Rider profile Tom Webster

Hello I am Tom and here's my cycling writeup. 

1) What are your first memories of cycling. 

I grew up in UK and started cycling as a hobby with school friends when I was 14. This involved a combination of cross country riding and dirt jumping. It involved quite a lot of attempting crazy stunts, breaking something on the bike, not being able to afford the bike shop repair fee and then learning to fix it myself. Little evidence exists from this pre-digital camera age, but here are couple of photos taken from a disposable film camera! 

When I was studying at University I took my cycling quite seriously and got quite fit, although I wasn’t organised enough to do any racing. When I started working I did continue cycling every once in a while but was generally less active and my fitness suffered, I do wish I kept a better work-life balance.  In the last 10 years I’ve changed to doing more road based cycling, although I have done a bit of MTB in Singapore - here is a picture of me attempting the Singapore MTB championship in 2016 on a 19 years old bike!

2) How did you come to Singapore and what do you do?. 

I met my now wife at University who is Singaporean, we lived together for a number of years in London but she was longing to return home so I came over here with her. I’m working at NTU doing Autonomous Vehicle related R&D work, my project involves working with Singapore’s authorities to develop the standards, testing and enabling framework to support the adoption of AV’s in Singapore. A key reason why Singapore is promoting AV’s is because they support public transport and shared car use which helps meet transport demands in less space and with fewer numbers of vehicles.   

Add by Taiwoon: I met Tom at the Carfreesunday event (LCSG booth) and he brought a freaking bike stand to help do some basic service (Free) for anyone. Its amazing! 

I fall off my chair when I saw how he brought it... 

Good man

3) Tell me about your cycle to work

Most of my cycling nowadays is commuting. I live with in-laws on the east side of the island and work west side at NTU so it is fair trip of about 31km each way.

Rarely do I cycle every day from Monday to Friday though, three times a week is a normal good week for me. When I first started commuting I tried to incorporate PCN into the route, however over time the route has evolved as I’ve found quicker options with less stoppages and places requiring riding at a slow pace.  My latest route is below doesn’t have any PCN and gets me to work quite a bit faster than the first route I did.

 

4) What are your workplace cycling facilities and how do you sort out your clothes etc.

I’m very lucky to have shower facilities and secure bike parking at work which is a great help. Clothes is a bit trickier but I leave those hanging on my bicycle, fortunately nobody appears interested in stealing my sweaty clothes :) 

Thank you NTU! 

5) What advice would u give folks wanting to try out cycle commute.  

Just like starting any other physical activity don’t expect immediate miracles or be disheartened if you find it difficult at first.

Give yourself plenty of time to recover between rides ease yourself in and it will get easier.

Plan the route and test it out beforehand. At first pick a route on quieter roads until you are more confident. Meet up with more experienced cyclists to learn from them, it takes experience and technique to cycle safely on larger busier roads.

Some logistics planning also helps, leave shoes and clothes at work so you don’t have to carry them.

Always carry a multi tool, spare tube pump, puncture repair kit and know how to repair a puncture.

Particularly if it is a longer journey some bits of equipment really help.

You must have lights if cycling before 7am or after 7pm. Decent USB rechargeable front and rear lights are handy and even during the day advisable for cycling on road.

A bike that fits you (including saddle) and cycling shorts / gloves help with comfort.

Bike mounted bags are a great alternative to a backpack which are uncomfortable in hot & humid weather.

A well maintained bike is safer and less effort to cycle. Learn how to adjust your brakes and keep the chain in good condition.

6) What other cycling stuff do you do 

I enter into a few races every year too. Although I don’t have much success I like to push myself physically and see what I am capable of, having a race coming up gives me some training goals to motivate and work towards. With me doing the commuting to work I found it difficult to find the time and energy to do proper training with a cycling club. However recently I’ve found I can usually make it back from work in time to join a 60km training ride round Tanah Merah Coastal Road with the Integrated Riders club. I have to work hard to keep up with them and it is really helping to improve my fitness. I’ve also done a round Island ride at the weekend with them a few times, they’re a very friendly and helpful group.

I also like the engineering side of cycling, I assemble and maintain all my bikes myself including building the wheels. I sometimes help out other people fix their bike problems. I am also known to sometimes do more ambitious crazy projects such as making my own bike lights. You can contact me directly to learn more. 

Happy cycling! 

Cycling Profile - Bernard Tan

My name is Bernard Tan and I work as a business consultant for Amadeus Hospitality.

I like to share my cycling story.

My first memory of cycling is when I was a primary school kid. I vaguely remembered that I have learnt how to ride a bicycle during my primary school days, however, I have never own a bike. From then till late teen, I only ride a bicycle very occasionally and have never been on a bike when I start working in the early mid 80’s.

I started cycling again back in 2012. The people who triggered the interest are Derrick Yeow and Gracie Koh. Derrick was my ex-colleague from my work at a hotel and Gracie is his wife. I have knew both of them for a long time but wasn’t in contact. Both of them bought a Dahon foldable bike each and start “jioing” me to buy a bike and join their rides. I wasn’t really interested in cycling but after a while, I gave in to their persistent persuasion. When I was ready to buy a bicycle, I told him that my budget was maximum of $500 only. I remembered vividly we went to Lifecycle @ Gemmil lane. I saw some Dahon and Tern…. And I left with a Tern that cost $1200. 

Totally busted my budget and tightened my belt for quite a while. I remembered in the initial days after I bought my bike, I used to take the MRT to Punggol to ride with Derrick & Gracie around Punggol Waterway. But not too long, just a few months later, I was riding my Tern round island, and almost every weekend, I am doing a round island. I even packed it  for some of my overseas work trips.  The poor Tern was really used a lot and after 2 years, I decided to sell it off.  

My Tern looking at the ocean

I just used the Tern box to bring it overseas. Its not glam but it works 

I was looking for a new folding bike and the one brand name that I heard the most is Brompton and many of my friends had it. More importantly, it seems like it was really easy to fold and easy to pack for traveling.   The thing I was really concerned was the price, 2k+ for a folding bike. But after some consideration and ‘poison’ by fellow cyclists, I decided to go for it. And yes, I got myself a Brompton in June 2014 and it has since become my ‘workhorse’! 

I am not your usual Brompton rider. I don't “zng” my bike for looks. I just change out the parts which makes the ride more comfortable. Like the Ergon grips, MKS pedals, saddle etc. The rest of my bike is totally stocked. The bike is like a tank and it just keeps going, even after much ‘abused’

I have ridden to many places like a loop around Taiwan, parts of Japan and Europe with a super duper skater Adrian Oh.  I like riding long distances alone or with a buddy as it helps me do personal reflection and it’s quite meditative.  Sometimes, I will also join LCSG ride as it is good to catch up with kakis and chat up.  But mostly I am still a loner who likes a lot of “me time”. 

My kakis for the Ride for Ration 1K ride

Rolling with my team for a good deed

Most recently, I have done the Ride for Rations 1K ride. This is a fund raising event and the main cycling event is Malacca to Singapore in 2 days, a total of 240km. However, I have joined a group of 6 fellow cyclists to cycle a total of 1000km in 9 days, including the main event from Malacca to Singapore. It was a good experience for me as I have never cycle with a group in a constant rolling speed of 20-25kph. Besides the fun-filled 9 days of cycling, we also raised money for Sunlove Home, which Ride for Rations supported.

Bike to work

I don’t really cycle to work in my previous offices as there is no shower facility in the buildings. However, our office moved last December to a brand new building in Tanjong Pagar with shower room in each floor. This is how it looks... and yes I really feel very lucky!

My brompton tucked away in a office corner

This is my office shower. 

I have started to bike to work more frequently this year and about 3 – 4 times each week. 

I live in Woodlands and the total commute each way to my office is approximately 30km. I ride on the road for the entire commute from Woodlands – Yishun – Sembawang – Upper Thomson – Thomson – Balestier – Rangoon – North Bridge Road – South Bridge Road – Tanjong Pagar. I agreed that the some motorists can be quite intimidating on Singapore road. But I think it is the same in every country, cyclists on the road just need to exercises extra caution and be focus to be safe. I started riding when the sky is still dark, thus it is important to have both front and rear lights on while riding. I also wear high-viz T shirt while riding to work. 

I really enjoy cycling now as it is my only form of exercise and I get to cycle to every corner of Singapore and also in foreign land. As for cycling to work, I don’t have to get squeezed in the train, not have to worry about train breaking down, and best of all, I save a few bucks every day! Hope this can inspire u to cycle and perhaps cycle commute! 

Rene Cycling profile and what she shared at Car Free Sunday

Rene with her road bike 

Being interviewed by CNA

Qn1) Can u share ur thoughts on the LCSG cycling commute trial and if that helped you? 
1) The idea of commuting to work by bike had been in my mind for sometimes. What daunted me to act is the concern of my safety in contact with some road bullies and reckless driver with the thought that cyclists are a nuisance on the road.
Yesterday car free day with LCSG was an opportunity for me to find out alternatives route via PCN to to my workplace maybe a safer option

Qn2) Will u try out cycle commuting? 
2) Yes but not till i am able to fine tune some join routes to shorten commuting time as the broken link of the PCN which requires carrying the bike up and down in addition to the number of red lights crossing under heavy congested traffic 

Qn3) Where do u stay and office location? 
3) I stay at toa payoh and work in the CBD between Raffles and tanjong pagar area 

Qn4) How do you find the overall CarFree day?
4) It was a good start. Glad that the government is listening to their people's voices. Hopefully this car free day trial can materialise to become a car free everyday where cyclists feel safe to commute anywhere, anytime on a clean and green city

Qn5) Can u  share how you felt about the event and on LCSG. 
5) I have cycled with a few cycling groups with different objectives in the past few years. On this particular car free day i have chosen to join a group with correct vision and a community mission that can make their voices heard by the government , the cyclists as well as other transport road users.
Yesterday ride was a good experience together with more than 80 cyclists (guess could be more) rolled off from the North.
LCSG cyclists were traffic abiding and with the numbers, i hope LCSG can make a different and able to help made Singapore a "LOVE AT FIRST RIDE" place for us, next generation and the foreigners 

Leung Ki Chi cycling story

Hi, I am Ki Chi,  a 31-year old guy working as Customer Service Officer for a German MNC. Most people seem to start riding from young but I was not so blessed. I learnt riding only in 2011 during an trip to ECP with my ex-colleagues. After that I seldom rode for the next 2 years and never rode out of ECP or the eastern PCN network.

I decided to get my own bicycle in 2013 to save on rental fees each time I wanted to ride. Quickly my rides got longer and longer and soon I plucked up the courage to go on the roads. Eventually I ended up riding to my company's former office at Kallang Sector. My rides were initially mixed PCN and road, but now all my rides are on roads and from just home to office.  
I aim to ride everywhere whenever possible. After work I may ride home, or to the nearby nex shopping mall, or to Ghim Moh or Queenstown for church gatherings.

I have had hurdles to overcome to keep pedalling though. 

Firstly I sweat a lot even after slight physical exertion. Initially I just wiped myself dry after reaching office but that did not stop me getting horrible back rashes, which forced me to stop cycling for a few months last year. 

I resumed only when I discovered shower facilities in my current office. Now I shower after reaching office. Second hurdle would be the fear of close shaves on the roads. I have been in a few accidents before but thank God so far always escaped with minor cuts or scars requiring no more than 4 days' MC. I have conditioned myself to be cautious of other vehicles, with the mindset to expect the worst but to ride without fearing anyone else on the road. As long as I communicate my intention, understand others and follow the rules, I am totally safe. My advice to anyone who would want to commute via bicycle is: there is no need to fear riding on the road as long as you ride by the rules and remain alert.

Ki chi's Tern Link D8

Lastly a word on my metal horses. My current workhorse is a Tern Link D8 (pic attached). It was chosen as I read about its ease of folding from their website. This suits me as I sometimes take my foldie onto the MRT. My previous bikes in chronological order:
1. A China-made no-name foldie. It was damaged in an accident but my LBS restored it and it lived on a few more months. However the front handlebar hinge rusted and that was the last straw.
2. An Aleoca aluminium frame MTB. This was a lighter and faster ride but was stolen from my block's void deck one Sunday morning.
3. A Vert V8 foldie with aluminium frame and disc brakes. It was light but wobbled on the road and had persistent gear shifter problems. I gave it to a church friend.

The best advantages of cycling for me.
1. Exercise. I managed to cut my weight from 85kg to 67kg thanks to my bike.
2. It saves me money on public transport. With the savings I can spend more on food. Kind of defeats point 1 I know. :P
3. I get to explore different routes to work and back home and to other places.

"Hi Taiwoon,

Thank you for taking the effort to collate rider profiles to raise the profile of us cyclists to the powers-that-be!Thank you again for all your hard work for LCSG. I may not be able to join you for Sunday morning rides but I will join at other times whenever my schedule permits. 

regards, Ki Chi" 

Taiwoon: You are very welcome and thank you for sharing your story! See u on Sunday ride sometime!