The small road around Hanoi's West Lake is often packed with cyclists. (Photo: VOV)

Many of the weekend cyclists are women. One of them is banker Minh Anh, who has cycled for several years. At first Anh hired a bicycle every weekend, but when she became passionate about cycling, she bought her own bicycle. Anh eithers cycles alone or with friends and family members.

A lot of cyclists have joined clubs, including Tour de Five, whose members cycle every Thursday, as well as Mountain Bike Hanoi, and Tour the fun. People of different ages and vocations gather there to share their passion. According to Vu Truong Lam, President of the Tour de Five club, more and more people have registered for his club, and enjoy it as a means to share experience and knowledge of bicycles and cycling. Members now not only cycle around Hanoi but also to neighboring places.

“Once a month, we travel to somewhere 50 to 100 kilometers away from Hanoi. Sometimes when we have a long vacation, we cycle to as far as the northern provinces of Lang Son and Thai Nguyen,” Lam said.

As the cycling hobby has been growing, the bicycle rental service has been booming. There are lots of shops around West Lake, Thanh Nien street, and Hoang Hoa Tham street with bicycles for rent at around 200,000 VND per day. They also offer accessories like locks, lights, and helmets free of charge.

Exercise seems to be the top inspiration for cyclists with the easily recognizable benefits of keeping the body in shape, staying healthy, and relieving stress. The movement of the body while cycling directly effects the thighs and stomach, thus helping to lose weight and gain muscle. Le Thu Trang of Hanoi told VOV: “I choose cycling because it’s a simple exercise. The bicycle is convenient and easy to use.”

Many people have engaged in cycling because they can do it in a group and thus helps to boost the connection between themselves and their loved ones.

Some people like cycling under the shade of milk flower trees (Photo: kenh14.vn)

Leisurely enjoying the beautiful scenery while cycling is a good way of living more slowly. Cycling, whether around Hanoi or far beyond, relieves them of the stress of modern life.

To some people, like Ung Linh of Hanoi, cycling is synonymous with environmental protection. Linh is still keen on cycling, a habit that she has developed since she studied in Poland. Linh told VOV: “People living in the busy urban areas are likely to exercise less so cycling is a good idea, I think. I often ride my bicycle for a trip of a dozen kilometers. Cycling can reduce environmental pollution. I ride slowly on the streets and enjoy the fragrance of milk flowers, especially these days. I see more people out cycling and more bicycle shops, as well.”