MCYS to build permanent race track at Changi. How about BMX?

This is rather old news for some. According to sources, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) is considering building the permanent track facility off the East Coast Parkway, near the Changi Naval Base, which could cost between US$150 million and US$200 million. Looks like it will be ready by 2011, according to sources. The article is located here

I wonder. If they can spend all that money for motor racing, which incidentally pollutes the air, why cant they even spare one percent of that budget for a BMX track that we have been asking for so long? Nothing much to build a track to host a race that is now an Olympic sport. It must all be about the money.

Congratulations Selvan!

Owner of ABC (Awesome Bike Centre), old-schooler, owner of the only RedLine PL-24 and Daddy-O now of a new baby girl! That is right! Selvan and his lovely wife Tini just became parents of a lovely baby girl! Selvan just sent me the SMS just now and I am proud to say that Selvan and Tini have just brought a new BMX girl into this world. Congratulations once again to Selvan and Tini. Selvan bro, no post is complete without pictures so send those pictures in!

Old-school BMX gathering on the 28th of March 2009

There is a post of the next gathering in the forums here. Looks like that this is the first gathering this month or rather, this year. The last mini gathering was held at BikeAsia 2009 and it was great. The usual suspects will be there, along with some others and it will be, correction, they always are gatherings to remember as we get together to swap parts and stories, ogle at old-school BMX bikes and just general camaraderie, afforded by the common bond of BMX.

By the way, check out the picture above. This was snapped by Peter aka Photographer. this new place happens to be Bishan park. Who knows...maybe the next gathering will be there. I just hope that there is enough lighting in that place as the gatherings are mostly on Saturday night.

More emails from interested cyclists

I have said it before, I love receiving emails. It gives us the chance to help others and to keep others in the loop as to what is going on. I received this email today from an interested cyclist. I am able to help him with his first question but his second question, sorry mate, cannot help you on that one. But I do know that the two UCI officials that came down recently pushed our local reps to get the track done...

Hi my name is (name witheld). I recently got interested in BMX racing and I would like to know where I can get gears such as fullface helmets and etc. I would also like to know if there is any one maintaining the BMX race track at Tampines because it is in a state where no one can race on. Thank You.

There you go! Well, I have replied to him in an email. You can send all emails to admin@osbmx.com

We, OSBMX.com, are the very first BMX site in Singapore

There are many sites out there who claim to be the Singapore BMX site but unfortunately, they are all riding on the popularity of BMX now, especially since it became an Olympic sport. We here at OSBMX.com were the original site. We have been online since 2000, when everyone did not seem to give a toss about BMX. We were there when BMX became an Olympic sport. We have been running all the races since 1998. So make no mistake about that. The news is here and also some sad painful truths about the BMX scene in Singapore

Well, heard some rumblings. It seems that some UCI guys came down to see how we are preparing for the YOG, which is next year. Do we have a local BMX team yet? I do not think so. Do we have a track yet? I do not think so. Do we have BMX shops here where BMXer's are sold? Well, yeah...we have a couple but that is about it. You cannot buy components and such, just complete bikes. I hope someone told the UCI team that when they came down.

In short, BMX in Singapore does not look promising. It does not look even more promising for the local riders. Imagine. Singapore is hosting the YOG but the local boys cannot race in it because they have not had much time to practice and no premises either. We were pusihing the SSC and SACA since 2003 but you know what we got? Almost perfunctory help. And now some monkeys and "BMX consultants" are running about.

Like what was said in a movie once: "Hold on to your lugnuts! Its TIME for an overhaul!"

YOG meeting in Denver

Looks like it has been reported in Yahoo News that A team from the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) is headed to the United States to update the international sporting community on Singapore’s preparations for the 2010 event. The thing is, is Singapore prepared BMX-wise? I do not think so.

Well, guys, especially Mr Ng Ser Miang, are you going to tell them that the BMX track in Tampines or wherever it is to be located has not been constructed yet and that BMXers in Singapore have got no place to practice for what is seen as the first BMX event in the Youth Olympics in 2010?

I have to say I met some dude from the SSC at BikeAsia 2009 and let us just say that the talk was not fruitful.

Take care of your bikes

I read an article here where this kid was bashed up and his bike stolen. It was a quite rare WeThe People BMX. It can happen anywhere as the thieves start to get bolder. I have heard horror stories of bike being stolen right under the very noses of their owners as well. I nearly had my Haro Backtrail X24 cruiser stolen as well. Kid tried to ride off with it but considering the fact that the cruiser weighs almost 42 pounds, he had a hard time controlling it and a push from me sent him flying with the bike pinned on top of him.

So keep a lookout for thieves and always keep your bike under watchful eyes.

Bikeasia 2009

It was a success if there ever was one. People were all interested in the bikes that we had for display there. Plus, I got to met two legends of the bike world. In the picture above, here I am with Mr Gary Fisher, one of the pioneers of the mountain-bike scene. A really affable and down-to-earth guy who put me totally at ease. And later on in the day, who else other than Tinker Juarez came to our humble booth to say hi.

Tinker is being flanked by myself and Steve Bray, the dealer for Cannondale in Singapore. He is such a cool guy and just as down-to-earth as Gary Fisher. One of my friends brought his old BMX Action magazine for him to sign and he did with no problems at all. Some people were dumbfounded to know that Tinker was the King of the Skateparks back in the day. The magazine article in BMXA proved it all. Let us just say that the riders there got some new respect for Tinker after that. To us BMXers, he is a walking legend. He is and will forever be known by us as being the BMXer who showed the MTBiking world that the roots he had in BMX made him what he is today

Our booth was festooned with many old-school BMX bikes, the highlight was the Kuwahara E.T. People kept coming up to us, asking if the bikes were for sale. We had to turn each and every one of them down. These are collectibles, lovingly restored by their owners. People who came through our booth to ogle at the BMX bikes got a history of our beloved sport by many of the old-schoolers who donated their bikes for the display. I had a great time and so did the rest. More pictures will be coming up.

We hope to see you again next year at BikeAsia 2010