OCBC Cycle 2024: SEA Championship returns for first time since COVID pandemic, while The Foldie Ride makes debut

SINGAPORE — This year's OCBC Cycle will see the Speedway SEA Championship return for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, with nine teams from Southeast Asia competing at the annual mass cycling event on 11 and 12 May.

Meanwhile, a new category - The Foldie Ride by Brompton (40km) - will make its debut to cater to the expanding base of cyclists who ride foldable bikes.

OCBC Cycle announced these additions as it kicked off registrations on Tuesday (5 March) at orchardgateway. Organisers expect more than 7,000 cyclists to participate across 10 categories, with 1,000 cyclists taking part in The Foldie Ride by Brompton. The evergreen rides - The Sportive Ride (40km) and The Straits Times Ride (20km) - will feature again in this year’s event.

Teams from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia will be competing at the Speedway SEA Championship this year. Philippines took the crown in the last edition back in 2019, with Malaysia and Vietnam finishing second and third respectively.

"Over the past 15 years, OCBC Cycle Singapore has brought in new rides and sponsors while proudly remaining Singapore’s signature mass cycling fiesta on closed roads. Families and friends get to bond on a weekend that brings together thousands of cyclists from varied backgrounds," said Helen Wong, group chief executive officer of OCBC.

"At the same time, the competitive categories do not draw only local clubs and companies; the region’s top national cyclists – including Singapore’s – pit themselves against one another. We hope to continue leveraging OCBC Cycle as a platform to galvanise people and communities."

Training rides, bike maintenance workshops

Bike company Brompton will be organising training rides in the lead-up period to the OCBC Cycle event, for cyclists to be familiarised with the cycling distance and to build up their cycling proficiencies. Bicycle retailer Happy Owl Cycle will also be hosting bicycle maintenance workshops to guide cyclists on how to better take care of their bicycles and to handle minor technical issues during their rides.

Participants of the three mass rides can look forward to scenic routes with roads specially closed for the event on 12 May, taking them past national landmarks and iconic features like the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, Singapore Flyer, and Gardens by the Bay, before finishing inside the National Stadium at the Singapore Sports Hub.

The Mighty Savers Kids Ride will take place on 11 May, when young cyclists between 2 and 12 years old can experience the joys of cycling with other young cyclists or their family members. The OCBC Cycle Virtual Rides, which will take place from 11 May to 10 June, allow participants the freedom to complete either a leisurely 100km virtual ride or test their endurance with the 500km virtual ride over a maximum of four rides.

Participants who register online before 7 April stand the chance to win a customised OCBC Cycle Brompton bicycle.

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.