The week’s top bike news from around the world, brought to you every Wednesday.
Local news
North Sydney on the right path
North Sydney Council has unanimously voted in favour of a $10.3 million Harbour Bridge Cycle Link that would provide five new bike routes, including a protected bi-directional path from the Sydney harbour Bridge along the Pacific Highway to Cammeray. The next step is to have funding approved by the State Government.
The Climbing Cyclist Wiki goes live
Great news for those who like their riding on the tilt, The Climbing Cyclist has launched its Wiki page where users can share info, pics and maps for their favourite climbs.
A bridge to the Bend
Melbourne’s City of Port Phillip has proposed a new bridge, dedicated to bikes and trams, that will link the massive Fishermans Bend redevelopment precinct to the city.
International news
Noble steed to the highest bidder
After competing in the gruelling Race Across America (and her team completing the race in an impressive six days, 10 hours), Pippa Middleton is auctioning her bike to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. The SRAM-equipped Dassi is valued at £2,500, but Pippa is hoping it will fetch a much higher price for a good cause: “I wanted to complete this challenge to help raise awareness of the importance of heart health after learning that coronary heart disease kills nearly three times more women than breast cancer… I’m keen to raise as much money as possible to help the BHF fund life-saving heart research.”
A city for cycling
Copenhagen just keeps outdoing itself. From LEDs that let you know if you’re rolling fast enough to make the green light, to flat cobblestones, bike bridges and tilted rubbish bins, over the last few years the city has implemented a number of nifty new ways to make it easier to get around by bike.
New York: a love story
Some couples take photographs to capture special moments, and others make maps. One pair of New York love birds have quite literally charted their relationship, using GPS on their bikes to map their adventures in the Big Apple and reimagine the city as their own.
Health
Chocolate make you a better bike rider—it’s science
It seems that chocolate, or more specifically the cocoa flavanols in chocolate, may help lower blood pressure, increase blood flow to muscles and make it easier for the heart to cope during exercise. While the findings are based on a small study and further research is needed, we’re happy to take it as fact until proven otherwise.
Video
Sheep vs cyclist
This rider thought he was pretty swift on the old pushie, until he raced a sheep. And lost.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jlr_y7LZoo]
Upcoming events
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9 August | Bupa Around the Bay Team Bicycle Network training ride | Melbourne, VIC |
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10 August | Moreton Bay 100 | Lawton, QLD |
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16-17 August | RioTinto Ride to Conquer Cancer | QLD |
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