The week’s top bike news from around the world, brought to you every Friday.
Local news
Record number of women riding
Data from this week’s Super Tuesday bike count has revealed that women make up over 50% of riders in Melbourne’s inner-north, where the City of Yarra has focused on improving bike infrastructure. The counts also revealed a ‘staggering increase’ in the number of riders travelling into the city.
bikes the way to go when train lines closed
With his usual train out of operation for six months, an Adelaide man has found that both riding his bike and running are faster ways of getting to work in the CBD than driving or catching the replacement bus.
Set your phone to ‘road mode’
VicRoads has released a new app that silences calls and texts while you’re driving or riding and sends the caller an automated message letting them know you’re on the road. It can also be set to activate automatically when it senses the phone moving above 20kmp/h.
International news
Move over Amsterdam…
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has revealed a £913 million plan to turn London into a biketopia, stating: “Cycling will be treated not as niche, marginal, or an afterthought, but as what it is: an integral part of the transport network, with the capital spending, road space and traffic planners’ attention befitting that role.”
Smart car brakes for bikes
Volvo have developed a cyclist detection system that warns drivers and automatically puts on the brakes if they get too close to a bike rider.
Muppet of the week
A member of the Washington State Transportation Committee has been scorned by the state’s bike community after voicing his support for a proposed $25 tax on bikes over $500, his reason being: “since CO2 is deemed a greenhouse gas and a pollutant, bicyclists are actually polluting when they ride.”
Health
Every little bit counts
A US study has found that frequent, short bursts of exercise lasting less than ten minutes, such as climbing the stairs rather than taking the lift, can yield many of the health benefits associated with longer, more intense workouts.
Video
Playing out
This UK group of mums have come up with a great solution to get kids active.
[vimeo 30483877 w=400 h=300]
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