Pitfalls, the avoiding thereof (1)

Cyclists slow down to avoid crater-sized ‘hole’…and swerve into the canal. [twitterer]

Pitfalls, the avoiding thereof (2)

Tips and advice on buying used bikes—Peugeot=no go.

Vulnerable

According to the World Health Organization:

The first global assessment of road safety finds that almost half of the estimated 1.27 million people who die in road traffic crashes every year are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. While progress has been made towards protecting people in cars, the needs of these vulnerable groups of road users are not being met.

There’s an impressive big report to explain it all: Global status report on road safety

Incentives?

Dave Hill has tried cyclng in London and finds lacking the incentives to cycle:

Even my instructor, undoubtedly a prudent and peaceable road-user, said that at times you have to “be a warrior” out there. I can’t see that changing much, even if, as some in the cycling community say, motorists in London are becoming more mindful of cyclists’ needs. Most of us, I think, don’t want travelling round our city to involve the risks and adrenalin of battle.

Keep your chin up

Too fatigued to hold up his head, Paul Danhaus’s support crew did an extreme bike modification on the Race Across America—never seen an on-bike chin-rest before! [twitterer]

Semaine Fédérale en Australie

Semaine Fédérale is coming to Australia in January. And where else would you choose to ride in January but Bright?

“Well I can’t do it when I’m dead, can I?”

Good attitude: 85yo eyes off Australian cycling record.

Gotta love folding bikes

• From “No go” to “Well, OK then”.

• Popular Mechanics has just reviewed three folders. [twitter]

Bare head = sackable offence

Royal Mail fires helmetless posties:

A Royal Mail decision to sack three postmen in a week for not wearing helmets has been condemned as ‘draconian’.

He’ll be riding alone now

Having vetoed his state’s safe passing bill, methinks Texas Governor Rick Perry might have trouble finding people willing to go riding with him.

Barking about parking

Parking: How to get your own way [twitterer]

Compare and contrast: Cycle parking ‘needs more funds’

MTB looks like fun

I’m keen to do some MTB, but not until I get a helmet cam—wouldn’t want to miss the highlights.

DIY

• Re-cover an old bike seat

• VeloAce: turn your Palm into a bike computer

Bike lanes

• New Oxford cycle lane really does give you the hump! What were they thinking? [twitterer]

• These might make drivers take bike lanes seriously—and they might also cause some serious bike crashes. [twitterer]

Design

The Kenzo is a belt-drive concept bike that will keep your dacks clean.

Pumgo is “the world’s first pedal-powered scooter”:

After sitting all day in the office or at school, step out on the Pumgo Scooter to stretch and strengthen back and core muscles. Instead of leaning forward as on a bicycle, stand up straight and relieve the pressure on your back while achieving an efficient workout. Relive your youth and have fun outdoors. A cool gadget for the whole family!

Not really my cup o’ thingy but the Pumgo Skateboard—whoa! That’s just bonkers!

TopUp Head Protection “for cyclists and walkers is an exploration of the honeycomb pattern and device a protective gear for the head”. Ah, yeah. That’s a folding bike helmet to you and me. [Sydney Bodyart Ride]

A bit dense

Is bicycling bad for your bones? In a word: no.

most recreational cyclists probably don’t need to worry too much about their bones. “The studies to date have looked primarily at racers,” Smathers says. “That’s a very specialized demographic. These guys train for hours at a very high intensity. They sweat a lot. They never go for runs. They don’t usually do much weight-lifting,” to avoid adding bulk. “They’re strange.”

Who hasn’t done this?

Yehuda Moon amused at his own thoughts.

Cycling is the new gardening

Why gardening is more dangerous than cycling.

(Such a good title for an article—I wish I’d thought of it!)

No cars in Sydney CBD?

Clover Moore moves to ban cars from heart of Sydney CBD.

[Photo: Bike in the barn by chad davis on Flickr]