Cycling Malaysia: An Introduction to Putrajaya
Putrajaya is one of the most interesting and safest cities to cycle in Malaysia, with a decent network of riverside bike lanes and wide and smooth paved main roads. The brainchild of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the city was built at an initial cost of 8 billion dollars, and remains Malaysia’s largest project, and one of the region’s biggest.
Putrajaya was established in 2001 as Malaysia’s third federal territory, after Kuala Lumpur in 1974 and Labuan in 1984. Initially known as Prang Besar, the area was merged with a number of surrounding rubber estates that were originally jungle before the 1920s. I wasn’t too pleased to learn that Prang Besar itself was part of scores of land given by the government to white British war veterans returning from World War 1, but there’s no point in denying Malaysia’s colonial past.
I won’t elaborate much on the history of Prang Besar myself, as it is a long and convoluted story that spans more than 100 years and witnessed several major turning points in Malaysian history. An interview with the former Manager Mr V. D. Nair FISP is an interesting account into how the estate came to be, as well as the story behind its name, which translates to “Great War”. The establishment of Putrajaya as a federal territory is a reclamation of sorts for us I suppose, and if anything else serves to give Malaysian cyclists a decent place to cycle at least.
Designed to be an Intelligent Garden City, Putrajaya covers more than 4,900 hectares, and has a massive network of roads that can accommodate both motorized vehicles and bicycles safely, with wide boulevards connected by a bicycle lane. The city is quite literally an urban utopia for the cyclists who are lucky enough to work and reside there. And while I’m not one of the fortunate ones who can enjoy the benefits of what the government has utilised my taxpayer funds for, I do get to use them occasionally. I am often in the area to see family, which means I get to kill two birds with one stone by squeezing in a quick ride.
While KL has sporadic pockets of Malaysia’s heritage, Putrajaya is the exact opposite, featuring newer architectural wonders, mostly housing government ministries and agencies, concentrated in the administrative nucleus in precinct 2.
The central core district features different architectural styles, none of which are local, but a mix of European, Moorish, Persian and modern. Only the Pullman Putrajaya showcases the Malay design style.
Seri Gemilang Bridge and the path that runs under it.
How to get to Putrajaya
Putrajaya can be reached via a number of highway routes from within the Klang Valley, which translates to a 40km+ drive, depending on where you are coming from. All these routes are easily navigated using mobile apps, and there are a number of free parking places once you arrive. However, I have to admit that for urbanites in the larger Klang Valley area, it’s a bit far to drive for the sake of a ride.
There are some cyclists that actually ride all the way to Putrajaya via the MEX highway, but I cannot condone this practice. I drive along this route on a regular basis and have seen speeding cars run off the road and more than one accident. Cyclists HAVE been run down on this highway before, and you never know when you’ll be similarly unlucky. The other option is to obviously take the train, as the KLIA Express Rail Link operator has opted to allow cyclists to use the ERL service on weekends and public holidays. This is great news especially considering the increased frequency of the trains, although it won’t help bike commuters much unfortunately.
Where to cycle in Putrajaya?
As I mentioned above, Putrajaya has a massive network of smooth main roads that are perfect for cycling as they are mostly wide enough to accommodate both motorised traffic and bicycles, while the lakeside bike lanes have been expanded greatly since the city was first established. You could even cycle to neighbouring Cyberjaya or surrounding areas if you wanted more mileage.
Officially Putrajaya has 8 main cycling routes with three difficulty levels from easy to moderate and endurance. These routes range from 10-35km per ride and cover a combined total of 180km, going through parks and other areas, giving you a glimpse of many iconic buildings in the city.
Putrajaya has 8 bridges, which are each works of art on their own. One of our fellow cyclist bloggers AhPek Biker has documented a route that will allow you to cover all 8 if you’re there for a chill ride to view the sights. Alternatively, he’s also mapped out other rides of varying distances in Putrajaya, some of which will show you the different architectural styles that have been adopted for the state buildings in the city.
Basically, your ride in Putrajaya can be as long or as short as you want. Head there in the evening on weekends and you’ll find a number of fellow cyclists on all manner of bikes, often riding in large groups of up to twenty people. Here’s a bit of a breakdown: the road cyclists favour the long main roads where they can really stretch their legs, the MTBs can be seen on both the roads and on the lakeside bike lane as well as designated off road routes like at the Putrajaya Challenge Park and Terra Trail, while most of the foldies will stick to the bike lane or the urban areas.
Putrajaya Challenge Park
If you’re not into urban or road cycling, Putrajaya Challenge Park has a 30 hectare area of former rubber and oil palm plantations, now dedicated to MTB Trails, ranging from easy to difficult. Because of the variety of difficulty levels from beginner to pro, the park - also known as PCP locally - is a good introduction to trail riding. Trails are well maintained with many different features including wider sections and single tracks. Each track has a sign to indicate its difficulty level:
Beginner - blue & green
Advanced - red
Pro - black
With this handy guide, you definitely won’t get lost or end up riding in a trail not suitable for your level. It is a good place to practice jumps and hone your handling skills. For BMX riders and stunt bikers, there is also a Skate Park and Thrill Park where you can do tricks to your hearts’ fancy. Even gravel cyclists and roadies can do hill training safely here as there is enough tarmac for them to do their grind or spin training sessions. Another great thing about the PCP (probably the most important for most MTB riders) is that the trail is exclusively for cyclists only. No hikers are allowed unlike other popular trail locations, which reduces the risk of potential cyclist-hiker accidents or conflict.
Please take note that rentals are not available here as most folks come equipped with their own so this is not really an issue. Post ride bike washing facilities are available at the park, but it you’re too lazy or too tired to do the clean up yourself, there is bike washing service for rm5 per bike. For those taking their bikes on the train, the PCP is less than 10km from the nearest ERL train station in Putrajaya.
Putrajaya terra trail
The Terra Trail in Putrajaya is an urban trail park in Precinct 8, accessible just off the lakeside bike lane. As a community project initiated by Putrajaya Holdings, this trail is designed and managed by the local community of cyclists and winds around the secondary forest within the urban park area. It is located next to a new mixed development (yet another one, unfortunately) called Terra, the access point for which can be found lakeside opposite the big Tengku Mizan Abidin Mosque more affectionately known as the iron mosque. The nearest parking section for cars is a designated lot at Ayer 8.
The single track trail is less than 10km long, and besides MTBs it is also suitable for those riding gravel or cyclocross bikes. Roadies or folding bike cyclists beware, as the trail can be a bit tricky to manoeuvre if you’re on slick tyres with absolutely no treads, especially if it is raining. The winding trail has many twists and turns that makes it a good spot to practice your handling skills, several straights where you can pick up speed before hitting tight corners and hairpin bends. It is predominantly flat with one 2 metre drop, but no crazy technical sections or rock garden features - the biggest challenge for me was possibly some random tree trunks crossing the Path. Terra Trail is also designed to be a loop, so right at the end you can decide to do it again if you feel like it.
Putrajaya Wetlands
Putrajaya Wetlands Park is the largest constructed freshwater wetlands in the tropics and the first man-made wetlands in Malaysia, covering 197 hectares of former oil palm plantation land. Despite this, the wetlands is now a wildlife sanctuary which attracts a huge variety or animals and has a thriving biodiversity. Designed to support the network of lakes in Putrajaya, the wetlands provide water filtration for urban run-off while also functioning as flood mitigation for excess rainwaters. As an eco-tourism area the Putrajaya Wetlands Park is very popular, especially since entrance is completely free.
For cyclists the trail winds around the wetlands in a roughly 20km track of mostly dirt trails and gentle gravel paths. This trail is suitable for all manner of bikes but most comfortable on bikes with wider tyres as the track is predominantly unpaved. It is however suitable for beginners especially families with children since the track is completely flat with no difficult terrain whatsoever. Bicycle rentals are aplenty here if you don’t have your own, with separate charges for Malaysians and non Malaysians. Some bikes come with baby carriers too, so keep in mind that this is a family friendly park with joggers sharing the trail too.
Putrajaya Bike rentals
If you don’t have your own set of wheels or find yourself in Putrajaya without a ride, there are some bike rentals around the city.
Putrajaya Botanical Gardens
Putrajaya Wetlands
Putra Square
Pullman Hotel (for in house guests only)
Additionally, KMX carts are available at the Cruise Tasik jetty.
However, keep in mind that there are always many complaints over the quality of rental bikes, some of which are faulty because they are not serviced or managed well, or rental bikes may even be unavailable completely. Always have a backup plan in case your first choice is not available. Another thing to remember is that with rentals, you are usually restricted to cycling in designated areas only.
Several pointers
Whether you are cycling in a park, around the lake or on the road, remember that Putrajaya gets fairly toasty on normal days, so make sure you either have enough water supply or stop for drinks to rehydrate. The climate has cooled considerably as the trees there have grown bigger, but it will still be a long time before the temperatures return to what they used to be before the massive metropolis was built.
This means evening visits are best for Putrajaya, which is also when all the buildings and main areas are lit up beautifully. On weekends it is particularly crowded around precinct 2, and the more scenic areas. The roads heading into the Prime Minister’s colossal complex, Perdana Putra and the bubble gum pink Putra Mosque are shut to cars after a certain hour at night, which makes it a nice private area to cycle around. Make sure you have the proper front and rear lights, as it can get pretty dark especially around the lake itself. Group rides are preferable at night, for obvious reasons, but on the whole it is a fairly safe area.
And being Malaysia, there is obviously a maintenance issue, so cyclists will have to be on the lookout for broken tiles, cracked and uneven pavement, metal grills that your tyres can get stuck in, and construction debris. There are also some sections where the lakeside bike path splits into ramps and stairs, sharp turns and concrete structures or tree planters jutt out at odd angles. Keep all these possible obstacles in mind, and you’ll enjoy yourself just fine.
Meanwhile if you're big on urban cycling, check out these other articles:
