There are many ways to celebrate this monumental National Day. Tracing back to our DNA of making cycling more accessible and inspiring, this year, the National Day Ride is one of the avenues.
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The MACRITCHIE Reservoir was bustling that day. It was not an unusual sight, especially since National Day (August 9) this year fell on a long weekend. While waiting for the members to arrive, cyclists were also anticipating the arrival of two important figures who would make this ride special.
Arriving within moments of each other, Riyadh Hakim and Arfan Faisal pedaled their Polygon Helios bikes to the meeting point with the Rodalink team. Wearing their respective team jerseys, many eyes followed their movements. A few people approached and began conversing with them while waiting. Their presence automatically brought the scattered cyclists together, ready for the event to begin.
Dividing more than 40 people into several different riding groups was no easy task. In collaboration with Podium Performance and Attitude Bikes, the National Day Ride was supported by welcoming ride leaders.
In addition to the presence of two national cyclists, the yellow-themed Helios frames, the result of a collaboration between Polygon – Rodalink and these institutions, also enlivened the event. These frames were created to support the Podium Decentralized Racing program, which currently has five talented riders under its wing. Besides Arfan, another familiar name to cycling enthusiasts is Desmond Lee from the Geylang Cycling Team.
And we roll! After the safety briefing, each group took turns kicking off the 47 km ride toward Shimano Cycling World. Smiles were etched on the faces of the cyclists in each peloton. Arfan was with group 1, and Riyadh was with group 2.
A selection of light bites awaited them at Shimano Cycling World. The cycling session that day was followed by a talk show with the athletes.
Having been friends for over 9 years, Riyadh and Arfan’s interaction on stage made for a warm and casual session. They shared about their cycling journeys and their experiences representing Singapore in various competitions. They both agreed that all the moments representing Singapore on the international stage were truly memorable for them.
“Basically, passion is what keeps us going,” said Riyadh when asked what motivates him to continue his career as an athlete. Consistency, he believes, is one of the keys to enduring the various training sessions and achieving good performance. Arfan echoed similar sentiments.
A few trivia were also shared that day. Riyadh, who started cycling at the age of 14, shared his experience with his first bike. “My first MTB was a Polygon, and after that, my first road bike was also a Polygon. I was part of the Singapore Poly Cycling Team. Now, I also use a Polygon. It’s surprising how life takes you in circles.”
Questions about their preferred discipline were also interesting that day, given that both represent Singapore in MTB and road biking. “Even though I also ride road, I must say I’m still a mountain biker at heart,” said Arfan. Their sharing session brought smiles to the audience.
The event concluded with a Q&A and quiz session. The lucky winners took home an Altalist Kaku SP1, a pair of Schwalbe Pro One tires, and an exclusive Polygon t-shirt.
We’re incredibly thrilled to have this fruitful session with everyone. See you on the next #RidewithRodalink!
