royal belum park Perak Archives

Cycling across Titiwangsa (蒂迪旺沙山脉) will be the toughest segment of our adventure. This is Day 5 of our East Coast ride.

Do read our previous posts from Day 1,2 (Kuantan to Dungun), and Day 3, 4 (Terengganu to Kelantan to Jeli) too.

Cycling across Titiwangsa YouTube video :

Our 11D10N itinerary: (Actual cycling is 8 days)

Day 0 – Van to Kuantan
Day 1 -125km Kuantan to Dungun
Day 2 – 76km Dungun to Kuala Terengganu
Day 3 – 160km Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bharu
Day 4 – 90km Kota Bharu to Jeli
*Day 5 – 121km Jeli to Gerik (via Titiwangsa mountain)
Day 6 – 55km Gerik to Betong (one segment is steeper than Titiwangsa)
Day 7 – R&R Betong (tuk tuk to Skywalk)
Day 8 – 106km Betong to Georgetown
Day 9 – Penang RI (Round Island)
Day 10 – 10 hours coach to SG (or Larkin)
Day 11 – Reach SG

Click below to view our 11D10N “Cycle to Penang” photos.

Custom Google Map 11D10N

~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Do take note there are two Titiwangsas in Malaysia. We are referring to the one running parallel to Thailand, between Jeli and Gerik (also known as East West Highway)

This is the highway (route number 4) which is famous for elephants!
(We heard elephants are more active in the evenings)

Elephants will walk along and ON route 4, news reports below showing elephants visiting R&R! (Some say route 4 is famous for tigers and ghosts too!)

Wild Elephants Titiwangsa, Image credit Google Map

The highlights (or landmarks) of route 4 (Titiwangsa) would be :

-Kelantan Perak border
-Titiwangsa R&R (peak of first mountain)
-There are two huge climbs
-Banding reservoir (or Royal Balum rainforest in between the mountains)
-Expect to slog 2000m+ elevation over 120km

What do you need to know before attempting titiwangsa.

1) (Titiwangsa is not for newbies ). Not only about fitness but road handling confidence too. There are lesser road shoulders, and expect trucks. Exercise caution with high speed downhills, expect bumpy surfaces and sharp bends.

2) Constant climb 3, 5, 8% elevation (to confirm) for 40km till you reach the peak R&R. I am not sure of highest elevation. Those with Garmin or sports computer would know the elevations forecast, so they can prepare in advance.

3) No rest points after Petron stretch, 13km after Jeli town. For that matter, no shelters from the elements too (rain or sun). Ensure you have two full water bottles.

4) It took us 4.5 hours to reach the peak, and 10 hours to cross the mountain range (120km).

5) The road shoulders are narrow. And those segments nearest to grass can be mouldy and slippery. Cycling YouTuber Alvin slipped and crashed along B- road (Gua Musang).

*6 Refer Google Map link (image below, Right to Left). The first Red marker (18km after Jeli town) indicates start of 43km climb, until you reach R&R. The second red marker indicates climb 10km after Banding lake (Royal Belum).

7) Just follow route 4 for Cycling across Titiwangsa ( Strava link)

8) Titiwangsa mountain range also hosts a few of the G7 mountains for hiking. Maybe one day, I will climb “Gunung Yong Belar or Gunung Hulu Sepat”.

Cycling across Titiwangsa

Day 5 – Cycling across Titiwangsa started at 0700.

Whole stretch of road is enveloped by thick mist. Ensure good illumination so other vehicles can spot you.

Endless brutal climbs, followed by more climbs.
We were rolling 10-15kmh slow and easy, just keep the momentum.
Remember to hydrate.

(Ironically, I walk up the slopes only in Day 6’s (towards Betong direction). Slopes were steeper, but maybe I was tired after conquering Titiwangsa).

Front and rear smallest gear, and grind.
Slowly and surely, you will get nearer to the peak.

You will pass by the border between Kelantan and Perak (map).

Remember, it is the journey (and company) rather than the destination.
Want to go FAR, go with good kakis.

After 43km, 1037m and 4.5 hours, we reached Titiwangsa rest stop (aka the peak).

Lunch was Nasi Kerabu (blue rice). Load up our energy and calories.

After the PEAK and a good rest, expect non-stop downhills up to 10km! It is very easy to roll 60kmh+, but take note of road conditions.

We were rolling down fast, and you might hear your ears “popping” due to sudden decrease in air pressure. (this happens to me for both mountain descents).

The next checkpoint would be roughly 30km away, Royal Belum (Banding Reservoir). You will pass this “tunnel” before the first reservoir sighting.

There is one more tunnel after the reservoir.

Scenic Royal Belum reservoir. Some folks would live in the resort (or boat houses here), just to soak in more fresh air and scenic views.

You will pass two bridges, which are narrow. Be careful of vehicles if you are stopping for photos or videos.

Immediately after the second bridge, you will start climbing again. I did not take any more photos, check out the videos instead (links).

Take note downhill from the second mountain has more potholes and uneven segments. It is definitely more risky to go fast.

Ride until 怀疑人生! (literally life doubting)
The green background (Petron) provided a bamboo-like zen space for us to chill. (no need to zoom into our cui3 faces)

Cycling across Titiwangsa is a CHALLENGE.
Cycling with our pannier and saddlebags made it tougher!

We are very near to our homestay in Gerik town.

Homestay for the night (photo taken after checkout).

We need a good bed and dinner to reward ourselves.

Gerik is a small town, but we did see some interesting sights. Shops, eateries. There seems to be a lot of food options.

We are only 50km from Thailand border, add another 9km to Betong town.

Hunting for dinner, we are starving.

Dinner at Restoran 113 Yi Yi Shan (Gerik).
Special shoutout to the fresh sotong!

This ends Day 5 of our trip. Happy that we have cleared the toughest segment. Day 6 and 7 will be R&R in Betong Thailand!

Blog summary:
Day 0, 1 and 2 – Van to Kuantan, then Dungun and Kuala Terengganu
Day 3 and 4 – Terengganu to Kelantan to Jeli
Day 5 – Jeli to Gerik (Titiwangsa)
Day 6 and 7 – Betong and R&R
Day 8 and 9 – Cycle to Penang, then Penang Round Island

Meanwhile, let us share more tips about bike packing in Malaysia.

It is a must to have some basic bike maintenance skills. We had 5 to 6 punctures (and one tyre tear) over 11D10N. Tubes (or TPU) and pumps are necessary, spare tyre maybe.

Going downhills for extended periods can wear off your rim or even disc brakes. Overheating would render the brakes less effective.

Sam is a master when it comes to changing tyres. He can change GP5000 tyres (on high profile rim) with his bare hands!

It is always good to have some weather forecasts ahead. This helps you to have Plan B, or maybe detours. I am using app “Windy”.

I have share more bikepacking tips in my Seoul to Busan solo ride (from 2023) -> https://sengkangbabies.com/sports/bikepacking-4-rivers-day-2-to-yeoju

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

*Do follow our cycling adventures here -> https://sengkangbabies.com/tag/cycling

YouTube: Additional videos from our overseas trips: