Ride of Silence Singapore, 20 May 2009

My friends went down after work to Merlion Park today for the Ride of Silence Singapore. They reported a large turnout and cyclists were released in groups of about 10. We dropped in on the cyclists just as they left Merlion Park to thread through the city before heading out west to loop around Holland Village. 

The route required them to make a few lane shifts and navigate through small, busy roads (see route). By Holland Road, the groups found the space and momentum to be tighter. The video clips below show two groups riding up the Holland Road slope before they head down through Orchard Road. Note how the first group is more disciplined about keeping to a single file. It was nice to see the groups crunch up the slope in silence with a few nods of heads to us as they cycled past.

From the short time we spent following the groups along the first half of the route, a few things were obvious:

• White is striking at night! An all white t-shirt or jersey as ordered ("dress in white") would have really made the group stand out. The mixed coloured jerseys that some persisted in wearing are not noticeable and quite unsuitable or night cycling.
• Rear helmet lights were prominent and in fact, critical for congested roads where cyclists ride in close proximity to motorists. However, few cyclists had rear helmet lights. The rear seat lights are less useful in these situations as they are more noticeable from afar.
• Many were using pretty decent front white blinking lights. Surprisingly some were actually riding without front lights.
• The few passerby-cyclists without lights were practically invisible to traffic!
• Quite a number of cyclists were clueless about navigating lane changes safely – their timing and hand signals left much to be desired. Wish they sign up for some practical training somewhere, the sort motorcyclists get in preparation for their Class 2B license.
• The ride was supposed to be a slow-paced ride. But I think I'd be hard-pressed to keep up with some groups who were whizzed past!

I’m sure there will be more on my cycling lists later tonight and tomorrow. Hope it will help the organisers next year. Meanwhile, see news from Rides of Silence around the world and tweets from cyclists gearing up or after their ride..

Some of my photos from the ride are on Flickr.

“Cyclists join thousands worldwide in Ride of Silence,” by Tan Yew Guan. Channel NewsAsia, 20 May 2009.

SINGAPORE: About 200 cyclists gathered at the Merlion Park on Wednesday evening to embark on a one-hour ride through Singapore’s roads. They joined thousands of others in a world wide movement.

Called the Ride of Silence, riders went at a slow pace throughout the 19 kilometre route.

At the same time, they maintained silence amid the roar of traffic in honour of those killed or injured in traffic accidents while cycling.

Last year, at least 20 people died in such accidents.

The first Ride of Silence rolled off in Dallas in the United States six years ago.

Then, it was just a gathering of one thousand cyclists to mark the death of a fellow cyclist who was killed by a school bus mirror.

Throughout world, from Hong Kong to Spain and all across the United States, cyclists in over 200 locations are taking part in similar rides.

Organisers hope that the event will make drivers more aware of the presence of cyclists on the roads. – CNA/vm

Ride of Silence (Singapore) – 20 May 2009

The Ride of Silence
Tonight we number many but ride as one
In honor of those not with us, friends, mothers, fathers, sisters, sons
With helmets on tight and heads down low,
We ride in silence, cautious and slow
The wheels start spinning in the lead pack
But tonight we ride and no one attacks
The dark sunglasses cover our tears
Remembering those we held so dear
Tonight’s ride is to make others aware
The road is there for all to share
To those not with us or by our side,
May God be your partner on your final ride
- Mugai

http://tinyurl.com/ross2009

Link to Facebook page (indicate attendance; thanks agfu!)

“A cyclist with a cause,” by Agatha Koh Brazil [agatha@mediacorp.com.sg].
Today, 12 May 2009

A CYCLIST WITH A CAUSE
———————-

SOON after he arrived in Singapore in 2007, Benoit Valin got a bicycle to ride to his office at Buona Vista. Just as quickly too, on a rainy October day, he was rendered a bloody mess along Portsdown Road by a motorist who turned without looking.

Then the motorist in the car behind honked at him to get out of the way. “She well saw that I had blood on my head and other parts of my body, but she waved her fist to threaten me,” says the 31-year-old Canadian.

That wasn’t the only incident for the dedicated “bike commuter”. “Commuting is the only time I can ride my bike. Unfortunately, it is also the most dangerous time of the day (to do so).” Other close calls include one in January when a driver shot across three lanes of Commonwealth Avenue and Benoit had to swerve to avoid him. In doing so, he had to “touch” the car to avoid being hit by a bus. That enraged the motorist who “chased down” the road for about a kilometre. “Then he came out of the car, fists in the air,” recalls the Ottawa native.

In February, along Bukit Timah Road, a driver shot across two lanes and narrowly avoided clipping him. “At the light, I knocked on his window to talk. He did the ‘I’ve done nothing wrong, you’re on the road and you have no place here’ speech,” says Benoit. “That about sums it up. This happens about every week, but I don’t make a fuss about them … only when they really have to be educated.”

May 20 is when he hopes this will happen. That is when Ride of Silence Singapore – he is the organiser – will kick off at 7pm from Merlion Park at Clifford Pier. Attending riders will dress in white and ride – in silence – to honour those killed or injured while cycling on public roads. Last year, there were about 22 such deaths here, and this year, the figure already stands at six, says Benoit. It is expected to increase with the escalating popularity of cycling.

The riders here will join others worldwide in a silent slow ride on May 20 to raise the awareness of motorists and other road users as well as that of the authorities. The first ride originated in the United States city of Dallas, after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was killed when hit by the mirror of a passing bus. Officials from the Safe Cycling Task Force will also join in. The route (yet to be approved) will cover 19km or so.

Cycling for Benoit has been a 14-year “love story”. At 17 and at college, he needed money, so he started cycling extensively as a messenger in Ottawa. At university in Boston, he volunteered for Bikes Not Bombs, a not-for-profit organisation that recycles old bikes for third-world countries. Graduate school between 2001 and 2006 meant never staying long enough in a place to sustain a devotion to a cause. Until Singapore, where he saw “how road, and cycling safety could improve the quality of life for everyone”.

That encounter in February made the bachelor decide to dedicate his spare time to cycling safety. He then had a cause, but no means to reach out. “Changing the world by yourself, when all you see is the same five people every day is very difficult,” says the bioinformatics scientist for a pharmaceutical company. In April, he received an email from Canada’s National Capital Commission, advertising the Ride of Silence. “It was an epiphany. I found the means to unite people in support for a cause that affects everyone,” he says.

There have been 100 responses from his Facebook group so far. Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Vivian Balakrishnan is scheduled to be present, as is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for MCYS and Ministry of Transport, Mr Teo Ser Luck.

Benoit clocks about 1,000km a month riding from his Bukit Batok home to Buona Vista. When the 200km of park connectors are completed by 2015, “Singapore will become a world-class haven for cyclists.” “Unfortunately, park connectors don’t go everywhere. They cover only 60 per cent of my commute. The challenge is coping with traffic and the dangers of traffic.” That means drivers of every ilk, as well as pedestrians, especially “those who zig-zag between cars at lights and pop up without warning”. Cyclists who ride at night without lights and reflectors, wearing dark clothes, and those who ride against traffic and through lights are at fault, too.

Benoit is keen that helmets be worn, and made mandatory for riders under 12. “Deaths can never be reduced to zero. Drivers need to learn how to communicate their intentions clearly to cyclists (and vice versa). The rules of the road need to be clearer so they can be respected. Only then can roads be safer.” Cycling safety should be incorporated into driving classes and tested during the theory test. Physical education teachers too, should teach cycling safety, he says.

“On a bicycle, safety means staying alive.”

Singapore’s first such ride was in 2006, started by Jimi Loh. But the rides were never registered with the US and not publicised. Benoit and Mr Loh will work together next year. For details visit www.rideofsilence.org

Email your views to voices@mediacorp.com.sg

NTU Bike Rally 2009: Preparations

We’re leaving at 5.00am tomorrow to ride down to the NTU Bike Rally 2009 start point and waterproofing might come in useful, as always. KX is coming from the far west, and will probably taste the rain before we do.

We’ll reach ECP before 6.00am, register and fight off the aircon in Mc’s long enough to grab coffee. And then sette down for flag off. This year Lekowala will be with (or way ahead of) us, along with a bunch of the usuals!

Time to check the packing list…

• Helmet, helmet rear light
• Clear glasses and sunglasses (King’s Safety Goggles)
• Bike jersey and Arm warmers
• Gloves
• Bike pants – the padded Adidas
• Knee guard (going to need it!)
• Socks, Ankle reflectors, Shoes (regular ones; I use a pedal cage)
• Handlebar: Speedometer, front light , wipe mirror, check bell, handphone (alarm set), handphone pouch
• Saddle pack: Crank Brothers pump, spare inner tube, bike puncture kit, First Aid kit w/Brave Soldier
• Rear lights (two)
• Water bottles (2 x 0.8L)
• Camelpak w/1.5L Nalgene bladder, Gatorade powder, house keys
• Credit cards, ATM card, NRIC, Organ donor card, cash
• Deep heat and sunblock lotion

Set my alarm for 4am and hope for good weather.

NTU Bike Rally 2009: 160km in a sizzle or a pour?

Time to revisit my recipe for a long ride. I have the NTU Bike Rally 2009 this Sunday – 128km and we haven’t been cycling enough so will definitely suffer. With the ride to and from the start point, I’ll end up clocking 160km. The critical thing is – will it sizzle or pour? Heat will amplify a ride’s distance while I do well in the rain. It’s a March instead of a June ride this year so less sizzle, I guess.

We have to be at East Coast Park at 0530 so I’ll leave home at about 0445. Response was good this year so one of our friends found out places were full up. Another had his bike stolen while shifting house and so that leaves this handful of kakis whom I think are riding:

ECP 128km start point:

• Lekowala
• Ladybug
• Kian Wee
• Aaron
• TKX
• Kok Fah (the singlet sunburned man)
• Otterman

NTU 80km start point:

• Cat
• KMY
• Jaswant

Wonder whether I’ll meet riders from previous years like Patience, Patrick, The Big Z and Audrey.

Probable route (this is the 2008 route plotted by leews on bikely)

Rest points

First ride of 2009

I had been resting after the shingles and when I returned to campus I picked up the flu and a chest cold. I’ve just about recovered and with the 128km NTU Bike Rally (160km because I’ll ride to and fro ECP) only six weeks away, it was time to get back on the saddle.

After pumping tyres at the petrol station, we were late (6.40am), so we sprinted the 10km to 10th mile unction to meet up with a newbie rider. She has cycled all her life but just started riding a racer regularly with her collagues. She’s been clocking 15-18km per week on the average so we were supposed to stretch her legs a little.

For route details, see Bikely
Ride stats: Dst 52.77km, Tms 2:32:29, Avs 20.3km/h, Mxs 42km/h

Well, within minutes I realised from her form and control that she was good for much more than the 20km we had intended for her. So at the Kranji coffeshop stop, we suggested a slightly longer route that would take in the lovely wide stretch of Lim Chu Kang road in western Singapore. It’s great for racers and indeed after Kranji reservoir, she tore away and we struggled to keep up with her on our mountain bikes and knobbly tyres!

Kranji Reservoir – note the difference in posture for a rider of a mountain bike and a racer.
Amongst the tents in the distance on the Kranji shoreline is a police post; ever vigilant.

She found the 30m ride easy so its just a mental block and lack of opportunity that is restricting her. She definitely looks game to try the 128km NTU bike ride which would change her perception of distance, like it did mine. So to prepare for the bike rally, we invited her on a few more rides including the 70km+ Changi ride – preparation means having fun during the actual ride and time spent enjoying the companionship and scenery instead of suffering!

This route is Sunday/public holiday morning ride. Even on a Sunday morning, we start early and end by 10am. Bukit Timah can get dangerously busy and usually features a couple of impatient drivers, Sungei Tengah is a very narrow road with road dividers that buses have to squeeze through and you’d best stop or sprint to get out that situation. it gets extremely busy when servicemen are reporting/leaving the base. Meanwhile, Kranji is rife with heavy vehicles even on Saturdays.

So this route may be safe on a Sunday/public holiday morning, but I’d have to start two hours earlier to enjoy a similar sort of peace on a weekday or Saturday – I am not heroic enough to wake up and ride at 4am so I’ll use other routes.

A relatively peaceful Sungei Tengah early on the first day of Chinese New Year

My ride time was decent with no aches or strains (my mildly sprained ankle held out) – I am usually happy with a trip average speed of about 20km/h but gentle climbs peppered this route, so 19.0km/h would have sufficed. Climbs reduce the average speed mercilessly as I struggle up slopes which also means I’m traveling at lower speeds for a longer time! Then it takes forever to nudge that reading back up. So when I saw “avs 20.5km/h” on the speedometer outside the Hume Avenue ERP gantry (and amusedly thought of DM’s tomorrow-ed post), I huffed and puffed to protect that reading and was happy with the final 20.3km/h reading.

I was aided by the very cool morning and overcast sky – so much so the solar eclipse later might be a washout. I only needed about 300ml of water – if the sun was out it’d be a completely different story. Still, after the long lay off, it was good to be back and not to have completely lost it.

In other news, Lekowala, who will be riding with us during the NTU Bike Rally 2009, has a new racer! Fierce or not?

Technorati Tags:
bikely, ntu bike rally, kranji reservoir

NTU Bike Rally – 15 March 2009

The NTU Bike Rally 2009 falls on Sunday, 15th March 2009 this year and for the second year they will have two start points – East Coast Park (128km) and Nanyang Technological University (85km). The 128km route passes by Labrador Park, NTU, Kranji Reservoir, Seletar Reservoir, Pasir Ris Park and Changi Beach before ending back at East Coast Park.

This is the best long distance public ride in Singapore and I have ridden with them since 2003. I blogged about it a bit last year and in earlier years and will probably do so a few more times as we rouse ourselves up with  preparatory, intermediate-distance rides and update the tips for long distance rides. 

By riding there and back, I get to clock 160km and this year, my long suffering saddle gets replaced to something shamefully comfortable – well in theory at least! 

A fun part of last year's ride was twittering the bike stats during the breaks and seeing the responses of Kevin in NY and John in Sydney appear on my mounted handphone! The news of the prata stop at Jalan Kayu was saddening for them of course, but it was a thankful break in the afternoon heat.

Coming in to end point during the NTU Bike Rally 2007

A bunch of my kakis have already confirmed their participation: Ladybug, Cat, Jo, Kaixin, Lekowala, Jas and Min Yee

Visit the website at http://bikerally.ntusportsclub.sg

Posted via email from otterman’s posterous

Pedal Ubin later…

Riding down, I hope. Its generally best to avoid riding in pouring rain on roads, even with a visor and NEA’s Nowcast Graphic looks promising so far…

Holland Village to Changi, early weekend mornings

Saddle up!

The replacement for a tearing 7-year old saddle:

Had looked at it in May so Ladybug figured this was a no brainer. This ranks up there with previous desires like the motorised pencil sharpener complete with 20 pencils; still using that supply!

Long-distance rides beckon after marking!

Woken up by thunder

Sunday’s ride

I forgot all about Old Upper Thomson Road so when we spun down there for a look see at the potential morning route, it was a pleasant surprise.

The ride’s down to just below 40km after shaving 2km off the Bt Batok detour. Bad spots would be lower part of Thomson Road and Bukit Timah. Looking forward to trying it out in the morning, one of these days when I sleep early!