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Post by lagatta on Feb 8, 2009 17:31:07 GMT
I started this in the Europe category because Amsterdam and Copenhagen have such a lead on any other major cities, and Paris of all places has made enormous progress as a cycling-friendly city. But if this could "faire des petits" on threads about other continents, that would be great too! And of course about smaller towns and the countryside, but in the same (putterish) spirit. I've also been on a bicycle in Strasbourg and Ferrara. Don't mean racing, and certainly not wearing "gear". I'm a middle-aged woman, not particularly athletic, but ride my old 6-speed ladies' Raleigh Sprite most of the year (even yesterday, as the snow and ice had melted off the roads, but I don't ride all winter in icy weather). Then I took Sprite in to give her a new chain and dérailleur, and a nice tune-up. amsterdamize.com/ and copenhagencyclechic.com/ are two of the top sites about "cycling in normal clothes" or "cyclechic" (though of course one need not be chic). Just remembering that lycra is not necessary... |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2009 18:51:05 GMT
How strange that anybody would think that "cycling clothes" are required to ride a bicycle. In Paris, you now see lots of businessmen in suits on bicycles, somewhat fewer businesswomen, but they are there also, sometimes with heels.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 8, 2009 20:28:38 GMT
Forever & ever people rode any kind of bike they owned, while wearing clothes appropriate to where they were going. Then -- probably through the miracle of advertizing -- in order to ride a bike you needed a helmet custom fitted to your cranium, a titanium steed with 111 gears even if you lived in Holland, and special form-fitting clothing to wick away persperation and reduce wind drag. Kinda kills the convenience & spontaneity of having a bike, doesn't it?
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Post by lagatta on Feb 8, 2009 21:06:47 GMT
But if you have the aerodynamic helmet, kit and 111 gears, they you'll pedal like Lance or Indurain! That is the true miracle of advertising. The number of portly, middle-aged civil servants I've seen in such get-ups, especially in Ottawa... Fortunately that is less popular here in Montréal, where the majority of cyclists (who aren't actually training) ride in ordinary clothing.
I love my old Raleigh. In Dutch cities you need zero gears (though perhaps you might want some if you are cycling overland against the North Sea wind, which can be as rough as hills). Here in Montréal we do have some hills of consequence, including Mt-Royal, which is actually referred to as a "mountain", rather laughably, so it is nice to have a few speeds, but nobody needs 21. New bicycles get stolen almost immediately here as in most cities.
I love the way Dutch tradespersons ride to work in their coveralls, painters' clothes, whatever.
I'd certainly rather cycle in heels than walk any distance in them - you just have to make sure you pedal with the ball of your foot.
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Post by auntieannie on Feb 9, 2009 20:29:41 GMT
Geneva in Switzerland has a riding policy with bikes for rent for free (with deposit).
England is starting to develop its network of cycle paths.
Maybe not cycling gear as such, but different clothing than the office clothes is sometimes required. you don't want to cycle to work in a suit and sweat in your shirt and get showered by violent rain as is often the case in this beautiful country... so my bf wears different outfit for cycling to work and to work.
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Post by BigIain on Feb 11, 2009 8:17:31 GMT
Read yesterday that London are going to have 5000 "velib" type bikes available by the start of 2010. I also read that a huge number of Paris ones have been stolen or vandalised.
The link to it will not work but here is just one quote
"Of the 20,000 "Velib" bikes provided in the French capital, 7,800 have vanished"
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2009 8:50:26 GMT
Just so long as they keep replacing them... Apparently, the Vélib bikes have even been found in Africa.
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Post by BigIain on Feb 11, 2009 8:56:15 GMT
now THAT is what I call a bike ride!!!
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Post by onlymark on Feb 11, 2009 9:03:55 GMT
Germany is riddled with cycle paths, which is a good thing, and in the cities they often form the largest part of the pavement, which is a bad thing. God help you if you're out for an evening stroll with your partner, holding hands, and one of you strays onto the cycle path as the footpath narrows. You get a resounding chorus of bells, cyclists screeching to a halt on purpose behind you and shouting at you to get off. Then you get one of these coming past at 40km per hour and whipping your ankles away -  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2009 9:49:43 GMT
In Paris, too, pedestrians are having a hard time adapting to this new kind of traffic. I don't even always have the bell-ringing reflex so when people are looking the wrong direction, there can be problems.
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Post by lagatta on Feb 11, 2009 18:59:32 GMT
Mark, aren't there also pavements for pedestrians? I'm more often in Amsterdam, and there are both. Have also seen both in Germany - isn't it a matter of the pedestrians not seeing that they are on the cycle path?
Kerouac, give it time. Do you have a bicycle?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2009 19:10:49 GMT
No, but I use Vélib about 4 or 5 times a day.
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Post by onlymark on Feb 11, 2009 19:55:54 GMT
Lagatta - mostly where I lived in Frankfurt the cycle path within the town formed part of the pavement. The section closest to the road was for bikes. There are separate cycle paths in the outskirts and in places where there was enough room and there were pavements purely for pedestrians in some places. But usually along most of the roads it was dual usage. I've been searching for a picture but the best I can come up with is this one which is not so representative -  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2009 20:31:05 GMT
Great progress has been made in the last 10 years in Paris and the suburbs. A lot of the cycle paths are completely separate like this one. Unfortunately, it doesn't always keep the pedestrians off them.  |
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Post by BigIain on Feb 13, 2009 11:40:43 GMT
No city will ever be so zealous as Amsterdam for cycle paths!! That is why I used to like to visit that city, and worked there for a while.
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Post by bazfaz on Feb 15, 2009 7:33:28 GMT
Stretching the subject a little...
Yesterday, here in Luxor, we saw a group of 20 Germans on rollerblades. With the cracked paving and crazy traffic this is the last place I'd think of doing ir.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2009 11:19:06 GMT
Those amazing Germans! They are always looking for something inappropriate to do.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2011 8:35:23 GMT
Gee, this was one of the very first threads on this site. I thought it was interesting to revisit it, since we have discussed cycling quite a bit on other threads since then.
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Post by liga on Mar 5, 2012 21:42:55 GMT
Nice topic!
Here in Florence, Italy, the bike is a must have. Everyone goes by bike, although it is not at all bike-user-friendly city. There are like 2 bicycle tracks (sorry, I don't remember the right word), and all the rest are the same roads used by buses, cars and scooters. So actually most of the time you have to be really aware about your surroundings. And then you have to be always aware of your bike's whereabouts! If your bike is too fancy, but also if it is old and ugly, if it is locked just with one chain - you may not find it on the next day. So never,never leave your bike on the street if it is brand new! That's the golden rule. ;D
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Post by fumobici on Mar 5, 2012 23:11:01 GMT
There's always the chance you'll see your stolen bike and have a marker handy. Which is what I presume the story behind this bike I saw in Florence was ;D  |
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Post by liga on Mar 5, 2012 23:23:23 GMT
ahahahaaaa, this one is great! I guess the old owner was quite mad!!!!!
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Post by lagatta on Mar 6, 2012 0:47:09 GMT
The last time I was in Florence, a friend and I saw a thief STEALING A BICYCLE, cutting its chain and making off with it. There was nothing we could do. It was a crappy old bicycle, but it may have been loved and needed...
I did notice a lot of cyclists there, but they should push for better infrastructure. Sometimes this will be shared, on narrow streets.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2012 9:32:29 GMT
I was looking to see which cities in Italy have a bike sharing system, but I only found this article from 2009. The English language wiki about bike sharing is hopelessly out of date, and now that so many cities around the world have a system, I suppose it is no longer possible to keep up with them -- it would be like trying to update which cities have municipal streetlights. |
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Post by liga on Mar 6, 2012 14:55:07 GMT
I was looking to see which cities in Italy have a bike sharing system, but I only found this article from 2009. The English language wiki about bike sharing is hopelessly out of date, and now that so many cities around the world have a system, I suppose it is no longer possible to keep up with them -- it would be like trying to update which cities have municipal streetlights. There was bike sharing in Rome and Milan, but in no time all the bikes got stolen....... |
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 7, 2012 2:03:08 GMT
Here is some bike-ish news: Dutch educators have devised a wonderfully positive way to get kids to and from school -- by letting them pedal there themselves on a brand new fleet of bicycle buses.<-- click I have to wonder what happens in heavy precipitation. |
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 7, 2012 8:45:55 GMT
This is a good idea! Gives the little brats some exercise!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2012 9:18:47 GMT
I think there are some applications of this that would be suitable for adults in flat downtown areas.
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Post by lagatta on Mar 8, 2012 0:10:03 GMT
I've seen Dutch pedalling in all weathers - it is a very rainy climate - they wear special ponchos that are longer in the front (that cover their arms when pedalling). These can be bought in general goods shops such as HEMA and aren't very expensive.
That is great, as a lot of those kids do look a bit young to be commuting on their own. It would also keep the kids occupied, and fighting less, which is why the tall blonde young woman in charge of the vehicle can be smiling.
As for adults, there are already vehicles for two adults side by side, or more, in particular for blind or visually-impaired people who want to cycle.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2012 20:00:48 GMT
Hema is now spreading across France. I might look to see if they have those ponchos in the Paris stores.
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Post by lagatta on Mar 10, 2012 23:38:38 GMT
I knew there were a few HEMA shops in France (after many in Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Germany) but they are expanding more?
Yes, it would be interesting to see if they carry their utilitarian cycling line, with the uptake in same in France.
Hema has great toiletteries - gentle, not over-perfumed, at reasonable prices.
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