Serk Ride 18 – July 2nd Fab Fanqi Lu + Tour de France night in the mountains !
Ride 18 here we come !
Last weeks new early morning “ride from the city” formula for the Elite riders was a real hit. So this week we will do the same again (150km for Elite) and add in an Intermediate PLUS option so the Intermediate riders can challenge themselves to a harder 125km ride.
We will base ourselves at Tom’s house in Huairou and offer an easy Beginner option (50km) and a regular Intermediate course (67km) which can be extended if desired.
Saturday is also the 1st stage of the Tour de France so we will also offer an overnight stay for 7 riders at Tom house on Saturday night. Kick back with some beers and enjoy live coverage of Le Tour on the big screen. Wake up Sunday morning and ride back into Beijing. Details below ;
Please note : due to changes in how wechat links to external webpages we have added an additional step in the sign up process. You will now need to input a valid email address. When you hit the submit button you should see the following message ” Your message has been sent, thank you” AND receive an email with confirmation. There is no longer an automative redirect to the rider sign up list. If you do not receive the message or an email your registration did not go through. Please check that you filled all the form out or it will be rejected. Alternatively use a PC browser or cut and paste this link into your phone browser directly – https://www.serk.cc/07022016/
Note : Early Start ! It’s summer and its hot on the roads so early starts mean more pleasant riding conditions and you get back earlier.
Departure Time : 06.30 Serk. Arrive at 06.00 for coffee or 6.15 to load bikes
Return Time : 13:30 – 15:30 Serk
1. Beginner – Approx 49km 556m Climbing Approx
This weeks beginner ride is very easy. We will drive you up to the top of the first big climb to reduce the climbing. You then ride along a lovely shaded road with some small rises, turn around and then head back the same way. You end the ride with a fun 9km downhill back to the base house. It’s an out and back route so if you’d like to challenge yourself a bit more you are welcome to ride further and turn around at a later point to add some kilometres.
Average Speed : 15 km/h – 20 km/h
This ride is recommended for all new beginner riders. If you find the pace too slow next week you can move to the Intermediate Group. Its much better to start out on the easier ride and then move up rather than start on the faster ride and find yourself getting dropped and left behind.
2. Intermediate : Approx 67km 1300m Climbing Approx.
Average Speed : 20 km/h – 25 km/h
A short but tough ride. 2 long climbs and 2 of our favourite descents in Beijing. Its and out and back course which you can extend it if you like by riding further before turning back.
This ride is recommended for all Intermediate riders. If you find the pace too slow next week you can move to the Elite Group. Its much better to start out on the easier ride and then move up rather than start on the faster ride and find yourself getting dropped and left behind.
3. Intermediate PLUS : Approx 124km 1500m Climbing Approx.
Average Speed : 20 km/h – 25 km/h
A new format – Intermediate PLUS. A long ride (124km) that starts early and finishes around the same time as the Beginner and regular Intermediate groups. How do we do it ? You’ll start riding from Serk early to beat the heat and the traffic. Intermediate PLUS will depart from Serk at 5.30am (to be confirmed depending on which riders sign up). Arrive at 5.15am for a coffee and to load your bag in the Serk van. The van will be driven to the end point of the ride. The route out of the city is fast early in the morning and you’ll be in the mountains in no time. The route takes you through the quiet “death valley’ over to Huairou via a picturesque temple before heading up Fanqi lu past the Apec area. Its a challenging but interesting ride – especially so early in the morning !
This ride is recommended for advanced Intermediate riders. If you are not sure you can do the distance or keep the pace then you are welcome to join but you will need to leave earlier to give yourself more time to complete the ride.
4. Elite – 150km 2555m Climbing Approx
Elite will depart from the city at 5.30am (to be confirmed depending on which riders sign up). Arrive at 5.15am for a coffee and to load your bag in the Serk van. The van will be driven to the end point of the ride. The route out of the city is fast early in the morning and you’ll be in the mountains in no time. The route takes you North out of the City and then past the Ming Tombs Reservoir, up a challenging concrete climb and around the back to the S212 on the road to Yongning. Cut through some more back roads and head to Sihai and up the dreaded Dong Bei Kou climb. Descend, descend descend before a false flat and the most awesome 9km flowing descent to Tom’s house. You should arrive there around 12.30 – 13.00 at a similar time to the Beginners and Intermediates. From the finish point its a comfortable air conditioned bus ride back to Serk. Or you can stay the night and enjoy the live coverage of the Tour de France.
Average Speed : 25 km/h – 30 km/h
This ride is recommended for all Elite riders only. The pace will be pretty fast and on the flat parts of the course we will ride together as a bunch so the km pass quickly. The group will wait at the top of the climbs and regroup for the descents. If you are not sure of your fitness or endurance then please do not join this group. Instead go with the intermediate group and as your fitness improves later in the season join the Elite ride group.
5. Overnight stay at Toms and Tour de France viewing
If you’d like a whole weekend of riding we are offering 7 riders the opportunity to stay overnight at Tom’s house in Huairou. On Saturday night we will live stream Stage 1 of the Tour de France. Sunday morning ride back to the city 90km. Back by lunchtime. There is an extra charge of 350 RMB per rider which covers the overnight stay, Saturday night snacks and drinks. We will go dutch for meals at local restaurants. If you are interested in this option please tick the overnight stay option in the sign up form.
Waiver
Every rider is required to read and accept this waiver by clicking on “yes” in the form above before participating in a Serk Ride.
The meeting point for self drive will be posted in the group chat.
If you have already signed up for a multi-ride pass you don’t need make any additional payment for this ride. If you haven’t you can sign up for a multi-ride pass here or just purchase a 1 ride pass for the day. Our vehicles have limited seats so preference first goes to multi-ride pass holders and then those that pre-pay the 1 ride pass.
To pre-pay on Wechat please extract the following QR Code by pressing on it using your smartphone and then select “Extract QR code” You will be taken to a we chat payment page to make the 350 RMB payment.
For self-drive please extract the following QR Code by pressing on it using your smartphone and then select “Extract QR code” You will be taken to a we chat payment page to make the 50 RMB payment.
Cancellation / Refund AQI Policy
Please read our Cancellation / Refund AQI Policy Carefully here.
Process
Once you have signed up for the ride we will add you to special group chat for the Saturday ride. Here you will be able to see which of your friends have already signed up plus we will release the route GPX files and detailed route instructions here. During the ride we will use this group for communication and also its the place you can share photos post ride. If you haven’t been added to the group make sure that you have added the Serk Admin account (QR code below)