Greetings from Washington DC! I’m attending the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting here this week. Actually, “meeting” is a bit of a misnomer; TRB is easily the largest transportation conference in the world, with over 11,000 delegates attending and …
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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 approaching a signalised …
Handy Tips: Sharing those Pathways
With summer upon us, many people will be out and about to enjoy the various off-road recreational facilities around the city. Places like Hagley Park, the Railway Cycleway and Bottle Lake Forest are always popular, and the Council has …
National’s Transport Dystopia
Gerry Brownlee and National’s quake recovery plan for central city transportation would almost have been visionary in 1980. It relies on fossil fuel and caters to think big projects which will impoverish and fail ratepayers.
Christchurch City Council’s Share an …
Cycling Wishes for 2013
Happy New Year everyone! I hope your celebrations have gone well. As we roll over a new calendar it is timely to review what has happened for cycling in Christchurch over the past year and what might come in the …
Book Review: Easy Rider – A Kiwi’s Guide to Cycling
by Jon Bridges (203pp., Penguin Books, Auckland, RRP $40)
If you have Xmas book vouchers burning a hole in your pocket, here is one new book that you might like to get a hold of.
Jon Bridges has been …
Hidden Treasures: Westburn Reserve Bike Park
Merry Christmas! I hope Santa got you the bike-friendly gift you were after. If Junior has got a new bike they’re probably raring to try it out somewhere. There are various parks and tracks around Christchurch where they can have …
Auckland’s getting separated bikeways too…
As we head into Christmas with the knowledge that the City Council will be installing separated cycleways along Ilam Road in the New Year, it seems we’re not the only place in New Zealand to be looking at this type …
Meerkat Apprehensions and Funny Thoughts
After that Soft Brush with the Law recently, I have had little Meerkat Qualms about riding sans helmet. Meerkats scare easily and after only two sleeps, I was a little bundle of apprehension.
So imagine my chagrin when I hopped …
The Cycle Path to Happiness
An article by Simon Usborne, published in The Independent
Tuesday 18 December 2012
Scientists are confirming what most cyclists instinctively know – that riding a bike has extraordinary effects on our brain chemistry
Discover how the latest research is revealing
Summer Solstice pimp-my-ride
I’m really looking forward to the summer solstice ride around Hagley Park this Friday. For one thing, this time I’ll be able to see where I’m going; I couldn’t see a thing on the Winter Solstice ride! So many …
Undrivers licence
Here’s an interesting idea – undrivers.org in Seattle issue people with Undriver licences at festivals to encourage people to reduce their car use – an extract below from an interview with founder Julia Field…
“Undriving started in 2007. I was …
100 Blog Posts: What should the next 100 cover?
On the 12th of May this year, the Cycling in Christchurch website was launched. Hard to believe that just on seven months later we have come to the 100th blog post of Cycling in Christchurch. That’s roughly one post …
Book Review: Everyday Cycling in Aotearoa New Zealand
by Alastair Smith (185pp., Awa Press, Wellington, RRP $35)
Here’s something that might be handy as a Xmas stocking-filler!
Over the years I have collected a variety of books on cycling for transport and urban cycle commuting. Invariably they …
Shopping by bike trial
A very interesting article I saw in the CAN enews (link here) about a trial to get people doing their shopping by bike. Various incentives were offered to convince people to make shopping trips by bike and they mostly enjoyed …
Threeseater Bicycle riding opportunity 15th December
Meerkats can spot some fun things because we sit up nice and straight; here’s one for Saturday 15th December. Check out this one here.
This Saturday the 15th is the last leg, and they wanted to do something special …
Safety: Who Ya Gonna Call…?
OK, so you’ve had a crash while out riding, whether with a car or some other hazard. Or maybe it was just a near-miss but it’s not the first time you’ve had problems at that site. Or perhaps some idiot …
An Awesome Bike Rack from an Awesome Team
You may recall that the wonderful folks at the Ministry of Awesome held a bike rack design competition. After many entries, short-listing, and public voting, a winner was found in Jonathan Hall’s koru-inspired design. And just the other night …
Santa parade and the longest sleigh
Spokes and Frocks on Bikes organised a cycling float for the Santa parade Sunday which was great fun. I managed to set the record for my longest ever pedal powered vehicle at just over nine metres, breaking my record from …
Hidden Treasures: Kendal School Bike Track
Tucked away in northwest Christchurch is a unique cycle facility that could be the model for others in the city. Kendal School, a small primary school in Burnside, has constructed a 600m cycle track around its periphery. This provides its …