The week’s top bike news from around the world, brought to you every Wednesday.
Local news
Patients cycle out of intensive care
Intensive care patients can lose up to 25% of their muscle mass in their first week of hospitalisation, but new horizontal exercise bikes are helping them stay active and speeding recovery times.
The birds are back
It’s official: the first magpie attack for the season has been recorded in The Courier Mail, though we’ve had readers reporting attacks in Victoria since the beginning of August. If your ride takes you past magpie nesting spots, it might be time to start taking a detour.
Brisbane riders want to pick up the pace
Last month 24 Brisbane riders were spoken to by police for failing to stick to the 10km/h speed limit in the city’s South Bank Parklands. However, riders claim the speed limit is too slow to be safe as it makes it difficult to maintain balance and control.
International news
Bike ambulances bring relief
AIDS orphan and mechanical engineer Chris Ategeka is helping to save the lives of thousands of people in Uganda by building ‘bike ambulances’ capable of transporting those in remote communities to medical facilities in a fraction of the time it would take them to walk.
San Francisco bike share ready to roll out
Bay Area Bike Share is set to launch on 29 August, providing 700 bikes, available at 70 stations, to the people of San Francisco.
New study to help riders breathe easy
Newcastle University is planning a large-scale two-year study to measure the affect of air pollution on those who commute to work by bike. Researchers anticipate the study will aid in future infrastructure planning.
Health
Busy lifestyles widen waistlines
A large-scale Australian study involving 11,000 participants followed for 12 years has found that participants’ waistlines grew by an average of 5.3 cm over the course of the study and that weight gain was a particular problem for those aged 25-34. Researchers say at that this age family responsibilities begin taking priority over sports people enjoyed when they were younger, and that people in this age group are largely unaware that weight gained now significantly increases their risk of chronic disease later in life.
Video
Cairns school smashes bike bus world record
Congratulations to the 639 students from Trinity Beach State School who made history by riding to school together!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c5Y4-vtBTo&w=560&h=315]
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