There is an excellent website about cycle way design based on experience in Copenhagen called http://www.copenhagenize.com. It is almost heavenly to cycle in Copenhagen, but it has taken 40 years of hard graft to get to the point where over a third of all journeys in the Copenhagen metropolitan area are made by bike.
We and well over a hundred others managed to achieve this nirvana this morning. The German Cardiologists Society met in Mannheim this week and today there was a cycle ride as part of a campaign to popularise exercise as a way of keeping heart problems at bay. Our cycle club, the ADFC supplied experienced cyclists to ride with the group. We were amongst these and left the Mannheim Congress Centre with about 100 others. When I heard the route described which included riding along Mannheim's ring to the then dive under the railway lines to reach the Rhine, I was not happy. However we had four police motorcyclists with us and they blocked off traffic on any road joining that could have given us problems. This is a cheap and simple way of finding out what it is like to cycle in Copenhagen, but it might be difficult to arrange for a Sunday club run.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Somebody is offering one of our books free of charge without permission.
We picked up a website supposedly offering our Romantic Road book for free. We would like to stress that we have no connection with this website and if any of our books are on offer free of charge it is so without our permission.
The website concerned looks serious, but… The supposed ISBN changes every time that one opens the link. The publisher is supposedly a reputable scientific book publisher. We self-publish. Interestingly enough another guide book about the Romantic Road is also supposedly available from this website and this publisher. We have no connection with the supposed publisher neither does the other guide book publisher.
I have not attempted to download the book because it could be a phishing ploy. I am very suspicious. I would suggest that if you wish to read our book you log on to Amazon or Smashwords and pay the few dollars it costs. It is safer. You could lose a lot of money otherwise.
The website concerned looks serious, but… The supposed ISBN changes every time that one opens the link. The publisher is supposedly a reputable scientific book publisher. We self-publish. Interestingly enough another guide book about the Romantic Road is also supposedly available from this website and this publisher. We have no connection with the supposed publisher neither does the other guide book publisher.
I have not attempted to download the book because it could be a phishing ploy. I am very suspicious. I would suggest that if you wish to read our book you log on to Amazon or Smashwords and pay the few dollars it costs. It is safer. You could lose a lot of money otherwise.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Protecting your banana
Like a lot of cyclists and walkers we enjoy eating bananas when underway. They give a quick boost of energy, are fibre rich and less sugary than energy bars as well as being a good source of potassium, although there are better sources: See (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/potassium-foods-banana_n_1898078.html). Surprisingly these include squash, potatoes, beans and dates. However eating a baked potato or a plate of beans on the road might be difficult when powering over the Alps.
The big problem with bananas is that although they come ready packed, the packaging disintegrates under pressure. You are quite likely to end up with a soggy mess at the bottom of a rucksack or in the rear pocket of your expensive cycling jersey. Protection is called for and the best banana packaging we have found is called Banana Guard (bananaguard.com). Banana Guards are plasticiser-free and dishwashable. There are retailers all over the world. We bought ours from Lakeland Plastics in the UK: http://www.lakeland.co.uk/10380/Banana-Guard.
The one thing we don't understand is that the Banana Guard company is Canadian and can only think that it is so difficult to grow bananas in Canada that somebody felt it necessary to develop protection methods for the fruit.
The big problem with bananas is that although they come ready packed, the packaging disintegrates under pressure. You are quite likely to end up with a soggy mess at the bottom of a rucksack or in the rear pocket of your expensive cycling jersey. Protection is called for and the best banana packaging we have found is called Banana Guard (bananaguard.com). Banana Guards are plasticiser-free and dishwashable. There are retailers all over the world. We bought ours from Lakeland Plastics in the UK: http://www.lakeland.co.uk/10380/Banana-Guard.
The one thing we don't understand is that the Banana Guard company is Canadian and can only think that it is so difficult to grow bananas in Canada that somebody felt it necessary to develop protection methods for the fruit.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Bike Hire in Provence (France) near Mont Ventoux
If you are planning a holiday in Provence and would like to cycle up Mont Ventoux or wander round the lanes thinking about climbing the hill, rather than taking a bike with you, you could hire one from VELO RELAX DU VENTOUX, T: 04 90 11 72 65 / 06 27 33 05 55, N°2 Le cours, 84570 VILLE SUR AUZON (FRANCE), www.velorelaxduventoux.com (in French)
The shop offers e-bikes, road bikes, touring bikes and children's seats for hire, has a repair shop and sells bicycles and accessories. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 12 am and 2 pm to 6 pm. It is open Sunday mornings. Bikes can be reserved but only if you are hiring for more than one day. There are reductions for groups. The shop will deliver to local hotels and holiday flats at a cost of €1 per km.
- E-bikes (v.a.e) cost €35 per day and €180 per week. Returnable deposit is €750.
- Road bikes (Route) cost €30 per day and €170 per week. Returnable deposit is €300.
- Touring bikes (v.t.c.) cost €20 per day and €80 per week. Returnable deposit is €200.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Bike hire in Dubrovnik, Croatia
The Teuta travel agency, Trumbićev put 3, 20210 Cavtat, T: +385 20 479 786 & +385 91 882 5797, E: info@cavtat.biz, hires Trek bicycles for €15 a day with reductions for longer term hire.
Cavtat is between Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik airport and can be reached by bus or boat from Dubrovnik. The first days hire includes a shuttle up hill to the start of the local cycling trails, which sounds a bit ominous. Check www.cavtat.biz for more details.
Cavtat is between Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik airport and can be reached by bus or boat from Dubrovnik. The first days hire includes a shuttle up hill to the start of the local cycling trails, which sounds a bit ominous. Check www.cavtat.biz for more details.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
You are paying a pound for a bottle of drinking water? Are you off your trolley?
If any teacher had told us at school 50 or so years ago that people would pay serious money for the stuff that came out of the tap for almost nothing we would not have believed them. It now happens all the time in Germany. Even people on basic social support payments (Hartz 4) buy the stuff at the start of the month when they have been paid. The mind boggles. We went on a two day course last weekend and most of the group slurped commercially bottled water for much of the time. Some of these bottled waters are just filtered tap water, anyway. Why one needs to drink so much water when sitting about listening to a lecture on First Aid we have no idea. We were not powering up Mt Ventoux in summer and in urgent danger of dehydration.
Then it seems that a plasticiser used in many of these bottles to improve their flexibility, can leach out into the water. This compound resembles a hormone. The long term health effects of absorbing synthetic compounds that resemble hormones has yet to be established. It is however probably better to avoid them if possible. There are plastic bottles available that do not contain plasticiser, such as water bottles from Dopper, Klean Kanteen, and Sigg, for example.
We were much impressed by the Dopper water bottles we saw at VELOBerlin. These are stylish, plastic or steel bottles that come with an integral drinking beaker. Two sizes are available: 500ml (plastic) and 800ml (stainless steel and plastic). The plastic used is inert without the addition of plasticiser. Unfortunately the stand only had the 500ml variation on offer and these are too narrow to fit in a bike water bottle holder. They are ideal for a rucksack or even to carry on a belt while jogging. They normally cost €12.50. The steel bottles cost €27.50 which is about par for quality steel water bottles. We like the concept of the integral cup which means that one can offer others a drink without them slurping our bugs down or adding to the bugs in the bottle.
The other thing we liked about Dopper is that these guys are serious about water. They support a Dutch charity in Nepal bringing clean water and decent sanitation to a particular region and have also set up a foundation to try to educate people about the misuse of plastics and the problems of plastic litter in the oceans and lakes of the world. Having both helped in our town's annual volunteer clean up of the woods and roadsides we think a German foundation would be an excellent idea as well. When we return to the UK we notice unfortunately that as in the slogan of our youth: "The litter lout is still about!". Much of this litter in the UK is plastic drink bottles.
Price wise the quality bottles in steel are much of a muchness. I reckon around €30 buying them mail order. A thought experiment suggests that if you go out on club runs at weekends and have a two week cycle touring holiday you will probably get through at least 32 750ml bottles, i.e. 24L annually. Bottled water bought from supermarkets costs between 20 and 50 cents a litre. Bottled water from a kiosk or bakery on a railway station will cost at least €1 for 500ml. Within two years your steel water bottle filled with tap water will be saving you money and will continue to do so.
Dopper offers an app to help you find a source of drinking water when travelling. What the app does not mention is that most villages in Switzerland have drinking water fountains in the main street. We also look for public toilets, in cemeteries and sports fields in France and Germany, where the wash hand basins have water taps. The words to look out for are Kein Trinkwasser (Germany, Switzerland) or eau non potable (France) - Not Drinking Water. Obviously Trinkwasser and eau potable are drinking water. What we often do as well is fill our bottles in the toilets/restrooms of cafés after we have had coffee there.
Then it seems that a plasticiser used in many of these bottles to improve their flexibility, can leach out into the water. This compound resembles a hormone. The long term health effects of absorbing synthetic compounds that resemble hormones has yet to be established. It is however probably better to avoid them if possible. There are plastic bottles available that do not contain plasticiser, such as water bottles from Dopper, Klean Kanteen, and Sigg, for example.
We were much impressed by the Dopper water bottles we saw at VELOBerlin. These are stylish, plastic or steel bottles that come with an integral drinking beaker. Two sizes are available: 500ml (plastic) and 800ml (stainless steel and plastic). The plastic used is inert without the addition of plasticiser. Unfortunately the stand only had the 500ml variation on offer and these are too narrow to fit in a bike water bottle holder. They are ideal for a rucksack or even to carry on a belt while jogging. They normally cost €12.50. The steel bottles cost €27.50 which is about par for quality steel water bottles. We like the concept of the integral cup which means that one can offer others a drink without them slurping our bugs down or adding to the bugs in the bottle.
The other thing we liked about Dopper is that these guys are serious about water. They support a Dutch charity in Nepal bringing clean water and decent sanitation to a particular region and have also set up a foundation to try to educate people about the misuse of plastics and the problems of plastic litter in the oceans and lakes of the world. Having both helped in our town's annual volunteer clean up of the woods and roadsides we think a German foundation would be an excellent idea as well. When we return to the UK we notice unfortunately that as in the slogan of our youth: "The litter lout is still about!". Much of this litter in the UK is plastic drink bottles.
Price wise the quality bottles in steel are much of a muchness. I reckon around €30 buying them mail order. A thought experiment suggests that if you go out on club runs at weekends and have a two week cycle touring holiday you will probably get through at least 32 750ml bottles, i.e. 24L annually. Bottled water bought from supermarkets costs between 20 and 50 cents a litre. Bottled water from a kiosk or bakery on a railway station will cost at least €1 for 500ml. Within two years your steel water bottle filled with tap water will be saving you money and will continue to do so.
Dopper offers an app to help you find a source of drinking water when travelling. What the app does not mention is that most villages in Switzerland have drinking water fountains in the main street. We also look for public toilets, in cemeteries and sports fields in France and Germany, where the wash hand basins have water taps. The words to look out for are Kein Trinkwasser (Germany, Switzerland) or eau non potable (France) - Not Drinking Water. Obviously Trinkwasser and eau potable are drinking water. What we often do as well is fill our bottles in the toilets/restrooms of cafés after we have had coffee there.
Monday, April 07, 2014
Guided cycle touring in Germany
I was pleased to find the http://www.mecklenburger-radtour.de/en/cycling-holidays website (in English) today. The company offers guided and self-guided tours for English speakers all over Germany and Austria. It is well worth checking out if you would like to tour by bicycle in either of these cyclist friendly nations, but don't want the bother of booking hotels in a foreign language.
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Over the Hills of Rheinhessen on a hired E-Bike
Rheinhessen is a wine growing area of Germany south and west of the Rhine knee near Mainz. It is an area of rolling hills with smooth roads through the vineyards which makes it ideal for tours made easier using an e-bike. We put a route through the area in our book "Following the Rhine gently upstream, Rotterdam to Basel, a Cycle Tourist's Guide" available from Amazon and Smashwords. It was hard work surveying the route and so we were pleased to read that the local utility company EWR together with Riese and Müller, the bicycle manufacturer, the Rheinhessen tourist authority and three cycle shops have organised an e-bike hire system to take the hard work out of cycling through the vineyards of Rheinhessen along one of the ten regional cycle routes with a total length of about 600km:
The pedelecs used are Blue Label Swing from Riese & Müller, fully sprung with hydraulic brakes and a range of about 70 km. Chargers are on the e-bikes,
so that the battery can be charged during lunch. The new rental system now allows a ' one way
rental', - so you can rent the e-bike at any rental
station and return it at any other rental station. Costs are EUR 21.00 per day or EUR 15.00 for a half
day,
More details available from:
Rheinhessen-Touristik GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 17
55218 Ingelheim am Rhein
Telephone (06132) 44 17 0
Telefax (06132) 44 17 44
Email: info@rheinhessen.info
Website: www.rheinhessen.info
Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 17
55218 Ingelheim am Rhein
Telephone (06132) 44 17 0
Telefax (06132) 44 17 44
Email: info@rheinhessen.info
Website: www.rheinhessen.info
Monday, March 31, 2014
An easy way to carry shopping and loads on a bicycle
Two of the many things that cause my blood pressure to rise are seeing people riding a bike with a heavy rucksack or trying to steer while clutching one or two heavily laden shopping bags. To be fair it is not always possible or convenient to use panniers while shopping or you may not want to buy shopper pannier bags or a trailer. We were both pleased to find a sensible device at the VELOBerlin bike show last weekend that modifies a normal baggage rack to carry shopping bags, rucksacks, IKEA blue carrier bags and almost anything else safely.
It's simple to build yourself either in cardboard, in metal or in metal/plastic sheet. There are plans to manufacture and sell the product or offer licences to manufacturers. Check www.hangload.com. It would be quite useful for touring especially when camping too. It is a good, simple, cheap idea that brings flexibility to load carrying.
 |
| Copyright: Darius M. Hajiani |
It's simple to build yourself either in cardboard, in metal or in metal/plastic sheet. There are plans to manufacture and sell the product or offer licences to manufacturers. Check www.hangload.com. It would be quite useful for touring especially when camping too. It is a good, simple, cheap idea that brings flexibility to load carrying.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Vennbahn revisited
We went to the annual Frankfurt cycle touring fair yesterday, We spent some time talking to the LVI - the Luxembourg Cycle Club about what to to do after cycling the Vennbahn. This starts in Aachen and finishes in Troisvierges in the North of the Grand Duchy. We learned several items of interest:
- The signposting on the Vennbahn has been improved.
- The Vennbahn is not all tarmac
- Cycling on after the Vennbahn in Luxembourg is not easy. You can cycle East into Belgium and pick up the Ravel route to Bastogne. From there you can cycle to Wiltz in Luxembourg, then cycle along the Piste Cyclable des Ardennes to reach the Sûre Valley to cycle to Echternach or on to Wasserbillig on the Mosel. Once on the Mosel you can cycle downstream to Koblenz, turn off on to the Saar Cycle Route to Saarbrücken or cycle upstream to Nancy. From Echternach take a pleasant cycle route to Luxembourg City.
- OR you can take any Luxembourg Railway train from Troisvierges to Luxembourg for €2 per person with free bike transport. If you want to travel further by train a day ticket costs €4 within Luxembourg.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Fines for mobile phone users in traffic
If you keep your eyes open in traffic in Germany you observe that the use of "Haendys" - mobile or cell phones by drivers although illegal is very common, even while driving in heavy traffic on motorways. This law applies to any driver in charge of any vehicle from a articulated 35 tonne lorry/truck to a bicycle. However for some reason unknown the law does not apply to pedestrians. I wonder why not. We observed a number of people in Mannheim today texting while crossing quite busy roads. Whether they too are completely aware of their environment is questionable. What this means is that cyclists need to take especial care when cycling on mixed pedestrian/cyclist footpaths.
 |
| Mind that pedestrian! They might be using a mobile. |
Monday, March 17, 2014
Good Ideas for Bikes in Cities: Cycling after illness
In the West at least people are living longer, but not always that healthier, so there is a need for new and modified bicycles and tricycles to solve problems caused by disability.
- Heavy Pedals Lastenrad Transport- und Verkauf OG in Vienna (www.heavypedals.at) construct a cargo trike that will carry a wheelchair. The company offers courier services in Vienna and sells and has a range of cargo bikes and trailers for hire.
- Anton Wiegers builds recumbent bikes and tandems, including the Janus Tandem where the captain and stoker face in different directions. He also constructs kits (Opus 3) to modify bicycles to be used as tricycles in cases where illness has removed balancing capabilities. He usually has a number of bicycles available that can be hired for a (half) day trip. If you fancy especially whizzing around quiet country roads backwards give him a call to book an appointment and to ensure that the bicycle of interest is available. Altena-Bike, Anton Wiegers, Korn 19, 4271 BM Dussen, NetherlandsT: 031 (0)416-391420 Email: info@altena-bike.nl Web: www.altena-bike.nl (In Dutch but much of it is understandable)
- In about a months time SPEZI Special Bike Show in Germersheim will be opening its doors (26-27 April 2014). The exhibition is good place to talk to experts about special bikes or trikes. Many of the major constructors are present.
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
An excellent article on cycling in cities
can be found under: http://mosaicscience.com under "City cycling: health versus hazard".
Sunday, March 02, 2014
Preview SPEZI Special Bicycle Show Germersheim 2014
It is SPEZI time again on 26 and 27 April 2014. SPEZI, the Special Bike Show held in the Stadthalle, (City Hall) Gemersheim, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany is the worlds biggest folder, trike, recumbent, velomobile, tandem exhibition.There will be about 100 exhibitors from twelve countries and 10,000 visitors from over 20 countries are expected. Admittedly most of these are German, but in addition there are six US, four Czech and eight Dutch companies exhibiting. There are lectures in German or English on Saturday and Sunday in the basement of Hall 3. The opening times are between 10.00 and 18.00. Admission: 9.50 € (adults), 7.50 € (reduced), 19.00 € (family). The admission price includes an exhibition catalogue.
We live about 50km away from Germersheim. It is an easy one and a half hour journey by train and Brompton. We have often been over the years. The photographs we have taken show the development of exhibition. Originally it was in two halls. There was space in 2003 to show off one's own bike on the paved area in front of the Stadthalle riding round and round in circles:
In 2003 the stands were often just a collection of bikes put together:
It was great fun, albeit slightly chaotic, but very enthusiastic. This spirit still lives on even though the stands are more professional theses days:
You can still talk to design and construction staff with the object you wish to talk about in front of you. Makes life a lot easier. There are two test areas where you can practise on a range of bikes and trikes. You'll need your passport and an entry ticket to gain admission to the test area. In addition you will need patience. Bike/trike testing is a very popular activity.
We live about 50km away from Germersheim. It is an easy one and a half hour journey by train and Brompton. We have often been over the years. The photographs we have taken show the development of exhibition. Originally it was in two halls. There was space in 2003 to show off one's own bike on the paved area in front of the Stadthalle riding round and round in circles:
This space is now used for the outdoor exhibition, where some even more unusual bikes are to be seen:
 |
| A mobile beer stand based on a pedelec trike. Unfortunately in spite of the heat the beer was not for sale. |
 |
| A sail bike? |
 |
| One solution to the problem of taking a child with you and making sure that they work. |
 |
| A Danish cargo bike. |
Getting there by bike, trike or quad cycle.
Dead easy! The Rhine cycle route (Vélo Rhin) on the left bank of the river leads directly to Germersheim: northwards from Karlsruhe / Wörth / France and southwards from Speyer / Ludwigshafen. (This is covered in our new Rhine Two cycling guide 8.99€ from Amazon and Smashwords. It is due out shortly.) You don't have to take a Brompton, but it is amazing to see so many of them gathered together.Public Transport
There are excellent bike carrying rail links (S-Bahn) from Bruchsal, Karlsruhe, Speyer, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim and Heidelberg. The railway station is quarter of an hours walk away from the Stadthalle. The route is signposted or you download a town plan from the SPEZI website (http://www.spezialradmesse.de/wcms/?welcome). Normally you can hitch a lift on a seven or eight person tandem trike, but you are expected to pedal.Getting to Germersheim.
You can take high speed trains from London via Paris or Brussels to Mannheim or Karlsruhe or if you must you can fly to Frankfurt, Hahn, Stuttgart or Karlsruhe-Baden-Baden airports.Overnight
Although it might be difficult to find accommodation in Germersheim itself, there should be no problem finding somewhere to stop in Speyer, Karlsruhe and Heidelberg. Contact the Tourist Office in Germersheim (http://www.suedpfalz-tourismus.de/en/startseite.html?no_cache=1). The southern part of the Palatinate (Südpfalz) is great place for touring by bicycle or tricycle with many kilometres of signposted cycle routes, vineyards and quaint little villages. Germersheim was fortified in the 19th century to protect Germany's borders against the French. The fortifications were partly demolished under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in the 1920s, but there are still a number of interesting buildings in the town.
Eating at SPEZI
Unlike the major exhibitions like the Frankfurt Book Fair, where you pay an arm and a leg for your cup of coffee etc., you can leave the halls here to go and eat in the town. There is no need however, there is an excellent restaurant (by Hall 2) and a snack bar (in the basement) in the Stadthalle.Saturday, March 01, 2014
Good Ideas for Bikes in Cities: Illuminated Biking Gloves for dark nights
Irene Posch, a Viennese designer (www.ireneposch.net) has developed a pair of cycling gloves with integrated LEDs on the back, conductive areas on the palm and finger ends and a small battery. The five LED lights are in the shape of an arrow. Clenching the fist causes the LEDs to light up. They will greatly improve cyclists' visibility on a dark night. A good idea. The gloves also have conductive areas on the fingertips
that allow for touchscreen use. However, we’d recommend that you not use
your phone while on a bike. It is bad enough that motorists continue to use mobiles while driving.
Kits are available to modify a pair of knitted gloves from:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/172316800/diy-kit-biking-glowes-as-featured-in?ref=related-0
Kits are available to modify a pair of knitted gloves from:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/172316800/diy-kit-biking-glowes-as-featured-in?ref=related-0
Friday, February 21, 2014
Putting yourself and a bike on a long distance bus in Britain, Germany and the rest of Europe
We have written before about travel by long-distance bus in Germany. The bus market in Germany has blossomed since last year when the restrictions on long-distance bus routes designed in the 1930s to protect the railways were removed. Some bus companies offer bicycle transport. The www.checkmybus.de website offers information about bus routes and bicycle transport. It is in German and English and easy to use.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Cinema for the ears on Bavarian cycle routes
We came across an excellent idea at the tourist exhibition in Stuttgart. A regional tourist organisation in Bavaria has set up a series of points on some cycle routes where visitors can tune into an iPod type broadcast on local features (www.bayerisch-schwaben.de/lauschtour). Visitors use an app on their own mobile/cell phone or on a hired iPod to listen to a short documentary on, e.g. the meteor collision that formed the giant crater around Nördlingen, N of Augsburg. Unfortunately these broadcasts are only in German and in dialect at that. They are not much use to non German speakers. This idea could however be adopted in the UK in the Lake District, for example, with talks on Beatrix Potter, Wordsworth, Thirlmere and Arthur Ransome.
Saturday, February 08, 2014
Fahrradstraßen (Bicycle Roads) in Baden Württemberg
The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fahrradfreundlicher Kommunen in Baden Württemberg (AGFK BW) - Working Party for Cyclist Friendly Communities in Baden Württemberg is, as its name suggests an organisation dedicated to improving cycling facilities in the province. Our previous blog reported on the trend towards painted bike lanes rather than building bike paths. This week I picked up a flyer from the organisation about Fahrradstraßen (Bicycle Roads). This is another cheap approach. The community defines a road as a Fahrradstraße - Bicycle Road, brings in a 30kph speed limit, puts up a few signs and that's that. In theory cyclists have priority and motorists drive more slowly with more consideration for cyclists. Cyclists can cycle side by side. If they then block motorists the motorists slow right down (in theory).
I sometimes wonder whether politicians and traffic planners live in the real world. We have a Fahrradstraße in our town running from a few 100m away to the local shopping centre/mall. We have never tried to cycle two abreast. Much of the road has priority over side streets. Motorists drive faster. It strikes us as being just about as safe and convenient as the minor roads in the town. When we are cycling to the local shopping centre/mall we often cycle along a wider, busier road. It is quicker and as safe.
Maybe matters are different in Baden Württemberg. I read recently that the AGFK BW has publicity material about Fahrradstraßen including leaflets to hang on car doors. This can be distributed locally. Our Fahrradstraße is about 20 years old and people forget. We suspect it is necessary to have a campaign every few years to remind folk what the signs are there for or to tell them if they are newcomers.
I sometimes wonder whether politicians and traffic planners live in the real world. We have a Fahrradstraße in our town running from a few 100m away to the local shopping centre/mall. We have never tried to cycle two abreast. Much of the road has priority over side streets. Motorists drive faster. It strikes us as being just about as safe and convenient as the minor roads in the town. When we are cycling to the local shopping centre/mall we often cycle along a wider, busier road. It is quicker and as safe.
Maybe matters are different in Baden Württemberg. I read recently that the AGFK BW has publicity material about Fahrradstraßen including leaflets to hang on car doors. This can be distributed locally. Our Fahrradstraße is about 20 years old and people forget. We suspect it is necessary to have a campaign every few years to remind folk what the signs are there for or to tell them if they are newcomers.
Sunday, February 02, 2014
Cycleways are too expensive in Baden Württemberg
Baden Württemberg is the big square German province in the SW of the country. It was ruled by the conservative CDU since 1960 and so it was a major surprise when the Green Party and the SPD obtained enough seats to oust the CDU two years ago. The election results were good news for cyclists in the SW of Germany. The new government promised better public transport and more cycleways. The government is attempting to set up a cycling strategy to encourage cycling in the province. At present the government is asking cyclists what they think - in online surveys, in interviews at exhibitions, in workshops - and how matters could be improved.
One result that has already been announced is that it is unlikely that new cycleways will be built. Instead urban roads, restricted to 50km/h will be narrowed by the addition of a painted strip along the edge of the road. It is claimed by a group of cyclist friendly communities in the province that the narrower roads lead to slower speeds and motorists take more care in overtaking.
One result that has already been announced is that it is unlikely that new cycleways will be built. Instead urban roads, restricted to 50km/h will be narrowed by the addition of a painted strip along the edge of the road. It is claimed by a group of cyclist friendly communities in the province that the narrower roads lead to slower speeds and motorists take more care in overtaking.
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