The ultimate New Zealand cycling experience, the Tour of New Zealand cycle ride, 14-21 april 2012.The BasicsThe ultimate kiwi cycling experience, the Tour of New Zealand is a 7-day, epic road ride taking in km after km of iconic NZ scenery (keeping to the quieter roads where possible).You choose to cycle either the North or the South Island, Cape Reinga to Wellington, or Bluff to Picton. Then on day 8, riders from both islands will converge for a final showdown round the Beehive.We're looking to get as many bikes on the Tour as possible, so there are lots of options for how to tackle the ride. Youcan enter by yourself or as a team with anywhere from 3 to 70 people!Teams must have a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 cyclists on the road at all times, but whether those are the same people for the full Tour, or you ride it as a relay, is up to you.Put your pedaling...
News: December 2011
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Dec
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Bicycles and summer go together, and kids of all ages will be heading out on new bikes this Christmas.Cycling Advocates' Network spokesperson Patrick Morgan says a bicycle is often near the top of the Christmas wish list.In 2005 a BBC poll ranked the bicycle as the favourite invention, ahead of electricty and the internet.For those lucky enough to find a bicycle at the foot of the Christmas tree, Cycling Advocates' Network has some tips:Cycling is fun; having fun is more important than going fast Learn how to use your brakes Get started with firm tyre pressure Be courteous when sharing bike paths with walkers Get a bell and use it Give yourself space - stay out of the car door range Learn the road rules.Mr Morgan says if your bike has been sitting in the shed since last summer holidays, take a few minutes to give it some TLC."Before each ride check your ABC: air pressure in tyres,...
Dec
The UK Department for Transport recently commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory to conduct a literature review to consider the role of infrastructure in relation to the safety of cyclists and their interaction with other road users."Overall, it proved problematic to draw firm conclusions from the literature," admitted TRL, but it concluded "Of all interventions to increase cycle safety, the greatest benefits come from reducing motor vehicle speeds."Read more here: http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/to-increase-cyclist-safety-reduce-motor...
Dec
This research, which was conducted from July 2008 to January 2010, investigated what type of cycling infrastructure would encourage 'new cyclists' (i.e. people who either do not currently cycle at all, or people who do not currently cycle for utilitarian trips) to use cycling as their mode of transport for daily activities in New Zealand.The research involved undertaking an international literature review followed by national surveys and Christchurch-based focus groups, to gain an understanding of some of the motivations and barriers associated with utilitarian cycling, and to evaluate a range of cycling facilities.The research showed that safety was the most significant issue for potential cyclists, particularly in relation to vehicle driver behaviour and traffic volume. Other significant issues included having facilities at the destination for showering and changing, enjoyment, and...
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Advantages and disadvantagesA cost-benefit analysis often forms the basis for political decision making prior to traffic investments. Cost-benefit analyses involve assigning a monetary value to the advantages and disadvantages of a construction project. This makes it possible to weigh the benefits (e.g. reduced travel times and reduced pollution) against the disadvantages (e.g. construction costs and noise). Cycle projectsThe Danish Ministry of Transport has a manual for calculating cost-benefit. However, the manual does not include a method for assessing cycle projects. This is hardly viable when over one third of the population of the nation’s capital arrive at their place of work or education by bicycle. The City of Copenhagen has therefore had a cycling assessment procedure devised based on the principles set forth in the manual. The...
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Dec
Some of the most powerful things that have effected change throughout history appear to have been symbols.Symbols hint at something bigger, deeper, beyond.....Our household was blessed recently to have hosted Hutch - a wonderful kind man in his seventies, cycling the world, meeting people...and planting seeds of hope. www.cyclingpeace.org (We have met some wonderful folk through the "Warm Showers List" - where people from all over the world offer hospitality to cycle tourists. "Sign up!" is my advice!)So bicycle as symbol resonates as we explore new territory of post-imperialism, of healthier more connected more local lives. Lives operated at a speed where our communities can encouter us - and we our communities.One challenge is for us to develop a new vocabularly - of sharing, inter-connectedness and inter-dependence. Shock! Horror! Dependency is a GOOD thing! A simple example...
Dec
Cycling levels in Sydney could more than double if laws forcing cyclists to wear helmets were repealed, according to a new research published today in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia.One in five adults surveyed in Sydney said they would ride a bicycle more if they did not have to wear a helmet, according co-author Professor Chris Rissel from the School of Public Health, at the University of Sydney.Researchers involved in 'The possible effect on frequency of cycling if mandatory bicycle helmet legislation was repealed in Sydney, Australia: a cross sectional survey' interviewed 600 Sydney adults to identify preferences for wearing bicycle helmets."People who ride occasionally and younger people were most likely to say they would ride more if they didn't have to wear a helmet, but significantly, one in five people who hadn't ridden a bicycle in the last year also said they would...
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Dec
Cyclists. They’re nothing but a bunch of Green-voting, latte-sipping, inner-city trendoids with an over-developed sense of entitlement.That’s what you’d think if you believed much of the media coverage given to cycling in the past few years. From shock jocks to tabloid TV shows to newspaper columnists, there's always someone ready to have a go at cyclists.Especially media organisations that favour the conservative side of politics.This vilification is curious, given that Australia is a nation of bicycle buyers. Last year, we bought more cycles than cars – something that’s happened every year this century. Of course, a lot of those would be kids’ bikes … but the increasing numbers of riders on the roads and the proliferation of cycling shops should tell you that cycling is, well, on a roll.So, if we are all buying bikes – more than a million sold every year, in a country with a...
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Dec
Volunteer trail builders are the heroes of the Wellington cycling community, winning the award for the best piece of cycling infrastructure.Cycle Aware Wellington presented the first Roll On Wellington Awards on 6 December.Spokesperson Claire Pascoe says the awards showcase the best and brightest of cycling in Wellington."They're a great opportunity for the cycling community to show their support for the things they love in Wellington. There were lots of winners on the night... as well as a few who lost out."Volunteer trail builders' hard work pays off not just for mountain bikers, but are a favourite with commuters. Wellington City Council shares the award, for providing materials and access to tracks in Miramar, Mt Victoria, Aro Valley, Brooklyn, Karori and elsewhere.Claire Pascoe says the award is well deserved. "Be sure to give these guys some pineapple lumps if you see them working...
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Dec
Greater Wellington Regional Council is now calling for submissions on the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust's proposal to rebuild the railway from Maymorn to Summit, replacing the Rimutaka Rail Trail. Submissions are due by 31 January 2012.The proposal is substantially as presented to GWRC in November.The specification for the "walking track" has been widened to 4m, and the gradient to a maximum of 5%, but the cost does not appear to have changed!There are some suggested precautions to be taken against fire hazard, including replanting vegetation along the track, but this does not seem to appear in the construction schedule or in the budget.
Dec
A cyclist broke her leg when she was trapped under a car after a collision in Hamilton this morning.The 27-year-old's leg was stuck under the car which was lifted, then freed by firefighters.Hamilton police Senior Sergeant Gill Meadows said the woman was travelling west on Boundary Rd when the crash happened at the intersection of Oakley Ave about 8.45am.The woman was in a moderate condition and suffered a broken leg.Boundary Rd was briefly closed as the scene was cleared.Police are investigating the cause of the crash.http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/6085922/Cyclist-trapped-under-car
Dec
Yes, it does, says Sam Margolis from the London Borough of Tower HamletsIf you live in London, or in any other major centre in the UK, you may well have seen the adverts promoting free cycling training offered by local authorities. In the absence of high-quality cycling infrastructure, many councils have pushed cycle training schemes as a relatively low-budget method of boosting safer and more cycling.In 2009/10, the total funding for cycle training in London alone was over £3m. It is seen as a useful tool not only to build skills and techniques for riding a bike, but to generate greater cycling levels amongst participants.But to most people, an obvious question remains: are these schemes actually effective at getting more people riding? Some newresearch (which CTC supported) from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End, suggests that cycle training does meet this principle...
Dec
It's as easy as riding a bikeA report to the Winston Churchill Memorial TrustPatrick MorganCycling Advocates Network, can.org.nz December 2011caption: Children riding home from school, Assen, the NetherlandsPhoto gallery on FlickrSummaryWith assistance from the WCMT I studied cycle training programmes in the UK, Denmark, Netherlands and USA in September and October 2011. I met cycle skills trainers, planners, media and advocates.ObjectiveMy goal is to lift the standard of cycle training in New Zealand. Specifically, to acquire further skills, contacts and experience and then apply these in New Zealand to improve delivery of cycle training, through my work with Cycling Advocates Network.BenefitsProfessional cycle training will lift the standard of on-road cycling in New Zealand.The benefits of more trained cyclists...