There is more to cycling than the Tour de France or the Olympics. Do you know that you can use your bicycle to do a variety of amazing tricks?
Artistic cycling is an indoor version in which athletes perform tricks (called exercises) for points on specialised, fixed-gear bikes in a format similar to ballet or gymnastics. The exercises - such as still, hand-bar and side-pedal stands, turning, jumps, squats and spinning - are performed before judges in six-minute rounds by singles, pairs, or four- or six-member teams.
Artistic cycling began 40 years ago and is becoming increasingly popular in the city. The Hong Kong/Macau Interport Indoor Cycling Championships 2007 was held in Chai Wan earlier this month.
Two teams from each city took part in 13 events, including those for aged 6-10, 11-12 and 13-15, open and pairs for men and women, and men's cycle-ball.
Hong Kong clinched nine gold medals, breaking four records in the process.
Yu Sum-yee, 22, and Michael Lo Ting-hin, 14, scored 290.13 points in the men's pairs to set a new Hong Kong mark.
'We have been partners for four years already,' Michael said. 'Yu has graduated and is working now. We may pair up for another one or two years only. Therefore, our target is not only to break records, but also to get into the world's top four.'