Why cycle to work?

Sonny shared with me the reason. I think its quite clear to understand...........

Photo credit compare by Sonny Lim 

Bicycles at Boon Lay MRT

Sharing a photo from Francis. This was take at Boon Lay MRT. Wow... it feels like Amsterdam!
So who said cycling in Singapore is just for recreation?
Also check out the Facebook comments 

Boon Lay MRT  photo credits Francis Chu

Bus lanes ...BusBike idea to make it safer on SG roads

 Do you know as cyclist, you can cycle in the bus lanes?Well to many I checked(cyclists, motorist), most don't know if it is allowed.  We asked LTA during the first meeting (2nd July 2012) and it was confirmed by the Traffic Management (Teo KL) that it is. The point I am trying to make is that there is a general lack of awareness (from both the motorist and cyclist part) for the traffic rules and safety for one another.
I attach the Singapore Road traffic act... which is written Lawyer speak and not easy for the general public to comprehend...
http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;page=0;query=DocId:%22ba3acbce-2ce4-4b3f-8011-5bfae19cfbbc%22%20Status:inforce%20Depth:0;rec=0#legis
Also see this forum letter by Lynn and she expresses that the Traffic Rules and Road Safety works both ways.

Forum comment by Lynn Tan    Straits Time 23th Aug 2012

Ok, Red light stop, Green Light go is a given. But knowing how to be safe and watch out for each other is not really practised. I also drive and if u like to observe this quirks of many SG motorists.
Don't believe me, try this..... Driving along the road in traffic, signal ur intention to switch lane. And look for the reaction of the drivers when you flip the signal.. and just watch (dun forget to look forward too ok). The signal lights are a cue to speed up. If you are an in-experienced driver, you will be so frozen and scared to change the lane. This is not 100% of the time but I am sure if you drive you know what I mean. 

I try to emphasize the motorist plight and see their point of view. It is frustrating to be sitting in traffic, inching along.  Sometime it is slow that I think cycling would get me to work faster. And from the motorists perspective reading from the news... "what???? now bicycles also want to use the road...wah lau eh... it's so crowded"
And this is precisely why I think the car approach cannot be the only option. Look at this very famous photo done by the City of Muenster Planning office way back in 2001. It shows visually how cars, bus, bicycles use the space on the road. 

It is crowded... the more we need to think out of the box...  Photo credit Press office city of munste, Germany

Over coffee and chats to find ideas to make cycling safer in SG, we came up with this "low hanging fruit solution" which just might work in the Singapore context. Sure, it would mean adjusting our behaviour a and of course there will be problems but what do you think we should do.. build more highways? 

Please read more as Francis articulates the concept.  

http://lovecycling.net/2012/08/busbike-lane-bb-lane/

COE is already touching the 100k mark and expected to reach ever higher prices. Which means car ownership it is really out of the normal Singaporean reach. At least to me that is. I know when my car COE expires in 2 years time... I will have to give up the car option... hopefully some progress would have been made to cycling safety which will give an safe, economical and healthy alternative to the mass transport(Bus, MRT).
I know good people like Francis are already doing lots to show that is is possible. 

From the cyclist view... this is a nice one without the cars zipping past too close to us

Photo and edit by Francis Chu 

Jel's Commuting Story

Jel and one of his nifty item which makes it a safer ride... Rear Mirror 

Jel's Advice... dun squeeze

I must say that cycling to work here in Singapore is much more enjoyable and safer compared to the Philippines. I used to cycle to work back in the Philippines using my 20kg Mountain Bike clocking 15kms one way where 40% of the way is uphill. It’s a must to wear a heavy duty mask unless you want to suffer some upper respiratory diseases in the future. The only upside was that the drivers are skillful and considerate.

Singapore is much cleaner, cooler and a lot more enjoyable in my opinion. My decisions to cycle to work are:

-       Forces me to do cardio so I can concentrate on weight training

-       Saves transportation costs

-       Lessen my carbon footprint

-       Help improving the image of cyclists here in Singapore by strictly sticking to the rules (at least the ones that I know of)

-       Meet new friends (which I did)

My first bike was a S$60 Aleoca folding bike which we bought on a sale in VivoMart. The day I bought it I tested it as soon as possible in the house. It didn’t go well as the rear tire goes flat and chain was broken.

I went back to VivoMart the next day using MRT and I must say just lugging it around gave me a workout. At some point I wanted to just throw it in the garbage and be done with it. I decided to replace it with an S$100 Aleoca MTB so I topped up S$40. I used that the next day but 15 mins. out the rear derailleur gave away. At that time I’ve got no skills or tools to fix or remove the rear wheel to take a cab so walked all the way to the office. On top of that I’ve got an upset stomach. I was pretty upset myself. Called Aleoca and after 3 days they picked up the bike at the office for repairs and they returned it after 3 days as well. Some lessons I learned:

-       I need a quality bike that can fit in a cab during emergencies

-       I need basic tools and skills for fixing a bike

-       I need to stay dry during a surprise rain shower

Before I joined LoveCyclingSG a friend referred me to Filipino Cyclist in Singapore where I found out about an affordable folding bike called Dahon Eco C6 where I got to test ride during my first weekend ride with them. The difference in rideability between my Aleoca MTB is so obvious that I immediately sold my MTB for S$80 and convinced my wife into getting the last piece of Dahon Eco C6 in L&T Cycles in Tampines.

Now I’m ready for an all-out commuting to work with my trusty folding bike. Below is my routine:

Monday – Take public transport to work so I can bring all my stuff for the week at one go which includes long sleeves, slacks, socks and boxers. That way I will be forced to cycle to work the rest of the week since most my work clothes are already in the office. We have a locker in the office so the things that I leave there for the long run are 1 belt, 1 leather shoe, antibacterial wipes, perfume and hair spray. I make sure that I have another belt and leather shoes at home just in case I decided not to cycle to work for any reason like movie dates and the likes.

Another option is to install a front truss and mount a waterproof bag or a rear rack with waterproof pannier so you can bring your change of clothes every day. Based on experience I’m not a fan of backpack while riding since it stinks up the bag itself due to sweat although I do have a backpack with rain cover in it just in case. For now I use it during weekends as a baby bag.

Tuesday to Friday – I shower before riding. The only thing I bring here are the basic tools like multi-tool, innertube spare, pocket jacket and hood, spanner, front lights (just in case I leave at work late at night) and waterproof phone mount. I arrive at the office around 8:30am to have enough time wipe down sweat, get changed and have a hearty breakfast. The beauty of having a folding bike I was able to bring it inside the office without worrying of leaving it outside the elements. There’s also a possibility that our office will be moved to Changi which is ok for me since we have shuttle services in Sengkang and I can simply cycle to Sengkang and bring my folding bike up the shuttle bus. One word –Flexibility.

What I wear?

I made sure to get a lot of free OCBC jerseys so that every morning motorists gets to see the 1.5M signage at the back. I alternate shorts and cycling shorts. I bought Keen Newport since it’s waterproof and anti-bacterial as well. Good for sunny and rainy season. Its sole is stiff so that helps in pedaling.

That’s all there is to it. So for those who reached this paragraph and still deciding whether or not to cycle to work the trick is not to overthink it and just go for it. As the old saying goes “If there’s a will, there’s a way”.

Noel Tan Cyclo commute to work

Noel Tan 

Noel Route

I would like to share my experience of cycling to work. Here's the route http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/bedok-to-bishan.  
Bikely is a useful tool to plan routes. I see some LCSG'ers are using them too.

Mode of transport: Tern Verge P18

Why cycle to work?
The thing that makes me chose to commute via bike is because of my job. I'm a programmer and there is never a 9am to 6pm day.I wanted to incorporate exercise into my daily regime but it's difficult when I have to work past 6pm everyday. So I decided that by biking, I can take those time I use to sleep in the bus and use them for exercise!

Cycling attire for the commute
My cycling attire is a t-shirt and cycling pants. To transport my stuffs, I carry a back pack. But recently I purchased a front bag to put my stuff as it's much more convenient. If you sweat a lot like I do, your back pack will stink of sweat. It also takes of the load you carry on your shoulders without a back pack. As for work clothes, I'm lucky as I do not need to wear formal, so Monday and Friday, my back pack would be the heaviest, other than that, it's usually just extra shirt, packed lunch.
Monday: Extra Clothes, Milk & cereal pack: breakfast for the week, Jacket: cold in the office
Friday: Jacket and dirty clothes.
I will leave my pants in office so I don't need to transport them everyday. (Jeans no need to wash every day, haha).

I ride my foldie to work and the routes consist of half road and half PCN. On the roads, I usually try to stay on bus lane, which is much more safer, or not. I cycle at a pace of 25km/h - 30km/h. I ride faster when I need to cut across to avoid cars having to drive in front of me to turn to the left, but sometimes I just ride fast to see how much can I go. One time I manage to go up to 58Km/h on straight roads. The first half of my route is roads, so I take that as my training ride. When I head into the PCN, I just relax and enjoy the scenery, especially Bishan Park. Usually If I take a bus, my whole journey will take me 1 hour and 20 minutes or more. By biking, If I want to go fast, I can reach office in less than an hour, but usually I will just take it slow when I reach PCN, so total journey is about 1 hour.

Office Situation not too bike friendly...
My office does not have a shower point. I use a trick widely adopt by fellow commuters = Baby wipes!. I will first cool down at the last few KMs to my work place. When in office, I first wipe down with a wet towel, then use baby wipes to clean any dirt, leaves me smelling good. I also apply deodorant and that's it, I'm ready to work. There's no sticky feeling or whatsoever. As I really sweat alot, I'm initially worried about how uncomfortable I will feel, but it didn't affect me much after a proper wipe down. So baby wipes = approved! I leave the wipes, deodorant and a small sports towel in office, so stock up on these things to avoid transporting them up and down.

My experience on the road is good, as I can see a lot of drivers are quite considerate. There are some more aggressive drivers (driving to close, refuse to give way), but I will make sure to give a signal when I'm about to turn or stop. Also I always try to ride defensively, slow down when required and give way when needed. Just have to beware of other cyclist, especially the banglas, as they don't stop at the red light. I was stared a few times for stopping. Sometimes, I make mistakes as well, but just have to be aware of the surroundings and be safe. Do bring a pollution mask as it might get bad cycling beside trucks and buses. I use one from daiso.
For my ride back, I just change to my cycling pants and wear the shirt I wore for work. I only bring one shirt to change after my morning commute, and ride back in that same shirt. As cycling pants dry quick, I can wear it again when I leave work. Always remember to bring back the sweaty clothes or your drawer will stink.
I'm quite new to commuting by bike (past 1 & 1/2 months), so there is so much more to know. However I really do enjoy cycling to work as It wakes me up for the morning. However, it's not an obligation to bike to work, sometimes when I'm tired I still take the bus. But I would say that cycling to work is the first thing I look forward to in the morning. :)

So that's my experience for cycling to work. Hope it can help others to start doing the same.

Thanks and regards
Noel

Steve Tan's Commuting story

No problemo!

Route from home to work

Introducing  Steve Tan of Handonsbike Blog and fellow lovecyclingsg Team mate. He works for as an R&D Engineer and walks the talk by cycling to work. Yes! It is really possible in Singapore and this is his story…

Why do I cycle to work?
Because it is fast and convenient! By bike, the journey takes 40 mins of cycling at a reasonable pace (22-25km on the flats), including a detour to get the newspaper in the morning. This is the door-to-door timing, starting from my lift lobby to my office lobby. No waiting for MRT or bus, no traffic jams, no sardine experience.
By public transport, it will take me at least 50 mins door-to-door, assuming no waiting time for the MRT or the feeder bus 255. Including waiting time, it will usually take me about one hour to get to work. 
What other benefits do I get for cycling to work?
Besides the convenience, I also get to exercise or train at the same time. On a lazy day, I just ride slow and probably take about 5-10 mins more to get to work. On some days when I feel like chiong-ing, I will push at a good pace and reach maybe 5 mins earlier.There is no need to find time outside of work to cycle or exercise. The journey to and from work is also my exercise time. Most importantly, it is fun! 
Does my workplace have bike friendly facilities?
I must admit that my company has to be one of the few companies in Singapore that actually encourages employees to cycle to work. No one bats an eyelid when you arrive on a bike in full cycling gear. Some facilities that I feel are important for people to consider cycling to work are ample and secure bike parking, proper shower facilities and a viable cycling route.There is plenty of bike parking available at my workplace. Also, we have a single shower cubicle at the nearest washroom so there is no problem there. As for the cycling route, I have tried many different routes and finally settled on a route that is relatively fast and safe. I don’t cycle to work every day of the week, because of various reasons. On average, I make 2 complete trips to and from home every week, although the to and fro trip may not be on the same day. On other days I just take public transport as I am not going straight home after work or because of rain.
How to get started...  
Start by planning how you want to cycle to work. Do a bit of recce to find out the best route (may not be the fastest or shortest). Think of how you plan to bring your change of clothes or other work documents. Does your bike have suitable carriers for commuting?

Total distance is about 12 km one way. The majority of the route will be on roads, with small sections of PCN and pavement. For example, near Lakeside, there is a very good PCN running beside Yuan Ching Road (5 to 7km mark), and thus I take the PCN which is safer, compared to the narrow 2 lane road. From the 10 km mark till I cross under AYE, I have no choice but to take the pavement as the traffic at Pioneer Road North is very heavy even at 645am in the morning. Also, there is no other way to cross the roundabout safely on the road. A little bit of bike pushing and carrying needed there. The return trip is just a reverse of the route shown here.

When did I start cycling to work? 
1 year ago

How often do I cycle to work?

How is commuting via bike different from competitive cycling or leisure cycling?
The first thing to realize is that you are not in a race! There is no need to get the lightest bike with the fastest wheels. The best commuting bike is a bike that can carry things (such as work clothes) for you, as it spares you from having to carry a sweaty backpack. Rack and mudguards are always useful to have, for carrying stuff and to help keep your bike and yourself clean. I usually wear cycling gear as it is more comfortable for cycling, although you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

Any advice for people thinking of cycling to work?

Always have a plan in mind. What if it rains? What if I get a puncture on the way to work? Think of how you will handle these situations and plan accordingly.

Don’t stress yourself by forcing yourself to cycle to work every day. Start by cycling to work once or twice a week to get the feel of it. If it works out fine, consider increasing the number of trips per week. The key is to enjoy cycling to work! If it rains, it is OK not to ride. If you are tired, it is OK not to ride. If it is not convenient due to any reason, it is OK not to ride that day. No need to force yourself if you don’t want to.

Depending on your situation, you may need to start earlier in order to arrive at work on time. Plan to arrive about 20 mins earlier to give yourself time to cool down and take a shower. You will feel refreshed after cycling to work!

For more information on bicycle commuting and safe cycling tips, please refer to the links below.

Mr Brown’s Guide to Bicycle Commuting

http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2008/07/mrbrowns-quick.html

HandsOnBike: Safe Cycling Tips

http://handsonbike.blogspot.sg/2012/01/how-to-have-safe-and-pleasant-cycling.html