Cycle club grows in tandem with burgeoning market

Motivation, revelation

Goh's sense of responsibility has not only enabled him to persist in rising early, but it also provided the initial motivation to establish the club.

Having lived in China for 18 years, Goh, who has been fond of cycling since childhood, began riding seriously in 2015, when he encountered a bottleneck in his work as a professional photographer.

"For a while, I couldn't produce any satisfactory photos, so I chose to stop for a while," he said, adding that road cycling provided a wonderful antidote to his situation.

"I explored many beautiful places that could serve as material, and also deepened my understanding of light and shadow as I often set out against the dawn."

With a strong physique and a passion for sports, Goh's cycling ability quickly improved and the people around him simply couldn't keep up. In response, he joined a club in the Hongqiao area in the hope of finding new company.

"However, the cycling activities at the new club were not like those of a team, but more like a competition. No one explained the rules or regulations, or set a speed before the activity. After setting out, many newcomers could not keep up with the pace, and if an accident occurred, few members had good awareness of emergency procedures," he said.

To improve the cycling experience, Goh wrote a safety code but it didn't win much support from the members. When he cycled overseas, he was inspired by seeing people riding in a standardized manner, such as giving way to pedestrians and cars, and cycling in groups.

"I felt I could not change my club. Instead, I decided to influence the entire cycling circle in China," he recalled.