Is this the same Government?
Seriously, how hard is it to do this?
It looks like the Victorian Government wants to fit bike racks to buses. Huh? Is this the same Government that wanted to ban bikes on trains? That's something of a turnaround, and about time too. Let's support it.
That said, I do have some sympathy for the criticism that the railway network needs expanding, but the two things are not mutually exclusive, and the relative costs and time scales don't really compare either. That's just a distraction.
Mythbusting on scofflaw cyclists
The Myth of the Scofflaw Cyclist:
Now then, I'm not trying to claim that cyclists don't break the law. Let me state clearly and upfront, they do. What I'm saying is that there is nothing unique about the frequency with which cyclists as a class break the law when compared with drivers or pedestrians. And even if cyclists broke the law more flagrantly, that would not negate the need to share the road.
[Emphasis added]
Absolutely recommended reading of the week.
Case in point
While we're talking about this sort of thing, on Sydney Cyclist, an article from "Cabbie", the "Australian Taxi Drivers' Own Magazine", includes this gem:
Unlike motorists, they don't pay registration and insurance, no fuel excise or GST, no parking or speeding fines and they don't need a licence to drive on the road, yet new legislation, which came into force in NSW on 1 July, gives bicycle riders priotity over motor vehicles at trafic lights. If one day a cabbie does get out of his cab with submachine and blows a whole herd of push-bike riders away, don't get surprised.
If it wasn't so inept, it would be incitement to violence. But it gets even more laughable:
They roam in packs at dawn and dusk on major roads without lights and reflective clothing, oblivious to the anger and frustration they cause other road users. They change lanes without notice and ride at 20km/hr in 60 and 80 kilometre zones with impunity. They are unlicensed, untrained and unidentifiable, yet they have become 'kings of the road'.
Now don't get me wrong, I respect professional road users, but you do see taxi drivers who behave badly "oblivious to the anger and frustration they cause other road users"—not to mention danger. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of those quick, illegal U-turns in Swanston St as one example. Oh yeah, and suddenly pulling into the kerb from the outside lane—a move guaranteed to swish anything that happens to be on the inside.
And yet, no one seems to question their right to use the road.
To all the professional and considerate taxi drivers out there, thanks. And to idiots who propogate this kind of nonsense…
Take the SUBway
How do you get two kids, the groceries, and a full-sized Weber charcoal grill home on a bike? Make sure it's a Sports Utility Bike
Shut it down
Merri Creek Trail Temporary Diversions.
Rolling but not coasting
Those crazy Swedes have gone and made a bike roller-coaster:
The rustic structure, made with a chainsaw and pieces of salvaged wood is open and available for anyone with the nerve to take a shot at the bumpy narrow path, steep banks and hills. The highest point is said to be 2 meters off the ground.
I don't know much about art, but I know a man-made MTB track when I see one.
You're such a Shweeb
And then there's the Kiwis:
The Shweeb velodrome is the world's first human-powered monorail racetrack. It consists of two 200 metre long overhead rail circuits that vary in height between two and four meters above the ground. Under the tracks hang high performance pedal powered vehicles. Between one and five vehicles can be loaded onto each track enabling teams to race each other or race against the clock.
A brilliant idea and it looks like heaps of fun, but is it really the kernel of "an ingenious, high efficiency, no emission urban transport system"? I'd be up for it, but I'm a bit odd that way. [via Sydney Body Art Ride]
It is an X-bike
Is the X-Bike the next logical step along from the A-Bike? It looks mighty similar but simpler. For what it is—very lightweight, foldable personal transport—it don't look half bad. [Thanks tom]
Cycling Typography
Yes, that's cycling typography, not topography:
One of the reasons I enjoy being a cyclist and a cycle-sport spectator is the scenery, the visual poetry of the sport, and the (moving) typography!
Old cycling jerseys feature some startlingly beautiful typography.
Well, yes, quite. Those ol' wool jerseys are things of beauty. [Thanks flipsockgrrl]
NancyBoy, poet
I'm constantly impressed by the writing talent of Australian bike bloggers. Take NancyBoy's description of the Humevale Road Hill as an example:
I've waxed lyrical before about the joys of this hill but I'll do so again. Ride this hill! If Britney Speers was a cyclist she'd be shoving this hill up her nose. In fact if Tom Boonen had done just that, he'd be riding in the Tour today. It is a beautiful winding, forested road of just the right grade to give you a great workout without breaking anything.
That's just about poetry. And more to the point, I want to go and ride that hill this weekend!
[Photo: Shopping Express by psd on Flickr]
Comments
Great stuff as usual, thanks