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]

While the current design is still being finalised, at this stage the plan

is to provide a continuous shared use path linking to the following parks

and reserves:

• Mullum Mullum Valley, Ringwood Bypass, Schwerkolt Cottage and Eastland to

• Simpsons Park / Heatherdale Reserve Proclamation Park to

• Koomba Park via Dandenong Creek Trail to Wantirna Reserve on to

• Blind Creek / Llewellyn Park Complex on to

• Nortons Park, Shepherds Bush, Drummies Bridge Reserve to

• Jells Park Trail Network and Chesterfield Farm

• Corhanwarrabul wetlands

• Potentially Carribean Gardens and Corhanwarrabul Creek on to

• Mulgrave Reserve / Dandenong Creek and Tirhatuatan Park through to

• Fotheringham Reserve Trail to Mile Creek and Greaves Reserve via Dandenong Creek trail to

• National Watersports Complex, Patterson Lakes open space, Carrum Foreshore or via Ray Dove Reserve, Edithvale Wetland, Seaford Frankston Foreshore and the Port Phillip Bay Trail Network beyond.

SEITA and the project parties are liaising with councils, Bicycle Victoria and local community groups about the final exact route and design.

The primary shared use path is a 3m wide concrete path, while secondary shared use paths vary in width due to integration with existing paths.

As soon as all design details are finalised, a guide to the new path network will be published and available to the public.”

At least there will be some positives out of yet another massive tollway development in Melbourne!

Should make for some good rides with linkages across the outer eastern suburbs.