Cycling points of view

In Carbusters issue 37, Jonas Christian notes

while the need to protect non-smokers is well established, the necessity of protectin non-drivers has yet to arrive in the mainstream.

Christian raises a fascinating question as to whether the protection of non-smokers is a curiosity or a precedent.

In a completely cycling-free lecture, Marjane Satrapi comments that cartoonists aren't taken seriously in part because most people learn to draw as children and then give it up as adults.

Via The Bike Show from Resonance FM, I learned of yet another cycling podcast, Bike Love from Sydney, Australia.

Walking school bus for cycling adults

The Walking School Bus is a program to encourage walking to school by organizing the children so they walk to school together, which a handful of adults to monitor and help along the way. As the group walk toward the shcool, they pick up more children along the way.

A variation is the bicycle train, in which adults supervise children riding their bikes to school.

Bicycle NSW in Australia has expanded this idea of the bike train to commuting adults by creating the Bike Bus program. A bike bus is a group of people who cycle to work in a group. It’s called a “bus” because there is a set route and timetable so it can pick up more “passengers” along the way. Cycling is a quick, fun way to get to work while keeping fit and healthy. A bike bus adds sociability and comfort.

Read more at the Bike Bus website. Via Spinopsys who found it via Pedaller.

Australia Senate Report: Bicycle to reduce oil dependence

An Australian Senate committee released its report Wednesday on the country's future oil supply. This report from the bipartisan Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport committee warns that the nation must act immediately to reduce its reliance on foreign oil.

Cycling is presented among the options in the report to reduce oil use. Cycling is seen as a “No Regrets” option by the Committee, meaning that even if the onset of Peak Oil occurs later than expected, the community benefits from numerous social, environmental and transport outcomes inherent to cycling.

Photo by Mugley.

Elliot Fishman of the Australia Cycling Promotion Fund highlights that “The Senate Inquiry made it clear that in addition to being an oil-free form of transport, cycling is an effective tool against our obesity and diabetes epidemics.”

While the report suggests various means to increase the supply of alternative fuels, many alternative fuels can have significant environmental issues in themselves. Fishman says “Unlike many of the supply side options provided to the Senate Committee, such as coal-to-liquids, cycling represents a zero emission form of transport. Our current policy environment requires us to propose responses to Peak Oil that are greenhouse sensitive. Bicycles have no exhaust pipe.”

Peak Oil may result in significant hardship for people around the world, but Cycling Promotion's Fishman believes that Australia's current drought shows that Australians can adapt. “We are on the verge of entering a petrol drought. As we approach the point at which less and less oil will be available year upon year, Australian’s will need to become fuel smart and adapt to a low oil lifestyle, just as we have done with water” says Fishman.

Read more at Cycling Promotion Fund.

Spinopsys has in depth details and commentary on this report.

Wheels of Justice hasn't mentioned this report yet, but I expect they'll have something up by the time my USA readers get around to this post.

Discussion at The Oil Drum on this important report.

Another view of Australia's oil-poor future.

Tags: global+warming, bicycle, cycling, peak+oil, australia, bike

Surly Pugsley and 40 days in the Australian desert

See more fat tire bicycles here.

Jakub Postrzygacz traveled 1200 miles across the hot Australia Outback, through the most remote areas of West Australia, across three deserts and over hundreds of sand hills on his bicycle, a wide-tired Surly Pugsley. Visit Jakub's website for his journal and some amazing photos from his 40 day adventure.

That third wheel on the back of his bicycle in the photo is the Polish-built ExtraWheel trailer.