We had booked an extra night in the Magpie Residence so decided to cycle out to Penang Bridge.

The bridge is 13.5 kilometres long and was completed in 1985, you cannot cycle across it so we must leave Penang the same way we arrived, by ferry.

Boat pier

It is a very frenetic cycle just to get on to the cycle path, often very difficult just to cross the road due to the speed and volume of traffic. But we got on to it.

The cycle path is around 15 kilometres long mostly separate from motorised vehicles with the exception of scooter riders who ignore the no scooter signs and wrestle their scooters over the frequent obstacles put there to stop them. These frequent obstacles make cycling a little bit on the off the on at times.

Yet another barrier

The first section is right on the sea in front of new housing developments. They have put some speed bumps to slow bicycles down which is OK but there are around five times more bumps than is reasonable, all it does is make you give up on the cycle path and use the road!

Snaking cycle path

Cycle path running down the main road

Seafront cycle path

After this you get a concrete strip right next to the six lane (plus two scooter lanes) highway. There are intermittent stretches set back a little from the road and of course the section covered in cars, not the most enjoyable cycling.

After 10 kilometres we arrived at Penang Bridge unfortunately visibility was poor but it still gave good views. We didn’t bother with the rest as it was more of the same so made our way back.

One side of the Penang Bridge

The other side of the Penang Bridge

Colourful and a little frightening, a pair of shop mannequins

We had spotted a laundromat just around the corner so after a shower an relaxing hour was spent here.

Life doesn’t get any more exciting than this

The Strava route today.