It’s early in Sydney, the streets are quiet, and the sky is still dark.

For cycling influencer Josh Kwan, this is when most rides start.

Over the past few years, Josh has become one of Sydney’s most popular cycling storytellers. Not by racing, but by riding with friends and (more recently) his wife, stopping for pastries, and then quickly heading off to his office, where he works as a civil engineer.

The pastries seem to be especially important. I sometimes get the sense they could actually be what Josh likes most about cycling, and there are more photos of pastries than bikes or people on his Instagram page.

The group he rides with even calls itself the Pastries Cycling Club.

"I love eating," Josh told CycleHub in an exclusive interview. "Luckily, I think the cycling balances it out."

From Ordinary Rides to Something Bigger

Josh posted his first YouTube video on 11 Sept 2022. Even today, it has only received 522 views. That's not exactly Mr. Beast-level engagement.

But Josh's more recent videos are typically viewed by more than 20,000 pairs of eyeballs and at times by as many as 130,000.

Viewers love his channel because it feels open to anyone. Instead of droning on about the latest gear or race tactics, he simply narrates his rides. And his friendly, personable manner makes the videos enjoyable.

In most of his videos, Josh starts with a simple idea and a longer-than-necessary route. Then he lets the day unfold, recording as he goes.

That’s how he comes up with videos like "I Got Invited to a Party 105km Away… So I Rode My Bike There."

In one of his most-watched videos, he catches a train to the last stop. Then he rides home.

That's it. Yet, that video has been watched more than 100,000 times.

I think a lot of cyclists are hungry for stories that feel like their own rides, just stretched a little further.

In Josh's most popular video, he took his bike out at 1:00 AM to explore the Sydney CBD at night.

In fact, Sydney is his subject as much as cycling (or pastries). In one video, Josh rides 200 kilometres around the city just using bike paths. In another, he rides 120 kilometres to catch the oldest commuter ferry in Australia, in Bundeena, Southern Sydney.

Convincing Someone You Love to Love Cycling

One of the most personal arcs on Josh's channel is the "Zero to 100" series, in which he documents helping his wife, Jess, fall in love with cycling.

The series starts gently. New bike. Easy routes. Low expectations. Josh even crafted the ultimate route to make Jess fall in love with cycling.

Still, you have to feel some sympathy for Jess. After all, what first-time cyclist wants their every move scrutinised by more than 20,000 people?

But she quickly gains confidence and strength. They do longer rides and tackle the 80-kilometre MS Gong ride together. (Read more about the Gong ride here.)

What makes the "Zero to 100" videos so enjoyable is the lack of performance. There's no acting, Josh doesn’t pretend the learning curve is smooth, and Jess certainly doesn't pretend to enjoy being on camera.

"I'm yapping," Josh says, "and then she'll just give her one-word response."

Josh told us that Wallace and Gromit dynamic has brought a lot of female viewers to the channel, but also resonated with guys who would love for their partner to ride.

"Quite a few people have told me watching that series has gotten their partner to just give cycling a go," he said.

The key to getting her into cycling, said Josh, was renting e-bikes for two days of easy riding on the beautiful Shimanami Kaido cycling road, across Japan's Seto Inland Sea.

How Josh Started Cycling

Josh started cycling about six years ago when he was working in construction. He lives on the north side of the city, but his job site was on the south side.

"My colleagues who were really into road cycling said, 'Josh, why don't you just try a bike because that 40-minute drive could be a 30-minute bike ride.'"

He took their advice, and he has never looked back.

His first bike was a second-hand Giant mountain bike. Then he switched to a Cannondale Synapse road bike, which he also found secondhand.

A Trek Madone Gen 6 was Josh's first new road bike. After about 25,000 kilometres, he had an issue with the frame. Luckily, the company upgraded him for free to a new Trek Emonda.

"Trek advertises that they do lifetime warranties on their frames, and their customer service is just phenomenal," he said about that experience.

"I like a brand that will look after you well."

How to Ride with Josh

The Pastries Cycling Club is the group of friends with whom Josh usually rides. Any intermediate or advanced cyclist is welcome to join them, he says.

"During COVID, my friend Anthony and I lived within each other's five-kilometre radius." At the time, quarantine rules limited people to the area around their homes.

"Every day," continues Josh, "Anthony and I would ride our bikes on inventive routes within those 5-kilometres, and then try to find a new bakery to go to."

That group of two has since grown into many. To ride with them, first get third-party insurance, then join the club on Strava.

Where to Find Josh

Josh's slogan, "Eat rice and ride bikes," captures his spirit: friendly, cycling obsessed, and very food-oriented.

He may not be Australia’s biggest cycling YouTuber (that would be @LanterneRougeCycling), but he is probably the nicest, and his videos get you excited to get out there for another long ride every weekend.

Connect with Josh on YouTube, Instagram, Strava, or Buy Me A Coffee. You can also buy his limited-edition release, "Eat Rice, Ride Bikes" Burgh bar tape.

To let us know what you think of Josh's videos, email us at inbox@cyclehub.com.au.