THOMAS Lecoq has brought his passion for cycling in all its forms to Shanghai and he tells Fei Lai that off-roading can lead to unexpected fun. Thomas Lecoq says the bicycle is an addiction that he cannot give up no matter where he goes.

Bicycles are a huge part of his life. He says they are a tool for socializing with friends, discovering new places and learning more about China and Chinese culture.

"When getting on the bike, my heart soars with a unique and great feeling. It never changes,'' the 28-year-old Frenchman says. "It's like a drug. I can't stay away from my bike more than two days. It is a way of socializing while doing physical exercise.''

Lecoq even works for an American bike company in Shanghai. He tries hard to promote biking as a sport and leisure activity to the city's people.

He now owns five bikes - one for commuting, a mountain bike, a road bike, a downhill race bike and a dirt bike.

"My wife complains,'' he says. "First, we don't have enough space in our apartment. Second, I spend more time on my bike than with her.''

Lecoq has spent about 25,000 yuan (US$3,660) on his bikes. However, he never thinks of cycling as an expensive activity. On the contrary, it is open to everyone according to their own budget.

"Most of the time people start with a cheap bike and then spend more and more money on it to upgrade components," he says. "Or they simply purchase a better bike when they feel that they are really getting into cycling. It really depends on the individual.''

Almost every weekend, Lecoq goes mountain biking with friends from the riders club he has joined and he races competitively. The club travels to places such as Taihu Lake, Xishan Island, Dongbai Mountain and Yuhang Mountain on two-day trips.

Fresh air, freedom, open space and exercise are all a part of cycling. In Lecoq's eyes, cycling can also challenge people and push them to their limit.

He recalls one of his most unforgettable mountain biking experiences in Anhui Province last year.

After riding 15 kilometers off road, he and his group reached a very small village. Some villagers were preparing concrete for house renovations from a huge pile of sand dumped in the middle of the trail.

They decided to use the sand to build a jump. After one hour they had set up a perfect two-meter jump on this small mountain trail in the middle of nowhere.

"It was totally unreal,'' he says. "The whole village came to watch us jump and they were so exited to see some crazy guys jumping on a bike. They invited us to lunch after. It's a great memory.

"This is real biking, discovering new places, using the environment around us to play with, and sharing this with people, biker or non biker.''

Lecoq grew up on a farm in a small village in Normandy. His father rode motocross for leisure and bought Lecoq his first motocross bike when he was eight years old.

"It was really cool - every weekend traveling around France with a van and a trailer. I shared a lot of things with my father. It was not only about me riding my bike but about us, a team,'' Lecoq says.

"He was my coach, he repaired my bikes, he drove the van and more. Step by step and year after year I became faster and faster on my bike.''

Lecoq won a regional motocross championship and finished 10th in the French National Championship in 2000. However, while looking forward to the upcoming season in February 2001, Lecoq got injured and had to stop.

"I was really depressed after the injury," he says." My left femur and wrist were both broken, a?nasty injury. I was really down since it was the end of my motocross career.''

As soon?as Lecoq recovered, he?realized for the first time in his life that he had?a lot of free time as there was no more training or racing.

He traveled in Europe,?Southeast Asia and Africa.

"I have learned a lot visiting different places and meeting different people.?It's also after this injury that I started to ride more bicycles. Who knew at that time that I would make a living in the bike industry? This is life I guess, a bad?experience or difficulties?can sometimes bring?good opportunities,'' he says.

Lecoq moved to Shanghai in November 2005 when his girlfriend got a job in the city.

"The best city attraction to me is people," he says. "Shanghai is a huge city where you can meet?a lot of different people. Shanghai natives, Chinese from other provinces or cities, foreigners from everywhere in the world.

"The big melting pot is a mix of different cultures, people with their own vision and energy which makes this city so exciting for me,'' he adds.

He has tried to join in as many races as he can in and around Shanghai. He has cycled in Jiangsu Province's Nanjing, Suzhou and Zhejiang Province's Hangzhou.

Lecoq's favorite race is downhill. It's the kind of race where you need to really focus. He currently leads the Yangtze Downhill Championship, a race series in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Wuxi (Jiangsu Province). It was organized by a group of Chinese downhill fans.

"They are doing a fantastic job organizing this race series and I'm glad to see there are more and more Chinese people getting involved in biking and bike race organization,'' Lecoq says.

"I like the feeling of racing, the pressure before and during the race, also the cold beer you deserve after the race. It is really nice to meet so many riders sharing the same passion for mountain biking here in China.''Thomas Lecoq



Nationality: French



Age: 28



Profession: Public relations for an American bike company in Shanghai. In charge of the Specialized Riders Club China



Q&A

Self-description:I spend more time on my bikes than I spend with my wife.



Favorite place: Our apartment, a cozy place where I can have some peace after a crazy day.



Strangest sight: Dwarf playing ping pong.

Worst experience:Taking the train with my bike during a Chinese holiday.



Motto for life:Life is short:?cherish your family, your friends and the time you have.?Enjoy life and all its splendor.

How to improve Shanghai:

More bikes and less cars!

Advice to newcomers:Never listen to anyone else. Make your own Shanghai experience.

Thomas Lecoq

Nationality: French

Age: 28

Profession: Public relations for an American bike company in Shanghai. In charge of the Specialized Riders Club China

Q&A

Self-description:I spend more time on my bikes than I spend with my wife.

Favorite place: Our apartment, a cozy place where I can have some peace after a crazy day.

Strangest sight: Dwarf playing ping pong.

Worst experience:Taking the train with my bike during a Chinese holiday.

Motto for life:Life is short:?cherish your family, your friends and the time you have.?Enjoy life and all its splendor.

How to improve Shanghai:

More bikes and less cars!

Advice to newcomers:Never listen to anyone else. Make your own Shanghai experience.