Ipoh Limestone Gravel Classic 2026

The Ipoh Limestone Gravel Classic showcases the extraordinary landscape of the Kinta Valley, where towering limestone karst formations rise dramatically from flat agricultural plains. Once the world’s largest tin-mining region, the Kinta Valley’s network of mining roads, plantation tracks, and village paths creates a gravel cycling paradise. Starting from Ipoh’s grand colonial railway station, riders venture into a landscape that feels almost otherworldly.

The 90km route takes riders through the full breadth of the Kinta Valley, passing abandoned tin dredge pools now turned into lakes and wetlands, Chinese cave temples carved into the limestone cliffs, pomelo orchards, and traditional Malay kampung villages. Key highlights include the Sam Poh Tong cave temple, the Kellie’s Castle ruins, and a traverse through a working pomelo plantation. The 50km route focuses on the most scenic sections around Gunung Lang and the Batu Caves of Ipoh.

Gravel or adventure bikes with 38mm+ tyres are suitable for most of the route, which runs on compacted laterite, old mining roads, and some tarmac connectors. The terrain is generally flat to gently rolling, making this one of the more accessible gravel events in Malaysia. Ipoh’s legendary food scene is reason enough to visit, and the post-ride gathering at one of the city’s heritage coffee shops is a perfect conclusion to a day of exploration.