This little fella is better than a bike lock—he nearly took my arm off when we went to pat him!

Plane vs bike

Bicycles beat commercial airliner—was there ever any doubt?

Get a fix

Bike Fixtation

Bicycles are incredible tools for transportation and recreation. And of course, they’re a blast to ride. But sometimes you get a flat tire, forget to bring a snack (beware of the bonk!), or need to make a minor adjustment. That’s where Bike Fixtation comes in.

Bike Fixtation offers self-service kiosks on an extended-hours basis for bicyclists in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. You can buy a tube or patch kit, pump up your tires for free, and make simple adjustments using supplied tools.

[Thanks tom]

Urban planning and design

Can bicycle networks create socially sustainable cities?

Can bicycle infrastructure increase the rate of cycling enough to reduce obesity and the costs of health care? Will people develop a new sense of place in their cities, discovering areas they never knew, and spend money in local businesses in the process? And will bicycle infrastructure encourage a new audience to use a bicycle (a vehicle which, despite its affordability, is still mostly used by those with a higher income, and avoided by ethnic minorities)?

[twitterer]

More on the same sort of thing:

• How to Plan Good Cities for Bicycling [twitterer]
• This pretense of neutrality[twitterer]
• Mia Birk’s TED Talk on pedaling towards a healthier planet [twitterer]

DIY

• Bike seat cover tutorial
• Bicycle Hoist or “How to get the wife’s bike out of my way”

Getting a woody

Custom hand-built bike [twitterer]

Advice

• Cyclist’s guide to safe driving, recommended by @exframebuilder “One of the best pieces I’ve read on the subject”.
• The Ten Golden Rules To Becoming A Better Cyclist

Moths

Should You Flash Motorists? The Moth Effect and The Bicycle:

Should the rear light blink or remain steady?

The debate arises from something dubbed the “moth effect.” Studies considering when emergency vehicles should and should not utilize flashing lights at a crash scene have sometimes demonstrated this effect. Like a moth to a flickering flame, a human being behind the wheel will be attracted to a light blinking in the darkness. The implication is that blinking lights on vehicles, and on the back of bicycles, may be more dangerous than steady lights.

My rule: flash and static, front and back.

(And as an aside, I’m astonished that any jurisdiction would allow any vehicle on the road at night without it’s own lighting. See my previous thoughts and observations on rear visibility)

Touring

• She packs it and she leaves it: disposible biking wardrobe.
• Biking adventure takes Israeli around the world
• Life is a wheel: the story of the bike
• Bikamper Tent: “fits nicely on your bike and protects both you and the bike from the outdoor elements.” [Thanks tom]

Getting it backwards

Our backwards approach to road safety

Similarly, when a plane crashes, they don’t decide to hand out parachutes to all passengers on similar planes just in case people need to jump if something goes wrong mid-flight. They get to the source of the problem and prevent it from happening (by implementing a change to the mechanics or inspection processes for airplanes).

[twitterer]

Meanwhile @CycleAdagio wonders if the author of this Letter to Australian Cyclist thinks that “removing the Dutch & Danes from the gene pool would be a good thing”.

Bike share

@CycleAdagio also on a related topic:

What disappoints me so much about the current plight of the Melbourne & Brisbane bike share schemes is the resigned shrugging of the shoulders from our so-called state cycling advocates…

Video

• dirt spineology: white knuckle viewing [twitterer]
• Victoria’s Secret [SIGH]
• Alas, it’s yet another cute video of a dog on a bicycle
• Angry bike guy [twitterer]
• Vanoise Express by Bike—but why? [twitterer]
• Mountain bike skills holiday in Spain
• Unicyclists in Edinburgh or “Nutters R Us”
• No tom, I don’t care how good he is I ain’t doing that: Cirque Eloize Bicyclist

Tour de France insights: crashes

Brooks blog on why are there so many crashes in this year’s Tour?

Absence of Hoxton Basket on Front of Most of the Bikes- The Hoxton conveys a subliminal message to those around it. “Hey. Slow down. Don’t overtake me. Give me some space here. Thank you!” We’re already discussing plans with several teams for 2012.

Tour de France insights: amateur racers

Recommended read of the week is winning with style and honour:

At the amateur level, however, in the racing that you and I partake in on the weekend or during the week, there are no monetary or professional factors at play…Cycling is both beautiful and brutal and we have an obligation to emphasize the former. As such, the burden of fair play and riding like a gentleman is much higher. As such, we would be wise not to follow many of the examples of our professional heroes. We would do well to adopt their style and sang-froid, but not their refrain of ruthless riding.

[via gusk]

Reminded me of Elizabeth Coxhead’s quote:

A sport is advanced by the handful of people who do it brilliantly, but it is kept sweet and sane by the great numbers of the mediocre, who do it for fun.

Tour de France insights: science

The science of elite cycling: Tour de France stages 1 to 11 and stages 12 to 21.

Tour de France insights: food

Masterchef meets TdF: feeding riders on the Tour de France. [twitterer]

Or if you want it graphically, how much does a Tour de France cyclist eat in a day?

Or straight from @andy_schleck: our cook put together what each rider in our team eats a day during a day in the TDF .

To your health

OregonLive.com: Cars versus bikes: why medics are choosing to pedal:

There’s pretty good evidence that switching from car to bicycle transport produces a net health benefit for the individual – and society.

[twitterer]

Gadgets

• With the Mopha Tool Roll you can carry your bike tools just like how professional chefs keep their knives in a roll-up then lay them out when it’s time to go to town on a whole pig. [Thanks tom]
• Cycling apps for the Android
• Cycle EXIF has found “how to transport the pushies on the back of my moto”.

Hub-bub

• Aerospace Hub for bicycles aims to give bearings a break [Thanks tom]
• The NuVinci Shifting Experience: no gears!?

Commute

Your bike commute stories—the good, the bad, and the opossum:

My best commute: Portland, Ore. Surprise snowstorm at 3 p.m. Worst traffic snarl I have ever seen. I left work at 5:30. That night, it took people up to eight hours to get home. Buses were caught off guard without chains and were stuck behind abandoned automobiles.

It took me one hour.

[twitterer]

Warning! Concept bikes ahead!

• Audi Electric Bike Concept takes brand’s eco campaign one step ahead [Thanks tom]
• Vanhulsteijn Cyclone Bicycle Defies Gravity [Thanks tom]
• 4H – A four person unicycle for individual and collective experience [Thanks tom]

The best job in the world?

Calling all cyclists – Growler delivery riders wanted in St Kilda—what work could be more satisfying?

[twitterer]

A man takes a ride with his best friend

Bike share done right

Streetfilms presents The Biggest, Baddest Bike-Share in the World: Hangzhou China.

A good problem to have

Amsterdam’s Unique Problem: A city with too many bicycles [twitterer]

Fuel for randonneurs?

While investigating possible uses for a batch of marshmallow that didn’t quite work out, I discovered the Flutternutter Sandwich “a calorie-laden sandwich made with two slices of bread layered with peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff, and sometimes along with the occasional banana”. My first reaction was to hold back the almost overwhelming urge to retch, but on second thoughts I began to wonder if this might become the new fuel of choice of the weary randonneur. Then I saw some actual pictures and my doubts returned.

Hello sailor!

@KarlOnSea thought he’d seen it all. Now he probably has.

‘ello ‘ello ‘ello

Carlton Reid reports on BikeBiz that “Zealous cops in London don’t know their transport law as they prevent woman carting her two kids on a cargobike”.

Meanwhile, ‪caseyneistat‬‏ gets booked for not riding in the bike lane, then proceeds to demonstrate why it’s often not safe to ride in the bike lane. [via Biking in Heels]

The Cannibal

Videos of Eddy Merckx in action.

All the answers

Some answers to just about any bike forum post I’ve ever read. Read of the week.

Consider this

Carlton Reid on travel time considerations by car or by bike.

Danger?

I looked at the The Seven Most Treacherous Paths In The World and thought, “Gee, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway looks like it would be a cool ride!”
[twitterer]

The numbers

From ‘The Vancouver Observer’: More bikers means fewer accidents.

Gear you need

How to get a pizza home on a bike.

Butt ugly

Securing bikes and other very portable but expensive stuff: is the answer to uglify?

DIY

• Bicycle Generator and USB Device Charger
• What the hell is sugru?
• Possibly the most complicated guide to making your own panniers [PDF]
• Helmet mounted LED light? – having it my way!
• Build a bicycle trailer and another approach

Want

Bike Light by Fraser Mort. OK, now I want one of these. [Thanks tom]

Explosion

@_rogers: Brilliant photo of an exploded Mercian bike (pre-assembly).

Small wheels

Another Brompton review: the M2L. Oooh, look a review of the Moulton TSR2 as well. However will I choose?

Bloggage

• Lovely Bicycle!
• Biking in Heels
• A Girl and Her Bike

First person view of a mountain bike race in urban Chile from u.mass2001 on Vimeo.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam traffic 1900-1930: “Cycling videographer Mark Wagenbuur has released another doozy. His video shows traffic in early 20th century Amsterdam, with — you guessed it — a focus on bicycles.” [thanks tom]

Behind

downtownfrombehind=shots of New Yorkers riding around their town, taken from behind. Why from behind? Presumably because cyclists have such cute arses. [via LikeCool.com, thanks tom]

Sign o’ the times

Bicycles as shop signs [thanks tom]

Low Flying

The StreetFlyer is apparently like hang-gliding on three-wheels. It looks like a whole heap of fun, but I cant’t see myself riding to work on that. Apart from anything else, where the hell would I park it?

While we’re getting prone, check out the EX tricycle—another beastie that looks like heaps of fun. [via DVICE, thanks tom]

Gadgets

• Pinch Stand “is formed by wood lamination …take advantage of the natural spring available from this fabrication process, the two halves of Pinch use the weight of your bicycle to firmly lock the rear wheel into place”. Clever. [via LikeCool.com, thanks tom]
• I don’t quite see the point of The Airspresso , which uses a bike pump to make espresso. Surely stopping at a cafe is easier?
• How very Dutch: DryBike Umbrella Holder [twitterer]
• PIT desk design, because I can’t get enough saddle time.
• Six-Pack Frame Cinch [thanks woowoowoo and tom]
• StemCAPtain [thanks tom]

Not in my front yard

Wall Street Journal reports that residents of a Chicago suburb are (I kid you not) opposing the installation of sidewalks:

Claude Pagacz, a retired carpenter and longtime resident, successfully opposed sidewalks on his side of the street. “What concrete adds to the value of my house,” he says, “I have no idea.”

I’d have thought it adds considerably by connecting to the strip of concrete in front of his neighbours’ houses and so on down the street. [twitterer]

Helpful tip from the police

Get your bicycles off the open road. Gee, thanks for the advice.

Better advice

How to get your bike stolen.

Hacks

• Military-style Sidecar, complete with ammo case fender.
• DYI SUV [twitterer]

Running the numbers

More bicycles than cars will cross central London’s bridges every morning peak

What I missed this morning

• Photo of the Day by Dan Barham: Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. <SIGH>
• Tom Robertson’s cycling portfolio

NYC bike lane stoush

I really don’t want to talk about it, but here are some links:

• New York Times: Suit Over Brooklyn Bike Lane Challenges City Initiative
• Matt Seaton: How one New York bike lane could affect the future of cycling worldwide
• John Cassidy: Battle of the Bike Lanes
• Felix Salmon: John Cassidy vs bipeds
• The Economist: The world is his parking spot
• John Cassidy comes back for more and then comes back again
• Felix Salmon has another go at John Cassidy
• Bike Snob NYC: Hold Your Lane: Rough Crossings and Triple Rushes
• Grist: New York’s bike lanes are ‘homegrown terrorism,’ say red-faced opponents
• Dave Moulton: Signs we are winning

Neologism

The whole New York City brouhaha could be a case of bikelash.

War?

• David Suzuki asks If there is a war on cars, which side is winning?
• Why Do Drivers Hate Cyclists?
• Do drivers really hate us?
• 10 reasons why they honk at us

Designing roads with bikes in mind

• National Association of City Transportation Officials: Urban Bikeway Design Guide
• Austroads: Cycling Aspects of Austroads Guides

Getting it together

A report from NZ Transport Agency says “The integration of cycling and public transport (cycle-PT) can provide additional transport modal choice and flexibility in the use of existing public transport and also increase cycling trips and transit patronage”.

Slo-ow do-own

• George Monbiot: Here’s what we could gain by reducing the speed limit.
• Psychological Science that “children may not be able to detect vehicles approaching at speeds in excess of 20 mph”. [twitterer]

Won’t someone think of the children?

BBC News reports:

Children are campaigning for drivers to slow down, as a survey suggests almost one in eight of Welsh nine to 13-year-olds have been hit by vehicles.

Wow, those are pretty shitty odds, if you ask me. [twitterer]

R2S

Letting kids ride to school doesn’t make you a bad parent. Funny, I never thought it did… [twitterer]

Moreover, University of Melbourne urban planning expert Carolyn Whitzman reckons that “for children, independent mobility is not only vital to physical and emotional development. Being able to walk or cycle to school, friends’ houses, parks and shops without an adult is crucial to a sense of citizenship”.

And there’s still hope! [twitterer]

Important cargo

Carrying children on bikes [twitterer]

Bike lane, not riding in

magnatom argues that “Those who haven’t cycled before on urban roads…don’t understand why a cyclist might take the middle of the lane, might get annoyed at a car passing within a foot, or might filter to the front of the queue.”

Those were the days

Quickrelease.tv: “Tyneside, 1951: when a bicycle tunnel was built before a car tunnel”.

THE list

Without a doubt @londoncyclist produces the definitive list of top cycling blogs.

Bike pr0n

• The beauty of the bicycle
• Cyclepedia – new book showcases fantastic private bike collection
• Iconic bicycle designs through the ages
• Van Hulsteijn Bicycles [twitterer]

Recumbent-mania

Check out the video on the British Pedal Car Grand Prix—never before have recumbents had such crowds cheering them on.

Bikenomics

Elly Blue on Tearing down urban freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy.

Fuel

BikeRadar asks: Do Cycling And Vegetarianism Mix?

Did someone mention Oppy T-shirts?

@gusk observes “Wow, and who knew they named a derailleur after sir Hubert Opperman” Cyclo Oppy derailleur

Incentive

If my gym had one of these, I would be in a whole lot better shape. [via woowoowoo]

Stylish

Cycling Jerseys Meet British Tailoring. Yeah, no.

Old age?

• At 103, he’s a three-wheeled wonder
• Keen to ride at 91 [via road.cc]

Glamp-down on cyclosportives

Cyclosportives are the glamping of amateur cycling – but there is an alternative:

…paying attention to your surroundings and direction are important skills when riding CTC and audax rides, though not always needed as you can usually sit in with a group of other riders who know the way. And if you get lost, at least you get lost together. By contrast, the fluorescent arrows that indicate every turn on the route of the cyclosportive infantalise the experience of long distance riding in the open country.

Taste crap and rot your teeth

ABC news reports that “Sports drinks are increasingly damaging the teeth of professional and recreational athletes, one of Australia’s top sports dentists has warned.”

As for so-called ‘health’ drinks, “They’re big business, but not all consumers seem to be aware that some contain more sugar than a bottle of coke”.

Touring

• Forget planes and cars: beginner’s guide to travelling by bike – travel tips and articles – Lonely Planet
• The Bicycle Traveler’s Blueprint: What Every Bicycle Traveler Needs To Know…
• The World’s 10 Best Bike Tours?
• End of an epic family bike ride from Alaska to Argentina
• 10 Tips for Cycling Iran

Fitter

Bike Fit – Is It Worth It?

Practical

The Moulton TSR2: It’s fun, it’s orange, it goes like the clappers.

Skid lids

Prof Chris Rissel on ditching bike helmets laws better for health.

Reading

• kimbofo reviews ‘The Rider’ by Tim Krabbé: “If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to be stuck in a peloton, or climbing ever so slowly up a massive mountain, or leading the sprint on a bike, then The Rider will let you experience it. And the best bit? Your heart will race, but you won’t even have to crack a sweat.”
• The Green Bicycle Murder [twitterer]

Bamboo

Ajiro – “Naturally grown urban personal mobility” (or bamboo recumbent, to you and me).

Public service

No one can steal it, everyone can use it. Bike pump! [thanks woowoowoo]

Healthy

Article in Environmental Health Perspectives: Do the Health Benefits of Cycling Outweigh the Risks?

Conclusions: On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport.

Essential

Of course, the car is essential [twitterer]

Or perhaps not.

Print it

Scientists At EADS Make It Possible To Own A Custom-made Printable Bike [thanks tom]

Weather (or not)

There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing…—advice directed at racers, but applicable to anyone who wants to keep riding all year round.

Bike share as public transport?

James May is concerned about bike share:

…being yoked to the rack system, the bicycle, this ultimate symbol of mobility and freedom for the masses, effectively becomes public transport: it doesn’t leave from precisely where you are and doesn’t arrive at exactly where you want to be. Unless you work as a bicycle rack attendant, the very point of the bicycle is somewhat defeated.

[twitterer]

Cheapskate

Speaking of bike share, I’m off to get me one of those $5 helmets—bright blue and with a big “Melbourne” banner down the side. Ace! Likely to be cool in an ironic way for about 5 minutes.

DIY

• DIY Recumbent Trike—no welds required! [via Lifehacker Australia, twitterer]
• How-to make a cycling cap.
• Knit your own bike helmet earmuffs.
• ADV Bike Holder
• Brooks saddle “anti-splaying” modification [twitterer]

Stamp stamp

Stamp Collecting: brevet stamps as mementos of past rides. We don’t seem to have the tradition for brevet stamps in Australia, which is a bit of a pity really.

Garmin-envy

Garmin Edge 800 In Depth First Look Review Want. Now. [twitterer]

Roll out the Astroturf

Roadjustice.ca, for poor beleagured motorists.

Gadgets & Gear

• Pop-up bicycle basket
• Looxcie wearable camcorder [via Incredible Things, thanks woowoowoo]
• SPD urban sneakers—kind of an exercise in keeping your urban street cred, while not keeping your urban street cred…

Don’t give ‘em ideas

Airbag helmet? [twitterer]

Design

• Saul Griffith’s Onya Cycles!—might even make trikes cool. [Thanks tom]
• Bicycle Chains Get an Oil-Free Update
• Write a Bike—I think Mahthilde looks like my speed. [Thanks tom]

Recycling

A truly re-cycled fence.

Component dating

Date of manufacture of bicycle components can be used to date a bike.

The crime of female cycling

Iranian Police Chief Targets Women Cyclists, Roller-Skaters [via Wend Blog]

Tribal

Are you in any of the bike snob’s cycling tribes?

I haven’t got a damn clue what they’re on about, but they’re having fun on bikes… [via Sydney Cycle Chic]

Get utility bike

Melbourne City Bicycle Rider wants to know:

Why do most people ride bicycles based on sport bicycles? City Cyclist is doing a survey of all the City bike shops to see if any are selling comfortable, practical utility bicycles, like the Allegro W2, Velorbis, Schwinn, Electra etc etc.

See also: Upright is right, says Strida designer, the article that appears to have prompted the above question.

Bikes are sexy

…we like their riders too!

Fest

From the people who brought you the Melbourne Bicycle Film Festival: Melbourne Bikefest, “Celebrating bikes in everyday life”.

Roads infrastructure or gravy train?

Victorian infrastructure under developed

Chics

• Timeless Cycle Chic
• Bike Culture Meets Fashion Culture on Runway in NYC
• Bike Chic: Cycling Gets Stylish [twitterer]

What’s better than bike accessories?

More accessories! [twitterer]

Cycle-friendly City

Here’s how Melbourne treats one of its primary bicycle commuter routes on a work day. Bike-friendly, huh?

The safety and security of a recumbent

Recumbents—with their low centre of gravity and long wheel-base—they’re pretty safe aren’t they?

Inspiration

My 120 pound journey—Ben Does Life. [twitterer]

Boris

Invasion of the Boris Bikes [Thanks tom]

Bike repair? There’s an app for that.

Repair your bike using your iPhone

I don’t know much about art…

…but there’s something I rather like about Natalia Goncharova’s The Cyclist.

Bloggage

• Fakengers Using Courier Creditz In Traffic
• Lock Your Bike (Come on Karl, time for another update here!)

No big deal

vaguelyspecific says everyday cycling “just isn’t all that exciting”—she’s right, of course. It’s really rather…everyday.

DIY

• Shellac & twine makes handlebar fine
• A dial-gauge bicycle wheel building stand for $100
• Xtends – convert your bike into a long cargo bike—can you say “Xtracycle”?

Accident and injury

Cyclists face increased injury risk and recent bike accidents show need for stronger laws protecting cyclists. And yet, this has been a record decade for road safety.

And while we’re on the subject, UBC lab aims to design better traffic systems, reduce accidents.

Safe passing, by law

SaferCyclingAustralia:

The aim for us is to get a minimum safe passing distance when being overtaken by motorists…Motorists already have the ability to overtake by one metre or more depending on the road, but research over the last ten years shows that many drivers openly admit to refusing to allow cyclists enough room when passing. This is concerning when you consider that safety is a prime concern for existing and potential cyclists.

Low-key

The Man In The Golden Cape—way to get noticed in traffic.

Design

• Bike as furniture [Thanks tom]
• 15 Amazing Bicycles For the Future of Seoul
• Horsey Bike [Thanks tom]
• The Zambulance, a bike-trailer ambulance. [Thanks tom]

Read

The Hammer and Cycle Messenger Service: Chapter 1.

“What you gain is not worth what you lose.”

Australia’s arts and culture scene is in the grip of a bike helmet problem—bike helmet laws as a model of governmental over-regulation.