rachel.blog

Tag: transport

  • “You can’t carry big loads on a bicycle”, Really?

    Originally posted on Edinburgh Cycle Chic: “You can’t carry big loads on a bicycle”, Really? This box wouldn’t easily if in back of a medium sized car, you certainly could get it on a bus, yet here it is on the back of a bicycle. The humble bicycle has all the advantages of car as…

  • Cycling in the rain: BRING IT ON!

    I got completely drenched cycling the kids to school this morning. But as I was peddling along and struggling to see through the curtain of rain battering my face the glass half full part of me was happy about one thing: the fresh, clean air. I, and all the other people in the city, have to inhale the…

  • I’m famous!

    I was in the local paper yesterday – the print version rather than the online version. On Monday someone tweeted me this: (thanks, Steve Bloom!) Things are moving by pedal force in Europe. https://t.co/CKeFJvV8nH — Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore. (@joranfagerlund) January 13, 2016 I decided to alert Aberdeen City Council to the article in a…

  • Bicycle porn

    What’s your weakness? I have several. One of them is bicycle porn. I can waste hours looking at cargo bikes on the web and dreaming of what life might be like if I could cycle everywhere without smelling car fumes and without fear that my kids might get hit by a truck or bus or…

  • The Bullitt Cargo Bike

    Yesterday I went into town because it’s Elizabeth’s birthday on New Year’s Eve and I had to get her a present. She wants a skipping rope which was easy and didn’t break the bank. I got her a few other things too. As I was loading the loot into Busby another cargo bike pulled up…

  • If it’s good enough for a princess

    I recently spotted this pic of Princess Mary of Denmark, who also happens to be Australian, cycling her kids around in a cargo bike: This image comes from a Daily Mail article but if you Google “Princess Mary cargo bike” you’ll see there are lots of images just like this. This is obviously something she…

  • The Rocket Bike

    We’ve been thinking about getting a new cargo bike lately because our kids are getting a bit small for the bakfiets. The main problem is that Daniel is too tall when the rain tent is on – which is all the time – and so the kids have to sit on the floor of the…

  • How dangerous is cycling?

    One of the biggest barriers to cycling is the perception that it’s dangerous. But is it dangerous? Public perception of risk is often quite different to real risk but it’s also difficult to change. I’m speaking from personal experience here too: I know that flying is one of the safest modes of transport but knowing this doesn’t make…

  • The electric car and cycling

    I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the electric car and why I couldn’t start it on Saturday night. So yesterday I booked it just for an hour so that I could figure out how to use it. I unplugged the charging cable from both the car and the charging point first go and…

  • We’ve joined a car club

    We don’t own a car and we have no intention of buying one. It’s very easy to live in Aberdeen without a car as we can walk and cycle everywhere. This is our car (photo was taken a couple of months ago when there was snow and ice on the ground and I think Ben…

  • In praise of cycling and a dress colour

    It must be about time I posted another photo of Busby so here he is, with precious cargo: I cycle to and from school everyday and I love it. My only complaint is that it has become too easy and the distance to school too short. I’m stronger than I was when we first arrived and…

  • The train to Aviemore

    We’re spending the weekend in Aviemore in the Cairngorms and I’m writing this from the train. Oh, how I love trains, even all the bad things like when the people sitting nearby seem to fart the whole way or when a group of rowdy youths gets on stinking of cigarettes or when you go to the…

  • God loves carparks

    A church on the North Shore of Auckland is building a sparkling new church hall with a cafe. The new building is coming along nicely and will provide services for both English- and Mandarin-speaking congregations as well as hosting large funerals and weddings. You’d think the church and its community would be very excited about…

  • The velomobile: I want one!

    Now here’s a really cool bicycle. It’s got three wheels, solar panels and shelter from the elements. It’s fairly pricey at $5,495 but you don’t have to pay for insurance, petrol or rego so overall it’s pretty cheap. The only thing missing, in my view, is space for two children. More about this on Grist.

  • Cargo cycling

    Someone sent me this (thank you!) which shows how fabulous cargo cycling can be for the entire family and more! It’s in German but don’t let that put you off. The visual is the main thing.

  • Cycling in Auckland part 2

    Cycling on the footpath sucks. It really does. I’ve just returned from cycling Elizabeth to kindergarten and I’ve started cycling on the road for parts of the trip now. In fact, when I’m on my own cycling home I use the road almost the whole way. Why? Because the footpath is difficult to navigate. It’s…

  • Cargo bikes

    A friend sent me this cool video of cargo bikes in action:   It’s no secret that people who get to work under their own steam by walking, running or cycling are apparently happier than those who drive or take public transport. But did you know that people who drive or take the train during…

  • TukTuk Azur

    My sister and her partner run a Tuk Tuk business in the South of France around Antibes, Cap d’Antibes and Juan les Pins. Today we got our first ride in one of these three-wheeled contraptions. They are electric, nippy and very, very cool. The electric motor makes them quiet and environmentally friendly but the best…

  • How the Dutch got their cycle paths

    A friend of mine shared this video with me which I found really interesting. It discusses the reasons why the Dutch have such brilliant cycling infrastructure today and you get to see some of it in action. I wish more countries would follow suit.

  • Cycling makes me happy

    Something I knew all along turns out to have some evidence to back it up: cycling to work makes you happier. Urban Studies Ph.D candidate Oliver Smith surveyed 828 commuters in Portland Oregon to determine commuter well-being among different modes of transport including cycling, walking, bus, rail and car. Here’s what he found. I am…