As spring kicks in, and a few more new cycleways appear, more people might be thinking about getting into cycling around Christchurch. That’s great to see (especially with Biketober just around the corner too) but for some newbies, there might …
Author: LennyBoy
Would you like to help during Biketober?
It’s now less than two weeks before Biketober 2018 hits Christchurch. The award-winning efforts from last year might have seemed hard to top, but already the programme is looking at least as big and definitely just as varied. And this …
National Land Transport Programme has a bumper crop of cycleways
Every three years, the NZ Transport Agency prepares a National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) that summarises what is going to be spent by the Government and local councils on roads, pathways, public transport, etc. 2018 was the year for a …
Hidden Treasures: Knights Stream cycle skills park
Many families with young children have enjoyed developing their bike skills at Westburn Park in Burnside, where a playground mimicking a street network is available for kids to ride on. Now there is a second option in Christchurch for those …
First look: Quarrymans Trail
As mentioned recently, the first section of the Quarryman’s Trail, from town to Hoon Hay (4.5km), is now completely open. So it’s time to provide a preview of what to encounter (we’ll look at it heading towards town – …
Biking Activities for September 2018 – and Biketober!
The weather in the last day or so may not have felt like it, but spring has technically returned, with the promise of warmer temperatures and longer days. So there’s even more reason now to get out and about on …
Cycleway and speed consultations underway
There’s a couple of current consultations by the City Council that are worth having a look at, as they have impacts on people cycling:
(1) Firstly, the central city 30km/h zone is planned to be extended south to take in …
Biking in a rebuilding city – a chance to compare notes
One of the things that can be frustrating is when street works being built (or indeed finished) don’t seem to properly consider the perspective of those riding along or across them. There are means and ways of letting people know…
Giving cyclists options
With the recent opening of the next stage of the Rapanui – Shag Rock cycleway along Linwood Ave, a regular grumble heard on social media was how riders weren’t using the new central median facility, preferring instead the existing on-road …
New northern cycleway to Waimakariri coming
An exciting new development for cycling is about to start construction along the Christchurch Northern Motorway corridor. From the end of August, work will begin to construct additional lanes on the Waimakariri River motorway bridge. As well as two extra …
Photo of the Day: Quarryman’s Trail final link open
We previously showed you progress on other bits of the Quarryman’s Trail cycleway from town out towards Halswell. A lot of it has actually been complete for a while, particularly the first section along Antigua and Strickland Streets, which is …
Stay wider of the rider – sign the petition
We’ve discussed in the past the potential for a rule specifying a minimum space for motorists when passing a bike rider (and all the myths surrounding such a law…). Now it looks more likely that the new Government may …
Christchurch wins big at 2018 Bike to the Future awards
As foreshadowed a couple of weeks back, Christchurch featured a number of nominations in this year’s Bike to the Future Awards, organised by the NZ Transport Agency and Cycling Action Network. At last Tuesday’s 2WALKandCYCLE Conference dinner the …
Biking Activities for August 2018
Time for another round-up of what’s happening bike-wise in the coming month. As always, keep an eye on our Events and Activities calendar for any updates to the programme of events (and because I was a bit slack, I’ve already …
Christchurch finalists for 2018 Bike Awards
Next week sees the biennial 2WALKandCYCLE national conference come to Palmerston North; I’ll be there along with a couple hundred other delegates from around NZ and elsewhere. One of the highlights of the three days will be the presentation of …
Photo of the Day: The fuss about Island Bay
We’re not immune to a little controversy about cycleways in Christchurch, whether it’s their cost, their impact on parking, or the eternal cry of “what about St Asaph St?” But I’d say that we have got nothing on the Island …
First Look: Rapanui – Shag Rock Stage 2
For once, a cycleway opening in Christchurch was heralded by a lovely fine day (is the curse broken?). A good crowd descended on Linwood Park on Friday to celebrate the official opening of the next section of the Rapanui …
Carrying stuff by bike
Apparently you can’t carry a refrigerator on your bicycle. I’ve seen one or two examples where that has actually been done, but I must admit I probably won’t be doing it anytime soon (nor for that matter bringing it home …
Biking Activities for July 2018
You know that winter has arrived when the cycling numbers drop away with the cold and the rain. The numbers riding are still a lot more than many people seem to realise (check out the SmartView stats) but it’s perhaps …