Apologies

There isn't much motivation to blog right now, thanks to me doing packing getting ready to head back to Singapore and partly because my friends in Sg are done with exams and we a immersing ourselves in computer games.

 

Well expect more Singapore posts soon!

Singapore Mountain Bike Forum aka SMBF

One of the best places to seek for help, riding buddies, anything related to cycling really. Although it's name suggests only mountain bike lovers, there are a variety of road, commuters, down hillers, leisure riders, etc abundant too. Go there and share!

http://www.smbf.com.sg/forum/

FGGT: Fixed Gear Girl Taiwan

You got to love it when a blog on girls cycling is regularly updated. New link added! Cheers!

Finally, a bike thief in SG is caught!

From the uploader:

This guy came into our house and attempted to steal my racing bike.
My wife screamed at him as he tried to steal the bike, and told him to go away!.

I chased after him on foot but lost sight of him. I continued the search for him in my car, and found him a few minutes later on the other side of our estate. Then I saw him break into another house and this time he stole a bike.

I followed him as he made his getaway, and then after running him off the road I chased him barefoot in only my shorts for 2 kilometers across 8 lanes of Jalan Eunos, across 3 PIE slips roads.

Meantime he picked up a large rock and with a wild agressive face threw the rock at me, so I picked up a bigger one and threw it back at him, the difference is that his rock missed me, and my rock hit him.

Finally, exhausted, he stopped running and I made a citizens arrest at Block 311 Ubi avenue 1 HDB block. I made him sit on the floor and ordered him to remove his shoes to stop him running away until the police arrived..

Police arrive 5 mins later and arrested him.

What a day!!!

______________________________________________

Seriously, I salute you uncle! Ang moh a bit different ah. But I please don't go around running people off their bikes.

In another note, It seems you really have to drive so close to know someone down. when you are in the driver's perspective. So when you are cycling, cars that pass by you so close, don't really feel close to the driver at all. The difference in perspective...

BMX : the pool by Nike

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/24019192]

The riders had never rode this place before, as seen by the newly built ramps/ new tire marks, so on and so forth. It's all up to their creativity!

Some of the lines these riders take are creative, smart, and some just downright crazy. Nothing is Impossible.... Oh wait that's Adidas... Just do it!

Tokyo fixed gear ablazing

As a follow up to "Japan : Fixed gear crazy?" Well, let the pictures do the talking.

Sorry for the blur, walking a taking pictures in a crowed street avoids traffic build up. hahah excuses!

Damn, is that a chrome/silver seat?

More on Chrome! So shiny! I mistaken the top tube as the railing at first glance!

Probably the best lock-up I have seen in the whole of Japan. Front wheel and frame locked using a bike-locking kiosk and the rear amour-ed cable lock through the rear triangle, frame and chain. A (A stronger U-lock or beefy chain will get the lock-up a distinction)

What a rare gem! Locked at Shibuya. Looks so sleek!

Somehow I find this familiar, maybe I saw it on FGGT... what looks like 26" MTB fixed, horizontal dropout frame and front only discibrakes.

I'm lovin' the front balloon tire as well!

And stumbled onto a fixed gear gathering, outside a tiny weeny bike shop. Love the hip B/W big picture above the shop. Lucky find!

Retro or not?

Taken in Tokyo... There is just something retro, chic slightly hipsterish about bicycles... You see them in designer shops... Restaurants, furniture shops, fashion, hardware shops! Everywhere!

So what is it about bicycles? Their simplicity? Their long history? Or simply because the owner likes to ride bikes? Whatever it is, I'm glad they decided to use it as a decoration instead anything else!



Taken at Fukuoka, part of a window display of a shop selling apparel.

Bike Trials Video Share

When I was young I saw a couple of guys around my neighbourhood doing BikeTrials, at that time I didn't know what BikeTrials was. All I knew was I had to get a mountain bike!

I really can't describe the sense of achievement when you get a trick right, it's really hard work and it's pretty unique sport.

Anyway I just have to share this vid:

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/23775311]

Radical Stimulus : Others commuting experience

(Picture, taken at Tokyo, Ginza edited with focal B&w, almost definitely ridden by a couple in love <3)

It often spurs me on to do my commutes when I hear how others have it much harder, how they cope, their tips and tricks, and basically everything they say since most of it can be related to my own experiences. One of the best places to hear from others are forums, such as SMBF!

But I'm going to post a link from Togoparts.com today since I seldom go there. Reading the thread was refreshing! Here

Tags: Cycling in Ginza

More reason to support Planet Bike

More good stuff in the wild

What looks like a brand new Giant Anthem in Tokyo, near Akihabara. Talk about a ultimate urban warrior!

Secured with just a cable lock around the frame (near seat stay), imagine being able to ride your favourite bike for commutes! All you need to worry is too many people might stop and admire your bike! Wahaha. That said, even if I were a resident in Tokyo., I would buy a really good lock for such a sweet ride!

Things on a bike.

If there is one thing that I like about things on a bike than new bling blings, expensive parts, carbon, DIY bike hikes, etc. Is... Is... Well.



Girls. Especially when they are local and helping to promote sports in Singapore! Cheers Ziyi! Visit her blog here.

Can't get enough of the fairer sex?



Thank me later :)

tags:  Bike Spotted, Girls on bikes, kuek ziyi bicycle bmx, link sharing

Kick stand: Yes or no?

I always thought have a kick stand is a serious form of useless weight. Why the extra weight? How often do you really want to the bike to be standing? Just rest it on the floor i say!

Of course unless peer pressure starts building up...

Oopss, all of a sudden I am a space hogger.

As a consolation when I arrived early in the morning my bike was the only one there. My college asked me if I knew my bike was flat on the ground. Lol.

First bike I took a picture of in Tokyo.

What you are look at is a basket. Not your typical market bike metal wire basket... But a hand woven, hand engraved leather pouch that engulfs the frame to become a designer carrier for your groceries. I didn't bother to check the price, since I wouldn't be a able to afford such luxuries! Looks extremely exquisite!

tags: Bike Spotted, custom leather basket for bicycle., Japan, tokyo

Paul Lim

My deepest condolences and Rest in Peace, Paul Lim.

Information about the accident: source mybikeshop

Again, a drunk driver. What I want to know is, what has been done since the accident take involved cyclist Ms Evelyn Toh, 39 source forum

The one thing we cyclist can't guard against are drunk drivers, there has been much publicity over cyclist that went down due to drunk drivers. One of them that I remember clearly is author of pedaldamnit Ben, he was killed by a drunk doctor just in front of Ngee Ann Polytechnic. And a much hyped about Ghost bike was put up in remembrance at the scene. Only to be taken down by order of LTA.

I then came across this quote,

"The [London] cycle superhighways, for example, could easily be segregated along much of the route. Finally, training also needs to be stepped up when teaching new drivers. This way the next generation of drivers on our roads will be more aware of cyclists. This could be phased into the driving test and potentially require a new motorist to spend part of their lesson on a bike to get a different perspective of the road and how you do feel vulnerable." - Andreas Kambanis, blogger, London Cyclist

I think it would really be an eye opener for motorists, except that maybe not everyone is able to cycle.

And another quote I read,

"This drunk should have crashed his car into the back of a dumper truck, but chose instead a pickup. Think again how cheap our lives are when we are out cycling on weekends between 4 to 7 am. You may think less traffic is safe, but studies have shown that less traffic means more speeding and reckless driving. And there are many drunk drivers behind the wheels at those hours. I think it is much safer to cycle in peak or heavy traffic, at least people are not speeding but there is congestion only." -Clarance Tan

I guess it makes commuting during heavy traffic safe from drunk drivers, but again other terrors of the road come about. Mostly traffic itself.

Ride safe all.

tags: Commuting, Paul Lim, singapore cycling drunk drivers

Tokyo baby!

[gallery]

I was at the home of Otaku, Akihabara.

Home of Japanese Figurines and comics. Who would have thought to find bicycle models as well! Most probably going off again, so no posts.

tags: bicycle figurine, bicycle diecast, bicycle model, Grand Theft Velo