A recent accident has meant a few months off cycling for me. As you might expect, it has been enormously frustrating, and dented both my confidence and my mood. It also got me thinking about how important cycling is to …
Category: People riding bikes
Anything about people
Flashback Friday – Guest Post: Just another day on a bike in Christchurch…
It’s well and truly Spring now, and Summer is just around the corner! That’s as good a reason as any to get out on your bike and experience the many different facets of life around Christchurch… Back in Oct 2016…
Flashback Friday: Bike and bus to the airport
Another busy week and that included a day trip up to Wellington last Tuesday. With an early flight there, I fell back on my tried and trusted airport connection of bike+bus there and back home at night. It’s a simple …
Cycling is on the Up in Chch – and even the World is recognising it…
Last week, the Chch City Council released the latest cycle count stats showing that cycling numbers in the city are continuing to climb, up 6% from the same time last year and 30-40% up since 5+ years ago. As the …
Flashback Friday: Do we see each other? Check again
As mentioned the other day, while my partner is really enjoying her new bike commute to work, it’s not without its challenges. At one crossroads intersection nearby, she regularly finds motorists driving across her path (despite her being on …
Confessions of a Newbie Cycle Commuter from Jafa-land
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 …
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 …