I'm looking forward to using the Alford St bridge for the next 8 weeks. I'll be cycling west from Pt Chev to New Lynn each morning, and it will cut off the lower part of Gt North Rd with that terrible piece of footpath.

Why do cycle ways meander, while roads take direct routes? We're not all out for a Sunday ramble. As a competitive route for commuter transport the routes need to be as efficient as the on-road alternative - direct and without unnecessary hills.

Meanwhile, this:

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/article/2017/04/20/cycling-work-major-new-study-suggests-health-benefits-are-staggering

Cycling to work will make you live longer.

Is there any analysis around of the impact of switching housing NZ's budget from building and owning new housing to providing rent subsidies to private land lords?

Could it be that government rent subsidies push up rents for everyone, and help inflate prices in the lower end of the housing market, whereas building houses would have increased supply and stabilised or reduced prices?

And in the spirit of the discussion, proposed new cycle lanes on Pt Chevalier and Meola roads:

https://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/pt-chevalier-to-westmere/

....some of which is shared with pedestrians and some of which is separate.

I've lived in Pt Chevalier for 17 years. Most of the events at Coyle park and around Western Springs seem to attract a happy and well courteous crowd.

The George FM event is different, and it has been every year. It's a good day to be away from Pt Chev.

This could probably have had a follow up.

Pharmac has since funded two of the new Hep C treatments - and appears to get these two at a cost much less than the 90-100k per course. Eg: they show Harvoni (one of the drugs previously sought) as costing 26000 per course.

There's only conspiracy theory that won't fly with his supporters, and it's the one most supported by recent events:

Trump is a Democrat plant intent on stealing the election from the Republicans.

It's like watching a car crash in slow motion.

His only response seems to be doubling down.

"I might be bad, but her husband is much worse".

There's 4 more weeks.. Where will it be by the end?

It's almost impossible to comment on, there is so much you could say.

I'm most concerned for the women who have been brave enough to put themselves in the firing line, quite possibly literally given the rabidity of his supporters and his rhetoric.

I quite fancy a bike with mid-drive, so the motor gets the benefit of the gearing when you're among the hills.

To me, something like this mid-drive motor makes great sense:
http://www.techbikes.nz/ebike-kit/

It replaces your existing crank, and it has torque sensing instead of cadence sensing - so it just multiplies the power you're putting in. As it's already in the right part of the drive train this takes away complexity (no brake sensors or cadence sensors and their cables).

I just haven't got the commuter need right now - but probably will by next year.

People streaming aren't usually making an individual purchase choice for each track they listen too - because it's usually an all you can eat type of service .

So someone streaming Led Zeppelin on his I-Phone is now influencing the singles and album charts, but the same person listening to an MP3 he ripped from the CD he owns, doesn't. The marginal cost is the same in each case: $0.

How does that make any sense?