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"You bloody champion!" [1]
This old codger is getting around on a 56-year-old bike—but then he's 92 himself.
In 2002, Mathes sent a photo of his bicycle to the Schwinn company.
"I told them, here's a picture of my bike. It's 50 years old and has maybe 35,000 miles on it. You can use it in your advertising no charge.
"They sent me back a pair of socks."
[But did they use the photo?]
He says bicycling is about "the breeze in your face, the exercise, and the constant change of scenery.
"It's the frosting on the cake. Plus it doesn't wear out your knees and hips."
[via RBR Newsletter]
"You bloody champion!" [2]
Riding to school since grade 4, now in year 8 and still not dead, [Alex Morgan, 13, has claimed the first medal in Bicycle Victoria's gold medal challenge][].
Alex registered with Bicycle Victoria on April 12 and completed the challenge on April 26. His longest ride was 88.53km around the Yarra Valley and his shortest was the 7km to school and back home.
Recommended reading and viewing
I've got two "…of the week" recommendations, both from [Yellow Brick d][]. Firstly, Adrian is doing some analysis on online comments following the recent crash in Sydney. It will be interesting to follow where that goes. Recommended (and occasionally nauseating) reading.
And then there's Road Rage in Britain. I haven't finished watching it myself yet, but the first few sections are pretty interesting. Recommended viewing.
Urban Planning
- Bikes 'sacrificed' in Melbourne.
- Brisbane cyclists to benefit with network increase: "Brisbane City Council will fast-track the expansion of the city's bikeway network and new paths after funding was quadrupled in yesterday's budget."
- Copenhagen-style bike lanes for Sydney—"the first of about 55 kilometres of new separated bike lanes across the council area."
- And in Geelong "a shared walking and bicycle track across the front of [a new] 34-lot development would be funded by the developer"—all well and good, but it won't be much use if it doesn't connect to anything or go anywhere that anyone wants to go…
The buddy system goes online
comotivate "exists to positively change your physical and mental state by leveraging all that's amazing about the human condition. Register your goal today, find someone with whom to comotivate and enjoy the power of collective endeavour." Hmm, sounds like an interesting twist on social networking, especially if you've got a speed/distance/training target you want to hit but you don't have a training partner.
Fold here
Retrofit Folding Handlebars reduces the width of a bike and provides a steering lock to help stop "the infuriating turning of the front wheel". [Thanks tom]
Big deal
I know we live in a society where the arse-scratchings of every Z-list celebrity seems to be headline fodder for trash magazines and tabloids, so my overwhelming response to the news that [Elle Macpherson rides her home without a helmet][] was… \<YAWN>. Big deal. Who cares? I'm sure she's not the only helmet-less rider in Britain.
The only really interesting observation in the story was that "Elle was also the only mother smiling at the pick-up zone", but the reporter attributes that to fashion-envy rather than the more likely explanation that Macpherson wasn't battling London traffic congestion in an over-sized agricultural vehicle.
Sounds like Audax
Whittlesea rides the cycling trend.
Urban MTB
Stuck in town, far from the hills? Build your own mountain [under the y][] (well, a mountain bike trail, at least).
Photo credit: ["Cycle & Sacks"][] by Meanest Indian on Flickr
Comments
As for the "Bikes 'sacrificed' for new footbridge" story, it's only a part of a larger issue. Melbourne Council have had to cut costs due in no small part to certain individuals taste in self-promotion, and it seems reading this story that they haven't learnt a lesson.
Sure we all love to see cycling in Melbourne promoted and supported, but how about looking at bigger issues and wider implications?
We may not have proposed bicycle infrastructure built in this years CoM budget, but almost 100 people lost their jobs last year.
Think about it.
Ease up Chris. I'm only pointing to some bike-related headlines that I noticed last week. I offered no particular comment on that one—the "Bikes 'sacrificed'" line comes straight from the original article. For what it's worth, I really can't see what the problem is and I thought that the article had the whiff of beat-up about it.
I link to stuff because I find it at least vaguely interesting—that doesn't necessarily mean I endorse it. But it's always a pleasure to be scolded by you. ;-)