Event keeps pace with green cycling trend

Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sun, 05/18/2008 10:48 AM | Headlines

The newly-launched cycling lanes in Ancol Dreamland, North Jakarta, drew about 1,000 cyclists together Saturday morning, with some wanting to train seriously, and others looking for some serious fun.

The sun was threatening to heat up and the salty ocean air breezed through as families, couples, friends, elders, young adults and children started the ride from a monument at the entertainment park.

Wearing head-to-toe cycling gear, Santo Novianto, 30, Webby Prabowo, 18, and Yos, 30, were among dozens of Matraman Cycling Community members who participated in the event organized by Pembangunan Jaya Ancol.

"We came here with friends from our community," Santo said.

"Most of us in the community joined the event for exercise," Webby said.

A member of the Indonesian Folding Bike Community and father of three, Azwar H.K., 39, brought his wife and his eight-year-old daughter along.

"I take my family with me because it's a good event. It's fun. My two other children are too young to join us. They're still babies," he said.

Cirendeu resident in South Jakarta, Azwar, said he and his family went to Ancol by car with their folding bikes.

"But I cycle twice a week to my office on Jl. Jendral Sudirman, about 17 kilometers away from my house," he said.

Some participants had prepared for the event seriously.

About 100 members of an antique bicycle hobby group took the opportunity to parade. They wore Dutch colonial-era army attire to match their antique bicycles.

They are members of Batavia Ontel Bike Community (KOBA), from Rawamangun in East Jakarta, Kemayoran and Tanah Abang, both in Central Jakarta, as well as cities in Greater Jakarta, such as Bekasi, Depok and Cengkareng.

"Most of us rode our old bikes from home to get here," KOBA member Medi Herman, 56, said.

Also featured in the event was a modified bicycle over 1.5-meters-high, with its rear tire taken from a mini motorcycle. The bicycle is owned by Aco Nawawi, 55, who lives in Kampung Jawa, West Jakarta.

The 15-kilometer cycle lanes form a circle from the west of Ancol to south and east of Ancol, Pembangunan Jaya Ancol president director Budi Karya said. The event was a response to the growing number of cyclists and was part of the company's environmentally-friendly program, he said.

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