Expat Cyclists Battle for Title of Champion Laowai

Shannon Bufton wants Beijing’s cyclists to feel like world champions. The director of Serk Cycling—a bike shop and boutique cycling tour company— is coordinating a road race in Huairou on Saturday and a time trial in Shunyi on Sunday for anyone who enjoys pedal pumping, regardless of their proficiency.

Dubbed the Beijing Laowai Road Cycling World Championship, Serk’s event is timed to coincide with this month’s ongoing UCI Road World Championship race.

“The World Road Race championship, that the UCI runs, is the most exciting race of the year in cycling. The winner gets a special rainbow jersey that he or she can wear at every race throughout the next year. It’s a very special privilege to win a World Championship,” Bufton says of the globally renowned race that inspired the new Serk event.

“In the Beijing expat scene we have so many nationalities that ride road bikes, so we thought: ‘Why not have our own mini laowai world championship race?’”

The timing is not the only crossover between these two events. Serk will also provide UCI style jerseys for all its participants, and a special rainbow emblazoned jersey for the winner, to make them look and feel like the record setting first place finishers who pedal past their competitors in front of the UCI’s cheering throngs of spectators.

“The rainbow jersey is the most coveted in cycling history," Bufton said. "We added Chinese characteristics to it, to create a special jersey that the winners can wear with pride each time they ride in Beijing. Wearing the jersey earns you respect from other riders. And, of course, the jerseys that we provide are special cycling specific garments made from breathable fabric.”

And while those shirts may give participants the look of pro UCI racers, the Laowai Road Cycling World Championship is by no means an elitist event. In fact, Bufton and the other co-ordinators have outlined several provisions to make the race more accessible for a wide swath of Beijingers. Those rules include bonus points for older competitors, heftier racers with higher BMI’s, participants with poor quality bikes and— perhaps best of all— an added incentive for anyone attempting to balance peddling with parenting.

Bufton explains, with a chuckle: “Based on lengthy research— mumbling to some parents during a 5am ride— I estimated that having kids and being married gives you 30 percent less time to train. So I compared my personal records for my best form training months to the months where my total training time was 30 percent less, and found I have about a one percent decrease in performance that equals one minute and thirty seconds. So if you are married with kids you get this generic bonus at our race, regardless of how many kids or wives or husbands you have.”

Bufton hopes to make the Beijing Laowai Road Cycling World Championship an annual event, to compliment Serk’s other ongoing activities like local beginner’s weekend rides and long distance trips to destinations like Tibet. He adds: “Beijing and Greater China have so much to offer for cycling - it’s great for your health, great for your mind and also an excellent way to make friends and see the country.”

So far 53 competitors hailing from a total of 16 countries have signed up for the Beijing Laowai Road Cycling World Championship. Last minute registration is still possible— visit www.serk.cc/worlds for more details.