One of the best ways I’ve found to explore Singapore has been through cycling. Aside from being a great workout, there is something about the unknown paths and adapting to different terrains that makes getting to the location that much more interesting.
Cycling at Bidadari Cemetery with the morning dew still fresh is one of life’s simple pleasures
Bedok Jetty along East Coast Park is always a choice destination to watch another world of Singapore in action. The stretch that i cycle from cuts through Sungei Serangoon–>Pasir Ris–> Changi Coastal Road
With a great array of park connectors in place, many previously inaccessible areas of Singapore have now been opened up for cyclists to explore in much safer environments.
Personally I’ve been heading around mainly the North-East and Eastern parts of Singapore, and as I pass through areas that used to be the sites of kampong communities like Kang Kar, Buangkok and Punggol, I do try to imagine how the many residents with their original brand of fixies (i.e. single gear bikes) used to cycle on what were probably mainly dirt paths on barely lit roads, whether it was for work or the more romantic ideas of fetching a girl on the backseat for a movie.
Cycling at seletar dam on a very Wong Kar Wai looking day pass the many old kampung areas like Kang Kar, Buangkok and Punggol
Compared to vehicles, cycling undoubtedly gives you greater flexibility to stop anywhere and anytime as long as you spot something of interest. Be it a random monitor lizard crossing your path, to a unique moss covered street sign tempting you to explore further, cycling also makes it much simpler to take a break, park your bike and admire the wonders of nature without fear of the ever vigilant saman aunty.
As you cycle and see signs like these, it just makes you want to explore further
Many people I’ve known have gone on cycling tours while on their trips overseas. Whether it’s in a city like Berlin exploring the history of German Architecture, or amongst the cherry blossoms in Japan, cycling is undoubtedly a great way to explore a country, and I do think that on both a local and tourism level it has yet to be fully endorsed or appreciated in Singapore.
The great weather and beautifully cherry blossoms make cycling in Japan one of the best cycling trips I’ve ever experienced.
At the moment there are only a couple of organisations including the Beetle Box Hostel that holds cycling tours for tourists, and with increasing debates on road cycling safety, there is perhaps still a long way to go before cycling in Singapore can truly be appreciate by all. My suggestion is to take your own initiative to go on a cycling adventure and explore Singapore at your own pace, cause i’m sure it’ll help you view Singapore differently one way or another.
My Bike from the view of the Tiger Tower at Upper Seletar Reservoir
Taking my bike out to the Kebun Bahru Bird-Singing Park
Once more at Seletar Dam, a place i personally like to call ‘Singapore own little causeway’
There’s something about dirt paths that lead you to path you are not often used to
nickyeo
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I not only hope that cycling is just for leisure in Singapore, but also as part of a world class transport system complementing a good public transport of a subway, bus rapid, bus feeder where bikes can be loaded up. Our terrain is excellent, almost flat where even newbie cyclist can make it. I truly hope a day will come where we can be one of the cycling capitals of the world, where we can cycle to work safely, have a bath before starting work, cycle to the supermarket….pick up a bicycle at point A then drop it off at point B, what’s 30km if there are dedicated bike lanes? Maybe some wise man can even invent a cool outfit suitable for our weather.
Yup i really agree with your last point about the cool outfit for our weather, i’ve never tried cycling to work precisely cause i know i will be sweating way too much when i get there, on the other hand all that sweating really makes it a good workout!