Hong Kong Cyclothon 2026: Cut-off Times, Pacing and How to Avoid a DQ
Posted by Jason - 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000+08:00 - Hong Kong Cyclothon
Last updated: 6 October 2026 (new checkpoint charts, comparison chart and bike-check illustration)
The 2026 Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon takes place on 11 October. The 56 km ride sets off in waves from 5:15am with eight checkpoints; the 32 km ride starts at 6:45am with six. What catches riders out is not the distance but the gaps between checkpoint cut-offs: start the 56 km on time and you need to average about 20 km/h; start 30 minutes late and you need nearly 26 km/h. On the 32 km, a 7:15am start is already too late for the first checkpoint.
This guide is based on Jason's Jollymap YouTube video of 22 September 2026 (in Cantonese), with the numbers re-worked from the checkpoint times in the organiser's official FAQ. We have also added what the video does not cover: getting there before the MTR opens, sunrise and weather, and what happens after you finish.
Key points
- 56 km: wave starts from 5:15am, eight checkpoints, recommended average 31 km/h. The hardest stretch is checkpoint 6 to 7: 8.9 km apart, five minutes between cut-offs.
- 32 km: starts 6:45am, six checkpoints, recommended average 24 km/h. Jason's advice is to start no later than 7:00am.
- Jason says riders are asked to arrive 70 minutes early: about 4:05am for the 56 km and 5:35am for the 32 km, before the nearest MTR station opens.
- Road, mountain or folding bikes only, with wheels of at least 406 mm (20 inch). You need a white front light, a red rear light and a red rear reflector.
Cyclothon offers (at the time of writing, September 2026)
- Namedsport and AMACX sports nutrition: 15% off for the Cyclothon, plus a further 5% with code JOLLYMAP05 on the NAFAB website
- Java NEO folding bikes: free accessories, one of five for 9-speed and below models, two of five for 12-speed electronic models, while stocks last (20" 9-speed carbon fork, Carbon 12-speed)
- Hasa Coraggio 105 carbon road bike: HK$12,900, down from HK$16,900 (see sizes and colours)
- Valore cycling apparel: 15% off for the Cyclothon (see Valore jerseys)
- Selected accessories (inner tubes, pumps, bike bags): Cyclothon offers (see bike accessories)
Offer periods and terms are set by Jollymap and NAFAB. The Java NEO accessory offer cannot be combined with other offers.
56 km or 32 km: how do the two rides compare?
Both rides now start and finish on Museum Drive in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
| 56 km | 32 km | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Waves from 5:15am | 6:45am |
| Event window | 5:15am to 8:15am | 6:45am to 8:30am |
| Arrive by (70 min early, per Jason) | About 4:05am | About 5:35am |
| Tunnels and bridges | Cheung Tsing, Nam Wan, Eagle's Nest, Sha Tin Heights, Central Kowloon Bypass; Tsing Ma, Ting Kau, Stonecutters | Cheung Tsing, Nam Wan; Ting Kau, Stonecutters |
| Checkpoints | 8; last at 49.6 km, closes 7:45am | 6; last at 25.7 km, closes 8:15am |
| Recommended average | 31 km/h (29 km/h last year, says Jason) | 24 km/h |
| Climbing | About 400 m by Jason's estimate, "roughly the height of IFC" | Less |
| Entry fee (individual) | HK$600 | HK$280 |
Both rides are open to ages 16 to 70, and the organiser pitches the 56 km at professional and experienced riders. The official 56 km route map and 32 km route map are worth a look before the day. Here is the minimum speed for each start time at a glance:
56 km: how do you get through eight checkpoints?
Cut-off times
From the official FAQ (updated 19 August 2026). Miss a cut-off and you will be turned back towards West Kowloon or put on a sweeper bus:
| Checkpoint | Approx. km | Closes | If you miss it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lantau Link & North West Tsing Yi Interchange | 12.9 | 6:15 | No Tsing Ma Bridge; turn towards Ting Kau |
| 2. Tsing Ma Bridge (near Ma Wan) | 15.4 | 6:25 | Sweeper bus |
| 3. Tsing Sha Highway (near Lai Po Road) | 30.7 | 7:10 | Turn back to West Kowloon |
| 4. Eagle's Nest Tunnel (Kowloon entrance) | 32.7 | 7:15 | Turn back to West Kowloon |
| 5. Eagle's Nest Tunnel (near control building) | 34.8 | 7:20 | Turn back to West Kowloon |
| 6. Sha Tin Heights Tunnel (near Tai Wai Depot) | 36.2 | 7:25 | Sweeper bus |
| 7. Central Kowloon Bypass (Yau Ma Tei entrance) | 45.1 | 7:30 | Turn back to West Kowloon |
| 8. Central Kowloon Bypass (near admin building exit) | 49.6 | 7:45 | Sweeper bus |
The trap: don't plan around the last checkpoint
Many riders look only at the last checkpoint: start at 5:15, last cut-off at 7:45, about 50 km in two and a half hours, so 20 km/h should be plenty. Jason's verdict: that is a big mistake.
From the third checkpoint on, most cut-offs are only five minutes apart, yet the distances range from 1.4 km to 8.9 km. Between checkpoints 6 and 7 there are 8.9 km and just five minutes; if you only just scraped through checkpoint 6, you would need around 107 km/h to make checkpoint 7. The fix is to work from your actual start time and hold an average that beats every cut-off, rather than riding slowly early and hoping to catch up.
How fast for each start time?
Riders are released in waves, so your real start can be well after 5:15am.
- 5:15am start: at least 20.1 km/h, with checkpoint 7 the tightest. Ride at exactly 20 km/h and you miss it by about 18 seconds; at 25 km/h you reach it at about 7:03, with nearly half an hour to spare.
- 5:30am start: at least 22.6 km/h. At 25 km/h you have about 11 to 12 minutes in hand at checkpoint 7 (Jason's own estimate is a more cautious 8 to 10).
- 5:45am start: at least 25.8 km/h, and the first checkpoint before Tsing Ma Bridge is already the pinch point: at 25 km/h you would miss it.
These are theoretical minimums. Jason's advice is to start within the first 10 minutes and hold about 25 km/h; if you set off after 5:30, plan on 28 to 30 km/h, he says, because of the roughly 400 m of climbing. The route also has nine U-turn points (according to the Islands District Council paper), each of which costs time. Jason goes through every checkpoint from 3:20 in the video:
Checking your pace on the day
We worked backwards from the cut-offs to give the latest time you can pass two key checkpoints. If you are later than this, speed up. A sticker on the stem or a bike computer showing average speed and the clock makes it easy to follow.
| 56 km checkpoint | Riding at 25 km/h, pass by | Riding at 30 km/h, pass by |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Tsing Sha Highway (30.7 km) | 6:55 | 7:01 |
| 6. Sha Tin Heights Tunnel (36.2 km) | 7:08 | 7:12 |
32 km: how do you get through six checkpoints?
Cut-off times
| Checkpoint | Approx. km | Closes | If you miss it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. West Kowloon Highway (near Hong Kong Red Cross HQ) | 2.1 | 7:15 | Turn back to West Kowloon |
| 2. West Kowloon Highway (near Tsing Sha Highway slip road) | 4.2 | 7:20 | Turn back to West Kowloon |
| 3. Cheung Tsing Highway (near Tsing Yi Road West slip road) | 12 | 7:40 | No Ting Kau Bridge; turn towards Nam Wan Tunnel |
| 4. Ting Kau Bridge (near Tuen Mun Road slip road) | 16.1 | 7:50 | Sweeper bus |
| 5. Nam Wan Tunnel (near Sai Tso Wan entry) | 19.7 | 7:55 | Sweeper bus |
| 6. Tsing Sha Highway (near Lai Po Road) | 25.7 | 8:15 | Sweeper bus |
The trap: Ting Kau Bridge to Nam Wan Tunnel
The 32 km looks easy on paper: 26 km in 90 minutes. But checkpoints 4 and 5 are 3.6 km and five minutes apart, which works out at about 43 km/h if you arrive at each one just before it closes. Jason calls that "close to Tour de France speed".
How fast for each start time?
A 6:45am start needs just 17.2 km/h, and Jason's simulation shows 20, 25 or 30 km/h all finishing comfortably. Start at 7:00am and you need 21.5 km/h; at 20 km/h you would be on the sweeper bus for the last few checkpoints. At 7:15am the first checkpoint, 2.1 km in, has already closed, so even 30 km/h will not get you through. Jason's conclusion: on the 32 km, "you basically can't start more than 15 minutes late."
Checking your pace on the day
| 32 km checkpoint | Riding at 25 km/h, pass by | Riding at 30 km/h, pass by |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Cheung Tsing Highway (12 km) | 7:36 | 7:39 |
| 4. Ting Kau Bridge (16.1 km) | 7:46 | 7:47 |
How do you avoid a DQ? Wheels, lights and handlebars
Wheels: 20 inch or larger
Only road, mountain and folding bikes are allowed, with both wheels the same diameter and at least 406 mm measured at the rim (20 inch or larger), so common 16-inch folding bikes (349 or 305 mm rims) cannot take part. Tricycles, bikes with stabilisers, tandems, e-bikes and recumbents are not accepted either.
Rear light and rear reflector are two separate items
Sunrise on 11 October is at 6:18am, so the first hour of the 56 km is in the dark. Hong Kong's Transport Department requires a white front light and a red rear light at night or in poor visibility, plus a bell and a red rear reflector. Jason notes that bikes, including reflectors and lights, are checked before the start, and that the reflector and the rear light count as two separate requirements. The 32 km starts after sunrise, but fit them anyway.
Jason suggests a combined unit such as the Moon Orcus Lite rear light with built-in reflector: 39 g, IPX7 waterproof, USB-C charging, and up to 122 hours of run time (FL-1 test). If you want to be safe at the bike check, fit a separate rear reflector too.
Remove bar ends and aero bars
Jason also advises removing bar ends or bullhorn bars and any aero (TT) extensions before the day. Helmets were compulsory throughout the skills assessment, so wear one on the day too. The organiser's participant terms have the full specification.
Preparation checklist
Fitness
Passing the skills assessment does not prove you are ready: its riding test is only 16 minutes 30 seconds (at least 6 km for the 56 km group, 5 km for the 32 km). Jason suggests a practice ride of similar distance and climbing beforehand.
Fuel
Jason suggests an electrolyte drink, an energy gel before the start, another every 30 to 60 minutes, and an energy bar for carbohydrate and protein, especially before the climbs. The organiser has not published any on-course feed stations, so carry enough water and food.
Offer Namedsport and AMACX sports nutrition from distributor NAFAB is 15% off for the Cyclothon, and code JOLLYMAP05 takes off a further 5%; terms and dates are set by NAFAB.
Clothing
The Observatory's average October low is about 23.9°C, so it is not cold, but you may stand in the start pen for over an hour and the bridges are windy. Jason suggests a gilet for the early start. There are official photographers on the day, and if you fancy new kit for the photos, we have just started stocking Valore cycling apparel (Australian design, Italian fabric).
Offer Valore apparel is 15% off during the Cyclothon; see the shop for terms.
Tools
Jason has seen riders puncture just before the start. Bring a spare inner tube, a pump and basic tools in a bike bag; see our bike accessories.
Offer Jason says selected accessories (inner tubes, pumps, bike bags) are on offer for the Cyclothon; see the shop for terms.
Race day: when to arrive and how to get there
Arrive 70 minutes early, before the MTR opens
Jason says the organiser asks riders to reach the start 70 minutes ahead. Arrive late and you will be at the back of the queue, which pushes your real start time back and your required speed up. That means about 4:05am for the 56 km and 5:35am for the 32 km.
Austin, the nearest MTR station, does not open until 5:48am, so neither group can rely on the MTR. Jason also points out that the 32 km starts half an hour earlier than in past years, so riders who used to take the first train need a new plan. Options:
- The organiser's shuttle bus from more than 10 pick-up points, HK$70 per person. If you added it when registering, watch for the organiser's notice on pick-up times; if not, arrange your own transport.
- Ride to the start as your warm-up, with lights on and time to spare.
- Note that there is no bike storage, either before or on the day.
Toilet first, with a friend to mind the bike
Use the toilet before you line up, ideally with friends who can mind your bike, so you avoid queuing at portable toilets mid-ride.
After the finish
Finishers of both rides receive a medal and an e-certificate. The Cyclothon carnival runs at West Kowloon from 6:30am to 6pm, and the UCI 1.1 road race with 17 professional teams runs from 9:45am to 12:15pm, with a public viewing area on Museum Drive. It is worth staying to watch.
Still choosing a bike? Jason's picks
Folding bikes need 20-inch wheels, and with about 400 m of climbing on the 56 km, a large rear sprocket makes the bridges easier.
| Bike | Type | Weight (approx.) | Gears | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java NEO 20" 9-speed carbon fork | Folding | 10.5 kg | Shimano CUES 9-speed, 11-40T | First Cyclothon on a budget |
| Java NEO Carbon 20" 12-speed | Folding | 9 kg | Wheeltop electronic 12-speed, 11-40T | The lightest folder |
| Dahon MU P10 | Folding | 11.9 kg | 10-speed | Strong brakes, daily commuting |
| Hasa Coraggio 105 | Carbon road | 8.94 kg | Shimano 105 2x12, 11-36T | The 56 km and road riding beyond it |
Jason also mentions Tern, which "a lot of people ride". The range runs from the entry-level Link to the 451-wheel Verge models; compare Tern models here.
Java NEO 20" 9-speed carbon fork
Jason calls the Java NEO this year's hot pick. This version pairs an aluminium frame with a carbon fork, weighs about 10.5 kg with pedals, and its 11-40T Shimano CUES cassette gives a lower bottom gear than the aluminium-fork version's 11-36T, which helps on the bridge ramps. See colours, stock and today's price.
Offer At the time of writing (September 2026), 9-speed and below Java NEO models come with one free accessory from a choice of five, while stocks last; not combinable with other offers.
Java NEO Carbon 20" 12-speed
"If you want something lighter, go for the carbon version," says Jason, adding that a 40T sprocket makes climbing easier. Frame, fork and seatpost are all carbon, bringing it down to about 9 kg with pedals, and Wheeltop electronic 12-speed shifts at the press of a button. See all seven colours, stock and today's price.
Offer At the time of writing, 12-speed electronic Java NEO models come with two free accessories from a choice of five, while stocks last; not combinable with other offers.
Dahon MU P10
An aluminium folder with hydraulic disc brakes and 10 speeds, about 11.9 kg with pedals. It stops more reliably than rim-brake models in the same range and makes a practical commuter after the Cyclothon. See specs, stock and today's price.
Hasa Coraggio 105 road bike
For a road bike, Jason recommends this "great value" option: a T800 carbon frame and full carbon fork, about 8.94 kg (manufacturer's figure), Shimano 105 2x12 with 50/34T chainrings and an 11-36T cassette, and hydraulic disc brakes. Five sizes from XS to XL. See sizes, colours and the current offer.
Offer HK$12,900 in our shop at the time of writing (6 October 2026), down from HK$16,900; see the product page for the current price.
Not sure about sizing? Get in touch before you buy and we will help you check.
FAQ
What time does the event finish?
According to the Tourism Board's schedule, the 56 km runs from 5:15am to 8:15am and the 32 km from 6:45am to 8:30am. Each checkpoint also has its own cut-off along the way.
Are there feed stations on the course?
The organiser has not published any. According to the Islands District Council paper, a briefing session will be held before the event covering the U-turn points, slopes and road conditions; watch for the organiser's notices and carry your own water and gels.
Do I need lights on the 32 km, which starts after sunrise?
Yes, fit them. Jason says bikes, including lights and reflectors, are checked before the start, and the tunnels are dim.
Can I ride a 16-inch folding bike?
No. Wheels must be at least 406 mm (20 inch); common 16-inch folding bikes use 349 or 305 mm rims.
Will the Cyclothon be cancelled in bad weather?
The 56 km and 32 km rides are cancelled if a No. 3 Strong Wind Signal or higher, or a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning, is in force after 2:15am on the day. Wind of 35 km/h or more on the bridges may lead to a route change for the 56 km, and the 32 km route can also be changed on the cycling association's advice.
Further reading
- Bike helmet law in Hong Kong: 2026 update and how to choose a helmet
- Folding bikes at Jollymap
- 15 Cyclothon bikes for every budget (in Chinese)
Sources
- Jollymap YouTube: 2026 Hong Kong Cyclothon guide (Cantonese, 22 September 2026)
- 2026 Hong Kong Cyclothon official FAQ
- Hong Kong Tourism Board: 2026 Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon
- Cycling skills assessment arrangements (Chinese)
- Islands District Council paper on routes and traffic arrangements, 7 September 2026 (Chinese)
- Transport Department Cycling Information Centre: safe cycling tips
- Hong Kong Observatory: monthly climate normals 1991–2020; sunrise time from Observatory open data
- MTR: Austin station service hours
