Hong Kong protests’ disruption spawns group commute by bicycle – ‘It’s a green solution, and sociable’
- Hongkonger who launched social cycling group in London seizes on Hong Kong transport chaos caused by anti-government protests to begin group commutes by bike
- Anthony Lau’s ‘bike train’ runs from Tsim Sha Tsui to Tsuen Wan, and cyclists join and leave along the route. Riders enjoy the workout and the chance to chat
It’s 7.25am on a crisp December morning and I’m near the Star Ferry in Kowloon, with a borrowed bicycle. I’m here to check out the “bike train” – a group cycle commute from Tsim Sha Tsui to Tsuen Wan, about 15km and pretty much the length of the Tsuen Wan MTR line.
My fellow bike train commuters on the 15km journey are easy to spot – they arrive on bikes, some with helmets and some without – and they are a friendly bunch. One notices that my bicycle seat is tilted and offers to adjust it.
It’s been 10 years since I rode a bicycle and I’ve never ridden in Hong Kong’s city traffic, but they do say you never forget how to ride a bike and I’ve been promised the route is mostly flat. What’s more, I’ve been lent a gorgeous khaki green Brompton, a lightweight folding bike.
The brains behind this newly launched initiative, Anthony Lau, is easy to spot. He’s got a big red flag attached to the back of his bike, promoting the route, which they cycle on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
“For me, cycling is about the freedom to use the road, explore the city and interact with people. There’s a social level to it, it’s about mobility and equality and inclusiveness, regardless of age and sex,” says Lau, who studied at King George V School in Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, before moving to Britain to do a degree in architecture at Nottingham University, then founding a cycling infrastructure company, Cyclehoop, in London.