"We leave no one behind."

Cycling or bicycling or just plain biking is big business in Singapore today with everyone - young, old, and the elderly dipping their hands into the cake. 

With the booming trade in bicycles and bike accessories hitting an unprecedented high, it was not long before queues formed at the local bike shops and upmarket ones, to check out the new craze in commuting, exercise, race, tour or just the familiar ego trip. 

Two years ago, I bought my first foldie, a $750 Giant Chiron2 from a Tay Cycle in Tampines St 11. As a newbie, the design of the white bike attracted my attention, though the folding mechanism is nowhere near the more popular Bromptons which costs four times as much. It took me a while to get comfortable with the Chiron, especially with the fold. 

My first ride with a popular bike group resulted in a near disaster. I was in the last group, the slowest group, to leave Tampines Plaza en-route to East Coast Park. We were assured that the safety officers or sweepers would not leave anyone behind. 100 metres after I started off at the rear of the group, I felt an uncharacteristic swerve of the bike, as if someone else was in control. I know it sounds eerie and unreal. Suddenly, both the front and rear wheel tracked left and the centre joint separated. The fold had come undone! Silly me had not checked the locking mechanism to ensure its security. Good thing I wasn't riding fast approaching the first pedestrian crossing at the Tampines MRT station towards Holy Trinity Church.

I fixed the problem in no time but because the Red Man was flashing and the beeper had sounded, I had to wait out for the next cycle. I looked around and discovered that I was the only cyclist from the group there. So where was the sweeper - talk about not leaving anyone behind! I was absolutely new to the route to ECP and had no idea where to turn.

I decided to proceed on the PCN towards the church hoping to see some cyclists ahead. Unfortunately, there was none. Our sweeper must have taken the lead to push the last group in joining up with the rest who were already far ahead. I wasn't aware that I had to take the long overhead bridge across the PIE to reach Simei. I circumnavigated the blocks of flats but it only confused me and led me back to Tampines Avenue 2. My decision was practical and final - return home via St 23.

You guessed right. I was fuming mad!