Every Saturday morning we cycle down to the farmers market at Britomart. I simply love it ...
This is Angelo, he comes from Bologna and is so very Italian! His ravioli and tortellini are out of this world!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Crossing
Moments of the city's bicycle life captured .... people crossing
I would like to say that my finely tuned cycle chic photographic instincts enabled me to snap this fine shot of someone crossing ... but alas, it was an accident!
... crossed (past tense)
Waiting to cross
Crossing - action shot!
I bumped into this guy a few days later in T.White's Bikes
Perhaps not ... according to NZ law, this cyclist has more in common with the buses behind ... I just can't see it, myself!
It's easier on a bicycle
People doing their thing ...
Stopping for a quick chat .... Easy!
Taking a break in the park ... Easy!
Snap decision to walk a pretty girl down the street ... Easy!
Riding around reception ... Easy!
This is Josta's new bicycle BTW - she's very proud :-)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Vestigial legs
This is a gorgeous little video that I just watched over on Copenhagenize, and I thought I would share ...
It was made in 1950 and it's interesting to note that the problems we have now are nothing new. One wonders why, over the last 60 years, we haven't figured out a solution - instead, we have just normalised the situation. It has become so normalised that the simple acts of walking or cycling now actually have the special term, 'active transport', to describe them; sports shops sell 'equipment' to enable you attempt these challenging 'sports', and the mere mention of the fact that I regularly ride my bike, and walk, around the city ... sometimes in the dark ... incites gasps of horror from friends and acquaintances as if it's a miracle I'm alive! (smoking, obesity, speeding- all perfectly reasonable, but cycling OMG!!)
If you think about it, it is really quite bizarre!
Jaime Lerner makes the analogy of cars being like a mother in-law: "of course they are part of your life, but you have a big problem if your mother in-law is the only woman in your life!"
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Style?
Christa, a fellow bicycle blogger over at Bike by the Sea in the U.S., recently asked what New Zealand style is like ...
That is such a difficult question to answer - I'm presuming here that we are talking about 'bicycle' style. The answer, I fear, is that bicycle style in NZ is a tiny smouldering ember ... we are blowing on it gently and adding dry tinder, and occasionally there is a spark of promise.
What follows are my shots from 20-30 minutes standing at one of the major intersections on Queen Street during 'rush hour' ...
Young guy on a BMX - quite common in the central city
Commuter doing battle with traffic - again, there's a few of these about
Skate boarder - interestingly, still going faster than the cars! And I have no idea what the people in the background are doing ... skipping? That's probably faster too!
Two in one shot! Amazingly, I got two waste bins, two sets of traffic lights, two ladies in red tops and two gentlemen in white tops as well ... that's just bizarre!!
The man then leans, as people do, but unfortunately no helpful footrests in Auckland
A female!
Classic jeans and T-shirt shot
Another ... but with styley shades this time
What makes this guy cooler that all the rest? I don't really know, but when I see it .... I run ... camera in hand ... to get that shot!
(p.s. there were also 5 urban warriors, two of which were couriers, but I don't 'do' lycra)
So in conclusion, I don't know that we have a 'style' yet. The question is: "will it mimic the European style, will it mimic a beach style similar to Santa Barbara, will it mimic Tokyo, or will it be our own unique mix of styles ... something inherently NZ?
Watch this space!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Saying 'I love you'
I just had to put this up ... it's loosely connected to cycling but very worth watching, and entertaining. Every time this guy says 'America', replace with 'Auckland'!
Revisit this post about Britomart 'Why is Britomart inside out?', and take a look around you ... your home, your work. Do you feel 'hugged' by your city? Evidently, some people do ...
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Fun and Games
A few of us took a trip out to Pt. Chev the other weekend. It was lovely ... fast ... but lovely! And there was also some excellent cake and bike polo at our destination.
Bike polo looks very difficult ... often when people are really skilled at something it looks really easy - so in conclusion, either it is really difficult and/or more practice is required guys .. but it was very entertaining! I've not a clue what the rules are (are there any?), but it was very entertaining.
It has something to do with the items seen in the picture above.
There appeared to be some quite bizarre technical difficulties - but her arms seemed to go back to normal after this!
And play continued.
After an afternoon of lazing in the sun (sorry northern hemisphere, how's the snow?) we left to check out a new(ish) bicycle shop, 'Rode', on the way back to the city.
Some very nice bikes were spied ...
This is Tim's own bicycle - incredibly light and available for the right price, I understand!
I spotted a couple of Velobis (or is that Velorbii, or even Velorbises?) and a Lazy Susan among others.
Then home along the most wonderful North-western cycleway .... why have I never been along this before ... I really must get out more!
This is the most fabulous, direct, dedicated cycle way straight into the city. They are just connecting up the middle section at present, but wow what a resource! It is our own little cycle superhighway right here in Auckland - how cool is that? and why is it not promoted more!?
Unfortunately, when you reach the city it all turns to custard but give it time ...
A round of applause for the signage!
And a standing ovation for the bike lights - they are so sweet and go red and green and red and green and red ... you get the idea! I could have watched them all day - it was like spotting a very rare vulnerable bird species.
Following this I lost the will to take photos (rare, but it happens). I got a PUNCTURE .... so the story ended with quite a bit of walking, a little bit of swearing, and a New Years resolution to always carry a puncture repair kit!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Super Mayors for super cities
Mayors around the world are improving their cities by getting more people on bicycles ...
London
The mayor of London, "Boris Johnson, has set himself the ambitious target of increasing the number of journeys taken by bicycle in the capital by 400 per cent by 2025. In recent years the number of Londoners cycling has soared: the number of cycle journeys has doubled since 2000 to around 500,000 a day" (London Evening Standard)
(ex) Mayor of Yarra city in Melbourne, Jackie Fristacky, is on a mission (Situp-cycle.com)
Paris
"Launched in July 2007 by Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, the Vélib' network (Vélib' = vélo + liberté) is bigger than London's, starting out with 20,000 bikes at 1,450 docking stations, one on average every 300 metres throughout the whole city. Now it has expanded into the suburbs beyond the périphérique too — another 3,300 bikes.
Yet even though Parisians are not really natural cyclists ... they took to the scheme very quickly, pushing up the city's total cycle traffic by a third. 'In the first couple of months it was very trendy to use a Vélib',” says system engineer Raymond del Perugia. 'But they've kept up their popularity.' In the two-and-a-half years since, the grey machines have notched up 61 million trips — an average of almost 80,000 a day. Most bikes get used four to seven times daily." (London Evening Standard)
Yet even though Parisians are not really natural cyclists ... they took to the scheme very quickly, pushing up the city's total cycle traffic by a third. 'In the first couple of months it was very trendy to use a Vélib',” says system engineer Raymond del Perugia. 'But they've kept up their popularity.' In the two-and-a-half years since, the grey machines have notched up 61 million trips — an average of almost 80,000 a day. Most bikes get used four to seven times daily." (London Evening Standard)
Brussels
Danish politican for the Socialist People's Party and current Member of the European Parliament, Margrete Auken, writes:
"Several large European cities are - gradually - starting to realise the blessings of bicycle culture: good for the environment, reducing energy use, better health and the auto-mobility of all traffic users. Both children and the elderly can get around if they can cycle safe and secure.
The city bikes in Paris are a success. In Brussels the bicycles happily turn right at red lights - often on the sidewalk! I cycle myself and it is the most liberating way to get around. And even though the Ardennes mountain range starts in the middle of Brussels, grandma here manages fine with two artificial knees and seven gears!
Bicycles are an obvious solution to the traffic problems in almost all the cities in the world. It is bizarre that they are still ignored. " (Copenhagenize.com)
The city bikes in Paris are a success. In Brussels the bicycles happily turn right at red lights - often on the sidewalk! I cycle myself and it is the most liberating way to get around. And even though the Ardennes mountain range starts in the middle of Brussels, grandma here manages fine with two artificial knees and seven gears!
Bicycles are an obvious solution to the traffic problems in almost all the cities in the world. It is bizarre that they are still ignored. " (Copenhagenize.com)
Auckland
Will Auckland ever get a mayor with the vision (and balls) to make such improvements here?
P.S. If you're thinking of applying for the job (Auckland super city mayor) read this, check out some of the links on this site, and talk to some ordinary people riding bikes (preferably the ones that are cycling with their clothes on!)
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