Hares: Benjamin Tan and some very dedicated Naga Cyclist, Sg. Long who build part of this trail.
Date: 1st December 2019
Distance: 13.8km
Total Ascent: 436m
We were told by friends that the MTB community in Sg Long has done a great job at building an amazing network of single track. The night ride in September despite wet conditions garnered good reviews, too. On finding out about this bash, Ai Ling and I had to come and give it a try. With the widespread adoption of gps navigation such Waze and Google Maps, finding the start point to a bash site is now a breeze. Gone are the days when the hares had to provide turn-by-turn directions. Just provide the address, location point and the navigation app will find the fastest route to the bash site. Wonderful!
It took us only 30 minutes to reach the site from PJ. At the bash site, we met Benjamin who was the face of this bash. The rest of the hares were in the trails at their appointed places. He was very helpful in giving us a description of the ride and the people who helped behind the scenes. Owing to a section of trail that became flooded overnight, the hares shortened the Long from 18km to 14km. With the Scenic at 12km, it made a lot of sense for us to just ride the Long.
The briefing started on time at 9:15am with the perfunctory reminders of staying on paper and for this bash, no checks. An announcement was made that the 2019 bash dinner would be on 18 January most likely at the Bierhouse, TTDI. More importantly, the club needed volunteers to help set the bash for 2020. So, I can only ask our members to pitch in and contribute a bash to ensure that the club is able to continue as the premier MTB hash in Malaysia.
The ride started with a climb up life-taking hill “Luo Ming Shan, 攞命山 or 夺命山” before descending to meet the scenic loop. This section is about 2km and is a continuous tarmac climb in three sections. I thought that it was a good way to warm up and get some altitude quickly. Once at the top, it was a descent that brought us back near the start point and on crossing over, we quickly descended into the scenic section of the bash.
I cannot do justice here as words cannot fully describe the wonderful work the hares and the Naga Cyclist members have put in into developing the trails and setting the bash. The signages were clear, shredded paper diligently marking the trails and turns, with extra tape for added clarity. Despite the recent rainfall, the entire trail was free of any deadfall and erosion which indicated that the hares had applied spit and polish to get the trails ready for the bash.
The best way to describe the trails in a sentence, it is a 10km of never-ending sinuous single track that dance around the hills north of Bandar Baru Sg Long. We certainly enjoyed the ride and meeting with fellow klmbh members in the trail, exercising both our limbs and our jaws. About midway into the ride, the first of three chicken signs appeared. We don’t know of anyone taking the chicken loop and we hope none did, to experience the entire loop. The pièce de résistance was kept at end of the ride which was a continuous 5 (or 6 depending on where you start counting) downhill switchbacks that ended in a steepish section at the very end. A good way to mark the end of a ride. From here, it was generally flat as we made our way back to the car.
Overall ‘A’ for effort and execution to Benjamin and Naga Cyclist, Sg. Long. Keep up the good work and we hope to see your community grow stronger. Hopefully, we will join you for a ride one day. We will also like to thank the bash committee members led by Head Basher: Johan Shadzli, and Deputy Head Basher: Caesar Ang and the champion enduro racer and Hare Raiser: Carlo Ricotta for making sure the club continues to deliver the best monthly rides in the Klang Valley.
Ying How & Ai Ling