OCBC Cycle 2014: Captain Kirk of Star Trek Meets Vampires

Jiang Shi, also commonly known as Chinese Vampires, are ugly, evil creatures with pale skin and long claw-like fingernails. They hop around sucking their victims’ blood and killing them in the process. So what happens when a Jiang Shi comes face-to-face with Captain Kirk from Star Trek? Well, in the mind of cosplayer Reno Tan, 43, they will sit down, exchange peaceful words… and then get together to enjoy a calming 27km bike ride, at the OCBC Cycle Singapore. Reno is part of a group of cosplayers, from Movie Mania, a costuming club in Singapore. They get together every year at OCBC Cycle to enjoy the fresh air and healthy lifestyle… dressed in their costumes. I caught up with Reno, who works as the executive producer at Movie Mania, and had a chat to him about cycling in the club’s elaborate and eye-catching costumes.

With “Captain Kirk” (front, centre) and his fellow Movie Mania members, at OCBC Cycle Singapore

How many of you took part in OCBC Cycle today?

We had 15 cyclists altogether. Next year, we are expecting 15 to 20 maybe. We are also hoping to get more girls too.

What race category race did you and your members take part in?

That would be the Community Ride (27km).

Why do you and your club members take part in OCBC Cycle, wearing fancy costumes?

Oh, that’s because we are from Movie Mania and it is a costumed club. This is our third year getting together in costumes and cycling together at OCBC Cycle. By doing so, we inject some fun and joy to people who see us cycling in these costumes.

What you are all dressed up as?

This year’s costumes are a mix. The majority of them are the Chinese vampires (in blue). I am dressed as Captain Kirk myself, from Star Trek. As well, we also have “The Stig” (in white) and a couple of military soldiers (in army uniform). The mixture adds a good variety. We thought that by having characters from a mixture of variety of genre would help to attract a wider crowd of people and add more diversity to the OCBC Cycle race.

Why did you dress as Captain Kirk?

That is because I am a big fan of Star Trek. I had this big Starship Enterprise inflatable installed on my bicycle. So I wanted to do something different to what I did last year when I was dressed up as Elliott in E.T.

What types of costumes have you guys used before?

These have included a guy dressed as Captain America, a Banana in Pyjamas and some other movie and childhood characters.

How do you choose your costumes for OCBC Cycle?

Generally, we have a range of costumes, so we have to take a look and see what is practical. For example, we cannot wear Ironman or Transformers or other types of characters that have metallic bodies, because these are too bulky and we won’t be able to cycle. So we need to choose costumes that are made of cloth and easier to cycle with. That means we can’t wear heavy or bulky costumes and armour may crack. We have a range of 100+ costumes, from Batman to Superman and Star Wars. So basically, whatever character you can think of, we probably have a costume for it.

Members of Movie Mania posing for the camera, after a long 27km bike ride.

How different is it to cycle wearing these costumes?

It is definitely very hot. These costumes are not very cool. They are quite warm and also, we are exerting energy, so it is definitely not easy. But then again, we only do something like this once a year, as a fun thing, so we think the sacrifices made is worth it. The costumes also definitely slow us down during the cycling race. For example, you can see that the Chinese vampires are wearing robes so that does affect their speed. But it is fun, so that is the main thing.

Where do the costumes come from?

Many costumes are purchased. The Chinese Vampire costumes, for example, are bought straight from the Internet. I got my Captain Kirk shirt in Las Vegas during the Star Trek convention. We buy costumes for the accuracy of the weapons, gear and so on. We want to make our costumes as realistic as possible but at the same time, not to hinder our actual cycling.

What is the average cost of your costumes?

The average cost of these costumes you see today, would be $100. Mine would be the most expensive because the shirt is an official replica shirt (USD$250) and my weapons are also costly.

Do you take part in other sports events wearing costume?

The OCBC Cycle is the only costumed cycling event that we participate in. We have other events, but they are not cycling events. These mainly include cosplay events and non-sports related stuff. But I must say that cycling once a year in costume is more than enough for us, though!

What is your group’s costume plans for next year?

Well, we have not decided yet. But we will definitely return next year with a bigger group. Click Here to read about my personal experience at OCBC Cycle Singapore 2014.