IT IS billed as one of the biggest bicycle races in Singapore.

And when the blast of the horn went off yesterday evening at OCBC Cycle Singapore 2011, the racers at the F1 Pit Building surged forward.

Well, maybe more like trundled with parents in tow.

The young racers - aged between two and five - were taking part in the Tricycle Ride, one of the many non-competitive events that make up OCBC Cycle Singapore.

The tykes rode with all their might on their three-wheelers to the finishing point 100m away with their parents just behind them, cheering them on.

For the safety of the young children, parents were allowed on the track to supervise.

A total of 98 children were registered for the Tricycle Ride.

Mrs Jess Teo, 33, a civil servant, was on the track cheering on her children Joey, four, and Ethan, two.

She said: "My children have just learnt to cycle and they have been practising at the void deck. I thought it would be good if they could join the race together."

Her daughter Joey confidently told the New Paper before the race: "I am a big girl now and I will cycle very fast."

Madam Perly Soh, 34, was another parent who signed her child up for the race when he turned two.

Said the operations analyst: "I thought it would be fun for him and it is a good form of exercise as well."

The older children were also not left out. Those aged six to 12 took part in the 5km Mighty Savers Kids Ride.

There were a total of 702 participants for the Mighty Savers Kids Ride this year, and it was generally a family affair.

Said Mrs Shirley Goh, 36, a teacher who took part in the race with her husband and two children aged six and eight: "I took part in the race last year on my own, but this year my whole family is joining too."

This year, OCBC Cycle Singapore attracted 10,000 participants (up from last year's 9,000). They are of all ages, and are racing across nine different categories over the weekend.

This article was first published in The New Paper.