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Welcome to Velo Vision magazine, covering specialised bikes, cycling as transport and human power. It's a quarterly dose of cycle inspiration.The current issue is Issue 16. The next issue is out early March 2005. Velo Vision Forum: main page
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New year news roundupWelcome back! Pedicabs in New York, a new rickshaw forum, more London pedicab vs taxi news, human-power world trip update, hacked bikes in Germany, and a cycle parking guide. Welcome back for 2005. Here's to a new cycling year, and best wishes to all our readers. More stories to come shortly, but here's a few of the 'news in brief' items which have been stacking up... Rickshaw/pedicab matters Thanks to Stephen Bach for this link to a New York Times story about pedicabs coming into conflict with taxis and horse-drawn transport, mirroring the situation we described in London in Issue 15. Free registration may be required to view. Meanwhile, Spanish pedicab company Trixi have set up an international Rickshaw Forum to help bring the industry together. Not many posts as yet, but could be a useful resource as it gets going. Finally, in London the taxi operators have been busy in their PR war with pedicab operators, as this Evening Standard article (found on the Trixi forum site) explains, by releasing "simulated crash" video footage, which appears to prove that cars are dangerous :-). London's pedicab operators have now formed an association - not much for the public on their website as yet. Human power circumnavigation Expedition 360 is "The First Human Powered Around the World Expedition" - and they mean it - no jet flights for these guys, just pedal powered boats and land vehicles. They're now appealing for sponsorship/funds to tackle the leg of their journey through Indonesia. Check the their current expedition status page for details and updates. Hacked bikes As noted on this Slashdot story and in many other places (and forwarded to me by several people), computer hackers recently targetted some electronically-controlled hire bikes offered by the German railways to get themselves free rides. How to get cycle parking put in Life Cycle UK has produced a guide to getting cycle parking facilities put in: *** The new publication aims to help local authorities and voluntary sector groups across the country set up cycle parking schemes. Produced by Life Cycle UK, the cycle promotion charity, the Guide, entitled "Take a Stand: How to set up a community cycling project" explains in detail how to set up, fund, administer and monitor a community cycle parking scheme modelled on the successful Take a Stand initiative in Bristol. Take a Stand offers small businesses, voluntary sector groups, shops, surgeries, schools and other community-focussed organisations two free Sheffield-type cycle parking stands. In Bristol, supported by Bristol City Council, the scheme has operated with great success for eight years. Hundreds of stands have been installed and, in a follow-up study, 86% of recipients reported a decrease in cycle theft and 46% said that cycle use had increased. Life Cycle UK's Director, Peter Andrews, said: "Theft is a major deterrent to cycle use. An estimated 750,000 bicycles are stolen in the UK every year and most are never recovered. It's far more than an inconvenience, it can often be the final straw: research shows that many people do not replace the bike, they simply give up cycling altogether. Our project enables people to do something practical to combat bike theft and to show that they are encouraging and supporting cycling." The Guide is an "off the peg" resource which will enable Take a Stand projects to be established in towns and cities across the UK. Copies of "Take a Stand: How to set up a community cycle parking project" cost £10 and are available through Life Cycle UK's website www.lifecycleuk.org.uk or by phoning 0117 929 0440. *** Posted on 05 January 2005 Your comments ...
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