Sunday, June 15, 2008

Cycling

Looks like the fuel pice hike has rekindled the passion of cycling again. This the 2nd article I came across on cycling Reproduced from NST (15/6/08)

While the rising cost of fuel has got many talking about making lifestyle changes, a small bunch of people have been quietly doing more than walk the talk, writes CHAI MEI LING.



Nik Arif R. Sidek leaving his bike in safe hands in Bike Boutique before walking over to his office.


CYCLING enthusiast Nik Arif R. Sidek has now started commuting to work on two wheels since the petrol price hike more than a week ago.

It's not that he can't afford to blaze the carbon trail from his home in Damansara Perdana, Selangor, to his office a kilometre away.

"I'm trying to make a stand, so to speak. The price hike is ridiculous," said Arif, the chief executive officer of an advertising agency.

Arif, 36, straps on a backpack containing work attire, and cycles to his office in casual wear. Sometimes he parks his bicycle at the Bike Boutique, takes a shower and goes to work which is a two-minute walk away.

And if petrol price hits RM4 per litre, Arif said he is even prepared to cycle when he visits his mother in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.

That's about 12km from where he stays, or about a 40-minute ride away.

Engineer Jeffrey Chin Kong Leong cycles 5km to work from Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur to Damansara Perdana along the Damansara-Puchong Highway.

On days when the weather doesn't permit, Chin joins the jam.

The 23-year-old love affair with cycling goes back to his days in Kajang High School when he used a basic bicycle. Today, Chin rides a mean RM15,000 machine.

He has even cycled all the way back to Kajang, where his parents live, braving the 33km journey which includes the hair-raising Federal and Kajang Silk highways.

However, a cyclist friend's recent accident has stopped Chin's cycling to Kajang.

Nonetheless, the triathlete goes group rides a few times a week

Like Chin, Arif is a regular at these rides organised by cycling clubs.

During the weekends, the duo are part of the group which heads out to as far as Port Dickson, Genting Highlands and Bagan Lalang.

With extensive riding experience and thousands of mileage clocked, Chin and Arif are not your casual cyclists.

But you don't have to be a professional to ride to work.

Cycling in these days of vehicle-crowded roads is not for the faint-hearted, but it can be done.

You need a helmet though, nicely fitted clothes and shoes and a bit of courage, especially if you are cycling in an urban area.

Chin has had unsettling experience with uncivilised drivers. "The drivers have no respect for those on two wheels," he said.

Apparently, it's not quite the same in Klebang Besar, Malacca.

Litigation clerk Christopher Tang, who has been cycling for more than 10 years, said 98 per cent of the motorists in Klebang Besar tend to give way.

Overall, he found drivers to be tolerant, but a rude incident once in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, left a dent to his mostly pleasant experience.

Arif said a lack of awareness among drivers is the reason for this.

"There are those who think that we shouldn't be on the road.

"They think bicycles are just toys, and therefore, should only be used in the park.

"Bike Boutique's general manager Benny Liew said customers' common complaints about cycling in Malaysia include lack of amenities such as cycling paths and parking bays, bad roads and unfriendly road designs.

For example, the steel rails of a drainage cover are often vertically laid instead of horizontally.

"If it's vertical, your wheels go straight into it. These small things matter a lot to cyclists," said Liew, 28.

And then there is the issue of safety. Chin's wheels had been caught in such a cover when he was cycling along the Kajang Silk Highway's motorcycle lane.

"I've had to get down quickly and dislodge the wheel. Motorcycles can come quite fast from behind and it can be dangerous. So now I don't use the motorcycle lanes.

"Chin said his female friends are discouraged by dimly lit streets and snatch thefts.

In recent months though, the biking community has swelled, judging by growing participation in group rides.

Cycling saves Arif approximately RM120 a month on petrol, which is equivalent to a full tank of his new Honda CRV.

For Chin, it's RM150 per month - that's RM1,800 saved a year.

Money savings aside, there is also the health benefit.

Tang, 41, said he's fitter now that he cycles thrice a week, covering some 10km each round.

Roofing contractor Lim Chee Hong who clocks hundreds of km every week with others from the Midnight Rodeos Cycling Club said it is a great way to shed the kilos.

"If you run, you can't run for long. Cycling keeps the calories burning for hours.

"In fact, according to the website iwant2bike2work.org, a 15-minute ride five times a week burns off the equivalent of about five kg of fat in a year.

According to the site, cycling also cuts down heart diseases by 25 per cent.

Like swimming, cycling is a non-impact sport, and exerts less strain on the knees.

Arif's advice for beginners is to "just do it".

"If you're thinking about it, stop thinking and just get a bicycle.

"For amateur cycling, a mid range bicycle costs around RM4,500. But if it is just going around the housing estate, a basic bicycle costing RM500 would do.

Of course, some bicycles are collectibles. Liew's Cervelo, dubbed "the Ferrari of bicycles", costs RM30,000.

If you want to ride to work, Tang would advise against it if the distance is more than 10km away.

You should also consider wearing protective gear like a helmet.

A certain amount of fitness is necessary, but one doesn't have to be totally athletic.Then, as Arif says: "Just jump in and do it. It's worth a lifestyle change."

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Spotlight: Turning the nation into cycling heaven

HE is on a mega mission. Alex Bok intends to turn Malaysia and other Asian countries into a cycling haven.

Going by the tagline "To make bicycle commuting so convenient, it's irresistible", Bok mobilised a bicycle movement in Singapore two years ago with the setting up of a non-governmental organisation.

His initiative gave birth to iwant2bike2work.org, a site which equips just about anyone - cycling enthusiasts, beginners, community leaders, local governments, and volunteers - with information, inspiration, invitation and influence.

One learns how to get started, which routes to take in Singapore, how cycling improves health, and road tips.

The initiative looks to replicate similar movement in other countries soon.
"We just want to connect people and the community to the cycling lifestyle," said Bok, a Dutchman who now resides in Singapore.

The goal, eventually, is to make cycling sustainable, that is: accessible, rewarding and safe in urban Asia.

Of course, this is no mean feat considering Malaysia's zero cycling culture, or rather, its motorists' zero tolerance towards anything on two wheels.

But it has not always been the case.

Dr S. P. Choong, co-ordinator for Sustainable Transport Environment Penang, still remembers the time when 70-80 per cent of children rode to school. That was some three or four decades ago.

Today, heavy traffic especially on one-way streets on the island, lack of roadside shade, and worsening pollution has put the public off the idea of biking.

More than anything else, this habit has been abandoned largely due to the government's inability to recognise the amenities a cyclist would need, said Dr Choong.

There are no cycling lanes, parks, and conducive road environment.

On Malaysia's impractical climate, he said: "Why had this factor not been operational in the 50s? When I used to go to school in late 40s and early 50s, the climate was the same.

"But there is a difference - there were a lot more roadside trees.

We can still work on that and plant more trees."Cycling's not impossible. We just need more imagination.

"Imagination, and a heart for the environment.

Bok initiated the bicycle movement out of passion for cycling and concern for the environment.For 15 years, he was in the retail banking and consultancy line, and one day, as he was developing a business plan on giving out loans for people in India and Bangkok to buy motor scooters, his conscience snapped.

An environmentalist, Bok, 40, has cycled his whole life.

"In Holland, once you start toddling, your parents put you on a bicycle.

"That explains Holland's population of 15 million and 20 million bicycles.

While economic growth is good, Bok said it's being done at the expense of the environment and people's health.

"Caring for the environment is not just about Kyoto Protocol. There must be actions with positive impact.

"Statistics suggest that in the last 10 years, there are over 250 million people around the world from the lower income segment who are moving up to the middle class rung.

That translates to a huge volume of demand for motorised vehicles.

Already, people are getting asthmatic in Hong Kong and China because of the pollution, said Bok.

Having people cycle to work can be economically viable for countries like Malaysia, he added.

In Melbourne, some 3,500 people - lawyers, bankers, and business people - cycle into the city every morning from 7am to 9am.

Right smack underneath the central business district, a bike centre caters to only 400 parking bays and 250 lockers.

There are 250 people on the waiting list.

Bok's brainchild, the Bike Boutique, will provide these Melbourne cyclists a 150-bicycle capacity and showers by October this year.

In Malaysia, there is a Bike Boutique in Damansara Perdana which offers bicycle lodging, fitting, repair, retail and wash services.

There are about 20 lodgers at any time. Plans to introduce bicycle lodging facilities in the form of containers in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre are underway.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Beat The Surging Oil Prices-Ride A Bicycle

Reproduce article from The Star (9 June 2008)
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/6/9/lifeliving/21250824&sec=lifeliving

Bicycle-makers ride high on surging oil prices.

THE row of gleaming bicycles being assembled on the factory floor of Giant Manufacturing, one of the world’s biggest bicycle-makers, will soon hit streets from Seattle to Sydney, Amsterdam and even Beijing.
Rising petrol prices, growing awareness of environmental issues and the popularity of cycling as a recreation sport has fuelled a surge in demand for bicycles around the world.
Giant, the Taipei-based maker of international bicycle brands such as Boulder, Yukon and Iguana, is reaping the profits. The company, which produced 5.5 million bikes in 2007, is expected to pull in US$1bil (RM3.2bil) in sales this year, up 10%.
Giant’s story is typical of the global US$61bil (RM195.2bil) bicycle industry, which is enjoying unprecedented growth as cycling becomes a major recreation sport and lifestyle option in many Western countries.
“There is a general renaissance and interest in bikes,” said Jack Oortwijn, editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine Bike Europe. “Parts suppliers are struggling to keep up.”

With fuel prices going up and up, driving cars is expensive nowadays. Bicycles, on the other hand, require no gas, take up less space and are relatively faster on congested roads China leads the world in the number of bikes produced per year with about 73 million units of a total 100 million annually, according to the Earth Policy Institute, an environmental information network based in the United States.
The rest comes largely from Taiwan, Canada, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union. Taiwan makes about 6 million bikes per year and they sell for an average domestic wholesale price of US$222 (RM710) per unit, accor-ding to a local manufacturing association.
Bicycle sales have over the past five years increased by 14.6% among European Union nations, which buy 70% of the world’s bikes, according to Bike Europe. In the United States, sales have increased by almost 9% in the same time period.
But it’s not all good news. Price hikes in metals – especially steel, aluminium and chrome which are the main metals used in bikes – have eaten into profits and pushed up prices as manufacturers seek to maintain margins.
The key to greater margins lies with high-end light bikes using carbon frames, made from carbon fibre material, which earn higher margins per unit because they sell on brand cachet as well as quality, offsetting steep raw materials costs.
Giant also manufactures battery-powered bikes. Such bikes are a big hit as China’s economic boom puts money in the pockets of even the poorest factory workers who almost immediately upgrade their bikes.
Battery-powered bikes, powered by a 36- or 48-volt battery, can travel at around 25km an hour. They sell for around 3000 yuan (US$430 – RM1,376)) a unit.
At Giant’s cross-town rival Merida Industry, an executive said he expected company profits to be flat this year due to rising material costs.
But Merida forecasts that revenue will rise 5% to 10% this year from 2007.
Taiwan competes with France, Germany and Italy in the high-end bike arena.
In the push to increase margins and win market share, Giant and its main competitors Finland’s Cycle Europe, and the US-based Trek and Specialized are racing to develop the world’s lightest bike.
Giant owns the lightest bike title, with a bike that weighs 6kg, 20% lighter than earlier models, according to cycling experts. Called the “TCR Advanced”, these carbon-fibre ultra-light bikes sell for about US$7,100 (RM22,720) each.
But Giant, with its competitors close on its heels, is working hard to develop an even lighter bike.
With petrol prices at record highs of US$126 (RM403.20) per barrel and some analysts predicting it could hit the US$200 (RM640) mark, it’s no surprise that bicycles are becoming a popular form of transport, especially among a growing breed of fitness fanatics.
“Driving cars is expensive nowadays. Oil prices are going to remain at a high level,” said Fabian Kuster, a spokesman for the European Cyclists’ Associa-tion in Brussels.
For short-distance commutes, he added, “a bike is faster in the city and takes up less space.”
Paris, Barcelona and other cities in Europe have introduced bicycle loan programmes that allow commuters to pick up bicycles at official stands outside train stations. All that is needed is a swipe of a credit card to guarantee the bike will be returned.
Users return the bikes to the stands and, with another swipe of their credit card, get their deposit back minus a small users' fee. There are about 20,000 such bicycles at around 1,450 stands across Paris alone.
“With bikes, you don’t need any gas, so there’s a new awareness of cycling,” said Giant’s president Lo, 60, who rides 80km to-and-from work every day on the back of his bike.
Europeans increasingly pedal to work on bike-friendly streets planned by city governments that encourage cycling, while a growing pool of commuters in China use battery bikes and Americans ride mainly for sport or to work off calories.
“I have been racing mountain bikes for a long time and would like to think that cyclists like myself increase bicycle sales,” said Steve Tam, an avid cyclist in Redding, California, where riding bikes on the weekends is a favourite recreation sport.
Would-be riders in newly developed regions such as Taiwan still see bikes as a symbol of a poor past, while riders complain worldwide of inclement weather, unsafe traffic and rampant theft despite the best locks.
Still, cycling is cost effective and often relatively fast on congested roads. – Reuters

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Gunung Ledang Ride (31.5.08)

Last Sunday (31.5.08) was a ride to Gunung Ledang. ...Ok, let me repeat and emphasize a particular word.
Last Sunday was a ride to GUNUNG Ledang. Yep, a group of us rode up Mount Ophir. Not an easy feat if you are not a regular cyclist. Almost all of us cycled up to (almost) the peak of 1300 meters above sea level. We could have gone all the way to the top if not for our security forces prohibiting civilians from entering the water catchment dam area which is considered Restricted Area. Well, almost is as good as it gets.

Woke up at an unearthly hour of 6.30am on a beautiful Sunday morn. Actually, struggled to get up because the night before, my wife and I went to KL for a function and got back about 1am and only hit the sheets at 2am.
Quickly put my stuff in the van and drove to Ah Keong's house as I am car pooling with him.. Met the rest of the gang at Ayer Keroh Heights foodcourt for breakfast and then headed to the tol to Tangkak.

Regrouping at Tangkak town.
My old faithful Specialized with her new friend Ms Cannondale
Muscles all loosen and warmed up and ready to go after the group photo

After the nice steady ride up which I considered an achievement for not putting down my foot, I thought we had reached our destination but found out that this ranger station was actually the start of the ride. Ok, regroup for another group photo.
Nice parking bay for our bikes
Beautiful scenery and many of us felt as though we were riding in Penang during Kayuh Lasak.

The bridge where our bikes are parked.
Pang singing Beatle's song, The Long And Winding Road as he rides
I've never fancied eating tuna but when you are hungry after riding more than an hour going up all the way, sandwich never looked so good and yummy.
Taking a well deserved break
Not a good sign for smokers. Every cigarate butt is accounted for
Scenery worth cycling for.Good job to everyone for riding up 1300 meters above sea level and hope to do it again,