Peaceful Lower Pierce reservoir ride

Took a ride to Lower Pierce reservoir. It was a weekday noon so it is a very different place, one which quite matches the tranquility to the surrounding flora. 

Old Upper Thomson road

On my way there are many landed properties just beside the Old Upp Thomson road. These must be the "happy people" in Singapore. The nature park is just a stone away. One particular unit is standing on a slope with the living hall facing the vegetation. How lovely.

Have you ever come across a scene in Singapore where you do not see any other people except youself? Well here you can yell on top of your lung yet no one can hear you. But hopefully you are in help from the wild boar chase.

Lower Pierce reservoir

Seasoned wooden bench 

This would certainly be a place for one who desire some solitude. Rowing a boat in the water will be a nice thing to do. There are so many ways to use your bike to explore and the fun never ends.

Silent and still water

Folding bike in car boot

Unfortunately after many tries to squeeze two into the boot, the Civic can only accomodate one Tern D8. So I have to put the other in the passenger seat when I transport two bikes. 

Do note to take care of your body posture as u unload the bike into the boot. I gotta twist on my hip muscle (hmm..) when I bent my body too much. The bike weighs about 12kg with all the add-ons. Well, I am hoping to shed some weights off the bike soon.

I place the bike with the deraileur side down. As I read in the Tern forum, there seems to be no official recommended way on which side should face up. I have experienced the handle "twisted" after I place it with the deraileur side up. Because the weights all sit on the handle bar. 

Do note I have turn the seat post to the side, so that some weights can rest on the seat. Here is a pic.

Tern D8 in civic boot

Cheapest Bicycle accessories

Too good to be true? What about a savings of 20 to 40% on bicycle accessories? Well it is possible if you visit Taiwan and get them from the local bike shop there. If you are buying expensive items, which is rather common for modern bicycles, the savings could pay for your air ticket!


Just drop by the bicycle shops in the town the next time you visit Taiwan. Taipei and Taichung have many good bicycle shops that serve the local biking community. Many well known international brands like Giant, KMC, Merida, Tern, WheelSport are products of Taiwan and many of their products are still made locally. Taiwan has built a niche in bicycle parts supply together with the popularity of cycling as a serious hobby there.


I purchased a few items when I was on a recent trip to Taiwan. If not for the lack of time, I could really have loaded up more items as they are cheaper ( quite substantially ) and they have more variety. Shops giving discounts are not uncommon, just smile and ask! Here is what I have got from a Taipei bike shop. I can't wait to taste the good food again and grab more bike accessories on my next trip...haha.

USD15.50. Retail at abt USD40 at Singapore

USD7

USD5.90

Cycle Tern D8 to Punggol Waterway and Pasir Ris Park

There is nothing big scale in Singapore for cyclist. A stretch of 10km of uninterrupted cyclist path is uncommon in a small country. But a gem we have here, a cycling path that stretches more than 10km! Starting from Gerard Drive, you can go all the way to Pasir Ris seaside and beyond. I have learnt to enjoy what is available in its simplest functional form, and its simply joyful to just ride a bicycle and listen to the whistle of the wind. Today, i cycled to Punggol Waterway and to then to PasirRis beach. It was a nice and easy ride from Hougang town, though the sun might flush your face red.

Total of 38km I rode, and the Tern D8 remains steady. However, there comes a time I thought it just cannot go any faster even with gear 7. Perhaps my legs are tired. But I choose to attribute this more to the components of the bicycle. I have been very tempted to upgrade some of the parts. However, I take it that any inefficiency of the bike will make my muscles work harder and burn off more of my calories.

I started off at 5 in the evening because lately the sun has not been very kind. I checked the tyre pressure and its still good. As you might already know, inflating the tyre will make the your bike roll easier. Loaded with some water and some sweets for the sucrose intake, I set off my journey to the east.

Riding on the railing?

Nice track between the river and greenery

My Tern D8 and the waterway

The track follows sungei punggol and turns right along the waterway. Quite many people along the track once a while so its wise to have a bell, unless if your can imitate the "ring ring" well. I got my Cateye at a old bike shop for $7, which sells for $11 at a high end bike shop. 


I took a short break at one of the pavilion to let off some pressure off my butt. The original seat of the D8 causes many sore butt, as seen on the internet. And mine too. I will get a new seat when I visit Taiwan, soon. Of cos, plus lots of other stuffs. 


Continuing riding along the track, you will come across a series of twist and turns, good for cyclists who want to flaunt their skills. And do watch out for the small kids are running astray anywhere. One observation i had, people ride expensive bicycles and some ride cheap bicycles. There is recently a hot debate about the Brompton bikes and their exorbitant price. I kinda of think that its all about maintaining the bike and how you use it. I didnt spent little money, for what I consider, on my D8. But I had spent much effort in making adjustment here and there. I still have this problem with gear 7 onwards which I have to optimise.

Lor Halus, nothing much here. Proceed onwards to PasirRis

You can take a pic with these sign boards

Flying mini-planes and kites rule the sky

Upon crossing the bridge over sungei Serangoon, you will arrive at Lor Halus wetland. I see people staring at the ponds, probably a good time to reflect on things about life. Moving on you will arrive at Pasir Ris Farmway 3 where some ornamental fish farms and pet shops scattered about. The roads are wide and there are lotta open space, so un-Singapore. 

To head to the seaside, please take note of the short cut without a sign. I only found out about this when on the return journey. Its about a feet in width so prepare to balance well if there is on-coming bicycles

Pasir Ris  Farmway 3

Short cut to Pasir Ris beach

Feel the breeze at Pasir Ris Park

I would rate the difficulty level of this trip as 4/10. You would require a well maintained bicycle (fix gear will do), sun block, sun shades, water and a enduring butt. You will be rewarded with occassional moment of solidary and peace, cool and warm breezes, and some nice scenery. 


On the way back, the sun set against bridge over sungei Serangoon, and it was spectacular. I am looking forward to my next journey further east...

Nice color of dawn at bridge over Punggol river

Nope not Marina bay, but Punggol bay

Issue when folding Tern or Dahon

For the Tern and Dahon owners, do take note on the cable position when you fold your bike, if the handler is being fold outwards.

The brake/shifter cables have a tendency to go in between the folded stem and head tube. If you rest the bike sideway with the handler at the bottom, the weight will cause a pressing on the cables (by the stem and the head tube). I have seen my bike cable a bit damaged due to this. Here are some pictures.

Cables tends to go in betweem the stem and headtube

Cables resting without being pressed

                      

As you can see from the left photo, the cable is in between the two metals. The original folding call for the bike to rest on the handler side, thus the weight will cause a pressing on the cables. Remember to move the cables away by giving it a slight push away from the gap. The right photo shows the cables resting away from the stem.

Safety first when cycling in Singapore

It is never enough to emphasize the on safety when it comes to cycling. Just like motorcycle riders, cyclists are always in a disadvantage when collision happen.


5 cyclist killed when a white saloon car ramp onto a cycling path in Tantai City China on June 22 2012. It might be the most unexpected thing especially when you think riding on a cycling pathment is safe. 


No matter what, lets protect ourselves as we enjoy cycling. 


Video Link:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDE4NjU1Njcy.html

Singapore bike Discount and Promotions

Thinking of GSS for bicycle stuffs or components? Maybe you will be disappointed because most of the local bike shops (lbs) didnt come out in force for the GSS. Well, nevermind, there is always online shop. However, if you wanna get some personal touch and service, you should take note of the following discount with ocbc card:


- Ban Hin Chan Trading
  5% OFF all regular-priced bikes and accessories 
  Valid till 31 December 2012.
- Tay Junction
  10% OFF for any purchase of cycling apparels, helmets, shoes, gloves and eyewear
  Valid till 31 December 2012.
- Cycle Craft
  15% off Ziener Cycling Apparel, Carrera Cycling Helmet and Yepp Child Seat
  Valid till 31 December 2012.
- Bike Haus
  10% off 2012 Bikes  
  20% off 2011 Bikes  
  40% off 2010 Bikes
  40% off BMXs
  Valid till 31 December 2012.
- Integrated Riding
  10% off regular-priced items with a minimum spend of S$50 
  Valid till 31 December 2012.


Happy shopping!

Cleaning the Tern D8 brake pad

If you see a scratch mark running along the tyre metal rim, it could be due hard particles stuck inside the brake pad, that is if you are using a v-brake, cantilever or side pull brakes.

Rim scratch line

It is hard to totally avoid such scratching to your precious bicycle as we could not control what is on the terrain. To prevent further damage, it is neccessary to remove the brake pad and do a cleaning. 

1. The tools required are the standard household DIY tools. Before removing the brake pad, do take a picture so that you know the alignment of it when it fix it back. Arrow indicates the direction of the wheel rotation. Do note there is a slight tilt. 1mm gap for pad-to-rim at front and 2mm gap at the other end of pad. This is to prevent squeak.

Brake pad alignment to wheel

2. Using a allen key, loosen the bolt and the whole assembly of washers and spacers. You can take out the brake pad and check which culprit has caused the scratching to your rim. 

There might be some metal/rocky debris stuck inside the pad. Remove them and if it is too deep, use a pen-knife and cut a portion of the rubber pad. You should see something like below after the cleaning.

If the brake pad pattern is worn out, you can buy a replacement pad. Brands like Avid, Swissstop, Clarks, Tektro are common replacement pad brands with price ranges from $5 to 30. 

Brake pad after cleaning.

3. Now you can put the assembly back where it belongs. It is a bit tricky on getting the right alignment, you may have to exercise a bit of patience here. Anyway, do take note there is a toe-in gap for the pad surface to rim surface. 

Washers and spacers of brake pad

4. Tighten the whole assembly with the allen key. You should ensure the right and left side has about the same gap, else the breaking will be uneven. There you go! No more scratching... Now, will someone please help scratch my back..

Back to original

Helmets that fit asian head

I have tried several helmets in Singapore, but most of them, cheap or expensive, do not fit well. Especially if there is a pressure point at the temple, it will give you headache quite soon. So what is the point if a helmet-maker promotes a cutting edge, ultra light, aero dynamic, anti-bacteria, amour-like protection helmet, if it does not fit!!

Each individual has his/her preference of what is important in selecting a helmet. On my list of criterias are adequate protection, good fitting, good looking and not too expensive.

So there is this thing call asian fitting for helmet. You can roughly gauge your head, use a phone and snap a picture from the top of your head. Imagine without the hair, if your head is quite circular, that is a asian fitting. My personal research narrow down to a few helmets might have a higher change to suit such a, hmm, head.

- Lazer O2  ~ S$150
- OGK Kabuto series S$245 ~ $350 (very light and comfy)
- Cratoni c-bolt ~ S$150
*Quoted are retail price.

You can google for the distributors in Singapore.

I hope the helmet-makers define the shape and cutting of their helmet, so that bikers know what fit them. Maybe they have not realised that the asian consumers are a important group of spenders.

My Grey Tern D8 foldie

Here it is, picture of the my Tern D8. 


East coast park is a must-go place for cycling in Singapore. Firstly it is windy and u get to enjoy the sea view. Secondly, there is really not much other choices in Singapore.


The ride quality of D8 is similar to a full size bike. Stiff frame, smooth transmission, 8 cogs, slick tyres, gripping v-brakes etc. 
However, there are some minor adjustment or refinement to the components required to realise its full potential. 


31km to-and-fro from carpark E to changi village. Oh do note that the hawker center at changi village is shut down for a major renovation. I hope it will be less smoky after the renovation. We had a quick bite at Jacob restaurant in the evening. Chicken wings (3 full wings) and potatoes wedges for $9.90 and $6.10 respectively. Better value could be found elsewhere.


Anyway, back to the bike. I want to test out how the D8 fare under stress test. After this ride, the brakes, shifter and deraileur, chain, crankset are still good! On the other hand, some noise developed from the pedals (a heavy original suntour foldable). It sounds a click every revolution. I also reckoned the deraileur need to be fine tuned. Otherwise, the bike lives to the 600$ quality!

Cycling and Freedom!

I used to own a few bicycles in my childhood. It was almost a insignificant part of my childhood until now, that I realised without cycling, it would had been so little fun as a child. My interest in bicycles has been a on and off event. The more I get to love the nature and life, I more I want to enjoy with it with a bike.

Next, my new toy. A folding Tern, because portability of bike is so critical. And now, let the new journey begins...