RRI Sungai Buloh
Last Sunday, my family & I went for a ride at the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) is Sungai Buloh. It's a really cool XC trail. A lot of loops. The week leading up to our trip was kind of stressful because information regarding RRI was hard to obtain.
Getting there is simple enough. Starting from Skypark Terminal, Subang Airport, keep going straight until you reach a Caltex gas station. From there, turn right and keep going, following the signs. The signs will lead you to the actual institute itself which is on your left. The entrance to the trail however, is right across the street, on your right. So turn right -- it's between two nurseries -- and park. There's a small plot of land perfect for parking and unloading the bikes. After that, start off.
Map from Subang Airport to Entrance of RRI
The road going into the plantation is red soil road and it's a nice ride. You can do some pretty cool sprints there but I'd advise against that. Along the road, you'll come to a junction on your left. You can take this or go up ahead. I haven't been up ahead yet. Hehe. Anyway, if you DO turn left, it's a slight downward slope before a short, steep-ish climb. After that is a flatter strip of road before a winding, crazy uphill. I recommend using lightest everything -- weight & gear -- to save yourself. At the top, there's a hut with seats so you can plonk down and recover. The hut at this point shall be referred to as Hut 1 from hereon in.
From the hut, you'll notice the road forks into 3 junctions. The first one -- which is on the right-most choice -- is a real test of your stamina and endurance. Only try this if you are really fit. My family, unfortunately, did not know this so we did the first one and during one of the breaks, my father passed out for a second because his body wasn't used to the arduous climb. Me? I'm climbing hills back and forth from school with a heavy backpack so I guess that helped.
The first option however, also leads to some rewarding downhill. Pretty rough, bumpy road so you need to be comfortable on your bike and maintain a firm grip. Otherwise, the loose rock could easily 'de-track' your tires and make you a weak impersonation of Superman. There is another 3-option fork here but two of them is actually the same loop. The third leads you on another uphill.
Back at Hut 1, the second option -- middle lane -- is generally flat with a nice, shaded ride. This is definitely the most relaxing of the three main loops. This is the loop I recommend for those of you who are beginners to mountain biking.
Option 3, a gnarly downhill drop. It will give you enough momentum to keep rolling at high speed for the next two kilometres. Note; do not brake until the first corner you see. Doing so too early and you'll again impersonate Superman. Too late and you'll impersonate the Hulk by crashing into a rest hut at the end. After that the track is really nice. You come by a river and some factories -- which are on the other side of the river. After that, you'll pop out halfway up the crazy climb you first encountered before Hut 1.
Once your legs have stopped shaking, get ready for another wicked downhill as you descend back to the main 'road'.
At this point, my parents were too tired to continue so we headed back towards the car. Hence, my lack of knowledge on what lies ahead should you choose to go further.
Thank you!
P/S:
For questions regarding RRI such as directions, tips and the sort, pelase feel free and drop a comment.
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