bicycle

NEW YORK — Bicycle lanes, cycling lessons for adults, and soon 10,000 bikes in a sharing program: New York is pedaling hard to join the world's growing love affair with the bicycle.

The number of New Yorkers taking the two-wheeled option to commute has doubled in the last five years, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office. They are still a relatively rare sight as they zigzag between the yellow cabs and heavy traffic pouring through Manhattan each rush hour.

They wore silver racing shoes and black leather boots, sneakers and ballet flats, but all of them were there for one purpose: to ride. Several dozen bike lovers took to the streets Saturday morning on a tour of Salt Lake City’s newest bike lanes and innovations as city officials showed off their latest progress.

The humble bicycle, for decades the workhorse of the Communist proletariat, is this year's surprise fashion accessory in China.

There is a rather unlikely new vogue word in cycling circles: ambassador.

I'm trying to get the images of the Ferrero Rocher ad out of my head (the euro-kitsch classic in which those almost inedible bonbons are handed round by flunkies at an embassy party: "Monsieur, with these Rocher, you're really spoiling us"), because actually the cycling ambassadorial role is a fine and noble one.

NEW YORK, NY (BRAIN)—The number of commuter bike riders in New York City increased 14 percent compared to last spring, according to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who has been the subject of vitriol for her strong advocacy of bike lanes and other cycling amenities in the nation's most populous city.

DAMIAN Walsh is convinced of the financial windfall that cycling to work provides; it has helped pay for his home renovation and will pay his son's private school fees.

While Mr Walsh, a Collins Street lawyer, cycles to work from Brunswick, his wife, Junko Kobayashi, uses the family car for errands and school drop-offs. They have been a one-car household since 1997.

Mr Walsh said the money they have saved has helped pay for a $450,000 energy-efficient renovation to their home.

''Car insurance alone would cost us $1000 a year,'' he said.

The number of lifestyle-related diseases is on the rise. However, socio-economic studies show that there is a lot to be gained by learning healthy transport habits from an early age—both in terms of fitness ratings and good spirits.

By Malene Kofod Nielsen, COWI, and Connie Juel Clausen, Municipality of Odense

Why don't cyclists have compulsory licencing, training and insurance? Because it would be utterly pointless.

It doesn't really matter what you write about on the bike blog, at some point a reader will emerge with the same irascible complaint: why, oh why, they ask, should cyclists expect any sympathy – let alone special treatment – when they don't need a licence or insurance? What about number plates?

Low-Cost Solution to Keep On Bikin'
One of the cyclists at Dutch Bike Co was caught without studded tires when it started snowing in Seattle, but no matter, that's nothing that a box of zip ties can't fix! This MacGyver trick isn't new, but now that winter is here, it's worth bringing up once more.

NZ cycle crash fatalities since 2006

This map shows the locations and details of 44 fatal cycle vs motor vehicle crashes occurring in NZ between January 2006 and May 2010.

Data as extracted from the Ministry of Transport's Crash Analysis System (CAS) in Dec 2010.

Put together by Steve Southall.