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Bhakti Mathur

Cycling has transformed and enriched the lives of Hong Kong retirees Jimmy Poon and Patrick Ho.
It served as a lifeline for Poon in recovering from cancer treatment; for Ho, it was a lifesaver – he discovered a serious heart problem while riding that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
Poon was 59 when he was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer in October, 2015.
“I was shocked at the diagnosis. I had always been sporty and had been running regularly since my thirties,” says Poon, now 69, who ran an interior design services company before he retired.
He had aggressive treatment in the ensuing months: two operations, radiation and chemotherapy.
Doctors told him he would be classified as “fully disabled” after the surgery, eligible for government disability allowance. He would also need medication to have regular bowel movements.

To regain his fitness he took up cycling, as it was easier on his knees than running. He has spent the past decade staying fit through riding – and says the sport has helped him prove his doctors wrong.
For Poon, the only inconvenience is determining the best time to take his medication, and the optimum dosage.
Cycling wasn’t as popular in Hong Kong as it is now when Poon took it up. He joined the only cycling group there was at that time, and covered different routes in the city.
Our group is open for anyone to join, with only one condition – you must enjoy cycling
Patrick Ho of the Thursday Ride Group
A year later he joined The Thursday Ride Group, started by Ho in December 2016, months after he retired from the Independent Commission Against Corruption after 38 years.
“I had been running since I was 40. Though I did not have any major injuries, I had niggles here and there and took to cycling because it was easier on my knee joints,” says Ho, 70, who has run 50 10km races, 30 half-marathons and 20 marathons.
The ardent hiker has also completed the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker event on Hong Kong’s MacLehose Trail four times.

The Thursday Ride Group began with 10 members, who cycled during the week to avoid the crowds at weekends. Eight years on, it has grown to 145 members, men and women, retirees and working people.
“Our group is open for anyone to join, with only one condition – you must enjoy cycling,” says Ho, who cycles 60km twice a week on different routes in Hong Kong. He also plays badminton and table tennis, and goes canoeing.
Ho is grateful he took up cycling: it saved his life.
“In early 2022, I found that I was getting breathless while cycling, especially while pedalling uphill. That prompted me to go for a check-up,” he says.
He was found to have mitral valve regurgitation, in which blood leaks backward through a faulty valve between the left chambers of the heart.

He had open-heart surgery lasting several hours and was in hospital for a week. Nine months later, he was back on his bike. Two years on, he continues to enjoy cycling.
Volunteers run the cycling club, including 16 leaders who plan weekly local routes and out-of-town cycling excursions. Ho says the group aims to cater to members with different riding levels and skills.
The easier routes – ranked one or two stars – are on cycling paths, the most common one being from Sha Tin to Tai Mei Tuk along the Tolo Cycling Track, Ho says. Harder, three- to five-star routes include sections on steep slopes that include Fei Ngo Shan (Kowloon Peak), Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, and The Peak.
What is the sport’s appeal?
For Poon, the best thing about cycling is the friendships that you form.
When you put on your gear – your jersey, helmet, gloves and sunglasses, you feel more confident, and much younger than your age
Patrick Ho, 70, founder of The Thursday Ride Group
“Patrick is one of my closest friends and the bond that we have formed over the past decade is special,” says Poon. He has inspired many of his other friends to take up cycling, and has arranged tours to Taiwan, mainland China and Japan with them.
His favourite trip was a 1,300km (800-mile) ride from Tokyo to Osako over 24 days in 2018.
Poon enjoys cycling on his own as well. “I feel focused and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Cycling encourages me to live a healthy lifestyle; I wake up early and go to bed early. I feel young when I am on the bike,” says Poon, who often cycles around his neighbourhood along Cape Collinson Road on Hong Kong Island.
Ho shares memorable moments from two cycling tours. In April 2018, he and 35 group members did a 200km, seven-day ride in Italy from Mantua to Venice. They cycled along the River Po during the day and spent the nights on a boat, the Ave Maria, enjoying great food and each other’s company.
“The shared happiness was unforgettable,” he says.


A year later, Ho and a few members went to Japan, spending 10 days riding the 1,000km Shikoku Circuit Route on the island of Shikoku, with their luggage on the backs of their bicycles.
The group often goes on short trips in mainland China, which is quick, convenient and safe. It has “green roads” – routes for cycling – almost everywhere, and traffic is thin in the scenic countryside. It’s affordable, too.
Hiring a local guide, a tour bus and a truck for carrying bikes is relatively inexpensive. The vehicles follow behind the cyclists; a tired rider can board the bus and store their bike in the truck.
In other countries, such a service would be too expensive.

Cycling benefits both physical and mental health, Ho says. “When you put on your gear – your jersey, helmet, gloves and sunglasses, you feel more confident, and much younger than your age. The training gives you a sense of alertness, smartness and fitness.
“Although some of our members are approaching 70, we are all still young at heart.”
Much research underscores cycling’s benefits, especially for adults aged 60 and over. The training can improve balance and reduce the fear of falling. It also helps lower body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while improving overall quality of life.
Regular cycling enhances skeletal muscle power, endurance and general functional performance and improves the mental health scores of older people. It has also been found to significantly raise participants’ happiness.
Ho and Poon could not have given so much time to cycling without their families’ support, they say. “Even though our spouses have not taken up the sport, they are very happy for us.”
Poon’s advice for people in their sixties who wish to start cycling is to begin with easier routes, and to put safety first.

“Go cycling with a group and always wear a helmet. In our group, wearing a helmet is a must, though currently there is no law in Hong Kong requiring a cyclist to wear one.”
Once you start cycling, Poon warns, you may never want to stop.
“It offers a sense of achievement, you get to meet new people and get to see new places. Most important, it gives you a sense of belonging and community.”
Interested in joining The Thursday Ride Group? Send an email to thursdayride.hk@gmail.com.
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


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How does cycling benefit mind and body? Ask these Hong Kong riders who rode back to health

Cycling friends Patrick Ho, 70, and Jimmy Poon, 69, in Guilin, China in November, 2024.The two bounced back from critical health problems in large part thanks to cycling. Photo: Patrick Ho 

Jimmy Poon, 69, switched from running to cycling to regain his health after aggressive treatment – including two operations – for late-stage rectal cancer. Photo: Patrick Ho

Patrick Ho in Taiwan in 2023 on a group excursion to Hualien. Photo: Patrick Ho

Patrick Ho, 70, founder of The Thursday Ride Group, credits cycling with saving his life after detecting a serious heart problem while riding. Photo: Patrick Ho

The Thursday Ride Group members in Guilin, China, in November, 2024. Ho is near the centre, in purple and blue shirt; Poon is third from the right. Photo: Peter Yeung

The Thursday Riding Group visits a village in Yingde, Guangdong, in August 2024. Ho is third from the left; Jimmy Poon is on the far right. Photo: Peter Yeung

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(Left) Charmaine Rangel at 59kg in February 2024, and (right) at 73kg in July 2022. The Hong Kong-based teacher lost weight through exercise, intermittent fasting, diet tweaks and a health app. Photo: Charmaine Rangel

Rangel at 80kg – her heaviest weight ever – in 2014. Photo: Charmaine Rangel

Rangel at Hong Kong’s Tai Tam Reservoir in July 2022. Photo: Charmaine Rangel

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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Doctors told Jimmy Poon he was disabled. Then he got on his bike. Patrick Ho is alive today because he began feeling breathless while riding


Doctors told Jimmy Poon he was disabled. Then he got on his bike. Patrick Ho is alive today because he began feeling breathless while riding.
