First Lovecyclingsg ride of 2015

Time flies. I visited the old national stadium back in 2010. That was also the first time e rowde as a collective - Lovecyclingsg. I was not sure if anyone would  turn up but they did.  Fast forward, 4th Jan 2015 we had 100+ riders joining us for a ride. Starting from the same point... but now it is named Sportshub. Photos here. 

Back in 2010 - from Left GL, Sitoh, Boo, TC, Adrian, Amy, Francis

100 joined us for a sunday ride... too many to name but fun folks!

Darth Vader would feel right at home here

I guess the concept of playing tourists in our own back yard resonates very well with the community.
The easy going nature of Lovecyclingsg really helps to ease newbie riders to take that first step. We can see father bringing their kids... 

Lam with his son

Or  simply meeting new friends. 

Anna from Poland with Aunty Audrey

Families turning up to ride together.

I really love the kampong (community) spirit we have built up slowly over the years. It's  very precious and yet its free! For riders by riders. Hope we will have many more years of LCSG!  Will you help me continue the momentum?

Last day ride of 2010

Last day of 2010...and Lun texted me to ride the night before as he got his new Dahon Foldie. How to disappoint a friend... so we arranged to meet Matt at Fort road to do a leisurely ride to Singapore river area. I also wanted to show Lun the old stadium and a shortcut. However, the Stadium has been torn down and the area is in a whole mess. So sad and glad I got to see the stadium one last time...  u can see the blog entry here http://smallwheelsbigsmile.blogspot.com/2010/09/national-stadium-mbs-and-marina-barrage.html

bye bye National Stadium!

As we reached F1 garages, we were pleasantly surprised to see some nice giant mobile sculptures.. I think they are for the Chingay procession. The workers were busy preparing them and we got up close and personal to see how they made them. Great stuff!  Lun was very surprised at the rate of the changes happening in the city and remarked only with a bike that he can cover so much ground and see all the stuff in detail...yes, thats why I love bikes! For those who havent tried this route... pls go and see the beautiful marina bay area and ride along the SG river.. it is a must go route. On the return leg, we found this old warehouse near Martin road where according to Lun, it used to be a very popular tea dance place...and we explored the inside. It was empty and nice place for photography. Later, we even visited TR bikes at lor batu... and found Sitoh good friend fixing his bike..He also showed us the true way to stop a fixie... using his shoes! Personally, I still prefer my brakes.. but thats no street cred :)....  So there....a nice relax ride with 2 friends on foldies. Thank you 2010 for a wonderful year! Hello 2011!

More photos here

 

Matt and Lun with mobile sculptures

Carved from Foam

3bikes and the new garden park

Lun and his Dahon

Zipping in the warehouse

Matt

Tinkering away at TR bikes

Chris Yee showing his special braking method

Really... I saw him do that... 

National Stadium, MBS and Marina barrage ride -19th Sept 2010

Sunday again and time to ride! Joining us for the first time is GL on a Flamingo London and Boo on her Trek MTB.  Kudos to GL, who is from Woodlands and made the trip to national stadium. He was the first one there... and early he was.. 7am to be exact. Boo on the other hand rode all the way from Bedok.. and make me embarrassed. Me and Sitoh took the easy way there.. by MRT. If u haven't tried taking ur foldie to the MRT, u are really missing out a great deal. Anyway...

We had a quick breakfast at Kallang Mac Donald's and headed to the first place of interest. The great Kallang stadium.  As we closed in to the place, u can feel the "presence"... I remembered the crowds lining to go into the stadium and the bustling of activities. But today there was just Francis, Tah ching, Amy, Adrian, Sitoh , Boo , GL and Myself.  We loiter at the steps not know if we should go in... then GL just bumbled along and found a gate unlocked and we were in!  We rode around full perimeter and absorbed in all the details. Most of the stuff are already gone but the memories are still there,  triggered by the pillars, walls and big seiko clock. Inside the stadium, overlooking the soccer field, the wooden benches are stripped and piled in nicely on the ground( what was formerly the track) It was a sad sight seeing the great stadium being tear down. Well, I suppose everything changes and when it is time to go.. it is time to go.  Bye bye National stadium, Thanks for all the memories..  I will remember u! 

The next spot is the MBS. We snaked along the river and made abit of detour as the SG F1 race is happening and there are big fences around the town... this is not good for bicycles... but we will find a way.  At the helical bridge, it was another photo opportunity and we snapped away. I still can't understand the design rational of the helical bridge. To me it is a royal waste of steel and just horrible demonstration of design for design sake..  From the bridge, we could see MBS almost completed and rode towards the wooden broad walk. MBS shops are mostly open but it was more quiet as it was still early in the morning.  I am guessing that this place would look magical at nite... maybe another ride to see this. 

From MBS, the route to Marina barrage was uneventful. Not a nice ride here as there was quite a lot of trucks shuffling dirt...Add the sun to the equation.. we just hit it and reached the barrage quickly.  No one knew if we could cycle to the "top" floor garden.. but we all wanted to..  So we snaked in casually to the the quite corner and just rode up. The view was lovely and many kites in the sky. Sitoh was telling us that this is now the place for students to fly kite and eat home made bee hoon..  Well, if i can do this over again, I will time my ride to reach just before sunset... I think the city lights would look really nice from here.  It was getting around to noon and very hot.. we headed back by crossing the barrage and doing some MTB terrain riding.. and exited at Fort road junction. Then it was a quite zip to Kallang indoor stadium bridge and ended at old airport road food market.  Francis and I had the  superb Wanton mee, while Boo had carrot cake.. the rest just drink sugarcane as it was just too hot. 

Ok, think I must be boring everyone with the details..   Pictures of the ride and look forward to more friends joining! 

Live to ride, ride to eat! 

from Left, GL, Alvin, Boo,TC, Adrian,Amy and Francis

Got tickets? 

turnstile stopped turning

bye bye National stadium, "referee Kayu" will never be the same again! 

Bicycle rules!

Clock still works though

wahhhh...

GL and his Flamingo

a lap for all the memories!

GL doing a lap too.

Alvin in Hero Stance

inside the stadium, sans planks

Track is gone too

left this lonely piece.. what should I do? :)

Adrian and Fixie VS TC with MTB..see Fixies and MTB can co-exist!

Amy at MBS broadwalk

Boo with her Trek

the helix bridge I cant understand..

al fresco haircut

beautiful view at Marina barrage

Francis and Adrian at the 2nd level

kites in the sky

Francis and his Zen look

Roarrr!

yeah.. like army man..this is fun!

my motivation for the ride.. old airport road wanton noodles

I prefer carrot cake!

Chee cheong fun and sugar cane juice!

cheng teng for me!

19th Sept Sun- Ride to National stadium, MBS and Marina barrage

Hi all, This will be the National stadium ride. Meet at Kallang mac donalds at 0730 am. We will go and say our goodbyes to the old stadium, take some pictures. Following this we will head towards to MBS see the helical bridge and then to Marina barrage.  Distance total covered will be 10km and we will adjust according depending on our feeling.  I am thinking of old airport road famous wanton noodles.. it is really good. :)

For those who like to join us, pls send me a msg at twwoon@singnet.com.sg so I will wait for u.
See u there!

Confirmed riders
Taiwoon
Adrian
Francis
Lun  Lun Tan
Sitoh with his new shiny Flamingo

Most prob
Rodney

Maybe
Thomas
Amy

Remembering an old friend

from today online - workers tearing out the planks

The conversation started innocently enough when I reached my workplace and chatting with my cycling kaki Adrian.  "So where to this week?" Adrian asked.. "Erh dun know maybe Potong pasir ride along the river toward AMK and to Thomson road to see the monkeys.. the real ones." I suggested.  Then it was off to the usual work, emails and meetings... like clock work.

Nearing lunch time, Adrian spotted a website that had a photo of the national stadium. It was the workers stripping off the wooden planks. And sparked off a discussion of how it would be gone for good. And it reminded me that when things are gone, it is gone. This time, there will be no fireworks and singing..they are stripping the place as we speak.  So there, we got a really memorable place to visit this sunday. The great national stadium.

My memories of  National stadium are most vivid when I was in poly where we would all go and see Singapore play in the Semi pro league. Once reached Kallang MRT, there will be singing and hordes of fans walking everywhere.  United we were... like ants.  One occasion, it was raining like crazy and all were running towards the stadium... visibility were low and we just ran...then a loud "thong"rang out. A very lucky guy had hit a low barrier straight on... and was lying on the ground, for awhile. Then picked himself out and started to run and yell... it was amazing to see what football does to people.

Inside the stadium, memories of the curry pok man.. It is funny thinking about it that the simple curry puff taste so good in the stadium. Of course the highlight was when some SG player was tripped and the ref did not blow the whistle.. The whole stadium would shake and curse the ref "kelong" and all his 20 generations. All in the spirit of football of course.

Now if u see the current stage of SG football... it is really sad. Funny now that they have all the snazzy logos, technology and stadiums.. it bores me to death.  I watched once but slept through the game.  The feeling really isn't the same. Somehow I can't connect Sengkang united playing off Gombak united..  Bring back the Singapore VS Selangor, anytime.  And I will miss the Kallang roar.. oh man..

So Thank you,  National stadium for the memories. I will see u on Sunday!

here is the article on today online... have a read..
http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC100908-0000070/No-collectors-items-for-sale-as-National-Stadium-is-torn-down