The New Biker Gang

All for one, and one for all. Nothing quite embodies the romanticism of surmounting obstacles of yesteryears, such as conquering mountains together on bicycles. The Peak gets a peek into the tenacious bonds of the Rapha Cycling Club with five of its members.

- Liao Xiangjun

Once a cycling interest group started here by premium British apparel brand Rapha, Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) Singapore has grown to a tight-knit tribe that’s 250 strong. Those are significant numbers for a paid membership club.

Of this total, close to half show up for the major destination events, where they’re joined by hundreds more from other Rapha cycling chapters. As for within Singapore, perhaps 30 members gather each day before the crack of dawn to zip across a stirring Singapore.

Mind you, many of these are high-powered executives who power on straight to the workplace after. But there are no airs or egos when we meet five such members for a chat. There’s just easy camaraderie, unbridled enthusiasm in sharing golden memories, and an uncanny knack for completing one another’s sentences. These are bonds that have been tempered into something more than friendship – the members are almost family.

WHAT CLUB ACTIVITIES DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN?

CLT: The regular 5.15am rides – four days a week, before work.

AT: On Tuesdays, we normally cover 60km. Wednesdays, we do Sentosa, so that’s about 30 to 40km. Thursdays, we do about 40 to 50km around Mandai. Friday we do social cycling, and that’s about 30km. JN: So we start at 5.30am, and by 7am we’re already done.

CLT: There are also other rides – members put the details in our group chat, and on the (Rapha) app as well, and people would just come along if they want to.