I met an old friend a few weeks ago, somebody who has been a keen cyclist for many years, and he told me that he'd all but given up riding his bike because there is a palpable feeling that there is less space for bikes on our roads since the pandemic. It's too dangerous. here's something that backs up his hunches.
#Europe#Transportation#Bicycles#Urbanism#Cities: "Most of Europe’s cities were not designed for cars. Their streets were once a place for a host of varied human activities: working, trading, socialising, playing. Getting from A to B, other than on foot, was a small part of the mix.
The arrival of the car in large numbers on European roads ended that in the 1950s. Streets were now for traffic, which must reach its destination as fast as possible … and have somewhere to park once it gets there. Cities changed, radically.
A fightback is now well under way, driven by a pressing need to cut air pollution and combat the climate crisis, and a wish to reclaim cities as pleasant places to live. Most major European cities now have schemes in place to reduce road traffic.
Strategies vary, from congestion charges, parking restrictions and limited traffic zones to increased investment in public transport and cycle lanes. Evidence suggests that a combination of carrot and stick – and consultation – works best.
Cars emit vast amounts of pollution. Road transport accounts for a fifth of EU emissions, and cars are responsible for 61% of that. With an average occupancy rate across the EU of just 1.6 people a car, they are also a hugely inefficient use of public space.
But traffic reduction policies often spark fierce resistance. For many, especially older people, cars are not just vehicles, but symbols of personal freedom and success. In several cities, attempts to restrict car use have opened a new front in the culture wars.
So for many different reasons, getting cars out of Europe’s cities is not easy. Here Guardian writers look at three: Paris, where car use has almost halved; Barcelona, where a new mayor has his doubts; and Brussels, where bureaucracy is not helping."
Took the first grocery trip on the (still incomplete) new bike! Still missing a front rack so I couldn't do a full grocery shop, but it also turns out that I can put panniers on the outside of the baskets! As a bonus, there was another bike at the grocery store too (which is always exciting since that used to never happen around here)! #bicycles
Belgian police to use decoy #bicycles to track thieves
Last year, 30,000 bicycles were stolen in #Belgium
Bait bicycles are equipped with a GPS tracker, parked somewhere on a street. As the bike starts moving, the GPS tracker alerts the #police, who can easily follow where the thief is going
For #FollowFriday a few of us would like to follow anyone interested in #bikes. Is there a list of such accounts? If you like or boost, you will certainly get a follow from me.
If you @-mention them in your post, they'll re-toot it and those following them will see your post. And if you follow them you'll see when others @-mention them in their posts. #bikes#bicycles#cycling#ActiveMobility#ActiveTransport
Q4. The road bike I am now riding around town (1985 Dave Scott Ironman) has no reflectors or lights, and though I don't current go anywhere when it's dark, I am wondering what kind of additions the experienced here would recommend to improve safety on that front (or how to make it usable in darker conditions?) I'm using the bicycle for running errands...
Chiming in about lights. We recommend going beyond what's legally required in California; that is, we use a rear light on bicycle, not just a rear reflector. BTW, our bike law summary—in #Spanish and English— is handy to share with people unaware of California's legal requirements about lights and reflectors: https://bikemonterey.org/wp-content/uploads/Bike-law-summary-Spanish-and-English-1.pdf
Yesterday my wife was on the way to taking our daughter to school via our electric cargo bike, as usual, and a classmate's father taking the classmate to school in a car pulled up beside them and offered to take our kid the rest of the way. As if the only reason we'd be biking is because of economic necessity. My wife replied "No thanks, we LIKE biking"... Now I'm wondering if maybe I should make a flag or sign for the bike that says "we're not poor, we just like bikes"... or "we just hate cars"? Or "we just believe in climate change and live by our beliefs"? #climatechange#bikes#bicycles#carsRuinCities
Research published in Lancet Oncology concludes that in the poorest areas, the risk of dying from #cancer is more than 70% higher than in the wealthiest areas.
The key to the difference is lifestyle changes, with giving up #smoking is a key shift; but of course, especially in poorer areas services to aid giving up #cigarettes has been hit by funding cuts.
Equally, getting fit also isn't cheap; from #bicycles to #gyms, if you have no money fitness aids are out of reach
On Grey ⚫🚲 I got a bottle holder, a front light with horn, an old cellphone (for music, navigating, recording video as witness), a powerbank to charge the old cellphone. All on the handlebar and stem. 😁 Looks rather cluttered but I feel like I need* them.
Endorphins are the worst. I get so annoyingly chipper on a bike ride, grinning at random strangers and greeting them with the startling alacrity of a village idiot.
I start out grumpy, creaking away like a diesel engine, and then halfway through I see why people used to lift their caps and say “cheerio good morning my dear sir” or whatever.