Category Archives: Well done!

EuroVelo

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Imagine bike lines to ride throughout European countries, from north to south, from east to west. This awesome idea is EuroVelo. EuroVelo improves European cycle tourism among countries. Indeed, one can cycle from one point to another just enjoying the landscape and cities you encounter in your path. EuroVelo is a project of the European Cyclist’ Federation. When completed, the EuroVelo network’s total length will almost be 90,000 km (55,923 mi). The routes are made of both existing national bike routes as well as existing general purpose roads. In addition, there are new stretches of cycle routes to connect them.

EuroVelo routes do not look for fast cycling, rather they are appropriate for relaxing pedaling while imbuing with the essence of the places you visit. All the routes are appropriate to bikes, but you should be prepared in case of bad weather. Moreover, you can book routes in the EuroVelo web with important information such as route duration, difficulty, elevation, tour type or suitable types of bicycles.

There are nineteen international routes in EuroVelo: Atlantic Coast route, Capitals route, Pilgrims route, Central Europe route, Via Romea (Francigena), Atlantic-Black sea route, Sun route, Mediterranean route, Baltic – Adriatic route, Baltic sea cycle route, East Europe route, North sea Cycle route, Iron Curtain Trail route, Waters of Central Europe route, Rhine cycle route, Rhone cycle route and Meuse cycle route. Each and every route offers bikers a myriad of possibilities to know new cultures, cuisine, monuments, nature, people, museums, castles, you name it. Just get inspired.

From the financial assistance to the bike movement in order to promote biking

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When we were in the worst state of pandemic, some governments gave financial assistance to citizens to buy environmentally friendly ways of transport, mainly bicycles. Bikes allow private, mostly individual displacements while maintaining safety distance with other actors in the road, two good points in favor of fighting against Covid19 as we know. Another area covered by this money was the transformation of a conventional bike into an electric one. This point has sense specially in hilly or too extensive zones. And data showed a boom in the use of bikes in the next months.

A different impact of such an action could have been an increment in the cost of bikes. Since people have more money to spend, bicycles could cost more. This is an immoral approach because the financial assistance did not cover all the petitioners, thus many could have been expelled from the interesting assistance. I do not even like to think about what could have happened if a piece of news explained that the bike shop X or the bike manufacturer Y had increased the cost of bikes in these days. Surely, the branch would have need to invest substantially more money than the extra gained income as a result of the bike movement which only wants to populate roads with bicycles. Regarding its influence, the bike movement has made possible happier people, taking care of the planet or, indirectly, looking after bikers health. Concrete events like the Critical Mass, the European Mobility Week or the Iberian Congress, just to name but a few, have contributed to promote the bike use.

More and more people ride their bike every year. Thank you!

3rd June

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UN declared 3rd June as the World Bicycle Day in April 2018. As they said, International days are occasions to educate the general public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. International days are proposed by member states to the UN General Assembly. This Assembly determines by consensus whether to adopt the resolution establishing the particular day, 3rd June in this case.

Leszek Sibilski leaded a campaign to promote a resolution of the UN for the International Bicycle Day. It went ahead thanks to the support of 57 countries. Finally, it was adopted by a consensus of 193 member states. The International Bicycle Day logo was designed by Isaac Feld and professor John F. Swanson defined the one’s animation.

Why do we celebrate it? The bicycle is simple, affordable, reliable, clean, environmentally sustainable of transportation, and improves your health. UN acknowledged bike as the uniqueness, longevity and versatility which has been in use for two centuries. Indeed, they encourages member states to:

  • pay special attention to the bike cross-cutting development strategies and to include the bicycle in international, regional, national and subnational development policies and programmes

  • improve road safety and integrate it into sustainable mobility and transport infrastructure planning and design, in particular through policies and measures to actively protect and promote pedestrian safety and cycling mobility, with a view to broader health outcomes, particularly the prevention of injuries and non-communicable diseases

  • emphasize and advance the use of the bicycle as a means of fostering sustainable development, strengthening education, including physical education, for children and young people, promoting health, preventing disease, promoting tolerance, mutual understanding and respect and facilitating social inclusion and a culture of peace

  • adopt best practices and means to promote the bicycle among all members of society, and in this regard welcomes initiatives to organize bicycle rides at the national and local levels as a means of strengthening physical and mental health and well-being and developing a culture of cycling in society