SubCyclist #WaniMancal A Cycling Initiative From Surabaya Indonesia

How’s your city today? is it getting better? Is it getting more interesting? How about the traffic? Is it getting worst? Or is it easier for you know to go anywhere in the town? Anywhere you see around you, you’ll find the answer. It is not invicible but sometimes you need to use your brain and your heart more to understand the situation, to see beyond what you see.

I began to realize that the city that i live in, Surabaya, the nation second biggest city is have something more than what the media said. What the medias showed us is the beautiful part of the city, the parks, the well managed riversides, the center of the town, the new sidewalks, all thanks to the major hardwork. But somehow, there are a lot of things missed, somewhere in the city there are stories that untold, there are places that untouch by the magical hand of the major. For that reason there are much more to explore.

It is at the right time when Suroboyo Cycling Institute kick off their activities, through out cycling they want to show their love to the city.  Just a few months after Prepcom III UN Habitat held in Surabaya, they run their first ever Mancal Nang Suroboyo (A monthly cycling tour initiative) that invite the participant to ride a bike and exploring the unseen side of the city. From an old manufacture to relatively unknown heritage area, from a unique market to the place where the gate of the Surabaya Keraton can be seen, they show a group of 50 people what the media won’t show. Since then it’s been routinely held every month and next month will be a special edition before the event take a one month off for Ramadhan.

Cycling might be the “Ideal” solution for a crowded city nowadays. It’s been proposed as the 21st century mobility for the people of the cities by a lot of organizations. It’s green, cheap and healthy. But SubCyclist won’t do what most cycling inititative do, it is true that the problems of the traffic jam mostly because of the cars amount on the streets, with the space their take for only a person it can be measured as the core of the problems. What SubCyclist do is giving a new reason so the people want to ride their bicycle more often, not just for sports but also for a way of transportation. 

Wani Mancal is their core spirit, it means “Dare To Cycling”. It is indeed need a bravery to ride a bicycle in a city like Surabaya where the bicycle lane is not really safe and the attitude of the road users still questionable. If you search the hashtags #WaniMancal on Instagram you’ll find a lot of beautiful pictures taken by bicycle users all over the city of Surabaya. And after nearly 2 years they create more things to raise the bicycle culture in Surabaya.

At the end of 2017 they create the first ever Bike Sharing System in Surabaya named Sepedaria in the town, whenever you need a bicycle you can contact them and they will connect you to the nearest Bicycle owner where you can afford a bicycle to ride. And there’s a lot more things to come.

They know their city well, and they want the city to be better, through cycling they want to make Surabaya a more liveable city and even though the government still yet to appreciate what they do, they won’t stop. With another bicycle communities and other communities they work hand in hand to contribute to their city and make it a better place to live for everyone.

Meet them on their :
Facebook Page : Suroboyo Cycling Institute
Instagram : Subcyclist
Twitter : @Subcyclist