Come Saturday Morning...

This beautiful song by the Sandpipers was a hit when I was 7 years old and it speaks about going out with a good friend on a Saturday morning for a great time. In many ways, it captures my little outing today with my dear friend Ye Ole Brompton around the Canning River. She is my first foldie and what better way to spend a Saturday morning than going for a ride together. It was fun to see people just enjoying the great Aussie outdoors. Ski boats, canoes, bicycles, recumbents, runners with dogs, kids, picnickers - all out in full force.

My Brompton was delivered at Avon Cycles in Bath U.K., in 2003 and the decal is still proudly there. I got her in 2006 from a previous owner and she is in mint condition. The 6 speed Sturmey Archer gear system still shifts crisply and I have upgraded her tires to Schwalbe Marathons.

My Korean friend Shin who is new to cycling took her for a spin recently and he remarked, "High quality bicycle!". Though there is a certain 16" folder which rides better, the Brompton has that traditional gait and English charm about her. In a recent 40km race in Spore, the top Brompton completed the race in a very respectable 1 hr 16 secs or a 31km/h average.

Anyway, part of the lyrics of this melodic song reads:

We will travel for miles in our Saturday smiles,
And then we will move on
But we will remember long after the Saturday is gone...

And that somehow strikes a special cord in my heart. Life is about making wonderful memories not just for ourselves, but for others as well and because we may not have another chance, lets do that while we can.



I hope you will enjoy this 40 year old classic song and I like to wish you many happy Saturday mornings to come.

Spotting Fascinating Green Toys

It was really great to be back on a saddle with my Wed ride buddies Rod and Ken. With the weather a notch cooler at 22c, it was refreshing to be slicing through the 7am morning air. Our destination today was to Point Walter, about 17km from my house along the Canning River, near Fremantle.

People always comment that it would be boring riding the same route but we beg to differ. What surprises are the different hues of the morning, the people that we meet and the new things we see.

Today, I spotted a muscular Dad on his fully loaded touring bike with trailer on tow. He was coming fast in the opposite direction with his toddler snugly inside looking so pleased with this zippy human powered transportation.

.

At our usual morning tea site by the river, we were greeted with colourful sails in the clear blue sky. The Australian Kiteboarding Club were taking advantage of the strong 35kmh winds and it was exhilarating seeing people skim on the water at unbelievable speeds. Sometimes when the wind was too strong, the surfer would just glide up gracefully into the air and land just like a kung fu movie.

On the return ride back, I had had to stop for a chat with a lady who drove a Smart car. This is a 2 seater car partly owned by Mercedes and its their answer to urban city green transporation. It gets more than 20km/l and makes a lot of sense especially for this retired lady. She claimed her golf bag fitted easily into the tiny boot and I'm quite sure a foldy can go in as well. Because it is so short, 2 Smart cars can fit into one regular parking lot!

2 very green & smart vehicles

As green gadget buffets go, we got to meet a most intriguing Tandem Recumbent crusing steadily towards us. This couple was from Ireland, proudly flying their flag, and they looked happy as a lark. Who wouldn't? It must be quite a challenge to store this long road train contraption on 3 wheels.

Road Train!

All in all, a most fascinating morning wouldn't you say?

Fall has arrived!

Most unexpected, fall weather has suddenly arrived in Perth. We were out this eveing by the river enjoying a birthday picnic and it was cool and so windy. The sun also set earlier than usual and its down to 14c tonight. Days are beautiful high 20s.

Happy days are here again for the cyclist. Yippie!

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.

.

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!