Riders take to the streets again as OCBC Cycle returns with strong turnout

SINGAPORE – As thousands of OCBC Cycle participants rode through the city streets on May 10 morning, a chance encounter at the starting line turned into an impromptu sightseeing tour on two wheels.

What began as a casual conversation between Finnish expatriate Jukka Majanen and Canadian tourist William Muirhead soon evolved into an unlikely friendship during the Foldie Ride by Brompton.

As the pair cycled the entire 40km route together, Majanen took on the role of tour guide, highlighting landmarks from the Marina Bay Sands to the Formula One Pit Building and Gardens by the Bay.

The role came naturally for Majanen, who has been living in Singapore since 1994.

The 64-year-old permanent resident, who works in the education sector, said: “I’m very familiar with all the roads, because I’ve been here for very, very long. I could tell him a couple of things about Singapore along the way.”

He was among the 1,000 participants who took part in the Foldie Ride’s debut in 2024. This time, the category’s 1,000 slots were again fully sold out, underscoring its continued popularity as part of the two-day OCBC Cycle, which started and finished at The Kallang.

With the virtual rides concluding in early June, 7,000 cyclists are expected to have participated across all the categories, surpassing the over 6,800 in the 2024 edition. In 2025, the races were cancelled or converted to virtual rides owing to the Singapore General Election on the same weekend.

The connection between Majanen and Muirhead began with a simple exchange while taking their foldies to the starting line.

For Muirhead, a retired professor from the Ontario Tech University, the ride was the “capstone” of a two-week holiday in his first visit to Singapore, having travelled more than 12,800km from Vancouver with his wife.

“I love cycling in Singapore. It was so well organised. It was worth coming all the way from Canada just to ride my bike,” said the 71-year-old, adding that it was “wonderful” to find a new cycling companion.

Muirhead, who first started riding Brompton bikes in 2007, found out about the OCBC Cycle’s Foldie Ride through online cycling communities. He signed up as he also wanted to visit Singapore.

He said cycling brings back a sense of youthful freedom, adding: “If you’re going to ride a bike, you want one that makes you feel young.”

In the 40km Sportive Ride, one figure stood out prominently against a sea of jerseys, shorts and cycling gear.

Clad in a full-body Spider-Man suit, Aaron Phua, a cosplay enthusiast who also goes by the name Spider-Ronnie, turned heads as he cycled through the route, with many participants asking to take photos with him after the event.

For Phua, who has also brought his Spider-Man persona to other such mass events like the Singapore Cancer Society Relay For Life in March, the motivation is simple.

“I think everyone can do something a little bit more for each other. When I take part in all these events, I just want to spread some cheer and laughter,” said the 33-year-old office worker, adding that he loves the Spider-Man character as it is a “neighbourhood superhero like any of us”.

The Stoneham-Buck family, which includes three daughters aged 15 and under, took part in The Straits Times Ride together, describing the 20km cruise as an opportunity for family bonding.

Hannah, the mother, said it was the family’s first time participating in the event as a unit.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to get everybody out of bed and not everybody feels like it in the morning, but when we all crossed the finish line together with a smile, it made it all worth it,” she said.

Coming from a sporty background, the family also regularly engages in running and fitness training, with the daughters also competing in triathlon and duathlon events.

Cycling, however, has been a family activity since the kids were about three years old, said Richard, the father.

On May 9, the Brompton World Championship took place as part of the OCBC Cycle for the first time, drawing around 200 riders to OCBC Square, attracting participants from the region and even as far as Italy.

Former national cyclist Adi Putera, who represented Singapore in the 2011 SEA Games, emerged as the men’s champion, clocking 16min 59sec. In the women’s category, Cai Binghui took the title in 18min 20sec.

Both winners received a Brompton World Championship Special Edition P Line bicycle, valued at $4,995, a model reserved for race champions and not available for public sale.

Putera, 44, said the format brought a different challenge compared to traditional cycling races.

“This was my first Brompton race and I really enjoyed myself and focused on giving it my best,” he said.

“The route was quite technical, so it was not just about speed, but also about riding and racing smartly.

“I really enjoyed the format because the 800-metre loop allowed spectators to watch and support us throughout, which gave the race a very different vibe from other road or mountain bike races.”

For Cai, who finished second at the 2025 Brompton World Championship in Shanghai, the Singapore race was both a competitive challenge and an opportunity to travel.

“The race was very close from start to finish and Singapore’s heat and humidity were definitely challenging, but the atmosphere was good and it was great to see riders from different countries coming together,” said the 34-year-old Chinese national.