Historic Flashback - Victoria Sq. Bike Commuters

In honor of tomorrow's Go By Bike Day, here's an image of cycling commuters near Victoria Square in 1949. Perhaps it will inspire more of us to participate in tomorrow's event and to support the re-adoption of this sustainable form of getting to/from work and around town.



Image Source: Canterbury Heritage

Free Breakfast for Bicycle Riders Tomorrow, Wed. 17 Feb

Three Christchurch organisations are putting on free breakfast events from 7am to 9am for commuters who bike into work tomorrow (Wednesday, 17th Feb.), as part of a national Go-By-Bike Day celebration. These breakfast events will be held at:

• The Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Corner Madras and St Asaph Streets,
• New Zealand College of Early Childhood Education, 50 Victoria Street, and
• Canterbury District Health Board, Corner Oxford Terrace and Antigua Street.

Mayor Bob Parker will be trialling several electric bikes at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology breakfast. The Council is also launching the new and improved 2010 Christchurch City Cycle Guide, which will be handed out at all of the breakfast locations. The guide will also be given to organisations that registered for the Bike Wise Challenge (a campaign that encourages groups of employees within a business to take up biking to work), will be available at Council's service centres, or can be downloaded from Council's cycling information webpage.

The national Bike Wise Month campaign is funded by the New Zealand Transport Agency and Ministry of Health.

Bicycle Show on Saturday at Goodbye Blue Monday

After you've got your bike all fixed up at the Free Bike Workshop on Saturday from 1-3pm (an event we covered a few days ago), you'll be ready to cruise over to Goodbye Blue Monday at 4pm for their 1st Annual Bicycle Show.

GBM is kicking off this annual event in honor of their one year anniversary. In this past year, GBM has been proactive in fostering and supporting the young creative community of Christchurch by hosting events and a providing a space and online blog platform that city's young creative types are drawn to. From offering up cutting edge musicians, such as Daedelus a few weeks ago, to hosting Tuesday night ping pong sessions, and now this annual bicycle show, GBM has in many ways become a kind of go-to and a central hang out spot for creatives in Christchurch.

This Bicycle Show should be a good time - for drinks and checking out some of the city's sweetest rides from garage hobbyists Bishops Cycles and other bicycle hobbyists. So come check it out, rain or shine.

Goodbye Blue Monday
Poplar Lane, Central City, Christchurch

Free Bike Repair & Maintenance Workshop - Sat. 13 Feb.

Do you have a bike that requires some work or has been lying around neglected in the shed? Then come along to the free bike maintenance/tune up workshop at the Linwood Community Arts Centre this weekend, Saturday 13th February from 1-4pm.

This event was started by a group of bike enthusiasts who were motivated by the high cost of basic bike repairs at bicycle superstores. On this day, these enthusiasts will be on hand to provide time, tools, and help with basic bike repairs. Attendees can participate in the process of tuning up their bike, and learn the basics of how to maintain it (fixing tire punctures, lubing chains etc.). So drop by with your ride to do some fixin' while getting to know other bike lovers of the community.

Back 2 School By Bike Maintenance Day
Linwood Community Art Centre, 388 Worcester Street (corner or Worcester St and Stanmore Rd)
Saturday 13, February

Image Source - Biker in Christchurch taken by Mark-of-Cain on Flickr. Photo submitted to Local Vanguard Flicker Group.

10 Reasons Why We Get Around by Bike in ChCh

In honor of February being Bike Wise Month, we've put together ten reasons why we choose the bicycle as our daily mode of getting around Christchurch.

1. Christchurch and the inner suburbs are pretty flat and easy for biking.
2. Bikes aren't just utilitarian. Like cars, there are so many different styles and colors to suit anyone's personality. We love classic bicycles from the 20's-40' and especially Oxford style cruisers.
3. Getting around by bike saves money because you don't have to fill up the car's gas tank as often.
4. Biking gets the blood pumping. When you bike, you get less tired throughout the day and need less caffeine. And since you're burning calories while biking around town and don't have to go to the gym as often!
5. There are many bike lanes laid out through out the city. Maps of bike lanes are available in Christchurch City Council lobby or online here.
6. Biking is an easy way to do our part to be more eco-friendly.
7. You can also look stylish on a bike - girls in dresses, boys in buttondowns, oxfords, or tweeds. We love mod bike fashion.
8. It's convenient to not have to worry about finding or paying for parking as you would in a car.
9. The summer months are great for biking. We will need to bundle up more in order to bike in winter, but hey, they do it Copenhagen. So why can't we do it here. See Copenhagen Cycle Chic for inspiration.
10. We like the pace of life on a bike...not too fast, not too slow...it's just right!

The image above is of a group of cyclists enjoying a casual weekend ride around the city, spotted at the Dux de Lux. Tell us your thoughts - what do you like about getting around Christchurch on your bicycle?

Upcoming Frocks on Bikes Event - Tour de Tart

Frocks on Bikes started as away to mobilize NZ women to embrace biking as a fun and sustainable way to move, leading up to the 350 Climate Action Festivals on International Climate Action Day on 24 October 2009. Over 350 Frockers came out in New Zealand's cities, including Christchurch.

Since then, the group has hosted two more monthly rides in various parts of the city. This month's event, Tour de Tart, will be held on the 30th of January. Riders can choose either a 6 or 12 K ride, starting from a point in the city/Linwood and concluding in Sumner at the Tart Cafe. 12K'ers will meet up at 1:30pm at Piko Wholefoods on Barbadoes and Kilmore streets. 6K'ers can join up at 2pm at Café Le Tour de France, 1091 Ferry Road, Linwood. Check out full details on the Frocks on Bikes Christchurch website.

The image above is of one of the sweet bikes seen at the Frocks on Bikes launch event in Christchurch in October. For more photos of the day, visit the photographer's blog - CHCH Ding Ding.

Top Bicycling Cities Announced. Let's Get Rolling ChCh!

An article in today's Press reveals a rating of The Top 10 Bicycle Friendly Cities of the world, including Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Bogota, Portland, Oregon and Barcelona. No New Zealand cities were included in the list, but local media coverage of this topic highlights recognition over its growing significance. Most of the world's major cities have gotten behind biking as a means of creating sustainable cities and many overseas urbanites have embraced biking as a popular lifestyle trend.

While cars are the most common way of getting from point A to B in New Zealand, there is increasing interest in biking as a form of daily transport in Christchurch. This is evident through organized events like Frocks on Bikes, some hip bike shops opening up, and the presence of more fixed gears and old classic bikes on the street (not just lycra). There are also great deal of bike lanes for a city of this size, making cycling safer for those looking to take their daily trips via bicycle. Maps highlighting bike lanes within the city centre and routes from suburbs into the city can be found online or in brochure format in the lobby of the Christchurch City Council building.

As national Bike Wise month rolls around (February), we'll discuss more topics centred around bicycling and highlight some of the trends we're seeing in Christchurch.

Image Source: Cyclists in Copenhagen from cooltownstudios.com

Local Sights

Photograph taken by bishopscycles on Flickr.
Photo taken during a Bishop's Bicycle Run at Hagley Park Boat Shed.

Reader's photos are regularly selected to appear on the site. Submit your photos on our Flickr Group.

New Bike Company Gets Wheels Spinnin'

Ballarat Bicycles is a boutique start-up bike company offering up some sweet, classic-looking rides for both men and women. They are selling the first few bikes at a reduced price. Drop them a line or schedule a test ride through the Ballarat Bicycles website.

Christchurch Based Invention Featured in Time Magazine

Christchurch based inventor, Grant Ryan's YikeBike makes Time Magazine's list as one of the top 50 inventions of 2009.

YikeBike is a modern twist on a penny farthing bicycle and uses smart technology to solve the problems of increasingly congested and polluted cities. The YikeBike weighs around 22 pounds, costs between $4000-5000, goes 12.5 miles per hour, and folds up in a minute flat. It is powered by a clean energy lithium battery that charges in just 30 minutes and lasts 6 miles. Videos on the YikeBike website show clippings on the YikeBike in and around Christchurch.