Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition - Moving Victoria forward in cycles

Central London was overrun by 10,000 cyclists today, as the biggest bike protest ever seen in the capital took to the streets.

The mayoral candidates Brian Paddick and Jenny Jones, as well as Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem deputy leader, joined the ride from Hyde Park to Blackfriars, which called on the candidates in next week’s local and mayoral elections to make concrete pledges to make the streets safer for cyclists.

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...I think the main thing is treating cycling as nothing special. If you have Option A and Option B, and Option A takes you 15 minutes, it’s comfortable, Option B takes you 25 minutes, it feels dangerous, most people will choose Option A. … The bottom line is just making it the most attractive choice...

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In an effort to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe, Toronto’s top doctor is calling for speed limits to be reduced by 10 or 20 km/h on the streets of Canada’s largest city.

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Cities cover just two per cent of the world’s land area, yet they account for about 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the United Nations, 59 per cent of us now live in cities; in developing countries, 81 per cent of people are urbanites. And those figures are rising every day.

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Here is the future of the green amusement park: The Skycycle at Washuzan Highland Park in Okayama, a pedal-powered roller coaster. They clearly have some dramatic topography to take advantage of here, and it looks truly frightening. Most North American amusement parks are on pretty flat terrain but they often build artificial mountains- Demand a green ride like this on the Magic Mountain.

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As the urban bicycling revolution continues, these non-profit shops are finding strong demand for their distinct mix of grassroots advocacy and ability to provide affordable bikes to underserved communities. In order to serve a growing market, these shops are now looking to the Alliance for Biking & Walkin for support and the two entities are considering a formal partnership.

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As fuel prices soar and the weather warms, more adults are rediscovering bicycling as a way to get fit, get around, and rekindle that childhood joy of movement.

Experts say whether you're pedalling down suburban paths, mountain trails or city lanes, taking a few precautions will have you sitting sweet upon your bicycle seat.

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1. If I am hurt or killed while driving, unless I am intoxicated or grossly negligent, I will not be blamed for my decision to drive.

2. If I live in North America, my driving is subsidized by my local, regional, and federal government, who provide roads and infrastructure. This subsidy is far beyond that given to any other form of daily transportation.

3. Learning to drive is a rite of passage, seen as a normal and necessary step towards adulthood, whereas other forms of transport are seen as childish or impractical.

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With longer days and blossoming trees making Vancouver brighter, my thoughts turn to the joys of bicycling. Getting people out of cars and onto bikes won’t solve all our climate and pollution problems, and bicycling isn’t possible for everyone, but the more people cycle, the better off we’ll all be. It’s also a great way to stay in shape and make the commute more enjoyable—and often faster.

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In Copenhagen, 37 per cent of citizens bike to work, and the reason so many of them do it may surprise you.

Fifty-four per cent of cycling commuters say they do it because it’s quick and easy. That’s well ahead of 19 per cent who do it for exercise, six per cent who do it to save money and one per cent who do it for environmental reasons.

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The Times has launched a public campaign and 8-point manifesto calling for cities to be made fit for cyclists:

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Akins' frustrations led to BikeTrak, a small gadget that can pinpoint the movement of stolen bikes through GPS technology. Owners can use BikeTrak's data to track down their bikes and share the details with police.

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Copenhagen – Beyond Green (PDF) illustrates the economic and social benefits that come with busy bike lanes, a swimmable harbor, and smart, integrated transit. Here’s the crux of the authors’ argument, from the foreword:

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It’s -28C outside, hardly cycling weather, and yet The Good Life Community Bike Shop is bustling with staff and volunteers. The mood is upbeat, despite the weather – and the unexpectedly gloomy news that the organization must vacate its downtown location by the end of February.

Now, instead of focusing on fixing bikes and teaching new skills to everyone from teens on work programs to homeless volunteers, Jackie Mann, the Calgary shop’s 28-year-old co-founder, is scrambling to find new digs.

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In rural México, the number of holidays competes with the number of workdays to see which will find more space on the calendar. Not that the people don’t work, mind you, just that they like to keep hours at any given task as brief as possible, to maintain perspective. As in most agricultural regions of the world, diversity and entrepreneurship is ingrained. When times are especially tight, this instinct goes into overdrive.

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Six years ago the Montanis founded Bicycles For Humanity (B4H). Their mission was to collect a container full of 500 bikes and deliver it to the people of Namibia. Now B4H is a global grassroots organization with chapters all over Canada, the U.S., Australia, the Netherlands and Mexico. More than 50,000 bikes have been delivered to the developing world.

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Some paramedics in South Florida say it’s faster to ride a bicycle than drive an ambulance in some emergencies.

Boca Raton Fire-Rescue recently started a bike paramedic team to deploy into crowds at downtown events and football games.

Dave Weyer is the firefighter and paramedic who custom-built six of the team’s bikes. He tells the Sun Sentinel that bicycles can get to some emergencies more easily, such as when someone faints at a downtown festival or in a crowded stadium.

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Recycling is important, but re-cycling is where things really get interesting. Why? Because there are so many underused and unwanted bicycles sitting all alone, collecting dust in our garages. And they want to come out and play! This holiday season, give the gift of re-cycling, and pull those bikes out of your garage. Breath new life into them.

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Entries included streets with shops and parks that are safe to cycle, walk and play in. Holly, aged nine from Cameley Primary School in Bristol, said on her street: “There would be no cars and everybody would ride their bikes and scooters safely around.” Georgia aged nine from St Fagans C in W Primary School in Cardiff said on her street: “It’s very safe for children to play because no cars can get up there. It’s also very peaceful and good for everyone.”

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Is it me or are some cyclists just plain stupid?

There seems to be a street version of Russian roulette happening in my hometown of Ottawa, Ontario. I’m afraid that it is endemic in all cities. With six cylinders in the barrel and only one bullet, some cyclists seem determined to narrow their odds considerably.

First, there is the cyclist who wear headphones while riding. Click.

Next is the headphone-wearing rider who also has no helmet. Click.

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Don`t try this in Victoria! VIDEO

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Cyclists called Tuesday for more bike lanes and improved laws to protect them following an accident in which a man died.

Mark Philip Metcalfe, 50, was cycling southeast on Burnside Road Monday when he was hit and run over by a dump truck going the same direction, just past Harriet Road. Metcalfe died on his way to hospital.

Victoria police said Tuesday they are still investigating to determine what happened and who was at fault.

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Victoria, B.C. - A male cyclist in his 20s is dead after being run over by a semi-trailer truck Monday afternoon on Burnside Road.

The incident happened about 2 p.m. as the cyclist and truck were heading southeast on Burnside Road, just past the Harriet Road intersection.

It appears the cyclist was clipped by the second trailer as the truck passed the intersection, Victoria police acting Sgt. Kristi Ross said.

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In Bihar, one of India's poorest and most populous states, half of the women and a quarter of the men are illiterate, and about 90% of its 104 million inhabitants live in rural areas. Life here is particularly difficult for girls, and one of the greatest hindrances to their development is the simple journey to school. For many, the trip is long, expensive and dangerous.

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Despite the already high proportion of trips made by bike (or perhaps because of it), bicycle ridership in the city continues to grow. They saw bicycling jump from 20% to 30% of all trips since the late 90s - which is not an easy task. There are now 260 miles of bikeways in Malmö and about 40% of all journeys to and from work are made by bicycle.

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After the first snowfall of the year, most cyclists pack away their bikes and find alternative transportation for the winter months. There are a gallant few riders who brave the icy streets and don their winter cycling gear for Calgary's winters. The city's cycling infrastructure has made great strides in the past six weeks with new bike lanes popping up. The city administration acted on pressure from cyclists to address the need for a bike-friendly transportation system that will encourage cycling throughout the winter months. What motivates these rogue riders to bundle themselves up every morning and hop on their bicycles?

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The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency are working to change that. After co-hosting the city's first Bicycle Safety Week last month, the organizations are partnering again for Light Up the Night, a multi-night event in which bike lights are given to those riding without them.

"More and more people are choosing to bike in San Francisco," says Leah Shahum, executive director of the bicycle coalition, "and we want to make sure that all of those people are safe on our streets."

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The recent death of a cyclist in Toronto has reignited the hotly debated issue of how cars and bikes can coexist on busy streets. Jenna Morrison, an expectant mother and yoga teacher, was killed last Monday while riding to her son’s school. When it comes to sharing the road, “we all have a role to play,” says Yvonne Bambrick, an urban cycling consultant. This round-up of simple tips can help make the roads safer for drivers and cyclists.

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Here are some tips for riding your bicycle in Benicia that will make you safer and more comfortable riding in traffic. The method is called Effective Cycling, and is the brain child of John Forester. He markets a book, video, and instructional courses on the topic. The kernel of his idea is that a bike rider should always keep in mind that they are a vehicle on the road, and not act like a pedestrian. He calls this VC or “vehicular cycling”. You are, after all, operating a vehicle on the road. Read on and I’ll give you some tips to illustrate his methods, and you can see for yourself that they make sense.

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Hundreds of well-wishers braved cold, wet weather on Saturday to ride the final kilometre with Michael Schratter on his around-the-world bike odyssey.

Schratter, a Vancouver school teacher who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, began his solo bicycle trek 469 days ago.

Starting in Vancouver on Aug. 1, 2010, he crossed six continents and rode 40,000 kilometres through 33 countries.

With every push of the pedal, Schratter hoped to promote awareness of a mental illness that strikes one in five Canadians.

"I cannot think of another affliction where instead of getting empathy and understanding if you acknowledge it, you get complete ostracization," Schratter said.

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INFOGRAPHIC illustrating various bike/car interactions and how to perform them safely.

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Recyclistas Used Bike Co-operative on Crease Avenue holds classes Thursday, 4 to 7 p.m., and Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m., to teach cyclists how to fix their own bikes. Pre-registration is required, call 250-418-8867.

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European cities have had decades to develop cycling cultures. The Dutch and the Danes are said to be among the happiest people on earth, which I can’t help but imagine must have something to do with their bike culture. You find bicycle clubs for the elderly there, clusters of teenage boys with girls perched on the backs of their bikes, commuters chatting along the bike paths, which provide a natural mix of intimacy and distance.  On a bike, the city shrinks.

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Cyclists and streetcar tracks don't always get along, but the two should not be enemies. On the contrary, cities with large streetcar networks also tend to be the most bicycle friendly.

This is because streetcars contribute strongly to the development of more dense, urban, less car-dependent cities—the same characteristics that produce the most friendly urban bicycling environment.

Amsterdam is widely considered to be one of the bicycling capitals of the western world, and rightly so. Its mode share is a whopping 38%. That blows away America's top biking city, Portland, which has a mode share of around 4%. Simply put, Amsterdam is a better city to bike in than any large city in America, by far.

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If you were to design the perfect bicycling environment, it would include safe, well-maintained and lit streets. It would have almost no car traffic, dedicated bike paths and ample secure parking and storage. It might even have showers purpose-built for sweaty commuters and a well-equipped repair shop where cyclists can get help fixing a flat tire. In short, it would look quite a bit like the campus of McMaster University.

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THEIR frames molder and peel in the city’s musty depths. Hundreds — perhaps thousands — rest in haphazard jumbles, their surfaces pocked with rust, their tubes airless and stiffened by time.

No firm numbers exist for how many bicycles sit abandoned in storage rooms around New York City. They decay uncounted in dim basements, mixing awkwardly with sleek new city cruisers and carbon-fiber racers, threatening to turn an increasingly marketable real estate amenity, the bicycle storage room, into something like a bone-filled catacomb.

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...but it wasn't only boats that fuelled Fahning's passions. He also made his own line of bicycles, selling dozens over the years to racers and recreational users. He still tinkers with the line of Fahning Cycles and fixes frames.

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Conditions for cycling were ideal that balmy July day, on a quiet lane in Friesland, the Netherlands. For once I'd chosen the road rather than the cycle path, which was some way away down a dyke.

All of a sudden, the sedate caravanners passing me hit their horns in the kind of ear-splitting protest that would make a London minicab driver blush. Then the police arrived, and I had to give an Oscar-winning performance as dumb tourist to escape a fine.

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Regular users of the Galloping Goose and Lochside trails are digging deep to support efforts to install nine drinking fountains on the trails.

Contributions have totalled $16,000 in a month - already 30 per cent of the $54,000 goal.

Tom MacDonald, organizer of the Drop in the Bucket campaign, has been out on the trails informing users about the campaign. So far, he's encountered enthusiastic support.

There's a real need for drinking water on the wellused trails, said MacDonald, a runner.

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Next year New York City’s bikeshare program New York City's bikeshare program will place 10,000 bicycles at 600 locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, so that for a minimal charge New Yorkers can get around the city – as an alternative and supplement to private cars, taxis, walking and mass transit. People will be able to pick up a bike at one station and leave it at another. Boston, Washington, DC, Paris and scores of other large cities around the world already have successful bikeshare programs that are expanding bicycle use and changing the way streets are shared.

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"Amazing little robot!!! It manages to ride a bike better than some people I know."

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Toronto’s cycling advocates are hoping that a provincial coroner’s review of fatal bicycle accidents will lead to safer streets for the city’s two-wheeled travelers. The province-wide probe, announced Monday, will look into the causes of Ontario cycling deaths between 2006 and 2010 and make recommendations on how to prevent deadly bicycle accidents in the future.

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Anyone who has been stuck in big-city gridlock lately may find this hard to believe, but millions of Westerners are giving up their cars.

Experts say our love affair with the automobile is ending, and that could change much more than how we get around – it presents both an opportunity and an imperative to rethink how we build cities, how governments budget and even the contours of the political landscape.

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Experts say our love affair with the automobile is ending. People are moving back within reach of city transit systems or even within walking distance from their jobs. Meanwhile, telecommuting, social media and online shopping have all cut back on the need to go anywhere outside the house at all. Here are some sketches of people who are opting out of car culture

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Organisers have hailed this year’s Ride to Work Day a huge success, with an estimated 40,000 Victorians pedalling their way to workplaces this morning.

Rain and cool conditions in some areas did not deter riders forming part of a national contingent of about 150,000, making this year’s turn out the biggest in the event’s six-year history.

Bicycle Network Victoria marketing communications coordinator Emma Gallus-Jones was delighted with the number of people who opted for the bike over the car or public transport.

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Get on ya bike tomorrow morning for national Ride to Work Day. It may seem scary at first, but in fact not riding is more likely to send you to an early grave.

TOMORROW MORNING, more than 150,000 Australians will arrive at work by bicycle. From Wanneroo in Western Australia to Mornington near Melbourne, people from diverse occupations will take part in the nation's biggest celebration of two-wheeled, human-powered transport.

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City of Yarra mayor Alison Clarke likens councils building bike paths to Kevin Costner's outlook in Field of Dreams.

"Build it and they will come. That's how cycling infrastructure works."

When thousands of Melburnians hit the pedals tomorrow for Ride to Work Day, they will realise the ease of their commuting trip will depend a lot on the infrastructure the councils have built.

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"Doorings" are a common cause of bicycle accidents - so much so that earlier this year, American cyclists in Illinois asked state transportation officials to start keeping track of the number of accidents that involve car doors hitting unsuspecting bikers.

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Enthusiastic, avid cyclists as well as beginning bicyclers can celebrate the new paths the four-river restoration project has created.

The government said refurbishing the four main river systems — the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan — will not only secure water resources and improve water quality, but also build “green” transport infrastructures by encouraging more people to enjoy bike riding as a leisure activity.

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In an attempt to increase ridership, Metrolink has added 10 bicycle cars on to their regular service. Although trains were already outfitted with bike storage, the cars only had spots for two bikes per car. In the past, Metrolink has had to turn away passengers who bring their bikes with them because of the lack of storage space.

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Bike riding is booming and this week is the perfect time to join in, writes Rachael Oakes-Ash.

A two-wheel revolution is happening on the streets of Sydney as Australians hang up their car keys in favour of the humble bicycle. Inner-city street corners are dotted with bicycle shops that serve up lattes with the latest gear for mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid bikes, cruiser bikes and contemporary twists on retro-style bikes. It's official: cycling is hot.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The term "B&B" is all but ingrained in our travel vernacular to mean "bed and breakfast," but for me it means "bike and beer."

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“Denmark is going to be the best cycling country in the world. Cycling leads to better public health, a cleaner urban environment, and helps us reach our climatic goals. So I will rather invest in cycle tracks than freeways!”

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Congratulations, Montreal.

We may be North America's coldest, snowiest big city but we've just been named its best biking city, too.

According to a global survey, we are the bike-friendliest city on this continent - and number 8 in the world.

Go figure. We Montrealers should lead the world in toboggan chutes or mitten-friendliness. We should be selling Skixis to New York and Washington - not Bixis.

But here in the continent's High Arctic we lead the way with bikes

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Introducing the Dutch Cycling Embassy, the world's cycling experts sharing experiences.

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The real problem in Greater Victoria, with a dozen municipalities making transportation decisions in isolation, is the unco-ordinated hodge-podge of routes that all too often take cyclists from relative safety to sphincter-tightening panic.

Not taking anything away from our great local advocates or our unbelievable network of trails. We just need to patch the system together better and get safer routes to some problem areas.

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If you build the right kinds of streets, cycling for transportation is safe, comfortable, and easy. Produced by Ted Sweeney, for LiveMove, the transportation and livability student group at the University of Oregon. Partial funding for our excursion to Amsterdam provided by the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium.

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MONTREAL - Montreal has placed among the top 10 in a survey of the world’s most bike-friendly cities, earning the highest ranking of any metropolis in North America.

The Bicycle-Friendly Cities 2011 index, compiled by urban-planning Danish consulting firm Copenhagenize that specializes in cycling issues, noted that even the survey producers were surprised cities like Montreal, Rio de Janeiro and New York were among the top 20. The firm looked at 80 major cities around the world.

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Copenhagenize, the influential consulting company and blog with outspoken advocate Mikael Colville-Andersen as its CEO, has published their first-ever Copenhagenize Index of the world's top bike friendly cities.

Portland ranks a respectable 11th on the list and is the highest ranked city in the United States with 36 points. The top three cities were Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Barcelona.

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The humble bicycle, for decades the workhorse of the Communist proletariat, is this year's surprise fashion accessory in China.

The rivers of cyclists that used to flow through Chinese cities, all mounted on sturdy Flying Pigeon bikes and wearing monochrome Mao suits, have long dried up.

Instead, for two decades China has been a nation of drivers, embracing the car the point of gridlock and even outlawing bicycles from key thoroughfares in Shanghai.

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Alta Bicycle Share, Inc. has been selected to develop and operate the privately funded system which will include approximately 10,000 bicycles and 600 stations. Options for additional stations in other boroughs are also being explored.

Bike share will offer New Yorkers a new public transportation option for short, one-way trips that is meant to fill gaps with self-service bike stations located every few blocks. Research shows that 40 percent of trips made by residents are under one mile; 54 percent are under two miles, and 67 percent are under three miles.

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The Bloomberg administration announced Wednesday it had selected a Portland, Ore., company to run an ambitious bike-share program in New York City, but don’t break out the spandex cycling shorts just yet.

Amid unease about exactly how the city will integrate 600 rental stations and 10,000 bicycles into the crowded streets and sidewalks of New York, the official rollout date of the program has been pushed back until the summer of 2012.

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When the City of Victoria first started talking about removing parking meters in favour of pay-by-stall street parking, Coun. John Luton knew there would be serious problems for cyclists.

Eliminating meter heads meant the posts could no longer be used as unofficial, but secure, spots to lock up bikes. Hundreds of bike parking spots suddenly disappeared.

Luton hopes a new bicycle parking strategy, to be presented to Victoria council in October, will treat the issue as more than just an afterthought.

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Graham Anderson, a Simon Fraser University graduate, recently started a new job delivering office supplies around downtown Vancouver. But instead of loading the boxes of paper, ink cartridges and pens into a truck, he places everything inside a box attached to the back of a tricycle equipped with an electric-assisted motor.

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The Ontario Medical Association is calling for the province to test new drivers on how they handle a machine-powered vehicle around people-powered bicycles before getting their licence. according to a report released earlier this week

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Most arguments against bike lanes are absurd. Consider this: We have wide roads everywhere to accommodate cars, most of which carry only one person. On either side of many of those roads, we have pedestrian sidewalks. In most large urban areas, we also have bus lanes and transit systems such as subways and rapid transit. When cyclists ride on roads, drivers often get annoyed. If they ride on sidewalks, pedestrians rightly get angry.

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Public bicycle sharing is gaining popularity in cities around the world as people are trading cars for low-cost rental bikes used for short hops around town. While it's hoped this will have a positive effect on the environment, a study finds that it may benefit people's health as well.

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Just five years ago the Kinsol Trestle seemed doomed. On Thursday, a reopening ceremony proved wrong anyone who doubted that a wooden bridge could still serve a community 90 years after its construction.

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On Monday night, viewers of BBC2's Newsnight were served an undoubtedly vital, but rather dry discussion between two US politicians about their nation's looming "debtaggedon". But the moment the satellite link-up patched through to the two men standing together on Capitol Hill, all watching eyes were quickly diverted to Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat congressman from Oregon.

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To create a thriving bike culture in America's cities, people must begin to view bicycling as Europeans do — not just as a way of exercising, but as a serious form of urban mass transportation

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Duncan's former mayor Michael Coleman will be the first to walk across the newly restored Kinsol Trestle in Cowichan Valley.

The trestle, Canada's tallest, has been off-limits for 22 years but will reopen this month following a $7-million refurbishment.

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In big cities around the world, cyclists breathe an array of pollutants from exhaust-spewing cars. A new study has now found a link between cycling on high traffic roads and heart risks. Even healthy cyclists had harmful changes in their heart rates. Experts say cyclists should stick to their two-wheels, however, pointing to simple solutions to reduce exposure.

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TransLink hopes to turn Metro Vancouver into a cyclists’ haven within the next 30 years, with bicycle paths criss-crossing the region and more people — especially women — riding their bikes regularly.

Under a new Regional Cycling Strategy, launched Monday, TransLink has pitched a plan that aims to see 15 per cent of all trips less than eight kilometres in 2040 made by bicycle, up from two per cent today.

It also pledges to boost the number of female riders to 50 per cent, from about one-quarter today. Most regular cyclists right now tend to be “affluent middle-aged males,” said TransLink’s senior transportation planner Kamala Rao, but that could change if there are safer and more convenient routes away from traffic, perhaps along SkyTrain or on Metro’s inter-regional trails or greenways.

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Move over cars, bicycles are occupying more space on U.S. city streets every day thanks to an ever-expanding network of bike lanes. Bikes aren't just for recreation. They're increasingly becoming a mode of transportation for commuters, but it's not always a smooth ride.

As more commuters turn to pedal power, bicycling blogs and online biking bulletin boards are filling up with tales of ticket blitzes and stories of bikers feeling like they are under assault.

The biker battles are particularly contentious in New York.

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WASHINGTON — As gas prices continue to take a toll on Americans’ pocketbooks, a growing number of people are embracing a more old-fashioned, cheaper and greener way of getting around: bicycling.

And an increasing number of U.S. cities are starting bike-sharing programs for a range of environmental, health and economic reasons. Cities across the country — including Washington, Chicago, Miami Beach, Denver and Des Moines, Iowa — launched bike-sharing programs last year. Boston and New York plan to start their own later this summer.

Most programs enroll members who pay small monthly or annual fees and then are able to rent bikes for either a limited number of hours or a whole day. Nonmembers often can buy daily passes.

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More Americans are biking or walking to work these days, in part because public-sector investment is improving the infrastructure they need to get there safely. Further public investments in bike paths and bike lanes are likely to offer a big social payoff.

Federal spending on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure has more than double since 2006 but amounted to less than $4 a person in 2010.

This chart, a snippet of a larger infographic by Kory Northrop, a graduate student at the University of Oregon, that illustrates differences across states and highlights the top 10 major American cities for bike commuting, draws on data from the for 2009.

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Librarian Avi Silberstein remembers that his neighbourhood didn't have an ice cream truck when he was growing up but rather an ice cream bike, with treats pulled along in a trailer.

Now he's doing the same thing, but with another kind of treat.

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Recent letters on cyclists and helmets reaffirmed the value of helmets in preventing serious injuries, though not necessarily preventing accidents.

One writer stated, without evidence, that "cyclists by and large do not obey the law."

Last week, I was conducting counts and observing cyclists on Fort Street at Quadra to gather data to deal with another issue, though I did note moving violations by cyclists as well.

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In a city where bicycle paths are separated from traffic, racks are accessible, cycling routes are connected, and the way from home to work is smooth and flat, more people may actually want to ride their bikes.

And if more people bike rather than drive, they will be much healthier, and the city much greener.

That is the argument that a team of University of British Columbia researchers are presenting with the Bikeability Index, an innovative mapping tool that scores Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods on how accommodating they are to cyclists. According to the study, the way communities are designed directly influences people’s level of physical activity.

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EVERY day, Ferdi Saliba gets on his bike and makes the 15-kilometre round trip to his mother's nursing home.

And every day, Mr Saliba, who lives in Melbourne's west where on-road cycle lanes are notoriously scarce, ponders whether this will be the time he gets hit.

''Riding in this area, it is seen as not safe,'' says Mr Saliba, a member of a local cycling group, who was hit by a car while cycling on the Geelong Road when he was much younger. He now says he cycles ''defensively'' on his area's busier roads.
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''On the weekends it's not bad out here because the trucks are off the road. But it's a chicken and the egg situation: people would like to cycle, but the first thing they say is 'It's not safe'. What comes first, the infrastructure or the cycling?''

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A group of Australian academics believe they have finally answered the question of whether bicycle helmets reduce head injuries.

Researchers say they have evidence which shows mandatory helmet laws in New South Wales have worked, slashing head injuries by almost one third.

Australia was the first country to introduce mandatory helmet legislation in 1991, and ever since it has been the subject of fierce debate.

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Bicycle safety involves a lot more than simply watching for motor vehicle traffic on major streets as you pedal along: you have to practice at home even before you ride, and something that you always have to think about while you are on your bike.

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Getting paid for going to work may sound too good to be true, but it's part of an increasingly popular scheme for commuters across Europe.

Employers in Belgium, the Netherlands and other European countries are rewarding staff if they come to work on a bicycle, paying them for every kilometer they cycle, all in an effort to promote environmentalism, not to mention a healthier lifestyle.

In Belgium, cycling commuters are being paid 20 euro cents(29 U.S. cents) per kilometer, where as those in the Netherlands can earn 15 cents and participants in Britain up to 20 pence (32 U.S. cents) per mile -- all of it tax-free.

In Belgium, a popular cycling nation and home to five-time Tour de France and Giro D'Italia winner Eddie Merckx, finance ministry figures show that more than 270,000 people took part in the scheme last year, up from 140,000 in 2006.

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The City of Moncton announced plans yesterday to remove traffic lanes from busy Shediac Road and Salisbury Road this summer to accommodate new bicycle lanes.

The plans, which also include the addition of bike lanes on Vaughan Harvey Boulevard, were presented last night to city council by Rod Higgins, general manager of parks and leisure services, as part of the city's active transportation plan.

The changes will reduce Salisbury Road and Shediac Road to two lanes from four, with a common centre passing lane.

Higgins explained that axing the lanes on both roads is feasible because they don't reach the benchmark daily number of 20,000 vehicles, which would necessitate four lanes. He confirmed with Stephane Thibodeau, the city's transportation and parking co-ordinator, that the roads only get in the vicinity of 6,000 to 10,000 per day.

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One cyclist in New York has been threatened with a ticket for distracting motorists and endangering other road users.

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Calgary's downtown offers space just for pedestrians (Stephen Avenue), transit (7th Avenue) and cars (everywhere else, though seemingly never enough).

Cyclists, after years of being forced to weave in and out of heavy traffic in Calgary's core, will soon get some special strips of downtown asphalt to call their own, if city council adopts a new cycling strategy.

The long-awaited report, released Friday, calls for new bike-only lanes to be installed throughout the core in the next three years, starting with lower-traffic streets such as the western part of 8th Avenue and 3rd Street S.W., and then later on busier strips such as Macleod Trail.

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This year's Bike To Work Week put the kickstand down last week, but not before 807 cyclists and 120 registered teams racked up 22,743 kilometres - about six per cyclist.

The event, organized by Bike to Work B.C., was on from Monday to Friday. An additional 171 additional people took part in the event for the first time ever.

Seventeen communities across B.C. participated, but Comox Valley cyclists were second only to Victoria riders, who accrued 107,854 kilometres.

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Biking through most busy cities is like a game of chicken, but as local governments make a push to cut down on pollution they have to make roads safer for cyclists.

A new law in Nova Scotia protecting bike riders from passing cars was the highlight of Bike Week in Halifax, running from May 27 – June 5.

As of Wednesday, June 1 motorists must give a one-metre berth when passing cyclists, although drivers can cross into the opposing lane to do so, if there is no oncoming traffic.

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Little Saanich Mountain, way up by the observatory. I'm gasping and panting like a porn movie, but not actually barfing, which -and admittedly I'm no expert here -seems like a good thing.

I'm quite proud of myself, nonbarfwise. First time I rode a big hill, I ended up doubled over with my head in the bushes as my pal Kara leaned on my back with one hand and loudly pondered which part of my breakfast would come up first. She offered to take bets from the other riders.

The two-kilometre climb from West Saanich Road isn't as tough as the really steep hills -Finlayson Arm Road, Munn Road in the Highlands, Willis Point where it snakes up from the bottom of Saanich Inlet -enjoyed by hardcore cyclists, the ones with legs like pistons and butts that could crack walnuts. Still, the observatory is still a nice challenge for the recreational rider.

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