OCBC Cycle Kuala Lumpur – dubbed “The City Ride” for its emphasis on enabling extended rides on closed roads in the heart of the city – returns on Sunday, 12 March 2023, following a 3-year hiatus due to the pandemic. It flags off as usual from Dataran Merdeka.

Registration remains open to those above 18 at www.ocbccyclekl.com until 16 February 2023. Pre-opening registrations have already crossed the 2,200 mark, and those interested can still sign up for the popular 42km and 21km ride categories, along with a new 42km corporate category for teams of ten each, called The KL Mayor’s Ride.

A maximum total of 2,500 people may sign up for what remains the only mass cycling event on closed roads in the usually traffic-heavy city centre.

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

According to Datuk Seri Haji Mahadi Bin Che Ngah, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, the return of the city’s sole mass cycling ride will be welcomed by new and amateur cyclists as it allows them to ride in convenient surroundings that are iconic as well.

“OCBC Cycle KL complements the equally popular OCBC KL Car Free Morning, which is designed for leisure cyclists and other sporting enthusiasts.

“We are glad to have OCBC Cycle KL – the city ride – back after the three-year interruption brought about by the pandemic. I am sure many are looking forward to participating come 12 March 2023 as evidenced by the strong pre-launch sign-ups. This remains the only long city ride along an uninterrupted stretch of 21 kilometres on closed roads. It enables participants to soak in the beauty of Kuala Lumpur on their bikes. With this, budding cycling enthusiasts can engage in a healthy sport and push themselves a little harder right in the heart of the city.

CEO of Multigreen Events Nezzam Malek, CEO of OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur Datuk Seri Haji Mahadi bin Che Ngah, Chairman of the OCBC KL Car Free Morning Implementation Committee Datuk Naim Mohamad, and DBKL Director of Culture, Arts and Sports Tuan Khairul Azmir bin Ahmad

“I am pleased to highlight that the 21 km stretch being made available to participants on event day will take them well beyond the experience of the 7 km stretch they might be used to at OCBC KL Car Free Morning. And those who are a bit more experienced can opt for the 42 km option, which involves doing the 21 km loop twice.  

“I am pleased to also announce the introduction, for the first time, of a team event called The KL Mayor’s Ride. The Ride is for teams of ten who will compete against each other over a 42 km distance. We envisage companies, ministries and agencies sending teams in large numbers to take advantage of this opportunity to foster team spirit through a healthy activity like cycling. I would like to thank OCBC Bank for once again being the force behind the event and for bringing it back bigger and better than before,” he said.

He added that OCBC Cycle KL 2023 will, this year, continue to advocate environmentally friendly and sustainable practices by facilitating recycling and ensuring minimal use of single-use materials.

Datuk Naim said that anyone who wishes to participate in the new 21km category and the more challenging 42km ride should sign up before registration closes on 16 February 2023.

“We are working with the relevant authorities to ensure the route provides an even better experience than ever before. So, no one should hesitate to take full advantage of the return of OCBC Cycle KL,” he added.

Elaborating on the resumption of OCBC Cycle KL, Tuan Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik, CEO of OCBC Al-Amin said the event draws from OCBC’s experience as title sponsor of the highly popular event since 2015. Prior to this, OCBC Bank also used to sponsor OCBC Cycle Malaysia from 2011 to 2013, and become involved in OCBC KL Car Free Morning in 2014.

“It feels good to be able to get people back on the road for the much-anticipated OCBC Cycle KL series. And I look forward to seeing the smiles on the faces of the participants as they come out in full force to participate in the 21 km and 42 km categories or as teams in The KL Mayor’s Ride. We hope to build a healthier Malaysia and foster inclusiveness through events such as this.

“We are also excited about making OCBC Cycle KL 2023 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.

Managed by Multigreen Events, OCBC Cycle KL 2023 is supported by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Polis Diraja Malaysia and the Malaysian National Cycling Federation. The title sponsor is OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad.

Apart from OCBC Cycle KL title sponsor OCBC Bank, sponsors include Great Eastern, KPJ, Decathlon, Thule, 100Plus, Nescafe, Milo, N8 Sports Nutrition, Gin Huat, Maxxis, Dahon, ES Mass, Maxtron, Elite Sports, Dynamique Sports Rehab Centre, Cat Eye, Minoura, Black Cat, Hutan Ration and Kulsocs.