Wheels in the city

Wheels in the city

SINGAPORE - Take in the sights and sounds of downtown Singapore on a bicycle.

Two companies, The Bicycle Hut and Druthers, provide tourists and Singaporeans a new option of seeing what downtown Singapore has to offer.

Those interested can rent bicycles from them or sign up for one of their guided tours.

The Bicycle Hut was started by two friends, Mr Kamal Ishnin, 44, and Mr Mazdin Mohamad, 37.

The "hut", a refurbished container, is located on Connaught Drive, at the side of the Singapore Recreation Club.

"We wanted to create another activity for tourists in the downtown area and we saw that there was an opportunity for us to rent out bicycles, so we jumped in," said Mr Kamal.

Their shop, started in April this year, has 50 bicycles of different types.

They have fixed-gear Duras, Raleigh Mini Velos, Aleoca foldables and Schwinn Cruisers.

"We recently bought the Aleocas because we hope to expand our repertoire of guided tours to outside of the town area by taking our groups on public transport," said Mr Kamal.

One of their more popular routes is called the "Bay of Life".

It takes riders past attractions such as the Merlion, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Barrage.

Another offering, "From third world to first", from Druthers, at 82 Boat Quay, is more of a heritage tour.

This guided tour lets riders explore historical sights in Chinatown and around Arab Street.

Owner-operator Andrew Goh, 25, said: "We created this route so that we can show how Singapore has developed over the years."

The company, which has been operating since June last year, has 10 foldable bicycles.

"We try to keep the size of our tours small so that we will be able to provide a better experience for the people who use our service," said Mr Goh.

"This also ensures that their comfort and safety is not compromised," said Mr Goh.

Mr Ali Alsagof, along with three friends took a bicycle tour with The Bicycle Hut last Monday.

"I was hesitant about the idea of cycling in the city at first because I didn't think it was feasible," said the 40-year-old.

"But after our ride around town, we just could not stop talking about our experience!" said the head concierge at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Druthers

Guided tours: $128 per person, about 3 hours to complete

■ Hong Lim Park

■ Chinatown

■ Mosque Street

■ Ann Siang Hill

■ CBD Area

■ Marina Bay

■ Marina Bay Sands

■ Gardens by the Bay

■ Marina Barrage

■ Helix Bridge

■ Singapore Flyer

■ F1 Pit

■ Haji Lane

■ Arab St

■ Kampong Glam

■ Bugis

■ National Library

■ Raffles Hotel

■ War Memorial Park

■ Padang

■ Esplanade

■ Singapore River

■ Parliament House

The Bicycle Hut

Guided tours: $48 per person, about 2 hours 15 mins to complete

■ Connaught Drive

■ Queen Elizabeth Walk

■ Merlion Park

■ The Fullerton

■ The Promontory at Marina Bay

■ Marina Bay Sands

■ Gardens by the Bay

■ Marina Barrage

■ Bay East

■ Esplanade


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