The need for tweed - when too much hipster is barely enough

Join us this Sunday (June 30th) for the most stylish ride of the year. Get frocked up in your best vintage outfit, comb out your luxurious beard and meet us at Town Hall before 9am. You can find more details @ https://www.facebook.com/SydneyTweedRide or http://www.sydneycyclist.com/events/sydney-tweed-ride-2013 or http://sydneytweedride.com/

 

And don't forget to bring something for the picnic!

 

Australian Commercial Media makes me sick

Cyclist stopped by police for not wearing lycra

A cyclist in Bath was yesterday stopped by a police officer for not wearing the “appropriate gear” while riding a fixed gear bike, due to suspicions he may have stolen it – proof of Avon & Somerset Constabulary’s determination to stamp out bike theft.
 
The cyclist, Tim Burton, while a little taken aback by the incident in Keynsham yesterday afternoon, said on Twitter that he was happy to see that the force is taking the issue of bike theft seriously.
"Just got stopped by the police for 'not wearing Lycra' but being on a road bike," he tweeted.
"The PC said I wasn't dressed in appropriate gear to be riding my bike so had I stolen it?
"I was clipped in. No scruffy trainers but clean(ish) SPD shoes.” Burton’s bike is equipped with Crank Bros Candy pedals.
“Maybe I didn't look hipster enough? Apparently there have been some shed break-ins locally. The bike looks too good for me to own, obviously!"
Due to the hills around Bath you don't see as many fixies as in some places with flatter terrain, and we're guessing that Burton's bike had drop bars and so at casual glance would look like a road bike, which have been the subject of targeted thefts in the area.
After checking the bike’s frame number and performing a background check on Burton, he was allowed to go on his way.
The cyclist, who admitted that the sight of him on the bike probably looked “dodgy” said: "It is nice to see them looking out for pinched bikes, I told [the PC] I appreciated it."
He added: “I'm not saying they were wrong. It's amusing that I've been stopped for no Lycra!”
PC Keith James, who did the stop check, said: "Bike thefts are a priority for us in this area as we've had a number of garage and shed break-ins. I'm a cyclist myself and it was unusual to see an expensive bike being ridden by someone in non-cycling clothes and without a helmet. It soon became clear that Mr Burton was the genuine owner and I'm glad he's supportive of what we're doing to try to catch bike thieves."

MOTORISTS’ FRONT OF JUDEA

REG: Cyclists have bled us white, the bastards. They don’t pay road tax, they run red lights. And what have they ever given us in return?
XERXES: Pneumatic tyres.
REG: What?
XERXES: Pneumatic tyres.
REG: Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that’s true. Yeah.
COMMANDO #3: And ball bearings.
REG: Yeah. All right. I’ll grant you pneumatic tyres and ball bearings are two things that the cyclists have done.
MATTHIAS: And the roads.
REG: Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don’t they? But apart from pneumatic tyres, ball bearings, and the roads…
COMMANDO: Lightweight steel tubing.
XERXES: Chain driven differential gears.
COMMANDOS: Huh? Heh? Huh…
COMMANDO #2: Dust-free highways. Tractors. Automobile advertising.
COMMANDOS: Ohh…
REG: Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.
COMMANDO #1: And central Government administration of roads.
COMMANDOS: Oh, yes. Yeah…
FRANCIS: Cars and planes.
REG: Cars and planes?
FRANCIS: Yeah, America’s first car was built by the Duryea brothers: they were bicycle builders first. And powered flight, Reg, that was developed by the Wright Brothers: they owned a bike shop and built bikes.
REG: All right, but apart from the pneumatic tyre, ball bearings, differential gears, roads, motoring, car ads, and aviation, what have cyclists ever done for us?
From  http://www.roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/motorists-front-of-judea-what-have-the-cyclists-ever-done-for-us/

Bikewise beginners course

Are you new to bicycles or want to get back on the bike but lacking confidence on how to ride on shared paths or quiet roads? This course focuses on basic control skills as well as social interactions & etiquette on shared paths. Great for beginners or those rusty riders out there, you’ll learn how to enjoy your ride in a practical two-hour lesson taking place on the quiet network of paths around beautiful Bicentennial Park.

Please ensure your bike is in good working order, you have an Australian Standards certified helmet and you are wearing appropriate footwear.  Please note this is not a Learn to Ride class – you need to be able to ride at a basic level. Contact BikeWise if you are an absolute beginner for details on how to develop your skills.

Date:	The second Saturday of each month (see timetable here)
Time:	9:45am for a 10am start
Where:	Bicycle NSW Office at Sydney Olympic Park
Cost:	$10 for members and $20 for non-members (cash only)
Contact:	For general enquiries please contact us here. For wet-weather enquiries on the day, please call 0420 264 938.
Trainer:	BikeWise A transport behaviour change organisation concerned primarily with cycling; motivated by public health, community and environmental interests. The Bikewise dream is for people in our cities to enjoy the benefits of a culture where cycling is an easy, widespread and entirely normal transport option.

Bike commuting better than gym

According to Australian epidemiologist Takemi Sugiyama, lead author of a recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, “Commuting is a relevant health behaviour even for those who are sufficiently active in their leisure time.”
Analysing the research, The Health Behavior News Service notes, “It may be more realistic to accumulate physical activity through active transport than adding exercise to weekly leisure-time routines.”
The four-year study of 822 adults found that found that people commuting to work by car gained more weight on average, even if they engaged in regular exercise, than people who did not commute by car. The authors of the study recommend creating more opportunities for everyone to walk or bike to work.
An earlier study by researchers at the University of Sydney School of Public Health published in Obesity Reviews (the journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity) supports the thesis that leisure-time exercise alone is not enough to prevent obesity. Sixty to 90 minutes of daily physical activity is recommended to curb obesity, which is more time than most people can fit into their busy schedules. That’s why the study’s authors recommend “active transport” like biking and walking for commuting other common trips.

 Beyond fighting fat, biking and walking for transportation also boosts overall health. A 2007 paper in the European Journal of Epidemiology concludes “Commuting physical activity, independent of leisure time physical activity, was associated with a healthier level of most of the cardiovascular risk factors.”
The key advantage of travelling by bike over working out at a fitness centre is that most people find it easier to do. Instead of vying for scarce free time with many other fun and important things, exercise becomes something we do naturally as part of daily routine. As a study by Portland State University professor Jennifer Dill in the Journal of Public Health Policy shows, 60 percent of Portland cyclists ride for at least 150 minutes per week (the recommended exercise minimum for adults) and that “nearly all the bicycling was for utilitarian purposes, not exercise.”
She adds “a disproportionate share of the bicycling occurred on streets with bicycle lanes, separate paths, or bicycle boulevards”—confirming the importance of bike infrastructure improvements to public health.

Via  http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog

Take the lane!

Children on track to a healthier commute - Amy McNeilage

WHEN Bourke Street Public School opened its gates for a new year this week, bright blue polo shirts flooded off the Surry Hills street. Many students pushed bikes and scooters, having hopped off the cycleway that passes the school.
By the 9am bell, the playground walls were lined with bikes.
The school started its bike program less than two years ago and already at least a third of students ride to school on an average day. Most who don't ride walk.
The principal, Peter Johnston, says cycling has become an important part of the growing school's identity.
''It's improving their health, fitness and lifestyle,'' he said.
Lydia Ho, whose sons Arki and Ren attend the school, runs bike education programs with the students.
''They're not sitting in their big cars getting driven,'' she said. ''And they're engaging with their environment - meeting shop owners, saying hi to people on the street - and being part of the community.''
Leah Tansey, who commutes by bike with her six-year-old daughter, Emily, says she was initially concerned about safety.
''When we first started riding, it was a little bit scary. [Other cyclists] didn't seem to be that cautious around children,'' she said. ''[But] I think they have become much more aware that there are children on the track and they have much better bike manners now.''
 http://www.smh.com.au/national/children-on-track-to-a-healthier-commute-20130201-2dpzy.html

How to solve traffic jams

Residents on the NSW South Coast (and a jolly visitor in a red suit) will be able to leave the car at home and ride with more complete cycleways next year thanks to Eurobodalla Shire Council.

Perfect vehicle for a street photographer.

Yeah bikes!

Sydney's coolest bicycle festival

Some great photos from the Feather Brigade ladies

featherbrigade.blogspot.com.au

It's today! WOOP!2 Get on your bike and head on down there!

  

http://www.wooprollingfestival.com.au/

The man who lived on his bike

THE MAN WHO LIVED ON HIS BIKE from Guillaume Blanchet on Vimeo.

Brussels Express

A documentary about bike messengers in Brussels, the most congested city in Europe with only 4% cycling traffic.
Please watch in fullscreen.
(2012 - 19 min)

Directed, shot & edited by Sander Vandenbroucke
2nd camera: David Doom
Music: Mathieu Vandekerckhove
Translations: Thierry Eeckhout

http://www.brusselsexpressfilm.be/
http://www.facebook.com/BrusselsExpressFilm

New cycling infrastructure

Emerald City Spin