samosaurus

Hello folks!

Greetings from Malaysia. Just completed a 73km road trip in Southern Peninsular Malaysia with Mrs Samo. We headed to a town called Muar (N 02 02' 10.22", E 102 34' 08.81 E) set up our bikes and rode Northeast towards Tangkak (N 02 16' 16.29", E 102 31' 59.34" E), which is roughly about 36.5km away.

We rode in the morning to avoid the heat (mid day temperature can soar up to 37C on the average) and took about 1hr 25minutes to reach the foothills of Mount Ophir, which is a legendary peak in the South.

Along the way, there were some scenic areas as well as some places where we took our short break. Well, here are some pix from our latest trip.. Enjoy!



We spent a night at Michelle's cousin's home in Muar - good host and great hospitality. Here, early in the morning, the air quality is decent and she's seen here setting up her bike, a 2011 Dahon Speed TR..



Samo, keeping the tire pressure rite for the ride..



Strapping up..



A group shot before we hit the road..



Cycling in the suburbs..

Sam

samosaurus

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The ride to Muar's town centre..



Its a pretty straight-forward route.. Thank goodness for the GPS!



This clock-tower will greet you once you enter Muar from Malacca and Tangkak..



We start off the day with a nice cuppa coffee..



Our 20" Dahon Speed TR and P8 folding bicycles..



Its quiet on a weekend morning..

Sam

samosaurus

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My breakfast - Muar Char Koay Teow (fried noodles).. Oh yeahhh...



Booster fuel!



Michelle, having her fill..



Strapping up for the ride and attracting the attention of a town resident with her red helmet.. hahah!



At the town square's clock tower..



Heading towards the bridge across the Muar River...

Sam

samosaurus

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Riding across the Muar River.. A simple climb to the other side..



A tugboat on the river..



Heading Northeast towards Tangkak..



Stalls selling mussels and shellfish on the roadside.. A very common sight in this part of Malaysia..



The sun is coming up!



Monitor lizards are great for curry! Yum-yum!

Sam

samosaurus

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Traffic is not heavy at this time of the day, but we are cautious as the road is unpredictable with drunk drivers and people on drugs behind the wheel...



Our pit-stop, Sungai Mati or 'Dead River', some 10km from Muar..



There are fruitstalls on every 10km along this ride, so, you will never become hungry..



Another 15km to go, this time, a course of undulating terrain.. Very, very interesting!



Me, sunburned.. Thirsty..



Ahhh... We feel at home here.. Lotsa, lotsa bikes!!!

Sam

samosaurus

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Almost reaching our destination with a faint view of Gunung Ledang (Mount Ophir) in the background.. The sun was scorching!



At the town's signboard..



Taking a break at a gas station, basically to fill up our water bottles..



We've timed our arrival at lunch time, so, here's the town's famous beef noodles....



Michelle, chilling out in the shade..



Here's an interesting review of the food outlet, by a dear friend..



Beef soup! Yummy!



Our bikes resting as we feast on a sumptous meal!

Sam

samosaurus

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Tangkak is a town where many of its residents still ride their bicycles everywhere.. We felt at home here..



Even the motorcycle pillon riders are safety-minded..



No helmet is too big when it comes to protecting your precious head..



Well, after a good fill, its time to hit the road..



We had to endure another 15kms of hills and slopes.. Not bad if you train, bad if you are unfit..

Sam

samosaurus

More pix..



The heat was just too intense, we took shelter in this bus stop..



Taking a breather at a coffeeshop in Sungai Mati...



We've made it half-way, just a matter of hours before hitting Muar..



Isotonic beverages, you won't find these anywhere else in the world..



After a break, we hit the road again..



Okay, I don't know what the Public Works Department guys were thinking when they put up this road sign..



After a breezy ride, its back to town traffic.. My wife is crossing the road to celebrate our ride!

samosaurus

This is one of the best coffee shops in town..



Its got wholemeal toast with butter! Oh yeah!!!



Cheers!



There's nothing like a chilled glass of that 'powerful' brew!



So potent, it warps you up!



We did about 73.2km on our little bikes, not bad.. not bad at all.. hahah!!!

Well, that's all folks! Hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as we did! We'll be back with more!

Sam

CabezaShok

Awesome! I want that food...now! thanks for posting.

samosaurus

Much obliged buddy!

Sam

ovr50fit

I spent 4 months in KL back in 2004 for work.
Great people very friendly.
Also loved the food
Shopping in Petaling Jaya was a more pleasant experience than the Silk market in Beijing.
I would think you need to be on your toes all the time watching out for the mopeds doing 70MPH on the sidewalks LOL
Thanks for the photos.

vmaniqui

i've been there too in the 80's and may i say that people are so nice and the food too. although folding bike is not on my head at that time yet. as always NICE pics samo boy and more nicer as you both share the same passion. you didn't bring your curve sl this time ha.

jur

Of all the many places I have traveled Malaysian food was by far the best. Brings back good memories... thanks!

SesameCrunch

Samo:

You post the best ride report pictures!

I lived in Kuala Lumpur in the 60's when I was a kid. Nice memories.


PS: Good job referring to the beef noodle soup, and not beef tendon soup....

puppypilgrim

Samo:

I just reposted this thread on my facebook for my Malaysian friends. I love your trip diaries! The pictures take me home to Malaysia where I lived till I moved away at 17.

The little details like 100 Plus, the signs, the local food pictures bring a real joy to me when I see them in your threads.

Thank you and please keep up the good work. One of the bikes I ride here in Vancouver, Canada is a Dahon Helios converted to a singlespeed. If you ever come to visit, I have LOTS of bikes in the stable for us to ride together.

samosaurus

Much obliged buddy.. Malaysia has changed a lot!

Hahah!! The Curve SL stays at home.. This is a job for the big boys..

Thank you Jur.. Your complement is an honor to me..

Thank you! There's plenty of good food here and the choices are just amazing!

Sure thing buddy!

Sam