Happy New Year

It has been a while. Holidays, christmas, snow. Lot's of snow! Not too much cycling lately. Hopefully, 2011 will be full of bicycles again. Wishing you a happy new year!

Camioncyclette

Nice one this one!
Camioncyclette

Minebike

Even in some coalmines, underground, they use a sort of bicycles!
This is an example from Zeche Zollverein , in Essen, Germany. A beautiful site to visit anyway, even without the bikes.

Bicycle Higways - part 2

Some good news today from an otherwise quite depressing new government. They will invest in 16 new bicycle higways. Have a look at the side of our National Goverment for more information.

The history of cycle lanes

Interesting movie about the history of cycle lanes. Thanks to Velomondial

Pedal Power!

Sinterklaas

Usually he arrives by boat and horse but even Sinterklaas had a Plan B when he arrived in the Netherlands last weekend.

Plan B

We already have a plan B. And it works, even in Brazil.

Pasta Bicicleta

Found out today about this great 'Pasta Bicicleta' at Cycling is good for you

Don't let rain discourage you!

Where are you go

Like to see this movie. The trail is quite seducing!

Moving by bike

A nice alternative for moving houses. Why need a car? The short film is in dutch but the images speak for themselves.

Bicycle Stove

Nice invention from the Dutch Design Week. A stove you can bring along with you bicycle so you can organize pick-nicks, BBQ's etc. for your family and friends Nice idea.

Florike Martens

The Netherlands through foreign eyes

Check out this link made by foreign visitors of the Dutch Cyclist Union

Riding in the Netherlands from Bikes Belong on Vimeo.

Fietsersbond

Cycling in London

Today's newspaper included an article on cycling in London (see below). That inspired me to google a little bit and thus I found a website on the London cycling campaign LCC with the following nice picture.

Bicycle Highways

In the Netherlands, more and more bicycle highways are being constructed. You can find several examples through the link below. The idea is that distances up to 15 - 20 km become more attractive to cycle through an optimal bicycle infrastructure. Have a look at these films.



Bicycle Highways

350.org

Amsterdamize

Very much like this picture from Amsterdamize.
Check it out!

Bicycle parking

A nice picture of how many bicycles (brompton's) fit into one car parking place.
The green party in Amsterdam has done some proposals to create more space for bicycles. For example, during the day create space for bicycles, at night (after 18pm. the same space could be used for cars.
Many more inspiring examples on bicycle parking can be found in Bicycle parking inspiration book. Most of it in Dutch, but the pictures speak for themselves.

Bicycle friendly cities

Two american websites Bicycling.com & Motorcycleinsurance.com developed an overview of bicycle friendly cities in the world. I have to say I found the outcome a bit surprising, though not the winnen ofcourse. For the complete list, check out below or at www.fietsen.123.nl

Bamboosero Bikes

Have a look at this Bamboosero site. Looks like a nice project. Producing bicycles made from bamboo, enabling people in developing countries to earn a decent living. The bikes look quite nice as well and appear to be strong. Don't forget to look at the Gallery as well

VW Bike

Have a look at this film of VW. No, I have not lost my faith. It is just interesting to see how even the car industry is now looking towards bicycles as an interesting means for (complementary) mobility. The design of this foldable bike is also quite 'slick', I think.

Parking problems

A short little documentary about bicycle parking problems in the Netherlands.
Only in dutch, but the images are also quite telling for themselves.
The clue of the film is that cycling in the Netherlands has become so popular that there actually is a huge shortage of bicycle parking places, especially near railway stations as more and more people combine trains and bicycle when commuting.
A good thing ofcourse, but causing some new problems. Part of the problem can be solved by removing the so-called abandoned bikes, sometimes upto 20% of the total in the parking problems. Other part of the solution is to create more parking places underground, this ofcourse implies quite some investments but most of all, political will. We mentioned before that where there is a will, there should be cycle path. Now this should also be a bicycle parking place.

Cargo Bikes

Nice film on cargo bikes from www.copenhagenize.com. Especially check out the guy with four kids in and on his bike. Great example!

Copenhagen Cargo Bikes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Cycling in Uganda

Nice article in today's newspaper about cycling in Uganda.
Have a look at


Kampala Cycling

Cycling out of Poverty

Cycling out or Poverty is supporting small entrepreneurs students and health workers in Africa with bicycles. Have a look at the video below or at Cycling out of Poverty



The organization has now opened a Design Contest until the end of september. To participate or get an idea, have a look at: Wiki Bike

Working cycles

The dutch newsletter Vogelvrije fietser opened a contest for people to sent in pictures of working cycles. Quite a few nice examples were gathered, illustrating that the bicycle really can be used for working purposes in all kinds of settings. Have a look at Working Cycles



Working Cycles

Bicycle Portraits from South Africa

Cool project!
"As you might know, South Africa is a world within one country, home to various cultures, with a tragic history of segregation and racism. Through this project we hope to give people a glimpse into each other lives through a well known object of movement, practicality and joy - the bicycle".

More about Bicycle Portraits - everyday South Africans and their bicycles.

Cycling Holidays

Before summer has gone and autumn is coming a last picture of our summer holidays..., by bike ofcourse.

Bicycle Apple

In August, a new bicycle parking place was opened in Alphen aan de Rijn (Netherlands). Probably nothing too special weren't it for the design of the place.
It is called the bicycle apple and has several stores connected through a spiral. It illustrates how design can help to make bicycles and their parking places (even) more attractive.
For more information see: Bicycle Apple

First aid for the Bike

During our cycling holidays this summer in the Netherlands I encountered this sign. It reads: 'First aid for the bike'.
It contains a vending machines for tyres (inner) and several pumps with air. Great idea, isn't! 24-7

The Copenhagen Wheel

Fascinating stuff. Still trying to figure out how it works exactly but something to keep your eyes open about. Check out the link Copenhagen Wheel and the teaser.



"Smart, responsive and elegant, the Copenhagen Wheel is a new emblem
for urban mobility. It transforms ordinary bicycles quickly into hybrid e-bikes that also function as mobile sensing units. The Copenhagen Wheel allows you to capture
the energy dissipated while cycling and braking and save it for when you need
a bit of a boost. It also maps pollution levels, traffic congestion,
and road conditions in real-time".

Mexico

Nice picture from Mexico (thanks Gerrit).
I wonder if there is a country in the world where they do not cycle?

Cycling Bridge

Today's newspaper NRC has an interesting article about a new cycling bridge that is planned over the Amsterdam-Rhine Channel in the Netherlands.
It is a revolutionary design by De La Rive Box which is both beautiful and Cradle to Cradle.
I a already looking forward to cross it when it is finished in 2011. Must be a great feeling to circle down those spirals. Nice example of 'bicyclefriendliness'

Deutsche Post

Nice picture from the German Post. They claim to 'go green'. This at least is a good example.


Deutsche Post go green report
(obrigado Fernando pela foto!)

The Thin Bike

In several bicycle countries such as the Netherlands and Copenhagen serious bicycle parking problems exist. In the Netherlands for example you can find quite chaotic situations at railway stations (see picture below).
This is subject of serious discussions and something that different (political) parties struggle with.
The problem could at least be reduced if the bicycles could be parked more efficiently. Personally I already had spent some thoughts on the possibility of rotating the steering wheel when parked. Yesterday I came across the Thin Bike (see picture) which illustrated this idea. Seems to work quite well as well. Simple, smart and elegant. Have a further look at: The Thin Bike for a further demonstration

So this century

Like this one very much! Borrowed from Copenhagenize

House of Bicycles

Nice picture from todays newspaper (NRC). It is a bicycle shop in Altlandsberg (Germany). Quite a nice way of promoting your product!

IBike

Apple gets into the bicycle and has just presented a gadget to integrate into the bicycle, enabling cyclists to communicate with their IPhone or Ipod and exchange and store all kinds of data. Have a look at:
The Smart Bike

Bicibombas

Another example of the multifunctional use of bicycles. Great pictures and great site. Bicicleta

Travel smarter. Live better!

The European mobility week is coming up. This years theme is 'Travel Smarter. Live Better'. Ofcourse, the bicycle is at the heart of this campaign.
For more information have a look at: Mobility Week

Miffy

Some more 'literature' on bicycles

It's all about the bike

New book by Robert Penn. The title alone justifies reading it!
Review from the Guardian

Tree & Bike

Very cool picture.



Have a look at:
Toronto Livegreen
Act Responsible

Cycling, the way ahead

Not a very recent document but nonetheless still topical.
Cycling, the way ahead for towns and cities

Bicycle Highway

(source www.nrc.nl)

The German Ruhrgebiet is Europe's cultural capital of 2010.
One of the activities was to close of the main highway (A40)through the area and open it up to cyclists and pedestrians for one day. A great day and something they should do more often, in other places as well.
Have a look at these sites:

Ruhr 2010

Cycling in Afghanistan

A beautiful picture from yesterdays NRC newspaper (NRC). Picture taken in Tarin Kowt, province of Uruzgan.
Seems to me like a sign of hope for Afghanistan


foto by Bas Czerwinsky

A Velo Citoyen

A cool project from Toulouse, France.
Check out the website and do not forget to have a look at the pictures.
Velo Citoyen

Kopf an, Motor Aus

Another inspiring (and succesful) campaign from Germany.
Kopf An

Radlstar

Some inspiring material from Munich, Germany. A city with a lot of ambitions in becoming a bicycle capital. Have a look at the site!
Radlhauptstadt Muenchen

Le Tour 2010

A memorable day today. The start of the most beautiful sportevent in the world in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The next three weeks will be full of suspense.
Check out these sites:
Le Tour
Tour de France Rotterdam

Copenhagenize

Check these out, some fine blogs I found out about during Velo-city in Copenhagen.


(picture by Mikael Colville Andersen)

For the love of Bicycle Culture!
Copenhagenize
Cycle Chic

CPH

Last week I went to Velocity in CPH. It was a great conference with over a thousand people from 60 countries all over the world. Talking 4 days about bicycles.
Quite inspiring and very well organized. Copenhagen is a very nice city with a (for a dutchmen) familiar feel because of all the bicycles. The weather was great which also helped a lot.
I picked-up quite a lot of inspiring ideas and contacts as well as fotos. Hereby I place a few of them. Some more will follow. These are part of the bicycle parade through Copenhagen on last thursday.