The cycling brand Giant, is hosting their annual cycling event “Ride Like King” and it is in its 17th year.
They have continued to partner with World Bicycle Relief (WBR) to support the charitable cause of delivering bikes to communities in developing regions. The Giant Group has been supporting the Buffalo Bicycle’s manufacturing since the beginning. Giant Group has “always believed in the power of bicycles, and always will,” stated An Le, Giant’s Group Global Marketing Director.
The WBR is an international nonprofit organization that is celebrating it’s 20-year anniversary was created to support communities in rural and underserved regions through the power of bicycles.
About Ride Like King
“Ride Like King” began in 2009 as a tiny celebration of Giant founder King Liu’s love of cycling inside the Giant Group.
In fact, at the age of 73, King Liu, the creator of Giant Bicycles, completed a 927-kilometer, 15-day bike journey throughout Taiwan in 2007. As a result, his enthusiasm in riding and its benefits for individuals and communities, was reinvigorated. King then travelled the globe and addressed governments to promote the benefits of cycling. This developed into the 2009 launch of Ride Like King.
“Ride Like King is more than a ride—it’s a movement rooted in our shared belief that bicycles can change the world,” said Dave Neiswander, CEO of World Bicycle Relief. “Together with Giant Group and Zwift, we’re turning every pedal stroke into progress. These rides help mobilize students to stay in school, health workers to reach patients faster, and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.”
Theme
This year, Giant’s theme for Ride Like King 17 is “Ride for a better world”, noting that people ride for many reasons such as fitness, fun and freedom. For more information about joining in and to donate, visit here.
Events
Ride Like King 17 will take place Friday, May 16th to Sunday, May 18th with “warm-up” events starting May 12th on Zwift. For those that complete a route, you will unlock the Ride Like King 17 jersey.
To participate, the following events on Zwift are noted below.
However, before you join those rides, you may want to register and setup an account here. From there, set the dates to start May 12, 0:01 and end May 18, 23:59. (If you don’t set dates, only rides between May 12-18 will count toward the 350,000km goal.)
Once the account is set up, select “Dashboard” from the drop-down menu, go to My Fitness Activity, connect to Strava or Fitbit, and set personal distance goals. This will make sure that all your activities count towards the 350,000km goal that Giant want to achieve.
Dates: 12th May – 15th May
Route #1
Schedule: Every 2 hours
World: Watopia
Route: Handful of Gravel
Duration: 45 minutes
Route #2
Schedule: Every 2 hours
World: Makuri Islands
Route: Island Hopper
Duration: 45 minutes
Date: Friday 16th May – 19th May
Schedule: Every 4 hours
World: Watopia
Route: Tair Dringfa Fechan
Distance: 32 km (19.9 miles)
Elevation: 349 m (1,145‘)
Date: Saturday 17th May
Schedule: Every 4 hours
World: Watopia
Route: Danger Noodle
Distance: 32.3 km (20 miles)
Elevation: 413 m (1,355‘)
Dates: Sunday 18th May
Schedule: Every 4 hours
World: France
Route: Triple Flat Loops
Distance: 36.2 km (22.5 miles)
Elevation: 134 m (440‘)
Link: https://www.zwift.com/events/series/ride-like-king
Completing a ride will unlock the coveted Ride Like King jersey.
Summing up
As “Ride Like King” celebrates its 17th year, it continues to embody Giant’s commitment to cycling and community support through its partnership with World Bicycle Relief, encouraging participants to ride not just for fitness and fun, but for a better world. This annual event not only honours the legacy of Giant’s founder, King Liu, but also inspires a global movement towards the transformative power of bicycles. Donations can be made to World Bicycle Relief HERE.
