Serk Ride 19 – July 9th Baiyanggou Backwards
Ride 19 is in gorgeous Baiyanggou. We’ve been to this area in May. When we revisit this week the Beginner and Intermediate will ride a similar route as last time but in reverse. Intermediate Plus and Elite are in for a treat with another early morning start and long long ride out to the finish point. Ready for the challenge ?
The early morning “ride from the city” formula for the Elite and Intermediate Plus riders will continue again this week. The routes for Elite and Intermediate Plus are similar. We will have 1 ride leader to assist both groups however these 2 rides do not have the same level of support the the regular Intermediate and Beginner routes have. It is impossible for us to provide this level of support along a point to point 150km route with riders of different speed and ability.
If you would like to participate in the Intermediate Plus or Elite ride then you are responsible for navigating the route, repairs and finding your own back in case of bike break down. If you are within a 50km radius of the finish point our vans will provide support. If outside of this radius we will assess support on a case by case basis. This means that you should check your bike for any issues before committing to the ride and you should also know how to navigate the routes we provide and know how to change a tyre (we recommend taking 2 spare tubes). You also need to be sure you can make the distance in a reasonable time especially in this heat. If unsure then leave earlier so that you have plenty of time to make it to the finish point. This new additional format is offered to the Serk community as an extra challenge. If you are worried about not being able to be self reliant we strongly recommend that you do our regular Intermediate ride which has full support.
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 53km 1000m Climbing Approx
This weeks beginner ride is a little more challenging that our regular Beginner ride. It has about double the amount of climbing of the previous week. It’s a lovely route and should be cool for most of the ride so challenge yourself this week to a harder ride !
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 76km 1515m Climbing Approx.
Average Speed : 20 km/h – 25 km/h
Lots of climbing ! Nice roads and plenty of other riders to chat with along the way. Reverse of the route we did on May 15th with a different return climb test your legs. Long fast descent to the finish – yay !
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 1599m Climbing Approx.
Average Speed : 20 km/h – 25 km/h
You’ll start riding from Serk at 5.30 to beat the heat and the traffic. Intermediate PLUS will follow the same route as the Elite riders for most of the way. We will head out of the city past the Forbidden City and ride half a loop of the Laoshan circuit before heading to Mentougou and along the G109. Once reaching the intersection of the G109 and the S219 you will go through a Police Checkpoint and onto a lovely flowing climb. The real climbing begins now so save some energy for it. 3 climbs for the day and then lovely descent to the finish point.
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.
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. This is a very challenging ride and only partially supported – make sure you are prepared.
4. Elite – 150km 2555m Climbing Approx
You’ll start riding from Serk at 5.30 to beat the heat and the traffic. Elite will follow the same route as the Intermediate Plus riders for most of the way. The only difference is the addition of a climb half way up Miaofengshan and then down the backside through Changfan’s awesome narrow twisty roads. We will head out of the city past the Forbidden City and ride half a loop of the Laoshan circuit before heading to Mentougou and along the G109. Up Miaofengshan and down the backside back to G109. Once reaching the intersection with the S219 you will go through a Police Checkpoint and onto a lovely flowing climb. The next section of tough climbing begins now so save some energy for it. You’ll be glad when you get to the top of the 4th and final climb – its lovely descent to the finish point.
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.
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. If you are not sure you can do the distance or keep the pace then please join Intermediate or Intermediate Plus. This is a very challenging ride and only partially supported – make sure you are prepared.
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)
