In case anyone thinks the cyclist pictured is going the wrong way (on some kind of contra-flow bike lane): those apparent arrow heads pointing towards the camera are actually "shark teeth" signaling lane users to give way, here to?

Lucy Stewart wrote:

All that said, though, it won?t replace car ownership. People own cars in Christchurch because it?s spread-out, and if they want to socialise or have options while?

I was particularly baffled by how wherever you lived in relation to the university,?

Great Idea David, definitly a goer and now is the time to push the concept
The only down side is the spread?

Not?

David – would you mind if I excerpted some of your article for a Cycling in Wellington post?

One item of cycle infrastructure that's often omitted – which Stephen noted above – is safe places to park the bike. That means decent bike racks, which means proper Sheffield-style racks (the giant metal "staples" in?

I was also reminded what a breeze it?

Though looking at the?

1. Just spent the past week in the Netherlands:
a) Very suited to cycling (flat!)
b) Lots of cycles (1:1 cycles to car in the rural region, up to 20:1 in central Amsterdam).
c) Helmets not compulsory (see David's earlier blog on this)
d)?

I can't use the staple-shaped bike racks there because, unlike a car, there's no handbrake on my bike,?

I certainly didn't say it would all be going offshore — I said a "significant proportion" of it would. It's difficult to find exact numbers (it depends on the?

For?

Have you tried locking the back wheel by rotating the pedal backward?

Yup.?

Yes, bikes could get around some obstacles more easily (and clogged up the roads less, which?

I currently commute about 7km each way in around 25-30 minutes, which is only about 5 minutes longer than driving the same route. Since?

Upright "joy riding" is a lot better around the city. Especially when you add the basket to the front!!

Note the near complete lack of helmets!!!!! 168 (+- 2) cyclists went past and there were 7 (+-2) with?

Secure racks in the central city were the biggest problem I had in?

(And sounding So. Freaking. Clever)

I understand that current efforts to implement these are running into opposition from the bus companies in Auckland. You might like to let them (and the Council) know you'd use them.

But then, National have left Christhchurch more or less a dictatorship. A future lab/green government could implement a cycling?

FTFY.

Measures like creating and enforcing no-parking zones in bike lanes on arterials, advanced stop lines at?

What do we want?
1. Connected cycleways?

Wheel world solutions?

?back in the ?70s the PYM (Progressive Youth Movement) suggested a free white bike scheme for?

Reckon. This country?s flimsy, provisional, hesitant, half-arsed approach to so much work, public and private, makes me sad.

Note: discontinued 30 years ago. :)

This is something that often gets forgotten. It wasn't so hard for me to step up my riding because I've ridden on and off since childhood — and learned urban?

That wasn't what I was suggesting, though. I meant the trick of putting your side stand down and counter-rotating the pedal to it. Most?

Sorry that probably wasn?t clear, DaveC. I was referring to CHCH cycle lanes. Lots of that cycle?

I just nipped up Mt Albert, which is a really excellent way to get up a sweat without having to ride too far from home.

I __love__?

Current workplace is well setup for this sort of thing and not that far from home?

I'd suggest staying on Ponsonby Rd to Franklin Rd. That's all downhill, even if it's a little further. And both roads are pretty safe – Ponsonby is 40km/h zone so you can pretty much just take a lane and hold it. Coming down Franklin you'll hit?

Sydney has been undertaking a massive bikelane project for a few years with huge results.?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfGlhj12q-g

That was me who used the term "Copenhagenize" (http://www.shareanidea.org.nz/idea/12772.aspx) though I noticed a few other people did mention "Copenhagen", and of course thousands called for a better cycling infrastructure.

At a time when I feel quite jaded and pessimistic about the future of Christchurch, hearing and seeing people?

Tim at our local cycle shop, Rode, tells me he's also selling a lot of those stylish city bikes to?

That's harsh. They've contributed to cycling seeming a bit dorky, but the high cost of fashionable bikes has probably contributed more. That said, fashion is incredibly fickle, and cost is no barrier for many people seeking it.

At least?

If you wanted to learn to ride we could put a?

The reason I wanted to mention the lovely Dave at Velo-Ideale is that my partner Keiran bought a Pashley Princess (old fashioned city bike) from him a?

Sure, but students don't got no money.

And to be fair to the CCC they've?

I would recommend an electric bike to anyone and can't understand why I don't see more out and about

The good ones are pretty dear?

Apparently there's mega heaps of them in China, at least in the flat cities. When I was researching them?

Yes, converting a bike to a gas powered scooter is still done. The kits are actually quite cheap, cheaper than an electric conversion (most of the price is the battery) That's another pressure on the pedal-electrics – of course they get waaaay better range because you?

Not usually. We have two staff carparks for eleven people in my department. Other places, you have to pay an annual fee and you can't claim it for tax.

Anyway, we should be setting an example--many students seem to have flasher cars than ours?

Edit: OK so those ones?

The problem is, bike retailing is a pretty low-margin business, which encourages a fairly conservative mindset. If you know?

Guilty as charged. Then I rode each one and realized that the extra $650 was worth it, to?

Yeah thanks folks, when I consider that my ride to work would only be a few kms all?

I just heard the sad news today that my PhD supervisor from my Canterbury University days, Jack Fergusson, was killed in a cycling accident yesterday in Christchurch. He was 77 and cycled a lot around Christcurch.
Sorry to?

My work section (Otago Univeristry) has about 30 staff and of those 4-5 are daily commuting?

The NZTA in its Waterview Connection application stoutly resisted providing a cycleway parallel to the proposed 2.3 km tunnel extension of SH 20 from Allan Wood Park through to Point Chevalier. Submitters (incluidng the community groups I was the planning?

49cc of raw power...
When I was at Canterbury uni, there was a tradition of powered cycles which looked like they had a motor mower strapped to?

Carrion platforms for accountants, lawyers...and property developers. Now is a good idea. If you can't get the birds, Don Brash does a mighty fine vulture impersonation.

once they got going, great...
but there was all that pedalling
and then dropping the motor
onto the front wheel, while moving

there are?

I've never met you but may I recommend a Guvnor? http://www.velo-ideale.com/product.php?pid=108

Until I can afford one, someone needs to be riding one around town.

Nice thing about Christchurch is that for most areas you only need a singlespeed :)

+1 for the beautiful Guvnor and I'll put in a(nother) plug for the Civia Loring as an excellent short-distance commuter/errands bike. Alan at ecovelo has got himself a Civia Bryant (belt drive!) as a longer-haul commuter and is writing careful and clear reviews of [[http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/03/31/balancing-the-load/|how?

This is the problem with bikes. You ride, and then it's like crack or?

Yup. I picked one up from the tip last year. It was in the re-cycle (ahem) place and I politely?

Wellington Regional Council Folding Bike Deal for trains

Voters should note that the current government have just proposed halving the investment in all such infrastructure in the recently updated Government Policy Statement. And that's before their razor gang is let loose.

Ta. Yay for somone raising "playgrounds for all ages". Have wanted to see that for years.

I didn't want to get into the whole cycle paths vs. lanes?

I?ve never met you but may I recommend a Guvnor?

Pashley do good bikes, but that?s a hell of a lot of money for an ironic retro singlespeed. For a third the price, you could get yrself a functionally identical Linus Roadster. Though that Civia Belt Drive Alfine looks not?

The wonderful site Copenhagenize is worth refering to here. I urge anyone and everyone in this?

I understand that's the next release. Next year, perhaps.

I understand the Linus isn't great quality. Not bad, by any stretch, but for a start welded rather than lugged like the Pashley, and not as?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7QCwJV03l4&feature=player_embedded

also, if it's sunny or quite humid or there are several hills you want a slightly lower air temp to stay not-too-sweaty.

i?

BTW, I might be wrong but I think the Guvnor is a model they've been making since the year dot.

They just Scream "Hit Me" don't they?
It cant be an Underwear Comfort thing, surely?

Add that to a growing list.
Who, these days can repair anything? who can change a tap washer or a tyre. Or repack a flange or even rewind an?

The PEBKAC society beckons. >:(

Wear what you want my friend. Frankly the lycra brigade is just happy to see other people on bikes.

(That said, what?

He's number two of a soon to be growing crowd hopefully.

I ride in my work clothes, as most of the commuters I see do. I have a carrier and panniers for my lunch and rain gear and paraphernalia, and my right trouser?

First, normalcy shot up from
a dime a dozen to the almost
unaffordable $20 a dozen –
things were tight all over...
-?

yrs
Crowd Source Cloud Proofreader
;-)

I saw about 4 of those on TradeMe yesterday. But they're quite a bit better than a standard bicycle conversion.

This beast was born the same year as me...
maybe I could get someone to "do me up" too !
Only one owner! – spent alot of the time?

nice analogy

Cyclists (and skate boarders) are currently disproportionately young men. That goes a long way towards explaining it.

If cycle skills are still taught at schools, I'm not convinced about?

With the training you do, I expect you haven't even warmed up by that point?

Who, these days can repair anything? who can change a tap washer or a tyre. Or repack a flange?

Too much stick! The carrot of improving cycling infrastructure is a better idea. The idea of putting a sin tax on petrol use causes more harm than good, IMHO.

In other words, a) New?

That e2 transport series should be compulsory viewing for the rebuilders of Christchurch.

I really didn?t want to get into the cycle lane vs. cycle path debate (a perennial topic in the engineering postgrad common room), as I see Copenhagenization as being about getting the numbers of cycle commuters to Copenhagen levels, and?

Josh Arbury should be compulsory for them to at least engage with. Along with others who know what they're talking about such as Dr Haywood.

Lisa Black wrote:
David ? would you mind if I excerpted some of your article for a Cycling in Wellington post?

Go right ahead. And thank you for posting all the?

WANT!

Heh. Heh. There's more where that came from, young David ;) ;)

Actually, it's to bike porn that I owe my revived interest in riding bikes. I saw a few pictures of women looking elegant on bikes and realised that I?

I think lycra puts off would be cyclists a lot more than the helmet laws. Just putting it out there.

I Gandhi this one a lot.

I always used to enjoy watching what the Dutch could carry on their way to work. Best thing I saw was a?

Heels are actually surprisingly fine to pedal in (or the fairly blockish ones I like are, anyhow). They hook around the back of the pedal very conveniently, possibly also increasing the efficiency of the upstroke, depending on the type of heel and the angle of your?

I presume you don't go in for anything elaborate?

I was referring to David's posts about helmet laws fostering perceptions of cycle unsafety. I think?

My two biggest problems with a helmet were not being able to wear a hat in?

The good thing about removing helmet compulsion is that you can still wear one if you want. It's just that you don't HAVE?

This sounds very dangerous for a start.

Yes, that's why they made helmets compulsory. I remember the poor kid at school who always wore one back when they weren't compulsory, and was mocked pretty much every single day about it, usually by?

I have a thin merino beanie which fits nicely under my helmet as long as I twiddle the wheel at the back (of the helmet) to make a little more room.

I'll be wearing?

No safety precaution is helpful in all circumstances. I know a guy who had a car accident when he wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and was thrown into the passenger?

Indeed. I often think that the main thing keeping me safe on the roads is the high cost of panelbeating; people have an abstract interest in keeping me alive, but a concrete interest in their paintwork. Even in?

That just sounds soo wrong, the incompetence these days is astounding.

PS: Can we please have a Coco's in NZ!!!

[(http://www.cocosvariety.com/)]

Others do research
A case-control study of the effectiveness of bicycle safety helmets
Seven percent of the case patients were wearing helmets at the time of their head injuries, as compared with 24?

My experience of cycling round Venice, Santa Monica and further inland would attest to this.?

ETA: It appears you are endorsing Thompson, Rivara & Thompson 1989, rather than the counter-arguments made by BHRF on that page an the rest of the site, but?

I remember a bloke in Auckland way back in the early 70s who drove around with a helmet on in his car, he insisted his passengers wore one to. He even made TV and the newspaper.?

Yes but I made my point badly, edited to clarify.
The point I was trying to make was that helmets are ok if you happen to fall?

And this research seems very strongly contested. The stats you source are from a 1989 paper. The same authors produced a Cochrane Review on cycle helmets in 2009, but which has been criticized for including mostly their own studies. This stuff would take a long time to?

cycle helmets are not compulsory in Japan.
my own observation is that in Tokyo 10 years ago, less than 5% of children wore cycle helmets (1-3%). Recently, it's maybe 20%.

That was me, except there really wasn't much mocking. I did that for about six months, and?