Cycling is not just about racing from one point to another. For decades, the Civil Aid Service Cadet Corps Bicycle Demonstration Team has shown that performing stunts on wheels can be just as exciting.
The group has been delighting audiences with its acrobatics since 1972, and is the only team in Hong Kong that performs using different bikes.
For Pinky Lui, the motivation to join the team was to learn to ride a unicycle.
“One day I saw a senior riding a unicycle. I thought it would be fun to try it, because not many people know how to ride a unicycle,” she said.
A team member for three years, she spent six months to acquire the basic skills and safety precautions on an assortment of bikes, and learn the acrobatic stunts that demand inner confidence, balance and team work.
“At first, when I didn’t have the skills, I fell to the ground. I was hurt and the coach rushed over to help me. I just endured the pain and practiced again later.”
Now she can easily ride a unicycle and is able to balance while standing on a bicycle.
Practice makes perfect
Fiona Tang joined the team four years ago, and was also attracted to riding a unicycle, even a special two-meter-high unicycle that requires the rider to climb a ladder to get aboard.
“You may stumble at the beginning, but after some practice you will find your balance and then it becomes as comfortable as sitting on a chair,” she said.
Once the cadet masters the individual skills, the next step is to work with a team.
“During group practice, we kept pulling and leaning on each other. In fact, this is how we learned to balance and accommodate each other,” said Ms Tang.
Spectacle in numbers
The more cyclists involved in the acrobatic movements, the more spectacular the performance and the higher the difficulty. In one daring stunt, four cyclists each ride a unicycle of a different height – lining up from highest to lowest – that captures the audience’s attention.
Stunts on two wheels can be kaleidoscopic. Two cyclists can perform tricks on two bikes simultaneously or ride on the same bike while performing acrobatics. A bike can accommodate five cyclists to build a pyramid on wheels.
Skilful team members even play sports on bikes, using the front wheel as a “foot” to kick and shoot the ball towards a goal.
One of the most strenuous feats for the most fit and strong cadets is to perform a handstand on the bicycle.
Step by step support
Nelson Chan has been riding with the team since he was 14. Over the space of four decades, he has expanded his hobby’s skillset from those of a cadet, to those of a trainer.
“I like the sense of freedom you get when riding a bike. It has also boosted my self-confidence and discipline. Practice makes perfect. Training is hard, but I enjoy it nonetheless.
“I teach the team as if I’m teaching a child to walk. You start from scratch and take it step-by-step. After I’ve taught you how to do it, I will let go, because you need to practice by yourself and find your own way.”
Through the training, Mr Chan hopes cadets not only learn the acrobatics, but also invaluable lessons about discipline, interpersonal skills and team work.
