How to Let Kids Design Their Own Playgrounds – and Give Them Back the Streets
Leave a reply
Bike bells
Bike bells were originally thought to prevent crashes with other actors in streets or roads. Moreover, you can heard the sound it produces when a biker says hello to a friend or relative without opening her mouth, or just when she wants to attract attention on whatever subject. In most cases, bikers use the traditional bike bell which consists on clinking a piece of metal or plastic and produces sound on an additional piece of metal.
A different version of bells is done when the biker pushes a small lever that activates the internal mechanism to produce the same target, but an easily appreciated, distinct, prolonged sound.
The above mentioned models have been used for ages and there is at least one more bike bell type. It consists in using the power of compressed air as a source to produce a more powerful sound. Some models overcome the impressive figure of 100 dB. Such compressed air can be provided by specific compressed air bottles or some models even allow you to produce it by using your bicycle pump. What is more, a biker can refill the compressed air bottle and thus protecting the environment. This last type of bike bells are quite more expensive than the traditional ones, but on the long run it can save money. Furthermore, the louder sound that it produces can be used to take advantage on other issues such as taking your noisy neighbor to task or alerting somebody, for instance whose bicycle is being stolen.
Overtourism in Barcelona and its effect on urbanism – Life-Sized Travel
Ode to The Netherlands: Streetfilms’ Favorite Dutch Bike Things
Rail trail
In previous centuries, rails were used as a way to democratize transport of most people to long distances. This is specially true in the rural Spain. As a result, long infrastructures crossing forests and mountains were built. This intelligent idea lasted for decades, but ultimately the bad economic situation provoked a massive migration from villages to cities. Some stretches of railroad stopped being use and lack of support made the rest. Alternatively, the rise of alternative ways of transport, mainly the car, reduced the use of rails.
Under so dismal situation and thanks to open-minded people, these infrastructures which are the backbone of large rural areas have became a good boost to promote cycle tourism. Some EuroVelo are indeed rail trails. Of course, they set up them since some were deteriorated as time went by. There is an additional point which makes it possible: only bicycles and pedestrians are allowed to enjoy them, giving them extra safety. Moreover, the spectacular landscapes, the suitability of curves plotting, the environment, forests, mountains or even cheering, happy people you meet in rail trails constitute all points in favor.
At the time I am writing this post, you can find the sections Where to go, What to do, Plan your trip, Calendar of events and Travel safe with a lot of information in the Green Paths webpage.
There are also rail trails at least in Bermuda, Canada, US, Germany, UK, Ireland, Belgium, Finland, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Thousands of kilometers are waiting for you and your bike.
How to Design Play Spaces for the Youngest Kids in our Cities
How To Build Cheap Water Heaters With Solar and Recycled Cans
Conbici
Conbici (https://conbici.org, in Spanish) is the Spanish coordinator in defense of bicycles. It gathers 65 Spanish associations and groups, and promotes the use of bikes in a day-to-day basis, no matter how the biker genre or age is. Moreover, Conbici works in order to promote positive legislation to protect everybody, including bikers and pedestrians, who are the weakest actors in streets. Local groups focus on their cities as it comes to urban biking and it has work groups in legislation, mobility, training, health and cycle tourism.
Conbici was born in 1990 and has contributed to the bike movement. It organizes the Iberian Congress “Bicycle and city” together with Portugal since 1996 and promotes the Cycle tourism and urban bikers meetings in Spain or Portugal every two years. Furthermore, it is a member of the Technician Scientific Committee in the European Mobility Week, participates in the Higher Traffic and Circulation Council, work group 44, representing the bikers collective, sits on the European Cyclists’ Federation, became a founder member of the National Bicycle Table and writes and spreads national and international summaries about politics examples which foster bike use as well as sustainability. In addition, Conbici promotes the intermodality of bike plus public transport. What is more, in the Conbici webpage you can read recommendations about how to move on bikes at both, cities and cycle tourism.
One of the key points Conbici has is the wide profile of collaborators. Indeed, it counts with professional people in fields such as urban planning, infrastructures, economy, tourism, legislation, health, education, you name it. This fact makes it possible that Conbici contributes with ideas on a variety of subjects, just like this blog.
As it comes to internal affairs, the General Assembly of Conbici meets to decide the necessary decisions on the addressed issues by consensus twice a year. The General Coordination Council and the Permanent Office are in charge of management.