No excuse for poor trail infrastructure

Why can the Netherlands support such an incredible biking infrastructure and we (US, UK, Canada, etc. ) can't?

In the latest blog post from David Hembrow (A view from the cycle path: All those myths and excuses...), he doesn't necessarily answer that question, but he makes the point that it's time to stop making excuses and start doing something about it.

David approaches this problem from a unique perspective. He's originally from the UK but now lives in the Netherlands. It is nice to get his perspective since he's lived there long enough to know what he's talking about, but has also experienced what it's like elsewhere.

So he knows what he's talking about when he suggests ways to improve cycling outside the Netherlands. And the first step he appears to advocate is to stop making the following excuses as to why (WAY) more people bike in the Netherlands than in (for instance) the U.K., USA, Canada, etc.:

We've got the whole world, in our hands.

Our streets are too narrow.

Providing for cyclists is too expensive.

Our population is too spread out.

We have hills.

Our distances are too great.

It took decades in the Netherlands.

It’s because of the price of gas.

It’s the weather.

Cycle-paths are slow.

As long as I'm going to be an excuse-maker, I added another one: Our politicians are unsupportive of trails and alternative, human-powered transportation.

Of course, my addition of one more excuse did absolutely nothing to help solve the problem other than to prove David correct. We need to stop talking and start acting. So I'll go one step further and suggest some actions you can take to remedy the problem:

• Be a visible and active bike commuter.
• Volunteer to help build trails.
• Write to your elected officials and ask for more funding for trails and alternative transportation.
• Join American Trails and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
• Start a blog and/or Twitter account to advocate for human-powered transportation and the infrastructure to support it.
• Write letters to the editor in support of trails and our (lacking) trails network.
• Stop making excuses and start making a difference.

Thanks to David Hembrow for doing something other than making excuses. Thanks to Rob, at the Recumbent Blog, for reminding me, once again, to look at "A view from the cycle path."

No excuse for poor trail infrastructure

Relationship between biking, walking, & obesity

There's yet another study out showing the relationship between active travel (biking & walking to get from here to there) vs. car travel and the relationship to obesity rates.

Infographic by The National Building Museum in Washington DC, USA.

It's no surprise that where children utilize human-powered transportation to get to (for example) school as opposed to being driven there, they seem to be much less likely to suffer from obesity and its ill-effects.

Obviously, activity is the key: If kids participate in movement-based after school activities, this might very well help to alleviate some of the affects of being driven to and from school. But then there's the whole petroleum consumption and its maladies.

I have noticed a related correlation. The schools that have trails (some safe, off-road route) that lead to them, have a much greater rate of children who walk or ride their bicycles. Of course this makes sense from numerous standpoints. First, the trails are safer than kids walking & riding on busy (or any) roads due to a decreased risk of auto/pedestrian accidents. Secondly, for those people who are paranoid about someone kidnapping their child ("The Ransom of Red Chief" is more realistic than this fear, but that's another story.) then trails are also much safer. It is much more likely that the (ubiquitous) kidnapper will utilize the services of an automobile when attempting a kidnapping. I would assume (having never seen the upside of kidnapping) that it would be much easier to pull off such a stunt from a motor vehicle than on foot or (nearly impossible) on bike.

Anyway, I think the above chart allows the statistics to speak for themselves. Active kids are healthy kids.

Relationship between biking, walking, & obesity

The five newest & coolest forms of human-powered transportation

Elliptigo

At trailsnet, we're all about human-powered transportation, and normally, we highlight the standard fare of biking, hiking, snowshoeing, nordic skiing, inline skating, & horseback riding. But we're also intrigued by some of the newer forms of sweat-equity transportation; so here's a list of some cool new ways of getting around while getting in shape:

The Schweeb

• The Schweeb, by Google is like a hybrid between a bike and a monorail. It is currently located in New Zealand as a recreational application, but it's potential for transportation is sky-high!

• Those of you who enjoy the elliptical trainer at your local gym will love the Elliptigo. It allows you to cruise like a bicyclist while standing upright like a cross-country skiier. It's like running without all the jarring impact.
• The Trikke, like the Elliptigo, allows you to stand up while moving down the street or trail. But it's a lot less expensive and more of a full body workout. And once you master the Trikke, it'll be a cinch to move onto the Skki during the winter months.
• Okay, recumbents aren't all that new, but they haven't yet caught on like I think they're bound to someday soon. So many of you may not even be aware of the recumbent movement. However, if you give one a try, I predict you'll be hooked. I know I was.



recumbent

• Technically velomobiles are a form of recumbent. But I think they look way cool, and seem to have their own following, so I'll give them their own category. They look like the human-powered machine of the future.

The five newest & coolest forms of human-powered transportation