In China, although the function of a bicycle as a vehicle has been weekened, bicycle does not disappear. In contrast, more and more people would like to ride bicycle to go out for breathing fresh air. Bicycle has been treated as a high-level tool for doing exercises, spending leisure time, and protecting environment by more and more people.

As we all konw, Kunming, which boasts its nice weathers all the year round, is very suitable for citizens to enjoy outdoor sports, especially cycling.

Nowadays, number of bicycle riders, bicycle sales shops, bicycle sales men surges significantly in Kunming. National and international brand-named bicycles throng to snatch the city’s market shares.

Almost when every weekend or each holiday approaches, Kunming’s bicycle riders will gather together to cycle on Huanhu Road, on West Hill, in Heilongtan Pond Park, in Golden Temple Park, within Majinpu area, on Changchongshan Mountain or around Baozhusi Temple, etc..

According to Zhao Jianjun, Secretary to Kunming Municipal Sports Federation, Kunming has over 100, 000 bicycle riders and more than 20 registered bicycle clubs now.

And above 30 bicycle sales shops have been set up in Kunming. National and international brands containing Giant, Merida, Motion, Ronghui, Kuota, Ucc, Trek, Speciliazed, Lapierre, Cronus, Taokas, Xds have entered Kunming’s bicycle market.

Li Wei, an expert in Yunnan’s bicycle market, said that nearly two kinds of price levels in Kunming are widely welcomed by bicycle riders. One is around 3, 000 yuan, and another is about 100, 000 yuan.

Bicycles that are charged about 3, 000 yuan belong to mid-range pragmatic bicycles, while bicycles that are priced at about 100, 000 yuan are high-class luxuries. To those Kunming’s bicycle fanciers, high-class bicycles having prominant performances in quakeproof, cornering, and speed aspects attract them most. Some of them buy this kind of bicycles for partipating in cycling competitions.

Organizing ways for cycling in Kunming

Since Kunming has owned a large scale of bicycle riders, bicycle fans always organize to cycle in various ways.

Some of bicycle riders like to ride in family units. Some would rather invite friends to ride out together. And more others would like to take part in bicycle clubs that are ran by bicycle sales shops.

Citizen Mr. Peng is a classic delegate to support cycling in family units. His 8-year-old son has a habit to stay at home and refuses excessive exercises. To change his son’s habit, Mr. Peng spends nearly ten thousand yuan buying three bicycles. On each weekend, Mr. Peng will cycle to in suburbs of Kunming with his wife and son.

To Mr. Peng, to raise a new hobby for his introverted son, and to deepen understandings among family members, seem very significative to his family. He likes the way of cycling in family units.

 Kunming riders like to go for rides by inviting friends and acquaintances to join in one by one.[Provided to InKunming]

Another organizing way for cycling in Kunming that also seems very normal is to go for rides by inviting friends and acquaintances to join in one by one.

A cycling team with common cloths and fixed members named “Longxingtianxia”(龙行天下) is a little influencial in Kunming.

The team will arrange its cycling events every week and had called upon its members to go in for bicycle races before.

From members less than ten to members above dozens, the “Longxingtianxia” team has expanded .

Their organizing way for cycling is just to invite acquaintances to take part in.

The third way for organizing cycling in Kunming is the most common way. Cycling clubs which are mainly ran by bicycle sales shops will establish their QQ groups or create their own gathering websites. When an outgoing activity is finalized, club organizers will release news in QQ groups or on gathering websites.

For instance, a Fat Tire club, a bit famous one in Kunming, will inform all club members to go out for cycling without any cost. Club riders could only pay for their lunch fees or other expenses by Dutch treatment.

Related cycling professionals advise bicycle clubs to employ some experienced cycling coaches to train club riders at fixed periods.

Enrollment of a new cycling race starts

To back up cycling sport to develop in Kunming, local government has launched Kunming Tour-round-Dianchi-Plateau Bicycle Invitational Tournament since 2011.

Last year, the tournament was held in Kunming for the second time. Cycling competitors from 17 provinces and municipalties and 8 prefectures and cities in the province participated in the competition. Around 1, 000 competitors, almost doubling the number registered the year before last year, attended.

This year, in coming November, a new Kunming Tour-round-Dianchi-Plateau Bicycle Invitational Tournament will be conducted.

By report, at 9:00 a.m., on November 23(Saturday), the 2013 tournament will officially start on Administrative Center Hall Plaza of Chenggong District(呈贡新区市级行政中心会堂广场).

It is said that bonus of tournament totals 296,000 yuan. A total 1,000 competitors who have enrolled could join in the competition.

Any person who is interested in the competition could enroll on http://wgdt.km.gov.cn/structure/index.htm or go for on-site enrollment in No. 501 office, the 8th building, Kunming Municipal Administrative Center, No. 1 Jinxiu Road, Chenggong District. (贡新区锦绣大街1号市级行政中心8号楼501室现场报名)

Enrollment deadline for the tournament is until October 31, 2013.

Click here to view Chinese report.

　　　 (Editors: Cathy Chen, Lynn)