# Singapore Cyclists?



## Oncojeans (Jan 14, 2012)

Anyone here from Singapore? Just moved here and looking to find some cycling chums! Have lots of questions about bike shops, rides etc.
If anyone from Singapore is on the board, please get in touch!


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

I'm going on my fourth year in Singapore. Road cycling scene has exploded here in the last two years.

A lot of rides and the clubs start out of the Longhouse Food Court up on Upper Thomson, between Jin Pelatina and Lakeview. If you google map it, the Longhouse is next to the OCBC building. Weekend rides start at 7am.

Two big clubs are ANZA Cycling and Joyriders. The former have a lot of riders from ANZ as well as others foreigner with some locals. Joyriders have more locals. Both clubs have sites and I've ridden with both clubs. There different level groups within each club for the various rides. On Sunday AM there is a hardcore ride with a lot of riders from Cycleworkx, a local store.

There are basically two rides, the Changi loop which goes out around the airport to the east and the Kranji loop which goes through the nature preserve and Jurong out to the west. Changi loop is about 100km and Kranji is about 80km.

Road surface and condition are generally excellent. You can run tubulars on your daily rider, it's that clean. Elevations are almost non-existent and prevailing wind is out of the east. I run a blinking red light on the bike regardless of time of day or night and a white blinker on the front in the early morning up until about 7:30am.

Shops, depends on what you're looking for but let me know what you're looking for and the area you live in and I can make some recommendations.

Tomorrow's national day so I'm doing the Changi loop followed by Kranji on Friday and a repeat of the two over the weekend.


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## Oncojeans (Jan 14, 2012)

*Singapore*

Thanks for the rapid and comprehensive reply.
I am just arrived - 3 weeks ago. I live at Marina Bay, and am trying to decide whether to bring my bike out from UK, or to by one here. I am tempted to buy another one in the UK and ship it out here - they seem to be quite expensive here.
I found the Joyriders site, and it looks good. I was out running last weekend at East Coast Park and saw some people on bikes, but wondered where they were going - I imagine it was the Changi loop you refer too.
Which bike shops would you recommend in the central area? Also, are there good places to buy second-hand bikes? 
Any advice gratefully received

Thanks in advance


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## acg (Feb 13, 2011)

The local bike forum is togoparts.com


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## feeex (Dec 6, 2011)

Hi,

I'm in Singapore too, emigrated from the UK 3 years ago. I'll echo what the first responder said, there are really only a few rides to do if you want to ride over 50km and don't fancy packing your passport. That being said, it's very easy to jump on a ferry with your bike and head to Bintan or just ride into Malaysia.

Buying a bike here is expensive. Lots of locals struggle with the concept of depreciation so will advertise a year old bike for almost retail price. I ended up buying mine on a trip back to the UK and shipping it out. Cost to ship was only $200 and I saved more than $1000 on the purchase.

Togoparts is ok for some stuff but generally I ( and most of my ride group) import from the UK (Wiggle or CRC) as in most cases prices are cheaper and shipping is free if you spend over a certain amount (£200 I think).

A couple of things to be aware of though, the weather is tough, humidity above 90% and temps between 85degC and 95degC everyday. Most people try to ride in the dark or early in the morning. Also the standard of driving is shocking and cyclists rank down there with dogs and Indian labourers when it comes to ownership of the road. Trucks and taxis will often try to push you onto the pavement if you don't get out of their way!

Welcome to Singapore!


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## Oncojeans (Jan 14, 2012)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the excellent advice. I have contacted Wiggle but surprisingly they will ship mountain bikes but not road bikes to Singapore. Think I will bring one out on the plane!
Thanks also for the tips anbout traffic - I have not seen many cyclists on the road - explains why!


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## bob.satan (Jun 2, 2011)

The roads aren't that bad, but the standard of driving could be a lot better! 

Also a lot of people ride a bike like they drive a car, so if you are in a group beware of random happenings, and people undertaking, half wheeling etc. The bigger groups (like ANZA) inforce an accpeted code, but the other groups can tend to get very large and very unorganised.

The bigger groups also have a number of average speed gorups, so you can choose what you are comfortable with and roll along!

Triathon is quite big here, so most of the riders are triathletes, who need to ride, not riders who want to ride.

make sure you get out early, the sun really starts to bite and get over 30 degrees at abbout 10am, so most rides finish around then (up to 11 really)

around the island is bewteen 120km to 150km, depending on the loop you take. It is flat and boring after the 5th time so....Kranbji Loop is 57km, Changi Loop is 85km

If you are in marina bay, just head out onto the nicoll highway and join in a group as they fly along, that way you can find the main routes that are used, or go to the longhouse on thompson road and join in a group


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## yongkun (Aug 9, 2010)

Bikes are very expensive here!


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Haha, the ball is now rolling*

The part about starting early actually has two elements, one is the heat, the other is the aforementioned traffic. I've lived and ridden in NYC, Boston, London, Shanghai and now Singapore. It is only here that I worry about getting hit from behind. The only place I've ever been hit by a car, t boned, is here. I was in her "blind spot"...funny that front wind screen. Given the cost of the automobile and the current cost of the COE, $60kSGD, it's no surprise there is a sense of entitlement when behind the wheel. The other issue is that if you have a valid foreign license, you only need to sit for the theory test within 12 months of arriving to get a Sing license. Beware of taxis, buses and earth carrying storage lorries.

Shops. 

Gee Hin Chan & Co, 261 Liverpool, near Bras Basa MRT, for daily needs likes tubes, lube, parts and tools. There are a couple of other shops in this building along with auto part suppliers. Pricing is good. It may be cash only but they are an authorised dealer for many manufacturers.

(Kian Hong) KH Cycle, Ubi #3- You need to take a cab here or MRT and bus combo. Big showroom and full on bikes, frames, components, wheels and other kit. Authorised Campag service center (which matters to me but not sure what gruppo you're running). Also Time, Cannondale, Scott, Look, etc. Fancy new showroom opened last year. Not cheap but no more expensive than the rest.

Soon Watt on Changi Road, east coast is easy to access by MRT- Good selection, Orbea dealership, lots of parts in their warehouse a couple of buildings down from the showroom. Will cut and thread custom length spokes if you build wheels which I do.

These are the only three I patronise.

Others:

Swiss Valley- River Valley Road- BMC and Continental- I don't rate them.

Rodalink- A few outlets and Colnago franchise. Not bad but nothing near central.

Trek Tanglin is incredibly expensive and the selection is so so.

Cycleworkx- Pina dealer and you will see a lot of Colnago's and Pinarello's here. C59's and Dogma's who never had the big ring strapped on hard....oh well, only wish I had the coin 

I buy a lot of stuff keeping in mind that service and/or parts can be a problem here although surprisingly, being a city/state, there are a lot of manufacturer service centers in Singapore. I had to replace an Campag Ultra Torque crank bearing and I had the part in 48 hours.

If you have a frame repair or other more technical problem, I have the name of a wrench near Eunos who fixed my Colmago Master RD hanger and can do more drastic repairs.

Local wheel guy is Sean Wai, he is Soul Wheels based out of East Coast. You might meet him riding, weekdays and weekends. Top guy and nice product.

Buying new or used here is too expensive. There is no good reason and there is no import duty on anything except tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and anything to do with petrol transport. There is GST but that's pretty standard. It's just market gouging, especially for the frames and kit made in Japan/Taiwan/mainland (Dongguan).

I travel a lot to Japan and buy stuff in the Tokyo area. I also buy a lot on EBay, sourcing from both the States and UK, sometimes for availability issues, other times for price. You would do well to bring/ship your bike from the UK. I'm a Sing Air PPS flyer and have shipped complete bikes, no cost, even when flying economy which I did when moving from Shanghai. On another trip to the States, I got my Colnago C40 out of storage and brought it back.

If you think of anything else or want non-bike info, send me a PM.

Good luck and enjoy. I travel about 50% of the year, Asia and ANZ, and it's great to be able to ride whenever I get back.


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## framesti (Jan 26, 2009)

*singapore*

What months are not good to ride- due to typhoon/thunderstorm? Do you get heavy rain or winds during the year?


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## sadisticnoob (Dec 6, 2009)

framesti said:


> What months are not good to ride- due to typhoon/thunderstorm? Do you get heavy rain or winds during the year?


there are no typhoons in singapore due to it being situated near to the equator and the lack of the corolis effect,

all months are generally good to ride in but from jul-dec it can get pretty gusty especially if u are doing changi coast roads.

as for weather, normally i will check thru the national enviromental agency for weather changes, if its going to rain chances are they wont be ppl riding.

http://app2.nea.gov.sg/rain_animation.aspx


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## jackie (Jul 20, 2012)

Agree.. bikes are exp......here..
What i typcially do .. get them online. ship them back.. build them myself... for small items.. i just drop by any of the Local bike store and get what ever is needed.......


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## jackie (Jul 20, 2012)

framesti said:


> What months are not good to ride- due to typhoon/thunderstorm? Do you get heavy rain or winds during the year?


typical heavy rain session are in the Nov to Dec period. but the weather been changing alot that sometime u see heavy rain right in the middle of june which is suppose to be the hottest..
No TYphoon over here... maybe a couple for thunderstorm here n there...


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## jackie (Jul 20, 2012)

Oncojeans said:


> Thanks for the rapid and comprehensive reply.
> I am just arrived - 3 weeks ago. I live at Marina Bay, and am trying to decide whether to bring my bike out from UK, or to by one here. I am tempted to buy another one in the UK and ship it out here - they seem to be quite expensive here.
> I found the Joyriders site, and it looks good. I was out running last weekend at East Coast Park and saw some people on bikes, but wondered where they were going - I imagine it was the Changi loop you refer too.
> Which bike shops would you recommend in the central area? Also, are there good places to buy second-hand bikes?
> ...


hi jean. theres a couple of bike shop around central area.. 
Trek have a couple.( Treklogy)
One in tanglin. ( right at the edge of orchard road)
Bukit Merah.
Somewher near holland V

Giant /Specialize. ( Tay Cycle)
Bukit Timah.

Felt ( Bike Haus)
Bukit Timah

Stork / Cervelo Bike & Bites
Bukit Merah

Theres a few more but i cant remember off hand..


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## Watziznehm (Jun 6, 2012)

First of all, howdy and welcome to Singapore!



feeex said:


> Buying a bike here is expensive. Lots of locals struggle with the concept of depreciation so will advertise a year old bike for almost retail price.


Ahhh, allow me to perhaps shed some light here.

The first point is true. 
Bikes, as with a lot of other non-basic consumer products, carry a premium.
I have often questioned small LBS owners on their seemingly ridiculous pricing, they cite a couple of reason. One is that the cost of running the business is high, so they need to maintain a healthy margin else they would rather fold the business. The second one is that the distributors actually give them unfriendly cost prices, so much so that the LBS will subtlely hint to you that it would be cheaper to buy from CRC or Wiggle.

The second part is actually a very funny phenomenon in all second-hand markets in Singapore, I don't know if this happens elsewhere in the world. 

Nobody seems to want to settle on the advertised prices, often asking for "best prices" (meaning something lower than what is advertised), or even outright low-balling by offering ridiculous amounts. 

After a while, sellers start to adjust their advertised prices to anticipate this obligatory discount, for e.g. if you think your bike is worth $3000 on the second-hand market, you list it at $3,500 just so that you can give a $500 _discount_ upon negotiation/haggling. 

Oddly enough, after that, everyone is happy. You sell your for the amount you wanted originally, the buyer is happy cos he thinks he managed to get the best deal.

Odd, I know. *shrug*

Anyway, happy riding!


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## steel515 (Sep 6, 2004)

Are there good wheelbuilders there?
is it expensive for a bikeshop to install all the components on the bike?


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## bob.satan (Jun 2, 2011)

steel515 said:


> Are there good wheelbuilders there?
> is it expensive for a bikeshop to install all the components on the bike?


From Boneman above:-
Soon Watt on Changi Road, east coast is easy to access by MRT- Good selection, Orbea dealership, lots of parts in their warehouse a couple of buildings down from the showroom. Will cut and thread custom length spokes if you build wheels which I do.

I have had Mave and the boys build me two pairs of wheel and true another couple and they do a great job

some mavis road rims on xtr disc hubs and some hed belgium rims on chris king disc hibs with dt swiss spokes.

if you just want parts installed, a lot will do it, and labour is cheap, so it is an option, you may also want to go to one of the "local" bike mechanics who ply their trade in the little shop houses dotted along, they are more thna willing to have a crack 9but you take ythe risks of things going wrong)


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## Sasquatch (Feb 3, 2004)

Welcome to Singapore. The Kranji route is a personal favorite of mine. 

I'm surprised that many here think that motorists here are disrespectful to cyclists. I would beg to differ. In my experience, I'd say 1 in 10 cars I encounter would either cut my lane or, buzz to close. Generally, most private vehicles give me a meter of space as they pass. 

As others have mentioned, try doing the Longhouse rides. There are groups that leave at 0600, 0730, and 0830 every Sunday (don't know their Sat sched). 

Keep safe, and hope to see you on the road soon.


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## jackie (Jul 20, 2012)

bob.satan said:


> From Boneman above:-
> Soon Watt on Changi Road, east coast is easy to access by MRT- Good selection, Orbea dealership, lots of parts in their warehouse a couple of buildings down from the showroom. Will cut and thread custom length spokes if you build wheels which I do.
> 
> I have had Mave and the boys build me two pairs of wheel and true another couple and they do a great job
> ...


wheelbuilding range from 70 to 80 dollar for labour..
and for spoke.. about there as well. if you buy the hubs and rims there. normally they will waive the labour charge off.
as for installation of parts.. i think sometime it matter of trusting the mechanic ..
Drop by the couple of shop n check with them on the cost.
they charge 20 to 25 dollars for installation of crank / Dee/ brakes etc


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## jackie (Jul 20, 2012)

i drive and i ride as well but sometime when i see the way the cyclists ride.. they have little awareness of thier surrounding.... My Missy will always complain whenever we bump in to group of cyclist..: You See YOU SEE>. you guys always ride like that .. sooner or later they going to get run over...
I just turn around n said. well not all ride like that....some just dont care... so give way to them....
and she will turn around n say. BUT U DONT GIVE WAY TO CARS.......
And i turn around n say. Well.. guy in the car have metal armour.. Bikers have Lycra Armours..

Anyway. sometime when i ride. there are very nice peopel that give way to me or wait til i make the turn before they over take me. but some.. just cannot be bother with a cyclist and just turn in or cut you off.. so we just need to be careful when we are riding..
when riding in a group.. be mindful if the group is too big , things get very rowdy..


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## nkped (Jan 28, 2013)

hi, my frame is bent. you mentioned a wrench in eunos who can repair frames?

perhaps you can share the contact? 



many thanks...









boneman said:


> The part about starting early actually has two elements, one is the heat, the other is the aforementioned traffic. I've lived and ridden in NYC, Boston, London, Shanghai and now Singapore. It is only here that I worry about getting hit from behind. The only place I've ever been hit by a car, t boned, is here. I was in iher "blind spot"...funny that front wind screen. Given the cost of the automobile and the current cost of the COE, $60kSGD, it's no surprise there is a sense of entitlement when behind the wheel. The other issue is that if you have a valid foreign license, you only need to sit for the theory test within 12 months of arriving to get a Sing license. Beware of taxis, buses and earth carrying storage lorries.
> 
> Shops.
> 
> ...


v


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

Sorry, was on holiday in New Zealand. Here's the link. He did nice work, quick and reasonably priced.

THE REBOUND CENTRE


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## aniljosie (Apr 19, 2014)

*"dogs & indian labourers"*

Hi feex,
i know this note is several years ago but just noticed your reference to "dogs & indian labourers" and couldn't help but react to it.

would appreciate it if you could refrain from that kind of racism as it is very offensive.



feeex said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm in Singapore too, emigrated from the UK 3 years ago. I'll echo what the first responder said, there are really only a few rides to do if you want to ride over 50km and don't fancy packing your passport. That being said, it's very easy to jump on a ferry with your bike and head to Bintan or just ride into Malaysia.
> 
> ...


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## Shuffleman (Sep 4, 2013)

boneman said:


> Sorry, was on holiday in New Zealand. Here's the link. He did nice work, quick and reasonably priced.
> 
> THE REBOUND CENTRE


Boneman, this is off topic but you are in Singapore and seem to know the shops well. I am looking at a site for a company called Benson Cycle Trading. They have some really nice pricing on Colnago bikes. I am trying to find out is this is a scam or if they are for real. Do you have any knowledge of them?
BENSON CYCLE TRADING | Nextcycles.com
I first came across the site from an ebay ad. I have seen the shop from Google Earth but I have hair standing up on the back of my neck for some reason. It looks legit but you can't be too careful. Any insight would be great.


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

I moved back to the States last June. Benson's location was for another small cycle trading company. While there is no import duty on bicycles/frames, etc. imported into Singapore, Rodalink is the authorised Colnago dealer so anything else in coming in as grey market items. It is worth asking the question on Togoparts (a Singapore cycling website) and/or asking at Joyriders, a Singapore cycling club. Due to shipping costs, there are no bargains on any cycling goods except perhaps those that originate on the mainland of China. Just my two cents.


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## Shuffleman (Sep 4, 2013)

boneman said:


> I moved back to the States last June. Benson's location was for another small cycle trading company. While there is no import duty on bicycles/frames, etc. imported into Singapore, Rodalink is the authorised Colnago dealer so anything else in coming in as grey market items. It is worth asking the question on Togoparts (a Singapore cycling website) and/or asking at Joyriders, a Singapore cycling club. Due to shipping costs, there are no bargains on any cycling goods except perhaps those that originate on the mainland of China. Just my two cents.


Awesome information. Thanks.


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## variab1e (Jun 11, 2014)

Arrived in Singapore for the first time and was debating whether or not to take my bike out for a spin, I was originally only passing through for a few days but the stay is getting extended now. May have to crack the case on bike box! Any good routes you'd recommend?

Btw. If anyone is interested I do have Specialized Roubaix 2011 Expert Compact Elite 58cm for sale while I'm in town anyways!


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

Two popular routes are the Kranji and the Changi. One is a loop to the west and the other a loop to the east. You can find them at the Joyriders site. 

oUR RIDES

People rider every day, usually early in the AM due to heat and traffic. Enjoy, I miss riding there. Be very careful of traffic. Singapore drivers pay a lot of money to drive (google Certificate of Entitlement) and reserve the right to run you over.


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## Jacksback (Jul 19, 2014)

Street full of good quality bike shops in Singapore. Ubi Avenue 3 cross with Ubi link.
There was no too many posts providing info where quality bike stores could be found in Singapore, however one post lead us to store near the MacPHerson MRT station. 10 minute walk from the station took us to a Scott superstore. Top end Scott bikes plus a good range of clothing and shoes. In the same complex was a Specialized, Giant, and Cannondale bikes stores. All had top end bikes, shoes, clothing etc.


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## NickA (Jun 12, 2007)

Sad. Drivers and situation is getting worse. I quit daily cycling after a couple of people I know died, at the favourite cycling areas. Coastal, Thomson - Mandai, Tampines neighbourhood, Bukit Timah Road, really messy with big car owners with small brains, and empty hearts. It would be good if the drivers were made to pass a cycling course and have to be attached to cycle clubs for orientation before they are allowed to take the Traffic Police Test to attain the drivers' license.


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