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after a few weeks of hunting for a cheap bicycle, i finally made up my mind and got this silver baby:

i was looking for a cheap lady/market bike. since “cheap” was the key, i couldn’t ask for much. i looked through advertising on classified listings, but all of the cheap (below $150) bikes there are mountain bikes. there are a few market bikes for sale, but all of them are located far away from where we live (hougang, tampines, ang mo kio), making it impossible for us to pick it up and ride it home. if i had to pay for the delivery or taxi, it makes the price go up significantly.

i looked through markets and stores underneath the HDB complexes around this area (Ghim Moh, Clementi, Tanglin Halt), but surprisingly i couldn’t find any!

i also looked at the bikes sold at Giant and Carrefour. unfortunately, most of them are over $150. the ones below it are mountain bikes. i actually found 1 market bike at Giant for $120, but it wasn’t that well made. and it comes bare-bones — no basket, no lights. but despite that, it actually made to #2 on my buying list.

so, what’s the #1? well, at the very early of my bike research, i found this site. they sell bikes online and will deliver pretty much for free (if purchase is above 40 bucks… all bikes are above $40, obviously) island-wide.

originally, i fell in love with this Flying Pigeon lady bike, but 28” frame for my barely 5’ height is just way too big for me. and the price is above my budget. but isn’t she really pretty? anyways, the one that fits me (and my budget) is the regular 24” lady bike.

it’s rather cheap: $115 (singapore dollar, of course), and it comes with many things i need — mud guards, light, basket, back seat, and chain cover. actually, it was the cheapest i could find. however, it took me a few weeks until i finally decided to buy it. why? i didn’t like the colors.

but after walking around the HDB complexes, visiting every Giants and Carrefours, scouring every possible classified ads and forums about bikes in singapore, i came back to the very first bike i saw.

by the way, her name is negi, as in leek or scallion.

welcome home, negi.