4 reasons why you should start cycling in Singapore

If you’ve been hemming and hawing over whether or not you should get wheeled up, here’re four good reasons to saddle up and push off.

OCBC Cycle

Our local cycling events are getting a revamp

Now that OCBC Cycle Asia has split up into two events, Cycle Asia (Apr 10-12) and OCBC Cycle (May 29-30), bike enthusiasts have more races than ever to join in. Both will have categories for a wide range of pro and non-pro cyclists, as well as fringe events that only participants can attend: sports photography seminars, even a cafe bike crawl. After all, nothing goes together better than bicycles and cafes…

Coast Cycles

Bigger and better bicycle shops have opened for business

… just ask Coast Cycles. Not the first bicycle-cafe paring (Wheeler’s Yard came first) but certainly notable all on its own, this collaboration between former pro cyclist Jansen Tan and coffee masters Papa Palheta set up shop last year. You can fuel yourself up at the cafe, shop for new wheels at the store, or even get our bike serviced and cleaned while you wait—they’ll even throw in a free coffee for every service package bought.

Over at Tiong Bahru (a natural home for a hip bicycle store if there was one) there’s also Cycle Project, focusing, obviously, on fixed-gear bicycles with a workshop that allows for bike customization services.

Byx should be your next stop. As big-box as bike stores get in Singapore, this multi-make retailer brings in a wide range of revered bicycle makers’ products. You’ll find Niner, Stevens, Kestrel and Fuji represented here, and the store manager is possibly one of the most cycling-passionate people you’ll meet—she bikes between the River Valley location and her Yishun home every day.

CruCycle

There are more bike-focused gyms now

Whether you wanna get pumped up, zoned out or just want to try spinning out, there’s a lot more choice in the spin studio scene now. 7Cycle‘s club-like studio was Singapore’s first independent boutique indoor cycling gym. With intense workouts paired with a pulsating (custom-mixed) soundtrack, programmable LED lighting and passionate, high-charisma instructors, this is the place for you if you’re looking to get the absolute most out of your workouts.

If that’s not your speed, try CruCycle. With sessions held in candle-lit rooms and instructors who incorporate ab and arm strengthening workouts into each session, this place sounds like it has a holistic yoga-like vibe to it, but if it were a yoga studio, it’d be a younger and trendier one.

Not ready to commit fully to spinning? See if the gym you already belong to offers spin classes. Fitness First’s Market Street location (#02-01 & #03-01 Bank of Singapore Centre, 63 Market Street, 6438-3163, www.fitnessfirst.com.sg) has ProCycling Head Coach Eve Ho in residence. Once you’ve trained up a bit, this is probably the best place to get ready all those races you’re going to sign up for.

, 4 reasons why you should start cycling in Singapore

The new traffic laws might just mean safer streets

In February, changes to the Road Traffic Act took effect that makes it illegal for drivers to hold any type of mobile device while their vehicle is moving. Sure, the level of enforcement will ultimately determine whether this will have an actual effect on road safety, but it at least means that drivers will be a bit more discouraged from splitting their attention between WhatsApp, Candy Crush and what’s on the road, right? One can only hope, anyway—in the meantime, watch out on the roads (and on the pavements—pedestrians can be equally dangerous and endangered).