Saturday, September 25, 2004

Urban cycling in Jakarta

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September 25, 2004
Cyclists, get set, ...oh the tracks are yet to be built!
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

"..I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like."

The last line of Bicycle Race, the hit song of British legendary rock group Queen released in 1978 might echo the desire of Heru, a foreign bank employee on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, to ride his bicycle to work along Jakarta's major thoroughfare.

"I hope I can ride my bike to work... or at least use it to travel a short distance around my office building, to go out for lunch for instance," the 35-year-old resident of Bintaro, South Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

His wish, however, is not yet on the agenda of the Jakarta administration. Without a bicycle lane, daring cyclists have to negotiate the congested city streets.

"We have to compete against motorcycles, cars and buses on the streets. The exhaust fumes are unbearable and many drive recklessly," he said. "Even if we share the sidewalks with pedestrians, many of them are damaged or overtaken by motorcycles during traffic jams."

Heru said he could only ride his bicycle on weekends around his house or at the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, or on Jl. Sudirman on Sunday morning, when the street is closed for joggers and cyclists.

"High-rise buildings along Jl. Sudirman are actually nice to look at as we cruise along the street on a bike," he said. "I wish I could enjoy that every day."

Heru welcomes the proposal from the organizers of Bike to Work and Car-Free Day events that the administration builds bicycle lanes.

"It will be more comfortable if the lane has a canopy of trees to protect cyclists from rain and heat," he said.

The city administration will also conduct a feasibility study on the necessity of a bicycle lane.

The Indonesian Bicycle Industry Association (AIPI) chairman Prihadi also suggested that the city create a network of bicycle rental stations in business districts and shopping malls to allow people to rent bicycles to commute short distances.

"Such a policy will also help boost the sales for the local bicycle industry," he said, adding that the country's annual sales for bicycles is around four million.

Vendors at the city's main bicycle market in Pasar Rumput, South Jakarta, said their monthly sales of mountain bikes, which range between Rp 650,000 (US$71.43) and Rp 3 million, were at least 10. But the number can quadruple during the holidays or when there are fun bike events.

Although there is still no exact figure of cyclists in the city, Taufik, one of the Bike to Work event organizers, said he usually met 20 other workers riding their bicycles on his route from Ciledug to Jl. Sudirman.

"The figure is pretty much the same on other routes," he said, adding they were assessing the exact number of people who cycle to work to be submitted to the administration along with their bicycle lane proposal.

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Saturday, September 11, 2004

Advice to newbie MTB riders

Advice to newbie MTB riders

Having ridden a little on local trails but not very much, here are some thoughts for newbie mountain bike cyclists, seeing that the next SMURF clinic is around the corner, on 19 Sep 2004.


SMURF Clinics - a foundation

SMURF clinics are a necessity. They aren't about how to ride a bike, so you have to learn to balance on a bike, change gears and brake reasonably well first. Get help from a friend for this.

The clinics provide a proper foundation which casual instruction does not achieve since it is guided by a syllabus. Ad hoc instruction on the trail by friends tends to respond to challenges of a specific trail. Without a lesson plan, familiarity leads to overlooking significant issues such as lowering seat posts when going into trails. I found out only much later and it was very helpful when I did!

Having advised newbies myself, I found this worked well - try something easy like general trails in Ubin, then to the SMURF clinics, and finally rides with instruction by friends at T15. The clinic provides a useful foundation which were upgraded later on other trails.

One way to pay instructors who provide these free clinics is to help them out at their cycling events or during the next round of clinics. SMURF clinics are run by "Uncle Nik" [Ho] and friends.

On mental preparation and confidence

When I first tried out trails, two experienced friends, Athena and Chi provided instruction and demonstration for specific (easier) trials at Sentosa. I listened, watched and followed and so it was relatively easy there.

On another occasion, Airani and I were late, rushed down meet the gang as they emerged at BT, did not realise we were doing the BT trail that day but followed them in and kept up (our first taste of BT as well). We had simply been too hasty, were not focused so both crashed at easy bits, mind you! My crash was mild (I tend to bounce off the ground) but Airani cracked a bone and her wrist was in a cast for a few weeks.

I realise for myself at least, the ability of both rider and bike outweighed confidence. When I work at confidence, I have an enjoyable rides free of excessive braking and dismounts.


Knowing your bike and practise

The more I got used to my GT Avalanche 1.0, the better I could estimate its ability and response to terrain. After more than five years on the Champion Du Monde, I am at times still compensating for the wrong bike!

A friend from the clinic I attended, YZ used to frighten me with stories of his spectacular crashes when he first acquired his new bike complete with disc brakes. He has since got used to it and there are thankfully fewer dramatic stories.

Since I did most of my haphazard learning with my heart in my mouth. I tried something else with some newbies - practising basic skills on simple trails and even on flat ground. Something they could also do near their place, on their own. It helped to build familiarity with braking ability, gearing, balance etc., and does wonders for confidence. They later realised a tough trail was simply an amplification of what they had already tried and the principles they learnt help them overcome these.


Riding kakis
On any ride, always go at your own pace. If are the riders are too fast and leave you behind, abandon the ride; its best to have company in case of emergencies. Ride leaders on Wheels Are Turning or DREAM-Escapades
usually indicate the type of ride and if they will wait for newbies. Find out if unsure.

Knowing the trail builds confidence
Don't be disheartened if everyone you are with on a ride seems to zip through a trail and are then are always waiting for you at the next slope. E.g. the T15 slopes. When you get to know a particular route well, you will become familiar with each slopes' incline, distance, corners, dangers etc. Regulars who zoom far ahead have this knowledge and it makes a big difference.

It's just like racing drivers who learn their circuits down to a T!

So learn a particular route well and tackle it regulary; you'll soon find yourself zooming ahead in the easy parts wiothout hesitation. Does wonders for confidence too!

From a post to Wheels Are Turning



First posted in Otterman speaks.

Monday, September 06, 2004

Cycle to work in Singapore?


I used to cycle a lot when I was working in Holland. However after I moved to Singapore in 1996, I realized that this city was not really friendly toward cyclists. I gave up cycling and start driving a car.

Two years ago, I started to experience frequent dizziness after squatting for just a few minutes or when I walked up stairs quickly. Then, while working on a research project last year, I was shocked to discover that physical inactivity, like smoking, is now one of the three main causes of unnatural death[1]. I learnt that regular moderate exercise is the best solution. So I began to to look for a form of exercise that I could perform regularly. I tried going to a gym, but that only lasted for a couple of weeks. I am, like most people, quite hopeless when it comes to self-motivated exercise!

Reflection

I started to reflect on my experience in Holland. Cycling to work there was a form of regular exercise that was naturally integrated into my life. It is easy for the Dutch people to cycle; in fact cycling is often the fastest way to get around in town! Compared to Singapore, I noticed that in urban area of Holland, cars are fewer and slower, the air is cleaner, there is much less traffic noise, and overall it is a peaceful yet vibrant living area. No wonder Dutch are so healthy, I thought. No wonder the cost of medical insurance could be so low and their old folks were still pursuing an active life. A pro-bicycle policy has triggered a positive chain reaction leading to improved public health, a lower medical burden, better environment and better quality of life for everyone.

However, in Singapore, as soon as I wake up in the morning, I would literally be sitting down the entire day! When I go to work in the morning, I sit in my car. When I reach the office, I sit in front of my computer or in a meeting room all day long. Well, except for lunch break which involves a five minute walk to a nearby food center. After work, back at home, I sit in my sofa, in front of the TV, to "relax". Physical activity had been effectively engineered out of my life!

I started to see a connection between a number of issues in Singapore:
- High population of diabetics, now starting at younger age.
- Increase rate of obesity, also in young children.
- High medical cost, especially for the elderly.
- Stress and air pollution due to increased traffic.
- Faster traffic and lower road safety.
- Cyclists getting killed on the road.
- Parents afraid to allow their children to cycle.
- Streets are not safe for children to play (another reason a maid is needed).
- Hard to motivate kids to exercise.
- An issue of drunk drivers.
- Feeder buses in areas of low density living.
- Insufficient passengers in certain MRT stations to justify it's operation.

From a cyclist's perspective, all of this seems to be connected to the anti-bicycle environment in Singapore. This is not to suggest that a pro-bicycle policy will solve all the difficult issues immediately, but certainly, it will contribute in multiple and connected ways, towards a more positive situation.

The problem of riding a bicycle in Singapore

I wanted to pick up cycling again, for my own benefit and to inspire others. Cycling from home to work was not an option initially. I was too intimidated by the dangerous roads. However, cycling to the nearby MRT station was acceptable. So I rode to the MRT station near my house, locked my bicycle there and took the MRT to the station near my office. There, I had another bicycle locked and waiting for me to ride to work!

Unfortunately, both bikes were stolen after a few months!



Inspiration, experiment and innovation

After that painful experience, I read an article on a web page[2], which illustrated how folding bicycles are used to extend trips by trains in Europe. It was not only convenient but was also a healthy means of commuting. I was intrigued and wondered if I could take a folding bike into Singapore's MRT. To my delight, SMRT does allow folding bikes (when folded) on board the trains!

This can be a wonderful way to travel in Singapore, since it complements our present MRT system, eliminating the need to wait for a bus or walking a long distance, and is totally theft proof! I tried a few folding bikes including famous brands like Brompton[3] and a few Dahon[4]. Now I am using a new JZ88 foldable bike[5]. This bike is apparently designed specifically for Asian living in a compact urban environment. It is a lightweight, compact folding bicycle; is quick to fold and can be converted into a shopping trolley.



Initially I had doubts if this tiny bicycle could support my 175cm body height. However, thanks to its ultra-light structure and responsive ride, I now enjoy cycling so much that I cycle the entire 8.5km from home to work every morning! I am, however, extremely careful on the road, and will use the pavement if the road is too busy. I can bring it into any MRT station wherever I am and need not worry about bicycle theft again - I bring it into the office and keep it under my desk.

So who says you can't cycle to work in Singapore?


References

[1] WHO report indicated physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and tobacco use are the 3 main causes of unnatural death.

Ed's note - The World Health Organisation published the "The World Health Report 2002 - Reducing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life" which included in its cconclusions that "... in the developed countries of North America, Europe and the Asian Pacific, at least one-third of all disease burden is attributable to these five risk factors: tobacco, alcohol, blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity. The tobacco epidemic alone kills about 2.4 million people every year in industrialized countries. In addition, suboptimal levels of blood pressure and cholesterol each cause millions of deaths annually, and increasing levels of overweight are leading to epidemics of obesity and diabetes."

[2] Folding Bikes: Real Utility Vehicles / By Jack Oortwijn & Otto Beaujon http://www.foldabikes.com/Talk/Docs/art2.html

[3] Brompton folding bicycle home page http://www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk/

[4] Dahon folding bike home page http://www.dahon.com/

[5] JZ88 folding bike home page http://www.jz88.com/

Ref: Foldable bikes without protruding parts are allowed on Singapore's MRT. [link]