The week’s top bike news from around the world, brought to you every Wednesday.
Local news
Want to buy Melbourne Bike Share?
The Victorian State Government is keen to keep Melbourne’s blue bikes on the road, but to do so they need to bring a private sponsor on board—a method that has proved highly successful with bike share schemes overseas. According to Bicycle Network’s Garry Brennan “If a sponsor was prepared to boost the size of the scheme and expand it further through inner Melbourne, it could become a permanent fixture and an important addition to the public transport system.”
Australia tracking well at World Cup
Aussies dominated at Round two of the World Track Cycling Cup, with golden girl Anna Meares smashing the 500m time trial in under 33 seconds. Her team mates following her to the podium winning the women’s individual pursuit and the men’s sprint, onmium and team pursuit. Go Aussie, go!
#TotalRushGate
Melbourne bike store Total Rush sparked an angry Twitter feeding frenzy last Thursday when the store paraded female models in nothing but g-strings and body-painted kit at its grand reopening, with many cyclists claiming they found the entertainment offensive and immature.
International news
World’s oldest bike shop to close
Howes of Cambridge first opened as a carriage builder in 1840 and began producing bicycles from 1868. Among its many customers was Charles Darwin. Sadly, the shop it set to close on 31 December when owner Pat Howes retires.
Global bike share boom
A new graph shows that since 2005, bike share systems have made a huge contribution to help bike riding become a part of everyday life, thanks to more systems, more stations and better integration with public transport systems in major cities world wide.
The real Roubaix?
The cycling world has jumped to the defence of a Cafe Roubaix Bicycles, a small Canadian bike shop, after Specilazied threatened legal action against the company for using the trademarked ‘Roubaix’ on some products.
Health
The myth of healthy obesity
New research finds that those with so-called benign or ‘healthy’ obesity who do not show unhealthy symptoms, such has high blood pressure, may still be at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
Video
Orica GreenEDGE’s 12 Days of Christmas
The Orica GreenEDGE team would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and remind you of their outstanding triumphs and one epic fail from 2013.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1bzbFW0IUE&w=560&h=315]
Ride On content is editorially independent, but is supported financially by members of Bicycle Network. If you enjoy our articles and want to support the future publication of high-quality content, please consider helping out by becoming a member.