Tan Yifan

    cicitan2011@gmail.com

    Why night cycling? Sparse traffic, the heightened feeling of speed and the way flowers, the air, and even street food smell all make for a fabulous experience.

    WITH their schedules fully packed during workdays, more Shenzheners choose to stroll or jog after finishing a day’s work. It’s common after nightfall to come across a group of young people jogging or senior aerobic enthusiasts dancing in parks like Lianhua Hill Park in Futian or Donghu Park in Luohu. You might be surprised to learn, though, that there are hundreds of cyclists riding past dark bushes and woods each night while other people yawn in Metro trains returning to their cramped apartments.

    Li Shengsheng and his friends are night cyclers.

    Jumping out of their button-down shirts and stuffy suits and putting on light cycling apparel marks the start of a fun night for Li and his teammates from Feihong Cycling Club, a local night cycling group with over 10,000 members.

    The purpose of the club is “to help stressed-out urbanites find pure and stimulating fun.”

    “I have been riding almost every night in recent months,” said a man known as “Xiaolinzi,” his QQ account name. “Sometimes I just have a bun or bagel on my way to meet my team and all I feel is joy, not hunger.”

    They meet about three times a week at Donghu Park, which has long greenways leading to the cycling paths in the Wutong Mountain. Lusciously green, it boasts the highest peak in Shenzhen.

    “We usually start around 8 p.m. and end around 10:30 p.m.,” said Li, founder of the club and an experienced cyclist. “We decide online the route and number of participants before each event and choose the leader, the tailing rider [who rides at the end of the queue] and a coordinator [who is often in the middle of the queue to help pass signals from the leader to the rest of the team].”

    The club has many subgroups that ride on various routes that cross the entire city. Li and his branch favor the eastern part of the city.

    “You should always cycle in a group,” says Li. “The darkness can cause lots of unexpected trouble for a rider. Even the most experienced cyclist may be caught in something unexpected at night. Joining a group is not just fun, but is also a lot safer.”

    Professional gear

    Riding a bicycle requires little investment, as many Chinese are used to riding a bike in suits, dresses, leather shoes and even slippers.

    But if you decide to conquer a steep slope or an uneven path, you should wear sports clothes and a pair of sneakers. Members of Li’s club are required to wear cycling clothes made of breathable fabric that fit tightly.

    A helmet is a necessity, as are special-made gloves and sunglasses. “Wearing a pair of special sunglasses is very important,” said Chen Qi, another member of the club. “As we often pass plants, there is a high probability of hitting insects. Those small bugs can enter your eyes, nostrils or mouth. The best way to protect yourself from a sudden fall caused by bugs is to wear a pair of glass that can protect your face.”

    “Some riders wear a kerchief to cover their face in daytime,” said a woman called Lily. “It will help to protect the skin from sunshine and dust.”

    Riders also apply sunscreen to protect the skin from sunburn.

    “You also need to prepare a headlamp on the front of the bike and a red light or reflector on the back,” Li added. “No rider is allowed to start his journey without a headlamp. We carry spare batteries and headlamps in case of emergency.”

    A tire should be carried in a backpack, said Xiaolinzi. A well-trained rider needs to know how to change a tire and fix off-the-track bicycle chains.

    For a two-hour ride, one or two bottles of sports drink are enough, but for a long trip, you also need some solid food.

    “The leader, coordinator and tailing rider are equipped with walkie talkies,” said Li. “You can use a Bluetooth headset that links with your phone, but we prefer to communicate through the walkie talkie.”

    A rider can also use a mini audio player to listen to music during the trip.

    “You should ride on a mountain bike,” a man called Lao Zhang added.

    Skills to ride at night

    “Knowing your own riding habit and pace is very important,” said Li. “You need to make sure your pace is consistent with that of other team members. Cycling too fast or too slow will influence the whole pace of the team and can make it hard for others to follow.

    “That’s why we need an experienced leader and a tailing rider,” he continued. “The leader will decide the pace and help the team overcome difficulties on the road; the tailing rider makes sure that everyone is safe and can follow the leader. When there is a curve or a sudden change on the road, the coordinator will stop and send a signal to others.”

    “We keep the team within 30 people,” Li added. “It is best for the leader to decide the distance between each bicycle and keep track of every rider.”

    Li also recommends that riders use low gears when climbing a slope, and use high gears when crossing flat territory.

    Other tips

    Riders need to pay attention to weather reports before making plans. In summer or the rainy season, raincoats should be packed in a backpack.

    Ride on familiar roads or on routes suggested by other riders. If you are bored of your regular path, you should invite professionals to explore a new route in advance with you.

    Bring medicine with you in case of sudden discomfort.

    If your team can afford a medical or technical backup, hire one like Li’s team does.

    Install a mini helmet camera to add a bit of fun to the journey.

    Expats can join the club’s English team by applying to their QQ group (No.: 262488617).

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