Saturday 26 February 2011

My Commute - Part 2

This is the view from the top of Brisbane's Go-Between Bridge.


Apart from the view, one really good thing is the way the bikeway runs smoothly onto the bridge at either end, making for a quick continuous journey (aside from stopping to take photos like this one).

[My Commute - Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3 :: Part 4 :: Part 5]

Saturday 19 February 2011

Bike Riding And Well-Being

We know riding a bike can be better than car-driving. But sometimes there are obstacles to changing our habits. Some of these obstacles are all in our head.

One of these psychological barriers is concerns about health and safety. I think it is mostly an illusion created by over-protective laws. After all, if it requires a helmet it must be unsafe mustn't it?

But i've just read a European study measured the effect in "life years" gained or lost. Increased exposure to pollution (of cars) caused a loss of 0.8-40 days. Traffic accidents were an average loss of 5-9 days.

The health benefits gained from physical exercise were at least 10 times larger - a gain of 3-14 months. Or as the study concluded:
On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport.

And that's just the personal benefits. Obviously society also benefits from the reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Saturday 12 February 2011

My Commute - Part 1

Commuting by car can be seen as a chore - and sometimes frustrating. But on a bicycle it can be quite enjoyable. To illustrate, i'm posting some of the photos from my commute to West End.


This is Brisbane's Bicentennial Bikeway heading towards the city - a nice riverside ride.

[My Commute - Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3 :: Part 4 :: Part 5]

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Unexpected Surprise

Last night i had another of my 'chance bikeway meetings'. This one blew me away, as it was a good mate who i had lost contact with about 6 years ago.

He's now a chef and is currently working at a restaurant near me. Even though it was late, we stopped on the side of the bikeway and talked for about half an hour. Another great bikeway moment :)