Getting a workout on the closed streets of KL with OCBC Cycle 

IT’S 6 am on Sunday (Mar 12), the air in Kuala Lumpur (KL) is humid, and lights from hundreds of bicycles are flashing everywhere as cyclists gather in front of Dataran Merdeka in the heart of the city.

These riders are in town for the OCBC Cycle Kuala Lumpur 2023 event to pedal through the closed city streets of Malaysia’s capital once more.

The event has returned after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and some 2,500 enthusiasts have signed up for the 21 km and 42 km rides around the city – myself included.

Rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn isn’t something I particularly enjoy – especially on a weekend –but the opportunity to do a long, uninterrupted ride on the usually traffic-heavy streets of KL is a rather compelling one.

The 21-km route winds through the heart of KL, passing the swanky shopping malls at Bukit Bintang before going by the Petronas Twin Towers along Jalan Ampang. It then moves through quieter tree-lined roads, looping past other landmarks such as the National Mosque of Malaysia and KL railway station before heading back to the start/finish line at Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square.

Riders for the 42-km event – which I signed up for – would need to complete two laps of the course.

My personal goal for the day is unambitious: complete the full distance before the cut-off time. An average speed of slightly under 20 km/h would leave me with a comfortable margin, I estimate.

To a regular cyclist, this may not sound like much of a challenge. But I am slightly nervous lining up at the start, as I am currently far from my fittest. Short rides along park connectors on my folding bicycle are what I am more used to.

Midway through the first lap, things are going smoothly. I feel relatively comfortable, but my smart watch is telling me a different story: my heart rate is busting 170 beats per minute, which is what I would usually hit during a hard run.

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Perhaps it is the group of cyclists all around providing a psychological boost. Or, it might be the adrenaline. Still, I decide to take things down a notch as a hilly section comes up and with another full lap to go.

The varying gradient on the course proves challenging, and the greatest difference from cycling in Singapore. I keep reasonable pace on the flats; but on the uphill sections, it feels as if everyone is zipping by.

The start of the second lap provides extra motivation – I am on pace, and now have an idea of what lies ahead.

With the sun already up, riders start taking in more of the sights and stopping for photos on the way. The city is slowly awakening, but the route is also less crowded because the faster riders and those cycling 21 km have finished their races.

With 2 km to go, my thighs started to ache. But keeping them moving, and the pedals turning, proves effective to stop the cramps from setting in. Before long, the finish line is in sight – thankfully ahead of the cut-off time.

I had only cycled on closed roads once previously – during the OCBC Singapore Cycle event nine years earlier as part of The Business Times Charity Challenge. Pedalling through the closed streets of KL last Sunday brought back good memories.

While such events may seem best-suited for serious cyclists, I feel recreational riders also get plenty from the experience. Just being able to concentrate on the cycling workout – without worry of traffic, pedestrians, or having to stop at junctions – is such a luxury.

Getting fitter has been one of my goals for 2023, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming OCBC Cycle Singapore in May when I can get another ride done on closed city streets.