03:04, 13/04/2020

Rise of cycling movement

Riding bicycles along streets to improve fitness, stay healthy and breath the fresh air in the early morning has recently become a favorite sports activity of a lot of people in Nha Trang City during the days of nationwide social distancing.
 

Riding bicycles along streets to improve fitness, stay healthy and breath the fresh air in the early morning has recently become a favorite sports activity of a lot of people in Nha Trang City during the days of nationwide social distancing.
 
Implementing the Prime Minister’s Directive No.16 ordering 15-day period of nationwide social distancing, Nha Trang City have taken actions to request people to avoid going out and gathering in groups. Therefore, most of sports and exercise activities such as playing sepak takraw, volleyball, badminton, and doing morning exercise in the beach city have been suspended. In order to maintain a good habit for health and spirit in line with the current situation of COVID-19 while still abiding by the regulations, many locals have changed to cycling.
 
 
Numerous people in Nha Trang do exercise with sports bicycles
Numerous people in Nha Trang do exercise with sports bicycles
 
4 to 6 in the morning and 3 to 5 in the afternoon are the favorite time for cycling of many people in Nha Trang. They often ride along Tran Phu Street and Pham Van Dong Street to Vinh Luong fishing port. Reportedly, previously, most of the sports bicycle riders on the roads along Nha Trang coast were the professional cyclists. These days, due to the suspension of sports and exercise activities at the beach parks amid coronavirus pandemic, there are more and more people joining sports cycling. This is a positive signal for Khanh Hoa Province’s sports cycling movement, said Thanh Chung, who lives in Vinh Tho Ward. 
 
In fact, the sports cycling movement of Khanh Hoa has developed quite well for a long time. There are around 200 cyclists who are the regular members of sports bicycle clubs and teams over the province. Additionally, many people in the beach city have been practicing sports bicycles, but they haven’t joined any clubs.  
 
Sports bicycle cycling seems to be a simple sport, but it in fact requires some painstaking attention and investment. Besides needing to practice and improve skills regularly, professional cyclists also need to spend a lot of money on cycling clothing, gear, necessaries, and bikes to prepare for cycling tournaments. Some people practice sports bicycle cycling because of their passion for this sport; they don’t pay as much as attention and investment on skills and cycling gear like professional cyclists. Apart from the aforesaid cyclists, there are still many people who only need a normal bicycle for their daily exercise during the pandemic. 
 
These days in Nha Trang, more and more people of all ages, from elderly people to children, wake up early and cycle along the sea as a useful and interesting way to do morning exercise. “Previously, my family often go to beach parks to do morning exercise. After the country entered nationwide social distancing period, we have changed to cycling. All of my family members are interested in this activity,” Thu Trang (Phuong Sai Ward) said. 
 
An Nhien
Translated by H.N