Thursday, August 21, 2008

Cycling Pledge 2008 ~ Subang Jaya to Pulau Pangkor


Once again, Sky Adventure Club of Taylor’s University College set out to test our own limits on the road. This year’s Cycling Pledge saw us pedaling our bikes to Pulau Pangkor, Perak with a total distance of about 250km. This year’s pledge aimed at creating awareness about global warming.

A total of 7 cyclists and 4 crews participated in this year’s pledge. The vehicle convoy consisted of a Toyota Hilux, a Toyota Unser and a Myvi. The trip spanned over 3 days (16th-18th August 2008) and is one heck of an unforgettable one.

Getting ready to pedal off.

We kicked off from Taylor’s Business School at about 7.50am on Day 1. There were several stops along the way, such as at Sungai Buloh, Pekan Ijok and Tanjung Karang. We managed to reach our pit stop for Day 1 which was at Sabak Bernam after a remarkable 119.4km at 6.00pm. We laid our tired bodies down to rest at a low budget hotel after having dinner at a restaurant.


Heading to our destination on Day 1.


Resting at a bus stop.


Lunch break at Kuala Selangor.

The Rock, Dragoat and Ocean striking a cool pose.

One very exhausted cyclist.

On Day 2, we had cereals for breakfast on the back of the Hilux before proceeding to complete the rest of the cycling trip at 8.05am. Our target was to reach Pangkor Jetty which would bring our total distance to 215.3km. We finally achieved that at about 3.00pm and the crews began to prepare what was supposed to be lunch until we realized that we had not brought our precious gas stove. Thankfully, there were some scouts among us and they helped to build a makeshift stove and fire, over which we cooked our spaghetti which eventually became dinner.

Koko Crunch!

Lychee drinks sponsored by Yeo's.




Finally, we arrived at the Pangkor Island Jetty.




Our substitute for the gas stove.

Forcing down our weird tasting lunch.


Taking a moment to enjoy the view at the jetty.

After that, we boarded a ferry to Pulau Pangkor at 7.45pm. Once there, we accessed our rented Wira and continue the journey to Tanjung Nipah where we were to spend the night. This was the biggest hurdle in the trip as there were several uphill slopes which horrified even the crews sitting safely in the car. The cyclists had to get down and push the bicycles up halfway through the slopes as it was too much to handle, safe for two of our cyclists who toughed it out. To add to this climax, there were no streetlights and each cyclist had to carry a torchlight. This was quite dangerous as cars were coming both ways. But we finally arrived safely at Tanjung Nipah at about 9.30pm. After a proper dinner, we checked into another low budget hotel for the night.

Day 3 was a more relaxed one. We woke up early and had a walk at the beach until it drizzled. We made our way to a little restaurant to have breakfast and sat there for a long time, waiting out the rain. We chatted and shared our feelings on the tiring but worthwhile cycling pledge. It was moments like these that made our experience so much more memorable. Just us, sitting together as a club and friends, united by our passion for adventure and poking fun at each other over nasi lemak.


Sightseeing at the beach.

Having breakfast.

Alien. Can you stop taking pictures?

When the weather permitted, we retreated to our hotel for an interesting game of Indian Poker. We checked out at 12.30pm and tackled the slopes once more on our way to the jetty. We took the ferry back to Lumut and then capped off our journey with a roadshow at Terminal Jeti. Here, we gave out global warming awareness brochures, MYC! magazines, free Yeo’s drinks and Shokobutsu samples while explaining to passers-by about our pledge. We also had a “Guess the Number” contest. The public had to guess the number of pingpong balls we had in a box. With only RM1 per entry, they had a chance to win an Apple iPod Shuffle courtesy of MYC! if their guess was correct.

Roadshow at Terminal Jeti.

A participant trying to count the number of ping pong balls.

Handing out Yeo's Lychee drinks.

Congratulations to Mr Bala, the much envied winner of the Apple iPod Shuffle.


We wrapped things up at about 5.30pm when we counted the pingpong balls in front of the eagerly awaiting crowd. The prize went to Mr. Bala. With that over with, we packed up and piled into our vehicles for the long drive back to SS15. Each of us had time to reminisce and reflect over the past 3 days. It had been a test of determination, of strong willpower and of not giving up. We had braved the merciless sun and slippery roads, encountered rude drivers who would honk at us loudly, endured muscle cramps, slipped from our bicycles but got up again with the help of the team. Teamwork. That was the one thing that kept us going, for none of us would have been able to finish this journey alone.

Besides that, we would like to extend a heartfelt appreciation to Mr Lim Guan Chow from Exit Way who sponsored the bicycles and uniforms. Also special thanks to Yeo's and the ECA Centre of Taylor's University College. Thank you so much for your contribution in making this year's cycling pledge a great success!

Though Sky Adventure Club’s Cycling Pledge 2008 may be over, rest assured you have not seen the last of us. Cycling Pledge 2009 is only a year away and be set to be blown away for another spectacular performance from Sky Adventure!


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