It was a cloudy morning, and we were glad for it. Pastor Eng Hwa and myself knew this would be a rather long return ride. Thus when cloud cover and a cool temperature greeted us at Jurong East MRT, we rejoiced and happily went our way to meet the third pastor friend, Rev Vincent Hoon, at the railway bridge near Sunset Way. We rode along the Ulu Pandan park connector till we reached Buona Vista and there we got down the stairs that leads to the MRT station. However, instead of entering an underpass to the MRT station we went the opposite way till we get onto the Railway Corridor that would lead us all the way to near the Tanjong Pagar Old Malayan Railway Station.
Pastor Eng Hwa took the train with his foldable bike from Sembawang to Jurong East MRT Station
A hundred metres from where we went onto the railway corridor we saw a lovely photo opportunity
The ride was pleasant and we chatted here and there on various occasions, particularly when it rained furiously for about twenty minutes as we got wet, sped up and found shelter under a flyover. My friends brought extra shirts so they changed into dry T-shirts. I had no spare shirt but was wearing a dry-fit, so when the rain stopped and we began cycling again my wet long sleeves quickly dried up. The end stretch was when we got to the old signal station with the name “Singapura” on the building. Here we had to turn to GPS for help and Pastor Eng Hwa, having cycled around these parts, led the way through Shenton Way to Marina Bay.
This historic building signals the end of the railway corridor
We had our nasilemak lunch at a beautiful spot at Marina Bay
It was rather quiet at the Marina Bay area during lunch time. We suddenly realised it was because most of the white collar army was probably working from home. The polished million dollar offices must mostly be empty or occupied by very few office staff. This virus has really turned our normal upside down. After lunch, we rode over the Helix Bridge, passed by the staging area for National Day, and headed back via the river banks. I must say, I am always thankful and impressed by the foresight, the millions of dollars, detailed planning and hard work put forth over many decades for the public to have such a beautiful network of parks and paths all over the island. In some countries the taxes would have ended up in public officials’ pockets. In Singapore, we get to see improved amenities with what we paid in taxes. Thankful for good governance. Thankful.
It was a most enjoyable ride. I did not feel tired or exhausted but one of my legs had a near cramp when I reached Jurong. I had more time with Pastor Eng Hwa over tea talking about starting a podcast together. We decided to pray about it before embarking on anything. This ride was done on 11 August but I was waiting for Eng Hwa to do his video of this ride so that I could include it in this blog. He had quite a few creative fun videos of various cycling routes he had done. Please do support him by subscribing to his channel and giving it a thumbs up.
I gathered together these strands of blogposts of one of the most enjoyable travel experiences I had. They were all over the place in my blog. I had intended to put them together in one blogpost but never did because I was too occupied with pastoral work. Now that I have retired, I remembered that intention and wanted to remember and re-experience that lovely vacation during this pandemic when we are all stuck here in tiny and humid Singapore.
I hope you will enjoy reading some of the blogposts below and it motivates you to look at some of your old travel photos. Remembering and re-experiencing events is one of the beautiful aspects of our God-given human nature. We were made in the image of God, and memory and imagination are parts of this beautiful package. We should treasure, use and celebrate them as part of our humanity and spirituality.
It was another pastor, Richard Wong, who evangelized me about the Brompton bicycle. I picked up cycling about seven years ago and it began as my means to get away quickly to the Chinese, Japanese and Jurong Lake parks for prayer and meditation. But I have never heard about the Brompton until Ps Richard Wong began to seed my fertile ground with Brompton seeds. Soon I began to search the internet and talk about it. My grown-up children noticed this and generously decided to buy me a Brompton for my 60th birthday. What a great gift it proved to be: it would give me a feeling of freedom and pleasure. I exercise without strain, and I keep stumbling into small adventures and new friendships.
With the explosion of interest in cycling during this pandemic, the waiting time in Singapore for a Brompton purchase is about a year. You are put on a waiting list. Unless you are willing to buy a second hand preloved one, or an imitation of the Brompton, that is a rather long wait.
Let me share with you the seven reasons why I am so into this bike.
THE BEST FOLD
This is one of the main reasons why the Brompton is the best foldable bike. It folds uniquely, securely, and compactly. Once you have mastered the order of the fold and the unfold, it can be done rather quickly under three minutes. It takes up little storage space in the home or office.
A compact fold that can be wheeled
THE PORTABILITY
Related to the tight fold is the portability. The basic model is about 9 kg and can be easily carried onto the bus or car boot. In the MRT station, it can be folded and wheeled through the turnstiles and onto the train with ease. You can bring it into shopping malls or leave it near you at restaurants. It takes up less space than a child’s pram or a wheel chair. You wouldn’t want to leave it parked (even with lock) outside or people will be tempted to steal it. You can put it under your desk in the office. Many have even loaded it onto a plane in a suitable luggage, and vacationed with it in a foreign country.
THE UNIQUE DESIGN
Every now and then, the Brompton I ride has turned heads because of its unique design, the way it sits when stationary, or is pushed along in shopping malls. On occasion, a brave or curious stranger would approach me and ask about the bicycle. Sometimes you suspect strangers pointing fingers at your Brompton are telling their companion about how this bicycle was the brand involved in the corruption case of a National Parks executive. This infamy has strangely cemented its reputation as a highly desirable recreational vehicle.
THE SMOOTH RIDE
The Brompton rides well. It is not a road bike, and with its smaller 16 inches tyres, it is tough to catch up with bigger wheeled road bikes. It is also not pleasant to ride on rough terrain, for which a gravel or mountain bike is better suited. It is built for commuting not racing, for leisure riding in the park connectors and pedestrian paths, not for thrilling rides in jungle paths. I have found that the six-speed system of gears sufficient for my rides along park connectors. Slopes of gradient up to 50 degrees are doable but I do not have the fitness for steeper slopes.
THE BRAND
Anybody who rides bicycles for some time would have heard of the Brompton. Their immediate reaction would be that it is expensive. Then they will gradually see that it is stylishly unique. They will realise that it is a lifestyle item worth the amount you paid. It is the Mercedes Benz of folding bikes. It is branded. It oozes class. It rides superbly. It is durable.
THE TRIBE
Unlike other famous brands, the Brompton brand is effectively made viral more by its loyal customers than by the company’s marketing department. These Brompton lovers are highly tribal, voluble and active on social media.
In most countries, the Brompton owners will spontaneously form virtual communities using social media like Facebook. They will organise trips, buy and sell Brompton stuff, get tips and advice, tell their stories and share their pictures. It gives them a sense of community and identity and this gives a nice feeling of belonging. They also get to meet new acquaintances and develop friendships.
VALUE FOR MONEY
Some think its expensive. I think it is good value for money. I got mine at $2,300 during a Christmas sales on 15 October 2015 ($2,780 before discount). It was a 60th birthday gift from my three adult children. This bike will give you good rides for at least ten years. When maintained well, this piece of solid British engineering can last twenty years and beyond. Do the sums and you will see that over 10 years, it breaks down to $20 a month.
See it as an investment in health. So rather then end up paying more than $3,000 for all kinds of medical treatments or hospitalisation due to poor health, pay an advance and enjoy the ride to better health.
By the way, should you want to give up cycling for some reason, you can still sell your pre-loved Brompton for a decent price. It holds its value well, as I have seen in past years, and particularly during this pandemic. Take a look at Carousell and you will see what I mean.
I have seen bikes bought cheaply and the ride became squeaky after a year, and the chains rusted, and the PVC seat showed signs of tear. Such cheaper bikes will break down and add to the many problems you already have in life.
For Brompton, you get excellent design and solid build for the price you pay. You really do get what you paid for.
