Whilst all this sounds very positive, and I applaud anything that makes the roads safer for everyone, I think that this does not address the root cause of accidents.
If you need a device on your car that stops it before you roll a pedestrian over, should you really be driving? And is it another weapon in the arsenal of ‘my XYZ didn’t work on my car’ so I had an accident.
Why not train all road users to operate their vehicles correctly – and that goes for the idiots who ride on pavements – and perhaps we wouldn’t need cars that replace basic driving skills with technology.
Breaking News
I see that there is now an iPhone app for gauging your correct bike size. Called SizeMyBike, it is available for iphone, iPod touch and iPad, the app is available from the iTunes store.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sizemybike/id358183415?mt=8
Sportives continue to become the bedrock of amateur cycling. These events, in which you only compete against yourself and the clock, are getting more popular by the day. The Northern Rock Cyclone Challenge which took place last weekend, saw over 3,500 riders taking part.
Jean Robic is probably not a name that most cycling enthusiasts will recognize instantly, but he is in fact a four-time winner of the RAAM, the Race Across America, a 3,000 mile race from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland.
This race, which puts the major tours into the shade, at least as distance goes, is currently taking place and at the moment Jean Robic is in the lead again.
See the ultimate endurance race here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QK46P3rNck
Ever wondered if your helmet has seen better days? A new process being developed in Germany puts microcapsules of odiferous oil into a layer of melamine formaldehyde resin. This is then used in the construction of bike helmets, when the helmet becomes damaged it emits a terrible smell which alerts the user. The more damaged the helmet, the worst the smell.
It’s hoped to use this technology in the manufacture of motorcycle and construction helmets.
What was it like in the glory days of cycling in the 1950s, when every man and his dog used a bike for commuting and recreation? Take a look at this short film from the British Rail film board. It takes us back to the days of the canvas saddle bags, filled with a flask of tea and two rounds of cheese and tomato sandwiches. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGYngjxJP1I
Bicycle City could become reality this autumn in Lexington County, South Carolina. The scheme, which started in the 1990s, has already bought 140 acres of land in Gaston, Columbia. The car-free community will have eco-friendly homes that are powered by solar and wind energy,
There is already a cycling city in Germany, Vauban which has a population of 5,000 was built around 2005.
And an international conference on the subject of car-free cities is being held in York between 28th.June and 1st.July. The website is: http://www.worldcarfree.net/conference/
If you hanker for something different to ride around on, you may well be interested in a range of bikes designed by celebrities, and being auctioned for community bike projects, as part of Team Green Britain Bike Week.
Among the celebrities who have designed bikes are Lord Sugar, Wayne Hemmingway, Victoria Pendleton and Orla Keily.
For a chance to bid, go to: http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/page.php?id=74
And Finally,
Don’t forget that National Bike Week starts on Saturday 19th June. I don’t believe that there is anything official happening in the island so how about a Bike-to -Work day at the office on the lines of dress-down days?
Arthur Lamy is a freelance writer and tourist guide. www.cycleinjersey.com
