The Malaysian Foldie 19, May/June 2015 | Page 8

We cleared Customs and while we were setting up the bikes, a man approached and asked where we were from.

Seems that very few tourists actually visit Dumai.

I asked him where the ferry service office were and was told to head off to Jalan Jendral Sudirman.

His directions weren't correct as we took a longer route towards the town centre.

Whenever in doubt: ask..

I sensed that we were headed on the wrong direction and decided to pull over t ask a oil company worker.

He pointed us to the right direction and we rode past the town's police station and turned right towards Jalan Jendral Sudirman.

The ferry services office was on this road and I told Mohd Radzi to sort out the tickets.

I also gave him some money to be used for food and accommodation.

At the ferry ticketing office, we met a friendly local.

He told us that the ride to Duri, our destination takes about two hours and it's five hours to Pekanbaru.

I think this dude is some sort of local Shaman on a bike as I learned that it was impossible to get to Duri in such a short time.

We had lunch at Nasi Padang Pak Datuk. This is one of the most famous makan place in Dumai and should not be missed.

Pushing it and it wasn't Radzi's day...

We rode out towards the route to Duri and Pekanbaru at 03:00pm.

Shortly after leaving town, Mohd Radzi had a flat tire near Bukit Kapur.

We pulled over at a roadside stall to facilitate repairs.

His Dahon Eco 7's rear tire had a flat. And while he was trying to change the inner tube, he realized that it was the wrong valve.

The guy didn't even had a patch kit and speaking of the state of preparedness, ALWAYS ensure that you have adequate recovery tools and the right equipment.

I didn't do much but watch as he put things together.

By the time the flat tire's inner tube was replaced, we've lost at least half an hour on the road.

Our ride resumed on the Jalan Lintas Sumatera and after two hours of cycling, I signaled to pull over.

LEFT: A friendly local lending support to the cyclists. RIGHT: Cycling to Pekan Kandis along the Jalan Lintas Sumatera. BOTTOM: Soto Ayam