"Wolfpack Hustle crashed the LA Marathon by hosting an underground bike
race on the closed marathon course at 4am. A once a year opportunity to
race 26 miles of Los Angeles with no traffic."
WOLFPACK HUSTLE: LA MARATHON CRASH RACE from Warren Kommers on
Vimeo.
Reinventing the chain guard
The ON makes use of the "System Integrated Chain Case Technology", where the chain case is a single sided, fully enclosed, structural part of the bike frame. This result in a maintenance free, clean and efficient drive system with 9 speed internal gears and disc brakes."
Responds tom: "I don't get it, have they never seen an enclosed chain guard? Most bikes in the netherlands have them."
Cycle network = road
Road.cc poll results: readers assert their right to ride on the road:
Chris Peck, policy co-ordinator at national cyclists' organisation CTC, said that the results of the poll reflected the not only the sheer scale of the road network, but also the fact that for cyclists looking to get to a specific destination such as work, it provided the fastest route.
Road to the future
Will the post-oil future be bicycle-free?
Drive your kids to isolation
The little paper reports on a study by the Australian Council for Education Research that found "only one in four now walks to school, leaving many with little idea of the neighbourhood they live in and few connections with their community":
"In contrast, children who travelled to school by car tended to depict abstract, isolated images of their neighbourhood environment with the car and the road as the central theme…traffic lights, road signs, crossings, local schools, office buildings, shopping centres and fast-food outlets. They also drew their own street and a lot of empty blank spaces."
"Of course I take the bike!"
Promoting Cycling Dutch Style [twitterer]
That's gotta hurt
Man and bike become one—not for the squeamish… [twitterer]
Column inches to fill
Stupid claims: Lycra louts a law unto themselves.
Good response: Yet more tiresome crap.
Shots
-
Some rich shots of the Tour of Utah at The Ride Project.
The Yellow River
Dealing with frequent urination problems before a race. [twitterer]
Footwear
Come & Gone
Come & Gone: A true story of blue-collar bike racing in America. Chapter One:
Citizen Foreigner [PDF] [twitterer]
Get around
A to B magazine "specialises in car-free sustainable alternatives of all kinds. The magazine includes independently written articles on folding bikes, electric bikes, trailers, trikes, public transport, solar-power, children's bikes and much more…"
The humble business of bicycling
In Business: Life Cycle—rethinking the humble business of bicycling. [twitterer]
Fold
Urbane cycling
On cycling in the Netherlands. [twitterer]
Weight weenies
I notice that this article on the quest for the world's lightest bike appears in the "Executive Style" section of the Sydney Morning Herald. No further comment…
Get up and boogie
Sitting at work: a health hazard:
There's evidence the typical office worker is sedentary for 75 per cent of their working day. From research conducted over the past decade, it's become clear this sitting affects our body's processing of fats and sugars in ways that increase our risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Catching-up on listening-up
Yarra Bicycle Users Group Radio has recent editions of its 3CR radio show on podcast. Really interesting stuff.
What moves you?
In the lead up to the state election, Metropolitan Transport Forum's project pt4me2 is running a poll:
The pt4me2 peoples' poll is a chance for you to have a say on the improvements you want for public transport. We'll collate ALL your responses and present them to ALL the major parties in May 2010.
Policing priority
In London, why do police target cyclists who jump red lights?:
The main answer, it seems, is public demand.
Police forces are now obliged by central government to tackle issues flagged up by local communities. In the City, this tends to bring complaints about rough sleepers and law-flouting cyclists.
I suppose this is pretty much the case in most cities.
Queensland petition for safe passing
Queensland Parliament E-Petitions: Minimum safe passing distance between cyclists and motorists:
Your petitioners therefore request the House to enact legislation to modify existing regulations requiring that a motorist maintain a minimum safe distance of one metre between their vehicle and a cyclist whilst overtaking. Such a measure will strengthen current laws with respect to cyclists. This proposal, by providing clear boundaries, will better serve the interests of motorists and cyclists alike.
Warning! Concept bikes ahead!
Concept bikes: "hybrid" city bike and "hi-bike". [Thanks tom]
Flavour of the month?
"While the sportive market has undoubtedly boomed and created a huge new activity in cycling, we're spotting some disturbing trends in the format. It's being claimed and controlled by enthusiasts who want to see it grow, but in a way that suits themselves and as such, are unwittingly limiting its potential. Too many sportives have concentrated on appearing bigger, harder and more race-like year-on-year, to appeal to the tastes of those who stage them, and to grab the easy and identifiable market.
"In the process, they risk moving their appeal out of reach of the grass roots leisure market and, we believe, missing out on a boom that could dwarf what is happening at the moment. The parallel we draw is with marathon running in the '80s and '90s. Prior to this period, running a marathon was a byword for a superhuman activity, out of reach of mere mortals. With the launch of the London Marathon and the running craze that followed, a marathon become an inspirational but achievable goal for anyone who wanted to put in the training, whether they had run before or not.
Ride this trail
Great bike trails / places to go cycling worldwide.
Ride this lane (if you can)
Council condemned over 'Britain's shortest cycle lane'. [Thanks tom]
Comments
Thanks for the link to Queensland petition. We've got a similar campaign about to launch here in the UK: http://3feetplease.org.uk - seems like there is global demand for a minimum safe passing distance!