Close to 7,300 cyclists took to the streets in the first full-scale mass OCBC Cycle to take place since the start of the pandemic.

Credit: OCBC Cycle 2023

First full scale event since 2019

Though the 2022 event had consisted of a physical 20km category, it had been limited to 2,000 cyclists due to safe distancing measures. 

This year’s event, however, had consisted of a mass 40km Sportive Ride and 20km Straits Times Ride. Both were non competitive categories.

Waking up to heavy rain 

I was supposed to take part in the 40km Sportive Ride, which originally had a 5am flag off time. 

So I was up at 3:30am, waking to heavy rain pelting down against my window.

My first instinct at that point was to check both my SMS messages and the OCBC Cycle social media to see any updates with regards to the weather. 

However the first event update arrived at 4am. That was when a decision was made to shorten the 40km ride to a 20km one, due to safety issues and slippery roads. The flag off time was also announced to delay till 5:30am instead of 5am.

My area, however, was still raining moderately at around 5am. I felt that the rain had only eased enough for me to safely cycle down at 5:35am. The reason is because as my bike is a road bike, the grip of the tyres is significantly less as compared to a mountain or hybrid bike.

I later heard that there was an “unofficial” flag off at the original 5am timing for riders who were already at the Sports Hub waiting out the rain. But this would still be a 20km ride due to wet roads and rider safety.

Arriving at the Sports Hub 

I reached the Sports Hub myself at 6am and ended up joining the flag off for the Straits Times Ride. At least I was still able to get a ride in, even though it would be a shorter one than I had initially intended. I wasn’t the only one; I saw several others with Sportive Ride category bibs in my start pen.

Ride flagged off 

The ride was flagged off at 6:30am. 

Credit: OCBC Cycle 2023

The flag off party consisted of Guests of Honour – Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Social and Family Development; Ms Helen Wong, Group CEO, OCBC Bank; Mr Alan Goh, CEO, Sports Singapore; Mr Quek Swee Kuan, CEO, Singapore Sports Hub, and Mr Jaime Ho, Editor, The Straits Times.

Credit: OCBC Cycle 2023

I eventually started cycling myself at about 6:40am. 

Routes 

The route was a scenic one through the Singapore city scape on closed roads. This event is one of the rare occasions that allows cyclists to ride on closed roads in Singapore.

The main difference between the 20km and 40km routes was the West Coast Highway segment. The 40km route comprises of an additional stretch towards the western side, but the 20km route focuses on the central and eastern parts of Singapore. 

It passed sights such as the Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay and the F1 Pit Building. We also hit the Sheares “Heartbreak” Bridge as well as a few other slopes. So there were indeed some climbs and the route was not exacly flat.

Scenic and leisurely ride 

Owing to the possibly still wet roads, it would be a slow and leisurely ride for me. I tried to take in the scenery and simply have fun on the closed roads. I also took the chance to stop at several designated points along the way and take photos.  

The vantage point of seeing day breaking from a bike was lovely. Unfortunately we didn’t see the actual sunrise as we were in the wrong location.

If part of the route had to be cut, the omitted section was definitely the right choice, as Marina Bay is definitely many times more scenic than West Coast Highway.

Cooling and breezy 

The post-rain weather turned out to be cooling, breezy and perfect for a morning of outdoor activity. It was overcast and the sun was asleep, even though the humidity levels were unfortunately still high. I’m kidding myself I guess. When is the humidity ever low in tropical Singapore?

Cheerleaders were also arranged by the organisers to encourage and bring some smiles to the riders. They were a great motivation.  

There was one drink point at midway giving out bottles of water and isotonic. I didn’t take any, though, as I felt I was hydrated enough.

It was all very enjoyable and the 20km of cycling whizzed by all too soon.

Back to the Sports Hub 

Before I knew it, I was back inside the Sports Hub. The finish was inside the National Stadium. I always like finishing inside the Stadium, because the Stadium track is otherwise closed to the public.

Finisher entitlements and carnival 

My finisher entitlements were a medal, 100PLUS and water. After collecting, we were told to keep moving so as to not crowd around and create congestion for finishers who were still coming in.

The finish carnival was outside at the OCBC Arena. Here, there were plenty of photo opportunities with giant inflatable bicycles as well as food and drinks, such as 100PLUS and bananas for participants to replenish their energies.

Event went well for OCBC

OCBC are happy with how the event panned out despite the early morning weather woes.

Said Helen Wong, Group CEO, OCBC Bank said: “Going into my second OCBC Cycle, I thought I knew what to expect. But sharing the roads with many more cyclists this year was an even more enjoyable experience. The sense of being one big cycling community was enhanced as we absorbed the sun’s rays and enjoyed the morning breeze together.”

She continued, “As always, none of this would be possible without the support and friendship of key government agencies – the Land Transport Authority and Sport Singapore – and our event partners and sponsors, and not forgetting all the participants. A big thank you to all!”