S'pore cyclists trace entire Merlion by building on existing lion's head route

Best time of the year to do such things.

Nigel Chua| August 08, 2021, 12:41 PM

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Patriotic Singaporeans are marking National Day in unconventional ways, even as some of the usual celebrations this year will have to be toned down due to the Covid-19 measures in place till Aug. 10.

One of the ways is to cycle in the shape of a lion's head on the Singapore map, using a GPS-enabled device to track the route as one cycles.

Screenshot via #johnbrommie John on Strava.

The lion's head route is apparently several years old, but seems to be growing in popularity as Singapore's 56th National Day approaches.

Cyclists in Singapore appear to have embraced the trend with enthusiasm.

Multiple successful (and unsuccessful) attempts at tracing the route have been posted on Facebook groups such as SG PCN Cyclist and Love Cycling SG♥.

Some have even created variations of the route, including variations that are shorter and simpler to follow, and even one that would see a cyclist clocking in at 56.56km.

Full Merlion route

Others have also put a creative spin on the whole affair by mapping out a full Merlion.

One version includes a segment that traces the  shape of the Merlion's tail with a loop around Kheam Hock Road, Adam Road, Farrer Road, and Holland Road.

Image via Maddy Love on Facebook.

Photo via Monique Armstrong on Facebook.

The route also passes by the actual Merlion at the Marina Bay area.

Another version of the Merlion route by Facebook user Emjae Fotos also passes the Merlion, and follows a path through Geylang and Hougang in order to create the shape of the Merlion's mane.

Photo via Emjae Fotos on Facebook.

There are also some relatively straightforward National Day routes being followed, such as routes that are exactly 56km long.

If you're planning to attempt one of these routes this August 9, do note that some parts of the Marina Bay will be closed to the public from midnight till 2:30pm.

And if you're not up for a celebration that's quite so physical, there's always the flag flypast.

Top image via Monique Armstrong and Emjae Fotos on Facebook

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