SIRC Tour OF Pain Autumn 2021 - Saturday 16th October

Event Date: Saturday 16th October. Let's all hope the effects of Kompasu have long diminished by Saturday, and indeed the forecast looks good with temps 24c to 28c!

This TOP will start at around 6:30 from the bottom of Route Twisk Tsuen Wan side, so Island-based cyclists will need to catch the first train from HK station Tung Chung line and exit at Lai King.

If you have a Tour of Pain jersey, please wear it for the event. If not then we hope you can finish this one and qualify to purchase one when the kit shop opens.

The route is here: FINAL 2021 TOP NT

The level of difficulty of the SIRC Tour of Pain varies from route to route, and I would classify this one as a 7/10, a blessing I am sure to many that have been unable to ride as much as usual. That said, there are quite a few wall-like climbs and a fair bit of flat distance to cover between them, which will slowly sap the legs.

The Pace

Entirely up to you.  This is less about speed and more about completion. This is not a group ride in which the entire group will stay together. We have a group start, yes, but I expect smaller groups will form on Tai Mo Shan, and then it's up to each group to decide whether to roll on or wait for the riders behind. Therefore, please upload the route to your GPS unit in case you lose sight of someone that knows the route. Feel free to start at any time you wish, ride it solo or with a small group of friends. Just remember, to qualify to purchase the iconic TOP jersey, you need to complete it on Saturday. 

The Route 

Again, we recommend uploading the GPS file, but here is a description of the route, and some notes. 

• Tai Mo Shan 
• Roll to Pat Heung then right along rolling Fan Kam Rd.
• Pass by Sheung Shui like a reverse GT but then a right along the rolling road of Kong Nga Po Road. If you miss this and keep doing a reverse GT then no big deal.
• Robin Nest Climb. This is the tough one. There is an ultra-steep ramp after the first corner, but once through this, it flattens off for a bit, before grinding back up to 15%+ for quite a long way!
• Luk Keng Helicopter Pad
• Rollover Bridespool (will now feel flat) to Tai Po Industrial Estate
• The Tai Po Triple:  Sha Lo Tung, Shek Lin Rd, Wun Yiu Rd. For Shek Lin Rd, the turnaround point should be clear on the GPS, if you miss and keep going then you will start to go downhill for a few hundred meters before reaching a dead end.  You can use the main roads between these climbs but the GPS file uses the bike paths which might be more relaxing.
• Tai Po Road and then a left turn down Yau King Lane toward Science Park. Opportunity for 7/11 or Starbucks here (but requires a few extra km).
• Back up to Tai Po Rd via Cheung Shue Tan Rd (steep, but not as steep as some of the other options!!).
• Down to the Racecourse and need to squeeze through the little hidden bike lane to get to the main bike lanes.
• Towards Ma On Shan and then up Ma On Shan Tsuen Rd (new for me!)
• Back down and the final stretch along Sai Sha Rd (legal on a Saturday) to Sai Kung Town. But just before we can stop and celebrate with beers:
• The final climb is Keng Pang Ha Rd (also known as Chuk Yeung Rd). This is a nasty finisher, but at least it's all downhill to Sai Kung after.

The last time we did a route like this, the finishers had food and drinks in the Sai Kung Town Square (Ali Oli's / Jaspas, etc). Hope to be there!! And hope to see you there too!

*Flat Tire/ Mechanical Rule: If you have a flat tire or a mechanical, you can skip an out-and-back climb to allow repair, then you can rejoin the group when it arrives back at your location. The only penalty for this is that you need to make up the missed vertical meters on the final Chuk Yeung Rd climb by doing part of it twice (if the total missed vertical meters is more than 270m, then one extra ascent is enough).