Mangs Blast into South Central Washington

On the southern side of the state and on the same day as the Whistler Gran Fondo - 5 Mangs also took in a mountain challenge at the Tour de Blast - a ride up from Toutle, Wa to the Johnston Ridge Viewpoint overlooking the Mount St. Helen's blast zone.  It's not a walk in the park - a ride that climbs up a total of 6,200 feet spread over 82 miles.  Mang Richard, Allan, Aldwin,  Jomar and Raf (that's them on the photo from left to right) took on the challenge - here's what a couple of them (Aldwin and Raf) had to say:

"The 3 hr car ride, teriyaki dinner with half-cooked rice,  sharing of hotel room with the guys and all the timangan in between were definitely a blast.  Then the ride happened. It was challenging. A lot of climbing going up to Johnston Ridge, and the hot temps did not help at all. But the long downhill was something else - FAST.  Thanks to Mang Jomar for pulling at the end. Whether Tour de cure, Tour de Blast or Tour de Mercer Island, Team Mang always finds a way to have a BLAST." 

- Mang Aldwin

"The day started with fog blanketing much of the surroundings. It was like wrapping on a present with the awe-inspiring views of Mt St Helens and the Toutle River valley as the gift. Team Mangs Aldwin, Allan, Jomarc, Raf, Richard spent the first few miles of flat terrain warming up. The grade increased gradually even as the gift was slowly getting unwrapped. The team rolled into the first stop at Hoffstadt Bluffs strong and intact. Photos were taken, drinks were replenished. The route inclination thereon increased. Mang Jomarc kept a strong steady pace pulling the team. Eventually, each team member settled into their individual grooves and took on the challenge at their own pace.

The team reunited at the second stop at Elk Rock Viewpoint. The elevation at this stop was high enough to satisfy any sightseer what with Mt St Helens seemingly within arm’s reach and the Toutle River blast zone below. Picture time once more. What followed was bittersweet. The team enjoyed a sweet fast downhill ride for 8 miles crossing over two picturesque bridges that curve to the right revealing its beautiful arch supports. Mangs Jomarc and Raf alternated taking the lead while Mangs Aldwin, Allan, and Richard kept the pressure on. Soon enough the downhill led to the bitter final climb up Johnston Ridge. I must say, though, that the views really made this climb less punishing as the route took on a huge zigzag circuit that we could see below the road that we just rode on evoking both sense of achievement at what we’re doing and marvel at nature’s lithospheric grandeur.

With Mt. St. Helens in the background, Mangs
savor the rewards of their climb

The climb stretched for seven miles. There were other riders who either were curious at what Team Mang meant or recognized us from other rides. Questions were answered, stories were told, smiles were exchanged. On the final turn came Johnston Ridge at last. Finally, the gift was revealed – Mt St Helens at its splendor. The climb was all worth it. Mang Jomarc would be the KOM on this day, followed by Mang Raf, then Mang Aldwin, then Mang Allan and Mang Richard.

The Team enjoyed a fast seven-mile downhill from Johnston Ridge before enduring a slow eight-mile climb back to the Elk Rock Viewpoint stop. It was all downhill from after that. Yesss! Energized by the thought of no more climbing, the Team attacked like jackrabbits with each Mang taking over and overtaking one another for the lead position. Eventually the pace line would settle down with Mang Jomarc pacing the Team to the finish line altogether. Another epic ride on the books! Tour de Blast. Done!"

 - Mang Raf

We Ride in Other Countries, too!

So you think summer's over because school has started? In the middle of September, Mangs set out to take more road, not letting the seasons defeat them and setting their sights on mountains in two countries.

Team Mang and their families at the Whistler Village
at the end of the Whistler Gran Fondo

Six Mangs represented at the annual Canadian Whistler Gran Fondo - a 75 mile ride that starts from Vancouver, BC and ends in Whistler Mountain Resort, with a total of 5,500 feet of elevation gain.  2 of those Mangs, Ferdie and Roland, tackled the optional climb to Cypress mountain for an additional 2,400 feet of climbing over 9 miles.  They started their trek from Stanley Park with 185 other riders early on Saturday the 12th - at 6 AM.  They would soon be joined on the roads by the other Mangs and 4,000 other riders starting out an hour later.

Some of the families stayed an extra day to have
fun at the Village - even ride around 

What makes the WGF different from other rides are two things: first, riders do not go through any stops (except for the rest stops).  Literally, from start to finish, on this day, for about 8 hours, cyclists own the road.  A freeway closed in one direction, plastic cones lining the Sea-to-Sky highway, traffic lights ignored, staffed by traffic cops - giving participants free reign on the road from start to finish.  Not only is this the safest ride ever, but it makes for a very fun and enjoyable ride where all riders think of is riding, pacelining...racing.  If you were a motorist trying to navigate that highway on that day...well, it sucked.  But it only happens once a year, with the full support of the community, the government and the taxpayers.  The second difference is that most riders on this ride are in it to race (at least against the clock) - so even if you're there just to enjoy the ride, the adrenaline is pumping and you hit it!

Our fastest riders, Mang Boni and Alex finished the ride/race in about 5 hours shortly followed by "Fast Freddie", despite having done the additional Cypress climb.  Mang Roland caught up with Jay and Dondi who were taking their time.  All three finished around the same time about an hour after the first Mangs.  They all did pretty well, not as well as the race's official winner, of course (who clocked in less than 3.5 hours).  And on top of the enjoyable ride, everyone stayed the night to enjoy Whistler Villages attractions.  Here's a video summary of the ride...

No doubt September has been busy so far and there are still a couple of weekends left to ride...stay tuned for more reports on Mangs and Alings making the most of the closing weeks of summer!

Another busy August for Mangs and Alings

So the team's been busy this month.  A couple of weeks after summer's biggest rides, Mangs, and more importantly, their female counterparts, the Alings, never let their saddles rest.  Here's what went down in August:

Thanks to Aling Archelle for the collage - pics of Alings over
over several weekends of riding since late July

Alings got busy training for their signature ride, Cycle the Wave, scheduled for Sunday, September 20.  What started out as an activity for just the avid female cycling enthusiasts of Team Mang has quickly gained interest among the fairer crowd this year and a bigger more diverse team has been on their saddle every weekend since after the STP. And this time, they're not just riding.  They actually raised funds for the cause (WAVE stands for Women Against  Violence Everywhere). Several Mangs have been providing support to the Alings - an encouraging sight in this family friendly group.  At the very least, the Alings' spouses or partners recognize the importance that their better halves play in their favorite hobby.  This team has always been about positive reinforcement anyway.  Watch for a full report next month on how they did at the Cycle the

Veronica met her goals
with the help of the team

Wave ride where most, including beginners, will attempt the 30 mile route.  But some are talking about doing the 37 and even the 42 mile route! More power to all of them!

Even when they're not with the group, the spirit of Team Mang and Team Aling remain with its core members - witness one Aling Veronica.  In spite of her seeming absence from the major rides and training this year, she continues to represent the team in all things good. At this year's Obliteride benefiting the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, we had a 1 person team since many of us could not participate.  So we just helped out with her fund raising efforts.  It's a cause, after all, that affects all of us.  Thanks for representing, Aling V, and thanks for doing this truly meaningful ride!

Mangs with H2Velo friends at the finish line in Vancouver, BC

Another August and another trip to Vancouver, BC, goes down in Mang history. A rainy Friday in the middle of August didn't stop a whole bunch of Mangs from taking the road on their 108 mile journey to Bellingham as part of Cascade Bicycle Club's RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party) first leg.  With all the excitement, the group skipped the traditional Royal Star Buffet stop at Mount Vernon and hurriedly made their way to the ride's halfway point.    The second half of the ride provided an additional 17 miles to the normal course due to construction at the border crossing, forcing the ride route through a different international entry point and adding a few more hills to the ride.  Mangs were up to the challenge, though, and working together, all finished and partied at Coast Plaza Hotel at a decent time.

Hanging out at the Night Market
after a day of cycling

In the meantime, another group of Mangs hooked up with a few guys from LAFBL to do just a Vancouver, BC ride on the same Saturday. This was more of a touring jaunt where the goal was simply to have fun and get some miles in.  You can ask the participants about the fun details of that ride - specially that trip to a beach that shall remain unnamed. Both groups came together for celebration at the Night Market in Richmond that evening.  What's a ride without the food afterwards, right?

At Artist Point with nary a view in sight due to forest fire
smoke covering much of Mount Baker

The next weekend brought about another epic ride - this time from Maple Falls, WA to Artist Point, the end of Highway 542 at the highest paved area of Mount Baker, 5,100 feet above sea level.  In spite of the 2 hour drive to the starting point, riders had a blast pedaling 31 miles up the mountain.  It would have been a perfect ride had it not been for the smoke from the Central Washington forest fires which enveloped the mountain specially at the higher elevations, taking away some of the views.  But as with all our rides, it's the company and the journey that counts and all agreed that hanging out with each other was what made the trip worthwhile (click to watch a video).  That downhill run was one of a kind, too.

Our two faithful racers at the raceway were joined by a few
others during the course of the season

August also brought about the conclusion of the year's Budu Racing series at Pacific Raceways in Auburn where at least 6 Mangs participated over the course of the season.  One of them, Alex, actually won something on one of those fateful Tuesday nights.  Some of the faster guys joined in on the series this month just to try it out.  Their only goal was not to get dropped by the peloton - some achieved it, some...well, let's just say the pictures were great!  Several Mangs and Alings hung out at

A few more Mangs joined in later
in the season

the track every week to cheer them on. Next year, some Mangs are planning to participate early on in the season, so they can improve their racing skills as the series progresses from Spring through Summer.     

The month concluded with the annual camp at Deception Pass with a scheduled ride. This year's Saturday ride around Whidbey

A near miss - a car was actually parked there just before
we left for the hike.

Island was canceled due to the strong windstorm that kicked in.  Mangs and Alings woke up to the sound of rangers evacuating the camp site because of the danger of falling trees and limbs.  Already a tree had fallen down, barely missing a car and a tent.  The team and their families were barely able to sneak in a short hike up to Goose Rock in the midst of the windstorm before they all had to pack up and leave.  One of our cars was actually damaged (albeit very minor) by thick tree limbs falling.  So the camp was cut short but we managed to squeeze the most fun that we could out of the place and out of each other (just watch the video).

Having fun with the wind at the hike atop Deception Pass

Whew - summer just blew past us and the rains seemingly arrived right on schedule.  But September promises a few more sunny days and every weekend of this coming month still has a major ride or adventure for the Mangs.  So stay tuned for what's going to happen at the Whistler Gran Fondo, Cycle the Wave, Honolulu Century (yes, we've got someone in Hawaii) and the Kitsap Classic.