MCC joins CYCAD's 19th (English) Century Ride from QC to Mariveles

Some members of the Montalban Cycling Club joined Cycling Advocates(CYCAD)'s 19th Century ride from Quezon City Memorial Circle to Mariveles, Bataan, a 170 km. fun ride commemorating the WW II Death March. 

CYCAD's (English) century rides are the only long distance fun bike rides organized yearly in the country, with a different destination each year. It has always been challenging but exhilarating joining these rides, knowing that a CYCAD guide would point your way in every critical junction, a water station would await you at proper intervals, a SAG truck would pick you up when you couldn't go on for one reason or another, and a large meal and a welcoming program would await you at the finish line. 

Kudos to CYCAD for continually organizing these rides!

MCC joins 16th CYCAD Century Bike Ride

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Seven of us joined CYCAD's 16th Century Bike Ride yesterday from Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City to Calatagan, Batangas. And what a rush that 140-kilometer ride was!

As expected, going up the Tagaytay mountains proved most challenging. It took us at least an hour of hard cycling to climb Tagaytay, where we are met by a refreshingly cold (not cool!) mountain air. As expected too, it was here that the peloton got broken up, with the strong riders surging ahead, and the weaker being left behind. Tagaytay was cold enough to make us shiver when we add speed.

The climb was paid for with a very long 15-minute downhill ride from Tagaytay to Nasugbu. No need to pedal, we got our rest while going downhill. At the mountain's base, we pedaled hard on windy mostly flatland under the tropical noon sun, except for another short climb on a hill, for about two hours before reaching the seaside town of Calatagan, our destination.

Thus, we went from the polluted air of Metro Manila, to the cold mountain air of Tagaytay, and finally to the fresh salty air of Calatagan in a single ride.

All of us finished the ride atop our bikes, not on SAG cars, albeit at different arrival times.

We will definitely join again next year's english century bike ride!