Smooth Ride Cycles
Cycling with a local in Hong Kong
Smooth Ride Cycles are a small, locally owned bike tour company based in Hong Kong. They were founded in 2016 by brothers Joel and Stephen Cheung, who grew up on the car-free island of Cheung Chau, where cycling was simply how everyone got around. After years of joining bike tours on their own travels through Asia and Europe, they set out to recreate that experience of discovering a place from the saddle in their home city. They began with history-themed rides for locals before expanding to welcome international visitors.
Their tours combine relaxed cycling with local culture and history. English-speaking, multilingual guides stop regularly at points of interest to share stories about Hong Kong’s traditions, fishing communities and development. Routes take riders well beyond the skyscrapers, from the centuries-old villages and Nam Sang Wai wetlands of Yuen Long to the bays of North Lantau and the backstreets of Cheung Chau. Highlights include a river crossing by traditional rowboat, a ride along the border with mainland China and a sampan cruise through a typhoon shelter.
The emphasis is on comfort rather than speed. Their fleet of classic-style bikes, sourced from the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and China and assembled by hand, suits riders of most abilities, with geared bikes used on the longer countryside routes. Most tours are run privately, giving groups personal attention and flexible timing, while a scheduled countryside tour is available for individual travellers to join.
Fisherfolk Island Bike Tour + Boat Cruise
Tour Operator: Smooth Ride Cycles
Hong Kong
4 hours
6 km
Private tour only
Easy
Mostly flat, Quiet roads
Guided
Prices from
Guided
Please Ask
Overview
Tour Operator Smooth Ride Cycles
Explore one of Hong Kong's last fishing villages on car-free Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau is a quirky, car-free island and home to one of Hong Kong's few remaining fishing villages. This private half-day tour suits families, friends and anyone a little rusty on a bike, with an easy ride through the island's backstreets.
You'll meet your guide at Central Pier 5 and take the hour-long ferry together, enjoying panoramic harbour views on the way. On arrival you'll get to know your bike, then ride to Sai Wan, where a sampan (traditional boat) takes you on a cruise among the fishing boats moored in the typhoon shelter.
Back on land, you'll weave through narrow village lanes watching local life unfold, and visit the Pak Tai Temple, one of Hong Kong's oldest, to learn how fishing and folk religion are closely linked. The tour gives you your bearings on the island, leaving you set up for an afternoon of exploring at your own pace.
Highlights
- Ferry from Central with panoramic harbour views
- Sampan cruise among the fishing fleet in the Sai Wan typhoon shelter
- Pak Tai Temple, one of Hong Kong's oldest
- Cycling the narrow, car-free village streets
- Cheung Chau Beach
- A free afternoon to explore the island
Surface and Terrain
Flat, paved, car-free lanes and narrow village streets. A very short route, though you'll share some lanes with pedestrians.
Weather
Subtropical. Hot, humid summers (May to September) with heavy showers and typhoon risk. Mild, drier and comfortable from November to March.
Suitable For
Families, friends and those who may be a little rusty on their cycling skills. Minimal fitness needed.
Hong Kong Cycling Tour
Tour Operator: Smooth Ride Cycles
Hong Kong
4 hours
28 km
Private tour available
Leisure
Mostly flat, Cycle paths and trails
Guided
Prices from
Guided
HK$ 600
Overview
Tour Operator Smooth Ride Cycles
Discover charming villages and countryside with a local guide
Want to discover a different side of Hong Kong? Smooth Ride Cycles' public countryside tour takes you away from the skyscrapers and into the rural New Territories, where a local guide leads you along quiet lanes past villages, wetlands and fish ponds. It's a chance to see an authentic Hong Kong that most visitors never reach.
Starting from Yuen Long MTR station, you ride through Shui Tau and Shui Mei, villages up to 1,000 years old, stopping at the Ancestral Hall of the Tang Clan and the famous Tree House. A traditional rowboat then carries you and your bike across the river before you continue to Nam Sang Wai, an important wetland where migratory birds gather in winter.
The final stretch follows narrow bridges between fish ponds and runs right up to the border fence with mainland China, before looping back to the meeting point. A private version, starting from Tsim Sha Tsui, adds a family-run farm visit and runs at a time to suit your group.
Highlights
- Shui Tau and Shui Mei villages, some up to 1,000 years old
- Tang Clan Ancestral Hall and the famous Tree House
- Crossing the river with your bike in a traditional rowboat
- Birdwatching at Nam Sang Wai wetland, especially in winter
- Feeding fish and goats at a family-run farm (private tour)
- Cycling past the border fence between Hong Kong and mainland China
Surface and Terrain
Flat, easy riding on quiet village lanes, cycle paths and narrow concrete tracks between fish ponds. No significant hills.
Weather
Subtropical. Hot, humid summers (May to September) with heavy showers and typhoon risk. Mild, drier and comfortable from November to March, which is also peak migratory bird season. Ponchos are provided if it rains.
Suitable For
Anyone comfortable on a bike. The public tour takes children from age 8, while the private tour suits ages 12 to 64. Ideal for first-time visitors, nature lovers and photographers wanting a relaxed look at rural Hong Kong.
Lantau Bike Tour
Tour Operator: Smooth Ride Cycles
Hong Kong
7 hours
38 km
Private tour only
Leisure
Mostly flat, Quiet roads
Guided
Prices from
Guided
Please Ask
Overview
Tour Operator Smooth Ride Cycles
Bays, villages and a runway sunset on Lantau's north coast
Lantau is Hong Kong's largest island, and this private full-day ride shows off its quieter north coast. With your own English-speaking ride leader, you'll follow country roads and cycle paths past beautiful bays and hills, riding alongside the railway and through narrow village streets.
Starting at Sunny Bay, the route circles the shores of Disneyland's Inspiration Lake before heading west along the coast. You'll discover a village time has left behind, where fisherfolk culture lives on, stop to sample local snacks at Yat Tung market, and enjoy a fresh packed lunch of your choosing along the way.
The ride finishes at the new town of Tung Chung, with a visit to the old town if time allows, and a final stop beside the airport runway to watch the golden sunset as planes fly overhead.
Highlights Cycling between the bays and hills of Lantau's north coast A loop of Disneyland's Inspiration Lake A traditional fisherfolk village Local snacks at Yat Tung market Sunset beside the airport runway with planes overhead Tung Chung old town (time permitting)
Surface and Terrain
Sealed country roads, cycle paths and narrow village streets, shared with light traffic in places. Mostly flat coastal riding with some gentle hills between bays.
Weather
Subtropical. Hot, humid summers (May to September) with heavy showers and typhoon risk. Mild, drier and comfortable from November to March, which also brings clearer sunsets.
Suitable For
Riders with moderate fitness who are comfortable spending a full day in the saddle and riding in light traffic. No technical skills needed. Ideal for nature lovers and photographers.