Kuala Lumpur Cycling Weekend

Kuala Lumpur is a bustling city, with close by mountains and well paved roads. What’s not to love about Kuala Lumpur as a cycling weekend destination.

We will look at a long weekend away which gives you two good days of riding around traffic light free and somewhat mountainous terrain. We will look at different route options for Saturday and a local staple for Sunday.

Getting to Kuala Lumpur

Flying is the most convenient transport method for small groups and solo travellers. Travelling from Singapore in a large group, bus is the best transport method if you have around 15-20 people it will work out cheaper than flying.

The drive will take between 4 and 7 hours depending on boarder crossings and food/pit stops. Bring a book or preload some Netflix then sit back and relax.

Flying

Friday night flights are the way to go, MH have hourly flights, prime times sell out at least 2 weeks in advance so best to plan ahead.

KLIA is one of the major flight hubs in Southeast Asia which almost all major and minor airlines fly to. The airport is roughly 60 minutes drive from the city. The sky train is the fastest way to go from the airport to the city, however for me the most convenient is taxi or hotel transfer with a bike bag.

SZB is closer to the city and serviced by smaller and regional airlines. A great alternative which can save a significant amount of time on ground transport into and out of the city.

Accommodation

My hotel of choice is the Park Royal in KLCC. It’s a great location with easy access in and out of the city. Rooms are of more than ample size with comfy beds, and the price is very reasonable. The hotel offers an early breakfast (06:30) which allows you to get on the road before the heat sets in.

Park Royal are also accustomed to cyclists and you’ll have no problem as a group or individual with bikes.

The area is scattered with bars, shops and restaurants. Changkat Bukit Bintang has a vibrant night life with good options and is our goto for evening meals and post ride beers.

Get settled and get a good meal on Friday, you will need it for the coming rides.

Kuala Lumpur Cycling Routes

There are many routes to choose from around KL and traveling to another city to ride usually warrants challenging yourself. The routes below will provide enough parcours to test even the most experienced of riders. Lets take a look, the first 3 are Saturday suggestions and Genting Sempah is the Sunday suggestion.

Frasers Hill

 

A 220km loop with lots of metres of climbing, expect to be riding for between 7 and 9 hours. Two climbs (both categorised) on the outbound leg. In the middle a testing 34 kilometre Hors Category climb to the top of Frasers Hill. Home via Bentong with one categorised climb.

East KL

 

A scenic 150 kilometre loop with close to 2,000m of climbing. Ride time will be between 5 and 7 hours. Three categorised peaks on the outbound journey and two categorised peaks on the return leg.

Batang Kali to Guard House

 

100-150 kilometres with the same two climbs en route to Frasers and after turning right at Batang Kali you face a 15.4 kilometre climb to the guard house located at the foot of Genting Highlands. Riding to the summit is only achievable when Tour de Langkawi finishes at Genting Highlands. Expected ride time in the 3 to 5 hour range.

Genting Sempah

 

A relatively easy ride in comparison, this is your Sunday ride. An out and back with an “easy” 15.7 kilometre climb to the south side of Genting Highlands foothills. Expect 2 to 3 hours of riding with the option to extend the route to 100 kilometres.