OCBC Cycle Kuala Lumpur – dubbed “The City Ride” for its emphasis on enabling extended rides on closed roads right in the heart of the city – returns for the fifth consecutive year on Sunday, 24 November 2019, and with a new category to boot.

Anyone above the age of 18 may register to participate through ocbccyclekl.com. About 1,500 people have already signed up following the soft launch of what remains the only mass cycling event on closed roads in the usually traffic-heavy city centre.

The much-anticipated event aims to attract 2,000 participants and will, for the first time, feature a 21km option. Previously, OCBC Cycle KL only had a 42km option.

The event will continue to feature prizes for four bicycle types – mountain, road, foldies and fat bikes – for both men and women.

Speaking at the launch of the registration exercise today, Federal Territories Minister YB Tuan Haji Khalid Abdul b. Samad said the city’s sole mass cycling ride has been a boon to many new and amateur cyclists as it complements the role of the equally-popular OCBC KL Car Free Morning, which is designed for leisure cyclists and other sporting enthusiasts.

“It is good to have a platform for budding cycling enthusiasts to take part in a healthy sport like this and push themselves a little harder right in the heart of the city. I am particularly pleased with the introduction of the shorter singleloop 21km ride, which makes the event even more accessible, bearing in mind this is a ride that takes people beyond the experience of the 7km OCBC KL Car Free Morning experience. Several of the newer riders might not yet be ready for the 42km option, though I know it remains popular.

“My ministry is pleased to once again support this well-received mass participation cycling initiative and would like to thank OCBC Bank for once again being the force behind it and for continuing to make it possible for our cycling community to thrive here in KL,” he said.

He added that OCBC Cycle KL 2019 will, this year, introduce a conscious move to introduce environmentally-friendly and sustainable practices.

Also present at the launch event were Datuk Prof. Naim Mohamad, Implementation Committee Chairman of OCBC Cycle KL 2019, Chief Executive Officer of OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad Dato’ Ong Eng Bin and Chief Executive Officer of OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik.

“Anyone who wishes to participate in the new 21km category and the more challenging 42km ride should sign up now in order to enjoy the early bird participation rates. We are working with the relevant authorities to ensure the route provides an even better experience than ever before,” Datuk Naim said.

Elaborating on the thinking behind OCBC Cycle KL, OCBC Bank Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Ong Eng Bin said the event continues to draw from OCBC’s experience as title sponsor of the highly popular OCBC Cycle Malaysia since 2011, the introduction of OCBC KL Car Free Morning in 2014 and OCBC Cycle KL 2015.

“We hope the non-elite cyclists seeking to test their cycling endurance for the first time will come out in full force to participate in the newly-introduced 21km category. For the more experienced riders, we hope you will continue to enjoy the 42km ride. It is with great pleasure that we continue to support this cycling event which aims to foster inclusiveness and better healthy living amongst us.

“We are also excited about the conscious move to make OCBC Cycle KL even more environmentally friendly and sustainable. This means less use of plastics and greater respect for the preservation of our surroundings. This is an ongoing part of the OCBC Bank’s agenda not just for OCBC Cycle KL but everything we do,” he said.

Among other things, this year will see very limited or no use at all of plastic packaging for the event packs. Instead, participant bibs, tags and apparel will be packaged in recyclable paper rolls or envelopes. There will be no paper flyers in the event packs as well. These will instead be replaced by large information boards at the event as well as information on the OCBC Cycle KL website. There will be no bubble wrap for medals. Instead, they will be packed in tracing paper that is compostable. And there will also be recycling bins at strategic locations for collection of banana peels, which will then be sent off for composting.

All the rides will flag off from Dataran Merdeka and take participants through the streets and iconic landmarks of Kuala Lumpur.

OCBC Cycle KL 2019 will also bring together the various players involved in cycling, supplies, sports clothing, bicycles, bicycle equipment and tools, among others, in what will culminate in the Sunday ride. Following last year’s success, there will be a Bike Fest at Quill City Mall on 22-23 November 2019 in conjunction with the OCBC Cycle KL 2019 race pack collection.

Managed by Multigreen Events, OCBC Cycle KL 2019 is supported by the Ministry of Federal Territories, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall. The title sponsor is OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad.

Apart from OCBC Cycle KL title sponsor OCBC Bank, other sponsors include Warisan Outdoor, Cycling Malaysia, Thule, and 100Plus. More sponsors are set to be unveiled in the weeks ahead.