Monday, January 28, 2008

CNY Getaway - Mae Salong, N Thailand.

CNY Red Carry Me, ready for Year of the Rat

Locust crowds - Not my idea of fun!

You know its Chinese New Year here in Singapore from the thronging crowds that swarmed the supermarkets and literally any shops that sell goodies, clothes, plants and even mobile phone plans. CNY is arguably the biggest celebration in Asia and Singapore is no exception. If you desire quiet and peace during this festivity, the only way is out of the country. But possible only if you have booked your flights out early - at least 3-6 months, or are prepared to camp out in queue at the Malaysian Causeway, say 4am in your car.
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Fortunately for us, we will fly SilkAir to cool Northern Thailand this Sunday Feb 3 for ten glorious days. We plan to do the Mae Hong Son loop, off to Chiang Rai and our destination Mae Salong. This is a fascinating place with a rich history - remnants of the KMT Chinese army have settled here and turned this region into the world's greatest drug production centre in the 70s/80s. Their reason for this:
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We have to continue to fight the evil of communism, and to fight you must have an army, and an army must have guns, and to buy guns you must have money. In these mountains, the only money is opium.[10]

—Gen Tuan Shi-wen, Weekend Telegraph (London), 10 March 1967

As there will be 5 of us packed into a little Toyota Vios sedan, the obvious choice of foldies are my 2 super-compact Carry Mes. They will be most useful for our morning rides and exploration of good eating places when we arrive at our destinations.

Welcome Year of the Rat! Goodbye crowds. Kong Hee Fatt Choy ...

Friday, January 25, 2008

Foldies on Trains - Singapore 1, Melbourne 0


No worries if you have a Bike Friday Tikit in a suitcase... ok ok, there is a 10 min assembly time.








The Singapore Government have too often been accused of not listening to its people and been criticised for its archaic "Father knows best" attitude when it comes to making public policies. But splashed in the news today is the announcement by Transport Minister Raymond Lim that folding bikes will be allowed in trains and buses for a 6 month trial period. This is in response to discussions with focus groups and is certainly a step in the right direction. Kudos Minister Lim!

"Responding to this, LTA together with the public transport operators will launch a six-month trial from March 2008 to allow cyclists to carry their foldable bicycles on board trains and buses. LTA will also work with NParks and other agencies to leverage on the park connectors to enable cyclists to get to public transport interchanges more easily. Bicycle parking facilities at the MRT stations and bus interchanges in housing estates will be improved."

https://app-pac.mica.gov.sg/data/vddp/embargo/6260896.htm

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, more people on bikes will certainly ease congestion, lessen pollution, burn less oil and make for a healthier populace. A greener Singapore for sure. I've been bringing my foldie through the MRT for a year without any problems so far, but my anxious heart always skips a beat when I pass the ticket turnstill. Now, I can go through with a confident broad smile.

Meanwhile, downunder in Melbourne, Victoria's Transport Minister Lynne Kosky just banned bicycles from their overcrowded trains during peak hours this month. It was a band-aid solution to a massive problem of overcrowding in trains. Certainly dents its "most liveable city in the world" image. Fortunately, the bicycle advocacists have been lobbying hard and it may very well be overturned.

http://www.leadernews.com.au/article/2008/01/08/27690_whv_news.html

It will be interesting to see if the Singapore commuter will jump onto the foldie saddle with such enthusiasm to the extend that it starts clogging up our trains/buses. And if it does, I'm confident that "Father" has something already in store.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Cycling North to CHINA!

Journey mercies Dave and Michelle!

Their bikes.

Mine - just the Surly frame for now with Cane Creek Headset fitted.


A U.S. couple, Michelle & Dave, are riding from Singapore to Yunnan, China (left this morning). I had had to meet these cycling adventurers and enjoyed the privilege of having dinner with them last night. We got in touch through the CGOAB website (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=3200&v=t) - where all the touring bikers hang out. It's the best touring bike site and a valuable info resource!
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We went to an Indian vegetarian restaurant and had a wonderful evening together sharing food and cycling stories. Even my non-cycling friend Brian found the conversations fascinating and enjoyed himself. It was great that I was able to offer some travel tips, at least in Malaysia and Cambodia which I am quite familiar with. Michelle is an English Literature graduate and Dave is Mr "Hands-On" Engineer who specializes in renewable energy. It's a no brainer why he prefers the bicycle as a mode of transport! The title of their website "Outside forever" reflects their passion. Our Creator has indeed given us a beautiful world to enjoy and I can't think of a better place to soak in the scenery than on a broken-in Brooks saddle.
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Sharing in the excitement of their adventure proved too much for me, and I just got back from Rebound Centre with a Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike frame. This is a chromoly steel bike build like a tank and for heavy duty touring. The words in the ad reads:
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"The Long Haul Trucker isn’t the bike that everyone is going to have. It isn’t the next big thing. It won’t race like a champ or scream down rocky singletrack. It isn’t about impressing your friends. It’s a tool for finding out what you are capable of inside. Are you ready to ride?"
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There was a sale and I was sitting on the decision for a week. It was the nudge I needed. Sort of an investment into my dream of cycling from China and back to Singapore one day. Thanks to my buddy Chris who incidentally got his LHT last week and put this idea into my head. Should be pots of fun putting together the ultimate touring bicycle, if there is such a thing. Looks like a busy 2008 ahead.
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No, I have not lost interest in foldies. Just taking advantage of a super special offer on the Surly Long Haul Trucker. Got the last piece of 46cm in blue gray. What a great name for a great touring bike! China dreaming for now...
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How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever. Psalm 146:5,6

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Seeking pleasure differently in Karimun











After peaceful Kundur, arriving in bustling Karimun was extremely unnerving. Read busy traffic, pushy touts, constant blaring from numerous Birds' Nest concrete farms and narrow roads. Prices generally were also 20% higher. As the main attraction here is cheap "love", Tanjong Balai attracts nearly 200,000 Singapore and Malaysian men annually. This explains the vibrancy of the economy exemplified by the presence of luxury cars and fancy hotels.
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Even on a weekday, Chris' usual haunt The Paragon Hotel was booked out and his Indon friend pointed us to the new glitzy 4 star Maximillian Hotel, supposedly the Grand Hyatt equivalent. It was a most impressive hotel but double the price of our previous night's stay and half the size. Their excellent bike friendly attitude clinced the deal. We were allowed to park at the lobby, attacting many curious stares. It helped that our folded bikes took very little space.

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It seemed that almost everyone had a cigarette in one hand, and a young *Amoy on the other. Pimps would hang out at the smoke-filled restaurant while waiting for their girls and certainly, it was brisk business. The activists were also hard at work as evidenced by a large sexy poster in our hotel room closet warning against HIV infection.

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If you can overlook the sleazy veneer, Karimun has plenty of historical buildings and character to explore. Some shophouses as early as the 1920s are still standing. Early developments were chiefly because of its strategic location, even arguably better than Singapore. Col William Farquhar once considered Karimun over Singapore as its main trading post. He wrote in early 1800s, "The Carimon Islands appeared to me, from their situation in the direct tract of all ships passing up and down the Straits, to be the most eligible situation."

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But Raffles thought otherwise and the Anglo Dutch Treaty of 1824 changed its destiny forever. History aside, Tanjong Balai offers plenty of restaurants from Nasi Padang to seafood, as well as hawker fare. We found a most praiseworthy Carrot Cake stall at the Pasar Malam. Shopping too isn't bad with the widest range of keropok for sale - cheap and good.

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As a cycling destination, Karimun has its plus points too. Gunung Jantan where there is a beautiful waterfall attracts many mountain bikers. The scenic coast littered with wrecks make for excellent photography. However unlike Kundur, there are plenty of short but steep hills which can really leave you winded. At least I was!

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The weekend romeos and us shared the same goal at Karimun - we both seeked pleasure. They with their short-time made up birds and we with our faithful adventure-scarred steeds. But the smoke, sleaze and money-grabbing immigration officials are major obstacles to a return trip anytime soon, and that is a shame.

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Chris Wee's excellent account on the trip in the famed Crazyguyonabike: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=68496&v=6I

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*Amoy - a place in Southern China whose language is associated to Hokkien. This word is used to mean working girls in the Riau today among the locals. Interesting to see the historical connections kept alive through linguistics.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Kundur - cycling's best kept secret!





















Tanjong Batu, the main town of Kundur Island, charms me with its quiet old time character. It's hard to imagine that this region few hundred years ago was once the heart of the Malay Sultanate with European powers jostling for economic privileges. Its a 3 street town whose life centers on its small harbour and supporting businesses. Old and rusted Dodge trucks from the 60s still carry goods to and fro from docking boats. For some strange reason, the seedy industry seemed to have disappeared and we were glad for that.
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Since the cessation of the direct ferry from Singapore in Nov 07, its very much a local affair with very few tourists. We checked into the best hotel in town, Hotel Gembira. With only a 10% occupancy rate, our foldies and us were showered with attentive and courteous service. That plus only 190,000R (or about S$28) for the suite resulted in 3 very happy campers.
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If you are Teochew speaking, going to Kundur will be like visiting your old kampong as the ever friendly Chinese locals will welcome you with open arms. Great food offered at even greater prices. We were pleased to find the best Wanton Mee near our hotel and for breakfast, we could not believe local delicacies like Kway Chap, Chai Tow Kway, Chok, Noodles & Soya Milk were available.
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But what won me over were the great cycling roads around Kundur Island. Nearly zero traffic save for the occasional mopeds and ojeks (van taxis) cruising pass us slowly. Urung, an even smaller coastal town 18km north, was a pleasant discovery during our afternoon ride. We were blessed with wonderful cool weather - overcast with a very light drizzle. Plenty of rattan panniers for mopeds were being unloaded at the jetty and we had fun trying them out for size on our bicycles. The adventurous streak in us took us westward another 14 km across the island. Even quieter roads with small rolling hills made the ride magical. Some parts of the roads were pretty bad with huge pot-holes and washed out roads but that only added to the experience.
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We then headed back to town just at the last minutes of sunlight and finished the 46km ride with a sumptous dinner at Ah Kun's homecook "che char". He came highly recommended and seeing the masterchef skillfully handling the wok with leaping flames only added to the delight of our dining experience.
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All that riding made us truly famish and we headed off to the Pasar Malam for supper after a much needed shower. Finishing off a great day with a $6 massage to soothe aching muscles ensured that I slept ever so soundly - even though I forgot to bring the much needed ear plugs. A necessary apparatus needed to help survive the night in the same room with 3 tired guys.
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What a fantastic discovery for 2008 indeed!

Monday, January 7, 2008

Off to Riau - Kundur/Karimun

Me zipping thru Karimun 1994 - Pic courtesy of Chris Wee



An unexpected slot of free time presented itself this week. Coupled with an unscratched itch for some adventure, I roped in my 'always game' cycling buddies Chris and Paul and we decided to pay the Indonesian Riau Islands of Karimun and Kundur a visit this Wed. It is cycling paradise with quiet roads, deserted beaches and scenic countrysides.

It was in the 93/94 that I last cycled Karimun and that was the first trip I did with Chris. We were swinging singles then. He was the cool and crazy organiser and still is... so I guess this is a sort of homecoming trip for Chris and I. Although we are now happily married, our love for cycling to exotic places remain the same. But this time, instead of Mountain Bikes, we shall be riding Foldies. Chris will be riding his KHS Cuppacino, Paul his new Dahon Curve D3 and I my faithful Dahon Speed 8 with the all terrain Big Apple tires.

A Dutch cyclist Jan Boonstra has compiled a very useful map (he is a cartographer) of the region while he was staying here. Thanks Jan! Check it out:

http://user.chollian.net/~hwayon/sing/kundur.htm

For the uninitiated, Karimun attracts a lot of Ah Peks, Datuks and Uncles (senior citizens) pumped up on Viagra over the weekends. So we plan to return on Friday less we get mistaken for the Viagra Brigade.

Off to the 3rd world for some 1st world cycling! Lets ride - bicycles that is.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

A new bike for a faithful friend.

My good friend Seng Chor and his lovely wife, Ros.

Dahon D7


I have known Seng Chor now for several years. We met while I was taking classes at Trinity Theological College as an occassional student, and he happened to also be posted to my church as an intern. We have since grown to be firm friends through various projects we did together. 3 years have passed, and Seng Chor and his family are still at my church, serving and blessing so many people. If there is anyone ever so faithful and dependable, it is Seng Chor. Always there for everyone...
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I'm not sure what he has learned from hanging around with me but I have converted him to becoming a foldie. He wanted some exercise and I introduced him to a D7. He has put nearly 2000km on it since and he looks really in great shape, though his well riden D7 has seen better days.
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Our church was wanting to acknowledge and appreciate him for all his wonderful help last year, and I suggested a brand new foldie. Approval was given so its foldie shopping time.
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With a budget of about $500, I will plumb for another D7 ($600) since this is perhaps the best value bike at this range. It comes with 7 speeds, 20" tires, adjustable handlebar post and good old Dahon technology. It helps too that it has won several awards.
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http://www.dahon.com/news/reviews/0307independent.pdf
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http://www.dahon.com/intl/boardwalkd7.htm
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A fellow folding bike enthusiast Vik from Canada seems to like his D7, even more so than the accomplished Tikit in some areas. Speaks volumes of this very competent bike.
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http://viktikit.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-i-like-better-about-my-dahon.html
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Two other bikes too are in the running - the super cute Curve D3 and the value packed Easy 6 plus. Lets see what Seng Chor wants this Tuesday.
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Hope this little gift will bring great joy to an incredible friend. He deserves every spoke!
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Update 8 Jan - SC has moved into a new place and has expressed that he would like the Carry Me instead. The compact fold will be appreciated in the apartment and Ros finds it cute. Problem is that 2008 prices have kicked in and it now retails at $699, up $100 or 16% increase.
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I'm told that Dahon too will be upping their prices soon due to increased cost of material. But for now, D7 prices still remain the same. Seems like the best investment decision in the very turbulent 2008 financial markets is an investment in folding bikes!
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Update 18 Jan - SC has decided on a brand new D7. It will be more suited as it will enable SC and his wife to ride together - in terms of speed. The good folks at Speedmatrix (thanks Alan & Joseph) very generously sweetened the deal further and that was most appreciated! SC test rode the new bike and remarked how smoothly it rode. Happy riding SC & Ros! Thanks for touching so many lives including mine.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

2008 already?

Upcoming Pacific Swivel-Head Bicycle
by Mark Sanders (Strida Designer)


Ready for another year of adventure!

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I wrote my first cheque for the New Year today and nearly made the mistake of writing 2007. 2008 seems to have snuck up on me after an incredibly hectic Dec. Even at the very last hour of 2007, I was busy "working" - leading the traditional Watchnight Service in church. This is a time where we reflect on the year past, and welcome the New Year in the presence of our Creator, and in the warm company of good friends and family.

As we stand together facing a fresh block of time, I wonder what awaits us in 2008? I look forward once again to the romance of travelling with my "folding companions". Two flights have already been booked - Feb to Chiang Mai enroute to Mae Salong to research the forgotten KMT army, and in March to Cambodia. This time to Kratie to see the rare pink fresh water Irrawady Dolphins. I also hope to produce 10 travel/adventure articles so that should be fun.

Of course there is always the possibility of adding one or two more new folders to my already crowded stable. The upcoming Pacific Swivel Head is a fascinating possibility and perhaps the weird looking but high performance Dahon Smooth Hound.

Wishing you wisdom, blessings and joy for the New Year ahead and may you manage to carve out more time to be on the saddle. Have a great 2007, opps, I mean 2008!
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Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12