Tour to spread message on cancer

IPOH: After losing a friend to cancer and watching a family member's battle with it, Max Chong decided to cycle across five Southeast Asian countries to create awareness of the disease.

Chong, 39, also hopes to help raise funds for the National Cancer Council (Makna) through his efforts.

Yesterday, he started his 4,326km tour, which will take him from here to Hanoi and back.

Makna hopes to raise RM100 for every kilometre Chong cycles

"Some people think I'm crazy to quit my job for this cycling tour. But I am grateful that my wife and children are very supportive."

Chong, who will travel across Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, is accompanied by 50-year-old Chuah Yew Lay, who lost part of his right leg in an accident 20 years ago.

Chuah, however, will only cycle until Bangkok.

Makna manager Vemanna Appannah said funds raised would be used to treat poor cancer patients.

He said Chong had approached Makna last month about using his tour to raise funds.

mattouring: HATS OFF TO THESE GUYS !!

Source: MAKNA

How the Mac Was Almost a Bicycle

The name Macintosh was originally selected because it was Jef Raskin’s favorite type of apple, but the Mac almost wasn’t an Apple at all. When Raskin took a leave of absence in February 1981, Steve Jobs and Rod Holt made the decision to change Apple to something else. They felt that the name Macintosh was just a code name and that a name change was in order to reflect the change in regime.Holt decided on Bicycle as the new name that would replace Raskin’s Macintosh for the duration of the project and presented it to his design team. When they balked, Holt insisted that all references to Macintosh be changed to Bicycle, telling them that it shouldn’t really matter “since it was only a code name.”

The Bicycle name originated from an ad that Apple had placed in Scientific American magazine. The ad featured quotes from Steve Jobs about computers, including one about how personal computers were “bicycles for the mind.” The logic was that humans could run as fast as other species, but a human—on a bicycle—could beat them all. Rod’s edict was never obeyed. Somehow, Macintosh just seemed right.

Source : ZDNet

Armstrong time-trial bike found

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has had his time-trial bike recovered by police after it was stolen at the Tour of California on Saturday.

The bike, used in the prologue and valued at more than $10,000 (£7,060), was taken from a team truck in Sacramento along with other road bikes.

A local resident brought the Trek Livestrong 1274 to police headquarters in Sacramaneto on Wednesday.

The man is not considered a suspect and no arrests have yet been made.

Armstrong, 37, had posted a picture of his stolen bike on the social networking site Twitter, and more than 900 people had enlisted in a search for the bike through a Facebook group "1 Million Citizens Looking for Lance Armstrong's Stolen Bike".

"They recovered the bike!" Armstrong said on Twitter on Wednesday.

"Don't have details yet but it's apparently on it's way here. Thanks to the Sacramento P D for the help!"

Sergeant Norm Leong of the Sacramento police force said: "All the technology involved really kept the story alive and moving.

"It was clear that most of the people in the community were looking for this bike. It makes it hard to transport the thing; you can't ride it or sell it, it is that hot of an item."

Armstrong is competing in the US for the first time since his return from retirement.

The American's appearance in the Tour Down Under in Australia in January marked his first race since his final 2005 Tour de France triumph.

The Tour of California continues his build-up to a European campaign which is set to include the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.

Source: BBC News/ Sports- Cycling

Mass Ride Event

Just participated in my first Mass Riding Event in Singapore last Sunday. It was the OCBC Cycle Singapore. I entered the 20km (actual distance is 22km) community ride i.e. a non-race ride. I rode my folding bike, done it in 47mins, get my medal & goodies bag at the finishing line and rushed back home via the East Coast Park.

Well, the ride was ok. Imagine having 5,000 cyclist in the same place. All the while, I thought it was a charity ride. That's why I'm willing to pay up up to SGD50 for the ride. I was wrong and it's all my fault because I did not read the website properly. Actually, it's just a Mass Ride with some race categories i.e the Criterium, 50km & 40km challenge ride.

Ok..SGD50 for a mass ride?! And they say it's to promote cycling in Singapore! ..come on!! that's expensive! I wonder why do we have to pay so much to participate in a Mass Ride? Is it because it's fancy bike ride event? or maybe because to cover the cost to bring in the pros for the criterium?

In my opinion, the key word in promoting cycling is to make it 'affordable'..... But FREE is so much better!

If they really serious in promoting cycling, the ministry/council should organize a FREE ride day. Maybe a night ride on Saturday once a month. Close the road for 2 hours and let people of all ages with bikes that cost rangest from SGD100 to SGD10,000 to freely ride on the roads. That's what I call Mass Ride and it will definitely attract all cyclist in Singapore and Malaysia (like me) to join. And I believe many people especially kids will pick up cycling afterwards.

How about that, Mr. Balakrishnan?

Lance's Custom TTX Stolen!!!

Be on the look out. The Astana Team Trailer was broken into this morning and 4 bikes were stolen, including Lance's Custom 1274/27.5 TTX. There is only one of these bikes in existence so if you see it, you know it was stolen. Please keep an eye out!

Source: Trek

Chainless Bicycle

Check this bike out..click here

Source : Dynamic Bicycles

Okay to foldable bicycles

FOLDABLE bicycles will be allowed on trains and public buses during off-peak hours from March 15, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Teo Ser Luck announced in Parliament on Thursday.

The go-ahead comes after a six-month trial from May to November last year, as part of several initiatives to meet the transport needs of diverse groups of commuters.

Source : The Strait Times