Throwing off my sloth

Tomorrow is the day I throw off my days of sloth. At 5:30am sharp, I will take my Flying Pigeon and cycle from Keppel to Boon Lay. God help me.



You see the island? That's the whole of Singapore. The red line is what I will cycle.

Excuse me while I go pump my tyres and freak out.

Read More!

My mushroom head at Marina South

Hair looks like sapulidi (bamboo stick broom).

Read More!

I'm down to 38

But is it really worth all that sweating and showering and changing of underwear?

Read More!

42

• the number of classmates i had in Pri 1
• the number of times i have left to cycle to work before i recoup my tyres
• the number of links on my linkpage
  
• the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything

Read More!

A plethora of inconclusive observations on a bicycle

If you saw a Christmas tree on a bicycle on your way to work this morning, it was me. I had a backpack, a heavy-duty bicycle chain, a helmet AND a badminton racket hanging off my person as I manoeuvred my way through the morning traffic.

Never again.

The thing is, I replaced my tyres over the weekend for $58 ($23 per tyre, $6 per inner tube). The bicycle shop owner managed to convince me that although the tread on my old pair was still perfect, it was old, hard and dry, and so could not grip the ground effectively. Dunno true or not.

In any case, my new tyres are sweet and smooth, and I have come up with a plan to recoup my losses. I will have to cycle to and from work 23 days, or 46 trips altogether, to make up the cost of my new tyres. With this most recent Christmas tree balancing act, I am down to 43.

Yeeyaiyipppeeyo. Why am I not looking forward to this at all?

Read More!

Never cycle over bougainvillea

Because it will puncture your tyres. Both my tyres went out after I cycled over some branches of bouganivillea that was being pruned. Don't be deceived by the sweet pink flowers, it has thorns! Had to push my bike 5.6km home. Fun fun.




Rather deserted in the morning. I saw a number of interesting birds in the marina south park. Too bad I don't know what they were. They were reddish brown and looked like hummingbirds.


Took a break here and read a bit, until it got too hot.

The view.

Route


More pictures below.

Read More!

Marina South

Yesterday I sprung out of bed at 6:30am and decided to bike to Marina South since I couldn't fall back asleep anyway. It was a really lovely morning -- Marina South was deserted except for a middle-aged man with two unleashed dogs, a few campers who spent the night, and two lost teenage cyclists who looked really put out that they could not get to Esplanade from Marina South. I saw them flagging a cab later and trying to fit both their bikes in the back. Poor things. If only they just lived the moment and took the oppourtunity to sit by the sea and forget about their savanger hunt for a while, then they would see what I soaked in -- the rising sun reflecting off the ripples, the quiet of the morning, the fresh air that goes straight to the heart.

I took the Garmin Forerunner on my cycle, and was quite pleased with the improved reception this time round. The Forerunner told me that I cycled a total of 12.4km in 51mins there and back, with a mazimum cycling speed of 24km/hr, and an average speed of 14km/hr. Pretty nifty. As usual, I lost reception over Shenton Way. I must go again, before Marina South becomes One Giant Casino.

Read More!

I need to get back to work

but I really have to say this:

1. Coffee should be its own food group.
2. MCYS has produced an e-consultation paper which addresses the issue of cycling in Singapore. Point T5 says "Bicycle neglect policy not working". The full paper elaborates:

T5. Bicycle policy neglect is not working

Bicycle safety again hit the news several times in 2005 in embarrassing and tragic ways.

• We lack a coherent policy towards bicycles as a part of the transport system. LTA is the leading land transport policy agency but so far the LTA has seemed reluctant to provide leadership in this area, to take primary responsibility for bicycle policy or to take bicycles seriously in general.
• We suggest that the LTA commission a serious study of the policy options on bicycles. Bicycle policy involves more than ‘bicycle lanes’ and includes software issues of education, enforcement, encouragement as well as engineering (hardware) issues. We still need a coherent policy even if we decide not to encourage bicycles as much as European or Japanese cities do.
• Bicycle use is ignored in transport data collection. Cycling in certain parts of the island (for example, the east and north and in many parks) and for certain purposes (eg trips to MRT and especially for leisure) appears to be increasing but it is difficult to know for sure. We should include bicycles in all travel surveys
• In practice, many bicycle users ride on pavements (which is currently illegal but with the prohibition not enforced) while some use the roads. MP Irene Ng suggested making pavement cycling legal (as in Japan) and the Traffic Police are reviewing this issue. However, even if pavement cycling becomes legal, many bicycles will continue to be ridden on roads (bicycles may appear on any road that is legally open to them).
• Significant aspects of the road network have been designed without apparent awareness that bicycles will be used on them, thus failing to take responsibility for the safety of a group of legitimate road users. LTA’s road design standards should include a statutory requirement for bicycle safety and convenience to be considered in the design or redesign of every road where bicycles are legal to be ridden (even if no special facilities are provided).[1] Examples of dangerous designs include: multiple left turning lanes (especially when one of these allows for both a left turn or to proceed straight); narrow kerb-side lanes; narrow bus lanes; drainage grates running parallel to traffic; slip road designs that encourage high traffic speeds on left turns; multi-lane roundabouts.

• We suggest that the Traffic Police focus limited enforcement resources on those behaviours (both by motor vehicles and bicycle users) that are most dangerous (a bicycle-safety-focused enforcement strategy). Relevant agencies: LTA, MOT, MHA, Traffic Police

---

[1] See for example, AASHTO design guidance 1999, which states: “All highways, except those where cyclists are legally prohibited, should be designed and constructed under the assumption that they will be used by cyclists. Therefore, bicycles should be considered in all phases of transportation planning, new roadway design, roadway reconstruction, and capacity improvement and transit projects." (p.1)

Read More!

Cycling day

Cycled to work today on my newly oiled bicyle. The brakes still squeak though -- not sure what to do about that.

You can always tell a taxi is coming up behind you. It's engine sounds like a clogged up bus.

I left a little later than normal and the roads were slightly more crowded with vehicles. Actually got honked at twice this morning, which is two times more than usual, though both were fairly friendly honks, as far as honks go anyway.

I wish the government would promote cycling as a means of transportation by accomodating cyclists on the roads or pavements. Cycling is an excellent alternative to driving and it fits in the government's agenda so well. Look at all these benefits!

1. It promotes a healthy lifestyle.
2. It alleviates the traffic problem.
3. It increases the sense of a life well-lived.
(Let me explain. For some reason, Singaporeans tend to associate a good life with what a person has -- car, condo, etc. But the fact is that this little island state cannot accomodate as many cars as the rising affluent (hence the high Certificate of Entitlement prices). If cycling is promoted, less cars are needed for the same sense of well-being.)
4. It propagates the idea of a rugged Singapore. (cough)

Read More!

I won the quiz!

I won the quiz on The Fire Ant Gazette and correctly identified the table featured as a gear inch ratio table! (clap clap! pat back! clap clap some more!)

I have to confess: I didn't know what the table meant until Eric explained. I do cycle, but in a from point A to point B kinda way. It is just a matter of knowing what to search for in google, and in this case, the winning combination of search terms were: cycling table ratio.

Read More!

$1.21 saved (which is more than the refund)

Cycled to work today in just under 26 minutes which is less than the time it usually takes by public transport. Whoo hoo!

I only decided to cycle this morning. Perhaps the article I read yesterday in Runner's World about the benefits of exercising at "Lactate Threshold" played a part. I rarely run fast or far enough to feel the lactic acid buildup in my legs. Cycling, on the other hand, builds up lactic acid fast.

Last weekend, I went cycling on the road that parallels the Changi Airport runway. Now, that is a long, unending road. When you're on the plane it takes like no time at all. But when you are pumping away from lamp post to lamp post, feeling your thighs slowly turn to concerete, that's a different matter altogether. I could barely walk the next two days, my calves were aching that bad.

Read More!

Jogging and Cycling

On Sunday I went for a jog starting from AMK central and ending at Lower Pierce. It was a 5.01km jog. I went jogging with my buddy S. It was one of those untalkative jogs, where our panting over-rided all possibility of conversation. We don't usually jog like this, but I think we were both up to pushing our limits that evening. I have to say though that we didn't push ourselves quite hard enough (if we want to do the half marathon at the end of the year), but it was a faster jog than usual. We caught up on our conversation on our 5km walk back to Central. It was a friendly, comfortable time. Took bus 851 to City Hall. 851 is now my bus of choice. :)

In the past two weeks, I also ran with my sister. We did three runs together, and one time we cycled. Two of the runs were on the treadmill - she beat me once and I beat her once. We are so competitive, it's hilarious! Not say cut-throat competitive, but sisterly type of competition. S and I are so not that way at all, although it is true that she jogs more when she isn't with me. The cycle at night was a great time. I missed her this past year, I miss her still, but I'm intensely grateful for things like MSN and SMS and phone lines that make this world that much smaller.

Read More!

Proposal

Me to the Government - How's about cycling lanes? It'll reduce traffic, pollution and COE prices, promote a healthy lifestyle, propagate the idea that we are a rugged state, and increase the number of adventure tourists... a multi-prong solution.

My condolences to Mr Sylvester Ang's family.

Read More!