A pair of bikes

A pair of bikes get their heads together outside the Queen Vic Market

Characters

Steven Marmo: "An ironworker and bike racer, Mr. Marmo, 26, spent much of his teens and early 20s in and out of jail for vandalism, drugs and bar fights."

Bicycles allowed use of full lane

The million car challenge campaign:

Our Mission is simple.

Deliver one consistent message using one million cars so that millions of drivers will get the message..... "Bicycles Allowed Use of Full Lane, Change To Pass".

[via Velobration]

Come on, eat!

Pasta—Fuel of Champions

Bloggage

Bike Mag India

Launching in Feb 2010—the first issue of the official CYCLISTS.IN Magazine, a magazine to complement the Indian Cyclists Network. Cool. Put me down for that one.

Images

"The PBIC Image Library is a searchable collection of free, real-world images relating to walking and bicycling."

New thoughts

Editorial in the Geelong Advertiser, Road users and mutual respect:

Where Australia has to lift its game is to provide genuine, safe conditions for cyclists who choose to ride to work. It's all very well to have the scenic bike paths around the rivers, alongside golf courses and following historic rail trails; they're undoubtedly pleasant but not very practical for getting to and from work…

Bikes are here to stay and cyclists and motorists have to learn to live with one another; last year, more bicycles were bought in Australia than cars. Like so many things in life, it's a two-way street and an effective campaign is badly needed to make that street safer for all users.

The right facilities

How cycling centers could help smooth commuter transitions:

"Our existing transportation system has been built around the automobile -- parking, service, fuel -- and we need the same sort of system around other forms of transportation."

The right speed

The British Medical Journal reports on the effect on road injuries of introducing 20 mph (32 km/h) speed limits in London:

This study provides detailed evidence to suggest that 20 mph zones are effective in reducing the risks of casualties in a major metropolitan area, especially with regard to serious injury and death, and that the benefits are greatest among younger children…

In summary:

What is already known on this topic

Road injuries are among the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide

There is evidence that reducing the speed and volume of traffic can reduce rates of road traffic injury

What this study adds

20 mph zones are effective measures for reducing road injuries with no evidence of casualty migration to nearby roads

The wrong equipment

The New York Times reports:

To the dismay of safety advocates already worried about driver distraction, automakers and high-tech companies have found a new place to put sophisticated Internet-connected computers: the front seat.

Technology giants like Intel and Google are turning their attention from the desktop to the dashboard, hoping to bring the power of the PC to the car. They see vast opportunity for profit in working with automakers to create the next generation of irresistible devices.

That's got to be a joke, right?

Slow news day

I'm sick and tired of reading about so-called bike tribes. Just get over it and ride your damn bike. [twitterer]

Weight loss

Confessions of a weight-loss cyclist:

"One morning I looked in the mirror and thought that I had got to do something, so I picked the phone up and got an assessment with my local health trust."

Frank Kinlan has lost 50kg to date, since taking up cycling. What a bloody champion.

Making a point?

Funeral home offers drunk drivers a free burial:

Planning to drink and drive this New Year's? A north Georgia funeral home has a deal for you. Between now and noon Thursday, drivers can visit McGuire, Jennings and Miller Funeral Home in Rome to sign a contract stating they plan to drink or take drugs and then drive on New Year's Eve. If they die in a wreck that day, the funeral home will give them a free burial.

[via How We Drive]

Nutjobs-R-Us

I really love crazies like Kris Holm. What a complete nutjob (e.g. see 2 min 20 sec) but aren't you glad there are people like this is the world? [via wurple.net]

Innovate or die