Cyclists practise at the Hong Kong Velodrome, which was built at a cost of HK$600 million.Think you can just hop on a bike and go cycling at Hong Kong Velodrome Park in Tseung Kwan O? Think again. You need to get off and walk your bike to the velodrome if you want to try the tracks.
The Hong Kong Velodrome, built at a cost of HK$600 million, opened last year after three years of construction, according to the South China Morning Post. And it's already closed for "optimisation".
It's equipped with a 250-metre wooden cycling track that meets international standards.
Before you can use the indoor track though, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has to issue you a pass.
But to get a pass, you either have to prove you are an experienced rider, or you must attend and pass the track cycling training course organised by the LCSD or Hong Kong Cycling Association. This helps ensure the safety of the cyclists and the proper use of the facility.
It's the first-ever indoor cycling facility in Hong Kong. However, people are not allowed to cycle in the park surrounding the velodrome building.
The department argues that the park is designed for leisure, and they decided not to allow cycling for safety reasons.
Cycling lovers are free to use the cycling track in another park nearby.
So far, the LCSD has received three complaints about the ban on riding in the park.
Joy Pamnani, 16, doesn't think it makes sense to forbid biking outdoors. The PLK Ngan Po Ling College student finds cycling at the velodrome "a little intimidating for a beginner like me, with all the steeply banked oval tracks, and scary, sharp turns."