1. weekendguide today•Saturday17September201624
Ride here, ride now
The cycling fad
Using bicycles for work
and play is becoming
increasingly popular
SINGAPORE — If you do not own a bi-
cycle, you should consider getting
your own ride now. Afterall, Singa-
pore is getting closer to becoming a
bicycle-friendly city, with many gov-
ernment initiatives pushing for a
car-lite society.
Last week, the Government an-
nounced that Tengah is going to be
developed into the country’s first
car-free town centre, while earli-
er this month, Kampung Admiralty
took the spotlight when it was high-
lighted that it would be the site for
Singapore’s first automated bicycle-
parking system. These come hot on
the heels of other public initiatives
such as Car-Free Sunday in the Civic
District and a bike-sharing pilot that
will kickoff in Jurong Lake District
next year.
Malls and condominiums have got-
ten the memo, too: Funan Digital Mall
will have its own indoor cycling path
after renovations are completed in
three years. And new condo River-
bank at Fernvale will launch a bicycle-
sharing facility for residents
next year.
No doubt the cycling
movement here is growing
in leaps and bounds. Bicy-
cle shops, cycling interest
groups and cycling events
have also sprung up over
the years. And most of the
bicycle shops that TODAY
spoke to claim there is great-
er interest in cycling now, be it
in terms of buying a bicycle or
just making enquiries.
Co-owner of Tokyobike Sin-
gapore Jolyn Chua, 34, told
TODAY that sales have seen
“about a 25 per cent increase each
year since they started in 2011”,
while managing director of Hello,
Bicycle! Maksimenko Irina, 33, re-
vealed that “there has been an in-
crease in sales as well as demand
… (leading to) an increase of rough-
ly 20 per cent in sales figures in
recent years”.
Bra nd a nd ma rket-
ing manager of Coast Cy-
cles Tony Tan, 50, shared
that Coast Cycles has re-
ceived “more enquiries
over the years”, and cus-
tomers are always checking
Emilia Tan
features@mediacorp.com.sg
in for “fresh and unique” bicycles.
“It means that they are interested.
Overall, there’s more awareness
about cycling now. We see a lot of
youngsters (in their early 20s), and
those in their mid-30s or even ear-
ly 40s, who come by to check our
new launches. They are all cycling
for leisure.”
Tan said Coast Cycles also
has a set of demo bi-
cycles, and it en-
courages cus-
tomers to “test
it out” before
purchasing.
Cycling groups
have seen a surge
in members. Co-
founder of Lovecyc-
lingSG Francis Chu,
56, said he started
the group back in
2010 with only seven
members, “but the
number has been
growing exponen-
tially over the past
six years. Today, our
Facebook group has
14,631 members”.
The group meets
every Sunday morn-
ing to take on dif-
ferent trails, and
conducts a round-
the-island session
with a smaller
group on Friday
nights.
Like many others, Chu was
prompted to pick up cycling in 2004
as a form of exercise, after encoun-
tering health scares. “I started to
experience frequent dizziness af-
ter squatting for just a few min-
utes or when I walked up the stairs
quickly … (thus) I began to look for
a form of moderate exercise that I
could perform regularly. I’ve ben-
efitted from regular cycling … it’s
better with the increasing (num-
ber of) park connectors, and im-
proved intra-town connections
such as the new cycling paths in
Ang Mo Kio town, and other seam-
less connections, and I’m very hap-
py and encouraged to see that the
cycling communities are growing
in popularity.”
Fellow cycling enthusiast and
founder of JoyRiders, Joyce Leong,
60, started her club in 2006 and
has seen numbers growing through
the decades. Today, her group has
1,900 members. She quipped: “Cy-
cling is a fantastic way to see the
world, and at the same time to keep
fit and (make) friends from different
walks of life! We just need to edu-
cate people to share the road and ride
safely, too.”
Cyclingisafantasticway
toseetheworld,andat
thesametimetokeepfit
and(make)friendsfromdifferent
walksoflife!
JoyceLeong,
Cycling enthusiast and founder of JoyRiders
Above: Yes, cycling can be a way of life in Singapore; an artist’s impression (below) of the first automated bicycle-parking system at Kampong Admiralty, which will roll out early next year.
Photos: Land Transport Authority; istock

2. weekendguide today•Saturday17September201625
The best bike trails to Ride this weekend:
SINGAPORE – Cycling is cost-saving,
eco-friendly, a great form of moderate
exercise, a way to relax and let loose,
and even a strategic way to help Poke-
mon Go addicts “hatch eggs”. TODAY
spoke to cycling enthusiast Dean
Koh, Coast Cycles’ Tony Tan and
LoveCyclingSG’s co-founder Fran-
cis Chu about the bike trails you
can try.
Short Trail (1km to 5km)
Chestnut Nature
Park South
Distance: 1.6km
Cycling time: 10 to 15 minutes
Difficulty level: Moderate
Located at the eastern end of Chest-
nut Avenue, Chestnut Nature Park
has namely two areas — South and
North. The South was opened to the
public in early April, while the North
area will open by the end of this year.
The South biking trail is 1.6km long
and forms a small loop. It takes only
10 to 15 minutes to go around, thus
cyclists are encouraged to go for as
many rounds as they would like, in ac-
cordance with their pace and prefer-
ence. Bicycle rental is also available.
Siglap Park Connector
Distance: 5km
Cycling time: 30 minutes
Difficulty level: Easy
Begin your day with breakfast at the
East CoastLagoonFoodVillage,before
heading to the Siglap Park Connector
situated at C4 of East Coast Park. Bi-
cycle rentals are available there and
at Telok Kurau Park. Siglap Park Con-
nector runs partly along Siglap Canal
and several housing estates. It also in-
terlinks East Coast Park, Bedok Reser-
voir Park, Bedok Town Park and Telok
Kurau Park.
Medium Trails (6 to 10km)
Eastern Coastal Loop
Length: 8.3km
Cycling time: 1 hour
Difficulty level: Easy
Start your journey from Tanjong Rhu
Promenade, (located opposite Singa-
pore Sports Hub and next to Gardens
by the Bay, Bay East), and cycle to-
wards East Coast Park. If you do not
have your own bicycle, it is also pos-
sible to rent one and start from East
Coast Park Area C4 instead. From
there, cycle towards Gardens by
the Bay (Bay East), where there are
plenty of photo opportunities. Enjoy
the beautiful conservatories at Gar-
dens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands
and Singapore Flyer, and even check
out the F1 track. Grab a bite at the fa-
mous Satay by the Bay if you’re feel-
ing peckish from the ride. The route
allows you to cycle past Singapore
Sports Hub and end your journey
back at Tanjong Rhu Promenade.
Pulau Ubin – Ketam Trail
Distance: 10km
Cycling time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty level: Moderate
If you enjoy fresh air and adore the
simple 1970s kampung life, and
want to take a short break from the
fast-paced city life, this trail is for
you. Just a 10-minute bumboat-ride
away, Pulau Ubin is indeed a quiet
and peaceful nature reserve. There
lies the international-standard Ket-
am Mountain Bike Park, which fea-
tures a 10km off-road trail, suitable
for all riders who yearn for a little
adventure. The well-designed trail
is said to offer a good speed. During
your ride, expect to encounter wild
boars, monkeys, rare birds and, if
you are lucky, monitor lizards. End
your day with delicious seafood and
cold drinks at First Stop Restau-
rant before taking the bumboat back
to town.
Cyclists are encouraged to bring
their own bicycles, at an additional
charge (about S$4) to the bumboat op-
erator. For those who do not want to
lug their bicycles across, bicycle rental
is available (per day S$6 to S$12).
Long Trails
(10km and above)
Choa Chu Kang to Bukit
Batok Nature Park
Distance: 12km
Cycling time: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty level: Moderate
Warm up at Choa Chu Kang Park,
which is situated a stone’s throw away
from Choa Chu Kang MRT Station,
and head towards Pang Sua Park
Connector. You will pass by Zheng-
hua Park; do keep a look out because
this is where you can spot a variety
of birds such as parakeets and wood-
peckers, sea eagles and sunbirds.
The trail’s difficulty level will start
increasing, but the consolation and
motivation are that the Bukit Batok
Nature Park is not too far away from
there on. Treat yourself to coffee-
shop delights around the neighbour-
hood upon completing your journey.
North Eastern
Riverine Loop
Distance: 26km
Cycling time:
2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours
Difficulty level: Easy
Suitable for long-distance lovers and
beginner riders, the trail starts at the
Serangoon Park Connector at Punggol
Park. There is a bicycle kiosk situated
here where you can conveniently rent
a bicycle to start your estimated two-
hour-long journey. Rental prices range
from S$8 to S$10 an hour. From scenic
sunsets to Instagram-worthy spots,
the North Eastern Riverine Loop
has a lot to offer. Riding on this trail
will take you through Sungei Seran-
goon Park Connector, Punggol Prom-
enade Riverside Walk, Lorong Halus
Wetland, Punggol Promenade Nature
Walk, Punggol Promenade Punggol
Point Walk, Punggol Park Connector,
Sengkang Riverside Park, Buangkok
Park Connector and Punggol water-
way Park. If you are into photography,
you may stop over at Punggol Point,
Lorong Halus Bridge, Sunrise bridge,
and Jewel bridge. The scenery is mes-
merising, especially during sunset.
Emilia Tan
Stop and take in the sights at the Ketam Mountain Bike Park in Ubin as you take on its 10km off-road trail. Photos: Dean Koh
Get off the couch
this Sunday and hit
the international
standard Ketam
Bike Trail in
Pulau Ubin.