SINGAPORE – As the Covid-19 pandemic eases, biking fever is back with Singapore’s biggest cycling event – the OCBC Cycle – returning to its full in-person format on May 6 and 7.
OCBC Bank Group chief executive officer Helen Wong, Sport Singapore CEO Lim Teck Yin, Singapore Cycling Federation president Hing Siong Chen and The Straits Times editor Jaime Ho launched the event at Orchard Gateway on Tuesday.
A few hundred people queued ahead of the event launch – with some waiting in line from as early as 9pm on Monday – to be among the first to register and claim prizes such as the latest Samsung products, Decathlon bikes, Hydro Flask bottles and more.
Bernard Lau was first in line for The Straits Times 20km City Ride. The 65-year-old said: “I have cycled since I was young and have always been part of The ST Ride. We missed two years of the physical event due to the pandemic, and I’m happy it has returned and I’m excited and looking forward to the event.”
For the first time since 2019, the event will feature in-person participation for all categories. Besides The Straits Times 20km City Ride, the other categories include The Sportive 40km Ride, the Speedway Championships, Spin Ride by CRU and Mighty Savers Kids & Family Ride.
Cycling enthusiasts can also compete in the 100km or 500km Virtual Ride, or on stationary bikes in the Indoor Ride by Shimano.
Over 7,000 participants are expected for this edition. In 2022, only two categories – the 2,000-strong City Ride and the Speedway Championships – featured in-person races. The rest remained virtual.
The pandemic has led to a new breed of cyclists. These include Twitch streamer Kiwi Kaw, whose handle is WheelerKK.
With his streaming set-up in tow, the 34-year-old joined the queue at the event at 10am, 2½ hours before registration opened on Tuesday. Kaw, who will participate in The Sportive 40km Ride, said: “I never queued to register for an event before. But now that I’m on Twitch, I wanted to ask my community to join the event, so I thought this was a good opportunity.”
Another participant, Ahmad Ibrahim Hussin, got on two wheels only during the pandemic and will be taking part in his first cycling event.
The 29-year-old, who signed up for The Straits Times 20km City Ride, said: “I’m quite scared, to be honest, because it is my first time. I’m not there to race, I just want to enjoy and meet other cyclists. But I also don’t want to be last.”
Interested cyclists may register online via https://ocbccycle.com
Early bird registration fees apply till March 7, before normal prices come into effect from March 8 to April 24.
In celebrating OCBC Cycle’s 15th anniversary, Wong said: “Cycling has seen unprecedented growth during the pandemic years – a trend that is set to continue as the Singapore authorities continue the push to a car-lite society with an increasing network of cycling paths islandwide.
“Cycling on closed vehicular roads on a big scale is, however, something only OCBC Cycle can offer. Over the past 15 years, OCBC Cycle has given cyclists and the community a fun and healthy platform to bond.
“It has also grown to become an integral part of the ecosystem for the development of the sport in Singapore.
“This is made possible only with the support of government agencies and authorities.”
Lim added: “As the largest mass cycling event in Singapore, OCBC Cycle has not only encouraged the growth of the sport of cycling over the last 15 years but also the importance of active lifestyles for everyone in the community, too.
“We hope that OCBC Cycle will continue to inspire Singaporeans to take up the sport of cycling and adopt active lifestyles.”