Let’s Go!

Singapore and Cycling Is A Good Match

By Meg Farrell Sine

Biking in Singapore has never been more popular. The Covid-19 Circuit Breaker last year elevated bike riding as an excellent form of socially distanced exercise. Indeed, enlisting pedal power is a great way to burn those stay-at-home calories and tone those leg muscles! Sharing a ride with a friend or family member is even better, and a cold drink afterwards never tasted so refreshing.

With this article, I want to focus on cycling as a way to get outside, get back to nature, and have some fun. I maintain that peddling through hot, humid air creates 360° air conditioning, making cycling much less tiring in the tropical heat than walking or jogging.

How to Get Started

So… have bike will travel! However, for those in the market to buy, the demand for new bikes in 2020 surged just as many factories in China that build the bikes had coronavirus shutdowns. The bicycle supply chain is still not back to normal 18 months later. If you find yourself one of the unlucky individuals who can’t find stock of the bike you want to buy right now, Singapore has a bunch of places to rent a bike.

Try visiting one of the GoCycling outlets (map). They rent a variety of bike styles and sizes by the hour and are always conveniently located next to some Park Connector Networks (PCNs) and places to explore nature. There are also bike rentals available on Pulau Ubin and Sentosa’s Siloso Beach. Be sure to check the brakes and the tires before taking off on your rental bikes.

Maps and Apps

Check out the link Google Maps of Singapore Bike Locations as a desktop tool. This site shows color-coded routes that can be displayed one at a time or overlayed together to define PCNs, other cycling paths, common road links, park locations, mountain bike tracks and bike shops.

The following link shows a simpler map of just PCN loops that are marked and easy to follow, but which are shared with pedestrians: National Parks map of PCNs. I recommend you map out your route ahead of time and use your smart phone GPS to guide your journey. It’s also fun to download a free app, such as Map My Ride or Strava (social media for cycling), to track your route and record how far you go.

How to Buy a Bike

My recent survey of a variety of bike shops around town indicated that managers expect backorders of bikes to start improving very soon. But what kind of bike to buy? There are so many choices of fat tires, skinny tires, this or that brand, and in Singapore, maybe a folding bike.

My recommendation is easy: get a bike that is comfortable to ride and be sure to take a test ride!

Also, buy the best components (brakes, gears, tires, frame composition) that you can afford. The other consideration is if you want to ride on the PCNs versus venturing out into the road (to do higher speeds and longer rides than allowed on shared pathways). This could mean the difference between buying a folding bike with small tires or a traditional road bike.

Folding bikes have a great advantage in Singapore in that they can be carried quite easily on the bus, train, or taxi. Unlike most other bikefriendly cities, Singapore does not allow regular sized bikes on public transport. To ride a PCN loop in Punggol when you live near Bukit Timah, you either have to have a car with a bike rack or hire a ride in a Grab 6 taxi. There is also some new competition in bike transport companies, so check around.

Bike Accessories

For buying bikes, or looking for service and accessories, search online for large bike stores near your home under the brand names Treknology, Giant, and/or Polygon. There are also shops called Bikehaus, Rodalink, Decathlon, Bike Settlement, and My Bike Shop (folding bikes). Taking a look at Facebook resale markets is not a bad idea either for possibly finding quality used bikes. A good fitting helmet and water bottle are essential. Other nice accessories are a gel seat, padded gloves, padded shorts, and a bell for the handlebars. A nifty bike jersey with back pockets is useful and looks good too! If you want to ride on the road, Singapore requires bikes be fitted with front (white) and back (red) lights if riding at night.

How to Meet Other Cycling Enthusiasts

Look on social media for Singapore cycling groups or ask around about Whatsapp groups who do the kind of riding you prefer. Google the Women’s Cycling Project (WCP) for information about joining their “No Drop” rides once or twice per month for newcomers to Singapore and/ or cycling. ANZA association has a Whatsapp group called “Social Fun Road Cycling” for easy weekend road bike rides around Sentosa Island. For more information or questions about all things bikes and biking, contact me at megfarrellsine@gmail.com. Have fun and stay safe!