Singaporeans on solo 'bikepacking' trips strike up unexpected friendship when paths cross in China
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SINGAPORE — As he set off from Tampines on a bicycle trip that was going to take him across six countries, the last thing Ramadhan Rajab thought he would encounter after thousands of kilometres of travel was another Singaporean pedalling on two wheels. BuSingaporeans on solo 'bikepacking' trips strike up unexpected friendship when paths cross in China
SINGAPORE — As he set off from Tampines on a bicycle trip that was going to take him across six countries, the last thing Ramadhan Rajab thought he would encounter after thousands of kilometres of travel was another Singaporean pedalling on two wheels. But the improbable happened, when Ramadhan, 27, met Chong Lezhen, 28, on the 124th day of his journey, after travelling some 5,090km. The two Singaporeans had embarked on separate «bikepacking» trips almost a month apart — Ramadhan on Feb 17 and Chong on March 10 — and had taken different routes across parts of South-east Asia, only to later cycle across each other’s path in China. Bikepacking, a combination of cycling and backpacking, involves travelling long distances over several days on a bicycle. The two Singaporeans first communicated in May, after Chong reached out on Instagram, where Ramadhan documents his bikepacking adventures. Ramadhan now has more than 57,000 followers on the platform. He had fewer than 300 at the start of his trip. Read more