[Video/xinmin.cn]

For members of the RideNow Cycle Club and its founder, Ken Goh, the best time to experience Shanghai is in the early morning hours before the city wakes up. At around 4 or 5 am, with the streets quiet and the air crisp, they set off on their bikes, gliding past buildings and greenery, soaking in the tranquility and the thrill of the ride.

Ken, from Singapore, believes the beauty of early morning cycling lies in the way the light and scenery change with the seasons. He finds that the peacefulness of Shanghai at dawn offers a rare sense of calm, giving riders a chance to clear their minds and be more present. With minimal traffic and fewer people on the streets, cyclists can fully appreciate both the speed and the exhilaration of the ride.

Since its founding in 2016, RideNow Cycle Club has grown from just 20 members to over 5,600. Initially, 90 percent of its members were expats, but today nearly half are Chinese. Some members even maintain their membership after returning to their home countries. The club's rides now stretch beyond Shanghai to places like Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Yunnan provinces, and Xizang autonomous region. Ken believes that the club's cycling culture, built up over the years, is widely appreciated, and that, no matter where its members go, they always remember their starting point — Shanghai.