makan there which turned out to be an awesome treat.
Yun and I led the duo to the Bungalow to settle in for the night before the ride next morning..