What’s it like to take up cycling to work when you’ve never done it before? That was the interesting test when my partner Tracey landed a new job at Christchurch Main Hospital and decided that commuting there by bike was …
Category: People riding bikes
Anything about people
Flashback Friday: 2014 Winter Solstice Ride Highlights
It’s been a chilly couple of weeks in Christchurch (and much of the rest of the country apparently); a reminder that winter has arrived. It looks like the cooler temperatures are set to ease off from this weekend , which …
More people than you think in Christchurch are cycling – and a growing number are female…
It’s a regular trope I see often on social media of all stripes – we shouldn’t bother doing much for cycling because it’s only a tiny fraction of the population we’re catering to. This confusion seems to stem from the …
Have your Say: Westburn Reserve Learn-To-Ride Track Renewal
As mentioned the other day, the celebrated Westburn Reserve junior bike park is planned to have a much-needed overhaul of its cycling circuit and associated play equipment and other facilities. Consultation is currently open and you have until Mon …
Flashback Friday: Yes, there are people who cycle in Christchurch – plenty!
This week there has been a little bit of controversy with the claim that cycling numbers in the city had dropped, with the inevitable resulting grumbles about money-wasting from the naysayers. Turned out of course that it was a …
Flashback Friday: How do you make your bike commute more interesting?
With the shift to a new house nearly a year ago, my commute to work changed. However, I don’t always takes the same route to or from there; sometimes due to the traffic at different times, sometimes to get in …
Flashback Friday – Nobody Rides Bikes in Winter! Right?
So I gather that it’s been a bit chilly in Christchurch and surrounds lately. I say “I gather” because meanwhile I’ve been enjoying some slightly warmer temperatures in Rarotonga… (I did try to grab some e-bikes to explore the …
Flashback Friday: First Count Data for New Cycleways
Cycle counts in Christchurch were in the news this week, with some concerns about stalling bike numbers (at least the Press article was somewhat more measured and factful compared with some other misleading dross elsewhere…). We’re lucky to have built …
Flashback Friday: Night-time Cycling
Happy Matariki! As the first occurrence of our newest public holiday comes towards a close, I’ve returned from enjoying some of the fun light displays in town at Tirama Mai – do get along if you haven’t already, before it …
Flashback Friday: Cycling in Amsterdam – does it live up to the hype?
Pay attention to some of the debates that occur in the media comments sections about cycleways and at some point a naysayer is invariably going to say that “[NZ town X] is not like Amsterdam!” Ignoring the fact that a …
Flashback Friday: Another look at Auckland: Shared Paths
Another week, another out-of-town trip limiting my spare hours… This time, the work topic vexing my mind is shared paths (or not shared paths). We’ve touched on the question before and it’s an area of evolving best practice in New …
Flashback Friday: Cycling and making sense of life
Mental health seems to be getting a bigger airing these days, with more and more people realising that we don’t all have good days (or weeks, or months…) and sometimes we need to talk to someone about that or find …
Flashback Friday: Zen and the Art of Cycling
Welcome to Aotearoa Bike Challenge month! Normally about now I’d be telling you about some rides and other bike events coming up that you could take part in, like the previous Nostalgia Bike Gang and Blueberry Rides. But… Omicron… So, …
Flashback Friday – Hidden Treasures: McLeans Forest
I hope that most of you are winding down for the holidays now – having spent the past week shifting into to my new home, I’m certainly looking forward to a rest… The summer break is also a good opportunity …
Who Counts the Counters? Biketober Did!
Who Counts the Counters was a Biketober event held on October 18th 2021. A manual visual count to see check the accuracy of the EcoCounter at Antigua Bridge on the day. The response of the counter was noted by volunteers …
Flashback Friday: Can shared paths work?
This week a notable event in active mode guidance occurred with the launch of Waka Kotahi NZTA’s Pedestrian Network Guidance (PNG). This updates best practice advice (at least 12 years old in most cases) for planning/design for walking in NZ. …
Flashback Friday: Lyttelton Tunnel Walk/Ride in Pictures
With spring here and Biketober just around the corner, expect to see a lot more people out and about on their bikes. But I imagine that nothing will come close the thousands that we saw out in force seven years …
Flashback Friday: Biking and COVID-19 in Christchurch
And so, here we are again… a few Covid cases locally and we have another full-on lockdown to contend with, and all that goes with that. At time of publishing, we don’t know yet whether Christchurch might get an early …
Why cycle count numbers are only half the story
Commentary surrounding both proposed and existing cycleways in Christchurch typically turns its attention to just how many people either currently use or will use a certain cycleway. In amongst those conversations, there are often arguments along these lines:
- Who is
Flashback Friday: Perceived Danger or Actual Danger?
Just the other day I saw another comment on social media by a Chch local stating how cycling in the city is very scary and puts them off. It’s a common enough reaction I see (even more so after the …