The bicycle that rocked Singapore

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese landed on the North Eastern coast of Kota Bahru, Malaysia. Within two months, Peninsular Malaysia fell. On February 8, 1942, they crossed the causeway and seven days later, Singapore surrendered.

Bicycles played a critical role in the Japanese advance down the Malayan Peninsula. Japanese Army planners adopted the bicycle as their main mode of transport. Most Japanese soldiers were issued bicycles. Strapped to the bicycle would be the soldier's personal equipment and food rations.

On bicycles, the Japanese troops moved rapidly down the main roads of the Malay Peninsula and outflanked the Allied Forces defending the main roads by riding through rubber estate roads and tracks to surprise them from the rear. On their bicycles the Japanese were also able to move faster than the withdrawing Allied Forces. (http://www.s1942.org.sg/s1942/bukit_chandu/directory_bicycles.htm)

Mr Rajoo recalls bicycles being widely used as mode of transport during the Japanese reign. So much so that even after the Japanese surrender, Rajoo and the other villagers working in the Sembawang Shipyard used bicycles as means of transport to travel to work. (Title of essay : Reminiscences of the Japanese Occupation ). Today, the humble bicycle is still the preferred mode of transport for shipyard workers at Sembawang.

70 years on, it is again the humble bicycle that comes back to haunt us! Never has so much being achieved (in terms of publicity) by 26 bicycles. The story was first picked up by Zaobao. Then after, cyberspace and netizens brought this matter to a standstill and all bicycles are now cold-storaged.   

Shortly following the Zaobao news, a friend who works in China went ballistic, sent me a brilliant CSI investigative piece by a SG netizen posted on forums.hardwarezone.com.sg.  It has since been removed.

TNP reporter tries to track down NParks brompton bike whistleblower

Hardwarezone Forum, 18 Jul 2012
This is abit irritating. The story is not about me, that why i tell them to focus on the actual story instead. EXTRA CSI Attempt -nParks Brompton procurement process ended up with a dodgy winning bidder? [Extra]
Also, i were got so stupid... give them everything now, then next time how i going to continue do any future undercover CSI works to expose other sagas and keep check on the authorities?

It purported argued there could be wrong doing in the bicycles being awarded to a specific supplier. He/she painstakingly piece together relationships of officer-in-charge of project to various parties associated with supplier. It was an intriguing detective work, piece together from Facebook threads.

While I understand that the rules of engagement in this tender were followed, details surfaced cause much unhappiness to Singaporeans. For example, why was tender opened only for 4 work days? Why award when there was only 1 bidder with 2 options? Why did agency not extend the deadline to encourage more bids? And yes, why are civil servants spending $2,200 for a bicycle? Minister Khaw wrote on his blog to assert that while equipment is appropriate for the type of work, he expressed displeasure that the procurement process could have been better executed. After all, value for money is always an important consideration when it comes to spending tax payers’ money.

Meanwhile, it was a field day with netizens running on two tracks. One questioning the Government’s procurement process, the other questioning why such an expensive bicycle?

Overnight, it appeared most Singaporeans seem to have an opinion on this matter. For days, the radio, TV, Internet and all newspapers went into over drive. One vendor even took advantage as Singaporeans learn a new word: “foldable bicycle”.

There was a conspicuous advertisement on a Saturday for a military specification full foldable bicycle, listed at $2099, going for $630. I checked the website and the specs were impressive. I alerted my cycling buddies. One was game and we visited what looked like a “hole in the wall” unit in an industrial estate, 2 hours passed opening time. It was frenzy feed on site; many lugged away big boxes on cash-and-carry. I was surprised to find my elder brother there too, eyeing this good buy. I examined the assembled bike like a hawk and listened in on a conversation between a silver fox and his companion. While parts appeared original, I was not comfortable with the quality and finishing. I backed off. My friend, a lady rider, decided to buy. So it was with my brother.

That same afternoon, my brother, after assembling the bike, called to inform me he is returning the bike immediately and prayed for a full refund. The invoice looked dubious. The more he assembled, the more disillusioned he became. Parts don’t fit well, quality was suspect. I alerted my friend whose poor husband, in the process of assembling, felt likewise. She called the vendor. No one picked up her call!

She marched down to location the following day with her husband and after some hassle, vendor reluctantly refunded her fully. So it is that what is cheap is not necessarily good or genuine and what is good is not necessarily cheap.

Khaw took an extra step, walked the talk by taking a field trip to satisfy himself that such an equipment is indeed necessary. He again concluded that the foldable bicycle is the right choice. Meanwhile internal scrutiny uncovered “some form of bias” and the officer-in-charge is suspended from duty. Khaw blogged for the 2^nd time and as we all know it, the case is now in the hands of CPIB.

Only time will tell if there was any wrong doing on the part of the officer. Some one’s livelihood and future is put on hold. We must be fair to the officer to assume he is innocent unless proven otherwise.

Shortly after this incident, DPM in Parliament, raise the bigger picture of government procurement in the light of audit lapses in multiple agencies. While he proclaimed the present system as sound, he suggested fine-tuning as well. So now we have another few agencies belly-aching over Auditor-General Office audit results on procurement of Herman Miller chairs. Soon, we may run the risk of the civil service not buying anything for months!  

As a cyclist in the past 6 years on a foldie and knowing most actors in this unfortunate episode, I feel sorry for NParks. I interact with their officers across a spectrum of “green related matters”, park connectors included. Most have fire-in-their-belly in their professional domain. They are courteous, no air, working like beavers in the background to transform and upkeep our limited green space.

The supervisor, under suspension, is someone passionate about cycling as an alternative mode of transport, walks the talk by cycling to/from work. To have to inspect 200km of park connectors and more distance in the pipeline, including remote nooks and corners, a foldable bicycle is a good choice augmented by public transport of MRT and buses. This is a much greener option compared to the past and cheaper in the long run.

So now onto why spend $2,200 for a foldable bicycle? Here’s my take. Price range for foldable bicycles vary a lot, much like full bikes. You can buy one low-end for $200 and a top-end model can set you back $8,000. There is even a Youtube video that teaches you how to assemble a US$20,000 road bicycle. Ultimately, specifications and requirements drive the price. From what I know of the specifications cum requirements for NParks project, paying $2,200 is not unreasonable.

I do not agree to thumb down others with a “poorer thy neighbour” mindset.  That is, since I do not own a $2,000 bike, how dare you spend $2,000 of tax payers’ money? There is no one answer that will satisfy everybody. Hopefully, in going back to fundamentals, we stand a better chance of a more satisfactory answer.

Buying a reliable bicycle is not simply picking off-the-shelf, cash-and-carry. It is also about service and other related considerations. For example, warranty period, availability and price of spare parts, servicing cost, weight, portability and track record. I requested my bike shop for some pointers (I moderated these), and I hope the following will serve you well.

I do not know what’s going to happen to those quarantined foldable bicycles. If these are up for auction eventually, I hope for a good buy. It shall be my first British bicycle and you should know that brand. 

Declaration: I possess two pre-owned foldable bicycles. One (Dahon Hammerhead S$2,200) for park connectors, minor roads and pavements (when necessary to stay alive!). I am retro-fitting the second (Dahon Jetstream S$1600) to handle dirt track and rough terrain. The 26 km of contiguous distance of the Rail Corridor, after rail tracks are removed, is calling me!  

Six steps you want to consider before committing to a foldable bike:

STEP 1: DECIDE HOW YOU RIDE

The first step in choosing your folding bicycle is to decide what type of riding you’ll be doing. How often and where you plan to ride. Look at various brands and model that fit your purpose:  recreational, commuting, urban riding, trekking, weekend centuries, touring … Is having a good ride more important or the ability to push your folded bikes? Is that suspension worth that extra money if  your ride is just at PCNs and pavements? 

 STEP 2: CHOOSE YOUR WHEEL SIZE

Today folding bikes come with different wheel diameters: 14″, 16″, 20″, 22″,  24″, 26″.  Wheel size will affect the ride characteristics and portability of your bike.

Another very important question you want to ask will be availability of inner tubes and tire replacement. Sure that 17 inch or 18 inch or 24 inch wheel size may look cool BUT if you cannot get hold of spares or replacements, you are going to pay lot more in down time and costs to get spares. 

Also confirm that the rims used have the correct ETRTO numbers that fit available tire. Wrong fittings can mean your tire may come off while you are attempting a sharp cornering. Any wheel too small (Smaller than 14 inch) goes against sound bicycle geometry and this can mean the bike is unstable or tends to topple over. You do not want to be carried off on a stretcher after a ride.

STEP 3: CHOOSE YOUR COMPONENTS & FRAME DESIGN

Aluminum,  Cromoly steel or Hi Tensile steel.

No rust  -> Rust when metal is exposed -> will rust

Carrying 11kg is equivalent to 2 bags of rice. Anything above that weight category is not great for commuting especially if it involves going up/down overhead bridges and intermodal transport.

If humidity is high and bicycle is going to be knocked about - opt for Aluminum to overcome the issue of rust. A simple multi-speed Derailier system with folding joints that come with manufacturer track record and guarantee makes sense. 

Folding joints must be easy to fold and unfold, made of durable design for repetitive locking and unlocking

An important factor that affects the price considerably: consider what level of performance you’ll need from your components. The better the components, the better your bike will ride. And better components also mean improved durability and lighter weight but will cost more.

STEP 4: CHECK OUT THE EXPERIENCE AND TRACK RECORD OF YOUR BIKE DEALER AND THE BIKE MODEL 

Operating a bicycle needs ongoing maintenance, servicing and support! Derailiers need servicing from time to time, hubs and bottom brackets need greasing and damage components will require experienced mechanics, proper tools and chemicals to ensure that your bicycle is safe and serviceable to ride. Many bikeshops open and close within 2 years due to unrenewed lease  or being unsustainable. Are they opened on days and have operating hours that allows you to get spares, timely support and also stock good range of accessories? You are not just buying a bike, you are buying a service too! 

STEP 5: WARRANTY SUPPORT

Recalls can occur with bicycles (same as cars). Does the brand have a reputation of being responsible? What is the number of years the brand offers? Is the bike shop you are buying the bike from has been around for a period? What is the scope of coverage?  Buy with peace of mind

STEP 6: RESEARCH, VISIT SHOPS

Do your homework and check out neutral websites and reviews rather than forums hosted by shops or manufacturers as they will tend to be biased for their own brand. There is no need to hurry, a reputable shop should have a good range of bicycles for you to test-ride.   

So Ride Safe – Buy Safe!