Active commuters do it better

Want to get fit? Walk or bike to work:

In what may be the first large U.S. study of health and commuting, the researchers found only about 17 percent of workers walked or bicycled any portion of their commute.

Those active commuters did better on treadmill tests of fitness, even when researchers accounted for their leisure-time physical activity levels, suggesting commuter choices do make a difference.

Works for me! [twitterer]

~~Motor~~bike lane

The motorbikes-in-bike-lanes bad penny has turned up again…

Can we just leave it alone now or will I have to repeat this post in 2012?

Promoting bikes

The National Trust in the UK promotes [10 great two-wheeled s][]:

What better way to arrive at some of our fascinating houses or gardens, and fantastic coast or countryside, than by pedal power, just in time for a tea-room treat or picnic lunch?

Demoting bikes

What's a kid got to do to be allowed to cycle to school?

It is unbelievable that a school would actively discourage children from taking regular exercise when obesity is such a problem. Research shows schoolchildren who cycle are healthier and happier than those who don't – it makes sense for schools to promote cycling, not ban it.

Now get back in the car, butterball.

Being "the bigger man"

[Spare Yourself from Road Raging Bike Haters: How to Avoid -Cyclism][]

~~Motor city~~ Bike city

Toby Barlow writes in the New York Times that "Motor City" Detroit could become "Bike City":

While bike enthusiasts in most urban areas continue to have to fight for their place on the streets, Detroit has the potential to become a new bicycle utopia. It's a town just waiting to be taken. With well less than half its peak population, and free of anything resembling a hill, the city and its miles and miles of streets lie open and empty, beckoning. And lately, whether it's because of the economy or the price of gas or just because it's a nice thing to do, there are a lot more bikers out riding.

Getting into fixed

Fixie is so-o last year. Here's proof: a Fixed Gear 101 article. (Actually, that probably should be so-o 2002, which is when this article is dated.)

One day I'll do it. Maybe.

While we're on the subject, have a go at Rabbit, a singlespeed and fixed-gear cycling calculator.

Safety vid

Safe cycling in the city:

Riding a bike in the big city can sometimes be a little dangerous. Yvonne Bambrick of the Toronto Cyclists Union offers some tips to help reduce the risk.

[via, though not endorsed by, chainguard]

The protection of the law where appropriate

[SMIDSY is never e][]—but cyclists will "be afforded the protection of the law where appropriate". What the…? If "where appropriate" doesn't mean "always and unconditionally" then there's a real problem there. [twitterer]

Boffin berates Brumby

Victoria well behind OECD best practice in public transport.

So let's make roads wider

In the UK, new research shows road congestion will grow:

"No matter how wide we make our motorways, they'll keep filling up, so we have to start giving people alternatives to driving if we don't want the country to grind to a halt."

Hmm. [twitterer]

Bashing the UCI

If the UCI ran the world… I don't know much about the sport of cycling but the UCI does seem like a particularly easy target…

Blah blah blah

For your amusement: RAAM is not an athletic challenge. Discuss. [twitterer]

Just ride

To my ill-informed eye, there seems to be some pretty good advice in the Girls Guide to Better Mountain Bike Riding [twitterer]

"Nuthing but pix"

Just what it says on the box: Chicks and Bikes is a blog of photos of women and bikes—some sexy, some clever, some funny, some downright silly.

Mythbustin'

Given my recent post about a pointlessly dangerous incident on the road, Bike Lemming's post Exposing the myth of the outlaw cyclist seemed timely.

Understanding Europeans (1)

In Sports Illustrated:

For Americans, doping is entwined with questions of character, with goodness and evil. For Europeans, doping is simply something that cyclists are known to do. C'est le métier, the French say: It's the job. … [It's] the same divergence that occurs when a politician is caught out with a mistress: Americans get outraged -- How could he? While Europeans shrug -- But of course.

-- Daniel Coyle, in Lance Armstrong's War

Understanding Europeans (2)

An observation on Nothing for UnGood:

When it comes to bicycles, Germans have a fundamentally different attitude than Americans. Germans use their bicycles to go places, whereas Americans go places to use their bicycles.

The former is probably true of much of Europe, while the latter true of most predominantly English-seaking countries. [twitterer]

Every bike can fold

The S and S Machine Bicycle Torque Coupling "is a precision lug that is installed in a bicycle frame when it's manufactured to allow it to separate and pack for easy transportation."

Always room for one more

Confessions of a serial bicycle buyer:

Is it an indulgence to own more than one bicycle? Maybe – but at least it's cheaper than yachting or cocaine

The inevitable legal consequences

Remember Punchin' Patrick Pogan? Sure you do, he's the cop who decked a New York Critical Masser, then arrested him for ["using his as a weapon"][], among other fanciful notions.

Yeah, you remember now. Well, it looks like the NYPD might wish they'd never met Patrick Pogan as the [body checked cyclist is suing the e][]—not a huge amount of damages being pursued but not pocket change either. [twitterer]

DIY

How it's made

This ain't DIY, it's how bikes are made. [twitterer]

Bike blogs

What Andreas has been reading

What I've been reading.

Does this mean I can stop now?

Comments

Fritz

Just a quick note that I appreciate your "speedlinking" posts.

Andreas

You may definitely not stop doing your speedlinking posts - they are a fantastic roundup!