Gone for good
According to the Herald Sun
Police are warning cyclists to take greater care of their bikes after a rapid rise in thefts as road users switch from cars to pedal power…
Most stolen bikes are never recovered for their owners.
On the topic, Chris had this to say via the YarraBUG list:
Vic Police have several useful tips on Virtual Bike including a form for ID purposes:
Types of Locks: http://www.virtualbike.com.au/?Section=2.1
Around Home: http://www.virtualbike.com.au/?Section=2.2
Out and About: http://www.virtualbike.com.au/?Section=2.3
Bike ID: http://www.virtualbike.com.au/?Section=2.4
Downloadable Form: http://www.virtualbike.com.au/?Section=2.5
Or maybe you could consider the Italian bike lock [via Commute by Bike]
And I wonder if a bike-mounted police presence helps with this sort of thing?
Camelbak-to-front
The Beerbelly and Wine Rack—new approach to hydration…? [via bicycles.net.au]
The weird world of advertising
Have you had a good laugh at this ad for a popular over-the-counter analgesic yet? Talk about inept.
Traffic in Beijing
More on Beijing traffic congestion in The Age this week: Honk, which way you going, China? (Check out the photo: I’d probably get off and walk my bike too.)
The economics of cycling
The Cycling Promotion Fund has come up with another interesting paper, Economic Benefits of Cycling for Australia, addressing the topic under the broad headings Health, Traffic Congestion Reduction, Greenhouse gas abatement, and Fuel costs:
Cycling provides economic benefit in terms of improved public health, reduced levels of traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reductions in expenditure on transport fuel.
These benefits accrue most readily when the bicycle is used as a substitute for car journeys. Though many trips are too long to be comfortably undertaken by bicycle alone…a large proportion of our car trips are of a distance suited to cycling.
More Copenhagenisation
A touch of Copenhagen for the streets of East Melbourne
Just one thing I’d say about this article: the suggestion by the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Wayne Kayler-Thomson that “a bike lane down the middle of the median strip [in Victoria Parade] would more effectively remove bikes from the dangers of road and pedestrian traffic” is badly misinformed. I can’t think of a more dangerous way of separating cars and bikes—drivers barely expect bikes to be approaching them on the left, let alone on the right in the median strip.
Bike culture
- Restricting underwear to less than seven pounds
- The big question: Is Britain really getting on its bike and turning into a nation of cyclists?
- Helmet or no helmet?
Bloody showoff
Note to Ines Brunn: no one likes a bloody showoff. Seriously impressive. [Thanks tom]
[Photo credit: riding-in-rain by ehnmark on Flickr]
Have you seen the bike path down the middle of North Rd from Huntingdale to Monash? Pure, unadulterated stupid.
Yeah, ’cause the one down St Georges Road works so well - wait, no it doesn’t, ’cause bikes & trams & pedestrians plus shrub-induced blind spots do not a safe commute make.
I’ve not ridden those median strip paths, but both were exactly the sites I had in mind. The bloke probably thinks he’s being innovative, which is a shame because he’s just being ignorant.
I’m off to Beijing in a week, planning to buy a bike to ride around during the games. I hope the traffic gets better though!