Cyclist involved in road accident 30th Jan 2013

This involved a motorbike and cyclist. oh god.

Cycling makes you fit - Steven Tang

Steven rides everyday, everywhere. 

This is Steven Tang whom I met around 3 years ago at a trip to Bintan.  Wow... what a change! I think he looks even younger and more handsome. Ok, the house is abit more "crowded"... but thats ok!  Well done bro!!

In his actual words. "Hi guys this is how I looked 3 years ago Weighing about 115Kg, Waist 44, Shirt size XXXL. Now I am 95Kg, Waist 38 and Shirt size XL. All thanks to cycling. Maybe if I don't eat so much, I might looked like Uncle KC hehe?"

Steven's daily posting of food... he eats like Rambo

Calvin Boo shares his thoughts

Photo contributed by folks from LCSG

‎:: This got buried in another thread on CNA, so I'm posting this here. Feel free to share it ::

Another tragic accident, and another round of flaming (and mostly baseless) criticisms flung at each other.
Honestly, I'm sick of hearing all the same self-centred arguments. The attitude of some of you out there behind the wheels of motorized vehicles are plain disturbing. To those who say cyclists don't belong on the roads, please educate yourself with the Road Traffic Act before you utter another foolish word. To those with the "I pay therefore I have the right" entitlement mindset, well, let's just say you've been taught all the wrong values, and you can blame whoever is responsible for your upbringing and education.

We can talk about rules, laws, rights, and what-have-you. We can go in endless circles debating the nuances of every letter of the law, of every parliamentary speech, of whatever is written by anyone on whatever forum, facebook page, blog and so on. But there's no winning any argument if we take the microscopic view - as the saying goes, don't lose the forest for the trees.

Personally, it boils down to this one principle - HAVE A HEART, RESPECT LIFE.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever your social status, whatever vehicle you are piloting, please respect life. The big must always give way to the small.

That rider on the bicycle is a human - that is a man or a woman, a boy or a girl, a living breathing seeing hearing person with father, mother, brothers, sisters, friends and many other loved ones, someone with emotions, a sum of all his / her history, someone with future. That rider is not just a cyclist. That rider could be your family, your friend, someone connected to you, someone whom you may connect with in the not-too-distant future, someone who may become a part of your life.

It doesn't matter what the law or rules says; you just have to apply simple logic - if you see a vulnerable road user, take extra caution, slow down and cause no harm; if you see one in danger, slow down, stop and do what you need to do to save a life, maybe even stop to assist.

If you lack the basic human decency to respect the law of the road and another road user's life, may the creator, the cycle of life, the power of karma -- whatever force of creation you choose to believe in -- help you, and pray hard that you or your loved ones will not fall victim to another driver with the same attitude as yours.

The powers-that-be must stop their "don't care" attitude. So many lives have been lost unnecessarily. Our roads are rarely patrolled, and reckless drivers are now running riot all over. If the laws imposed harsh deterrent mandatory jail terms, irreverent attitudes towards vulnerable road users will change. Unfortunately, the courts have so far only shown that cyclists lives are nothing but cheap. Laws protect life, laws protect the vulnerable. Stop the lip service, please get off your comfortable chairs and out of your ivory towers - it's high time to take immediate and concrete steps to stop this continuing manslaughter on our roads.

Safety and peace to all

Adriane's Open letter to folks who can make a difference

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister Lui Tuck Yew and Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim,

I write this letter with a heavy heart and great reluctance as I pondered if I should publish this letter since I penned it last night upon hearing of the accident at Tampines. You see I do not particularly enjoy having to write letters of this nature but I felt that this message has to be made to yourself and the authorities, a message that road users have been making for a long time, that being protect the vulnerable on the roads.

By now everyone knows that yesterday, two boys age 13 and 10 that were cycling near their school had their lives tragically ended violently by a cement mover truck. Until the facts of the matter are ascertained, we might not know the true circumstances of the accident now. What we do however know are a mother lost two sons while they were doing something as innocent as cycling in all places, Tampines the nation’s first “cycling town” 50 m from their school.

Since Mr. Freddie Khoo’s passing after being struck down by a truck in 2012, Parliamentary Secretary Mohammed Faishal Ibrahim was tasked by Minister Lui Tuck Yew to look into the matter of road safety.

However has the efforts been been lacking or are there gaps, for why does it seem we are seeing more instead of less accidents involving larger vehicles and two wheelers be it motorised and non motorised taking place since. A young boy was injured by a truck at circuit road last year and just last week a lorry was caught on film tailgating and swerving into a female motorcyclist leaving her with a broken arm. In addition how many more accidents are there that never make it to the news? Not downplaying previous accidents but today’s accident is the most heart rending and shocking to date for a mother to have to face the tragic loss of two sons today in such a violent and abrupt manner.

This time the accident victims are not some “sports cyclist in lycra” travelling along side traffic moving at a higher speed on a major road as the fatal accidents before. It is two young children riding in a CYCLING TOWN of all places, in a neighbour hood road where traffic users are meant to be watchful of other more vulnerable users on these small roads, in a school zone where speeds are regulated.

We do not need knee jerk responses such as "step up road safety education and work with the police and the Land Transport Authority on further measures to enhance safety" as stated by Minster Heng. Measures that are only short lived and offer no long term solution.We do not want to scramble into saving measures after accidents have taken place but we want measures to be taken before they happen. For after all no matter how much we do now, we cannot give a mother back her two sons rather should we not prevent this from even happening.

What We need now is the government to have foresight, to look ahead and identify the key areas and groups at risk that needs to be addressed. Education for all road users especially the most vulnerable namely the silent majority that being young children, elderly and foreign workers? Public campaigns and education to drivers? Road design for safety of all users and public infrastructure? Ensure safe interaction between road users? The list goes on and it will be hard work but what we need to identity now is what needs to be done urgently to break this cycle of traffic accidents for they seem to be occuring at an alarming rate. One life lost is one too many and yesterday we lost two young ones in one sweep.

We have to act now for no amount of apologies can bring a life back but the foresight and determination to make things right can prevent more lives from being lost.

2 brothers killed by a Cement Trucker at Tampines

Yesterday evening, I was greeted with a very sad news. First from Lovecyclingsg Facebook... later in the SG media. It involved 2 school kids and a cement truck.  

Seriously. How many more need to die? It happened 50m from the School for heavens sake! I can't imaging the trauma and anguish for their parents. 

Also on the news was that the junction was known to be dangerous and heavy with traffic.  Dangerous and nothing is being done?  Specific to this location, what about a "School Zone" speed limit? This is done in many countries like States and Australia. Speed limit are enforced strictly and the speed for the area are slowed down with addition speed stripes, raised ramp platforms. 

No matter how safe a cyclist ride, we are still at a losing end of the deal. Thats how it is. I don't like it but that the way it is.  

To Drivers, please please watch out for cyclists. It might be a slight scratch on your bumper but your action have great consequences. 

To Cyclists friends, please please be on your guard and watch out.  Dont' ride like you are invincible. We got only our senses to keep us safe. 

How it looks at home

Photo by my friend Bing taken at Shanghai 2011

It has been a very hectic 3 weeks at work which is why the updates on my blog has stopped. 
Anyway, here's sharing a photo which I kept on my desktop for a while. One thing for sure, it will not win any photo award. But strangely (for me at least) there is something that just cracks me up and interest me a lot. 
It is is about the bike, a folding bike for that matter. Draped with clothes and standing there with a wedding photo hanging on the wall. It felt like the top of the line treadmill or excer-cycle which at one point of our lives, we considered/ bought. Then it became a really expensive clothes hanger...  modern lives, modern problems. Ha ha...  
Another thought that bubbled in my mind.. imagine how a bicycle could be designed if it was to fit a home environment. Maybe with a power generator to help charge the phones as u cycle(in a wet weather) or the bicycle can be stored standing vertically up(save space)... hmmm good product ideas  
I reflect on my personal situation. Having got into cycling, my stable of bicycles grew and grew. Luckily and amazingly, for 3 years now I have been cycling regularly and rotating the bicycles. Not so much logging crazy mileage but a consistent 10km (min daily).  This half hour ride is more stress therapy-ish and a good time to just  sweat a little. 
So what is a bicycle to you? Is it just a commuting tool, or a stress buster? Love to hear your story. 

Open Letter to CEO SBS Transit, CEO SMRT, Minister of Transport, Parl Sec for Transport

Open Letter to CEO SBS Transit, CEO SMRT, Minister of Transport, Parl Sec for Transport

Calvin is a cyclocommuter in Singapore. Yes. There is such a thing there in Singapore and more are taking to cycling to work.  This is what he face at times on the road. Do u have the same problem?  Things are not moving and he decided to send a message to those who can effect change. Let's see if there will be a reply.  This is what he wrote.

to: ceo@sbstransit.com.sg, desmondkuek@smrt.com.sg, MUHAMMAD_FAISHAL@MOH.GOV.SG, LUI_TUCK_YEW@MOT.GOV.SG

cc: hock_yong_chew@lta.gov.sg, mcslim@lta.gov.sg, IRENENG@ISEAS.EDU.SG, TEO_SER_LUCK@MTI.GOV.SG, safecyclesg@gmail.com

Dear CEO SBS Transit and CEO SMRT,

I write to you on behalf of all cyclists who have been belittled, bullied and even run off the roads by your bus drivers on the road.

Within the past week, I managed to capture two incidents involving your bus drivers on video (see link below). I have written to SBS Transit in the past regarding similar incidences (ref: 2012/Feb/0666 & 2012/Jan/1692).

SMRT bus drivers, though not captured in this video, are equally guilty of the same boorish behaviour. I submitted a feedback via the SMRT website on regarding an incident involving Service #852 TIB671X on 11 Oct 2012, but received not a single reply. How very appalling.

This is not meant to generalize all bus drivers as road bullies - in fact, most drivers whom I encounter are courteous and considerate - but it only takes a few black sheep in your entire pool of bus drivers to tarnish the good work of the others, and endanger the lives of all whom they encounter on the roads.

As public transport operators, both of you have the biggest number of big vehicles collectively plying our roads from dawn to midnight, and you owe every road user the diligence and duty to operate the vehicles with due consideration for our safety, especially the vulnerable ones on foot or on two wheels.

None of us wish to be fodder for the wheels of your buses, so please educate your drivers to give way and to give room (1.5 metres is all we ask, and that is in the driving theory book) when they are around vulnerable road users. A little consideration and patience saves lives.

Dear Minister Lui and Dr Faishal,

I was there at one of the LTMP focus group discussions in Oct/Nov last year. You have already publicly stated your priority for off-road cycling, and not road cycling. Not a word has been heard since the discussions ended, but I am not waiting with bated breath to hear any good news from you or from LTA.

But I do hope this video (see link below) will convey very clearly the hair-raising encounters cyclists have to endure everyday on our roads, and maybe earn some of your empathy to re-think your position. No, we do not want, nor even wish for, a dedicated bicycle lane; all that most of us ask for are more stringent laws and harsher sentences that will incentivize good driver behaviour and which will serve to protect our backs. The sentences meted out in accidents where drivers have killed cyclists only shows how grossly cheap our lives are. In mind-boggling contrast, a petty thief gets more jail time than a drunk driver who takes the life of a cyclist.

This I say with no disrespect, Sirs - You can choose to address a very real and existent problem, or just simply ignore it. If you opt for the latter, the next time the life of another road cyclist is cruelly taken, I hope you will remember that you HAD the power to save lives.

I have uploaded a video of the two incidences to Youtube http://youtu.be/g3O2RwgBqQg for your edification. Watch carefully, and do try to imagine the 4-foot tall spinning bus wheels passing alongside you just inches away - that is certainly not a nice place where you would want to be.

Sincerely,

Calvin Boo

Small win for cycling at Garden by the bay

This made me smile yesterday. 

Multi Pronged LCSG ride 6th Jan 2012

LCSG @ Ghim Moh Market-- Photo Credit  Francis Chu

Yeahhh! - Photo Credit  Francis Chu

Nice!    Photo Credit  Francis Chu

All the pattern come out... when we do the pose! - Photo Credit  Francis Chu

Question. What do you do when a group grows bigger and to avoid causing a jam on the road.  The solution. A "multi pronged" start point.
One from the East(Paya Lebar), one from Central(Bishan/thomson) and one from the west(Jurong Lake). Meeting at Ghim moh market... and it worked brilliantly! We will try more multi prong start point come 2013.  Here are some photos taken from all of LCSG team of the wonderful Sunday ride.

LCSG West siders @ Jurong Lake briefing before start of the ride. Photo credit Darren Siow  

Westies rolling towards Ghim moh market     Photo credit Darren Siow

Beautiful shot by Darren Siow 

Esther and Joeel with their super duper ltd ed tees!  Photo credit Darren Siow

Too early so they took their own LCSG shot!             Photo credit Darren Siow

Learnings today: Make it fun, try things differently. It should work. :)
West side photos here and here 
East Side tbd... 

30th Dec 2012 _ LCSG last ride for 2012

no one except us.. due to the rain

From Left - Jasper, Eddie, Keng Yong, George Lim. Stanley

Ride briefing before moving out

Sean with his single speed Brompton. 

Meeting at Punggol Mrt and an easy ride around Punggol water way to Seletar airbase. Sweet and simple.. except in the early morning it rained. We didn't know if anyone would turn up but they did. As we started off, the rain stopped which was nice and cooling. It also meant that we had Punggol water way  solely to ourselves. After taking the LCSG pose near the soon to be built Punggol Waterfront Condo, we rode slowly to Seletar in the direction of yishun dam.

Punggol Waterway all to ourselves!

Brenenda and her trusty Brompton

Beautiful people with beautiful smiles

Fat bike out to play!

seconds before Debbie's flat... 

he was bored.....

Ming Tian, Stanley, Jasper helping to repair the flat... 

Debbie brompton had a puncture and many helpful folks stepped up to help. Unfortunately, the inner tubes were pinched and she had to take a taxi back. We really tried.. but super heng.. 2 inner tubes got sheared off by the sharp valve hole...  To make it even more heng.. the taxi also had a flat after Debbie got in...

Breakfast at Jalan Kayu and overall a nice and relaxed sunday ride. More photos here 

Dinner treat for LCSG Angels - ending 2012

A simple dinner gathering at my home to thank a select group of folks. I call them LCSG angels as they have spent an extraordinary amount of time, effort to make LCSG event/rides the way it is.
Very causal yet organised.  Helping to sweep, ride alongside the weaker, not so confident riders. Encouraging and smiling. All with out asking for anything in return.  Week after week, month after month. This is the real magic and dedication.

Buffet dinner spread for the tireless Angels

Peeking into my "cave"

We had a good time chatting (what else mainly bicycles) over a simple buffet. From cycling, we became friends. Lovecyclingsg is a free communal cycling platform which Francis, myself with a few designer friends kick-started back 2010.  Never did we expect this would take a life of its own but it did. It is easy to say it just happen but really these are the folks who made it come alive. Really.

From cycling we became friends! 

So I want to say. Thank you LCSG Angels for everything. And for taking this wonderful journey with me  Happy 2013!
More photos here