Here’s what the daughter had to say:
“ During the trail, we encountered steep slopes, which required us to change gears quickly, rocky trails which were bumpy and fast downhill tracks. With perseverance and constant encouragement from Uncle Tony, my daddy and my friends, I made it through the ride! It was thrilling!”
“ Looking back on the day’s events, I was glad that I was able to do my favourite activity – mountain biking while being in one of my favorite environment – around lush greenery and wildlife and having fun with my friends But most of all, being able to bond and spend time at Pulau Ubin with my awesome Daddy.”
Biking and Bonding:

Recently we discovered that Biking Singapore – the same folks who taught Buddy to cycle in 2 sessions (yes!), is offering family rides to Ubin! So daddy and daughter, together with some of his friends from Daddy Matters, eagerly set-off on a sunny Sunday to Ubin and came home raving about the experience!
From David’s account, here’s why this is such an excellent experience for parent and child:
- Guided: Trainers are sent to guide both parent and child in some essential cycling skills such as the use of gears, managing slopes (both up and down) as well as some mildly undulating terrain.
- Heritage: This was a complete surprise! Not only did they learn to ride better from the guide, the ride brought them through some distinct places in Pulau Ubin where they learnt about the unique heritage of the place. This includes the German girl shrine, the quarry and the spice garden. There they stopped and the guide was able to tell them some unique stories and info about the place.
- Safely Calibrated: The experience is catered for parent and child who are competent riders and are looking for outdoor experiences that are not too risky but yet have sufficient challenges to further develop their riding, far from the risk of the busy roads of the mainland.
- Precious: Not only did this gave daddy and daughter ample opportunities to have fun and bond, they got to know other kids and other parents / daddies too! In this case, David went there with some of his daddy friends from Daddy Matters. It’s really nice to catch up over some sun and sweat while our kids too learned a bit more about cycling and Ubin together. This was so precious an opportunity!
What to prepare for the ride:
- I don’t have a bike / I can’t bring my bike there. How? : You need, preferably, a mountain bike with gears for this ride. For a small fee, Biking Singapore offers bike rental for an adult bike and a 16 inch child’s bike, over at Ubin. These are good quality and durable mountain bikes.
- Rain, sun and mozzie: This is the great outdoors. Part of the learning experience is to expect these elements and be prepared for them, including staying hydrated. So yes, sun block, a simple poncho and mozzie repellent is expected. However if the risk of lighting and storm is high, the ride can be postponed to another time.
- How long is the ride? : The entire experience including the return ferry ride, is about 3 hours. This includes a few short breaks in Ubin and a short hike. Breakfast and lunch is not included but the daddies bonded over some delicious hawker food at Changi Village thereafter! For our experience, the ride started at about 9am on a Sunday.
- Do we need to wear safety pads? While helmet is compulsory for all rides, the use of knee and shoulder pads are at individual’s own discretion. For our ride, we did not wear but David brought along a simple First-aid kit just in case.
- How long is the boat ride and will it cause seasickness? The bum boat (yup, part of the experience!) ride to Ubin is about 10 minutes. The kids and adults were too excited to feel any sea-sickness. Besides, it’s over before you know it! But for those who may experience, seasickness, do take the necessary non-drowsy precaution if you like.
- What does the fee include? An experienced trainer from Biking Singapore is assigned for every 2 to 3 pairs of daddy and child cyclist. This is to keep the ratio small in order for proper and safe riding. The fee also includes the return boat ride and a short drinks break. Rental of bikes are available for a small fee.
- Other tips:
- Storage and valuables: There are no storage facilities at Changi ferry terminal nor at Ubin. Riders are advised to bring only the essentials and ride light with a simple backpack. Bring only the essential valuables.
- Parking: Parking around Changi Village can get quite busy on weekends. While there are ample URA parking, do come early. Other alternative parking includes the hotel nearby as well as the Civil Service Club.
- Metal detector: As part of the security measure, do be prepared to go thru a simple metal detector scan upon returning from Ubin. No big issue here.
- A good gauge to see if you or your child is ready for the ride is your child’s ability to manage the gears on the bikes.
More about the Pulau Ubin Family Cycling Expedition

Biking Singapore offers the cycling expedition to Pulau Ubin priced at $65 per person for the sole-purpose of parent-child bonding through cycling.
The price includes 2-way ferry ride and bicycle rental are available at an additional $10 per bicycle.
As the cycling expedition would include climbs on slopes, it is recommended for children to be familiar with usage of gears and comfortable cycling for a minimum distance of 10km.
Currently Biking Singapore is planning the next 2 expedition for 22 and 29 December 2019.
For sign up and enquiry, readers can write to this email address [email protected]
Our readers are able to offer a promotional rate of $60 per person when they quote CYCLEUBIN2019 on sign up.
More about Biking Singapore: https://www.bikingsingapore.com/
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