Contents:
- Cycling investment could draw tourists to Dunedin
- Cycling in...
- Agent on a bike pedals the personal approach
- Free bikes plan for Christchurch
- Cyclists redesign message
- Want to make money? build a business on a bike lane
- Women lead the way for future growth of cycling in North America
- UK driving schools to teach cycle awareness
- Weblinks
Cycling investment could draw tourists to Dunedin
7 May 2013- Dunedin could be missing out on millions of dollars each year because it is not doing enough to cater for cycling tourism, a cycling advocacy group says.
The suggestion came from Spokes Dunedin secretary Dr Robert Thompson, as he addressed the Dunedin City Council's draft annual plan hearing yesterday.
He told the hearing Dunedin had opportunities to boost revenue by greater investment in cycling infrastructure around the city, but needed to spend money to make money.
That included cashing in on the success of the Central Otago Rail Trail, which was worth up to $12 million a year for the Central Otago economy, he said.
Read more here:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/255794/cycling-investment-could-draw-tourists
Cycling in...
A reminder to keep an eye on the great cycling blog sites in NZ's three main centres- Cycling in Auckland, Cycling in Wellington and Cycling in Christchurch:
http://cyclingwellington.co.nz/
http://cyclingchristchurch.co.nz/
All kinds of interesting and useful stuff on these sites! Keep it up, folks...
Agent on a bike pedals the personal approach
3 May 2013- If you take on Hamilton real estate agent Jason Penny to sell your house, you're never going to be resentfully reminded how much commission you are paying him every time you see his flash car.
The 36-year-old Bayleys agent will arrive on his bicycle, suit and all, to show would-be buyers your property.
Occasionally, if he's in a hurry, he may resort to his Vespa scooter.
Penny, who rides an imported Japanese bike with chain and mud guards to preserve his suit, has been selling in Hamilton for two years.
The young father of two says riding a bike to viewing appointments meets both his social and environmental lifestyle personal objectives and strikes a chord with buyers.
Read more here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8626680/Agent-on-a-bike-pedals-the-personal-approach
Interestingly, something similar seems to be happening in the US:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcellefischler/2013/05/24/realtors-use-pedal-power-to-sell-homes/
Free bikes plan for Christchurch
22 May 2013- A push to get a bike-share scheme included in Christchurch's public transport network could result in more people pedalling their way around the city.
Planning for the scheme is still in its early stages, but the goal is to have bike rental stations on every inner city block so that people can cycle around rather than use buses or cars.
The bikes will be free for journeys of less than 30 minutes.
The scheme is being promoted by Christchurch City councillor Aaron Keown and Robert Henderson, of Bicycle Ventures Ltd, who hope to convince the NZ Transport Agency to consider the scheme as part of the public transport network and help fund it.
Read the full story here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/city-centre/8700760/Free-bikes-plan-for-Christchurch
Cyclists redesign message
10 June 2013- Whangarei cycling enthusiasts who defaced a government sign promoting a campaign to get to know those you share the road with have earned grudging respect from the people behind the scheme.
Drive Social is an initiative of the NZ Transport Agency and, via http://www.drivesocial.co.nz, lets road users put a face to the people they share the road with. Signs with large blue and orange overlapping circles and a smiley face promoting the campaign have been erected around the country.
But last week a large sign promoting the website at the bottom of Bank St, Whangarei, was cleverly defaced by people using black tape to put a bicycle frame over the two overlapping circles to make it look like a cycle safety message.
An NZTA spokesman said: "While we don't condone tagging or defacing of private property, it's encouraging that people are engaging with the campaign's 'drive social' message and adopting it for other modes of travel."
Read more here:
http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/cyclists-redesign-message/1901171/
Want to make money? build a business on a bike lane
Research from New York City notes that newly installed protected bike lanes do more than keep bikers safe--they raise the income of the stores they are in front of.
We've written before about cyclonomics- the economic impact of biking. Studies show that cycling brings in tourists, delivers jobs, and boosts retail sales.
Now comes more evidence: a report from New York looking at the impact of a single bike lane, and another from Oregon, looking at tourism spending.
Read on:
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1682022/want-to-make-money-build-a-business-on-a-bike-lane
Women lead the way for future growth of cycling in North America
21 May 2013- For the first time in US history, 60 percent of bicycle owners between the ages of 18-27 are women.
According to "The American Bicyclist Study: On the Road to 2020," released in 2012 and conducted by the Gluskin Townley Group, the women of Generation Y represent an important change to who is buying and riding bicycles. To us, this is a clear indication that it's high time for the bicycle industry to embrace the next generation of bicycle riders, a group that will represent 100 million adults in the next seven years.
The bicycle industry needs to adapt as the market shifts towards a new bicycle consumer: women who use the bicycle as a tool. A tool that serves many purposes and is used for transportation, for exercise, for spending quality time with their children, for stress relief, and, most importantly, for fun.
Women are also increasingly responsible for the growing attention paid to transportation cycling at national and regional advocacy levels.
Read the full story here:
http://momentummag.com/articles/women-lead-the-way-for-future-growth-of-cycling-in-north-america/
UK driving schools to teach cycle awareness
24 May 2013- Two of the UK's biggest driving schools are today committing to teach all new drivers cycle safety. A new training module, similar from both driver training companies, will ensure a standardised approach to safe driving around cyclists. Drivers will also be taught that cyclists have equal rights to be on the road, and there's no such thing as "road tax".
Read more here:
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/bsm-and-aa-driving-school-to-introduce-cycle-awareness-module/
Weblinks
Bikes on buses in Hawke's Bay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWSgpiTh0Qs
Bikes in Schools: James St School, Whakatane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2SWm8dAmjI
Train drafting: beware- this could happen to someone you know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjPNwsiyX3Y
Cycling and the economy: useful briefing paper here from the UK CTC:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/campaigning/views-and-briefings/cycling-and-economy
Electric bike report: news and reviews of developments on the electric bike front:
http://electricbikereport.com/
Japan's underground bike parking system: eye-watering stuff, when you consider how difficult it can be just to get a few lollipop stands put in here in NZ:
http://www.blameitonthevoices.com/2013/06/a-look-at-japans-underground-bicycle.html
Hamada, livreur de pain: how to cycle with an amazing amount of bread balanced on your head:
The Spokesman: collecting bicycles in Australia:
Richard Ballantyne: the 'godfather' of cycling and author of Richard's Bicycle Book (the 'bike shed bible') has died at age 72:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/10092280/Richard-Ballantine.html
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