10 years, over 1,500km round Singapore, Frankie Tan aims for OCBC Cycle milestone
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Frankie Tan pictured at Pasir Ris Park, one of his regular cycling routes.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Sienna Yang
- Frankie Tan, 50, will celebrate turning 60 by participating in the OCBC Cycle Round Island Virtual Ride, completing at least 120km.
- Tan, who took up cycling due to a neuromuscular condition, uses his cycling achievements to demonstrate determination in his career.
- Tan plans to cycle over 150km in the 2026 ride and continue cycling in Malaysia after, despite uncertainty about future round-island rides.
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SINGAPORE – In 2016, Frankie Tan embarked on his first cycling ride round Singapore – a 140km journey that the 50-year-old completed in 13 hours.
Every year since, Tan has continued this tradition – either solo or with friends – to fulfil a promise he made to himself 10 years ago: To keep cycling long distance round the island until he turns 60.
As he hits the milestone age in October, Tan will celebrate by taking part in the OCBC Cycle Round Island Virtual Ride.
Participants must complete a round-island trip of at least 120km in a single attempt from May 9 to June 8 and the ride must be completed within 24 hours.
“It was my personal commitment when I first started. I want to finish it as my finale… to add one more medal to my story,” said Tan, who has also taken part in other cycling races.
Tan first participated in the OCBC Cycle in 2009, when he competed in the 40km category, although his cycling journey began much earlier, when he was 19.
An active runner and footballer, he was forced to switch sports while studying in polytechnic due to a “right foot drop”, a neuromuscular condition which causes difficulty in lifting the forefoot.
As a result, he lost some agility and decided to focus on cycling instead.
Frankie Tan’s medal collection includes those fom the GetActive! Singapore Pesta Sukan, the 2010 National Runway Cycling and Skating Endurance Challenge, the 2009 and 2010 OCBC Cycle, and the 2022 HP Mental Health Day Ride.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
The retiree typically cycles three times a week, clocking in 40 to 50km regularly, even while on holiday. It is now his favourite pastime, and even an incident at the Choa Chu Kang cemetery during a 173km night marathon ride in 2017 – he was chased by a stray dog and fell – cannot deter him.
Tan said: “I have never heard of anyone that can’t cycle any more, even in their 80s or even 90s. They still can ride whenever.
“In Singapore alone, we have so many scenes and sights that we can enjoy, which I always do in these rides.”
Among the highlights on his rides is the one to Changi Point.
“The morning sunrise is one of the consolations, or one of the best rewards out there… Riding across CBD, at four, 5am you can see that,” he added.
Cycling also complements his passion for photography, as he can stop during his trips to capture these moments.
Frankie Tan pictured at Pasir Ris Park, one of his regular cycling routes.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
More than just a hobby, cycling has also helped him in his career.
From 2010 to 2019, he worked as a senior service delivery manager for IT service provider, T-Systems China, but he was retrenched in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I attended a number of courses on how to distinguish myself from other candidates beyond my work experience and skills. I used this yearly marathon of mine as a key personal accomplishment to demonstrate my determination, persistence, consistency and ability to challenge myself,” he explained.
He credited this approach with helping him secure a role at HP China from 2020 to 2022 as a contractual delivery manager, noting that his future boss “was impressed…. I was doing something slightly above day-to-day activities”.
For the 2026 Round Island Virtual Ride, Tan plans to cycle more than 150km on his trusty foldable bike and he will be joined by a friend.
Aside from Singapore, his bicycle has accompanied him on overseas cycling trips in China, including a 186km ride from Beijing to Huairou in freezing minus 7 deg C conditions and a two-day, 196km journey from Beijing to Tianjin.
While Tan is uncertain if he will do these local round-island rides again after 2026, he does not plan to stop cycling.
Next up after the virtual ride is the 50km race at the OCBC Cycle Kuala Lumpur in June and a round-island trip in Taiwan in the near future.
Entry slots for the May 9-10 OCBC Cycle are still available for these categories: The Straits Times Ride (20km), Sportive Ride (40km) and Brompton World Championship (Race). Register via the OCBC Cycle website by April 27.
