By Segun Adeyanju
A Shanghai university student has turned cycling into a profitable side hustle, earning nearly 270,000 yuan (S$49,800) in just two years by teaching adults how to ride bicycles.
Li Longshun, a third-year graduate student in physical education at Shanghai University of Sports, started the business after noticing a growing demand for cycling lessons. He initially partnered with a friend, who later left after taking a stable job, leaving Li to run the venture solo.
Balancing studies with entrepreneurship, Li teaches clients aged four to 68, most in their 20s and 30s, with 70 per cent of them women. He promotes his lessons on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin, receiving his first paying customer after two months.
Li offers a success-guaranteed package at 800 yuan, which includes two two-hour adult lessons, with additional sessions costing 200 yuan. Children typically take shorter 90-minute sessions due to lower stamina. Customers take lessons for practical reasons, including commuting or company team-building activities, while others pursue personal goals, like fulfilling childhood dreams.
One learner said she took lessons to share cycling with her daughter, telling her over the phone, “Mummy finally learned how to ride a bicycle! I can cycle with you in future.”
Li’s story reflects a growing trend of youth entrepreneurship in urban China, leveraging social media to turn niche skills into sustainable income.
