Ride Like King 16 drew thousands of riders from around the world as they joined the celebration and helped Giant Group reach its goal of donating 600 bicycles to communities in need.
Held annually since 2009, Ride Like King honors Giant Group founder King Liu, bringing people together through virtual group rides and outdoor rides within their communities. The purpose of Ride Like King is to celebrate cycling and the positive impacts it can have on health and fitness, communities, and the environment.
Ride Like King is organized by Giant Group—parent company of the Giant, Liv, Momentum and CADEX brands—along with partners World Bicycle Relief and Zwift. This year’s pledge was to donate one bike for every 500km ridden by participants with a total goal of 600 bikes.
In the end, the collective total amounted to nearly 600,000km, enabling Giant Group to donate 600 Buffalo Bicycles to support World Bicycle Relief's programs. These bikes are purpose-built to handle heavy loads, long distances, and rugged terrain. Simple to maintain and easy to repair, they are manufactured by Giant Group and assembled by local workers in countries where World Bicycle Relief has programs.
RLK16 included four days of warm-up rides on Zwift, followed by three days of main event “celebration rides” including both virtual and outdoor rides around the world. On the Zwift platform, more than 5,000 riders from over 75 different countries participated, a significant increase compared to last year. And close to 5,000 riders also joined rides organized by Giant Group, its retail partners, and ambassadors around the world.
Community leaders and ambassadors from Giant, Liv and CADEX helped organize and lead Zwift rides and outdoor events within their regions. In addition, pro triathletes and racers from Team Jayco AlUla, Liv AlUla Jayco and the Giant Factory Off-Road Team helped lead rides on Zwift.
“Ride Like King 16 inspired thousands of participants to ride for a better world, and together, we achieved our goal of unlocking 600 life-changing Buffalo Bicycles,” said Giant Global Marketing Director An Le. “Just as important, RLK16 helped shine a light on the important work that World Bicycle Relief is doing year-round to empower people with access to healthcare, education, and financial oportunities.”
Riders shared their experiences by posting photos and stories on Giant and Liv social media. Contests throughout the event awarded limited-edition RLK16 jerseys, along with signed cards from King Liu, to participants.
To learn more about World Bicycle Relief, click here.