My Alaska Cycle Philippines 2015 experience

Six months after BGC Cycle Philippines 2014, I sign up for its summer counterpart. This is the first time I’m joining the Alaska Milk-sponsored version of one of the most popular mass participation ride events in Manila. How will it differ?

THE ROUTE

Because Bonifacio Global City no longer figures in the name of the summer event, the organizers have a little more leeway in the route design. They seem to have taken their cue from the SM Mall of Asia area, whose posterior bayside streets are now the stomping grounds of road cyclists that do loops upon loops of the streets in various pacelines every weekday morning.

The route reflects this. The start/finish straight is along Seaside Boulevard, where riders ply J.W. Diokno Boulevard and the southernmost tip of Gil Puyat Avenue. This three-kilometer leg is a launchpad for the meat and potatoes of the route: a 4.15km-long stretch of Roxas Boulevard to the Solaire Casino at Aseana Avenue, encompassing the Gil Puyat Avenue and EDSA Extension flyovers before doubling back on itself, over the same flyovers, back toward Vicente Sotto Street. (Ignore the Bradco Avenue U-turn on the map; that was scrapped.) This main 8.3km loop splits the difference between the 20km Community Ride and the 40km Challenge Ride; the only difference is the number of laps you make. Challenge riders do four laps; Community Riders do two. After their final lap, riders turn at Gil Puyat Avenue for the final approach back to the Seaside Boulevard finish line.

Apart from the flyovers, which provide elevation as well as bottlenecks, this course is flat, fast and wide-open. As far as road cycling goes, it’s basically a criterium race course. This compact layout allows the route organizers to minimize interference from the vehicular and rail traffic of the very busy Gil Puyat Avenue-Osmeña Highway intersection, which was an issue half a year ago.

CLAIMING THE RIDE PACK

The distribution of ride packs was done at Microtel Inn at the corner of Seaside Boulevard and Coral Way. Due to delays in the supply of the jerseys from long-time supplier F2P, Challenge Ride participants had to wait until 12:00pm on May 15th to claim their packs. I claimed mine on the morning of the next day, parking my bike at the secure bike parking area and walking into the second floor.

Bike parking at Microtel Inn.

Photo courtesy of Alaska Cycle Philippines/Sunrise Events.

As with last November’s event, Sunrise Events have gotten the distribution process of the ride packs down pat. I was in and out within twenty-five minutes. I was fortunate enough to have had a jersey size still in stock, though; one common complaint I heard was that some of the other sizes were exhausted.

Photo courtesy of Alaska Cycle Philippines/Sunrise Events.

What I did find somewhat questionable were the contents of the ride packs.

Rudy Project’s contribution is a “transition bag” that’s really three drawstring knapsacks meant for storing your stuff for swimming, cycling and running. A few of my buddies joked that we may have unknowingly signed up for a triathlon. Useful, I guess, but odd all the same.

All the official ride pack contents, plus Alaska Milk product freebies. The musette or feed bag is the one at the top.

 

The second item is a musette or feed bag. This is patterned after the same items that soigneurs (support staff; pronounced “swan-YOORZ”) of professional cycling teams hand out to their riders when they pass through designated feed zones. It’s a decent cycling-related freebie, but it could stand to be a little larger. I’m not sure many Pinoys even know what a musette/feed bag really is – they might just see this as a fancy printed bag with questionable capacity and usefulness.

Finally, Regent Snack Foods gives you a bag of snack foods and chips arguably larger than the actual ride pack itself; that seemed really out of place for me. I had trouble packing the thing into my panniers because of the sheer air volume inside the snack packs. Besides, with Alaska Milk pushing exercise on people with events like these, exactly how well does Regent’s snack food fit into the whole picture?

THE EVENT JERSEY

Delays in delivery and supply issues aside, this has got to be the best-looking Cycle Philippines event jersey yet.

Front view of the event jersey.

Rear view of the event jersey.

The print is striking yet flattering. By keeping the belly area free of large expanses of white, those with prominent guts need not be as ashamed of wearing this jersey as they would have been with the 2014 BGC Cycle Philippines one. I returned to my original XL size and appreciated the clingier,  more form-fitting cut of the material. Finally, the pockets are of a decent depth. They’re at that Goldilocks compromise between too shallow for security and too deep for hand ingress.

I still miss the silicone gripper tape on the rear bottom hem, and the extra zipped pouch on one of the pockets, but otherwise, a great jersey.

The XL size is spot-on for me.

THE RIDE

Wave A was released at 5:30am, with yours truly, Ems Chua, Xander Chua, Bryan Rivera, Nick Bordeos, and “Kuripot Biker” blogger Jojo Bartolome among the UFB representatives present. As people navigated the initial 3km leadout into the main loop, it was immediately obvious that the regulars of the SM Mall of Asia “peloton” might as well have had a homecoming.

The Kuripot Biker himself, Jojo Bartolome, astride his blue six-speed Brompton.

From left to right: Ara, Pao, Jogh and Phoenix.

Me and Timothy at the start gate. I’m on my TCX, while Timothy’s white Giant Anyroad 1 lies in the background.

Photo courtesy of Alaska Cycle Philippines/Sunrise Events.

In the early minutes there was a bit of wind to power through. The open asphalt and lack of shelter meant that a number of pacelines soon formed, with cyclists drafting one by one in measured efforts. This is in direct contrast to the start of BGC Cycle Philippines 2014, where the atmosphere was more “every rider for himself” and people pushed themselves “into the red” almost immediately.

Alaska Cycle Philippines makes the front page of the Philippine STAR’s May 18, 2015 issue as Wave A riders are shown being released.

Unfortunately this event would prove to be just as accident-prone as its November cousin.

For some reason, a 10km run coincided with Alaska Cycle Philippines – and used the exact same route. This resulted in me and other cyclists almost running over a few runners as we climbed the flyovers – which were slow areas by default not only because of the climbing, but also due to the bottleneck they created. The presence of the runners just complicated things no end. Sunrise Events insisted that they had secured all the necessary clearances and permits from the local government units, and did not know why this footrace was allowed to push through while its event’s cyclists were still out. I hear they may plan to take legal action on this matter as of this writing.

“Excuse me, space man coming through”

Even with the runners having largely gotten out of the way by lap 2, there were still quite a few mishaps. I heard a few cyclists hit the asphalt mid-ride. Some participants succumbed to mechanical issues; I saw one of the SM Mall of Asia regulars coasting on his bike barely carrying speed due to a snapped chain. As the early starters caught up with the slower riders, the more inexperienced cyclists posed a danger because they were weaving side to side and not paying attention to approaching faster riders to let them past. One of them weaved so far left that he hit a traffic cone and sent it flying into the other lane where oncoming participants were pedaling.

My average speed at the event as measured by my Cat Eye Commuter cyclocomputer.

After four laps around the main loop, I turned off into Gil Puyat Avenue to ride to the finish. I heard a lot of complaints from riders losing track of the number of laps they had done, losing time because they put in more distance than was necessary. It was starkly, immediately more serene as I joined fellow Wave A riders and cheered them on. Sprinting down Seaside Boulevard for the final 200 meters, headlights on and whooping like an idiot, I finished in 1:21:12. This was ten minutes faster than the same distance six months ago, at an average of almost 30 km/h. Not too shabby.

Crossing the timing beam at the finish line…while whooping like an idiot 🙂

Timing results from the event – released less than two days after. Timothy did a scorching 1:18:17, while first-timer Jojo put in a respectable 1:41:36.

POST-RIDE

That favorite Cycle Philippines recovery meal, the Sausage McMuffin, was waiting for the finishers. It’s a good shot of protein, sodium and some carbohydrate – you could do much worse as far as recovery foods go. As with the hydration stations, bottles of Gatorade were being handed out as well.

Timothy’s Anyroad 1 and my TCX SLR 2 cooling off under a palm tree.

ABS-CBN news crews were on site interviewing a lot of the finishers. Those that weren’t headed to the photo booth, where a long queue was forming up. I felt the onset of cramps on my glutes and quads on the final sprint to the finish, so I quietly ate my meal and walked my bike around the baywalk.

Mishaps, jersey shortages, questionable ride pack inclusions and cramped route aside, overall this was a good ride. I had invited a number of first-time Cycle Philippines participants, and all of them finished safely and happily.

We’ll see you again in November.

Me and my TCX SLR 2 at the start.

Me and my TCX SLR 2 at the finish!

My BGC Cycle Philippines 2014 experience

2013 marked the inaugural hosting of BGC Cycle Philippines, and I joined the 20-kilometer Community ride on my Vitesse. This year, with improved fitness, better endurance and a different bike, I decided to sign up for the 40-kilometer Challenge ride.

THE ROUTE

The route shared by the Community and Challenge rides of BGC Cycle Philippines 2014.

Perhaps due to logistical challenges, the event ride route is much more simplified this time around. From the start/finish gate at Bonifacio Global City’s 9th Avenue and 30th Street, riders make their way through some side streets before eventually climbing the Kalayaan flyover to Gil Puyat Avenue. Past the off-ramp, it is a straight shot all the way to the turn at J.W. Diokno Boulevard. Just before crossing the bridge, the route makes a U-turn and doubles back on itself returning to BGC.

The Community and Challenge rides share the same route, only differing in the number of laps. Community riders get one go-around, while Challenge riders lap it twice.

The 2013 BGC Cycle Philippines 20km Community Ride route. 40km Challenge riders kept on going along Gil Puyat Avenue toward Rizal Park.

All this is in contrast to last year’s event, where Kalayaan Avenue and the C5 leg from Pateros to Heritage Park played host to the 20km Community ride. Challenge riders didn’t make a U-turn at Gil Puyat-Paseo de Roxas, but rode on toward Rizal Park via Gil Puyat and Roxas Boulevard before heading back.

THE RIDE PACK

The ride pack for BGC Cycle Philippines 2014.

2013’s ride pack was an off-white canvas body bag with a wide strap and a side zip – very nice for riding. This year we have a knapsack with ropes in a drawstring closure. It’s more colorful, but also arguably less useful for a rider, especially when loaded up, where the weight will dig into a rider’s shoulders through the narrow ropes.

Number bib, helmet stickers, pins and waiver.

Inside the ride pack for Challenge riders are a bib number, pins, three helmet stickers, a seatpost sticker with timing chip, a waiver form, the event jersey, and a yellow-and-black Rudy Project sling bag.

The Rudy Project sling bag.

The sling bag is a little small. The straps are wide enough and offset to one side so it’s easy to ride with. The yellow top flap is made of the same PVC material as my waterproof Vincita panniers, but don’t expect waterproofing here as it doesn’t have a roll-top closure.

I may have found the ride pack a little underwhelming, but they massively improved the claim process this year. The Mind Museum hosted the registration and ride pack claiming, and the various steps were spread out across multiple areas of the venue spanning two floors. The event organizers had ushers stationed to ensure people didn’t get lost, and they retained the bike parking from last year.

It was such a pleasure and so well thought out that I was in and out within twenty minutes. This is in stark contrast to the adjoining function halls they used last year, which tried to squeeze everything in (even the sponsor booths!) and made for a frustrating queue. Well done, Sunrise Events.

Made by F2P, the BGC Cycle Philippines 2014 event jersey in its packaging.

THE EVENT JERSEY

I was not supposed to get a jersey last year because of my category, but out of curiosity I went ahead and bought the limited-edition 2013 BGC Cycle Philippines jersey anyway. Made in the Lao PDR by F2P, I got the XL size, and it served as my only jersey for an entire year. The size I got is aggressively cut and clings to every bulge of my physique – there’s absolutely no hiding my belly here!

Me wearing the 2013 BGC Cycle Philippines limited edition jersey.

I slowly got used to its clingy fit and appreciated the many added touches it has:

• Silicone gripper tape on the rear hem
• A zippered center pocket in addition to the three standard pockets
• Reflective trim on the rear center zipper

Compared to this jersey, the 2014 event jersey feels like a step backward. It’s still got a full-length zipper, and I ordered a slightly larger XXL size which is a little more accommodating and flappy in the wind, but it lost all the features I listed above – which is a minor shame. Despite the more generous fit, oddly it’s less visually flattering because the belly area is white. Then again, I won’t say no to a proper cycling jersey, and F2P’s materials are still spot-on in terms of comfort and moisture wicking.

Me in the 2014 BGC Cycle Philippines event jersey.

THE RIDE

As part of Wave A, we set out at 6:05am. I had planned to take a relaxed pace and ride with my groupmates Ara, Jogh and Alex as much as possible. That plan lasted as long as the first climb up Kalayaan flyover. I tried stopping and waiting for them there, but promptly lost sight of them in the sea of similar jerseys when they passed me.

Wave A and B at the start line.

So on I rode, proceeding at “catch up” pace, trying to pass riders as safely as possible.

This is my only real complaint about events like BGC Cycle Philippines: we Pinoys don’t yet seem to have grasped the concept, dynamics and virtues of safe group riding, which apply even in pseudo-race or racing situations.

Despite the organizers telling the participants that this was not a race, that message was lost on most riders as they pedaled furiously out of the gate. Some even resorted to reckless maneuvers which might have led to crashes, and indeed two riders went down just after the first descent of Kalayaan flyover – and nobody else called out to the pack to inform about downed riders. Very few riders called out obstacles such as ruts and manholes to riders behind, too. Equally concerning was how ill-prepared many riders were to handle upcoming full-stop situations, such as the train crossing at PNR Gil Puyat Station, because they didn’t allow enough room for error.

Top whack achieved at the event, achieved on the downhill off-ramp of Kalayaan flyover. This is about as fast as my TCX SLR 2 will go, as the cyclocross gearing of the crank limits top speed but makes for more usable ratios for acceleration.

We had to compress into single file riding as we approached the Macapagal Boulevard intersection, filtering through two lanes of stopped cars. I was beginning to understand why the organizers had to simplify the route: there were a lot of agitated drivers. Even with advance notice of the road closures, the area is just too busy. Even with the simpler route, perhaps traffic rerouting should have been done to reduce the impact.

By the turnaround at J.W. Diokno Boulevard halfway through the first lap, lots of people lined up at the hydration station. It seemed these were the riders who went out too hard at the start, and went “into the red” (i.e. rode an unsustainable effort). Gradually, the pack started to thin out.

Riding back to BGC to finish the first lap, I was still feeling fresh. The eastward climb up Kalayaan flyover felt great, and it was a rush swooping down the right-hand turn at Rizal Drive riding in the drops immediately after the descent. From there, it was a U-turn at 3rd Avenue to climb back up Kalayaan flyover going west.

This was when I could really pour on the speed, as the path had largely cleared and I hit 55.6 km/h as the downhill off-ramp flattened into an open stretch of Gil Puyat Avenue. I was sustaining 48 km/h on these flats, already outspinning the TCX SLR 2’s 46×12 top gear, only stopping for the train crossing.

That’s me on the left with the yellow helmet and mudflaps on the bike.

By this time I was slightly worried about my groupmates, whom I had not found yet, but realized I now had to treat this as a solo ride. The second go-around at J.W. Diokno and return trip up to Kalayaan had me picking gaps and sprinting along the flats at full effort. As I approached the climb, I tried spinning up in an easier gear and high cadence, but got dropped by a couple of stronger climbers on 20″ folding bikes with really good technique.

Fifty meters from the finish, I dropped two cogs and tensed up my legs for a final spurt, but the exertion finally caught up with me as my right calf succumbed to cramps. I changed back to an easier gear and spun the cranks as efficiently as I can to avoid making the cramp worse – as I crossed the finish in high spirits.

Finishers’ area bike parking. Most participants brought road bikes, mountain bikes, folding bikes and mini velos to the event, although some riders brought bamboo bikes and fat bikes too.

POST-RIDE

At the finishers’ area there were a few beelines forming. The first of them was for claiming of the finisher’s medals, but the rest were for food and drink: Gatorade, Sausage McMuffins, a small serving of Jamba Juice, and even some free beer. The bike parking from the ride pack claiming period was back, so riders could rest easy.

“Sir, ma’am, would you want some brain freeze after your ride?”

Sausage McMuffins – the post-ride breakfast of champions. Seriously though, the salty sausage might help with rehydration when combined with a post-ride chug of water.

A few bad shifts and lack of top-end gearing aside, my TCX SLR 2 worked brilliantly. I have to admit, safety niggles aside, it was fun unleashing this bike’s potential especially on the much more open second lap. I kept the fenders on and brought my rain poncho as I wasn’t sure about this November’s weather, but even so the bike just hummed happily along without incident.

My Giant TCX SLR 2 enjoying a well-deserved rest.

I never did get to see my groupmates again; I tried calling them up from the finishers’ area. Apparently, Alex finished a few minutes after me, while Jogh and Ara suffered rear punctures close to the railroad crossing and finished quite late, but otherwise they enjoyed and completed the distance safely. It was their first time and I was glad they had a good ride. They were raving enough about it to invite me to the Alaska Cycle Philippines event in May 2015 this early!

Because “Strava or it didn’t happen,” as the kids say these days

I’m A485 and I finished the distance in 1:32:01. Alex Samson, A486, was a fellow groupmate, but didn’t succumb to punctures and finished a short while after I did.

Here’s Alex on his mountain bike.

Punctures and a late finish won’t dampen Jogh and Ara’s spirits!

The Challenge, BGC Cycle Asia 2014

Today is the first day of registration for this year’s BGC Cycle Asia Event which will be held in Bonifacio Global City on November 21 to 23. I’ll be joining the Challenge ride on the last day of the event. It’s a 40 kilometer ride starting in BGC and will probably take us to some parts of Taguig, Makati and Roxas Boulevard in Manila. You can register online via this link: http://www.cyclephilippines.com.ph/bgc/

Here’s the table showing the cost to register and join the event.

The Challenge	Early Bird	Regular Rate	Late	Ride Weekend
	August 15 – 31	Sep 1 – Oct 31	Nov 1 – 20	Nov 21 – 22
Individual	P1,800.00	P2,100.00	P2,300.00	P2,500.00
Student	P1,600.00	P1,850.00	P2,000.00	P2,250.00
Package 3+1	P5,400.00	P6,300.00	P6,900.00	P7,250.00
Student Package 3+1	P4,800.00	P5,550.00	P6,000.00	P6,500.00

I’ll register with Alex, Marvin and Jorge so that we can get the 3+1 Package of Php5,400.00. Registration includes the bike jersey, timing chip, finisher’s medal and a Rudy Project sling bag. Not bad and definitely worth it if you ask me, (specially if you haven’t done this Challenge ride yet).

The 1st Malolos City Bike Festival