MMA fighter believes anyone can cycle

Fun pastime: Davis says cycling is good for all.

PETALING JAYA: Mixed martial arts fighter Peter Davis is all for fostering a community that loves cycling as he says it strengthens the bond among the multicultural races here.

“Almost all the kids in my apartment block where I live now cycle. It’s cool. You don’t even have to go to a specific biking spot. You can just do it at the local park, for example,” says Davis.

British-born Davis, 36, who has made Kuala Lumpur one of his home bases in Asia, fondly recalls how he learnt to cycle from his parents.

Having grown up in Britain, Davis points out that the cycling culture there is very strong. He made the move to Malaysia about 10 years ago.

Davis’ mother hails from Kota Kinabalu.

“I had a much nicer bike than most people’s cars back then (in England). I used to ride everywhere. Take the bike to work, take the bike onto the train to go somewhere else. It was a way of life, really,” he notes.

Davis also mentions that he is now passing the cycling experience on to his son. “No, we don’t cycle a lot together. I run after him,” says Davis jokingly, about teaching his seven-year-old son to ride. “I have to sprint to keep up with him, as I watch to make sure he doesn’t fall off (the bike).”

Davis takes his biking seriously and he often gets his riding kicks far away from the usual Klang Valley trails.

“These days, you will see me in Hulu Langat a lot. That’s where I ride frequently. Also, places like Genting Sempah or Genting Peras. It’s about an hour or two hours of pure cardio,” says Davis.

According to him, he doesn’t cycle to win medals. He does, however, enjoy competing in races to challenge himself.

“I always have it in mind to cycle once a week. If I’m free, I do it more frequently. Sometimes I cycle instead of doing martial arts training because it’s clean cardio and I can push the pace on my own accord,” he states.

Davis is also a model and actor. He reckons the mixed martial arts sport has opened up opportunities where his career is concerned, whereby brands are able to identify with him from a more niche area of interest.

“It gives me a slight edge on social media too. If you see on my Instagram feed, it’s filled with beautiful pictures.

“Those are taken when I’m out cycling. Malaysia does indeed have fantastic scenery,” he adds.

Davis is excited about the upcoming cycling event Ride for Malaysia, organised by the Star Media Group and pro­perty developer Sunsuria Bhd.

 

Ride for Malaysia will flag off at 6.30 am on July 30 at Sunsuria City. There is a Fun Ride of 30km and a Family Ride of 5.5km. For more info and registration see: http://sites.thestar.com.my/rideformalaysia  

And don’t worry if you don’t own a bicycle, you can always rent one at the event.