In a relatively short period of time, it seems that a number of people and groups in Christchurch have sprung up to help encourage everyday cycling in some way. This was brought home to me a month or so back …
Category: Cycle-centric ideas
Bright ideas about cycling
Cycling in the Cold
Some of you may be getting ready to brave the elements for the Winter Solstice Ride. Maybe at other times, it’s just about biking to work on a frosty Canterbury morning. Whatever the situation, if you spend long enough …
Should Cycling be allowed in the Botanic Gardens?
The Christchurch Botanic Gardens are the jewel in the crown that is our wonderful Hagley Park. On display there are a huge selection of interesting plants and flowers, both around the grounds and inside the numerous conservatories. When my …
Where should we have lower speed limits?
The City Council is currently undertaking their (usually) biennial review of speed limits around the city and are seeking feedback on them. Most of the proposed changes are located around the periphery of the urban limits, where roads are gradually …
Photo of the Day: Anzac Day Bike Parking
Like many keen souls, I was up fairly early last Monday morning to go and attend the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Cranmer Square. Knowing that car parking would be a nightmare (I saw people walking in from over a …
Isabelle (necessary on a bicycle?)
An interesting initiative is being considered by the Christchurch City Council. Following a deputation to a Community Board by a dog walker, the Council has agreed to to promote and encourage the use of bells on bicycles.…
Photo of the Day: Cycleways and Rubbish Day
Tennyson St is the grand-daddy of separated cycleways in Christchurch; it’s been around for well over a decade. So it pre-dates the introduction of the kerbside wheelie-bin rubbish and recycling scheme a few years back. I love this scheme; it’s …
Cycling in Christchurch 2015 – The Year of Stuff Happening
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Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year. As we head into 2016, it is time once again to reflect on what has been happening cycling-wise here in Christchurch over the past year. And what a year it has been…
As …
Photo of the Day: Xmas Shopping by Bike
‘Tis the season, and everyone is frantically rushing around getting their festive goodies. That tends to mean that traffic and parking get a bit crazy, which duly gets reported in the media (not that it’s really “news” if it happens …
Mythbusting: What a Safe Passing Rule Means
Since the Cycle Safety Panel report came out, there has been a lot of attention focused on one particular recommendation in it – introducing a mandatory minimum lateral clearance distance when passing someone riding a bike. As is often the …
End of Tour: Reflections on Cycling in Europe
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So, two months after I actually returned home, we come to the end of the belated reports on my 3-month study tour of Europe. I finished with a couple of days in Frankfurt, Germany, before flying out, and I’ve …
Safety Improvements on Dyers Pass Road
Discussions are happening with the Spreydon/Heathcote community board about how to improve safety on the section of Dyers Pass Road where it is narrow from Sign of the Takahe up to Sign of the Kiwi and Worsley’s Spur. Suggestions on …
What can Christchurch learn from The Netherlands?
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Having had a month ranging far and wide around The Netherlands (and a month since to reflect), I think I’m starting to see some common trends emerging in terms of what makes the Dutch get on their bikes so much …
Groningen and Zwolle – the best for cycling?
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Cycling in Houten – a triumph in Planning
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When providing for cycling, it’s easy to get hung up on the various design details in how to build best-practice cycling routes. As I showed you in my previous post about Utrecht, the Dutch certainly have many very good …
Hidden Treasures: McLeans Forest
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If you’re looking for a handy recreational riding getaway that doesn’t involve the climbs of the Port Hills and is do-able with the kids, then I suggest that you look at the McLeans Forest Park behind the airport (Bottle …
Thoughts from Velo-City Global 2014 Adelaide #vcg14
Well it’s been a while since my last post, but that’s mainly because I’ve been in Australia this past week. Most of my time was spent in Adelaide for the Velo-City Global 2014 cycling conference, the first time this international …
Can You Ride Two Abreast?
There’s been a lot of correspondence in the media lately about cyclists’ versus motorists’ rights. One item that has been frequently raised is the issue of cyclists riding two (or more) abreast (i.e. side by side), when motorists have been …
Handy Tips: Avoiding Dooring
There has been a flurry of interest just recently with the release of an online map showing where in NZ cyclists have suffered “dooring” crashes, i.e. they have been hit by an opening door of a parked car as they’ve …
Clever Cycling Stuff: Cycle Detectors
We showcase a lot of neat overseas cycling facilities here on this site, but Christchurch has actually developed some pretty world-beating stuff itself over the years. Exhibit #1: cycle detectors at signalised path crossings:
As a cyclist …