All posts by chuwa

folding bikes, Travel

Traveling with folding bike

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“You must be crazy to carry your bike.”
My wife told me the first time when I try to bring my folding bike on a business trip. But after trying it once, I am hooked.

Bike+Train

Bike + train = ideal way to see Europe

Empowering mobility

IMO cycling is the best way to explore a new place. Walking won’t take you far, and you are most likely keep bumping into other tourists. Tour bus bring you from A to B, but you are missing all the fun between A and B. Sure, for longer distances, I need to rely on train/bus or other transports. That’s precisely when a folding bike come in handy; I simply fold it up and I am ready to go. Once at the destination, unfold my bike and my circle of exploration is immediately 10 times more.

With my bike, I am more willing to explore because it’s more fun. It’s just like upgrading from dial-up to broadband, it’s much faster and more fun and I end up staying longer on the Internet. There is no need to go really far, as long as it’s beyond the reach of a typical tourist, I sure will find something more authentic and more “human”. In fact I always find something interesting within 30 minutes of cycling from any hotel I stay. Thinking back, isn’t it the same in Singapore? Beyond the typical tourist spots, the tourist fade and the local live springs up. 5 mintues cycling (1km) is usually all it takes to go beyond the typical “tourist area”.

curious girl

Curious girl playing with my bike

Ice-breaker

People never fail to ask me question about my bike, and I got to chat with many people because of this very visible “toy” I am playing with. Once the conversation started, it’s a lot easier to understand the human side of the place I am visiting. I remember once I was sipping a coffee and enjoying the sunset along the Tanshui river side in Taipei, there was this little girl she was very curious about my bike. At first she was very shy but later she just can’t resist her curiosity and start asking if it’s a bicycle. I rewarded her courage by showing her how to unfold and folding the bike. She was very excited and run to told her mum. Later, talking to her mum I learnt that they came to the river side every other day to enjoy the sunset, and the place I was sitting is one of the favorite spot for local too.

Keep it safe

So far no one has stop me from carrying my bike into my hotel room. As a courtesy, sometimes I fold it up before carrying it into the lobby, but most of the hotels are happy to let me roll the bike right in. I‘d feel very stressed if I have to leave my bike outside at night in a foreign land. Losing the bike is one thing, but missing the fun the next day is the worst.

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Want to try the bike ? Here is the link:

http://jz88.com/try.html

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Bikeman

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bikeman does not use a foldable bike, but his experience on cycling to work deserve notice here.

Quoted from his page:

”

    Benefits of Commuting to Work by Bicycle:

    1. Is the best form of exercise to start the morning and arriving at your job refresh and energise the whole day, unlike your sedentary colleagues experience.
    2. Able to ride and exercise without having to cut into family time.
    3. I never have to stress out about traffic jams on my bike in the early morning and at the same time, clearing cobwebs and blowing away job-related frustrations. When arrived, ready for a brand new day.
    4. Riding your bike to work or school and back may be the best way to create time for cycling. When commute by bike, time normally spent sitting in an automobil or waiting for public transport is used productively as part of the training hours. The trip home can be lengthened as much as time, daylight and energy allow.
    5. It is very much more economical to ride than to drive, especially in Singapore. It saves one car less on the road.
    6. The health benefits: My posting to Taipei 4 years had ballooned me from 63 kg to 72 kg with a 88 cm waistline. My active cycling had helped me get back in shape. I am now back to 62-63 kg with 79 cm waistline. My resting heart rate is below 50 and my BMI is about 22. I hardly fall sick.

    …..

    In Singapore, you can commute by bike all year long because of the tropical climate unlike countries with winter snow. For a distance less than 10 km, it make more sense to commute by bike as travelling time is about the same with automobil, considering waiting time for public transport and looking for parking space if you are driving. My advice to all bikers is get in the saddle and commute considering all the benefits. I suggest that everyone try commuting for at least two weeks. Getting up in the pre-dawn hour may be the ultimate test of whether you really want to ride. It would not take that long to get over the initial pain/disgust of riding that early in the morning!

    …..

    read more

cycling general

bikely.com

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Stop dreaming of a cycling map for Singapore, start helping to build one by sharing your favorite on this site:

www.bikely.com

Already a few Singapore routes are there:

Signing up is easy, just fill in your user name, password and email here:

http://www.bikely.com/join

You will have immediate access to create new route.
Simple steps to create new routes:

1) click on the “submit route” menu along the top of page

2) select Draw it on the map using your mouse »

3) you will be seeing a google earth map, on the left of the map is the instruction:

First, enter “Singapore” into the search box, hit search and click on “singapore”, the google earth map will move to show Singapore.
To start drawing, hit the Create Route button above (ALT-C).
Drag the map to navigate it, or use the arrow keys. + & – zooms in and out. Navigate the map so that it shows the starting point of your ruote.
4) To start adding points to your path, simply click on the map. You can still drag the map around as normal.
If you make a mistake, press ALT-X (or the X button below) to delete the selected point.
To save your route, hit the Save Route button at the top right of the screen. Save your path regularly during its construction.

5) when you first save your route, you will be given the opportunity to name your route and have the choice of making it Visible to all or Under construction (hidden).

More detail instructions can be found here:
http://www.bikely.com/tutorial

So what are you still waiting for, create your cycling route now!

cycling general

less than 1%

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Only less than 1% of the gasoline you pay end up bring you from A to B.

This sounds ridiculous. But figures from US government site convinced me exactly that. it shows the energy used and losses of typical car: 64% of fuels wasted as engine losses, 17.2% wasted during standby and idle time, 5.6% lost within the drive-train. In the end only 12.6% is really “used” for moving the car from A to B. Suppose a typical car weights 2000kg and the passenger weights 100kg, then only 1/20 of the 12.6%, or 0.63% is really useful for moving the passenger.

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I couldn’t believe it considering the motor industry has been around for so long and appears to be “advance” in many way. It must be a collective hypnoses that get us all believe this kind of fuel wastage is OK.

What does the rest of the 99% do?
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Polluted air, traffic noise, heats, road danger-splitting up community space and occasional road kills and injuries. A car is a 99% polluter!
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What about bicycle?
Bicycle is known to be the most efficient device to move people around. However, human body is not so good in converting food (fuel) into mechanical energy. Only 20% of the food energy is used in peddling, but still, this is 20 times smarter (more efficient) than driving.
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What does the 80% energy do when we cycle?
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Stronger heart beat, better circulations, increase endorphin (feel good), reduce fat. In other word all the “waste” energy goes into improving the rider’s fitness.
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Consider stop driving for a change and to cycling for a while. You will be 20 times smarter in using the energy, improving your fitness and reducing huge amount of pollution all at the same time!

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data source:
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4057
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/atv.shtml
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assumption:
car = 2000kg, passenger = 100kg
human metabolic efficiency (paddle energy/food energy) = 20%

folding bikes

A-Bike update

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I heard about it last year and couldn’t wait to get my hand on it.

Two recent update on the A-Bike (links below). Quote from the BBC News:

“The inventor who specialises in making miniature objects has a new big idea. A collapsible bike designed to fit a commuter journey as easily as it folds to squeeze into a bag.

The A-Bike weighs 12.5lbs, folds ‘in 10 seconds. Sounds perfect for mixing with MRT.

Named after the shape of its telescopic black-and-silver frame, it claims to come in at half the weight, (12.5lbs) and half the price (£199) of those already on the market. It has two chains, one gear and a weight limit for riders of 13st 5lbs (85kgs).”

But it also mentioned:

“If the bike is meant to fit in to a commute, how does it fare on the Tube itself? It packs neatly into a shoulder bag or can be carried by the handle bars. It is out of the way on the escalator step or the carriage floor, much like any folding bike.

But achy-arm from carrying it is quick to surface, and how everything else would be balanced is less clear. Especially with the amount of gear cyclists tend to trail.”

And Lance Foster, a Bike shop worker gave his verdict:
“the bike is fast, strong and insightful. There is much that he would change: First of all that seat is definitely the most uncomfortable seat I have ever sat on.”Plus, the way those handle-bars fold in – I would have made them a bit longer. With the geometry of the bike you need them for good, aggressive speed. And, when you turn, it is very unstable.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5173612.stm
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/bicycles/abike-folds-small-weighs-little-164577.php

Pros: light weight (5.5kg), relatively cheap (£199) quick folding, good for indoor use
Cons (tbc): uncomfortable seat, wheels may be too small for Singapore road condition