A growing number of riders are also expressing their love for their two-wheelers through content development, as well as riding, chilling, talking, and swooning over the newest and best items up.
On all of their social media platforms, OLC, Ms Lau, and Ms Ng have all posted cycling-related information.
OLC’s Oompa Loompa YouTube channel which features conversations with other enthusiasts and equipment reviews, has gathered about 19, 000 subscribers, a” huge number” but not enough to “replace a moment job”, he said.
Ms. Ng has “becomed like a ( content ) creator of sorts” since beginning to road bike a few years ago on the advice of an ex-coworker.
Not all clearly does it in that manner. It only happens to be what I’m interested in, I love making videos”, said Ms Ng, who has 4, 700 followers on Instagram.
Ms Lau has about 9, 000 fans on her tiffylauonwheels Instagram profile.
The rise of riding celebrities, according to Mr. Dean Koh, vice president for advertising and promotion at the Singapore Cycling Federation, is just one of two contributing factors to the high-end vehicle culture around.
The other factor, he said, is the proliferation of local cycling clubs that keep cyclists “active in their passion” by organising regular group rides.
IS LUXURY BIKE CULTURE THE WAY FORWARD?
Retailers in this area noted that some of the local cyclists ‘ preferences for more expensive rides are not that dissimilar from those in other markets.
There is no significant difference in demand for their various tiers of bicycles, according to Mr. Cheong of Specialized.
However, anecdotal evidence suggests that cyclists in this region have a more sophisticated taste for bikes than those in neighboring nations.
For instance, Ms. Lau noted that Singaporean cyclists have more expensive bikes than their Thai counterparts when she visits Bangkok and meets avid cyclists there.
Wilderness Trail Bikes, an American mountain bike brand, has Mr. Gary Gleason as vice president of sales. His business serves upscale riders in Singapore who use upscale accessories.
At the recent Taipei Cycle 2024, the largest bicycle trade show in Asia, he was quoted as saying,” It seems like the market is really kind of catered towards a more premium product.”
According to Mr. Ng of Cycle Project Store,” the cycling community in this region is fast paced with their consumption of products and typically follows the newest or most recent release in comparison to some parts of the world.”
Some in the fraternity stressed the importance of keeping in mind the wider cycling population here, too, while those in the fraternity believe that the subculture surrounding premium bikes in Singapore is still present and that it is resilient throughout the pandemic.
Active mobility expert Tham Chen Munn, a former vice president for recreation at the Singapore Cycling Federation, noted that there is also a “unsung, unseen” group of bike users who ride around the neighborhoods on shared paths.
” And when the Park Connector Network continues to expand, who does this benefit? It’s the uncles and aunties and families who use these paths, not the road cyclists”, he said.