30th Aug 2014 PCN appreciation and scrub day

Nparks and LCSG taking a group photo after the scrubbing session

On 30th August morning, about 70 cyclists from Lovecyclingsg met up at the Seletar reservoir. More photos here 

Briefing and sharing more on the event

Team 2a, Ready to do some cleaning! 

They came together to say a simple thank you and help do some cleaning to our beloved PCN.  We called this event PCN Appreciation day. Thanks Encik George for sparking this initiative! 
It was also a good time to get to meet the Nparks team and also LCSG angels who are the "eyes of the PCN".  Abit about the "eyes of PCN"  They take feedback from LCSG Facebook and channel them to Npark team. Usually about a fallen tree, or lights not working etc. Down stream the Nparks team would scramble and help make it better. It's a lean team but a totally dedicated and passionate one. Thank you LCSG angels (you know who you are)!

That's Lois from Nparks 

The Mandai PCN that skirts the Mandai reservoir. Its a nice place to be riding!

After the registration and short briefing, we got onto our bikes and went off to the various location at Mandai PCN. This section of the PCN has a special problem. Due to the close proximity to the reservoir and lush greenery, the paths were often coated with moss and algae. This makes it extremely slippery and hazardous for cyclists and joggers alike. In fact we had several rides there before and even after calling out this issue, there have been many falls. Nparks team shared that the paths have been cleaned on a very regular basis but the moss and algae issue is still there. I am no surface coating expert but if there is anyone who is, pls leave me a note or write directly to Npark team. They would love to hear and learn from you.

The tools we will be using

Scrub, add water, scrub and splash water 

Fast and furious... to scrub off the slippery algae 

Our Nparks Lead explain the procedure to clean... well, it was simply using the scrub and apply water and scrub again. 

Debrief and discussing what are the alternatives 

Back breaking work but the riders went on it with gusto. While we question the effectiveness of the scrubbing event. I find that it is a very good learning experience to understand issues on the ground.
It is also symbolic gesture to express our support from the cycling community to the Nparks team. Its not a easy job you folks do and we thank you! 

Cold drinks! 

After the cleaning, we RV-ed at the Bus stop by a nice section of the PCN. Nparks team very kindly provided some simple refreshments and drinks. They were really much needed after the tiring workout!  Looking around, the faces of the group was still smiling, sweaty but happy that they have participated on a meaningful event. Well done folks!  

Thanks for the bananas! 

When the heart is in the right place, everything will roll on fine

Always remember why we do what we do. Never lose sight of what matters 

Finally some progress on Shimano Cycling World. You can now ride to location!

Hell Yes! Finally something sensible for cyclists after several exchanges! Folks, you can now bike to Shimano Cycle World!

Shimano Singapore also replied!   screen grab from ShimanoSG FB 

Shimano Cycling World @ Sports Hub.....park at the Stadium MRT. Really?

Edited note on 31th Aug 2014:
The parking issue have been clarified and yes there will be bike parking at the Shimano Cycling  World. 
I am happy and very excited to see that Shimano will have their Shimano Cycling World at Sports Hub and this was the press release that was mass-sent out......

With the Sports hub bike parking fiasco fresh in my mind, I asked for a clarification on the issue of bike parking. After all, this is THE Cycling experiential shop isn't it?  
Many of the bike shops in Singapore do offer bike parking. Thats the norm. This is one of my favourite bike shop(C2C).... look at the parking consideration for the riders. Nothing glam but it works. Most importantly... the bikes are within sight. 

outside C2C 

And this is the reply I got from Mileage communications....  :( 
Yikes... I guess they probably don't ride and don't get it (cyclists perspective). Guys I tried...... 
So please keep your nice bicycles at home when you go visit the Shimano Cycling world. Or if you have the courage and confidence in the Singapore system... park at MRT station(REALLY??). 

"Hi Taiwoon

Thank you for your email and concerns regarding the absence of bike racks for parking bikes at the Sports Hub.  We have checked and found that there are bike racks at the MRT station exit towards OCBC Square.  Bikers can use the racks when they visit Shimano Cycling World.

We look forward to welcoming you and the cycling community to Shimano Cycling World when it is opened."

Kind Regards       

Denise Luo

Account Executive

Mileage Communications Pte Ltd

Mileage House 52B Club Street

Singapore 069429

T:  (65) 6222 1678

F:  (65) 6222 5378

Added on 29th Aug 7.40am. Email to Mileage Communications

"Hi Denise,

Thank you for the reply and I am sadden that you do not understand the cyclists perspective. There is no way the cycling folks will be using the bike rack at MRT due to the security issues. 

I have shared this out to the community so that they will know not to bring their bikes and the alternative bike parking location(@ MRT) as you have pointed out. 

http://smallwheelsbigsmile.blogspot.sg/2014/08/shimano-cycling-world-sports-hubpark-at.html

Lastly, I want to express how disappointed I am on the lack of bike racks/parking at the Shimano Cycling world which is supposed to be the meeting point for cyclists and sharing of experiences….

But there is no place for their bicycles. That’s really a big shame.  

I will also feedback directly to Shimano Singapore on my concerns and disappointment on this small but very critical consideration. 

regards

Taiwoon "

Feedback to LTA on a dangerous grille and it was actted on! Thank you Ahmad Mohsin of PUB!

This made me smile today at Lovecyclingsg facebook. :) 
Richard Toh who cyclo-commutes to work found a dangerous design fault on the road. He sent his feedback to LTA and after 2 months,he got a message from PUB to share with him that it was fixed. Excellent! Well done LTA and PUB! So, if you want to help make Singapore a safer place to cycle.
Start by submitting feedback on road hazard you meet along the way (when you cycle) to agencies and have a little patience, followup if you can.  Things can improve for the better!
Additional information by Richard. 
The guy who replied to me was from PUB - his name is Ahmad_Mohsin_Abdul_Wahid@pub.gov.sg 

In his actual words and feelings. "Back on June 3, I posted about my first puncture in many years, caused by a drain grate, along Shenton way. I wrote to the LTA to provide them with the feedback that they could consider using drain grates which are more bicycle friendly. 2 Days later they responded to say that drain grates are under the purview of the National Water Agency (PUB). And then came a period of silence. I assumed my email has fallen into the bureaucratic black hole and even complained about it here. 
To my pleasant I received an email yesterday from the PUB to say that they have changed the drain grates along the stretch of Shenton Way before Maxwell Road and even attached a pix to show me.
I made a deliberate attempt to cycle past that stretch today and lo and behold, new drain grates on both sides of the road!
2 weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with a bunch of senior officers from the LTA who came to my office for training. They saw my bike in the office and we started talking about the hazards of commuting by bicycle.
They shared that within the LTA, it is a high priority for them from a policy and infrastructure point of view, to make Singapore and our roads more bicycle friendly. This is something they are actively working on. It will take time, of course.
So what's my point as a cyclist who commute to work?
There is hope, yet 
Kudos to the PUB for their responsiveness.
As a cycling community, lets do our part and provide feedback to the relevant agencies and allow them the time to effect the necessary changes. It'll take time but my experience tells me that they are listening and ACTING."

Lastly in case you looking for who to call.... here's the mother of all list to feedback on issues to the various agencies. If there are any other channel I missed out. Pls let me know. 

Most compact Tandem ..Carry Us!

Saw this at Tiklop society of Philippines facebook,  What a nice bike! Carry me is one conversation starter. I get asked by strangers all the time. This is my wife and girl having some fun with the Carryme. Try one someday!

Cool Tandem carryme! 

Sports Hub in the news and their reply

After the posting on the lack of bike parking at the Singapore latest Sportshub last week, I was glad that the straits time picked up the issue.
Their reply was published and there are plans to have bike racks installed. Yayyhhh! 

Excerpts of it " Asked why there were no parking facilities for bicycles, Mr Robert Gambardella, chief of Sport Singapore's Singapore Sports Institute, said plans are in the works to integrate cycling infrastructure into the venue.
He said both Sport Singapore and Sportshub Pte Ltd, which manages the venue, have been studying where to install new bike parking facilities since the Sports Hub opened.
We want to place the racks in a strategic position, where there's lots of light and (the racks are) within sight so it's safe and secure," he said.
Mr Oon Jin Teik, chief operating officer of Sportshub Pte Ltd, said the company will install at least eight to 12 clusters of bike racks around the 35ha venue - hopefully by the end of the year.
"(When the Sports Hub opened) we wanted to observe the flow of foot traffic, so we could put these racks where end-users prefer," he said.
Addressing complaints from cyclists, he said: "We apologise and hope the public will have some patience."
Ok, now for the not so good part. There wasn't a definite date when it will be done by. Is cycling so low on the Sports Hub piority list? 
Now all it takes for an unpleasant experience is to have another chap's bike getting locked and it gets posted on the internet.....
***28th Aug 2014. Added direct reply from Sports Hub and again. No confirmed time for bike rack completion. 
"RE: ContactUsSSH - Item ID1676
Dear Mr Woon 

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

SportsHub is working closely with Sport Singapore to deliver a cycling ecosystem. Since the Singapore Sports Hub opened to the public, we are able to observe the flow of foot traffic to help strategically plan where cyclists would benefit from having bicycle racks across the campus.

 In a first step to enhance cyclists’ experience at the Singapore Sports Hub, we have increased the number of bicycle racks to the existing ones stationed at Stadium MRT. As we continue to strive towards a cycling ecosystem, we are planning to implement additional bicycle racks in locations that cater to the needs of cyclists’.

 We value your feedback and appreciate your patience during this process.

 Wishing you a pleasant week ahead.

 Thank you.

Best Regards

Samantha

Customer Care Team

Singapore Sports Hub"

As seen on Straits Time on Sat. 24th August 2014 

Dear Singapore Sports Hub.....please don't forget the cycling community.

On 21 Aug 2014, someone posted this picture on Facebook:

“Anybody knows where i can park my bike in sports hub? I cycle to work everyday and have been parking on the basement for the past 3 weeks without any issue then suddenly issued me a warning ticket. I don't see any bike parking lots outside the establishment”

The person added this photo of the warning ticket:

Taken from Lovecyclingsg Face book page

Let’s have a look at the Singapore Sports Hub’s website to see if they have any information about arriving there by bicycle and the parking of bicycles. A quick look at the Singapore Sports Hub’s webpage, “Getting Here”, revealed that there are many ways to get there. But I was very sad to discover that cycling isn’t one of them.

Taken from Sporthub webpage

In its webpage entitled “Sports Hub Project”, the Singapore Sports Hub dedicates itself as a public facility to promote sports to all:

       “Come June 2014, it will serve as a dedicated venue where Singaporeans can come together as a community to watch, play and support sports and entertainment.

The Singapore Sports Hub will be a fully integrated, state-of-the-art destination that will be open year-round to the public and will provide a variety of unique experiences, including community programming, Experience Sports initiatives and public facilities for everyday use.

Targeting all demographics – from elite athletes to the general public – the Singapore Sports Hub campus will ultimately be a space where Singaporeans can experience sports and entertainment.”

The sport of cycling has an extremely low carbon footprint, does not contribute to traffic jams, and provides a good means of exercise. Commuting by bicycle is also increasingly popular for many who live in Singapore. So, why wouldn’t a venue like the Singapore Sports Hub support this healthy and sustainable mode of transport by providing parking for bicycles? 

Currently housing the world’s largest dome-shaped structure, the Singapore Sports Hub costs S$1.3-billion[1] and sits on 35 hectares (86.4 acres) of land[2]. Surely, cost and space could not have been the reasons why bicycle parking fixtures were omitted. So why aren’t there any legal places to park a bicycle within our glorious, world-class Sports Hub?

Speaking of parking, check out the FAQ on getting to the Singapore Sport Hub; more than two-thirds of the FAQ is dedicated to paid parking for cars. I wonder why.

We hope that the Singapore Sports Hub will look into this matter of providing parking spaces for bicycles soon.

Sincerely,

Darren Siow, cyclist 

Taiwoon , cyclist

* [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Sports_Hub

[1] http://www.myactivesg.com/facilities/singapore-sports-hub

It's illegal to cycle at Bedok Town Centre

I saw this today and it said "Beware if you cycle at Bedok Town Centre" and it came from the East Coast Town Council Facebook page.  Oh wow, they are now catching and issuing summons to cyclists for illegal cycling at the Town Centre. 190 comments since 22nd Aug and rising.
More here too. 

Before jumping into conclusion... I posted on their page requesting more information. Let's see why they chose this drastic action.

Reply from East Coast Town Council on their page:

Added Francis Chu comments

"Desmond, Bing Cheng, Dennis LH Cheong and a few of us were there a few months back to observe the crowded town centre and the cyclists riding passed. I took some video and we all saw cyclist and pedestrian can be mixed safely. Majority of cyclists slows down when there are people in front of them, a few choose to go side way where there is more room for overtaking. 
The photos post by East Coast Town Council shows there were hardly anyone in the town centre. Is the ban 24/7? It confuses people if they have to dismount and push when the town centre is empty and perfectly safe to cycle through. 
I feel what we really want to target is those very few dangerous cyclists. I'd suggest to catch the few "black sheep" when the crowd is there, and do punish them heavily and make it very transparent that the authority will not tolerate such anti-social behavior. But asking all cyclist (mostly very considerate) to dismount and push 24/7 is neither practical nor reasonable. 
It feels like punishing the good sheep but still doing nothing to the black sheep. If such extreme measure is justifiable by one, or few serious accidents, we should also ban driving from all Singapore roads, since a lot more serious accidents happened on the roads a lot more often. 
I hope the town council will be able to keep a balanced approach and come up with a pragmatic and effective solution to improve safety between pedestrian and cyclist in the town centre."

Crowdsourcing Design for LCSG Tee Designs result

It's heartening to see folks responding to the request and they were all very very cool!  
We have chosen internally among the LCSG Angels to go for Terence's Design. 
A very big thank you for all who shared their ideas and please chat me up on sunday rides. Kopi on me!
Here's sharing the creative talents of the LCSG community. 

Design by Boon Chun

Design by George Kee

Design by Joys Tan

Design by Noel Tan

Design by TC Yang

Design by Terence Tan

Punggol MRT line down today..........

This is what happens when MRT Train Line breaks down and there is no alternative mode of transport in your area. 

Punggol Station today morning.  Photo credit Ben Chew 

Long Q and many people will be late for work. People are pissed....
It took 9 hours for the Train service to resume to normal. Is this the new normal?    
Imagine if there are a safer way/route to cycle to work from Punggol or for that matter anywhere we live it. How many will take the bicycle option? I think quite alot, perhaps 30%... I know I will. 
As I reflect on the lack of commuting alternative, the idea of Bus Bike lane came to my mind. Essentially it uses the current SG laws (bicycles can use Bus lane at all times) but painting a Bicycle logo on the road. This creates more awareness on the road that the bicycle CAN use Bus Lane and more awareness for motorists on the road to look out for cyclist.  Perhaps, as more congestion builds up, our agencies would be more encouraged to try our more innovation idea to alleviate the Traffic congestion. What do u think?
Go to LCSG Facebook for an interesting discussion on this topic
Additional notes: 
Bicycles are not the end all, solve all solution for SG transport. We will still need trains, cars, motorbikes, buses. 
What I am saying is that better infra for cycling can and will reduce the reliance on Public transport = less congestion/ pressure on transport system.
Here's an old posting by Mr Brown on cycling on the road which might be of interest...

Bike bus lane - Photo credit by Francis Chu

We have done it for YOG.... So why not for SG cyclists safety?

New Municipal Services office

PM Lee shared a fish ball stick story during the NDP rally and how it spanned across 3 agencies and nothing moved. I laughed as I experienced similar feeling before when we feedback issues and get bounced around like a tennis ball. The new agency to co-ordinate this silo-ed effect is called the New municipal services. More here http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/nd2014/news/new-municipal-services/1317608.html
I sincerely hope it will work out and not add another layer of paper pushers.  

Paying it forward by Tokyo bike Singapore

Tokyo bike Singapore did not ask for the posting. I just stumbled to what they did last month and I like it very much.
It was the shop 3 year anniversary and while they could do a party bash and drink themselves silly.. ..they choose to celebrate by giving to the lesser privileged folks.
That was really nice of them. Paying it forward. Nice one Tokyobike SG!

Photo credits - Tokyobike Singapore 

Tar pau for the lesser privileged  - Photo credits TokyoBike Singapore

Post by Tokyobike Singapore.

Darren's commute to work

Cycling commuting is still in its infancy in Singapore, but its happening. Darren is my fellow colleage at Dell and he rides from his home at Toa Payoh to Jurong International business park.
I bumped into him recently in the morning as he rolled his bike to the elevator. This is his 16.5 km route and it takes him 45min to reach office.

The commute route by Darren

That's a nice Soma Double Cross in case you are trying to find out his ride. 

Darren just as he heads into the elevator @ IBP

In addition, here's some tips he like to share for those who like to try out cycle commute.
1) Do a recce ride without the pressure of time before doing the commute. This way, you can find the safest and smoothest route. Less stress!
2) Have rear rack so that you need not be carrying ur laptop and be sweaty all over. Its also more comfortable.
3) Mudguards are not glamm but you will be glad when it rains.
4) Waterproof everything.... 
5) Have a spare set of clothes to change into when you come into work.
6) It really helps... if your office has a shower facilities. :) Thank you very Dell Singapore! 
For an even more comprehensive guide... Check this by Calvin Boo. 
Do you know anyone who cyclo commute to work? Pls share your stories and help me show Singapore that it's possible to cyclo commute. :) 

This is Dell shower ... yeahh I know we are very very lucky! :) 

Bike rack at Dell Singapore!

A healthy revolution is slowly happening at my workplace, Dell Singapore.

More are taking up to cycling and I am very glad that the company have also supported this green initiative. A healthy employee is a better and more efficient contributor! :)  
Led by Adrian Choo who cycle commute to work, we got our bike rack! 
It's nicely placed in the secure premise of our office.... and day 1 we already have filled up the rack. I like it. I like it a lot! Thank you also our facilities manager Lily! 

I like the humour:) 

rolling it to the bike corner

Darren thumbs up as his Soma double cross commuter settle in to his nice spot

We are very glad to have a shower at Dell office! 

Darren showing internal Dell marcom how he goes about his washup