Hulu Langat 20

Getting back in shape.. 

It was one of those rare days when we get the weekend off and that was just the right time to take our bikes out for a ride. 
Michelle suggested Hulu Langat and Pekan Bt 18 used to be our training ground.
We drove there on a Sunday and when we got to our usual parking spot, the area was packed to the brim with cyclists.

Setting out on the country road

Michelle..

As usual, we made our way up the Bt 18 - Kuala Kelawang/Semenyih junction.
Michelle found it a struggle to cycle along this path with the larger wheels.
She's been out of action for a while.
But slowly and surely we made it up the "Dead Man's Climb".

Ploughing through the undulating terrain

We took a short break at the junction which was already swarming with cyclists on their road bike.

At this point, Michelle said her back was acting up and that she was unsure of continuing the journey.

I told her that we could move as far as we could. And the ascend begins towards the Genting Peras Orang Asli village some 5km away..

Making our way up the infamous "Dead Man's Climb"

A curious kitty at the orang asli village..

With the 18-speed Tern Eclipse S18, it wasn't really hard cranking up the hills with gradients up to 13%.

We slowly made our way past the orang asli village and found a spot to stop over to adjust our bike's luggage.

A group of roadie whizzed by as we made our way to the last 5km uphill climb.

Barely a few hundred meters away, I guy on an MTB rode past. From his heavy breathing, I knew that he was struggling.

I told him that he's not too far away.

Reaching the end of the ride

MIchelle and me

Genting Peras

I have been cycling fairly a bit and had no issues climbing the course.

Genting Peras is a good place to ride and build your stamina if you haven't been on the saddle for a while.

The bonus part in this course was the downhill roll.

It took less than half the time going down than to ride up the Genting Peras.

We made our way back to the small town and caught up with an old friend Guan, a music composer who was riding his Brompton P6R folding bike.

At a coffee shop, we shared a table and indulge in a conversation before parting ways.

We clocked-in at 40km at the hill course and felt good because the bikes are ready for our next road trip..

Hulu Langat 14

Riding up the Dam
The 34km roundtrip ride from Pekan Bt18 in Hulu Langat, Selangor is designed for newcomers to get a feel what its like riding in undulating terrain.
Its a decent climb from the Semenyih/Kuala Kelawang junction and a smooth downhill roll towards the Hulu Langat Dam.
This is also one of the best and most scenic ride in the area.
Michelle and I drove off from our home in USJ26, Subang Jaya to the police station in Bt18.
We made arrangements with Johnny Ng from My Bicycle Shop to meet there and ride off to the Dam.
Prior to this, another group was also riding in the area.

The foldie gang at Pekan Bt 18

We found a group already waiting at the carpark and to my surprise, I met Fernando Gallardo, a folding bike kaki who owns a 2008 Dahon Speed P8.
There aren't many of these around here and Fernando is one of them.
We met up two years ago at the Putrajaya Night Ride.
His blog had inspired me to go bikepacking and touring. For the record, Fernando's adventures on a folding bike had opened doors to endless possibilities.
After a brief wait for the foldies to assemble, we rode off to the junction.
For the seasoned rider, a typical ride to the 11.2km mark would usually take less than 40-minutes.
For the beginners, I decided to re-group at a farm house just meters away from the infamous "Dead Man's Climb".
One-by-one, the cyclists arrived.
Fernando was with his buddy Mike Sumallo whom I've met at Andrew Ng's "Durian Runtuh" ride last month.

Pack riding: the foldies in action...

Reaching the end of the line

Foldies RULZ!!!

While waiting for the rest to re-group at the junction, I noticed that a few fellas were struggling to climb the steep slope.
Two cyclists had to get down and push their bikes. The more seasoned riders took it with their stride and did pretty well.
From the junction, we continued to the Dam.
Basically, it was a short climb and a 6km roll towards a scenic part of the Dam.
We waited for the rest and re-grouped before riding back to Pekan Bt 18.
Two years ago when I started training at Hulu Langat, I found it rather tough.
But today, its pretty okay.
The course is a good place for beginners to train their speed and cadence.
Next week, I hope to return to Genting Perez for more hill training...