Cyclist's wife sues lorry driver.

Meanwhile in Britain...

This week in Singapore: Tensions on footpath-cyclist relations

Apologies for the large pause in posts. I have been busy with another blog that I'm just starting up and also I haven't had any ideas what to write about. Perhaps readers can tell me what you'd like to know? It can be anything related to cycling from my opinions on the state of affairs, to why I would never use Lady Gaga in my own cycling videos, unlike whoever was behind this year's NDP. Send me an email or leave a comment, eh?

Right. This week, two letters have hit TODAYonline. Guess what about? Yes, again and again it's topic that is inextricable from everyone's heads when a pedestrian meets a cyclist. Laws, cycling, Tampines town and DSP William Goh, Asst. Director Media Relations, SPF.

DSP William, July 2:

Under the Road Traffic Rules, cyclists are prohibited from cycling on the footways except in Tampines Town, where riding on the footway was made legal on March 1, last year under the Road Traffic (Bicycles) (Exemption) Order 2010. When travelling on the roads, cyclists, like all other road users, are required to abide by traffic rules and regulations.

For their own safety and that of other road users, cyclists are advised to alight from their bicycles and push them across pedestrian crossings instead of riding across them.

Motorists on their part also play a significant role keeping our busy roads safe and should accord due care to cyclists. Motorists are required to stop before riding or driving across a zebra crossing. When approaching pedestrian crossings, they are required to slow down and keep a proper lookout for other road users.

Our roads are only as safe as we make them. Every road user plays a part in making our roads and pedestrian crossings safe. 

 Toh Chong Siong, July 4, replies:

I refer to the Singapore Police Force's (SPF) letter, "Cyclists, motorists must abide by road rules" (July 2).

While the SPF was clear on rules governing cycling, their letter was conspicuously silent on the matter of "enforcement" which is the crux of the issue.

Cyclists are happily cycling on footways and across pedestrian crossings all over the island, often insisting on their right to do so by ringing their bells to get foot traffic out of their way. Motorists are fined for far less serious offences.

Can the SPF tell us how many errant cyclists have been fined or penalised in the last year?

Huang Lifen, July 5, adds fuel to Chong Siong's fire:

We are also aware of the fact that cyclists are flouting the rules and are cycling on pedestrian paths all over Singapore.

As an able-bodied adult, I am able to get out of harm's way from cyclists on pedestrian paths. I would like to point out that the same may not be true for certain people, like the elderly, pregnant women and children.

As the fares for public transport become increasingly expensive, among the other costs of living, cycling is becoming the choice of transport.

The relevant authorities should work out a feasible way for both pedestrians and cyclists to use public paths safely.

Asking cyclists to go on the roads and keeping off pedestrian paths is a safety hazard for the cyclists themselves.

Furthermore, cyclists can only signal their intention to stop or turn with their hands, which means their control of the vehicle is compromised

[...]

It is time to put on the thinking cap and brainstorm for a solution. I am sure the public is more interested in a solution than on facts hurled in our faces that hardly help the situation.

The fall in numbers of people cycling

A dog can cycle.



But today, there is a starkingly unmistakable trend these days among people born in the new millenium as well as people born right before that. Increasingly, have the perfect excuse not to ride a bike - "I don't know how to". "I never learnt", etc.

Recently, I met a few people below my age and when I mention cycling, some of them surprisingly say that they don't know how to cycle. The first few times I was a bit taken aback, because I had this impression that cycling was a must-do-to-get-through-youth activity. But it isn't...

One of my previous friends, a lady who is a national volleyballer, has no clue about cycling. She has her excuses - mostly downplaying its benefits when I mention it to her. She has no idea what she's talking about.

The other was the case of 'once bitten, twice shy' parents. Another lady, whose sister got into an accident, got this OBTS syndrome and disallowed her from learning how to ride. In the end, she still enjoyed cycling, albeit behind me, in a tandem. Yet another guy friend never had another bike again after getting into an accident.

It seems that the trend is more apparent in females. Unfortunately, that's a true pity. Imagine if you had a partner that shared your interest. And I know how that feels like, it's great fun, especially when you two ride together on a tandem, going places.

There are many joys to riding, even for leisure. However, modern parents have their reservations about allowing their children the free will to go out and take a few hard knocks. Yes, riding is risky. Yes, letting your children go unmonitored is scary. Yes, accidents can happen.

But more often than not, the empowerment and possibilities with cycling beats the risks of not cycling. Unlike running, cycling can be enjoyed for hours in a healthy, weight-shedding way and you won't feel that pain you get when you were trying to pass your NAPHA or IPPT. And unlike other field-bound sports, cycling can take you to places. The same way that, unlike staying in front of the computer and playing games, cycling offers true dividends.

Not only is a bike a conveyance, it is also a toy. And that's where its magic stems from. It is functional as well as fun. It is a pity that too much protection and misinformation keep kids out of the reach of this splendid pleasure.

Now, take a look at this video to get inspired.

Top 5 Danger Zones when Commuting in Singapore

Danger, danger!

 
An inexperienced cyclist would benefit most by knowing where to be on his toes, and where he can let his guard down a little. There are a few areas on the road where you have to be careful of other fellow road users...

Follow Up: Casey Neistat's protest against NY Bike lanes

What Neistat said is right. He's a filmmaker and he said the key to making videos that people watch... is to make sure it's good. And the fact is, his original protest video against bike lanes is a superbly excellent exposition on why he's right about that. His video went viral and everyone from the AP to the common person knows about the video now. Take a look at some interviews which has has done.







On the other hand, it is a pity that after all that videomaking, his bike is now destroyed. Its front fork is damaged, according to the video. Luckily it's a rigid fork... which is cheap.

Doc faces five charges over fatal accident with cyclist

What is worse than bad driving? Irresponsible driving.

From what can be gleaned from this article, the details are as follows:

Doctor Teo Tiong Kiat, 63, was charged in court over an accident last March, which left Ben Mok (Mok Chee Kong, 35) to die, and causing grevious hurt to Bertram Leong Poh Meng, 23 along Clementi Road.

As it is, he is facing charges of causing the death of Ben and grevious hurt to Bertram, failing to stop after an accident, failure to render help, removing his car without apporval.

Now... my two cents. This is irresponsible driving at its worst and it is unfortunate that this event is not an isolated case. I have heard from friends of hit and runs that don't go reported. One of my army mates told me that he got into an accident with a taxi, which immediately did a Teo Tiong Kiat and sped away. He was left there to bleed and to see his carbon bike in shambles, and I believe that, because of the time needed to get to his senses, he failed to be able to get the license plate of the taxi.

Teo can be convicted and be fined, jailed or both. Yes, if you looked closely, he might just be fined a big sum, and I'm putting my bets on a five-figure sum with a token amount of jailtime. Or maybe only a fine. Wait for 21 July and see how. Bo pian.

The Humble Cyclist

A need for speed pervades all of us.

As we get older, our balls shrink. Yes, that means that we might be downhillers, bungee jumpers, commandos, or someone who picks a fight with everyone everyday, but as we get older, our senses of self-preservation starts to get stronger and stronger. No doubt, as age increases, we don't have the benefit of youth, and that has serious implications when you have something as simple as a wound or a fracture. A young man can get over it in weeks, but a person double that young man's age can also expect to double the amount of time needed for recovery.

If you've been keeping up with my blog, you'll know that I recently got into my worst bike accident, breaking my collarbone into two, with one above another. The pain was excruciating when I first landed on the hard packed dirt surface. I could only scream - this was not an accident like the others where I could just sweep the dirt off and get up.

I have had a few crashes before that I can still remember. Two of them I remembered vividly involved extremely powerful brakes. Once I went down a hill and jammed the brake - I endoed over, got a few cuts and bruises, then went home. The other occurred when I was in school, my friend loaned me his nice hydraulic disc brake MTB, so I went to test everything to the limit. Yesssss, the same thing happened. My spectacles was bent, but other than a bruise, there wasn't anything else. I even got to skip a history lecture because I told my teacher I fell down the stairs. Inevitably, I came to the conclusion that brakes are dangerous.

Dangerous Biker

Then, there was another time when I was at Mount Faber. I finished the terribly painful climb up on my clunker, and then I went down the hill at almost full speed, without brakes. Incredibly, I was overtaking roadies even though I had tyres twice as wide as theirs, and it was thrilling to see people in lycra getting overtaken by an amateur-in-cotton. Doing 40, I tried to do a very sharp corner, and I managed to ease through one after another, until the last one, which was an extremely sharp U turn. That was when I swallowed my pride after I wiped out. The kind roadies came to offer me assistance, and I was humbled. I came to the conclusion that bicycles cannot lean like MotoGP bikes.

Then there's the most recent accident. I learnt that brakes are not dangerous - what's dangerous is imitating professional riders pictured in Mountain Bike UK.

I'm certain that you have a number of personal experiences, hopefully nothing too serious. But all these experiences teach you that life is short, bones are fragile and medical bills are expensive. Certainly, after these three events, I have experienced that every accident is not worth it. It cuts your day of riding short and can leave you out of action for quite a while in more serious cases. Experience is a hard teacher... it gives the test first and then the lesson next.

A Parable to Safe Cycling

owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Heh. I guess I should never try to imitate the people on Mountain Bike UK because they are all waaaaaaaay ahead of me. I went off-road today and it was fun at first, but you know... MBUK all portray their riders going downhill so fast that I thought I was a bit too weak if I went down the hill with my brakes on.

Bad idea. I decided to go downhill with no brakes, and it was OK at first until I met with a deep crevice on the ground. This wasn't a problem if I had chosen the left-most or right-most line, but my line just decided to go directly into the crevice. All of a sudden, my bike stopped but I didn't. Instead, I flew off the bike, supermanning until I landed on my right side.

The first moment I landed, all I could do is scream. It hurt so bad. I have never had a cycling injury that was so jarring. The shoulder was destroyed - I couldn't rotate my arm without having it hurt. Standing up was a problem because my hip was also destroyed.

It was so bad that I decided to call my mother to come get me. I was alternating between calling an ambulance or my mother, but in the end decided to call my mother because I was worried about my bike. But at that point of time, I knew it was more practical to call an ambulance... the pain was just so excruciating.

My dented helmet.... THANK GOD FOR IT

What's worse was that I needed to walk out of the forest. Every step was painful. I was clutching my right arm, taking a rest every ten metres and having a hard time lifting the bike over drains and other indents in the ground.

In the end, I went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. My favourite hospital since my army days, and today I'm back there. Apparently, there are a lot of people like me. People having fractures, drunk foreign workers bleeding from the brain, and a skateboarder on a wheelchair. Heh, it must be a Saturday Syndrome.

In the end, all I got in these eight hours in the hospital were two jabs, one ATT/tetanus jab and the other a painkilling jab. I also have a cast on me now which is good, since it keeps me from moving the arm in awkward angles. The X-rays showed that my collarbone is fractured.

At the end of the day, such accidents remind you to reprioritise your cycling goals. Unfortunately, after seeing a few misleading pictures, "being garang" replaced "safety". Today, "safety" is back up there when mountain biking. Expensive lesson and a world of hurt, but at least I'm young and things could be worse.

I remembered Alicia Keys saying "one minute of pleasure can lead to a lot of pain". While she was referring to casual sex and AIDS (which incidentally someone has been cured of), it's true in a lot of circumstances while cycling. I tried to get that quick adrenaline fix, and all I got was $90 in hospital bills, an arm that doesn't work without complaining, and the inability to cycle for at least six weeks.

A nice video I came across

Ah ha... the Netherlands! You wonder what would be in store for the Singaporean if the same thing happens. Public outrage will ensue, just that it will blame the cyclists for doing XXX and YYY. The Straits Times will post another article with the same gist - "drivers hate cyclists because..." and "cyclist hate drivers because..." and then some interviews, bla bla bla.

It's a power of the masses thing. In a country where cycling is rare, the minority eats the shit. Whereas if cyclists are sizeable... it's a different story.

But then again, riding on Singaporean roads isn't that bad either.

Khoo Tech Puat... a bicycle-friendly hospital?

I went to Khoo Teck Puat, the newest hospital in Yishun. To do the inevitable but hurtful examination of checking up on my wisdom teeth. The relieving news is that I am pretty dumb. In fact, if the number of wisdom teeth is related to my brain size, I would be a near six foot jellyfish. Not a bad thing, actually, having seen a few friends extract it over the years, they all complain of the inevitable week of shit.

But Khoo Teck Puat had an exhibition on artistic bicycle racks. They all are definitely better than the bog standard half-flux bondage equipment you see often (incl. in KTP) which only secures your front wheel and looks quite easily ripped off the wall or angle grounded to smithereens.

 

 The exhibition per se outside the pharmacy.

 The above is pretty weak: it doesn't really allow you to lock both wheels. And idiots may lock their bike to the top of the stick where there is an "open path" (Sorry, Adobe jargon), leaving them to wonder why their whole bike is gone.

 A minor improvement, but this rack still cannot lock both wheels. And you ought to realise that if you are handy with the chain, this bike is free too (i.e. slip the chain above the seatpost and it's yours)

 

This is the first rack that can fit two wheels, although barely. And it is quite sightly. This bike isn't free, though. TMD, I had aspirations of becoming a bike thief. The cops don't care, after all.

 

 This ranks as my favourite. It has aesthetic appeal (looks like a rider) and can lock both wheels. 

 

Cradle to Cradle is a nice concept, and is aesthetically quite good, but it serves to only lock your front wheel. As is blatantly shown here.

And.... the Merida road bike.

Free speedo anyone?

1.5m Matters...

1.5m worth of berth matters. But no driver will ever give you 1.5m if it inconveniences them.

How realistic is it? Not realistic at all. At least, that's the way I see it, based on experience. Especially on crowded streets, 1.5 metres worth of space between the vehicle and your bicycle is very difficult to achieve. Mainly because, unlike what the newspaper shows, the vehicles that pass you that have difficulties giving you such a big berth are large vehicles, which happen to be on the left most lane, just like any cyclist would be.

On crowded streets, the problem is that few would want to slow themselves down to wait behind a bicycle, so they would take the risk and provide a small berth. Just try riding on Lornie Road at rush hour, with its bends, the high speed limit and small left lane, drivers find it very difficult to give such a big berth without intruding onto other's lanes. Buses and trucks even worse.

Yet, a safe berth can be given very easily on less crowded streets. I noticed that, if the next lane is empty, drivers often will take the liberty to switch lanes or if they have a need to stay in the left lane, they will jiak a bit of the adjacent lane and try to overtake you, giving you a lot of necessary space.

But there is one kind of street that I find is the most optimal method for drivers and cyclists to coexist. I was riding alone some road in Ang Mo Kio heading towards Peirce Reservoir, and there I was on the left lane. But this left lane isn't like the normal lanes that can merely take one bus and has no extra space. It happens that, this left lane is so large, you can fit a bicycle and a large lorry, and still leave a safe berth.

Tackling Upper Serangoon

Towards Bendeemeer
 
Upper Serangoon is a difficult road to ride. It hosts some nonsensical construction work that never seems to end, much like what's happening in Farrer Road, which always makes it difficult for the cyclist.

The annoying thing is that, in the past, you would only have to contend with barriers, barriers and more barriers on the side of the road taking up your space on the left lane, causing more difficulty for cars to give you ample space, nonetheless, if you kept left, you would be on your way to town. Now, if you were planning to go to the city, you'll have to weave out onto the third lane or you will be sent to MacPherson instead.

Confusing? Sibei.

So how do you tackle this?

The best way, in my opinion, without having to make a massive detour, is to go to the third lane and continue as per normal. But this is not an easy feat. If you are inexperienced, you would probably have a difficult time trying to switch lanes while travelling.

 The lane you want to be in is the lane to the left of the blue taxi (where the Honda Civic is).

The simple, and safest, solution, is to weave between cars, and thereby changing lanes, while all the vehicles are stopped. At this junction, the red light is very long, and I have never arrived at this junction where the light is green... so, you'll probably not either. There are risks associated with this though, and you have to be careful. When vehicles are stopped, remember to look out for motorcyclists splitting lanes too before you cross over to the other lane.

I usually manage to reach the front of the queue, and would try to take up the whole lane at this point of time, as this road is too screwed up. Everybody's confused, and it's best you disallow any driver any hope of overtaking you for your own safety. What's worse is that further into the road, under the PIE flyover, you'll meet a very sharp right curve which you would want to have the whole lane to yourself.

From Bendemeer

The same thing happens when traveling from Bendemeer to Upper Serangoon.

Honestly I hate this road more so than I hate the previous road. Don't know why, I just find that it's even more unsafe and difficult to tackle.

Again, you'll have to be in the third lane, which isn't that difficult to achieve with the same tactics outlined above - wait for the traffic light to become red, then change lanes. With this road, the difference is that there's a safer alternative should you not desire to change lanes. You could go straight and take the pedestrian crossing in order to go straight.

On a side note

On a side note, today I saw the funniest thing in lane changing. A cyclist in full roadie gear wanted to change lanes and what the did was the most innovative, perhaps arrogant, method.

Usually, you would signal that you wanted to turn right, look behind, see if you have space to go in. Of course, this roadie did it too, with that bit of difference that made all the difference. His arm was raised, but it was raised to tell the driver behind to STOP his car while he changed lanes, all while looking at the driver!

He got it his way.

The Rain and the Watershed

Today's Home section has two articles related to cycling, chief of which is this article.

Taken from wanderlustcycling.blogspot.com

Pity. A pity to get knocked down so terribly, and as I gather, by a doctor. Only a few days ago I blogged about this cyclist, and it's terribly sorry a fact that today it is reported that he gave up the ghost. I truly have nothing more to write other than saying... WTF? and my condolences.

Another article today showed the brighter side of cycling - government efforts to teach cyclists safe cycling.

Certain Tampines and Pasir Ris schools are aimed to get lessons on safe cycling habits, legal cycling habits (Teo Ser Luck installs a light on a bicycle!!!), road discipline, and other stuff not explicitly covered in this article.

Based on what I read, teaching hand signals, proper attire, when to use safety lights, and road discipline is actually a very important aspect of how a cyclist can raise his safety on the road. There are many things a cyclist cannot control, as exemplified by the previous article, but if you have done all you can to keep yourself safe, then if you are a fatalist, you can probably just sit back and take fate as it comes. Of course if you're not...

The question is whether the students will take it seriously. I think this project is actually a real big step forward - if the students actually don't have short term memory. Will they dismount on a zebra crossing when it is so much more convenient to ride over it? Will they spend $25 on a rear light and then $25 on a front light when they see foreign workers riding everywhere without the extra expense?

I'm still waiting for driver education on handling cyclists. That is more important because cycling on the road is a great feat for the new cyclist - of course, new or laojiao, all cyclists are inherently vulnerable. The first time that one rides on the road, his balls are stuck ihis throat most of the time. Cars can be quite unaccommodating, and it's the black sheep that can be scary. For women, I don't know where they get their balls from, which probably is the reason why I don't really see too many females commuting by bicycle anyway, unless they are foreigners, both the tiongkokkers and ang mohs, where the cycling culture is more apparent and widespread back in their country.

Night commuting: extremely dangerous?

Pic: nickwheeleroz

The recent spate of drunk driver versus vulnerable motorists sagas have led me to think that night commuting is a risky affair, especially past midnight.

The recent zaobao news (here),

一辆汽车前晚9时25分沿着金文泰路往武吉知马路上段行驶时 [...] 撞上两辆脚踏车，两名骑士被撞飞，头部受伤，而疑是醉酒驾车的60多岁男司机先是逃离车祸现场，在半小时后才回返现场向警方自首。 [See full article].

Basically what it says is that at 9:25pm, this yellow-car driver hit two cyclists, injuring a 35 and 22 year old cyclist. The 35 year old is in the ICU, but has not regained consciousness. The 22 year old is in hospital, but not in such a bad state. He is suspected of drink-driving.

Did you also remember how Ionsecu hit and run? That one is the most gangster thing I have ever seen. Hit, run, escape, political drama (Romania waives his immunity, Singapore kao pei kao bu for him to come back, suddenly so many witnesses come up, Ion says "this is a setup!", newspapers keep piling the evidence against him, and he still is probably enjoying himself back in Europe), and et cetera.

As cyclists, this is one of the biggest problems for us: taking the damage for other people's faults. And we can do little to it, we can put bright flashing lights all over, but if the guy isn't driving well, is disturbed/distracted/a dickhead, things just aren't gonna go well for us.

It's one of the risks we have to take. Life has risks after all, and more often than not, accidents do not really happen. Knowing the latter fact is not a cause for complacency, however. Of course, the reason why these accidents are often so impactful when they hit the newspaper is because of its magnitude. Two guys in ICU, deaths, etc.

No - riding at night is not as dangerous as people imagine. It's just more risky. Not more dangerous. You can get knocked down in the day and suffer the same injury, but at night, it's more probable.

Ride safe!

Three Examples of Bicycle Cities

Watch this video and you'll see what the West does for its cyclists. I'm particularly roused by how, in Holland, they teach school going children how to handle traffic on a bicycle. I do believe that there's such a thing here too - except they cater to cars.

More interestingly, I'm shocked that Bogota is so developed that they even have time for bicycle infrastructure! I would think that Bogota, being kidnap capital of the world, is a city that seriously has problems, but wow, am I amazed after watching this video.

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

My Take on Implementing Bike Lanes

No bike lanes? Improvise it yourself!

There has never been more talk about bike lanes than now. The last decade certainly saw a growth of cycling, and this has led to bike advocacy groups asking for it. Obviously, having bike lanes are great, but apparently, bike lanes are not as safe as it seems. Apparently, just like race, harmony on the roads are more effective than segregation.

Cycling in Singapore can be classified as largely vehicular cycling, among lawful bike commuters. That is, bicycles act as any other vehicle would, they have a right to do anything that any other vehicle do. The surprising discovery I made is that this is actually the safest way of cycling in the West. It seems,

"[P]ublished studies show either poorer safety for segregated cyclists,or at best no improvement over vehicular cycling. Segregating cyclists marked reduction in convenience and priority" [1]

It is shocking that cycling lanes that we imagine take us a step into greater safety is actually not what it seems to be. Last week's Sunday Times did an article on bikes and again, the honourable bike advocates - the Safe Cycling Task Force - came out advocating for bike lanes, stating that,

"If cyclists and motorist each had their own space, there would be less friction and fewer accidents between them". [2]

But the unfortunate thing is that, everything I have read points against the effectiveness of bike lanes. John Forester, a cycling transportation engineer, believes bike lanes

"[W]ere not devised to keep cyclists safe, but rather to keep them from interfering with car traffic" [3]

It seems that evidence from the West's trials of bike lanes proves that bike lanes are certainly not what certain advocates of it here see it as. Which is truly unfortunate, as there just isn't another better solution than the promise bike lanes held as a panacea for the motorist-cyclist friction.

We do have bike lanes. Ersatz bike lanes. Did anyone notice how our ersatz bike lanes in places such as Buangkok/Yishun/Sembawang, etc., the ones built on sidewalks which segregate pedestrains with cyclist keep getting violated? It's the same case at the PCNs and in East Coast. These bike lanes just make me want to go back to the road. It's faster, and safer. As far as it goes, this is what they call half f*** standard. It is good for training your children to ride bikes safely, but as far as a bike commuter is concerned, it is absolutely useless.

But looking at Western nations which use bikes a a common form of transport, such as Denmark and Holland, it seems that you don't need bike lanes - you need numbers. Jeanette Wang on her blog states,

"Motorists seem to change their behaviour and drive more safely when they see more cyclists and pedestrians around. Also, rising cycling rates mean motorists are more likely to be cyclists, and they are therefore more conscious of and sympathetic towards cyclists.

In fact, studies show that a community that doubles its cycling numbers can expect a one-third drop in the per-cyclist frequency of a crash with a motor vehicle." [4]

But this proves a chicken-and-egg problem. How do you promote more cyclists to join the fray when they would be the ones facing the highest danger on the road?

I don't know, but what I know is that the Singaporean roads are very rideable, it's not so dangerous that you will get killed tomorrow if you went out today. It can be unnerving after reading so much naysaying text from the net/newspapers/coffee shop talk". If you don't do stupid things like try to chiong amber lights as if you had 200 horsepower (no, you typically only have 0.2 hp).

Basically, we aren't getting bike lanes anytime soon. The LTA told us to f*** off, and after reading what I have read recently, I think there is just no reason why we should spend money on bike lanes. If the government is into promoting cycling, it should be in education of motorists, promoting cycling through incentives (Bike to Work incentives, infrastructure for cycling). Bike lanes are not what they seem to be, but social acceptance of bicycles will be the future of safety for cyclists.

References

[1] http://www.cyclehelmets.org/papers/c2014.pdf , p. 354
[2] Lifestyle, Sunday Jan 17, p. 4
[3] Bicycle Times, Issue 002, p. 55
[4] http://blogs.straitstimes.com/2009/12/15/more-cyclists-fewer-accidents

Avoiding Bike Theft in Singapore

A perennial problem that a bike commuter has is bike theft. It
seriously makes you sibeh dulan when after doing your shopping that
you come back and realise that your ride has been taken away, probably
resprayed and landing up at Sungei Road. Not only does the theft of
your bike annoy you, the inconvenience of having to find alternative
transport will make you totally lose faith in Singaporeans.

I have had two bikes stolen. One cheap Urata and one Wheeler which I
really liked. The former didn't hurt when I realized it was gone. But
the latter did. It made me read up on bike theft an how to avoid it.

There are a few ways you can avoid your ride being stolen, in order of
priority,

1. Location

Location is the most important determinant of the risk that you will
have to bear when you leave your bike locked unwatched. There are some
hotspots for bike theft which you should absolutely avoid. MRT bike
racks are one of them. I've heard that Tampines and Pasir Ris is also another hotspot for bike theft. Although it is great to have such a convenient
place to lock your bike, it is also very unsafe. You'd be surprised if
you think only fancy bikes get stolen - I've heard even Uratas and Momokis are not spared. The best places to park are places which is well lit, located in a frequently passed by location and a place where most people do not park their bikes.

2. Bike quality

Don't ride a new bike with no battle scars! It's only a magnet for theft. I have a few bikes, of which I only lock one, a beaten up Trek. Yes - Trek - but it looks so terrible and has a totally unflashy colour (grey), and rust all over its drivetrain. It hasn't been stolen, even though I have locked it outside for quite a while now. Of course, it could get stolen at any point where I am unlucky, but learning from my mistake last time, I'll never ride a new, unscarred bike out ever again.

The good thing is that you can get these beaters at Togoparts for cheap, and they won't have a terrible ride quality for $100 - $200. Unlike if you bought $200 bike new... which would often be heavier and use a lower-quality Shimano derailleur ripoff.

3. Locks

If you have read other websites, you'll probably know that a U-lock and cable lock combo is the highest security combo you can get. Of course, there's a difference between that $20 U lock and the $188 Abus lock. I had both before. The $20 U lock served its purpose well, but totally rusted and jammed, so I had to throw it away. The $188 Abus hasn't been proven in tahaning rain and abuse, but so far, paying that kind of money and protecting a $150 Trek is quite relieving. It seriously takes a big weight off your heart - I used to be quite afraid my ride would be stolen, these days, I feel better.

The double-lock combo, it is proven to keep your bike yours. A U lock can be cut by a bolt cutter, but a decent cable lock would fray terribly. Likewise, a cable lock cutter would not work against a U lock...

Doping is good, but remember to dope safely.

Do you dope? I've seen how doping can increase performance. When I switched from a MTB/folder hybrid bicycle to a road bike with 105 everything, suddenly I gained 5km/h plus of average speed. No more low 22km/h, I have hit 28km/h, just by doping! And when your average speed is 28km/h, it usually means that you often hit 36 - 40+ km/h. That's dangerous. Very dangerous, especially on a road bike with less than an inch's worth of contact with the ground.

Further, this isn't the beautiful roads of Europe where you have the whole road to yourself with the occasional car passing by. This is Singapore, where "occasional" is best defined as a dozen per hour, and it is only at places as ulu as Lim Chu Kang where you get such a privilege. On roads where us commuters ply... forget it. It's a dozen every minute.

The good news is that you can buy equipment that makes your ride safer. But first we must define what is a 'safe ride'. A safe ride is best defined as a ride that does not result in an accident.

Contrary to classical wisdom, I'd like to bring out a revisionist view on helmets, wristbands with your name/NRIC/blood type/address. Helmets do not make a ride safer. Helmets make an accident safer. They do not add to a safe ride, they add to a safe accident. Just like that Volvo with a five NCAP safety rating. They do not make driving safer, they make an accident safer. Of course, the city braking feature of a Volvo makes driving safer. Obviously, you'll never know when you'll eat shit on the road, so like they say, "use your head, wear a helmet". Don't pray pray on the road.




On the whole, I still think a road bike is inherently less safe to ride on the road than a mountain bike or a hybrid. A fat-tyred bike is better at conquering shit. The biggest risk to a road bike or any bike with a tyre width of 1.5" or less is falling into the gaps between the rails of a drain. I've eaten that shit before, and it wasn't pleasant. Think disc brakes at full power. You're gonna endo. But I do agree that riding a road bike will keep you on the bike more, because it's more exciting, adrenaline-pumping, and fassssssssssssst. Keep a safe distance from the curbs though.

I propose you get three minimum equipments:

Lights

Still, you should get lights. The more annoying the better. You need some really dazzling ones. If you don't dazzle drivers, they don't see you.

Mirrors
Any mirror is better than no mirror. Whether it is that $2 blindspot mirror you can get from your hardware shop, or the $12 Cateye mirror, they serve the purpose of allowing you to judge who's behind and plan ahead. One important note is that they are not a good replacement for turning your head and looking behind. All these mirrors are convex and thus they generally exaggerate distances.

Spectacles/Sunglasses
I always wondered how people with perfect vision ride with all the shit that fly in their eyes. Even with spectacles, sometimes crap from the road can hit my eye. You might think, riding with one eye is possible, but it feels funny, and you can't really judge distances very well with one eye. This is one thing that you really shouldn't play play with. If anything, this is one of the most important safety equipment you can buy.

For further safety equipment, check Brown's guide to commuting located in the Links column.

Jeanette Wang, I concur

I have been following Wang's writings on bike commuting, and the more
I find out about her, the stronger my admiration. She's not only a
bike commuter preaching the benefits of bike commuting, but she can
chiongsua pretty well too. Apparently, she has racked up some pretty
awards in triathlons, something I never have the balls to do. I just
absolutely hate running.

Wang makes a lot of splendid arguments in today's Sunday Times, page
29. Unlike all her other articles on her online blog, this time it's
totally on safety - in fact, an appeal against aggressive driving.

Wang basically argues that drivers should not belittle cyclists. She
argues that SG roads are sibeh dangerous. Her friends Kenneth and
Robert has kana-ed serious injuries as a result of errant drivers.
Kenneth kanaed a 'dooring' and Robert kanaed a sideswiping. They
survived, but pretty shittily.

I've never ate such shit before, but these cases, albeit sparse and
isolated, are serious. Which is why I advocate Road Machiavellianism -
that is, taking more space on the lane than you need to force drivers
to get out of your way when overtaking. The space between the double
yellow lines are not bike lanes! The whole left lane can legally be
yours as long as it is justifiably 'practicable'.

However, there is one major flaw in her article. It does not address the correct
crowd when pleading to drivers for patience, or to cyclists for more
predictability and courtesy.

Let's face it. If your main paper is The Straits Times and not Lianhe
Zaobao or other mother-tongued based papers, you are likely to come
from a better social strata. You might have an "elite, uncaring face",
but you are likely more law-abiding (in the SGrean case, I bet law-
fearing is more accurate) and have a proper sense of self-
preservation. As a cyclist, that means you are better informed about
the rules and your rights, and ultimately following the rules. This
crowd is small, because their idea of the road is that it is freaking
dangerous. This crowd, however, is the crowd that promotes driver-
cyclist harmony automatically.

So who is the offending party? From experience, there are two groups
of vulgar cyclists. The forgivable and the ones who should be shot.
The ahpeks, aunties, children, and very significantly, foreigners,
poorly informed, anything goes in their riding. I don't blame Indian
foreigners or riding so offensively, because back there traffic is
rubbish and anything goes. Their mentality is: if they die, it's fated
- a Hindu thing.

Then there's the most guailan of cyclists - the errant road bikers on
training rides. I've written about them, and I bet you get my idea.

There is a lack of education here on cyclist's rights. Most drivers
have all sorts of warped hearsaid ideas about cyclists. We're not
meant on the pavement. But ask your colleagues and neighbours and see
what they say. To increase our safety, I believe the next edition of
BTTs should have an article of cyclist's rights, so be it foreigners
or NSFs rushing to get their licences, all can be exposed once and for
all, indisputably, to the norms of cycling on the road.

Wang's suggestion if safety in numbers is true too. But heh... Don't
count on it. The bicycle in Singapore is not seen as a tool but more
like a toy for joy. Some of my friends are unable to cycle too. Never
learnt it, dad said it was too dangerous. Maybe on weekend rides,
there will be a increase in numbers of cyclists, but I don't forsee
more bike commuting happening anytime soon. But wait! Isn't Singapore
damn open to foreigners? Ah! the silver lining! Just don't expect the
roads to be any safer.

So can we get along like Wang says? Sure. Not so soon and until we
realist bike paths are not the answer to driver-cyclist rapport and
increasing safety, but the fundamental things like education and
safety in rule-abiding numbers.