Brisbane To Gold Coast Cycle Challenge, B2GC 2019

Brisbane To Gold Coast Cycle Challenge (B2GC) is a fun ride event - but for me, it was a race, a race against myself. The longest I had ridden before this was 50km. For B2GC, I had decided not to take the rest stops and head straight for it.

The event was very well organized. A big thank you to all the organizers and volunteers.

Things I carried on my bike (Check out my post here for specifics of my bike and accessories I use)

• 4 Energy gels
• 1 Oats bar - did not use
• 1 bottle water + 1 bottle Electrolyte
• Mini Toolkit + puncture kit + 1 spare tube + mini pump - Had all of these in my Aero Wedge
• Wallet (Id Card + some cash)
• Mobile Phone

Things in the bag (handed over at the cloakroom at start site)

• Thongs/sandals - Wore it after the ride
• A pair of clothes - did not use

B2GC 2019 was on September 15, 2019 - a warm and sunny day and perfect for riding. I woke up at 4 am and got ready. I had put my bike in the car the previous night and packed all the things. Made sure I had everything I needed. Said goodbye to my wife and started for UQ at 4: 30. It was a 30-minute drive and reached there at around 5 am. Lots of cyclists were already there and getting ready for the early start with the red category. I planned to start with the blue category (< 25km/hr).

Parked my car at P10 - UQ Centre car park as instructed in the web site and that was quite close to the start point. I am not familiar with putting on the bike wheels, and it took around 10 minutes for me. Once all set I set off to the start point. Dropped off my bag at the cloakroom - they took a 2 dollar donation to get the bag over to the finish site at Gold Coast. Hit the loo after a short 10-minute queue. I started the ride at around 6 along with all the other blue bib holders, from the Eleanor Schonell Bridge – aka the Green Bridge.

The markings along the way were quite clear; there is no way someone would lose their way. Throughout the ride, I had fellow riders in my front and back. At most major intersections there were volunteers and police officers stopping the traffic and making way for the cyclists. I have not ridden much with the cycling shoes and cleats and did some face some difficulty clipping off and on at signals. For my work commute, I use regular running shoes, so I don't have to carry an extra pair for work. In total, I got around 4-5 red stop signals (welcoming for me as I got to stretch my legs). At one signal, I did fumble a bit on my clipped-in side as I came to a stop. Lucky for me, I didn't fall over.

When I crossed the finish line at Gold Coast, my Garmin showed a little over 91 km. I rode to the back of the finish line through a bikeway to make it a full 100. Though I started with the blue category, I finished as an Orange (with an average of 26.3 km/hr) and pretty happy with my finish time. After the race, there was food and coffee (paid) and lots of stalls. I ate a sausage and rested for a while. I had pre-booked my bus tickets, as part of my B2GC registration, to get back to Brisbane. The bikes were taken in a separate truck and to be dropped off at the same place as you board the bus. I took the 10:30 bus back and arrived in Brisbane around 11:45. The bicycles truck arrived about 10 minutes later, and I was back at my car by 12:15. Loaded the bike back in the car and headed home!

Had a great ride and kudos to everyone who participated in the event!

You can find all the photos I took (and the official ones of me) here