Participants in two categories in next month's OCBC Cycle Singapore 2015 will follow a new route which begins from, and finishes at the Singapore Sports Hub.

These are the 43km Sportive Ride and the first-ever 23km The Straits Times (ST) Ride which will be held on Aug 30.

The route will initially see the riders head to the Central Business District, passing by landmarks such as the Singapore Flyer and Gardens By The Bay.

Participants in The ST Ride will then head east along the East Coast Parkway (ECP).

Those in The Sportive Ride category will head west towards Telok Blangah before making a U-turn and heading east on a longer distance along the ECP.

The OCBC Cycle Singapore, which drew more than 11,500 last year, was first organised in 2009 and is targeting 9,000 this time.

It is meant to give enthusiasts a mass-participation event to enjoy, similar to the fun in taking part in the many running events that are held islandwide.

This year's other rides, such as the OCBC Cycle Kids, Family rides and the OCBC Cycle Speedway Club Championship will be held on Aug 29.

Koh Ching Ching, OCBC's head of group communications, said the organising committee had put in much effort into the planning of the routes to ensure the best rider experience and safety .

"Right from the onset, we aimed to deliver a unique experience to our participants," she added, mentioning other highlights such as workshops and activities that had been organised in the build-up to the event.

A total of 825 participants signed up for OCBC Cycle's range of pre-event activities

These include a Canon sports photography seminar, an NUH Sports Centre injury management talk, a Singapore Sports Institute healthy cooking workshop, a cafe bike crawl and a Volvo route familiarisation drive.

Registration for the OCBC Cycle Singapore 2015 is open till July 27.

For more details, visit www. ocbccycle.com