Cycling Malaysia: An Introduction to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is rich in heritage and culture, with a history of cycling that goes all the way back to the early 1900s. Bicycle use in the city has dropped since rapid urbanisation in the 1960s, but has seen a resurgence thanks to the introduction of folding bikes as well as during the covid19 pandemic.
Despite massive development and gentrification, there is a lot of the country’s cultural heritage to be seen in Kuala Lumpur, where many buildings from the colonial and pre-war periods still stand. Remnants of the kampung life and the city’s early economic development also remain everywhere, making every road and every alley a lovely kaleidoscope of old and new. And of course, there is plenty of good food to be had everywhere, if you only know where to look or ask. On the social front, there are always many friends to bump into, making every ride a nice surprise.
While Eka and I often pack our bikes into the car and drive to a starting point outside city limits, we also love being able to cycle straight from our doorstep. Living at the edge of the KL city centre means climbing up and down the hilly terrain of the Klang Valley, navigating through motorised vehicles, and timing our rides to avoid the searing heat of the local climate. But we love it all, as there is nothing quite like an urban ride where we can explore to our heart’s content.
When we first found ourselves taking up cycling again as adults many years ago, the first challenge was finding the right bicycle for our needs. The six month search involved hours of reading reviews and countless visits to bike shops in the Klang Valley. Fast forward to the present day and several bike models later each, the essence of why we cycle has remained the same. The reconnection with our inner child and the sense of freedom, but more than anything else the curiosity to explore. Years later today, we are still discovering new facets of KL.
IS CYCLING IN KUALA LUMPUR DANGEROUS?
Many websites and blogs will say cycling is great in Malaysia, but they won’t recommend exploring the capital and surrounding cities on bicycles. The irony is, thanks to the existing two-wheeled motorised traffic, cyclists can actually safely use the many motorcycle lanes that snake through the Klang Valley to get into Kuala Lumpur. And while not all drivers or motorcyclists are open to the idea of sharing the roads, the existence of motorbikes and scooters do mean they are unknowingly fairly used to it already (and have not much of a choice lol).
I SPEND A FAIR BIT OF TIME CYCLING IN KUALA LUMPUR, AND IT IS POSSIBLE AS LONG AS YOU ADHERE TO THE NECESSARY ETIQUETTE TO SHARE THE ROADS WITH MOTORISED VEHICLES. PRACTICE CAUTION AND DEFENSIVE RIDING AS ALWAYS.
I have come across impatient and irate drivers but there have never been any instances where my life was in actual danger. Not in downtown Kuala Lumpur anyway.
Unfortunately, despite increased cycling in the city over the last decade, the authorities are still playing catch up when it comes to the relevant infrastructure. KL as the local residents call it, and the larger Klang Valley area are trying their best to adapt to the changing mindset of the urban population. There are some hits and misses of course, and a general disagreement between the recreational cyclists and commuters over what is important cycling infrastructure. However, we are of the mind that the more cyclists there are on the road, the better it will highlight the case for cyclist friendly infrastructure.
CYCLING INTO KL
For city folk who don’t want to bother about parking their cars downtown, the Southwest Dedicated Bicycle Highway is the best way to cycle into KL and remain car-less the whole morning (or day). Built at the cost of RM700,000 (reportedly) and opened to the public in 2015, this highway presents a nice access point into the city from the suburban areas of neighbouring Selangor state.
THE BIKE PATH IS ACCESSIBLE FROM THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY MOTORCYCLE LANE ON THE KL-BOUND SIDE, BETWEEN THE BANGSAR EXIT AND MIDVALLEY MEGAMALL ITSELF. IT IS SITUATED RIGHT BEHIND THE MIDVALLEY KTM TRAIN STATION.
Early morning on the bike path.
Many cyclists ride all the way into KL safely through the federal highway motorbike lane, which as mentioned above will eventually connect directly to the bike lane. Even without entering the Southwest bike lane you can still head into the city via smaller roads after exiting the motorbike lane.
For Eka and myself, we live some 5kms away from the start of the bike lane; a mostly downhill ride from home in Kerinchi (or Bangsar South, as the developers are still trying to market it). We can also opt to enter the city via Old Klang Road, where traffic is fairly light if you are cycling in during the early morning. This Southwest bike lane connects to the River of Life project, a 7 year project designed to rejuvenate the Klang River waterfront which results in a pedestrian and cyclist lane that goes along the river into the city centre.
TAKING THE TRAIN WITH YOUR BIKE INTO KL
As of 2021, much has been done to promote multi-modal commuting into Kuala Lumpur, including allowing bikes on train systems. If you live further out of Kuala Lumpur and don’t want to take the motorbike lane for whatever reason (safety, weather, lack of time, etc), there is the option of taking the train with your bike. Ride from home to the station and bring your bicycle with you onto the train (both full bikes and foldies are allowed on weekends though some time restrictions may apply and these hours can change at short notice). While these measures kind of fall short of addressing the demands of daily workers who want to commute to their offices by bike, it has been great for recreational cyclists not bound by peak hours or weekdays.
A guide to bikes on train rules in Klang Valley:
KTM Komuter
https://www.facebook.com/142724092456860/posts/3929056743823557/?d=nFor
LRT
https://myrapid.com.my/ms/bus-train/rapid-kl/bike-ride/
MRT
KL BICYCLE MAP
If you are nowhere near the federal highway motorbike lane or the bike lane itself, there are still many other ways to get into the capital by bike. If you look up Cycling Kuala Lumpur you will come across an awesome effort by Jeffrey J. C. Lim to document such routes heading into the city. The map is an independent project compiled and ridden by Jeff (or Machu Pichu as he is also fondly known among friends) and his army of local cycling and commuting volunteers.
The map is by no means accurate anymore since it was first compiled in 2014 and KL has definitely changed a lot since then. However, it is still the best option us cyclists have in terms of figuring out entry points into downtown KL by bike. The Southwest Dedicated Bicycle Highway mentioned above is actually one of the byproducts of his initiative, in collaboration with Kuala Lumpur City Hall, or DBKL for short. After scrutinising the map and working with Jeff, they picked one route that they could make an official bike lane.
The cool thing about this is the map is completely free, in both physical and digital form. The physical form is actually your best bet as the map opens up quite large and allows you to scrutinise all routes into KL. This would mean pre planning your ride into KL rather than just doing it on the fly, but we definitely recommend this for newbies or those who are unfamiliar with Klang Valley roads. You can get the map at several distribution locations where they are still in stock or contact Jeff directly at (FB/Insta) and he’ll help sort out a copy for you. You can also opt to download or view a digital version instead at
http://cyclingkl.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CyclingKualaLumpur/
INSERT IMAGE OF KL BIKE MAP
DRIVING INTO KL
The irony of having to drive into Kuala Lumpur to cycle is definitely not lost on me, but I do understand that it may be easier for those living out of town to do so, particularly if their homes are more than 50km away from the city. Parking can be found in many areas around Kuala Lumpur (both legal paid parking lots and illegal spots), but please DO NOT PARK ALONG THE BLUE BIKE LANE as this is one of the biggest pet peeves of us cyclists, who end up having to cycle on the main roads instead.
If you’d like to have a hassle free and pleasant entry point into the Southwest Dedicated Bicycle Highway without even touching the motorbike lane, you can opt to park in an empty lot right outside the Volvo showroom near Mid Valley. It is situated at the start of the bike lane and gets you easy access to a good starting point for your ride into Kuala Lumpur. Do note that this spot is a well known parking area for both cyclists and joggers, so it may fill up if you arrive late on weekends.
KUALA LUMPUR BLUE BIKE LANES
Once inside Kuala Lumpur, you can use the bright blue bicycle lanes to get a taste of the city. Introduced as the capital city hosted the 9th edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF9), these lanes were definitely not launched without controversy. The cost of the lanes was the first major hotly debated issue, as well as the route that it takes around the city, how they were designed, the lane separators, the lack of enforcement for illegally parked vehicles, all the way down to the different blue paints that were used to mark them.
Our take on the blue bike lanes? They’re not perfect, but they’ve definitely been useful for cyclists to get around the city especially in tight spots during peak hours. We do use these bike lanes where they are along our route, but we’re not bound by them by any means. To be an urban cyclist means the whole network of city roads is fair game, as well as the pedestrian walkways and curbside areas. We do however agree that the blue bike lanes are a good start in getting new cyclists comfortable riding along traffic, in addition to increasing awareness about cyclists in the city.
INSERT BLUE BIKE LANE MAP
KL CAR FREE MORNING
The official KL Car Free route. Source: www.klcarfreemorning.com
KL City Hall (a.k.a. DBKL) has held KL Car Free mornings since the year 2013, flagging off a 7km route that remains car free from 7 to 9am. KL Car Free was shelved temporarily due to the ongoing covid19 pandemic, but has now been resumed on a registration-only basis for fully vaccinated participants who are symptomless and not from EMCO areas. You’ll need to register 2 days prior to the event and have to adhere to strict SOPs which include no riding in groups bigger than 2, wearing a mask before and after cycling. A QR code will be given to successful participants, which you need to display to gain entry to the route as well as your digital vaccination certificate.
If you don’t have you own bikes, title sponsor OCBC Bank offers 140 loaner bikes for free from 6am. You’ll need to bring along some form of identification and come early to grab one of these bikes. However, helmets are not provided so please bring your own. We highly recommend helmet use as I have had a consussion before and I can say for a fact that not all accidents are related to traffic. A concussion will have long term effects on your brain and is not something cyclists should risk experiencing.
I can’t deny the fact that KL Car Free has encouraged a lot of people to pick up cycling and get outdoors in general, despite some safety issues between cyclists and runners. Cyclists, runners, skaters (or anyone not on a motorised vehicle, really) could enjoy a riding/running/etc a route that began and ended at the DBKL building, passing through a number of roads, with the Petronas Twin Towers at the mid-way point. You could use this route as a guide from some city exploration, or follow the bright blue bike lanes quite easily.
Overall, KL Car Free morning was generally a fun event, with music, group exercises, t-shirt giveaways, lucky draws, and a number of other things depending on the weekend. There would also be the KL Food Truck Feast at Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square for you non Malay speakers, and this was a nice way to end the morning. These mornings used to be held twice a month on the first and third Sunday with rental bicycles also available on the day, and used to be a good way for cyclists to have an easy route to cycle and bring the family for some outdoor fun in the city.
Whether or not you join the KL Car Free event, you dan always use this as a guide to map a similar route: start your ride through the cityscape of Kuala Lumpur from Dataran Merdeka, enjoy the views along Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Dang Wangi, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Ampang and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman.You can have breakfast along the way or you can also keep riding to the Perdana Botanical Gardens and Bukit Tunku, or head to the Perdana Botanical Gardens for a shorter ride through the park.
For more of a challenge, head to Bukit Tunku for the uphill climb to Tugu Negara and the Cenotaph. Go the long way in from Bank Negara, although there are no signs to the popular tourist spot on the other side. Just remember to turn left into Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin if you are coming uphill from Jalan Sultan Salahuddin. For cyclists who like a challenge, do check out a compilation of the best hill climbs in KL, most of which will leave you breathless by the peak but reward you with stunning views of the city scape too!
The skate park at the Perdana Botanical Gardens.
BEST KL HILL CLIMBS FOR CYCLISTS
Bukit Pantai - One of the first options upon entering KL, this climb is steep and long, going past the Pantai Hospital and some luxurious apartments and bungalows that Bangsar is famous for. You can choose to continue with hill loops within this area to get a good bit of climbing training, or head into downtown KL.
Thien Heau Temple - This climb is visually daunting from the start, as the junction leading into it heads straight up to a 17% gradient which only flattens out a little further up. Reward yourself with a view of the beautiful Thean Hou Temple, which is best viewed in the waning light of dusk.
Kerayong - A short but intense climb that ends at the hundred year old Kwong Tong cemetery, which is a historical spot housing tombs from many different eras of KL’s history. Continue through the graveyard to pop out at Jalan Bellamy and Jalan Dewan Bahasa Pustaka, which is another access point into the city.
Mayor Hill - A 2km climb that gets steeper at the last few hundred meters, this reaches the KL Mayor’s official residence at the end, and gives a stunning view of the KL cityscape with lush vegetation in the foreground. A favourite spot for many cyclists, runners and shutterbugs and one of the best spots to see the sun rising over the city.
The Wall - A short and steep climb through the residential areas of the affluent Kenny Hills area, this is also a good spot for viewing the sunrise or the night lights as you get a view of the slope you just climbed at the top, framing the Petronas Twin Towers nicely.
Bukit Hoki - A dauntingly long and fairly steep climb that helps connect downtown KL to Mont Kiara, so this is an access point into the city for many cyclists on the Damansara side too.
Dengelut - A fairly short climb with decent gradients that leads up to an open space where you can enjoy an uninterrupted view of the KL skyline. Reward yourself by zipping back down and turning left to head to Taman Tunku, where there are a few cyclist friendly cafes with bike parking outside.
Melawati - A series of dead end climbs in the Melawati area, these are regularly used by the triathlete community and cyclists of the masochist persuasion, who zip up and down these climbs when they feel they’re in the mood/need for some hill training.
Bukit Antarabangsa - The Big Kahuna of KL hill climbs, this switchback laden climb has some pretty steep gradients, and has claimed quite a few derailleurs of the riders who ran out of steam on the way up.
Meanwhile if you're big on urban cycling, check out these other articles:
I hope that’s enough information to have piqued your interest. Perhaps we’ll bump into each other on the roads in KL sometime!
