Monty Python-ize your bike…
It's called Trotify—and I won't be buying one any time soon…
Brain cycles
I don't know much about science, but I do know that I'm a grumpy bitch when I don't ride.
Er, what?
Police are warning parents to be careful when buying motorised bicycles in the lead-up to Christmas, which makes me wonder why parents are even considering buying their kids motorised bikes.
Meanwhile, in this study in PLOS ONE:
Our strong cross-sectional data supported by longitudinal effects in the same direction support the premise that reduced physical activity may have a greater impact than excessive dietary intake on the development of childhood adiposity in the general community. Strategies involving dietary intake and physical activity designed to target childhood obesity in similar communities might achieve best outcomes by ensuring that physical activity assumes the foremost focus of attention
NIMBY
The Age reports on how a bike track was considered bad for the environment:
The Darebin Creek bike track is at last to be linked to the main Yarra Bike Trail. It has taken 17 years for this 1.8-kilometre stretch of track to gain planning approval and the money to build it. Once it is complete the residents of the northern suburbs drained by the Darebin Creek will have access to the main Yarra bike track and hence to the whole bike network.
I don't know how the advocates of this plan have kept their patience while they jumped through all the planning hoops…I was ready to give up when I read that the scheme was a threat to the environment because three trees were to be cut down on the Yarra bank to make way for a bike bridge… The chief objectors to the bike track were the local residents who had a park at their front door, which few people knew of and they regarded as their own. They suffered a setback when a consultant's report found that their dogs were more threatening to the native wildlife in the billabong than bikes.
Commuting
More cyclists? That depends on where you live:
A new report released by the Prevention Research Collaboration of the University of Sydney examined journey to work data for Sydney from the 2001, 2006 and 2011 Census.
It shows that while the proportion of people cycling to work in inner Sydney has increased markedly since 2006, the proportion cycling to work in outer Greater Sydney has gone down consistently since 2001.
Overall, cycling to work has increased marginally but remains low at around 1% of all journeys to work.
Security Theatre
Carlton Reid observes: no doubt motorists who park in rail stations are asked to remove all boot space.
Recommended reading
As usual, Dave Moulton nails it: Freedom and People Killing People
For the person hit by a stray bullet, the police will put all their resources into finding the person responsible and bring them to justice. Family and loved ones will have some kind of closure.
For family of the person run down by the car, there will be no such closure. There will most likely be no serious consequences for the person responsible. It will be labeled just an unfortunate “Accident.”
And also, this Open Letter to The British Judicial System:
I therefore ask you to do one thing that cyclists often ask of themselves: Man the fuck up. Start addressing this cancer of dangerous driving – and let’s make no mistake, legalese aside, carelessness is dangerous when you’re in charge of a ton or more of metal – and then let’s see where we are.
In Australia we call it the "road toll"…
Traffic deaths are down, but pedestrian and cyclist deaths are up
Fewer people are dying in car accidents in the U.S. (except in California, where it’s been raining lately and people have been very confused). Traffic deaths fell 1.9 percent in 2011, hitting their lowest level since 1949.
That’s great news for drivers, who haven’t been getting a lot of good news in their driver-lives lately. Here’s the bad news: Drivers are killing the rest of us.
Green bike lane
VicRoads considers bike lane trial:
A broad green stripe is being considered for a trial by VicRoads in a bid to stop the growing number of cyclists being injured or killed by car doors.
SMIDSY
SMIDSY would still happen, even if you rode like this…
Fat tyre
Why Sandman from Martín Campoy on Vimeo.
Limited places in the Real Bicyclists Club
I can't believe it's taken me so long to find these 5 reasons riding a bike is the most humiliating exercise:
Well, I started riding to get in shape recently and learned that there's a big difference between bike riding and serious bike riding. Doing all the things "right" according to the pros seems at times like a terrible initiation prank designed to kill or embarrass new riders. I can only conclude that there are a limited number of slots in the Real Bicyclists Club and they are dedicated to keeping applicants out by making them deal with things like this...
Vale Metcard
Let's take a moment to record the passing of the Melbourne Metcard, a reliable, efficient and easy-to-use ticket scheme that's been replaced by the dog's breakfast that is myki. Supposedly a smartcard system, myki has come to be a byword for supremely fucking up beyond belief.
Good luck, Melbourne public transport travellers. I'll be sticking with my bike.
Resolution
Something to think about when making your New Year's resolutions: let us be bicyclists.