#carparkrace

It’s been 3 years since the last carpark climb event. Last time we raced past my work desk (ocbc centre) & this time its the OUB Downtown carpark(s). I didn’t enjoy the last race but time heals all wounds so I thought I’d try again. Besides it’s rare enough to get a race in SG so we should support the scene where we can.

Logistically, the “sweat to elapsed duration” ratio looked shitty. Turn up at 8:30 for a 2 minute race & then wait another 2 hours for the finals. It’s a Long wait for 4 mins total effort...

I did an easy Kranji to Ensure the day wasn’t a complete write-off, had a quick coffee and shower before heading round to Autobus. Turnout was moderate and different from the norm - with few of the usual teams represented and a lot of locals & Rapha folks around.

The climb was 3 levels up the basement carpark, a 100m sprint, uturn and then up 6 levels of the main carpark. The surface wasn’t bad but the climbs up were single lane and relatively tight. It was also pretty hard to pass anyone.

We did a seeding run which was just to check out the course and get our order for the final. I found that it wasn’t much of a race - more a test of bike handling skills! 3 pedal strokes, brake, Coast x20. I didn’t enjoy it at all and put in a shit time.

There was a lot of Photographers around so I decided to come back for the final. The huge gap between rounds allowed me to squeeze in an easy ride out to Bedok jetty before coming back. My final time was equally poor and I snuck off Home in shame immediately afterwards!

Another innovation in the Singapore racing scene in a cunning attempt to bypass the ongoing challenge of getting road closures. Today’s event is the first in a planned series of 6 which will see riders racing up some of the tallest carparks in the city.

Today’s race is special for me as the finish line is literally 10 metres away from my OCBC office desk which directly overlooks the final sprint.

The course itself doesn’t suit me in the slightest. 15 pretty technical corners - peppered with grates and speed bumps. I go in with low expectations and the day is really about supporting the local scene, having some fun and hopefully getting some nice photos! 

 The car park is 7 floors and approx 700m in length. There’s a 30m straight into a corner repeated 15x. Riders go off in pairs but due to the corners, the majority decided to let each rider go separately with a 10 second gap between for safety.

The corner and speed bump corners freaked me out and I took it relatively easy. I didn’t feel like any power could be applied as the straight only lasted about 3 seconds and so I seemed to be coasting the whole way up. First race ever where I’ve not even been out of breath at the top. 

 I did a 1:39 - 12th in my category and about 15 seconds off the winner which was fair given the minimal effort.

On the plus side, the race was really well organized and had a great atmosphere. Was great to see so many out and supporting the event. Looking forward to future editions which hopefully might have a climb that suits me more.