1. I had grown accustomed to cycling as a purely leisure activity (in Singapore, as I had been cycle-commuting in Melbourne).
2. There is no space to properly store a bike at home.
I find it amusing now, that up till last year, I had been blind to the existence of the foldable bicycle. I guess this is also something that happens when you drive all the time. You are (and rightly so) occupied with the demands of driving, that aside from the necessary attention you are giving to the road / traffic / pedestrians, you are cut off from the world.
By chance, whilst sitting in my office, being frustrated at how dormant my lifestyle had become, I chanced upon an article in a magazine about cycle-commuting. It featured an interview with mrbrown and also some bikes like the Brompton, Dahon Curve and Strida.
After much scouting and deliberation, I got myself the Brompton. The first ride was a pain-in-the-butt, but oh-so-magical at the same time. The feeling of human-powered motion, liberation, independence, the wind against my face... It had been a long time since I experienced a feeling so child-like. I knew that cycling is here to stay.
I have plenty to say about cycling at this point, but I will save that for another post. For now, the foldable bike has negated the two points that I mentioned at the beginning of this post.
1. Cycling is now a very practical choice for me, and I believe it can be for most people. Here is my set-up for errands. The Touring bag easily holds a 1.8kg tin of milk for my boy, take-away lunch for me and my wife and other miscellaneous items.
2. Foldable bikes are the perfect choice for apartment-dwellers. As you can see below, two Bromptons take up less space than a double-stroller. We are making use of the dead-space under our bookshelf.
If you are thinking about cycling and are having the same concerns, why not consider a foldable bike?
haha.. nice! My cycling return was thru Francis. We were colleagues at Philips Design and being a foodie, I was tired of the canteen food. Francis used the food angle to persuade me to cycle out of the office to near by hawker centres.. and the rest was history:)
ReplyDeleteFood is always a great motivator! It is nice to see how this little 'activity' of yours and Francis has grown!
DeleteSpace is one of the main reasons I got a folding bike too. I'm so happy I have a bike now too - it is so easy to get around on, and I can store it right inside my apartment too. And easy to travel with...
ReplyDelete