A good ride just out of KL...not as good as some say, but a nice quick fix all the same! It makes for a good morning ride when you don't have the time or inclination to go too far. You can get to it by following Jalan Ampang out of KL. That in itself is pretty easy to do! Come to the end of Jln Ampang, make a right at the last traffic light and head for Hulu Langat.
Once off Jln Ampang, you'll be surprised how quickly the scene changes from cityscape, over a hill, through a Kampong and you wouldn't know you're anywhere near Kuala Lumpur. The road also changes after the first village and you'll be greeted with a nice twisty bit of tar that is nice and wide. Done a cog or two, and on the gas - you'd think this road is going to lead to something major or wind on for miles like all good Malaysian roads, but it's rather short-lived!
The road winds up a hill that has a rather good view of The City. The Hulu Langat Road runs along the ridge that forms the eastern section of the Klang Valley that contains Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately the day I took my camera along, it was hazy thanks to the Southwest Monsoon that streams the remains of Sumatra's forest fires into Klang Valley.
From this ridge, you've got a great view of the mass of KL. Naturally the Twin Towers are easily identifiable. Continue on the road and you'll make your way past a huge lake that stores lots of water for KL. This is a nice section of tar as well with some really fast flowing corners.
Basically the Hulu Langat area is pretty small, so you can ride most of the roads there in a couple of hours and end up in a small kopi shop for a break. It's quite normal to see a few superbikes there on any given weekend. From the lakeside road, if you make a right turn, you'll be in for the Hulu Langat treat! It's a really twisty bit that leads over from the lake to a small village. It's mainly 1st and 2nd gear stuff and wringing the motor out. The 'Cups' (125cc's) will probably get through this section faster than you will, due to their lightweight nimbleness. This section is short enough to do it a few times within an hour, then find a coffee shop.
It's worth doing and exploring simply because it's so close to KL. If you follow the signs, you'll end up at the Hulu Langat waterfalls and there are some really nice weekend homes in this area. The contrast between city and country is pretty stark and you just won't know that over the ridge lies a huge colourful city.
A good city escape - gotta be done!
