Don't steal my bike, bro!

News: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_487589.html

If you read the news today- Home section, p. 14, you will probably see a familiar sight - bike theft! There's this picture of Joel Chia, and behind him, a bike rack. Just as I predicted, when you lock your expensive bike on a bike rack, the chances of getting it stolen is almost close to a guarantee. I think I have written about it before, so yes, maktub.

The problem with bike racks is that it gives a false sense of security. Ah! So many bikes here, let me just do as they do! What most fail to notice is that bike racks usually house cheap and cui bikes. Anything above $100 is bound for the Thieves' Market. My Urata got stolen there, as did my Wheeler. Now everytime I see a bike rack, I shudder.

I don't get why everytime the ST does an article about cycling, the Safe Cycling Taskforce always appears, but Steven Lim mentions something about bike registration. I never lived in the years of bike registration, so I don't know how effective it is, but from what I see, it's never gonna come back.

But one cardinal mistake of all cyclist is evident in the later portion of the article: people with $500 bikes do not lock it adequately. A chain is not enough. A $8 cable lock cannot tahan much abuse. I only believe that a U lock can adequately protect a bike from a thief, especially when combined with a cable lock, notably, both a U lock and cable lock can vary very distinctly in quality and you pay for what you get.

My bike has not been stolen ever since I learnt how to disguise it, and I use decent locks. If you want to know some tips of leaving a bike unattended, check out: http://bikecommutinginsg.blogspot.com/2010/01/avoiding-bike-theft.html

How much do you think this bike is worth?

Nothing too fancy, it seems. Black, weird-shaped, relaxed Euro-styled commuter, with a rack that has a generic bag behind it. But looks are deceiving.






Sturmey-Archer 3 speed! Is it British?






Wait, doesn't that look like the logo of a Brompton, not a cheaper Flamingo rip-off?






Yes it is. It is a $2,000 bike locked in Orchard Road with a $20 or thereabouts cable lock. I wonder if this bike was stolen and sold for a pittance of what it was worth, because after all looks are deceiving. I really wouldn't lock it outside with such a weak lock if I were its first owner, or if I had a nasty experience of having my expensive bike stolen.

On a side note, British engineering is disastrously tasteful. Although they come with a really unjustifiable pricetag ($2,000 for a 3-speed 16" folder - Dahon makes a similar one which costs $900), there's always something to European products that make it so special...

Electric bicycles as a tool for commuting?

There's much to be said about the benefits of electric bikes as a commuting tool - if you surf Bikeforums, you will probably be awed by how the ang mohs power their bikes with 350 - 1000W motors, and lots of lithium batteries as a power source. It's really good to have that much power - one horsepower (745W) on a bicycle can take you places real fast through city traffic. Comparatively, a human intending to produce one horsepower will be tired like a fool. Not even Armstrong, Merckx or Contador can sustain 1HP for one hour. Critical power for us regular people who lost our youth in the last century is even worse, with a curve that drops continuously. We can average, perhaps, 180W over an hour on a good day with a good breakfast, perhaps. That's around 22km/h on a MTB. I don't want to be red-lining my way to work, for sure, which is why the idea of an electric-assist bicycle came to mind.

That said, laws here are quite siong against electric bicycles. Straight from the horse's mouth,

Technical Requirements

Motorised bicycles, with a maximum power output not exceeding 200 watts, are treated like conventional bicycles and are exempted from registration with the LTA for use on public roads.

In addition to this condition on maximum power output, LTA will introduce the following additional requirements, to take into account the safety and environmental concerns associated with the use of motorised bicycles:

1) The construction of a motorised bicycle must be similar to that of a conventional pedal bicycle;

2) A motorised bicycle can only be powered by an electric source (e.g. battery), and not be petrol-driven;

3) The motor power of the motorised bicycle can only cut in when the rider starts to pedal; and

4) The motor power of the motorised bicycle must be cut off when it reaches 25km/h or when the rider stops pedaling.

Motorised bicycles, with a power output greater than 200 watts, are required to meet the technical and registration requirements of motorcycles, if they are to be used on public roads.

Clause 1, 2, 3 are reasonable clauses but four and the power limitation - two hundred watts - is something I am a bit wary of. Assuming you don't put in much effort when you pedal, then, 200W will not get you to places fast. You'll face the same problems that you face when pedaling with your two-stroke, two-cylinder, fat-carbohydrate-air combusting engine. You'll have to play a game of leapfrog with buses, and, based on experience, the optimal speed to overtake buses is over 30km/h. It's not only overtaking buses, but a motor which cuts off at 25km/h is practically a speed limit of 25km/h, of which any bike enthusiast can do without much effort, it seems pretty pointless to get electric-assist... the motor's not gonna help you after all if you decide to go faster than 25km/h.

The LTA argues that this is ensure safety. Again, I don't agree when people put unreasonable speed limits as a means to enforce safety, especially at speeds such as 25km/h. Sure, if you are talking about the Autobahn, then that can be a bit unsafe - you can be doing 100km/h or 300km/h. But, as I always believe, medium is often less of a concern rather than the rider/driver. Generally, cyclist get a real bad name because they are quite a poor law-abiding group. Running reds, riding quickly on pedestrian pavements, riding against the flow of traffic, riding like a bitch, and what have you. Those are unsafe acts - all caused by the agent. Arguably, the medium does have its problems - bicycles are small and less visible, but it usually doesn't shroud the fact that it's largely the agent that causes it to be unsafe.

But there's a silver lining to this dilemma. The dealmaker is that, despite the nonsensical speed limit, is that it can take you places without having you sweat. It's also green. It certainly won't get you places faster than your car would, nor can it carry the load which a car can - so don't go out and get your licence kantonged - you still need it. And hell, it's also cheaper, more convenient and faster than bike/taxi/train commuting. Private transport has never lost to public transport in all but cost, but this is a watershed. Of course, knowing Singapore's low-crime-doesn't-mean-no-crime thing, don't get it stolen - that would make it real expensive. Range-wise, Singapore is a little red dot, and because of this, you don't really have to worry about range unlike people in bigger countries. Of course, if you run out of juice there's always Starbucks and McDonald's where you can recharge your batteries... that is, if you have thick skin.

On a closing note, the funny thing is, although, theoretically I don't work out at all, but I still sweat when riding an e-bike... damn!

Foldable Bicycle and Public Transport

First, watch this video made by Jurong Secondary School. I don't know why they did this, and knowing the Singaporean education system, they can't be doing this for nothing. There's probably a grade involved, or CCA points. Whatever it is, it is well thought of and makes a lot of sense. It's excellent!



Should a foldable bike, therefore, be the ultimate tool for bike commuting in Singapore?

Yes. Absolutely. I have a foldable bicycle - a Dahon Speed D7. It's an absolutely amazing bicycle, with quite a hefty price tag. For what it's worth, however, it is worth it. Let's not digress, however, since the article is not gonna be on how wonderful my Speed is, but how useful a foldable bicycle - no matter if it's an $180 Aleoca or a $3,000 Brompton. It makes no difference - both fold to different degrees, but because of its ability to fold, it makes it totally distinct in a commuter's arsenal of wheels.

The distinct difference between a foldable bike and a rigid bike is that it can fold. The ability to fold makes it so much more versatile. It can save you. Let me elaborate.

Did you notice the weather these days? It's December. Monsoon season. Rubbish weather. The worst thing that can happen to a bike commuter is to be caught unprepared for rain. Especially if you commute in your work clothes. That could ruin your whole day with a cold. The thing is, though, if you rode a hybrid/MTB/road bike, you just gotta bite the bullet and ride on. It's business as usual, but with rain - which is like business with a recession. Don't get caught in one, at least be prepared with rain gear. With a foldable bike, however, you can be a bit slack with your preparations, or more euphemistically, "travel light". If the cold wind blows, if it thunders and if you see cats and dogs in front of you, you always have to option to keep work and take a taxi/bus/the train instead.

Terrible things happen at unopportune times, as proven above - don't we all know that as bike commuters. Ever had a flat that happened at the worst possible time? While I'd argue that there never is a 'best' possible time to get a flat, but it does happen, and nobody ever factors in the time to fix the tyre. In fact, often, I bet, few bike commuters carry a repair kit around. Repairing your bike on the road can be sibeh leceh too. That's where the fold comes in. Take a taxi to the nearest repair shop or just rush straigh to work. Simple.

Did I mention that work can be excruciatingly tiring? We live in Singapore - this isn't Australia or Canada where some of my friends are PRs and tout to me the good, relaxed life they have. Often I finish work totally depleted, and sometimes, I really don't feel like bike commuting. It's very, very difficult to start commuting when you are so freaking tired. You just want to go home and crash. So what do you do? Call a taxi, take public transport, call your wife, etc. Note well, however, that often it's easy to overcome the lack of desire to bike commute when you are on the bike. The hardest part often is starting the ride. The brain just screams "NO, FOOL, NO!". It quells itself once the heart starts pumping.

To summarise: what a foldable bike gives the bike commuter is choices. Choices to make his life better and simpler. Sure, a road bike will get you there faster - my road bike gets me to work around 20 minutes faster - but it does not have its versatility of the foldable bike. If I feel tired after work, it makes my life easier. If the shit hits the fence in the midst of commuting, I have an emergency exit provided by the folding mechanism of the bike.