When I get into hobbies, I get super deep into them. I don’t really get into the whole “buying the best”, but I look for the stories and cultures. But because I dive into so many, I have to choose when to call it quits, or when the deep dive is deep enough for that day.
In any case, I’ve been into bicycles for 2026 so far.
Prior to 2026, my uncle in law had lent my wife and I some foldies. I tried them, and they were pretty okay, but just didn’t really scratch that itch for me. But at the end of 2025, I intentionally planned alternative ways to travel, apart from public transport, and landed on trying bike commuting. So what better way to start than with the bikes I already had?
My first cycle of 2026 was to get a foldable bike from Punggol back to Bukit Batok. The ride alone was about 40KM, and for some reason, I thought I could do it. Perhaps it was because I had ran 42KM two years prior, and I thought cycling was definitely easier than running, so how hard could cycling 40KM be? Answer: it was really pretty hard. I cramped out three times on the way back, and I thought I would need to call a Grab to fish me out of some Bukit Panjang back lane I tried to use for a shortcut.
After that ride, I thought a couple of things. First, I wanted a bike of my own. I wanted something I could modify, and maybe bigger wheels would make my life easier. I also thought about how much more things I wanted to carry, and how the look and feel of the bike could change if I put in time and effort to work on it.
The second was how fun it was to move around like that. It was absolutely a blast to go through the different paths and roads, enjoying the scenery. There are actual moments of solitude in Singapore, and I was happily surprised. I thought some of these places only existed in the protected areas of Singapore’s military training. Even though I cramped out, I really wanted to do it again, and I wanted to do it well. I wanted to come out of it unscathed, like I had won the battle of cycling. Whatever I thought that meant then.
So the customization and the fun came together hard, and sparked a brand new obsession for myself: bicycles.
But this was not my first time getting into a hobby, no siree– I’m all older now, I’ve got my years of throwing money and time down a hole that I can’t get out of, I know how to avoid the pitfalls. I think.
I decided to draw some lines not to cross. I knew I did not want to wear a cycling kit, because it was an extreme look. Not sure if I would ever feel confident enough to get into skin tight lycra for the sake of speed. I would be quite happy enough just to keep moving and not to die.
Another line I decided I was not going into was into road biking, and the whole chase for speed thing. Just like the aerodynamic cycling kits, I thought if I was going to chase for bike speed, then there would be some serious cost: financial and physical, and I did not want to spend on either for it. I have a family, a baby now, and I just don’t have the time
Perhaps another line was one I had drawn years ago for the apparel and fashion. I call it “Remember Stan Smiths”. It’s a line I told Clarice to tell me when I had met her, if I ever bought something mainstream. Cut to another backstory: I had the Adidas Stan Smith in my To Buy List for ages. It was the classic white sneaker of my time (the millennials) and the Raf Simmons versions were out. There were velcro versions, laced up ones, all sorts. But it was the Classic Green that I wanted the most. After a year or two of pinning over these shoes, I finally picked them up in Australia for a good price. But the moment I started wearing them, I saw everyone else wearing them. Literally one of the mornings in the train to work, I saw at least five to six people wearing the exact same shoe, and I felt like I had lost my special edge to life. Maybe it’s a fragile ego thing, this millennial need to be ultra special, but I’m happy to hold it as my personal thing to be extremely singular in my approach to things. I do want to be able to say that people can’t get what I have.
And thus, I decided to go with the most obvious choice of bikes: Decathlon. Because everyone else has them for sure, so the cycling enthusiasts would never get them. But it means everyone also has the same bike as me. But it works, you get me? Lol.
I actually went to look for old, unused bikes on Carousell, and I found one that was cheap enough for me to go and test it ($50). I also had did this whole checking out because of my dear friend, H, who told me I should really go and check out used bikes if I wanted to get into it. But when I was there, and I looked at the bike and tested it out, I also decided another line I wanted to draw was not to spend another year fixing it. I told the Carouseller that I didn’t know how to fix it out, but they should sell it to someone who knows what to do.
So Decathlon it was, and I went with a preset bike with the parts I wanted on it already – a kickstand, a rear rack, mudguards, and then some reflectors. I added on lights, a bottle rack, that was it.
For a week. LOL
After a cycle or two, I decided that a flatbar really hurt my wrists for a long ride (12-14KM). By then, I was also introduced into the wonderful world of Blue Lug, and their manifold bike accessories and collaborations. Unknown to me previously, I thought they only made really expensive messenger bags. But because of them, I dove deeper a bit into the Japanese Commuter bike scene, and found brands like Nitto, Simworks, MKS, Rivendell, Fairweather.
My search for a handlebar became a good reason to consider how a handlebar looks, and I saw a Terry B video of this guy Hayato. His fixie (fixed gear bicycle: you pedal backwards to stop or reverse the bike, there are no brakes) had a pair of bullhorn handlebars. These are short bars curving upwards are the ends. I thought they were insane looking, and I loved that they were held vertically. It was not a flat bar that strained my wrists, but they could be held vertical, so no pain.
Then I looked for bullhorns that were wide enough. From my keyboard days, I know that tight hands together for long are not good for the shoulders and posture, and if riding posture is key, then I need to get something wide, comfortable enough. So I found the Simworks Calsaga Bullhorns. Wide bars with forward curve, and they could fit all the components I wanted on them. By components, I mean brakes, front light, phone mount, bell, cup holder, and maybe a front bag. I ordered them, and learnt quickly how to fix up handlebars.
This was the first of quite a few other fixes.
So now I’m at a point where I’ve ordered vintage, used, bicycle parts from Japan. I’ve got only one bike with modifications here and there, and thankfully I’ve kept to my two lines of not chasing speed, or getting into a cycling kit. (I’ve definitely loaded my shopping cart on MAAP, but never pressed buy. But I did pick up socks :P)
I’m constantly looking at what possibilities I might get into, but the hardest part is needing to test out a lot of the gear before I can be sure of how I want the bike to behave.
It’s just funny because I’m in such a weird niche now, I’m looking at Japanese Keirin Bikes, NJS is the term. They do chase speed for sure, but they’re all track bikes. And I’m looking to ride them casually. Apparently it’s not favoured at all, but I’m down to see what happens in the years to come.
Ok just wanted to share what my brain looks like mid obsession. You might find me again in a few months time.
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