TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 1 (PIA)—By the time you are reading this, 168 riders comprising 56 teams of three endurance mountain bikers (MTB) from Bohol and the region would have spilled halfway through the 80-kilometer course in the Bike Ta Bai’s Sandugo 3×80 MTB Adventure Race Season II, which sped off early morning from the new provincial Capitol, July 2.
Bike ta Bai (BtB) a Boholano non-profit sports group of avid mountain bikers and trail seekers with a portfolio of properly organized races this time offers a rather new format for the uninitiated in the new BtB types of races.
In the 3×80 MTB adventure race, each team will have the opportunity to showcase their navigation skills. At least one member of your team should be proficient in global positioning system as this uses a global positioning exchange (GPX) route navigation, where the race needs no marshals and markers as everything in on a detailed GPX file containing the race route, which can be loaded onto a compatible GPS device or smartphone app a day before race day.
Instead of putting up markers which somebody could easily mess with to confuse other competitors, or race marshals which would mean a logistical nightmare for the 80 kilometers of cross-country routes, BtB, like in its previous races, uses the GLX route and impresses on the bikers the elementary skill of computer-based navigation.
Although this time, the race which would be centered in Tagbilaran City spares riders from the trademark punishing climbs that BtB trails are notorious of, race organizer Gerry Marmito said the route includes about 30% paved roads and 70% offroad with lots of single tracks and foot path.
“On my own riding capacity, it’s 100% ridable. There are no dismounts,” he assured riders who have been through the degree of difficulty that BtB trail seekers incorporate in their races.
A partner of the Provincial Government in its sports (tigi) offers for the Sandugo Festival, BtB however pressed that the Sandugo adventure race is still a self-sufficiency 3×80 race, meaning the total ages of the three participants in a team has to be 80 at least.
Like always, we have to be playing on the safety side: all bikers have to equip themselves with the provisions needed to complete the circuit: bike helmets, blinkers, trail protection, hydration, basic bike tools, bike tire patch or spare inner tube, air-pump or CO2 cartridges, optional knee and elbow pads and at least a fully charged mobile phone with spare batteries for the navigation.
New to GPX navigation?
Marmito says mount your cellphone on the bike handle bar for a clear view of the GPS satellite signal.
He said if you put your phones in your pocket, you could lose the satellite signal and takes time to update the track, that chances of getting lost gets high.
If you have your phone on the cockpit, you can forecast the turns in the map, and when you see that the turns are still far, you can save battery by turning off the display. As you approach the turns, slow down and check on the GPS so you wont miss the turn, he added.
After all, BtB advised “ride with determination, embrace the challenges, and let the beauty of Bohol’s landscapes inspire you. (rahc/PIABohol)
