Vive le Tour, 1962

And here's part 2. [via Research Trailer Park]

Who needs a reason?

Ten things I've learned in six months of commuting by bicycle. [via RocBike.com]

Not wasting my time

Aerobic exercise 'a waste of time':

Millions of people who try to keep fit by jogging, cycling or going to the gym could be wasting their time, a study revealed today.

Well, I guess that depends what they want to get out of it.

"If a patient is not likely to benefit much from aerobic exercise, the physician could turn to other types of exercise or alternative therapies…Alternative types of exercise include anaerobic pursuits such as weightlifting, push-ups and pull-ups.

Yeah-no. I think I'll stick to cycling, thanks all the same.

I would put it first

Apparently 'The Rumour' is the third most beautiful Dutch nude painting. The first two must have been amazing.

Gob-smacked

Gob-smacked is what I am at this:

Tyler Strandberg of Rocky Mount has a hard time getting her mind off her BlackBerry when she drives.

She has crashed three cars in the past three years.

Each time, she was distracted from her driving because she was typing text messages or talking on the phone.

"Sometimes I will zone out and forget I'm driving," said Tyler, 23. "If I'm on the phone talking about something that takes up all my focus, I'm looking straight ahead - but not even seeing what's there."

[via How We Drive, twitterer]

Now if that doesn't frighten the hell out of you, consider the possible outcomes.

Astounded

Likewise, I'm astounded at this one in the Lancashire Telegraph:

A road rage teenage driver repeatedly targeted a cyclist and left him fearing for his life.

Burnley Crown Court heard how unbeknown to Benjamin Harrison, 18, his victim was police inspector Martin Melvin.

Nine times he almost mowed down DI Melvin, aiming for him on the pavement, striking his handle-bars, forcing him off his bike into trees, threatening to kill him and hurling stones and coins at him.

When arrested, he asked "Can I not just apologise?" Yes, you should apologise and then they should ban you from driving for life—you have no business being in control of a motor vehicle. Check out the sentence:

…nine months in jail, suspended for two years, with 12 months supervision and 100 hours unpaid work. He was banned from driving for two years and must pay £750 costs.

[via road.cc]

Prescience

While touring New Zealand, a German cyclist blogged about trucking "beasts" days before she was killed by a truck.

Fritz goes over the hood

I just picked up the report that Yokota Fritz was recently hit by a car—another SMIDSY. Nice face gash, looks like all his teeth are still there—and glad to hear he's otherwise OK.

Roads to justice

Traffic Injustice, Part II, a commentary on bicycling.com. Recommended read of the week.

Saddle saw

NancyBoy advises don't confuse your chamois with your chainsaw.

Long load

Andy's longbike is a tandem turned into a single-seater with a mega pannier rack: "The idea behind this bicycle was to afford myself trailer-like capacities, sans-trailer." [via BikeHacks]

Engage!

Engage with the traffic—good advice, although it just seems like common human courtesy to me (true that's something which is altogether uncommon). [twitterer]

Skid lid

Apparently cheap bike helmets offer the same protection as expensive ones. [via Research Trailer Park]

Hardly a surprising finding, as in most jurisdictions helmets need to comply with minimum standards. But it is interesting that, provided it's properly fitted (and that's the crucial point), an expensive helmet doesn't provide more protection in proportion with its higher price. Expensive helmets do offer better ventilation, lighter weight, and better fitting options. But all else being equal, they probably aren't any "safer".

What energy food?

Mens Health has a Food Face-Off:

Powders, pills, bars, and bottles are convenient, but real food can be as good (or better) for pre-, post-, and mid-workout fuel and hydration.

[twitterer]

Meanwhile, in Utopia…

Cyclists call for 'friendly' roads:

Research findings out today have found most bicycle owners who do not to ride to work have nominated dangerous traffic conditions as the big deterrent.

[twitterer]

And likewise in Vancouver, "if riders don't feel safe, they'll leave bikes at home".

Lanes

While I retain my bike lane agnosticism, it's interesting to have a look at what bike lanes are like in other places.

But then, bike lanes are really just extra parking lanes aren't they?

Analysis

Bicycle Analyzer:

Enter your bicycle's gear values, pedaling cadence and wheel diameter and this program will calculate all your gear ratios and speeds, and analyze the design of your transmission.

Sucker

All you ever wanted to know (and possibly more than you wanted to know) about Chain-Suck.

Ride here (or perhaps not)

The 19 most complex and dangerous roads in the world.

Get out of the car, butterball!

Research has found that the fittest children are those who cycle to school:

In all cases, children who were driven to school had the lowest levels of physical fitness, being less fit than walkers, cyclists and even children who took the bus. Cyclists were also found to be more physically active at other times of day when compared to children using other transport modes.

Sad but true:

Although cyclists and car users were most different in terms of physical fitness, the distances they travelled to school were very similar. Cyclists rode for about 1.5 miles to school, and average car rides were about two miles. Half of these car journeys were less than two miles and 15 percent were less than a mile – both easily walkable or bikeable distances.

To speculate, parents of the the car-riding kids probably argue "but riding is dangerous!" Yeah, right. And type 2 diabetes is a picnic…

What was I thinking?

Back in January 2006:

Comments

Andreas

Really liked the link: Ten things I've learned in six months of commuting by bicycle so I retweeted it to everyone :)