Bicycling in Singapore

[Bipedphile]

Is Singapore a bicycle friendly place?  Can one bicycle around town without getting run over?  Are there dedicated tracks like in Western European cities?

Any information most appreciated.

[wheels]

I assume you are asking about road biking. The mtn biking here is great, but the road biking is a bit precarious.

There are no bike lanes to speak of, the cars have right-of-way no matter if bike or pedestrian, bikes are not allowed (supposedly) on the sidewalks.

That said- there seems to be a lot of older local men who seem to be safe while riding (without helmet). I think if you hold your line and ride assertively, it is possible to get around by bike.

There are some great flat rides along the east coast park area. You can ride a few "loops" up and around the resovoirs or by the airport. You can take a ferry to malaysia and get in some hills and distance. There is a singapore amateur cycling association that could help you out with moe info.

[Aceman]

Cycling is safe here on the roads. Just ride in a single line and stick to the double yellow parallel lines. Thats fine.

[Bipedphile]

Many thanks for the information.

Wheels mentions that mountain biking is great in Singapore.  Can wheels/anyone else please elaborate.

Thank you.

[jasmine]

You need to be very careful when cycling on the roads.  I have noticed that most car drivers are very courteous to cyclists, however bus and taxi drivers are maniacs and will cut you up without a second thought.

Last year, 15 cyclists died in Singapore as a result of being knocked off their bicycle.

[Rob]

Car drivers courteous to cyclists? Car drivers don't even NOTICE cyclists!! Admitedly bus and taxi drivers are worse.

The keys to cycling on the roads in any city (and more so in Singapore than anywhere else i have cycled) are vigilance and assertivness.

At all times assume that the car in front of you WILL do something stupid and the pedestrian at the side of the road WILL step out in front of you.

Do not skulk at the side of the road, where the road surface is at its worst, where there are drains, road debris etc. Be assertive. Get out in the lane and assert your right to be there. That way you are more likely to be seen and less likely to be squeezed off the road. At all times signal your intention to change lanes early and clearly. Always wear a helmet

The most obvious place to bike off road here is the Bukit Timah bike trail (Hindehede drive) Although, I have got out of the habit of late, a small group of us sometimes go up to. Let me know if you want to come along, it might force me to get out of bed on a Sunday morning.  There are also a number of places between BuKit Timah and the zoo and again in the far west of the island (Lim Chu Kang rd) Once you get bored of Singapore, you can branch out into nearby Malaysia and Indonesia

[This message has been edited by BoardManager (edited 15-05-2001).]

[Diamante]

If you're thinking of cycling on the roads, you have to wear a biker's helmet and ensure your bicycle has a)side mirror and b)warning lights. NO cycling on expressways, though.
For leisure cycling, I'd recommend you go to Pasir Ris Park. It's less than 10 minutes' walk from Pasir Ris MRT. It is much more spacious and green than the East Coast Park. It faces the sea also. There are bicycle rental booths if you wanna cycle without the hassle of bringing along your own bicycle.
Have Fun!

[Aceman]

if looking for road cycling head to TUAS ( Tiger Breewery) / Jurong / Gul Area on weekends, very quiet.

[wheels]

after a long psyche-cleansing ride this holiday- I feel the need to organize something along the lines of Critical Mass a- la San Francisco.

Altho it was a holiday and traffic was a bit lighter then usual, it is readily apparent to me, that motorists have NO IDEA how to manage with cyclists on the road; whether or not those cyclists obey traffic rules and ride as far  to the left as possible.

Perhaps a Friday nite (say...last one of the month?) ride down Orchard/Tanglin or Scotts with all type of bikes, all ages, all manner of dress- we could make an impact and change the perception of cyclists and motor vehicles. Perhaps we can draw attention to the ease of commute on bike on this small island. Perhaps we can profess safety standards. Perhaps we can make a case for bike lanes. Perhaps we can enjoy the sensorial experience of the tropics at night. Perhaps...

aw heck- this IS singapore...we'd probably be arrested and fined.

argggh- the humanity of it all.

[SingaSurfa]

Getting off the point of Bipedphile's question, but I would just like to say that, as a regular road cyclist, I have not had too many bad experiences with taxis in Singapore. The local taxi drivers are far more considerate than those of the two other large cities where I have frequently cycled - London and Paris.

Bus drivers are diabolical. They frequently overtake you just before a stop or left turn and then swing across you - even when the vehicle has not even completely passed you.

A sub-category of bad drivers is the Merc driver. I have frequently had to "slam-on", because of some outrageous maneouvre. My pop-psychological analysis is that the Merc being a sine qua non of material success in Singapore, they are often driven by inadequate, small-minded people who feel that anyone without a Merc must be somehow inferior - they cannot even conceive that a person who could afford a car might actually prefer a bicycle! Thus they drive as though cyclists do not exist.

Just a chance to vent my spleen - I nearly got splattered by a Merc at Newton Circus last week.

J