Unfound

Victoria Harbour established itself as a typhoon shelter and the dense high rise along the north shore of Hong Kong Island makes for one of the most spectacular skylines anywhere in the world, looking over to the equally built up Tsim Sha Tsui and Kowloon. It is a hub of energy; people, noise, cars, lights and buildings, lots and lots of buildings.

Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

It’s from this urban high-rise mass we start our ride. Right in the middle of ‘Central’ we head east, through Admiralty and Wan Chai, the famed red light district. As we’re starting early there’s a good chance we’ll see a few stragglers stumbling home with new friends they’ve made in the early hours.

Central, De Voeux Road. Early Morning

Queen’s Road, Admiralty

We then turn off Queen’s Road onto Stubbs Road and immediately start to climb. There’s lots of climbing in Hong Kong, a city built on the side of a mountain in the middle of the jungle. Stubbs is not too bad; the gradient is not overly steep and after a few tight turns you get up over the city quickly and it opens onto some magnificent views of Happy Valley and its famed racecourse. On a good day, the sun is rising and catching all the buildings across the valley with a golden glow.

There’s lots of climbing in Hong Kong, a city built on the side of a mountain in the middle of the jungle.

We hit the roundabout but before heading straight up The Peak we turn left and up to the Hong Kong Cricket Club, or the Sinopec petrol station next to it which is a well known meeting point for cyclists here.

Stubbs Road, view over Happy Valley and the Racecourse

Stubbs Road, view over Happy Valley

We then roll back down the way we came up Wong Nai Chung Gap Road to the roundabout and left, back onto Stubbs Road. This is where we climb The Peak. It’s a nice climb and on a good day, you’ll get some incredible views across Victoria Harbour. There are a couple of steep ramps earlier in the climb which, until you get to the very top, are the worst parts. Once you are over them, you can settle into a nice rhythm, enjoying the prime real estate, jungle and harbour views along the way. There is some respite when Stubbs Road meets Peak Road as the road flattens out. As you start to climb again, you’ll notice the views have changed to a greener and significantly less developed vista, looking out over the coast and the little islands dotted all over the horizon. It’s at this point you realise there may be more to Hong Kong Island than dense urban development.

You’ll soon reach the stone bridge over the road and you descend to the Peak Lookout. You can fill bottles here, admire the architectural monstrosity and the crowds of tourists. If you turn right and cycle across the pedestrianised front of the Peak Lookout you will come to the Rotary Lookout which provides you with some stunning views of the harbour without the madness of the tourist trappings. Alternatively, you can turn and head back the way we came up or turn right, up the very steep ramp that is Mount Austin Road, a quiet and challenging little ramp that takes you to the real Victoria Peak. There are some lovely gardens on the way up and at the top, as well as spectacular views over to Lantau Island.

It’s at this point you realise there may be more to Hong Kong Island than dense urban development.

Catch the breath, take a photo and then it’s down the way we came; Mount Austin Road, Peak Road, Stubbs to the roundabout and then back up to Sinopec. Under another stone bridge, straight on and down the hill, again with some fantastic views on the way down to Repulse Bay. We head along the beach and up the other side to the start of Repulse Bay Road climb. Again, steeper at the start, this little climb also has some good views over to the right as you reach the top and then down the other side you can get some great views of Stanley and the South of the island. Today’s ride is to tick all the main boxes, there are various deviations you can take to make this ride significantly longer. Despite being a small island, it’s relatively easy to get 100km+ in most weekends without too much thought.

Once at the bottom of the descent you’ll meet another little roundabout, we turn left and continue along to coast on Tai Tam Road. There’s another deviation we do take today, and that’s the Redland Loop. You turn right as the road widens and you see a large shopping centre called Redhill Plaza. We do a couple of anti-clockwise loops to get some precious flat miles in the legs. As you’ll appreciate by now, flat roads are a luxury here. That said, there is a fun little climb towards the end of the loop on your left-hand side, up Redland Road. It’s short and steep, offering no views at the top but it is a good little test and in fairness, the views on the way back down are great.

Flat roads are a luxury here.

We then turn right, back on to Tai Tam Road and roll down to the dam and reservoir. As you cross the dam, it’s a wonderful 360-degree vista. The reservoir to your left, the dam, coast and village to your right and rolling green hills all around you. Depending on the time of year and the amount of rain, the reservoir can look very different every time you cross.

Tai Tam Reservoir

Once over the dam, you immediately hit Bridge Climb which is an annoyingly little test of fitness. One of those that’s just steep enough, just long enough to really hurt but not long enough to get in to a proper rhythm.

It’s over before you know it and it’s certainly all been worthwhile because at the top, you get to another little roundabout and you turn right on to one of the greatest little stretches of road to ride a bike. Shek O Road down to Shek O is just so much fun. The road twists and turns, throwing up view after view and it is also slightly downhill, which is always a result. It’s a great stretch to push yourself, work as a team, go full gas.

Shek O Road

When you hit the end of the false flat and get to the proper descent, ease up, sit up and check out the views over Shek O Village and beach. You’ll pick up speed that leads you in to a couple of technical corners and then down a lovely straight to another mini-roundabout. We’ve never actually appreciated how many roundabouts we have here until we wrote this.

One of the greatest little stretches of road to ride a bike. Shek O Road down to Shek O is just so much fun.

Take a left, ideally having retained some momentum from the descent, up a little ramp and roll down to the car park at Tai Long Wan (Big Wave Bay). If you are riding on a Saturday morning, you’ll see some wonderful cars and motorbikes parked up. If you have the time, roll through the carpark down to the village, out the other side and to the beach. Well worth checking out.

Big Wave Bay Beach

If you don’t have the time, or once you’re done at the beach, turn around at the car park and back the way you came, only to turn left at the mini roundabout which will take you down to Shek O Village. This is a stunning stretch of road, through Shek O Golf Club (a cool US$1m to join if you fancy) and into the village. It always reminds me of Thailand and it’s well worth spending a bit of time exploring the village checking out the beach.

Road to Shek O

Before you have a look at the beach and village, as you first arrive you’ll see a coffee shop on the right-hand side called LuLu’s. If you need a coffee, food (peanut butter on toast seems to be the local’s favourite) it’s a great place to stop. Polaroids of groups of cyclists, a Team Jelly Bean framed top adorning the walls; this establishment is firmly part of the local scene. Park up your bike or use the wall racks outside and enjoy your break.

Lu Lu’s Café, Shek O

Lu Lu’s Café, Shek O

Lu Lu’s Café, Shek O

Shek O beach

After your coffee, it’s back the way you came. Climb up out of Shek O, along Shek O Road, left at the top, down Bridge Climb to the reservoir. Across the dam, up the hill, past Redland, along the coast until you get to….yes, another roundabout. There you turn right, climb up Stanley Gap Road, down to Repulse Bay, along the beach, up a short sharp ramp to another roundabout. There you turn right and begin the climb up Repulse Bay Road. This is a lovely climb, again with some fantastic views to your left out over the coast. At the top you’ll notice you are back at the Cricket Club and you can roll down Stubbs back into the heart of the City.

View down to Deepwater Bay from the final climb

Back in town you can head to VELO6. Tucked off the funky Gough Street, full of its boutique and trendy shops and restaurants, you can have a coffee while admiring the selection of latest cycling attire and memorabilia. Surrounded by noise, high rise buildings, swarms of people, it’s hard to believe you would have been having a coffee, in a village, by the beach just an hour ago.

A city of contrasts.