« Cycling generates nearly £3bn a year for the UK economy, a report by the London School of Economics has found.  The figure takes into account factors such as bicycle manufacturing, retail and cycle-related employment.  The report says £51m was raised for UK manufacturers from the 3.7 million cycles sold in 2010 – a rise of 28% on the number of cycles sold in 2009… »  click here for the full article

Any urban bicyclist can share with you the frustration of having to avoid people and cars blocking what should be clear bicycle lanes. Sometimes it can make you want to destroy all the impediments with a tank. Today, in Vilnius, Lithuania, mayor Arturas Zuokas lived out the fantasy of every bike messenger forced to dodge a Dodge (or BMW or Toyota) on their daily route.

« I’ve had enough of these drivers parking their luxury cars on bike lanes and pedestrian crossings, » said Zuokas, a former war reporter. « This tank is a good tool to solve the problem of parking in the wrong place. » With that, the 43-year-old mayor rolled over a blue Mercedes that was parked in a bike lane.

The UK’s Daily Telegraph reports the tank smash was probably an elaborate stunt—one that wasted a perfectly good car, we might add—but it’s nice to see a mayor taking a real interest in the safety and wellbeing of his city’s cyclists.

Via GOOD Magazine

Fruixi est le fruit d’une collaboration entre un designer, une urbaniste et un directeur de marché qui décidèrent d’insuffler à Montréal une «cure de vieillissement» retrouvant ainsi l’esprit des «patateries ambulantes» des années 40. Adapté aux goûts et aux besoins du jour en s’inspirant d’exemples récents à l’international, Fruixi se veut un modèle d’économie sociale original axé sur la promotion des saines habitudes de vie.

Pour de plus amples infos: http://www.velo.montrigaud.com/fr/index.php

Enjoy the ride!

Cycling activists from the LA Bike Working Group in Los Angeles aretrying to get the city on board with their Backbone Bikeway Network, a « freeway system for cyclists. » It would create long-distance bike routes along many of the city’s main existing arteries. This is a great idea. The fact that this network is simple and runs along routes people are already familiar with would really help give aspiring cyclists the confidence that they could actually get across town on a bike.

source: http://www.good.is/post/behold-a-freeway-system-for-cyclists-in-los-angeles/

Kranium looks at creating an innovative, lightweight outdoor sports activity helmet that will revolutionize the helmet market through improved safety, recyclability and breakthrough design.

Kranium has also proven to last more than one impact. During the testing phase the same helmet has been tested 5 times consecutively and it still proved to pass the standard. Polystyrene helmets however are rendered useless after a single impact. It has also been impregnated with a compound to make the cardboard water-proof.

It is also much lighter at the same time and thus more comfortable. It is a perfect amalgamation of form and function, using cheap and easily available eco-friendly materials. Kranium also has a huge part to play in the future of bike rentals, which are cropping up in various cities around the world. A cheap helmet, which can be dispensed through a vending machine, could be the answer for the future of bike rental safety.

By summer 2010, the expansion of bike lanes in NYC exposed a clash of long-standing bad habits — such as pedestrians jaywalking, cyclists running red lights, and motorists plowing through crosswalks.  By focusing on one intersection as a case study, my video aims to show our interconnection and shared role in improving the safety and usability of our streets.  The video is part of a larger campaign called ’3-Way Street’.  Please see blog.ronconcocacola.com for more details.

« Montréal Cycle Chic est un hommage aux cyclistes montréalais. Coup d’oeil sur une ville où le vélo est un mode de vie, où les cyclistes révèlent le bonheur d’y vivre à vélo! »

What do you think? Qu’en pensez-vous?