In a relatively short few years, Christchurch went from having no public bike hire scheme, to a very useful pilot one for a few years and now back to nothing (meanwhile e-scooters have taken over the world apparently…). This article, …
Category: Bikes & equipment
Reviews of bikes, equipment, gear, etc.
Locky Dock stations popping up around town
A few months back we informed you about an exciting new development for bike parking about to happen in Christchurch – “Locky Docks“. Essentially they are free secure bike/scooter parking stations scattered around the central city that also …
Flashback Friday – Handy Tips: Beating the Punctures
Some biking issues never go away; ever since Adam & Eve first rode a Raleigh 20 we’ve all suffered from the occasional flat tyre. So how to minimise punctures, and what to do if you do get one? This blogpost, …
Flashback Friday: Cargo Bike Power
As the “normalisation” of biking happens around Christchurch, we are seeing a lot more practical utility bikes being ridden in favour of the traditional sporting and mountain bike models that were the standard in the past. Another creeping trend is …
E-bike charging and bike locking stations coming to Chch
There was an article in The Press last week announcing the roll-out of a new suite of e-bike charging and locking stations for private bikes. Called “Locky Docks”, these stations allow anyone to securely lock their bike using a …
Flashback Friday: The end of Summer – Time to be Seen
It’s been a few weeks now since daylight savings stopped this year, but I suspect that not so many people have been out biking in the dark lately though. With a switch hopefully to lockdown Level 2 soon, that may …
Guest post: Trishaw wedding
Guest contributor Minnkey gives us a little cycle-related story about her wedding…
Just over 3 years ago, amongst other things, I started thinking about a bit of a unique way to turn up to my own wedding, preferably on some …
Recycled Billboard Panniers
I was very impressed to see Cactus making a range of backpacks out of up-cycled canvas from billboards that would otherwise be sent to landfill. I love panniers and use them every day and really like the idea of having …
Flashback Friday: Some Bike Ideas from Washington DC
In my previous job at Canterbury University, I was lucky to be able to visit many interesting places overseas, and one of my regular haunts (due to its annual transportation conference) was Washington DC – unfortunately always in the …
Photo of the Day: New Central City Bike Parking
It is a truism the world over that there never is enough bike parking (motorists might argue that there is never enough car parking either, but that’s another discussion…). Whether you’re in Amsterdam or Auckland, Copenhagen or Christchurch any …
Flashback Friday: Electric Bikes. Even more reason for good cycling infrastructure
It’s hard to turn anywhere in NZ these days and not see people tootling about on electric (e-)bikes; they have certainly been a growth item (and car-swapping game-changer) for many people over the past few years. Seven years ago, they …
Make Your Own Bike Trailer Workshop 2019
On Saturday 5th October 2019, around 20 people gathered at the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church to construct 14 wooden-framed bike trailer for $50 each. Steven Muir supplied the aluminium towbars, quick release ball-joint hitch, wheel attachments, and a variety of …
Flashback Friday: Public Bikes for Christchurch?
With all the car/bike/scooter sharing schemes available these days (partly thanks to clever apps on our smartphones), it’s hard to remind ourselves that only a few years ago these were all pie-in-the-sky ideas, certainly in NZ. As reported back in …
Make a bike trailer workshop 5th October
Ever wanted to carry a larger than usual load on your bike but couldn’t? A bike trailer increases the range of journeys you can do by bike hugely & on the 5th of October you can make your own for …
Flashback Friday: The banana box challenge
I never get surprised at what Steven Muir manages to carry on his bikes; over the years we have seen all manner of things attempted thanks to his collection of cargo-bikes and trailers. Cast your mind back to July 2012…
Flashback Friday: Snow chains on bikes
Steven Muir has been a regular contributor to “Cycling in Chch” since the start. Many will be familiar with his numerous inventive cycling accessories, a lot of them captured on his cycletrailers.co.nz website. It’s hard to believe now, given that …
Guest Photo of the Day: Theory and Practice of Wheel-Bender Cycle Parking
Jan Jakob Bornheim sent in this interesting photo from his recent travels around town. Jan Jakob says: “I noticed the following when going shopping recently (at the green grocery store at Northlands). Note that there are seven bicycles, but only …
Photo of the Day: the Variety of Bikes (and other things)
Many people in NZ still perceive “bicycles” as only either a mountain-bike of some sort or a sleek road bike. When that is your worldview of bikes, it’s not surprising that you might struggle to comprehend that they could also …
Community Bike Workshop News from Around NZ
I’ve put together some news from community bike workshops around the country – its great to see what is happening all over the country – lots of volunteers doing great work to get more people biking and saving a lot …
Photo of the Day: Wellington Bike Corral
Biking routes around the city are all very well, but at some point you need a place to park your trusty vehicle. Christchurch is proving generally pretty good at rolling out more public bike parking with every new street or …