Inspirational oldies on foldies...

Both pics courtesy of Chris Wee

When I'm not on the saddle, one of the things I love doing is to drool over other people's bicycle adventures on CGOAB. There is this couple who are exceptional in every sense of the word. Suzanne and her husband Janos are ardent touring cyclists and have put in at least 12 overseas trips in Asia and Europe in the last 3 years.

Suzanne and Janos, with my ride buddy Chris in Lampang, Thailand (CGOAB).

They have great taste too when it comes to their bicycles. They used to ride Koga Miyata and now they have switched to Bike Fridays. Their present tour around Thailand have proven the convenience of the very packable New World Tourists as the weather has been very hot and it helps that they can just chuck the bikes into public transport with no worries. You can follow their exciting and entertaining account here.

Pic fm CGOAB

When you consider they are in their 70s, I have nothing but awe and the highest respect for this inspirational couple. True oldies on foldies indeed!

Frying in one's own fat

We are experiencing a super hot spell these few days. It was 39c yesterday and today, it hit 42c. The next few days, according to the weather forecast, will see no reprieve. Definitely not a pleasant time to be on a bicycle as the heat causes one to literally fry in one's own fat.

Where are you Fall? Can 't wait for cooler days to come.

Most liveable city in the world - cycle wise?

If you are into rankings, the local newspaper reported that Perth, Australia got voted the top 8th most liveable city in the world, according to the Economist. Most of the top 10th cities came from Canada (Yo, Vik!) and Australia. This is based on -

"30 indicators of relative comfort in five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure."

Not bad I reckon for a small city of less than 2 million located in the remote Western desert of Australia. While I can definitely agree that Vancouver (Ranked No. 1) is a really cool place to live, having been there several times, Perth, if measured in terms of cycling, can probably be in the top 5. Flat terrain, mild climate, scenic rides by rivers, sea, vineyards as well as excellent dedicated cycle tracks make this small city a cyclist's little utopia.

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I dare say Perth aces Sydney (too hilly) and Melbourne (too many people). I'm curious to know if you think your city is tops in cycling, or not. In Singapore, the Park Connectors are great but cycling along public roads can be harrowing, with heavy traffic plus hot, humid weather.

Therefore, coming in 8th is truly a respectable position. And speaking of number 8, this is most appropriate for the coming Lunar New Year as in Chinese, it sounds like prosperity. For all of you who celebrate the Year of Tiger, I like to wish you a very blessed Lunar New Year!

“From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine." Genesis 27:28

When a bicycle is more than just a bicycle

Saw this most interesting video on bicycles in Africa - a project by Cadbury Company. Thanks to this uber stylish bicycle blog - Ecovelo!

Injecting new life into an old friend

Its nice to be back in Australia. The first thing that was greatly appreciated is the nice, cool, non-humid weather. Even though it hit 30c today, it was so pleasant compared to the hot and sticky humidity of Asia.

Being away for nearly 2 months, I found the faithful Bridgestone XO5 in a sorry state. The overgrown grass had covered it, cobwebs everywhere and big cracks on the saddle no thanks I'm sure to the 40c summer heat. Parking under the shade apparently did not help.

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My Singapore friends are amazing! The ever kind Joseph of Cyclemax passed me a used but good condition saddle.
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My ride buddy Chris generously bought me a pair of 700c * 28 brand new tires,

which he got from the biggest bike shop in Malacca in our trip 3 days ago. There, we enjoyed a morning ride together exploring that heritage city but that's another story altogether.

Since the 3 year old Panaracer tires have seen better days, I decided to put on the new rubbers and the seat. A few adjustments and lubing the chain with Finish Line Dry Teflon gave the XO5 the new life it needed. A short test ride along the beautiful Canning River confirmed its renewed vigor and she's ready to bring Jem to school and back, quickly and safely for 2010.

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More about the rich heritage of Bridgestone bicycles in the 1990s here...