Monday, March 16, 2020

Corona Virus COVID-19 and SPEZI - the Special Bike Exhibition

The German authorities have reacted well to the threat of the COVID-19 virus and have recognised the need to slow the spread of the disease. One emphasis is on "social distancing", i.e. you keep well away from others just in case they are suffering from the disease. This has led to nonessential meetings by clubs, etc. being cancelled. 
Just as examples: 
  • All of the Heidelberg University Hospital public lectures, coloquia, symposia and the like have been cancelled for the present or at least postponed.  
  • The Mannheim Maimarkt, an Ideal Home and Agricultural Show that should have started at the same time has been forbidden by the Mannheim City authorities for the first since WWII. It is a large show with up to 340 000 visitors and 1400 exhibitors. It goes on for eleven days.  The Maimarkt is however of little interest to cyclists, though of considerable importance for the regional economy.  
  • The ADFC (German Cycling Club) has cancelled its programme of regular meetings and all local cycle tours.
However SPEZI should have taken place in six weeks time. SPEZI is a major cycling exhibition held in Germersheim, Rhineland Palatinate. Actually for us SPEZI is the major cycling show. It is the world's largest show for recumbents, recumbent tricycles, quadracycles, folding cycles, tandems, family cycles, velomobiles, transporters, electrical bikes, special needs bikes, adult kick scooters, child and load trailers, customised designs and accessories. SPEZI has been postponed until August. The SPEZI organisers hope that by that time the illness will have passed its peak and we can all attend the show.  Keep an eye on the SPEZI website: https://www.specialbikesshow.com/welcome-to-the-spezi.html

A view of the main SPEZI hall in Germersheim in 2015

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Is the Netherlands a paradise for cyclists?

From time to time I spend a modest amount of time watching "Tim's Trike Trips" on YouTube. Tim cycled the Ronde van Nederland - Tour of the Netherlands  in 2018. The 1400km route follows the Dutch border all the way round the country and follows the North Sea in the west. It crosses the Afsluitdijk, the 19-mile (31km) dam that encloses the IJsselmeer. The cycle route on the dam is closed at present because of maintenance work on the dam and will remain closed until April 2022. In the Netherlands cyclists are considered to be important members of society and so the Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Water Authority) has laid on a free bus that will take 15 bikes and 25 people across the dam  in both directions. There is a slight fly in the ointment. The maximum size of bike allowed on the bus is 0.8m wide and 1.90m long. However the Dutch authorities recognise that others ride larger vehicles - trikes for example and offer an additional service to carry wider or longer cycles. One needs to contact the Rijkswaterstaat at least two days before the service is required to book a special vehicle. This is amazing, in my opinion.

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