What's This Mega Epic Sidecar Time Travel Race All About Anyways?
Prepare for the ultimate Beijing time travel experience. Beijing Sideways and Bespoke Beijing have teamed up to bring you a thrilling scavenger hunt in none other than a vintage sidecar motorbike. Racers will rely on speed, wit and strategy as they race through various epoques of the capital, solve clues and compete to win awesome prizes.
The day will end with a party at The Big Smoke Bistro, which will include free-flow food and booze. Anyone, including families and their kids, can participate. But before we give everything away, Gael Thoreau of Beijing Sideways was kind enough to answer some questions and give the lowdown on what's promising to be an epic adventure.
How does a scavenger hunt in motorcycle sidecars work?
We provide the motorcycle sidecar and a fully qualified driver, as well as clue sheets and maps. Teams of two 'time chasers' per bike (one in the sidecar, one behind the driver) tell the driver which clue they want to head to on the map, and the driver takes you there and waits while you hop out and find the answer to the clue. The drivers will be briefed on the clue locations scattered around town, but choosing the order of where to go (and solving the clues, of course) is down to the participants! So there is a strategy element too.
Why time travel as the theme?
We chose time travel because Beijing is a city with a fascinating history, and much of it is still here to be discovered, if you know where to look. We've split the Time Chase into four 'zones' – The Days of Dadu (Yuan Dynasty), Ming the Magnificent (Ming Dynasty), Ker-Qing! (Qing Dynasty) and the last zone, "Revolution, Rebellion, Republic." To help with the clues and find some really amazing hidden gems in the city (like cold war bunkers, faded murals and a temple made of rice) we had the help of the history experts at Beijing Postcards. We are confident that even old China hands will discover amazing things they never knew existed.
Tell us about the bikes.
The bikes have an amazing history – they are actually based on a BMW design from the 1930s. The Russian reverse-engineered them and made their own version as a military bike, and then they eventually sold the design to the Chinese. They were made for the PLA right up into the '80s and continue to be assembled using old and new parts today. Some people say it's the longest running production of a vehicle in history.
Why do people enjoy riding in them?
People love riding them for several reasons: One is that they are beautiful. The 1930's German design travels in time graciously with its elegant lines on the frames to the shiny chrome on the wheels. Because you're low to the ground, you get this exciting feeling of speed, even when you are going slow. If you've seen such bikes in movies like Indiana Jones, you can imagine yourself as an adventurer like him!
RELATED: Rediscovering the Great Wall: Sidecar Rides
Is this race safe?
Absolutely. Our drivers are fully trained and licensed, and we provide accident insurance to all participants. Helmets too, of course! We also have a roving mechanic on the day in case any of our vintage sidecars need a quick bit of roadside tinkering!
What will participants learn about Beijing?
We don't want to give too much away, but the clues are also a kind of story that unfolds, so participants will get an idea of the earliest days of Beijing as the Yuan Dynasty capital Dadu, where it was more of a water city. You will learn how it developed into one of the world's great capitals in the Ming Dynasty, it's opening up to the world during the Qing, the chaos that reigned after the revolution in 1911, right up to and beyond the establishment of the People's Republic of China. It's quite a journey. But it's not all serious and scholarly – we want it to be fun first and foremost, so we'll have people stationed along the route in appropriate costumes, dispensing clues and snacks – it's great for families actually. Kids will have a blast.
What kind of skills and equipment are necessary to win? And what kind of prizes can people expect?
We provide everything on the day, but we do require that all teams take a camera or camera phone with them, as several of the clues involve taking a picture of something (or someone)! Having a phone with a GPS map too might be a help for some people, and we don't disallow this. Anyone can win – having a knowledge of Beijing helps, but in order to answer the clues, you have to go to the place to find the answer. There is no way to use prior knowledge to answer a clue without going to a location. So I guess a lot will be down to luck – how good your driver is, what route you choose, and factors like traffic, etc (although the advantage of these bikes is they can zip through narrow lines and alleys).
Prizes are really great – for the winning team, they get a weekend staycation at the Kerry Center Hotel, complete with dinner at the newly refurbished Horizon restaurant. We also have a stay at the Brickyard Eco Retreat near Mutianyu Great Wall, two vouchers for dinner for four at Opposite House's new Peking duck restaurant Jing Yaa Tang, lots of bottles of wine, cakes and more. Almost something for everyone!
When and why did you start riding these bikes?
When I arrived in Beijing in 1999, I realized a lot of the expats here (much less than nowadays) were riding these bikes together with a good crowd of local Beijingers. It was cheap, and as roads at the time were much more empty, very convenient to ride. I bought myself one that I used to go to work on but also to ride out in the mountains with friends during weekends. To give you an idea of how popular the Chang Jian sidecars were then, in 2004 we got into the World Guinness book of record for the biggest sidecar rally with 314 bikes on the motor circuit near the airport.
What's the single best and single worst experience you've had touring Beijing in a sidecar?
My worst experience may be when I had my first-ever sidecar seized by the police because its license had just expired. It was 2008, before the Olympics, and they wanted to make an example. I was on my way to lead a tour with about 30 bikes and because time was ticking, I just gave my bike to the police, hailed a taxi and raced to the tour. I always plan ahead to have an extra bike on these tours, so it was fine, but I never managed to get my original bike back, and it was sad. I still have the back plate: Jing A 00435.
The Beijing Time Chase takes place this Saturday, October 19.
Price: Early bird offer (first 20 sign-ups) RMB 850 per person; Regular price: RMB 1,050 per person
Note: 2 passengers per sidecar, but kids under 6 can be taken as an extra passenger
Sign up by emailing booking@beijingsideways.com or info@bespoke-beijing.com and let them know how many sidecars you want to book.
Email: nickrichards@thebeijinger.com
Weibo: @NickRichards尼克
Twitter: @nik_richards
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Photos courtesy of MatjazTancic
