Bike hack: U-lock weight.

Was climbing a hill and took a break... And when  I looked around I saw the above. An old U-lock re-purposed as a weight. Not much of a hack but it was something that caught my eye. One thing's for sure... U-locks are heavy!

Following behind.

Following a fellow commuter has many advantages! I sometimes get caught in a commuter race and edge pass a fellow commuter only to be overtaken later but an experienced move on the other commuter's part.

What good move? Like using the pavements in heavy traffic (sure you can zig zag through the traffic, but it's really dangerous. Espeacialy with Singaporean drivers not used to cyclists on the roads), or taking an alternate "short-cut", or a line without pot holes! All true stories! hahaha.

It's times when I'm tired and just lag behind other commuters that i realize that most of these commuters are much more experienced than me, and they know a thing or two about the route. So the next time you see a commuter ahead of you, try following them!

But dun be stalkerish! Duh! Following others is easier, irresistible even. Provided you are following instinct, aka the opposite sex.

Repost : The Sea.

Last weekend I took my bike and headed for a recce ride to Hiroshima. It was supposedly 50km away and I just wanted to ride about 50 round trip so i figured halfway would be good. Since I get lost so often.

I lost I did... I was supposed to head north into a valley surrounded by mountains but instead I went west to the coast line. And oh my god. It was beautiful.

Being born and bred in Singapore you would think we are no strangers to the sea, but when all the buildings disappeared and I could see the sea, I just stood there looking out. The serenity was unparalleled , open sea, nice afternoon sun, and as far as I was concerned there were no people/ cars/boats around. Sweet. Now I'm thinking to ride my weekend away to the next town by the coastline.... The town is 100km away... 200km ride on a bike that is held together by a paper bag.... Hmmm...

 

edit: not sure how this post ended up as a separate page, so i'm reposting it.

Tags: Beach in Hiroshima, Cycling to the beach in Hiroshima, Japan

Crank Arm Steady (CAS)

Crank Arm Steady is probably the No.1 Fixed Gear blog in Singapore right now, they regularly post rider profiles, rides and my favourites: videos! Most of which I made by young film makers with great talent and often "doing" their own stunts in the vids. Ride on guys!

Night lights.

Without flash

With Flash.

 

The 3 LEDs would probably last forever and they are charged in the day by small solar panels beside the LEDs. Lighting that is self sustainable. Cool.

Though, I wonder why did the designers choose blue... Its a bit dull, but I guess its cool :) Cycling on that particular path at night is a little dangerous without these light, about 2 metres off the track is the river :) And I'm guessing street lights for the path would cost too much. Practical and cost efficient!

Vroom vroom

What bike did you say you ride again?

A Kawasaki KDX260.

Can't say I have heard of that model before, it has a 260cc engine?

It's pistons are my legs, :)

What the? Just show me the bike!

Sweeeeeeeeeet.



weekdays = work...

The ride to Onomichi

Take your pick, which bike will you choose for this 72km Epic-ish ride?





Ramps like these make up more than what feels like half of the entire ride! One before the bridge and one after, of course going down those ramps were pretty fun. Initial D music was playing in my head.



Probably the best view I have seen in my life, the first and largest of the 7 bridges! Breathtaking! Cycling up the mad incline was worth every drop of sweat!

If you have the fear of heights, you probably wouldn't go on the view platform... It was really scary hahaha.

Each bridge has a toll system (yes even bicycles), but it was an honour based system. Meaning no one was going to enforce the rule, you are just supposed to have enough integrity to pay those tolls yourself and deposit the coupons here. :) Don't you just love cyclists!

The underbelly of another one of those 7 bridges, such a unique sight!

This particular bridge has the bicycle path under it (as compared to a pavement on the other 6 bridges... Pretty cool! And a definite welcome away from the rain. Yes it was raining halfway through the ride! Make the ride more epic!I had made it 72km in 6 hours, 1.5 hours was used to climb the mad incline to the crazy good view. why 6 hours? I rented the bike at 12noon and they said I have to return it at 6pm. yikes! I figured my average speed was about 20km/h... Was really pushing myself too, after climbing for 1.5 hours anyone's thighs would have been burning. Ouch!

Tags: cycling from imabari to onomichi, Cycling in Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan, sunrise itoyama rental

High security labels for bicycles

As quoted from the Straits Times...

Under the initiative, residents who own bicycles can obtain tamper-proof labels which contain security features. They are also encouraged to register the labels in the online Bicycle Identification System administered by Tampines Town Council.

Said Tampines GRC Member of Parliament Irene Ng: 'With more residents owning bicycles and using it as a mode of transport, we thought it will benefit our residents to work with the police to launch the bicycle security labels in Tampines."

Read more about the article here.

1. How tamper-proof is it exactly?

I don't see how something like below will help :



2. Will it cost commuters?

3. It is a mammoth task ahead, and its good news...

Share await the results!

The accidental find : Hiroshima Velodome

I was riding to Hiroshima port and on the way I saw a sign that said Hiroshima Velodrome... Sweet.





The "welcome" sign said something about it being close in March, I dun read Jap but the security guard told me so. Not that I speak much Jap either...



Are they trying to make it more appealing to young people?



What it looks like outside... The security wouldn't let me in to view the drome... Sad...

Now if I had been on a Bus or a Train, I would probably not have seen the sign and even if I did, I could probably have to plan a whole separate trip to go check it out!

Where will you ride? Surfaces

[polldaddy poll=4741293]

I often find myself all over the place, checking for traffic, avoiding pedestrains, children the elderly especially...

Simply to just save a few seconds off my commute... Hmmm... Gotta rethink my strategy...

Radical Stimulus: Getting closer to nature.

Riding a bike can bring you so much closer to nature, a few days I rode pass a quiet stretch of road and saw some small cheery blossoms (Sakuras) flowering... Such a beautiful sight!

Many times, I have simply just stopped to enjoy scenery, come to think of it... I should stop and admire the Sakuras that I see on my commute to work. Just absorb it all in! After all these beautiful sights only last all but 2 weeks.

Just riding your bicycle and enjoying nature is really relaxing, the sights of green (Pink for Sakuras!), smells, rivers, and even people watching... Enjoy your commute guys!

Frames

A modern bridge's under belly of metal frames, a small letter "n" concrete frame, as if framing the bicycle in a picture, the shadow of the concrete pillar, and finally the bicycle's own body frame. How many frames?

1 FPS, 4 seconds. Random, work is piling up...

tags: bicycle frame and bridge frame, a synergy

The awe for the single speed.

Just look at it, even cooler and more hip than the cruiser.

Simple, modern, low maintenance, fast.

 

A medium lock for a city that hardly has thefts... I grade this lockup B+, if it were in Singapore the wheels would probably be gone the next day. a C- grade in Sg. Dun lock just the frame, lock the rear wheel as well :)

Iwakuni

Okay, the bridge is pretty cool. But that's about it.

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Now that's what I call a ride... I got lost here and there... And somehow managed to get on a road leading to a toll-paying road?!?! Reminded me of Malaysia roads... Long up and downs and "filled" with potholes... Lol.

On the way back I got so bored and started spinning at 90 rpm got into the rhythm and at some points spun at 100rpm...

Full outer and spun out = bliss

While coasting to recover and got overtaken by a girl on a foldie... Priceless...

EPIC RIDE, I KNOW WHY I LOVE CYCLING FAST AND HARD AGAIN!

Bikes-bikes-bikes

Bikes-bikes-bikes

A local mountain biker, with occasional posts, videos with an often quirky side of representing his rides.

Always inspires me to go offroad! Do give him a visit!

A Bike path by the sea.

Taken in the evening, just before it got dark... A Sunset without the Sun, at dusk. No filters, just iPhone 4 Magic. I like how calm the picture feels. Like I'm sitting right there staring out into the sea, love the background of mountains :)



Along the bike path was this wet patch, just as I moved off after taking this picture, a small splash and turned around to see the sea crashing against the wall of the beach and up onto the path. People at the north east of Japan, we hope you are ok. Be strong.



Love the sides that looks like mini cliffs.



A small beach in the middle of the path... Take care all, I'm fine here in Japan if you guys are concerned.

Leaving a note by a bike you fancy...

I spotted this bike on the way to dinner.... It's name was delightful... There was no lock... And it was up against some rubbish. The seat was gone and the tires deflated... It totally got my attention... What looks like a street geometry, street tires, street single speed setup, street riser, street stem, street... Ok, you get the picture.

How was I gonna talk to the owner? I want the bike if nobody wanted it! It looks so understated and cool!

So I wrote a note... How many of us have done this?







I wrote that 1 week ago... No reply leh...


Tags: seeing a abandoned bicycle and leaving a note, bicycle brand delightful, buying a stranger's bicycle, delightful bike

Renault

Love the brand, the looks, the small rack upfront, but not the parts... But hey, if you are locking this bike in the great outdoors, giving it proper abuse... Than I suppose its fine :D

Locking just your bike...

I'm sure you can identify my bike right? There is nothing to lock my bike onto...



A little more the the left...



Locking just your bike... And not locking it onto a railing or etc... Has some serious risks...



I counted six bicycles probably thrown in the river by vandals.

A Radical Stimulus : Multiple stops

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com.sg/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=transportation+museum+to:%E5%AE%89%E5%B7%9D%E9%80%9A%E3%82%8A%2F%E7%9C%8C%E9%81%9338%E5%8F%B7%E7%B7%9A+to:%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC,+%E3%80%92731-0123+%E5%BA%83%E5%B3%B6%E7%9C%8C%E5%BA%83%E5%B3%B6%E5%B8%82%E5%AE%89%E4%BD%90%E5%8D%97%E5%8C%BA%E5%8F%A4%E5%B8%82%EF%BC%91%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%92%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%92+(%E5%90%89%E9%87%8E%E5%AE%B6+54%E5%8F%B7%E7%B7%9A%E5%8F%A4%E5%B8%82%E6%A9%8B%E5%BA%97)+to:Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road&geocode=FfDsDAIdSPjkBw%3BFbb7DQIdi7PkBylnTiKxnplaNTHg-CVlSg8LbQ%3BFZrTDQIdvkXlBw%3BFT6rDQIdWVXlByFLCRldWDl0IQ%3BFWz9DAId0nLlBw%3BFYjgDAId_G7lBw%3BFRblDAIdRAHlBw&hl=en&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=13&dirflg=w&sll=34.414699,132.45821&sspn=0.064435,0.169086&ie=UTF8&ll=34.414699,132.45821&spn=0.064435,0.169086&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

If you wanna check out the route.

"B" stop, the first of my original destinations, Hiroshima Transportation Museum.



There was a interesting setup of cycling machines found in gyms connected to a TV screen, where you get a virtual cycling route of 7 possible destinations! Pretty cool, but it was too realistic! Uphills meant more resistance while pedaling... One of the destinations was Mt. Fuji. The moment I saw the start point, an insane incline I left the machine!

But it was rather interesting to see so many people at the machine eager to have a go at it. :)



"C & D" stops were impromtu stops, of a comic cafe, karaoke, clothes and bicycle store...

"E" stop was the second planned stopped and I rode up a long incline to a nice view...



The Peace Pagoda at the top...



Great view, no? I had more impromptu stops along the way but lets get down to the point.

Riding my bike has really made me think about how I can the most from my trip, linking up destinations with the route to where I'm going. It saves me both time and money, gives me a good work out and totally makes my weekends worth while.

Somehow, when you are taking a train saw, from point A to point B. and there are 5 stops along the way.... If all 5 stops had something interesting like a shopping mall/ temple/ good food. Will you stop at every stop? I know I will on my bike!

Tags:  Commuting, Cycling in Hiroshima, Cycling in Japan, hiroshima peace pagoda, hiroshima transportation museum, Japan, Radical Stimulus

About time... someone heard our pleas for cycling lanes!

I saw this picture that the strait times display on their article on the results of their poll. And I really hope that, that is our future.

Read more here: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_641251.html

And for the first time... OCBC Critirium is going to be broadcast on TV in Singapore... Along with 10 other countries...

Thank you OCBC for promoting cycling, I'm in tears...

Read more about the TV coverage here: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_641251.html

Finish of Ntu Bike Rally 2011!

For all who have finished the grueling 128km ride, Kudos to you! And especially to my little sister on my thick kenda nevegals offroad tires! Mad...

I other news, I commuted first time this winter on the GT hardtail to work. almost a good 25 mins faster than taking the train... The only thing to stop me now. Is . Rain. bah.

tags: Bike Spotted, Commuting, Cycling in Hiroshima, Cycling in Japan, ntu bike rally 2011 picture