“I felt the rush of adrenaline from the start.” A first-hand experience of Cycle Singapore

By REDintern Alan Chiang. Photos by Vanessa Lim/Red Sports.

F1 Pit Building, Sunday, February 22, 2009 - As a cycling enthusiast, I decided to join over 5,400 cyclists and take part in the OCBC Cycle Singapore event.

I felt the rush of adrenaline from the start. I knew that I could not match up to the elite cyclists and true enough, they were far ahead once the air horn sounded. However, spurred on by the crowd, I managed to clock 1hr 20mins for the 40km challenge.

There were various tricky points on the 40km route. There were at least three dead u-turns and if speed demons were by your side, you would probably hit the wall and wave your cycling challenge goodbye.

The first u-turn occurred after Esplanade Drive. The second u-turn appeared just before hitting Suntec City at the 1km mark. The last hazardous u-turn was at the National Sailing Centre, the 20km-mark.

I would have joined the 50km Super Challenge if not for its hefty price tag and the need to qualify with a time trial. The 50km Ssuper Challenge participants had once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cycle on the East Coast Park Expressway (ECP) as they made a return trip after hitting the Changi Coast Road and Airshow Road u-turn point.

Overall, I felt happy being part of the first mass cycling event in Singapore. There was that same great sense of achievement similar to finishing the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon last year. Hopefully, Singapore will continue to organize more cycling events for both professionals and the enthusiasts to develop the country as a sporting nation.

In case you need a romantic place to hang out, watching the sunrise at the F1 Pit Building was truly amazing. The backdrop of the sea as well as the Singapore Flyer and Marina Barrage made the place stand out.

The beautiful scenery took away all the muscle cramps and aches.