2011 Top 5(-ish)

As the train pulls out of station 2011, and we ride into 2012, let's quickly look back at the most read posts of the year.

5(+6). It was a tie for 5th place between my attempted arty photo 5 O'Clock Shadow and the Tour de France inspired Tour De Hometown - some scenic bike journeys in my local area.

4/3. It was another dead heat between the safety promotion A Metre Matters and the picture from Part 5 of my commute. (I have no idea what made it more popular than pics 1-4 ;)

2. The Really Aggresive Driver video showed the negative effect of driving on people's mental state.

1. The top post of the year was the t-shirt Burn Fat - Save Money. A piece of clothing that brilliantly summed up some of the main benefits of going car free.

Bike Riders Xmas Present

Was pleasantly surprised by this sign on my morning ride to work.


The Bicentennial Bikeway (from the GBB bridge to the city) has been under redevelopment and wasn't due to be finished until early next year.

I have mixed feelings. I'll miss seeing this view each morning, but i'll enjoy the more direct path, with this view and no bridge climbs.

Hello Goodbye

Saw this clever remark from a facebook friend.


Car registration is something i tend to forget about, now that i have none to pay. The comment made me stop to appreciate that particular benefit of being car free that i sometimes gloss over. And it's a pretty big benefit - avoiding an annual bill approaching a thousand dollars. :)

9 Bikes In A Pink Car

One of the great conveniences of going car free is parking. Either there's no parking to do, or parking your bike is so convenient - mostly because it is so space efficient.


This cleverly designed bike rack illustrates how many bikes can be parked in the same area as one car. By my count, the lady is about to add the 9th bike.

Mr Expert

I'm not sure why, but for some reason being on a bicycle seems to give a person a huge amount of credibility regarding local area knowledge.

I've written before about being approached by people not familiar to the local area. But the other day a European-sounding guy walked straight past 3 other people to ask me for directions - while i was standing with my bike waiting to cross an intersection.

Don't get me wrong, helping people out during my journey is a buzz (especially when a stranger picks me out as the most likely to be of help). But i still wonder why owning a bicycle brings with it such an amount of street-cred. Any thoughts?

Maintenance: 16 cents

Often i talk about the budgetary benefits of being car free. Maintenance costs are one of these - especially compared to car maintenance.


Recently i decided to get a new air tube - that bit that connects the bike pump and the tyre. The old one had started to leak - i think it had a crack in the rubber. I'm not sure when i got that pump, but i think i've had it since at least '97.

Anyway, the new connector cost me a grand total of $2.25. I figure that to be about 16 cents per year, which i reckon is a fair bargain - particularly considering i had a gift voucher for the store. :)

5 O'Clock Shadow

Ok, technically it was closer to 6pm, but i love the look of bicycle shadow on the bike lane wall as the sun sets.


The vertical lines, the colour, the shape - i just had to capture it.

In Emergency, Take Bike

Had an interesting situation at work today. We had a function across the river at the state library. As people were arriving, a crucial item was suddenly needed from the city office. No time for walking, or for mucking about with a taxi nudging its way through inner city streets.


Fortunately, someone (me) had a bicycle. From our centre-city block to the river, across it, and round to the state library ... all in 5 minutes.

I was suitably proud, but i'm not about to become a bicycle courier ;)

How The Dutch Did It

The Netherlands is quite famous for its bike-ability. How did it get this way? This 6 minute video gives a short history of the Netherlands and bicycles.



In short, years ago they started a deliberate effort to have less driving and more riding. It was in the 70s that they decided that the place was over-run with cars, that too many people were dying on the roads, and that energy was getting too expensive to be dependent on the car.

New Bikeway Section

Can't believe i haven't posted this pic already. Took it the first time i rode along the newly completed section of Brisbane's Bicentennial Bikeway. It wasn't quite the first day of operation, but it was close. I like that there's a dad-and-daughter combination trying it out :)


There are still renovations on the final stretch (to the city) but it's uninterrupted travel all the way through to the Go-Between Bridge - which is also currently the scenic detour for city-bound riders.

Oh, and the metal thing in the bottom left corner is a drink fountain. Very handy to have these at regular intervals, for a refreshing rest and a drink :)

No Regrets

Like the t-shirt i showed you the other week, i saw this one online. It caught my eye because it's a very similar design to the great one i have.


I think it's a good summary of the advantages of going car free. "No fuel tank. No emissions. No oil wars. No regrets."

Break Free From Traffic

I've been riding to work again recently, and it's a refreshing experience. So i was struck by the truth of this sign (that's been making it's way around the internet).

School's Back

I'm sure it's back-to-school week. I've been riding to my current workplace (in the city centre) for 2 weeks now. But now it's different. I feel faster. :)

I'm actually not. I'm just cruising along in my bikeway / path / lane at my normal rate. But with parents back on the road again, i feel speedy because i'm keeping pace (or passing) the peak-hour traffic.

Burn Fat - Save Money

Saw this t-shirt through an online ad. It reads "This one runs on fat and saves you money. This one runs on money and makes you fat."


It's a fairly obvious choice isn't it? Even without taking the planet factor into account. ;)

[Related Link: No Regrets t-shirt]

My Commute - Part 5

This is the final photo in my commute to work series. It's so convenient that my work, and the bikeway are so close to the river - it makes for a more scenic ride, and a great start to the workday :)


Ironically, as i post this photo, I've just started riding to a new place of work. Much of the same route, with a different ending.

[My Commute - Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3 :: Part 4 :: Part 5]

How Much Is Too Much?

Can anyone tell me how spending 180,000 dollars for a car is a wise financial investment. And that's when it's second-hand!! What did it cost new?!


Granted, a mercedes dealership is not the place to look for reasonable prices, but i still find this incomprehensible.

Bikes Are Art

Artists in Toronto are using discarded bikes as outdoor art. With a small garden on each one, they are colourful, and reflect a "spirit of regeneration and community".


For more pics and backstory, click the picture. :)

Boost The Local Economy

The people at GOOD analysed the numbers and put together a great graphic illustrating how much of our car costs leak out of the local economy (illustrated in red).


Furthermore, they worked out that if a city could reduce its number of cars by 15,000 it would boost the local economy by over 127 million dollars. Sounds good to me!

What Bicycles Produce

Was playing around with images and created this little pic from a We Love Cycling poster.


I thought it was a nice depiction of the fun of riding, rather than the pollution of cars. :)

Bike-Share Improvements

This week Brisbane's CityCycle bike-share scheme announced some improvements. Most noteable is the 400 free helmets at bike stations (very helpful for the spontaneous user), the reduction in a daily subscription, and the introduction of a weekly subscription.


Meanwhile, in a piece called Ride For Your Life, experts worked out that (in addition to convenience, exercise, reduced pollution and reduced traffic congestion) Barcelona's bike-share scheme is also saving lives.

My Commute - Part 4

In Part 3, you might have seen a large tree on the right hand side of the bridge. After coming off the bridge, I turn around and go down a ramp that goes under that enormous tree.


Clearly, I couldn't manage to get the whole tree into the shot ;)

[My Commute - Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3 :: Part 4 :: Part 5]

Inspiration ;)

Relating to last week's post, i enjoyed this cartoon from We Love Cycling

Tour De Hometown

With Australian cyclist Cadell Evans winning the Tour de France this week, many people are going to be dusting off the old bicycle (or getting one for the first time) to experience the joy of bike riding.


So one of the newspapers did a helpful piece on some really good places to go for a ride. Places with nice scenery (though not exactly France) and most along bikeways, or roads with bike lanes. Each suggestion has its own map and, like the Tour de France, a terrain map to indicate the 'hillyness'.


OK, compared to "the Tour", the trips might be short, and the hills might be small, but for us mere mortals it's the closest we'll ever get :)

"Hokey Spokes"

"Probably be the most flamboyant bicycle accessory i've seen so far", i thought. (When a friend pointed these out to me).


The side-benefit of something so intensely eye-catching is surely an increased visibility for night-cycling ;)

Several small blades (about ruler-size) each attach to a spoke. Each blade runs a series of LED lights, creating these colourful patterns as the wheels rotate.

A Really Aggressive Driver

In the sidebar i list some reasons i like going car free. One that i don't often talk about is a semi-spiritual one. It's the strange effect whereby even quite relaxed people can turn into angry creatures - just by getting behind the wheel.

You may have seen this video on the news during the week.



On Tuesday it was posted online, in attempt to identify the driver. By Thursday the man had been charged.

Of course, it's incredibly unusual that it goes this far (hence it is on the news) but the underlying anger seems to be something all drivers have experienced. Personally, I don't like the feeling. It's much more enjoyable to sit and read a book on the train.

Tour De France / USA?

I thought this cartoon managed to be both funny and sad at the same time.

Are You Road-Right?

OK, so it might have been a few years since we got our driver's licence. Do we still know the road rules - especially as they apply to bicycles??


The Amy Gillett Foundation (whose video i showed you) have a Road-Right quiz. 10 multi-choice questions to see if you know what to do around bicycles.

Oh, and no pressure, but i got 10 out of 10. :)

A Metre Matters

I've noticed this great little announcement appearing on tv recently. It's by the Amy Gillett Foundation.

Night-time Riding

I can't believe it took me so long to discover the joy of riding at night (ie. to get bike lights). This evening i rode into the city for a 6pm function, with food and drink (which replenished me nicely).

A shorter ride into West End for 7.30pm was even more enjoyable as traffic had died down by then. And by 9.30ish (i'm guessing) i barely encountered a car on the ride back to the bikeway.

Two things i've learnt:
1. Riding is even more fun with a friend
2. A scarf is a great addition when riding in winter at night.
(fortunately, i did not have to learn that the hard way)
-----
ps. parking update...
City: 30 seconds from front door
West End: 5-10 seconds from front door

Pushy Pushbikers ;) ... (not)

Great satirical piece by Danny Katz, pretending to be the rant of an angry motorist, but actually showing the benefits of cycling (and perhaps how motorists could be more considerate). Here are some small excerpts:

Cyclists don't seem to care about road safety either. Sometimes when I open my driver's-side door without looking, a cyclist will ride up really close and try to rip off the door with their upper-body - I don't understand this extreme hostility towards us!

OK, maybe they're slightly more fit and healthy, but do they have to taunt us so cruelly by wiggling their sexy pert buttocks in our faces as they ride by? It just makes us feel insecure and unattractive, sitting in our cars, our arse-flab dribbling over the edge of the seat into the little gap where the handbrake is.

Pushy pushbikers: it's time they showed a little consideration for us poor victimised petrol-dependent parking-overcharged traffic-jammed ozone-depleting beanbag-bummed motorists.

Better than Google?

You know the situation. You've got an address, but wonder what the best route is - when you're riding your bike.

Up until now, the best way was to use GoogleMaps, and click on the 'walking' option. But now there's Cloudmade maps


Just click on Get Directions, select Cycling and then do a right click on your start point, and a right-click on your destination. The map shows you how to get from A to B - literally.


And for those who prefer written directions, that's there too.


Oh, and if you just have an address - and you don't know where it is - there's a Search the Map function. All in all, it seems like a very handy tool for bike riders :)

Cars Going Out Of Fashion?

This graph, showing the shrinking use of cars (in car kms per person) appeared in an article explaining the reasons people are using cars less.


The article suggests that we have found a better way to live. A way that doesn't involve spending hours in traffic, or having hefty petrol bills. We are apparently opting for smarter options, involving a combination of public transport, and doing things closer to home (so we can walk or ride).

Folding Bikes

Found this pic while going through some old photos. Was the first time i'd seen a "folding bike" in person, and i was sooo impressed with how small it folded down. As you can see, i kind of had to hunch over to get myself in the photo.


They have obvious benefits for taking a bike in the car - or for people short on garage space (you could easily store it in the corner of any room). But last week i found out another advantage. Folded bikes are allowed on the train even during peak hour. (Normal bicycles only in off-peak times)

So if the only problem with the train is that the walk is too far - now it's not a problem. Just unfold the bike and ride from station! :)

Audrey Hepburn

This is the first in my series of famous people being car-free. The ever-stylish Audrey Hepburn.

The Bicycle City

This the trailer for the upcoming documentary movie The Bicycle City.



It's the story of Rivas, Nicaragua - and the incredible transformation of that poor town as a result of donated bicycles. "Pedals for Progress" has brought 60,000 people out of poverty merely by giving out some bikes.

CityCycle Progress

According to the council's GreenHeart newsletter, over 3,200 people have joined up with the CityCycle bike hire scheme, and have clocked up 34,000 trips since starting in October last year. (Obviously not including the weeks it was out of action during the January floods).

So Perfect

It's always fun to see someone excited about riding a bike. It's a simple pleasure, that's often hard to describe.


These are some of Hayley's thoughts...

Today, I rode my bike to and from work. It was perfect! I can't wait to start only riding my bike places.

I can't believe how happy this bike has made me. I can't wait to buy more bikes and ride them everywhere. It's annoying how much I talk about it, but I just can't express it enough.

On my way home I ran into my friend Duane... It was the perfect afternoon to ride along side with one of my best friends. We even made plans to ride to and from work together on Thursday. CAN'T WAIT.

What Petrol Costs

Enjoyed this graphic from an article about US petrol prices.

Social Barriers

Was just reading Clay Shirky's book Here Comes Everybody. Mostly, it has nothing to do with cars, but part of one chapter talked about the barriers to people interacting socially. I liked the quote

...much of the time spent doing errands or ferrying children from hither to yon is spent in a car. In a pedestrian setting, running into someone is a good thing; in a car, not so much.

He went on to point out that the highly enclosed nature of the travel reduces the likelihood of social encounters.

As i've said before, being car-free is good for the ol' social life.

Helping Hand

Getting off my bike to cross a busy intersection, and a woman asked me for directions.

She and her kid may have even been from overseas. They were clearly not from this part of town - she had absolutely no idea where the park was - and was surprised to hear it was probably a 20min walk.

Anyway, i drew her a map on a piece of paper i had in my pocket, and she was incredibly grateful. I felt really good helping out someone who was completely lost.

Here Comes The Ride

I was very impressed by this photo:

My Commute - Part 3

Having admired the view from the Go-Between Bridge it's a quick view of South Brisbane as we head down the bridge and smoothly onto the bikeway on the other side.


The bikeway takes us around past the trees that you can see in the right of the photo. Also, it's worth noting, that while cars have to pay a toll on this bridge, bicycles travel for free! :)

[My Commute - Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3 :: Part 4 :: Part 5]

Bike Power

Just say this great clip form 10 news. They did the old Bike v Car test race. Starting from East Brisbane, the cyclists made it to King George Square in under 15 minutes ... easily ahead of the car. The article also talked about how bike sales are booming as people discover it's a better way to travel.


The funny thing was that when i watched the video it was preceded by a car ad, which claimed its latest model to be the "smart thing to do". You can imagine my laughter. :)

Over 40 km

That's how far i reckon i rode today. And i don't think i could have done it without my electric bike.

It was 10km to the library (obviously not my local one) for an event there, and 10km home. Then i rode my 'normal' bike over to a friend's and back (about 3 km). Then took the electric out to a function (about 9km each way). Approximate total 41km - all for about 12cents worth of electricity.

Oh, and kudos to the storey bridge hotel for having bike parking.
-----
Update: I've since google-mapped it. The library was 10.1km, my friend's 1.7km, and the function 9.1/9.5km (i went a different way home, just for fun). Total travel 42.2km.

How Much A Car Really Costs

In Green Is Good, i read the cost of running a Hyundai Getz is $106/week. Even more alarming, a Landcruiser is $327/week. Ouch!


The info comes from a 2004 study by the NRMA. They include the following costs:

• Depreciation in value
• Interest lost by not having the money in the bank
• Registration, insurance and car-club membership
• Maintenance and Repairs
• Fuel

Because their aim was to compare cars, they left out the extra costs that are independent of which car you drive. Things like parking costs, parking fines, speeding tickets, cleaning, etc. Also, they assumed that you had the cash up-front, so they don't include interest payments on money borrowed.

The info is now available through an online calculator. The Landcruiser now comes in at $360/week. It's the kind of thing that makes me feel sooo much better about being car-free.

My Commute - Part 2

This is the view from the top of Brisbane's Go-Between Bridge.


Apart from the view, one really good thing is the way the bikeway runs smoothly onto the bridge at either end, making for a quick continuous journey (aside from stopping to take photos like this one).

[My Commute - Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3 :: Part 4 :: Part 5]

Bike Riding And Well-Being

We know riding a bike can be better than car-driving. But sometimes there are obstacles to changing our habits. Some of these obstacles are all in our head.

One of these psychological barriers is concerns about health and safety. I think it is mostly an illusion created by over-protective laws. After all, if it requires a helmet it must be unsafe mustn't it?

But i've just read a European study measured the effect in "life years" gained or lost. Increased exposure to pollution (of cars) caused a loss of 0.8-40 days. Traffic accidents were an average loss of 5-9 days.

The health benefits gained from physical exercise were at least 10 times larger - a gain of 3-14 months. Or as the study concluded:

On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport.

And that's just the personal benefits. Obviously society also benefits from the reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

My Commute - Part 1

Commuting by car can be seen as a chore - and sometimes frustrating. But on a bicycle it can be quite enjoyable. To illustrate, i'm posting some of the photos from my commute to West End.


This is Brisbane's Bicentennial Bikeway heading towards the city - a nice riverside ride.

[My Commute - Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3 :: Part 4 :: Part 5]

Unexpected Surprise

Last night i had another of my 'chance bikeway meetings'. This one blew me away, as it was a good mate who i had lost contact with about 6 years ago.

He's now a chef and is currently working at a restaurant near me. Even though it was late, we stopped on the side of the bikeway and talked for about half an hour. Another great bikeway moment :)

Bookfest Bike Ride

Two friends of mine were suggesting an 'expedition' into Lifeline's bookfest (a twice-yearly mammoth bargain sale of donated books to raise money for the wonderful community work that Lifeline does).


I suggested bike-riding in. It's a fun riverside ride into the convention centre, and there's convenient bike parking, right outside the front doors.

It was a great day, and we grabbed a few books (for as little as 50 cents!). But the highlight (for one of my friends) happened on the way in. Having not cycled for a months, she was having a great time back on her bike.

"I had forgotten how much fun riding is".

Bikeway Talk

Riding into West End, i wasn't sure if the bikeway was fully operational (after the floods). So i asked a nearby cyclist coming off the bikeway "How far have you come? Is it open all the way through?".

He pulled over and told me everything i wanted to know (and a little more). We had a little chat about bikes - and went our separate ways. A nice little experience that never really happens in cars.

Credit Card Please

I noticed the new 'pay and display' type of parking meters have a slot for credit cards. When did parking get so expensive that you need a credit card to pay for it?

Oh, and yes i do realise these have been around for some time, but being car-free i have no real reason to look at parking meters much :)

Knowing I'm Safe

I got a call from my mum during the recent flood here in Brisbane. Just to check i was ok. Amongst other things, she made the comment "At least when i see cars being washed away, i know that's not you".

Gold Coast Comparison

For my trip to the Gold Coast, i decided to compare the emissions of driving to that of taking the train. Apart from creating 8 times less greenhouse gas, it was probably also cheaper, with a trip down costing me just $6.93. As an added bonus i got to read a fair chunk of a book i've meaning to read for ages.


Try it youself, at the Queensland Rail Emission Calculator.

2011 Public Tranport Prices

It's getting to that time of year when public transport prices in Brisbane are increased. From Jan 17, these will be the ticket prices.


There are some other ticketing changes aimed at keeping the costs low for seniors, encouraging off-peak travel, and phasing out paper tickets. Interestingly, they have also released the price schedules through to 2014.

NCYC

Hosted an elective called "Green and Godly Transport" at a Christian Youth Conference this week. It was a really good chance to meet some people keen to put their faith into action in the way they get around. Apart from all the environmental and community stuff, i've also kind of wondered how motorist road-rage mixes with the whole "love your neighbour" thing. ;)