There’s no wonder why cycling is popular with people of all ages.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
Between the loaves of freshly baked banana bread and Dalgona coffees, everyone’s got into a lockdown hobby, and what seems like the whole of Singapore landed on cycling as the pandemic-coping-mechanism-of-choice. Non-essential physical stores were ordered to close during Circuit Breaker, causing a surge in the sale of sporting goods right before closure—with mountain bikes being one of the more popular items. We explore some of the reasons why cycling is a great hobby to have even well after the pandemic.
For the Environment
It makes the city bigger, in more ways than one. In our tiny city-state, space is a luxury and having fewer cars on the road might be one too. To put that in perspective, 15 bicycles can fit in the same space one car occupies. Think about what that means for the land used to build car parks, and how much space we’d have if more of us switched to riding a bike!
If riding a bike every day isn’t feasible, try it for one day a week—like you would a Meatless Monday. Studies have shown that riding a bike instead of driving for one day a week could have a significant impact on our personal carbon footprints. Any time’s a good time to start, but setting a start date might help motivate you to stick to this new commitment. Why not try taking the bike out on Earth Day this 22 April? You’d be helping to cut down on carbon emissions and get in a good workout at the same time. If you don’t have a bicycle of your own, no sweat—there are several ride-sharing schemes you can take advantage of like Anywheel, SG Bike and Mobike.
For Exploring the City
There’s a lot to be explored on a bike, with the many Park Connector Networks (PCNs) connecting different parts of the city, and we’re absolutely spoilt for choice. There’s a cycling route for everyone, from the Instagrammable Jurassic Mile to the natural charm of the Coast to Coast Trail, and it’s a side of Singapore that’s worth the trip. Even if you’ve somehow managed to complete all of the routes, more plans have been announced to add 700km of cycling paths including park connectors by 2030, with cycling routes developed for recreational and short commuting purposes — which means there’ll be even more to explore on the island. If anything, being able to cover long distances in a short time offers respite for those working at home all day.
Take your cycling journey to new heights, by joining a competition like the OCBC Cycle.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
For Good Health and Community
Speaking of, if you’re trying to snap out of the work-from-home-induced sedentary lifestyle, perhaps cycling is the perfect low-impact exercise for this. Besides giving your quads and glutes a great workout, it’s great for weight loss too, burning up to 300 calories an hour. If anything, it’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in nature and take in some fresh air. Don’t have your own set of wheels? Well, getting a bike is easy—you can actually rent a bike at one PCN Pitstop and return it at any other Pitstop across the island when you’re done. Planning that fun day out with friends and family just got easier.
If you’re biking solo and are looking for company, Facebook groups like SG PCN Cyclist and Singapore Cycling Community (which Senior Parliamentary Secretary-Ministry of Transport Baey Yam Keng is also a member of) is a good way to meet fellow cyclists. Users share their favourite routes around the city, and those thinking of taking their training up a notch can even sign up for the OCBC Virtual Cycle 2021, or the OCBC Speedway Championship happening 29 May with your newfound cycling kakis.
Find out more about the OCBC Virtual Cycle 2021 here.
