Here’s the news that caught our eye this week:
– Despite a long embargo on building more bike infrastructure, ridership in San Francisco is up 58% since 2006.
– New York City’s request for proposals for a bike sharing system has sparked considerable interest in the burgeoning bike share industry.
– A British doctor conducted a study, with himself as the subject, comparing the speed of commuting to work on a new, expensive carbon bike and a heavy, old steel bike, and found no significant difference. His recommendation for improved speed: “a reduction in the weight of the cyclist rather than that of the bicycle.”
– The EU is considering whether or not to renew a 5 year tariff that is intended to protect European bicycle makers from a massive influx of Chinese bikes.
– Vélib, the bike share system in Paris, France, has had well-publicized issues with theft and vandalism. In the United States so far, neither has been a significant problem, say experts.
– The bike share system in Tehran, Iran, works a little differently than most of its European and U.S counterparts. Here’s an update on its first year.
– New data from Lyon, France, home of the first large-scale bike sharing system, shows that in the downtown core people make better time on bicycles than they do in cars.
– Last but not least on the topic of bike sharing, a software company is seeking to fund bike share programs by setting up a system that sells carbon credits earned for every mile ridden on a shared bike.
– Could better taxi design be a major factor in improving bicycle safety in cities? (Supplemental reading: A brief update on the state of the taxi industry worldwide.)
– Long Beach, California aims to be the most bicycle-friendly city in the country, but an arcane bike registration law is being used to target riders.
– Is it ethical to bicycle with your children, if driving them in a car might protect them better in a crash? Absolutely, according to The Ethicist.
– From the world of sports, a look at the sometimes substantial psychological differences between a cycling injury and a running injury.