Heard of a $2.2k foldable bicycle?

[Bukitimah]

1st I must say, I didn't know 'Miss Sion' is so pretty. I am assuming Kei1309 is pulling our legs. I started this thread in case some of you may not have read it in the papers (didn't recall reading it in Today but featured in ST only).

There is nothing wrong questioning and giving our individual's views. It is bad if we all kept quiet and that is our Asian culture that sometimes make things worse. The Japanese has a story today, they never question your boss.

It is important to be transparent when using public funds and organizations have that responsibility to do so. If it is your own, then nobody can question you. If organization has made a judgemental mistake, then they should stand up and admit it. Who don't? Unless you have nothing to do or don't do anything, then you are less likely to make mistakes.

$2.2K for a bike is difficult to accept, whatever the reasons. It cannot be a super bike and even if NParks needs to replace the bike 4 times plus maintenance over the same period, any other normal bike will still be more economical.

 

[dreaming]

china students ran away u all complaint,
garment bought expensive bike you all also complaint.

sibei jiaklat you singaporean.. sia suay..

well. this is an exemplary case. why brompton instead Dahon or why BMW instead Subaru? it is like why Leica M# instead of Panasonic LX#?

you would have phrase it differently if the money is right out from your pocket. what if your son wants a Rolex GMT instead of a Seiko GMT? how would you explain to him in this case. you got my point. i think it is the majority of those viewer point-of-view

nonetheless, it is a good point raised by a Sinagporean

 

[Yutaka Go]

Actually long ago, the traffic police highway patrol pampered themselves with extremely expensive luxury BMWs costing lots of $$$.
I was waiting to see when they would buy for themselves, gold plated Rolls Royce Phantoms to go on traffic patrols.
Surely a cheaper car would have sufficed. Compared to that waste of public funds, the $2.2K bicycle is small potatoes.

Italian police use Ferrari Sport Car to chase down illegal racers,who use sport cars, on the street :bsmilie:

The BMW use by police are not luxury cars. They were specially modified.

$2.2K for a bike ( if include warranty, 5 years of free service and maintenance ) is OK.

Especially when the bike will be heavily utilize to travel long distances.

 

[BarneyChihan]

well. this is an exemplary case. why brompton instead Dahon or why BMW instead Subaru? it is like why Leica M# instead of Panasonic LX#?

you would have phrase it differently if the money is right out from your pocket. what if your son wants a Rolex GMT instead of a Seiko GMT? how would you explain to him in this case. you got my point. i think it is the majority of those viewer point-of-view

nonetheless, it is a good point raised by a Sinagporean

huh? so you saying that singapore citizen should directly interfere with government body's decision? or like you know, shareholder of a company who say no, and the company must follow?

cannot lah! if like that, then there will be chaos!

 

[kira7812]

Italian police use Ferrari Sport Car to chase down illegal racers,who use sport cars, on the street :bsmilie:

The BMW use by police are not luxury cars. They were specially modified.

$2.2K for a bike ( if include warranty, 5 years of free service and maintenance ) is OK.

Especially when the bike will be heavily utilize to travel long distances.

Its kind of strange.....Never mention of 5yrs free service and mainatenance before in their respond.
Also if this is the case, other vendors also cna offer that kind of services also.
Also Do they really need to travel on their new bike from 1 park to the other park?
Or do they travel in motorlized vehicle to reach to the other park before riding their new bike?

 

[giantcanopy]

Italian police use Ferrari Sport Car to chase down illegal racers,who use sport cars, on the street :bsmilie:

Ferraris are not standard issue for Italian Police force.
Confiscated cars from criminals
Italian police to stop driving Mafia Ferraris and Porsches - Telegraph

 

[Edwin Francis]

I did a lot of research and leg work several years ago in search of my first foldie, and I really think the Bromptons are overkill for the required use. A good mid-range 20" Dahon would have served them well -- I think the Speed D7 (and maybe the Vitesse) goes for ard $700, from the authorised dealer, with a 5-yr warranty on frame and handlepost.
Bromptons are renowned for their unique folding (smallest 16" folded, AFAIK), durability and ride. When people ask for recommendations, I always liken Brommies to Mercs, and Dahons to Toyotas. I love steel frames, but they do require some care in our climate.

The statement about getting foldies so they wouldn't need a van? Hmmm... if they're planning to get around on public transport, they'd better be aware that foldies are allowed on trains and buses only at non-peak hours, only one foldie on a bus at one time, and only if the bus is not crowded.

What gets my goat the most is the statement that only one supplier came back with a quotation. Really? Did they just post a tender, shake leg and wait for submissions? A few of my clients (mid-size companies mostly) require 3 quotes for jobs above $500/$1K. Doesn't a $50K purchase justify a little research and planning?
Seriously, it may be time to outsource/crowdsource their decision-making.

 

[ninelives]

me riding in front. i love my brompton

dont jealous ok? $2.2 k, u all cannot afford meh?

 

[sinned79]

credit to the salesmen, he must have used productivity to sell this to the government.

 

[pansbulcem]

Can afford $2200 so what? Not mean can afford means must anyhow spend money what.

 

[giantcanopy]

Doesn't a $50K purchase justify a little research and planning?

I am sure NPark must have done quite some backend research before buying.

I believe with the Bromptons they can catch litter bugs more effectively. Catch 5x major littering offenders and u can more than make up price of a bike.

me riding in front. i love my brompton

dont jealous ok? $2.2 k, u all cannot afford meh?

My previous carbon clinchers alone cost that much. I suggest NPark look into upgrading from stock wheels to reduce rolling resistance. Even better productivity

 

[BBTM]

If they got cheap bicycle, wait got stolen, hard to find. Therefore, getting an expensive bicycle is safest way as no way it will be stolen as the thief cant use or sell, ha ha! Btw, are they well train in using the bicycle gears? I doubt even a simple 6 spd, they also dont know the functions. Heh heh!

 

[kei1309]

If they got cheap bicycle, wait got stolen, hard to find. Therefore, getting an expensive bicycle is safest way as no way it will be stolen as the thief cant use or sell, ha ha! Btw, are they well train in using the bicycle gears? I doubt even a simple 6 spd, they also dont know the functions. Heh heh!

what are you smoking again bro :bsmilie:

 

[pscion12]

A waste of money, a standard bike with standard bicycle parts is cheaper and easier to maintain, plus with a cheaper bike, they should be able to buy extra bikes as spares, so very little downtime as you can swap the bikes while the faulty ones get fixed.
Getting a brompton with small wheels? *facepalm and shakeheads...... I think it is better to get a hybrid or a mountain bike as they can ride off-road with those, plus some foldable mountain bikes cost cheaper.
Please don't make the mistake of thinking cheap is bad. It depends on what and where you buy them. Those from Giant and Carrefour? Probably not. But bikes from the likes of Rodalink and even those Monotines are quite ok. Plus some even have disc brakes.
It is one of those stupid decisions and stupid thought processes that tend to be endemic in stat/gov boards for which I have had the unfortunate luxury to have sat through a few times.
I would have gone for cheaper bikes and a dynamo that can charge their smartphone/tablet or gps whatever. They can make use of this devices on their rounds/make reports, alert or notify back to their operations centre of any repairs/corrections that they need to do, all paperless, quick and efficient as well.
But noooo..... 2.2k on bromptons...


I make this statement above as someone who is in IT, cycles to work and use the connector parks often.

 

[kei1309]

A waste of money, a standard bike with standard bicycle parts is cheaper and easier to maintain, plus with a cheaper bike, they should be able to buy extra bikes as spares, so very little downtime as you can swap the bikes while the faulty ones get fixed.
Getting a brompton with small wheels? *facepalm and shakeheads...... I think it is better to get a hybrid or a mountain bike as they can ride off-road with those, plus some foldable mountain bikes cost cheaper.
Please don't make the mistake of thinking cheap is bad. It depends on what and where you buy them. Those from Giant and Carrefour? Probably not. But bikes from the likes of Rodalink and even those Monotines are quite ok. Plus some even have disc brakes.
It is one of those stupid decisions and stupid thought processes that tend to be endemic in stat/gov boards for which I have had the unfortunate luxury to have sat through a few times.
I would have gone for cheaper bikes and a dynamo that can charge their smartphone/tablet or gps whatever. They can make use of this devices on their rounds/make reports, alert or notify back to their operations centre of any repairs/corrections that they need to do, all paperless, quick and efficient as well.
But noooo..... 2.2k on bromptons...


I make this statement above as someone who is in IT, cycles to work and use the connector parks often.

but you don't use it for work right? :bsmilie:

 

[Reportage]

Give it time and we will see if 26 Bromtons will outlast 572 $100 Superstore mountain bikes.

By the way...anyone know just how many NP Parks officers will be using the bikes at any given time?

I am just surprised no one up the food chain questioned such expense or even did necessary testing to see if cheaper ones can do the same job as Bromtons if they die die want to use folding bike.

My guess is as long whatever it is does not concern their pay, just follow management decision.

 

[Cheesecake]

from my personal capacity, S$2.2k for a fold-able bike is not acceptable, taking into considerations that this is public funding.

the main grouse, for me, is the bid/tender part. only 1 company is involved. worse, not even the official dealer and hence, the savings, if any, is not significant.

no doubt the boys and gals over at the NPark deserves a good fold-able bike but i'm certain there're cheaper alternatives to a S$2.2k version?
not begrudging them of the right to such a wonderful bike but it is public funding and maybe for most of us, we would like to see it being put to better use.



maybe if there is something of this nature in the future, the bidding/tender stage must be supported by more vendors.

putting an advertisement in the papers, on the radio etc. calling for bid/tender, to make it more pronounced and well-known, is perhaps 1 of the solution. the thing is, get such a bid/tender noticed by more vendors.

just my POV.

 

[pscion12]

but you don't use it for work right? :bsmilie:

Nope, but my dad used to. And go to any estate, you might see a cleaner riding a cheapo mountain bike recycled from the trash that people throw, with the broom and scooper tied to the crossbar, while riding to and fro to sweep the area they looked after. Remember the bike-rental shops at East Coast? Those are not expensive bikes and they have been ridden-hard but they're still working right?

Bicycles, in fact any vehicles, properly maintained, can last you years. In fact, the simpler the construction the more rugged and easier to maintain it. It is one of the reason I swapped from a mountain bike to a single-speed hybrid, I find it easier to climb slopes with it as well.

Do you build a "world-class" rail transport system like the MRT and then maintain it with sub-standard parts and undercut your staff? It is plain idiocy, right? So why not get a solid work-bike, maintain it properly, train the staff, equip the bikes properly. And if it anything like some of the other things I've seen, they'd changed it after 3 years anyway (its not all bad though). I for one, would usually say spend as needed but not in this case.

Cheesecake

no doubt the boys and gals over at the NPark deserves a good fold-able bike but i'm certain there're cheaper alternatives to a S$2.2k version?
not begrudging them of the right to such a wonderful bike but it is public funding and maybe for most of us, we would like to see it being put to better use.

Yeah that was the word I was looking for "cheaper alternatives". I might have come across as wanting to provide cheapo alternatives, which isn't what I was aiming for.

 

[dniwkh]

What gets my goat the most is the statement that only one supplier came back with a quotation. Really? Did they just post a tender, shake leg and wait for submissions? A few of my clients (mid-size companies mostly) require 3 quotes for jobs above $500/$1K. Doesn't a $50K purchase justify a little research and planning?
Seriously, it may be time to outsource/crowdsource their decision-making.

yup. I think that was a big fail in my opinon. One quotation with a 2200 bike and they just took it? I mean if the purchasing officer is using his own money will he be so switched off?

Common sense is to check out the market a bit right?

 

[lovells19]

Some foldable bikes sells as high as 5k.. $2.2k is only the entry level.

I agree $500 bike also can ride, but if you have ride a 2.2k bike before, its really a very big difference.