Future Plan For Helsinki's New Bike Path Network

Like the title says, plan for Helsinki's future 'Baana' bike path network.

The main idea here is that these new paths would be much better separated from the pedestrians and cars than the current bike lanes, which would still be there too, of course. Also, the new paths would allow the cyclists to travel much more efficiently, faster and safely especially across the downtown area.

I really like this plan. Now let's see it happen, and soon. Obviously the politicians need to cough up the money for it first, which will be a problem, as always.

The Pyramid of Humanity

Helsinki / Copenhagen

I stole this from Jokke A who stole it from somewhere else.

Be Careful Out There

Re-Up from couple of days ago (took the original post down due to some stupid commentary elsewhere while the situation was still bit unclear).

Anyway, Super-Judda's #fixiefamous Affinity Kissena totaled after a freak-accident caused by confused elderly driver. Judda himself is fine and a new bike is already in the works.

Anyhow, everybody be careful out there, ok?

Karpolla on asiaa:

Rush Hour Traffic By Bike In Helsinki

Rush hour traffic in Helsinki: areas reachable by bicycle (and by other means) in 10 minutes time.

I can confirm this is the truth as I work in the central downtown (the blue area) and live right on the edge of the area reachable in ten minutes by bike in northeast at a leisurely 15km/h speed.

Hyötypyörä messenger services shared this one, originally from HERE.

Kautta viiksieni! Taistelu jatkuu!

Via Cycle In HEL.

Jimmy Lizama - My Message is Bicycle (TEDxUCLA)

Jimmy Lizama has been a bicycle messenger in Los Angeles for over a decade. His vocation has taken him around the world to participate in bike messenger events and locally it has inspired and facilitated several ventures into invoking bicycle culture in the city he holds so dear, chief among them The Bicycle Kitchen/La Bicicocina, a DIY bicycle repair space in East Hollywood that he originated in a small kitchen of the Los Angeles Eco Village, an intentional community in Korea Town. With subpoenas, 6 packs, prose, pizzas, costumes, flyers and now a 1-year old boy in tow, Jimmy has navigated the expanse of L.A. without a car his entire life. He invites you to join him as he cycles through what it means to ride a bike in L.A. and why it's vital that you join the club atop two "push-pedals."

Cycling City HELLsinki

This made me LOL a little as it's part of my daily commute. That same block has been under construction works for well over a year now and the street is blocked just like that every damn day.

"Helsinkiläiset pyörätiet ovat turvallisia. Liikennesuunnittelijoiden ohella myös lukuisat muut Helsingin ja sen lähiseutujen asukkaat ja yritykset tekevät kaikkensa, jotta pyöräilijä ei voisi ajaa kantakaupungissa liian lujaa. Tällä hetkellä eli elokuussa 2011 erityisen turvallinen on Unioninkatu Siltavuorenrannan ja Liisankadun välisellä alueella."

Helsinki Bike Pockets In Practice

First official bike pockets were painted on the streets of downtown Helsinki last week. That was great, I personally think bike pockets are a great thing for cyclist struggling in busy city traffic.

Now here's just two photos showing how creative attitudes some motorists are showing towards the pockets:  Using the lane that the cyclist should use in order to pass the cars to get into the pocket as nicely marked new parking slots. But it's a learning process, right?

EDIT. But justice is being done!

(Snaps by Paulus and Konkeli)

NYC Bike Lane Issues

3-Way Street

3-Way Street from ronconcocacola on Vimeo.

Cycle Lane Hämeentie Helsinki 2.8.2010

So it turns out, bit suprisingly, that the Cycle Lane Art Happening on Hämeentie Helsinki last night was kind of a success with the claimed 250 or so people participating.

Hämeentie is one of main traffic arteries of Helsinki leading to the city centre from the east and northeast uptown districts and it's one the worst streets to ride a bike on due busy high speed traffic and total lack of bike lanes so the idea behind the event was cool. Hämeentie is also part of my daily commute but as I was actually home asleep last night so these pics are all taken by the organizers, check out more HERE.

But as often happens, there are some haterz online already resenting the fact that the art aspect of the event in Helsinki was copied from Berlin, as stated clearly from the beginning by the people organizing the event. But I don't, man. If you post Wallpaper magazine on your blog's links, that really tells more about you than what we really need to know. Whatever.

Cycle Lane, Hämeentie Helsinki 2.8.2010 // Pyöräkaista Hämeentielle !!!

"We the people of Helsinki hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and cycling."

In connection with the URB festival the Länsiväylä group will realize a new work named Cycle Lane. In the work, a 'cycle lane' is painted with fluorescent paint on Hämeentie, in Helsinki. A bit like this: http://www.abitare.it/highlights/guerilla-paint-action-in-berlin/

The cycle parade assembles Monday 2nd of August 1.45 am at Piritori in Kallio Vaasanaukio in Sörnäinen and moves on from there. Cycle Lane is open for all.

ATTENTION! There's paint involved so don't put on your best clothes most expensive limited edition sneakers. We provide the gear to wash your bike afterwards at Tokoinranta."

Facebook event and more info HERE. 

Bicyclist Going 45 MPH Hits Bear In Boulder Co.

A cyclist in Boulder County was injured after a run-in, literally, with a bear. 

Tim Egan, 53, was riding on Old Stage Road Tuesday afternoon when suddenly a bear appeared in front of him. Egan hit the bear and ended up skidding across the road.

"This bear looked at me with a look of terror on his face and sort of made a noise," said Egan. "I looked at him with a look of terror and we went, 'aaaahhhhh.'"

He cracked some ribs, suffered cuts on his head and had road rash. Egan said he and the bike flipped and flew over the bear, hitting the pavement hard.

The bear ran away after the accident when a deer appeared.

Egan's nephew ran to help the injured cyclist.

"When I tell people, they say 'right, are you kidding me, who hits a bear?'"

Egan estimated he was going about 45 mile per hour at impact. He said the bear was about six feet tall and probably weighed 500 pounds.

His bike was okay so he got back on it and pedaled to the hospital.

Egan said he was relieved his kidneys weren't damaged because he plans to donate one to his sister later this year.

The accident was the second involving a bear and cyclist in Left Hand Canyon in the past two years. A woman in the Boulder Triathlon ran into a bear in the same area last year.

'HAVING BIKES IS FORBIDDEN' at the University of Helsinki

The other day I had lunch at the Olivia Unicafe student canteen in University of Helsinki Behavioural Sciences building. I had a nice chicken breast filé at a reduced price and all that but what did I see outside? This sign: 


WTF? People have been parking their bikes by that wall to left of the sign for about three year since the building was opened and NOW they make it forbidden. And not only that but what was the dimwit who made the sign thinking really?

I mean, "PYÖRIEN PITO KIELLETTY" actually means "HAVING (or 'keeping') BIKES FORBIDDEN". They obviously meant that 'keeping bikes by the wall is forbidden' but just like in the english translation, in Finnish it really says 'HAVING BIKES IS FORBIDDEN'.

Pretty funny, yes, but f*ck whoever made the sign all the same. We, as cyclists, need to fight this kind of stupidness. In addition, smoking by the wall, behind the sign and outside of the building main entrance is allowed but not parking your bike there? Right. 

Criminal Mass Takes Over The Freeway

This news was so awesome that I just had to steal it, like this:

"Last Friday, Crimanimal Mass took their second bicycle ride on the freeway during drive-home rush hour. Whizzing by gridlocked cars, the demonstration, albeit illegal, raises questions. Good questions. One of the group's organizers, Morgan Strauss, 29, was quoted in the Santa Monica Daily Press (.pdf) this weekend saying that he “just wanted to raise questions about the transportation infrastructure. In a city ruled by cars, why is it that you can get places faster on bikes?”

Many photos were taken of the ride, which included nearly 30 bicyclists, but also three rollerbladers."

There's a nice gallery of photos, click here.