Putra Square in front of the Prime Minister’s Office and Masjid Putra is part of many popular riding routes through the nation’s administrative centre.
CYCLISTS yearn for open, smoothly paved roads and clear skies.
And as cliche as it sounds, the mental health benefits reaped from the sense of freedom and adventure from a long bike ride are often unsurpassed, especially when out with buddies.
Sadly, though, many routes in and around the Klang Valley are not ideal for road biking.
However, this has not stopped keen road cyclists from pursuing their passion for this beautiful sport.
It is probably why Putrajaya and its surroundings are so prized for being conducive to great long road rides. Ask the Singaporean riders who make a trip several times a year just to bike around Putrajaya for the weekend.
More than many other places, traffic largely disappears when government offices vacate at the end of the workday or on weekends. There is hardly any heavy vehicle, barring the odd 10-tonne truck hauling cargo and fuel on its way to Port Klang or KLIA.
Much has been said for the santai or relaxed-paced routes that meander the scenic waterways and gardens of the nation’s administrative capital through well-laid-out bicycle and jogging lanes.
Those 10km-30km routes are great for the relaxed family ride with flat bar all-road or foldable bicycles.
Ride predictably in sections with higher traffic in a single file and stay aware of your surroundings.
Less spoken about are the less travelled routes away from the usual scenic rides within Putrajaya’s picturesque locales that might not be too well known by many but are worth a visit for passionate roadies.
The beauty of cycling in Putrajaya lies in its central location to many areas that entice hardy riders to test their legs on weekend mornings or do high-intensity efforts on weeknights.
Both Putrajaya and Cyberjaya offer a good variation of gradients that are great for fitness building.
Many riders converge on Putrajaya for night riding due to the low traffic volume and away from the sun’s rays. One loop can take 40km to 50km.
There are many gathering points, but a popular one is in front of the Palace of Justice facing the main boulevard of Persiaran Perdana, which connects the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) and Perdana Putra, the office of the Prime Minister.
A variation of a 40km loop begins here, where riders make their way to Persiaran Selatan and head north to Persiaran Utara. From there, it is straight on to Lebuhraya Putrajaya-Cyberjaya to enter Cyberjaya.
The ride here typically takes riders back to Putrajaya via Persiaran Tasik and back to the starting point.
Rides can encompass the entire west-east span of Cyberjaya to Bangi traversing Putrajaya. It offers views of Putrajaya’s best sights and some challenging sections for a 60km route.
One such route begins from the Cyberjaya Lake Gardens connecting to Putrajaya via Persiaran Tasik. Stop by to take in the Putrajaya Lake views.
Head on via the Putrajaya-Cyberjaya Highway and ride past PICC towards the Persiaran Selatan cloverleaf interchange. Use the cloverleaf to get on to B13 Jalan Bukit Dugang and Jalan Sungai Merab towards Bangi.
From Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), head up Persiaran Universiti and then Persiaran Bandar towards Bandar Baru Bangi.
Many sections in and around Putrajaya are popular with experienced cyclists for their well-paved and well-connected routes.
Riders will return to Putrajaya past Sultan Idris Shah Hospital (formerly Serdang Hospital) on Persiaran IRC3 near IOI City Mall Putrajaya.
Returning to Cyberjaya can be done through several routes through Putrajaya. One way is to take Persiaran Timur to connect to Lebuh Wadi Ehsan and then to Persiaran Selatan.
Reenter Cyberjaya from the Putrajaya-Cyberjaya Highway.
Lastly, adventurous road cyclists can do a longer 80km ride from Putrajaya’s PICC to KLIA through the towns of Dengkil and Salak Tinggi.
Break at Salak Tinggi, and continue passing by the Sepang International Circuit before getting onto Jalan Pekeliling, the road that loops around KLIA.
Riders will encounter scores of people parked by the roadside ringing the airport’s runaways, waiting to snap photos of aircraft landing and taking off.
There is even an Anjung Spotter observation deck where enthusiasts can sit and watch planes taxiing.
Head towards Sultan Abdul Samad KLIA mosque via Lebuhraya KLIA and then on to Labohan Dagang–Nilai, which is also Federal Route 32, to get back to Dengkil. From there, return to Putrajaya via the Putrajaya Challenge Park.
