And here’s part 2. [via Research Trailer Park]

Who needs a reason?

Ten things I’ve learned in six months of commuting by bicycle. [via RocBike.com]

Not wasting my time

Aerobic exercise ‘a waste of time’:

Millions of people who try to keep fit by jogging, cycling or going to the gym could be wasting their time, a study revealed today.

Well, I guess that depends what they want to get out of it.

“If a patient is not likely to benefit much from aerobic exercise, the physician could turn to other types of exercise or alternative therapies…Alternative types of exercise include anaerobic pursuits such as weightlifting, push-ups and pull-ups.

Yeah-no. I think I’ll stick to cycling, thanks all the same.

I would put it first

Apparently ‘The Rumour’ is the third most beautiful Dutch nude painting. The first two must have been amazing.

Gob-smacked

Gob-smacked is what I am at this:

Tyler Strandberg of Rocky Mount has a hard time getting her mind off her BlackBerry when she drives.

She has crashed three cars in the past three years.

Each time, she was distracted from her driving because she was typing text messages or talking on the phone.

“Sometimes I will zone out and forget I’m driving,” said Tyler, 23. “If I’m on the phone talking about something that takes up all my focus, I’m looking straight ahead – but not even seeing what’s there.”

[via How We Drive, twitterer]

Now if that doesn’t frighten the hell out of you, consider the possible outcomes.

Astounded

Likewise, I’m astounded at this one in the Lancashire Telegraph:

A road rage teenage driver repeatedly targeted a cyclist and left him fearing for his life.

Burnley Crown Court heard how unbeknown to Benjamin Harrison, 18, his victim was police inspector Martin Melvin.

Nine times he almost mowed down DI Melvin, aiming for him on the pavement, striking his handle-bars, forcing him off his bike into trees, threatening to kill him and hurling stones and coins at him.

When arrested, he asked “Can I not just apologise?” Yes, you should apologise and then they should ban you from driving for life—you have no business being in control of a motor vehicle. Check out the sentence:

…nine months in jail, suspended for two years, with 12 months supervision and 100 hours unpaid work. He was banned from driving for two years and must pay £750 costs.

[via road.cc]

Prescience

While touring New Zealand, a German cyclist blogged about trucking “beasts” days before she was killed by a truck.

Fritz goes over the hood

I just picked up the report that Yokota Fritz was recently hit by a car—another SMIDSY. Nice face gash, looks like all his teeth are still there—and glad to hear he’s otherwise OK.

Roads to justice

Traffic Injustice, Part II, a commentary on bicycling.com. Recommended read of the week.

Saddle saw

NancyBoy advises don’t confuse your chamois with your chainsaw.

Long load

Andy’s longbike is a tandem turned into a single-seater with a mega pannier rack: “The idea behind this bicycle was to afford myself trailer-like capacities, sans-trailer.” [via BikeHacks]

Engage!

Engage with the traffic—good advice, although it just seems like common human courtesy to me (true that’s something which is altogether uncommon). [twitterer]

Skid lid

Apparently cheap bike helmets offer the same protection as expensive ones. [via Research Trailer Park]

Hardly a surprising finding, as in most jurisdictions helmets need to comply with minimum standards. But it is interesting that, provided it’s properly fitted (and that’s the crucial point), an expensive helmet doesn’t provide more protection in proportion with its higher price. Expensive helmets do offer better ventilation, lighter weight, and better fitting options. But all else being equal, they probably aren’t any “safer”.

What energy food?

Mens Health has a Food Face-Off:

Powders, pills, bars, and bottles are convenient, but real food can be as good (or better) for pre-, post-, and mid-workout fuel and hydration.

[twitterer]

Meanwhile, in Utopia…

Cyclists call for ‘friendly’ roads:

Research findings out today have found most bicycle owners who do not to ride to work have nominated dangerous traffic conditions as the big deterrent.

[twitterer]

And likewise in Vancouver, “if riders don’t feel safe, they’ll leave bikes at home”.

Lanes

While I retain my bike lane agnosticism, it’s interesting to have a look at what bike lanes are like in other places.

But then, bike lanes are really just extra parking lanes aren’t they?

Analysis

Bicycle Analyzer:

Enter your bicycle’s gear values, pedaling cadence and wheel diameter and this program will calculate all your gear ratios and speeds, and analyze the design of your transmission.

Sucker

All you ever wanted to know (and possibly more than you wanted to know) about Chain-Suck.

Ride here (or perhaps not)

The 19 most complex and dangerous roads in the world.

Get out of the car, butterball!

Research has found that the fittest children are those who cycle to school:

In all cases, children who were driven to school had the lowest levels of physical fitness, being less fit than walkers, cyclists and even children who took the bus. Cyclists were also found to be more physically active at other times of day when compared to children using other transport modes.

Sad but true:

Although cyclists and car users were most different in terms of physical fitness, the distances they travelled to school were very similar. Cyclists rode for about 1.5 miles to school, and average car rides were about two miles. Half of these car journeys were less than two miles and 15 percent were less than a mile – both easily walkable or bikeable distances.

To speculate, parents of the the car-riding kids probably argue “but riding is dangerous!” Yeah, right. And type 2 diabetes is a picnic…

What was I thinking?

Back in January 2006:

• Wish I’d thought of this: photos of cycling commuters from an apartment window.
• Fatal Friday Syndrome: Figures highlighted by the Scottish Safety Camera Partnership suggested car accidents increased by nearly one-fifth on Friday afternoons.
• The “cycling is the new golf” thing (remember that?) appeared in the mainstream.
• Why cyclists prefer black knicks.

More on a similar topic

• Speedlinking 4 December 2009
• Speedlinking 17 September 2009
• Drive a car? Ride a bike? Watch this
• Speedlinking 14 July 2009
• Speedlinking 3 July 2009

Carrying a tune?

Rest

“Hi, cyclist! Rest your foot here…” [Thanks tom]

That’s ACE

I’ve seen a handful of Alpine Classic reports (no doubt there are more out there):

• Local TV turned up for the 4am start of the ACE 250 in Bright.
• My Audax Alpine Classic by naomi on Sydney Cyclist.
• Surly Dave cut it fine but made it in the end
• NancyBoy puts his story in not one, not two, but yes three parts. No wait, four parts. Hang on, five. Now that’s just getting ridiculous.

[Thinks: I should pull me finger out a write a report myself…]

Prang

Bike fall on Google street view, recorded for posterity.

I don’t know much about fashion

Endurogirl has declared the ugliest team kit for 2010—and the winner is: Footon-Servetto-Fuji.

One word: ick.

Street cycling

ABC Radio National’s Background Briefing on 31 January 2010 is about on road cycling:

With a dramatic increase in cycling, comes a plethora of new safety issues on the roads. Doctors, politicians, planners and cyclists agree it will mean changing the way we design, govern and use our roads.

[twitterer]

Ceasefire!

In New Zealand, “cycling advocates are calling for a ceasefire in the latest skirmish between some drivers and cyclists.”

Justice

L.A. road rage doctor gets five years – VeloNews:

The California physician, convicted of assaulting a pair of cyclists with his car, was sentenced to five years in prison at the close of a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday morning.

But then, don’t expect much to change generally.

[via Dave Moulton]

More justice

Meanwhile, remember this idiot who shot a cyclist in the head because “he was upset that the victim was bike riding with his child” on a busy road? Well, Charles Diez will serve 120 days in prison, the rest of his 15–27 sentence being suspended.

Observed one cyclist: “If a cyclist shot a fireman, judge or prosecuting attorney in his head, in front of his family, what sentence do you think he/she would receive.”

[via audax-oz]

The original carbon fibre

Bamboo Bikes:

Carbon fiber and aluminum are so 2009. This year’s best bicycling model is made out of bamboo and hemp. A new generation of manufacturers are coming up with some of the most environmentally friendly transport yet. Lighter, stronger, more comfortable and these bikes have also got a much smaller carbon footprint.

[thanks flipsockgrrl]

Recline

RecumbentTV: “Sit back and relax for a while!”

Growth

Cycling hits top gear as Aussie riders help propel economic cycle

Bloggage

• Lone Cyclist: “I love mountain bikes, road bikes and trail running”
• cyclosity: “Photos links videos and more assembled by Liam Quigley”

It’s a dirty job but…

Daily Kos reports on Pedal People, a bicycle-powered haulage service that has “picked up and hauled more than 341,000 cubic feet of trash, recyclables, and compost” since 2002.

Girls, tall bikes, cool

Irondelles – Girls on tall bikes [twitterer]

Oh, do shut up!

Jens Voigt “Shut Up Legs” T-shirt: Do You Want One Too? [twitterer]

Paths

Tweets Whalford, “Government to spend $759 million on a new bike path. Oh and a freeway alongside”: Peninsula freeway to join Carrum Downs and Mount Martha.

Meanwhile the Yarra Trail is undergoing reconstruction works between Bridge Road and the Monash Freeway

Street design

Tom Vanderbilt comments on an apparently successful shared space scheme in England. An earlier post included some interesting before-and-after shots.

Range of commute

Dutch blog 24 oranges reports that the City of Zwolle wants to extend the average range of bike commutes from about 5km to 15km by loaning commuters electric bicycles. [Thanks tom]

More on a similar topic

• Speedlinking 18 January 2008
• Speedlinking 10 September 2009
• Speedlinking 17 September 2009
• Speedlinking 7 August 2009
• Speedlinking 29 July 2009

Characters

Steven Marmo: “An ironworker and bike racer, Mr. Marmo, 26, spent much of his teens and early 20s in and out of jail for vandalism, drugs and bar fights.”

Bicycles allowed use of full lane

The million car challenge campaign:

Our Mission is simple.
Deliver one consistent message using one million cars so that millions of drivers will get the message….. “Bicycles Allowed Use of Full Lane, Change To Pass”.

[via Velobration]

Come on, eat!

Pasta—Fuel of Champions

Bloggage

• Velobration: “Celebrate Cycling!”
• Fuck Yeah Girls & Bikes!
• Bike Jerks

Bike Mag India

Launching in Feb 2010—the first issue of the official CYCLISTS.IN Magazine, a magazine to complement the Indian Cyclists Network. Cool. Put me down for that one.

Images

“The PBIC Image Library is a searchable collection of free, real-world images relating to walking and bicycling.”

New thoughts

Editorial in the Geelong Advertiser, Road users and mutual respect:

Where Australia has to lift its game is to provide genuine, safe conditions for cyclists who choose to ride to work. It’s all very well to have the scenic bike paths around the rivers, alongside golf courses and following historic rail trails; they’re undoubtedly pleasant but not very practical for getting to and from work…

Bikes are here to stay and cyclists and motorists have to learn to live with one another; last year, more bicycles were bought in Australia than cars. Like so many things in life, it’s a two-way street and an effective campaign is badly needed to make that street safer for all users.

The right facilities

How cycling centers could help smooth commuter transitions:

“Our existing transportation system has been built around the automobile — parking, service, fuel — and we need the same sort of system around other forms of transportation.”

The right speed

The British Medical Journal reports on the effect on road injuries of introducing 20 mph (32 km/h) speed limits in London:

This study provides detailed evidence to suggest that 20 mph zones are effective in reducing the risks of casualties in a major metropolitan area, especially with regard to serious injury and death, and that the benefits are greatest among younger children…

In summary:

What is already known on this topic<br/> Road injuries are among the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide
There is evidence that reducing the speed and volume of traffic can reduce rates of road traffic injury

What this study adds
20 mph zones are effective measures for reducing road injuries with no evidence of casualty migration to nearby roads

The wrong equipment

The New York Times reports:

To the dismay of safety advocates already worried about driver distraction, automakers and high-tech companies have found a new place to put sophisticated Internet-connected computers: the front seat.

Technology giants like Intel and Google are turning their attention from the desktop to the dashboard, hoping to bring the power of the PC to the car. They see vast opportunity for profit in working with automakers to create the next generation of irresistible devices.

That’s got to be a joke, right?

Slow news day

I’m sick and tired of reading about so-called bike tribes. Just get over it and ride your damn bike. [twitterer]

Weight loss

Confessions of a weight-loss cyclist:

“One morning I looked in the mirror and thought that I had got to do something, so I picked the phone up and got an assessment with my local health trust.”

Frank Kinlan has lost 50kg to date, since taking up cycling. What a bloody champion.

Making a point?

Funeral home offers drunk drivers a free burial:

Planning to drink and drive this New Year’s? A north Georgia funeral home has a deal for you. Between now and noon Thursday, drivers can visit McGuire, Jennings and Miller Funeral Home in Rome to sign a contract stating they plan to drink or take drugs and then drive on New Year’s Eve. If they die in a wreck that day, the funeral home will give them a free burial.

[via How We Drive]

Nutjobs-R-Us

I really love crazies like Kris Holm. What a complete nutjob (e.g. see 2 min 20 sec) but aren’t you glad there are people like this is the world? [via wurple.net]

Innovate or die

• I reckon I’ll copy this idea: Surly BBQ Bike. [twitterer]
• No so sure about the Multi-angle-wheel bicycle
• And I really don’t see the point of an Amphibious bicycle

More on a similar topic

• Speedlinking 17 September 2009
• Sad, angry and dangerous
• Speedlinking 11 March 2009
• Cycling is Australia’s Deadliest Sport
• Speedlinking 10 September 2009

On the bike

Distance: a smidge over 7300km That was ju-ust within a top 1000 finish on bikejournal.com (nicked that idea from Surly Dave).

Riding days: 199

Average daily mileage: 20 km (or 36 km if calculated for riding days only)

Consecutive days riding: 147 (116 of those in 2009)

In February, I proudly announced that I’d done 101 days on the bike, having started on 1 November 2008. I quietly neglected to mention that my run ended on 27 April due to illness.

Days commuting by bike: 123

That exceeds the requirements of the Commuter Cycling Century club on bikejournal.com: “each member attempts to ride to and from work on at least 100 days in a 12-month period”.

Audax mileage: 2935 km

For the 2008/09 Audax season, I rode 14 brevets including 4 permanents. At one per month, I qualifed for the Year Round Randonneur award and a few other merit badges awards. It’s already established that I won’t be scoring the YRR in the current season…

On the blog

Posts: 65, including 29 speedlinking posts

Comments: 174, some of which were not made by me

Thanks to everyone who responded and keep it up.

Top referrers of 2009 (other than search engines)

1. tomw.net.au
2. cyclelicio.us
3. melbournecyclist.com
4. bv.com.au
5. ncrandonneur.blogspot.com
6. bikeradar.com
7. aboutthebike.blogspot.com
8. 4tfingers.biz
9. wurple.net
10. boroondarabug.org

Thanks to all of them and all other referrers.

Most visited pages of 2009

• Take the road or the bike path?
• Basket cases
• Another mudguard hack
• More basket cases
• Swanston Street is crazy

Tweet, tweet

For what it’s worth, Treadly and Me tweeted for the first time 12 months ago today. Please try to contain your excitement.

</narcissism>

Selected previous posts

• Bike commutes on Flickr
• Speedlinking 10 November 2008
• Connex and Anger and… Tram-Cams
• Cycle lane oddities
• What precisely is wrong with playing on the road?

Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed
A place where he can go, somewhere to clear his head
To think about the things his woman said
Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed
–The Shed, John Williamson

Well, the “True Blue Balladeer” may well be right, but I reckon all cyclists (boys and girls) need a shed. So we built a backyard shed a few weeks ago and piled all of the bikes and bike-related stuff into it, recovering extra space on the back verandah that we could really get used to having.

My last ride of 2009 was quite pleasant until I shredded a tyre and had to limp home on a warm-ish afternoon. So yesterday I went out to the new shed for the first time to do a spot of repair and maintenance. And I realised that a few things will need to be done to turn it into a proper bike shed. I stand by my decision to ban anything not bike-related from the shed—and will be curious to see how long I can hold out against the tide of household detritus just itching to get into this precious new space—but I’m thinking more about how the shed needs to be kitted-out to make it really work. The immediate priorities seem to be:

Bike racks

Yep, I can’t just leave those bikes piled up in a heap. It looks like PVC pipe might be the go here, in a variation on the Utah Mountain Biking truck bed bike rack or this bike rack on instructables.

Tools

The basic toolkit, plus all the odds and sods (such as rags, cable ties, spare parts, patch kit, spare tubes, miscellaneous hardware, etc) that you need on hand during a maintenance session.

Storage

A couple of plastic crates on the floor is not going to cut it, I am going to need some shelves in there. And a few more hooks—you can’t have enough hooks.

A radio

No, not one of them high-falutin’ digital music players, a proper radio with an old wire coat hanger for an aerial, that needs to be thumped occasionally to get it back in tune.

What else?

But what else does a good bike shed need? I guess I’ll need a work stand. A beer fridge has been suggested but (although it might be heresy) I’d prefer to use the space for storing bike stuff in. An intercom? MLSP might appreciate that, but then again I might appreciate being out of earshot when I need to be.

I turn the discussion over to those with more experience of bike shed ownership for advice…

Selected previous posts

• Dark days and nights for cyclists
• What precisely is wrong with playing on the road?
• They don’t look very comfy…
• Just ask – it works
• Maribyrnong ‘Recce’