ST Sports’ Play of the Month – Road Cycling (2024)

SINGAPORE – On his first solo cycling trip overseas, Ong Swee Yong found himself lost in Mount Takatsuka in complete darkness, not knowing whether he would make it out.

Admitting that he had planned poorly, the Singaporean learnt an important lesson that day – if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

The 32-year-old IT engineer, who goes on frequent road cycling trips, said: “It was a very silly mistake of mine when I was in Japan, because it was autumn and the sunset was earlier. I didn’t plan that properly so I cycled into a mountainous area at around 4pm.

“Halfway in, it was total darkness, I couldn’t see anything. It was basically my small light and my Garmin (GPS) that got me out of that route.”

Seasoned rider Delvin Lee also recounted an experience of being underprepared while riding overseas.

Lee, a director in the banking sector, was then in Britain for a six-month stint. He remembered being comfortable in just a jersey and windbreaker in 4 deg C weather, but things soon changed when he was on the outskirts of London.

With the wind and rain intensifying, he felt his extremities freezing up.

The 40-year-old said: “You don’t feel the cold until you actually go to the outskirts and I was wearing only a jersey and a jacket because I thought that was more than sufficient.

“I completed the ride, but it was not easy. It was only then that I realised the importance of being prepared for an overseas ride.”

Ong and Lee are part of a Facebook cycling group which has over 3,300 members. About 10 to 30 of them go on overseas cycling trips regularly.

Lee has been to trips in England, Wales, Spain, Iceland, Indonesia, Malaysia and Chinese Taipei and is planning an eighth to China or Vietnam at the end of 2024.

“Once you start cycling in Singapore, there are very limited places that you can actually cycle. After two years, the routes start to get boring,” he said.

He ranks the route in Mallorca, Spain, as his favourite, adding: “The most memorable one is definitely Mallorca because that is a cycling paradise.

“The islands where people go to cycle. You can see different terrains there, you can climb, you get flats and the scenery is just beautiful.”

While some may prefer to plan the trip on their own, it can get tedious as they have to account for logistics, food and accommodation.

An alternative is to engage a travel agent to handle the logistics, including the possibility of providing a support vehicle that will follow the riders on their journey.

Lee added that this allows cyclists to “enjoy the ride and let other people take care of all the bookings”.

Noting that this might be a better choice, he said he suffered a fall while in Chinese Taipei and cracked his bike frame. Luckily for him, the support vehicle had a spare bike and he was able to finish his ride.

For Ong, riding with an agency also means that he has more time to rest, but he also cautioned others to “ride with a group of like-minded people” who have the same pace.

Lee also recommends doing a bike fit to ensure a comfortable ride.

He said: “What you don’t want is that, you buy a new bike and immediately bring it on an overseas ride (without fitting it) then you realise that the bike is not your size, not the right fit for your posture and then you start to have cramps.

“Also know the terrain, weather and make sure that you bring the necessary things like energy gels and make sure that you’re well prepared.

“I would strongly encourage everyone to try it. It is definitely something that you will not get in Singapore and you need to try it for yourself.”