Desaru Trip Completed!
This is THE trip that I promised to myself that I would need to complete by 2008 at the point I did up the Saronni and what a way to do it; on the last day of 2008. Mr.Ti and myself decided its now or never and did the ride.
Met up with Mr.Ti below my block at Marine Crescent at around 6am and we set off on a leisurely cool morning ride to Changi Village. We reached early so decided to have a cuppa. There were lots of people with bikes already starting to gather around the area, part of a huge group that chartered 2 boats to Pengerang. The left at around 7am. We went into the terminal and placed our passports on the counter at around 6.50am and proceeded to wait. Luckily we were on the first stack (of passports, they leave when 12 is collected) and by 7.30am we were motioned by the boat man to proceed to the boat.
Mr.Ti brings his companion on-board
Me, looking all tired due to lack of sleep
Only 2 bikes on this boat!
Enjoy the sunrise...
Reaching Pengerang Ferry Terminal..
Roads...endless roads..
We made it!
Our bikes on the Ferry
2 broken spokes not repaired....
All in all the trip home to home took a cycling distance of 126km for me and 152km for Mr.Ti. We did registered a respectable average speed of 25-26km/h from Pengerang to Desaru and a humiliating 20-21km/h from Tg.Balau to Belungkor.
Here the route we took in Malaysia (Pengerang - Desaru - Tg.Balau - Belungkor).
Good thing with bikely is that it even gives you the elevation profile!! Total climb 434m!
Met up with Mr.Ti below my block at Marine Crescent at around 6am and we set off on a leisurely cool morning ride to Changi Village. We reached early so decided to have a cuppa. There were lots of people with bikes already starting to gather around the area, part of a huge group that chartered 2 boats to Pengerang. The left at around 7am. We went into the terminal and placed our passports on the counter at around 6.50am and proceeded to wait. Luckily we were on the first stack (of passports, they leave when 12 is collected) and by 7.30am we were motioned by the boat man to proceed to the boat.
Mr.Ti brings his companion on-board
Me, looking all tired due to lack of sleep
Only 2 bikes on this boat!
Enjoy the sunrise...
Reaching Pengerang Ferry Terminal..
Reached Pengerang at around 8.30am and after a short toilet break we left for Sg.Rengit (approx 19km away). The road was very pleasant and weather was wonderful...but this stretch of road nor conditions really lasted that long as we will soon find out. Upon reaching the town, we stopped as I stocked on 100plus and we had a small roti bun and off we went towards highway 92. On the way....prior to turning north, my nightmare came to fruition: a spoke broke and yet again on the non drive side!! Luckily I brought along my only spare spoke and I replaced it in 10 minutes under the shade of a bus stop. Managed to get it back on true as well!
Me with the spoke at the bus stop...
A quick rest stop along highway 92
Mr.Ti tackling labouring up 'yet another slope'
Imagine the semi-happiness upon reaching Desaru...worst is yet to come!
We finally came to the roundabout that leads to Desaru. We took a quick breather there and off we went towards Tg.Balau (aka Kampung Nelayan or Fisherman's Village) which a further 7-8km north of Desaru....same kind of rolling hills again. We had a long rest stop at one of the Medan Selera (sort of like a hawker centre) in the middle of nowhere. A maggi goreng and few cans of 100-plus later, we set off at around 1pm to try to catch the 3pm ferry at Belungkor which was about 36km away.
On this leg, the weather got the better of us. The sun was right on top of our heads on an absolutely cloudless sky....I was labouring all the way and with each slope I feel my energy simply being sapped. We had a quick rest stop at the turn into the road towards Belungkor, and yes prior to reaching that point about 2km away, I broke another spoke....this time, I'm out of spares so this wheel will have to take me all the way to the ferry terminal. It was out of true but not wobbly at all so all is good. I just hoped for no more broken spokes from this point!!
Me with the spoke at the bus stop...
From there on the sun was getting higher from the horizon and the roads were getting slightly worse but still decent. Trucks pass us occasionally, normally at high speeds but they do keep a good distance when overtaking, so thats good. Highway 92 is essentially a coastal road but it does gradually go more inland further up north so our altitude is on a steady rise as we head north. The 'rolling hills' so-called were in abundance and quite mentally defeating. The moment you see a slope you'd naturally thing it would down-slope after that but it doesn't! It goes flat and then you see another slope upwards!! This goes on for another 38km to Desaru...
A quick rest stop along highway 92
Mr.Ti tackling labouring up 'yet another slope'
Imagine the semi-happiness upon reaching Desaru...worst is yet to come!
We finally came to the roundabout that leads to Desaru. We took a quick breather there and off we went towards Tg.Balau (aka Kampung Nelayan or Fisherman's Village) which a further 7-8km north of Desaru....same kind of rolling hills again. We had a long rest stop at one of the Medan Selera (sort of like a hawker centre) in the middle of nowhere. A maggi goreng and few cans of 100-plus later, we set off at around 1pm to try to catch the 3pm ferry at Belungkor which was about 36km away.
On this leg, the weather got the better of us. The sun was right on top of our heads on an absolutely cloudless sky....I was labouring all the way and with each slope I feel my energy simply being sapped. We had a quick rest stop at the turn into the road towards Belungkor, and yes prior to reaching that point about 2km away, I broke another spoke....this time, I'm out of spares so this wheel will have to take me all the way to the ferry terminal. It was out of true but not wobbly at all so all is good. I just hoped for no more broken spokes from this point!!
Roads...endless roads..
We made it!
Our bikes on the Ferry
Well, what a day it was. We were fortunate that the terminal allowed us to board as we arrived around 2.45pm...Ferry left at 3pm sharp and arrived at Changi Ferry Terminal at approx. 4pm. I had another 16km to do before reaching home and Mr.Ti another 25km to his home. As I was cycling along ECP, and upon reaching Macs underpass, TWANG! another spoke broke. This time, the wheel could do no more turning with me on top. Luckily this is only short walk to my home! I broke 3 spokes in half a day!!
2 broken spokes not repaired....
All in all the trip home to home took a cycling distance of 126km for me and 152km for Mr.Ti. We did registered a respectable average speed of 25-26km/h from Pengerang to Desaru and a humiliating 20-21km/h from Tg.Balau to Belungkor.
Here the route we took in Malaysia (Pengerang - Desaru - Tg.Balau - Belungkor).
Good thing with bikely is that it even gives you the elevation profile!! Total climb 434m!
Comments