OCBC Malaysia has announced the inaugural OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru, the first city ride in Johor Bahru, to be held on Sunday, 14th December 2025.
This event is expected to bring together 3,000 cyclists from Malaysia, Singapore and beyond, who will experience the excitement of riding through Johor Bahru’s city streets on closed roads.
The route, spanning 21 kilometres, will cover the city’s iconic landmarks, starting from the Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru before passing through Istana Besar Johor, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, Persada Johor, Johor Ancient Temple, Tasik Utara, Istana Bukit Serene, Laman Mahkota Istana Bukit Serene and Saujana.
Title-sponsor by OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) and organised by Multigreen Events Sdn Bhd (Multigreen Events), the OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru is fashioned after the popular OCBC Cycle KL, which has been attracting thousands annually since 2015.
Carrying the theme “Let’s go Cycle”, the highly anticipated cycling event is a community effort that is very much welcomed by the Johor Bahru Mayor Dato’ Haji Mohd Haffiz bin Haji Ahmad.
“We are excited that we now have a community cycling event right in the heart of the city centre, on closed roads spanning up to 21 kilometres. We see this as a great potential in our efforts to advance the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) as we expect both the locals and our friends from across the causeway to participate. I would also like to thank OCBC Malaysia for making this happen after two years of sponsoring JB Car-Free Morning, which has been well received by our community. We look forward to a great inaugural OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru on the 14th of December,” he said.
The OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru features two route options – the 42-kilometre ride (two loops) for the more expert cyclists and a 21-kilometre one (one loop) for newer or recreational cyclists who are not ready yet for the bigger challenge.
According to Tan Chor Sen, CEO of OCBC Malaysia, OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru 2025 serves to underline its commitment to Johor’s development while promoting healthy living and advocating sustainable practices.
“OCBC Malaysia is deeply committed to driving Johor’s economic growth while enhancing the state’s liveability and enriching the well-being of its people through impactful community initiatives. In addition to OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru, we have been running the monthly OCBC Johor Bahru Car-Free Morning for the past two years. By transforming city streets into safe, car-free spaces, we create opportunities for people from all walks of life to come together and enjoy cycling in a vibrant and inclusive environment.”
Tan added that the bank is actively promoting OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru in Singapore to encourage cross-border participation and engagement.
“This effort exemplifies the spirit of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) collaboration by fostering stronger community connections alongside economic integration. By bridging communities through shared activities like the OCBC Cycle, we bring the vision of JS-SEZ to life – not only as an economic powerhouse but also as a vibrant, inclusive region where people from both sides of the border come together to promote health, camaraderie, and social cohesion,” Tan said.
Registration for OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru 2025 is open to those above the age of 16 at www.ocbccyclejb.com until 12th November or when it reaches 3,000 participants.
Apart from the 42 km and 21 km ride categories, participants may participate in the 42-kilometre corporate category for teams of ten each, called The JB Mayor’s Ride.
Children ages 3-9 will also be able to join in the fun under the Kids’ Push Bike category. They have two distances to choose from: 150 metres and 200 metres. The 200-metre ride is exclusively for 7- to 9-year-olds, providing them with that extra bit of challenge to navigate.
All participants will receive a medal and digital certificate for participating, along with goodies from the sponsors.
According to Nezzam Malek, CEO of Multigreen Events, the event will forge greater inclusivity within the community and for tourists alike.
“We are excited to feature this inaugural mass cycling event in the city centre to bolster community engagement. We will also look to feature OCBC Cycle Johor Bahru as a platform to create awareness about recycling and to practise it,” he said.
Among the initiatives are no use of plastics or paper in participants’ cycle packs, except for the event bibs, where necessary, recyclable paper rolls or envelopes are used only when necessary; no bubble wrap for medals; they will be placed directly around participants’ necks when they cross the finish line; and recycling bins at strategic locations for collection of banana peels, which will then be sent for composting.
