A heart of gold

Pay it forward. A spontaneous act of kindness which just made me smile.  A heart of gold. Is it really possible in Singapore? Well, I just saw one. The names have been changed (Mr Angel want to be steath) but this is based on a recent encounter in Singapore via facebook.
Kenny is a school boy who doesn't have much spare cash. He meets a cyclo-group who takes him into their fold, mentoring this young chap. Sharing cool cycling tips, safety notes. They ride together and the friendship grows with every ride.
Kenny is growing fast and as a teenager he feels invincible. We have all been there before. Nothing can hurt us, ride like the wind and chiong chiong chiong. Some of the old birds will nag, with all good intention for his safety.
Then I saw this particular thread. "There is a unused bicycle at the void deck, tied on the bicycle rack. Rusted and not used. can I just cut and use it...?"  Warning bells rang and a flurry of posting -  "no and don't do it".  Later in the thread...  "Don't do it. I pass u a bicycle. Its a old one but it works" someone posted.

A very very special ride 

The next day, I saw a mega watt smile of  Kenny on a old racer. He is beaming and raving on the bicycle.
Mr Angel just stayed in the shadows. Over a personal pm, he revealed he just wanted Kenny to be in the correct path and not do something he will regret for his life. This is his small way to fullfill a teenage dream. He is just a normal folk, want to just help out. Heart a bit pain as it was his favorite bicycle.
Thank you Mr Angel. For such a nice deed and giving from the heart. You have a heart of gold.

Berenda and LCSG ladies lead the way ride 10March 2013

The ride was on 10th March 2013. The route was from Labrador park Mrt meeting point -- Hort park -- Crossing over the bridge -- Labrador Berlayer wet land- Kepple bay(most expensive spot in SG) -- Makan spot- Telok Banglah hill - Henderson wave - Mt Faber and back to Labrador park

It was special because it was Berenda first time leading a ride. I know she was nervous as hell, even after recce-ing the route 4 times over the last few weeks.

Supporting her was LCSG Queens like Mary and Kimi. And of course the pillar of strength Steven Tang and quite a few LCSG.  We were going to make it work and the ride went beautifully. The hills make sure we worked hard for the breakfast and had plenty of laughs groaning up the slopes.

I am constantly reminded how little we know our own backyard. This ride is a good example. We visited the Henderson wave which is a must go place.

Thank you Berenda, LCSG Queens (Mary, Kimi), Angels and Steven Tang for a sunday wonderful ride!

More Photos here for download

Berenda Lim 

Ride briefing by Berenda and Steven Tang before the ride 

Doesn't matter road bike, Foldie, Brompton or Dahon. We all ride as one. 

Alvin and Poh Choo 

Nice elevated bridge. Walking above vegetation!

Greening of Singapore. I like and I hope more will be done. But sometimes it also means leaving it as is. 

nice and quiet... until we came haha

Just fishin'

Rollin slowly

Supposely the Dragon rock.. 

@ Keppel Bay. Very Atas area. Looking like Florida

Toys for boys. This one floats

Q-ing for food. This is the lor mee we all raved about... 

Thumbs up from resident food guru Steven Tang and his prince. 

After makan, we huff and puff again

shiok shiok.. 

Cannot go up slope.. push lor.. its all cool!

minor riot when hunk came... 

LCSG Ladies! They can ride one. Dun play play

LCSG family shot @ Henderson Wave

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Getting lost @ Queentown 24th Feb 2013

I studied at Temasek Polytechnic Stirling Road Campus. That was in 93 and about 2 years back I revisited with Francis and afew of my friends. Today, I went back again with new friends. Many places were gone.

The hawker centre @ Margaret drive. Gone. The old hdb beside Queenstown MRT. Gone. 

Still it was quite a nice ride with a twist. No plans, just roam and get "lost". Literally. Like how it was when we all started back in 2010.

We saw many places which I never went and even had a MTB moment. All around Queentown area. A quiet neighbour hood in Singapore. Try it one day... get on a bike and get lost :) Do it quick because these places will not be the same very soon.

More photos of the fun fun ride we did today

Old Queentown Cinema.. still there but don't know for how long

old ping pong table

Florence and Berenda sharing a nice moment

Street art @ Stirling road

First Generation Mail box

Bicycle makes light work of roaming around

Old estate. Watch out for Elderly People. Well done! 

Alex with his Rolleiflex... wow. Been a long time since I see one working!

April with his vintage Bridgestone in Rivendalle style!

old but new

Quiet walkways

Times stand still. This feels like 1980s

inside

The church I pass a zillion times but never went in.. this time, we did

Blessed Sacramenetal Church, Tanglin Halt

Getting lost bonus area... we going MTB!

Smiling..

Where the path leads to?

Abit muddy at times... but sure lots of laughter

Carry your bike!

Andy Yap. Ever the gentleman he is. Cover the rear of the group. Silently and effectively. Thank you. My friend!

19th Feb 2013 Dr Faishal meets with road cyclists

Photo credit. Chanel new asia

Session in action. Photo Credit Dr Faishal FB 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1255805/1/.html

Notes of Engagement Session with Dr Faishal Ibrahim, Parliamentary Secretary for Transport (Road Safety for Cyclists)
19th Feb 2013, LavaEdge @ MacRitchie
In Attendance:Adriane Lee, Allen Chew (CycleKakis), Albert Yeo (FOTR), Kenneth Wee (Bike School SG), Steven Lim (SCTF), Calvin BooDr Faishal Ibrahim, Sim Hwee Keng (MOT), Bili Yang (MOT), Teo Kwang Liak (LTA)Absent with Apologies:Glen Kenny (ANZA)


Meeting minutes complied by Calvin Boo

Education:Engaging Heavy Vehicle Drivers
Given the recent spate of fatal incidents involving large and medium sized moving vehicles, this group of drivers should receive highly targeted education about watching out for other vulnerable road users, keeping a safe distance, and making the extra effort to check their blind spots. A mere brush from these vehicles is enough to send a cyclist to his death. 
Education should be a continuing process, and reminders / refreshers are needed to reinforce the messages. We also recommend LTA to evaluate and implement the compulsory use of additional side mirrors on these vehicles to enhance visibility of blind spots (much like third brake light - if the technology accords additional safety, use it).Actively engage motorists / road users in continuing education campaign.We hear LTA's point about radio talk show. The plain truth is that a 2-minute spot in a radio talk show does not work - your target audience have to be tuned into the right station at that specific point in time, the message is not capable of repeating itself, and it reaches only a very small segment of road users.
An above-the-line campaign is needed (i.e. print and press), so that the message is highly visible, and reach the widest possible scope of intended audience. 
Ideally, this should be designed as a periodic campaign (twice-yearly should be the minimum), not a one-time attempt to convey some very important messages. 
A message from TP promoting road safety for all road users is just as important as the message against drunk driving.The three key arms of the on-going education campaign:1. Key messages for motorists. There is widespread perception that cyclists have no place on the roads. Coupled with a sense of entitlement among motorists ("because I pay COE + tax"), this turns into a dangerous mental frame of mind. As a result, you read comments in online forums along the tone of "I'll run over those pesky cyclists if I see one". Truly very disturbing. [Note: Personally, I have been almost run down twice by drivers who purposely come close to my handlebars - this at 5am in the morning when there are three lanes of empty road!].
A campaign is needed to convey the following key messages to motorists:
a. Cyclists have a right to use the roads
b. Keep a safe distance
c. Don't underestimate the speed of a travelling bicycle
2. Key message for all road users. 
At all pedestrian crossings (both green man and zebra crossing), those on foot and on two wheels must be reminded:a. Do not assume right of wayb. Practice stop-look-go at all crossingsc. Pay attention to moving vehiclesd. Cross only when approaching vehicle has come to a complete stop
3. Key messages for cyclists. We recognize a bicycle is also a vehicle, and hence subject to the same rules as other road users.a. Observe all traffic rulesb. Keep to the left lane, unless changing direction of travelc. Do not hog the laned. Use hand signals to signal your intention

Engaging the Hard-to-reach Road Users (e.g. Foreign workers, aunties and uncles)These groups are the ones with the lowest level of road preparedness, skills and etiquette, but there's no denying them the right to use the roads. Incentive could be given out in the form of a pair of lights (front+back) when they sign up and attend a road safety course. A pair of durable bicycle lights can be had for $3 - a small investment that will reap benefits many times it's cost. It helps to have lights on a FW's bike when he's riding towards you in the darkness, dressed in nothing but black.

Making Road Safety a part of Education Curriculum
Numerous traffic calming measures introduced in other countries will work very well in our setting.
Factors (b), (c) and (d) above can be addressed via active road user education.
Factor (e) - We urge LTA to urgently re-evaluate existing zebra crossing designs before something terribly tragic happens. In road design, speed and capacity should never be more important than safety
.Majority of our roads are not only cyclist-unfriendly, the road designs also puts cyclists in extreme danger. Multi-lane one way roads force some cyclists to ride against traffic, because the 'legitimate' route to their destination sometimes adds considerable number of kilometers of distance and additional travel time. A cyclist travelling down Orchard Road who wishes to turn into Penang Lane have to cut across 5 lanes of fast-flowing traffic. We can work with LTA to identify such hotspots and address possible changes / measures that will help enhance safety.Law:
Enforcement against errant drivers needs to be stepped up further. Zebra crossing offences are on the rise, and offenders are getting away because no one polices the crossings.Enforcement against errant cyclists should also be stepped up, especially against those who beat the red lights and those who ride against flow of traffic. In cities like London, a ticketed cyclist can either pay up or attend a road safety course. This is an example we can emulate - we should not collect fines for the sake of collecting fines, all effort should be made to turn that into an opportunity to re-educate road users.

Good habits are best taught to the young, as they more readily internalize the lessons taught. Early engagement with the right education is an effective way to cultivate a road culture with all the positive qualities we'd like to see. Furthermore, the young can influence their family and friends, and can be a powerful network for information dissemination.

Currently, our school-going children only spend a grand total of ONE day on road safety throughout their entire six years of primary education. We can achieve much more by making road safety education an annual event for students in P1-P6. Much as other subjects, new skills and knowledge are introduced progressively across the years, and old skills and knowledge are reinforced. The Bikeability program run by the UK Dept for Transport (the equivalent of MoT) or Bike School SG's Bike Smart are highly structured cycling safety education programmes which are worth a deeper look.
This education programme should also be extended to students from secondary and tertiary levels, as the teenage years are when they gain more independence and begin to take to the roads by themselves.
Infrastructure:

A reminder to all road users to share the roads. Maybe paint a bike logo over the bus lane, or install road signs to remind all motorists to share the roads. The signs installed in Sentosa is a good example. This also serves to reinforce the message that use of road is not the exclusive rights of motorised vehicles only.
Our infrastructure has not kept pace with technology and behavioural shifts:
a) Modern vehicles suspension systems are so advanced and the cabins so well insulated that painted road strips neither cause discomfort nor slow vehicles down.
b) Drivers have to deal with multiple technological distractions while driving - GPS unit, central LCD console, mobile phone, LCD TV - in addition to passengers in the cars
c) Pedestrians on foot have a tendency to talk on their phone, deeply engrossed with listening to music, or worse, bury their faces in the smartphone oblivious to the danger in their surroundings.
d) It is not uncommon to see a Foreign Worker cycling with a mobile phone stuck to his ear or worse, texting while cycling!
e) Our pedestrian & zebra crossings are underwhelmingly underdesigned for safety - no features currently exist that force a vehicle to slow down without choice.

(a)+(b)+(c)+(d)+(e) = a lethal mix of causes and factors that will result in fatal accidents.
Factor (a) - We cannot undo technological advances by car manufacturers, but we can implement new road mechanisms to enhance the sensory feedback to drivers.
An examples was given where TP has been sending out mixed messages to cyclists - a family was ticketed/warned for cycling on the pavement in Sengkang, and again while they were cycling on the roads in Tampines. Clearly, TP needs to be clear with regards to rules, and be consistent when it comes to enforcement.
Clarifications are needed regarding 1. Cycling in bus lanes 2. Cycling on viaducts and 3. Cycling on pavements.

Re-evaluate qualifying conditions for overseas drivers license conversion.The current process for converting a foreign drivers license into a Singapore license fails to take into account the cultural background of the driver. Eastern Europe, Russia, China, for example, have very different driving cultures from ours. For example, we see a lot of bus drivers from PRC who drive aggressively merely because it is acceptable for them to do so in where they come from! All foreign licensed drivers should go through and pass a cultural immersion course before being allowed to drive on our roads.

Compiled by Calvin Boo 22 Feb 2013

Bike to work, Swee Chay

Smiling and abit sweaty.. but definitely a healthy choice!

Cycling to work seems to be a very foreign concept in Singapore. But I know it is changing... helped of course by the sky high COE and increasingly unreliable public transport....
I was pleasantly surprised to meet Swee Chay at the traffic junction while I walked from IMM carpark(yes, I am sad pathetic guy who drives.. dude.. I stay in Punggol and have to drop my kid.. what do u think??) to my workplace at Dell IBP.
Swee Chay has recently been mixed commuting(cycle and jog) to work. His choice of bike is the normal Carrefour bicycle with a big basket on the front. It is not pretty but it certainly works. Looking at his smiles, I think he is making a damm good choice! Ride on sir!

MTB equipped with fenders front and rear plus a big basket

"Tar Glamm" ?? But it bloody hell works! 

Green man and he poodles along.. look at those leg muscles! 

LCSG servicing workshop @ Punggol

Folks helping out Lovecyclingsg community to make the steel horses we ride safe and in tip top condition.  Not by a theory lesson but a live "getting their hands dirty" approach which we find works better.

We gathered at Punggol MRT, Blk 272 multi purpose hall and practised under the supervision of George Lim and many experienced helpers.

We tackled the most commonly faced issues. One most common issue is the tyre puncture and had everyone change out/check the inner tube and reinstall them back. Lots of fumbling on the tubes and how to use the hand pump to get the tyre the right pressure.  But all agreed, it was good to learn under shade and instruction.. so that when "murphy" comes at the least expected moment... they are at least equipped with the skillset to change the tyre.

In addition, safety aspects of proper brake adjustments, gearing were covered and done by the riders themselves.  The riders also had a close look over their bicycles, checking each components (guided by the LCSG Angels) and how to look out for impending trouble. 

It was an awesome effort and done in a very LCSG Kampong style. Lots of sweat, dirty hands and grease but every one was smiling. Love it!

Many thanks to Encik George Lim, Keng Yong, Alvin Wong, Khairul, Keng Yong, Stanley Kum, Vince li, Zack, Steve Tan, Uncle KC and Steven Tang for helping teach the folks.

More photos here

Folks helping folks! 

Ming tian helping out Cindy 

Main lecturer and demostrater. Encik George sharing and demoing what to do and look out for

Steve sharing the finer points on Derailuer adjustments

Keng Yong helping a fellow rider out

I do, I learn. Confirm!