Singapore: Cycling for a new future

Singapore is currently touted as one of Asia’s best cities to ride a bike.

And I can understand why.

From its futuristic skyline, exciting tourist attractions and tranquil parklands, this vibrant metropolis is raising the bar when it comes to being a bike-friendly destination.

My brother lives in Singapore and I often keep an eye on what is happening there. I have been watching with interest as Singapore’s works to implement its intelligent transportation vision – of which cycling is a major focus.

Like most capital cities, Singapore boasts an extensive network of dedicated cycling paths, lanes, and connectors that cover both urban areas and scenic routes. This infrastructure ensures cyclists can travel safely and conveniently throughout the city.

The city’s urban planning emphasizes sustainable transportation options, including cycling. Well-designed bike lanes are integrated into the city’s infrastructure, making it easy to navigate and explore different neighborhoods by bike. Some local favourite routes include the Park Connector network, a 300km tangle of cycle paths, and the Rail Corridor, a 24km bicycle path in the footprint of an old railway, and the Eastern Coastal Loop.

Singapore’s Eastern Coast Loop. Image: Get Go

Also, Singapore’s well-maintained roads and bike paths are designed with safety in mind. They have separated bike lanes and clear signage to reduce the risk of accidents between cyclists and other road users and as anyone who has been there will know, Singapore is active in enforcing speed limits, and positive social behaviour.

Singapore has introduced various bike-sharing programs, providing locals and tourists with easy access to rental bikes for short trips around the city. Despite having some issues in the past, these programs are promoting cycling as a viable mode of transportation and usage is projected to boom.

Singapore’s relatively compact size allows cyclists to cover significant distances within a short period. This compactness makes it convenient to use a bike for daily commutes and recreational rides. The other drawcard is that cyclists can enjoy a mix of scenic routes including urban landscapes, waterfront paths, and lush green spaces. This makes cycling both enjoyable and is a great way to see more of the city beyond just the main tourist attractions – which are all easily accessible by bike!

Image: Singapore Land Transport Authority

The Singaporean government has actively promoted cycling as a sustainable transportation option. Initiatives such as car free Sundays, car free zones, the Car-Lite movement and investments in cycling infrastructure demonstrate a commitment to enhancing the cycling experience.

The city hosts various big-ticket sports events like the Formula 1 Grand Prix and it is not often you get a chance to ride along a legitimate F1 circuit pit lane! They also have a full cycling calendar offering events from leisurely rides to competitive races. These events foster a strong cycling community and encourage people to embrace biking as a lifestyle.

But still some issues to iron out…

Last year Singapore conducted a cycling review and as part of a discussion on safe cycling on roads, there was a proposal to register bikes and licenses for cyclists. This idea was met with intense public resistance – so it will be interesting to see what happens there.

There are also other issues need to be addressed, such as vehicle-cyclist conflicts, too many heavy vehicles and food deliveries hogging the road, and an over-focus on policing cyclists and issuing them with tickets and infringement notices.

A Today Online news report cites a lack of etiquette, disregard for the laws and ‘a need to exhibit showmanship’ as a few of the main reasons for accidents.

So, there are definitely a few more things to iron out!

But overall, it is great to see Singapore heading in the right direction.

Change is not easy.

But it is encouraging to see the Lion City taking action to be a more cycle-friendly city in the future.

26/02/202326/07/2023

Artist Hilary Warren: Everyday bikes in Hoi An, Vietnam

This blog is dedicated to celebrating bicycles in their many forms.

Art is a fundamental aspect of this passion, and I have shared numerous posts featuring artists who incorporate bikes in their work, such as:

As someone who delights in discovering artists who use bikes in their creations, I was delighted to stumble upon an Australian artist named Hilary Warren.

Artwork by Hilary Warren ‘Hoi An Entrance’

I found Hilary’s work on the website Blue Thumb: Home of Australian Artists and it immediately caught my eye for a number of reasons.

First, she’s an Australian female artist who, despite winning many awards, is not as well known her male counterparts. But that’s not what drew me to her work – it was the fact that two out of her five prints on the site featured a bicycle!

I also appreciate that Hilary is an older artist who only has two followers and few views of her work on this platform. As someone who values supporting and increasing the visibility of lesser known or underestimated individuals, I was more interested in Hilary’s work than the others listed.

I was also interested to Hilary uses work uses etching, which is not a common art medium – and certainly not one I have seen used in bike art very often at all.

I was also intrigued by Hilary’s artwork because it brought back memories of my time in Hoi An. I had the pleasure of cycling around the city and taking in the local atmosphere, and her prints captured that feeling so well. It was a delightful reminder of the happy days I spent exploring the city on two wheels and seeing exactly the kind of houses her work depicts.

Hilary’s choice to depict bicycles in the everyday life of Hoi An is significant because it serves as a reminder that bikes are utilized by diverse communities all over the world. It challenges the normative images and pervasive media representations that often only showcase white men as cyclists. By highlighting how people from all walks of life use bicycles in their daily routines, Hilary’s prints offer a much-needed reset from the limited and exclusionary messaging we often receive about cycling. It is refreshing to see such a representation showcasing a broader range of bike riding lifestyles, contexts and experiences.

In this collection, Hilary depicts everyday life in Hoi An, Vietnam, where bicycles are a staple of daily life. The way she captures the spirit of the city and how casually the bicycles wait outside people’s front doors at the ever-ready – is simple and meaningful.

It’s a testament to the way that bicycles are woven into the fabric of a community, becoming a vital part of the culture and identity of a place.

I like that her prints are understated and simple.

The sepia wash accentuates the nostalgic feeling of bygone years ..a time when every house had a bike ……. (*sigh*)…………..

Hilary Warren the artist

Hilary Warren is a Canberra-based printmaker who began her art career after working in science. She obtained a PhD in Plant Biochemistry in 1970 and worked in Immunology until her retirement in 2014. She then turned her skills to printmaking, focusing on the Photopolymer Photogravure technique, in which she adapts her own photographs to create etched photopolymer plates. Warren has developed this skill through workshops with well-established Australian printmakers, and her hand-pulled prints are created using oil-based etching inks and Hahnemuhle paper.

Warren’s early work focused on images from her travels in Europe and Asia, but with travel limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she has started a series of botanical etchings using photographs taken in her own garden and at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. In other works, she explores still life, always emphasizing the use of light and shade to create a unique view of something ordinary.

Warren is committed to participating in the Australian and international printmaking community and finds inspiration in print exchanges, exhibitions held in Canberra by the Artists Society of Canberra and the Canberra Art Workshop, and prestigious art prizes, where she has been selected as a finalist in several. She is always eager to learn from others and continues to develop her skills through workshops and collaboration with other artists.

I’m taking a break

hand drawn image of a brain connected to a heart via a thread — Image: Pixabay

Like most others, I’ve been working hard managing myself, family, work, teaching, research, community, bike riding and a myriad of other commitments.

Usually, I can do this well. Other times not so much.

If I am honest, I am feeling tired… like… REALLY tired.

I worked hard during COVID to support the students, staff and colleagues I work with and despite looking after myself, I can feel my adrenals burning out.

So many of us live in a constant state of stress, rushing from one task to the next with little time to rest or relax – and this can have a serious impact on our physical and mental health.

As I come to the end of this year and look ahead…now is a good time to take a break.

Taking a break is essential for maintaining health and well-being.

It gives the body, brain and spirit a chance to recover from the constant demands of society, the workplace and our relationships with ourselves and others – and the need to constantly ‘be on’ ALL THE TIME!

It can be exhausting.

So, for the first time since I started this blog six years ago, I’m taking a break. I’m taking time to recharge, refocus and refresh.

During this break, I’ll be reflecting on riding, teaching, work and my PhD. I’ll also be reassessing my priorities, health and current life direction.

I’ll be back in 2023 with more inspiring bike-related projects.

Until then, take care friend! I hope you also take some time to recharge.

I’ll see you back here soon!

Ride On!

20/12/202102/09/2022

Holiday rides with trail dogs: Rosco & Lacy

Happy holidays all! Instead of celebrating Christmas, I celebrate the holidays. As we wind up for the year, my thoughts turn to ‘t(r)ail’ holidays and riding bikes with four-legged friends. The December break is a wonderful time to get out and visit your favourite trails and explore new ones. Riding mountain bike trails with your dog is one of the most enjoyable things you can do. To whet your whistle, here’s an offering from Kona which introduces Rosco the mature trail dog and his MTB owner Lacy. This short video puts together all the best things about MTBing with furry friends – and more. Enjoy! NG.

The company of dogs when MTBing is the best feeling in the world. They love to explore new places and meet new people – and they ALWAYS love being on trail.

I’m a BIG fan of bikes and dogs. I’ve previously shared stories like:

When you ride with a dog, you are never alone. You always have someone to keep you company and make you laugh.

Dogs are also great motivators. They always want to go faster and harder than you do, which can push you to ride at your best.

Plus, there’s nothing like the feeling of cruising through the woods with your best buddy by your side.

I love riding with my 11-year-old trail dog Zoe. Zoe is a fit and keen kelpie who loves the outdoors and we have had many happy trail adventures together.

Recently I saw this short video (below) by Kona. Kona is an American bike manufacturing company so it makes sense they would promote themselves as gender-inclusive, exciting, and approachable for a range of riders.

Rosco is a nearly retired trail dog. At 11 years old, he’s still got plenty of spunk, but these days he prefers to lounge at home while his human counterpart hits the trails – but not always! Lacy started riding mountain bikes with her dog Rosco as soon as she got him, and the two have been shredding together ever since.

These days when they ride together, they do 30mins ‘old-man laps’ so Rosco can still get his paws dirty.

They take it slow because Rosco needs a few rests along the way – awww bless!

I agree with Lacy that you always learn new lines following your dog.

As an avid night rider – I loved seeing Lacy shed in the evenings, although we don’t get snow where I live, so seeing that was next level for me.

Lacy likes snowy night rides because its ‘like riding sugar’ and its where ‘shadows pop’.

Most riders can relate to Lacy’s sentiment when she says:

‘I feel weird, I don’t feel whole if I don’t get out on my bike.’

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a first-time rider, we all feel the joy of riding mountain bikes with dogs. And if you haven’t managed to do this recently, this video will help until you do!

So next time you hit the trails, be sure to bring your furry friend along for the ride.

Happy Holidays all!

20/10/202109/05/2022

Africaps – Ankara cycling caps with passion

Regular readers of this blog know my bicycles-for-education PhD fieldwork was with the local people and riders of Lunsar, Sierra Leone.

The Lunsar Cycling Team has been gaining increasing attention recently, especially with the upcoming, ever popular annual Tour de Lunsar cycling event.

I was delighted to see AFRICAP is a Tour de Lunsar event supporter. AFRICAP cycling caps was founded by Hammer (from Sierra Leone!) who started it out of a love for cycling and a desire to bring something special to the sport.

Africap was created to merge two passions: African prints and cycling. Cycling caps are not traditionally made with African prints, so Africap saw an opportunity to change that. They create beautiful and stylish cycling caps made from traditional African fabrics.

Ankara Prints

Each Africap product is made with a unique African print. The prints are sourced from all over the continent, so no two products are exactly alike.

These cycling caps are handcrafted from Ankara material which is a traditional African fabric. Ankara textiles are wax-printed cotton fabrics commonly used across West Africa and each region has its own distinctive design. The material itself is great as it is very light, airy and absorbent which helps keeps riders cool.

Each cap is named after a particular region that the fabrtic is from. Africaps are not factory made, but released in limited editions so are collector’s items and highly sought after.

There are so many different African prints and textiles, it can be hard to know where to begin. One of the things that makes African prints so special is the range of colours and designs. Whether you’re looking for something bright and bold or more subdued and traditional, there’s an African print out there for you.

Ankara prints are unique for many reasons. One reason is that they are handmade. African prints are also usually made with bright, bold colors that reflect the vibracy and diversity of African cultures. Ankaras often have geometric patterns that are created by both hand-painting and block printing. African prints usually have a lot of symbolism. For example, certain animals may be used to represent different ethnic groups or ideas. All of these factors combine to create some truly beautiful and unique fabrics.

Africap’s STORE has a range of musettes and their groovy cycling caps are named after the regions the material comes from –such as Bo, Ngor, Cocody, Abduja, Odu and Regent.

I was super impressed to see that Africap supports sustainable practices and that no plastic materials are used during production or sales cycles. I can see why these caps have quickly become a favorite among cyclists in Africa and for those ‘in the know’ internationally.

Africaps is working to expand its reach beyond Africa, and has already partnered with several international cycling teams.

The company’s mission is to promote cycling in Africa and to help African cyclists reach their potential. And it was great to see them doing this with their renewed support of Tour de Lunsar 2022.

See more about Africaps and Hammer in Sylvie D’Aoust’s video below.

30/07/202118/10/2021

Urban planning for those under 95cms: Dutch cargo bikes, kids and the Urban95 project

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Matt Root, an avid bike rider and dad of two toddlers present a session called ‘Going Dutch, cargo bikes for kids’ – and it was really great!

His presenation focused on what life on a biek and in the city is like from the point of view of his two young sons. Perspectives like child-centred research and having chilldren activitely participating and informing research and policy is a key step in better redesigning more liveable cities for all.

Matt’s project resonated particpatually strongly with me given the background my West African bicycles-for-education PhD has incorporating children’s geographies and including youths as coresearchers, and the work of Dr Gina Porter and the Child Mobility project.

So I was most intrested to hear what emerrged from the two young experts (Matt’s two sons, aged 2 and 4) while Dad (Matt)* rigged on-board GoPro cameras to capture all the fun and sense of adventure.

In this session, we heard what the pre-schoolers liked and disliked about our streets from their unique vantage point (see below).

From this vantage, Matt draws out aspects of what new ideas we can learn from these young experts.

Below are a few of those insights. All images by Matt Root.

After Matt’s presentation, I went looking for more information about this and was happy to see Victoria Local Goverance Association has a Child Friendly Cities and Community focus.

Matt was also interviewed by Radio Adelaide about this project and why he and his wife chose a cargo bike to transport their young family.

*Matt Root is a co-owner of Flyt transport planning consultancy based in Perth and he is focused on the planning of safe and convenient bicycle infrastructure across the city. Between 2018-2020 Matt led the State Government’s planning for Perth’s Long Term Cycle Network to accommodate the city’s population in 2050.

See more of Matt on Twitter: @FlytPlan.

Urban95 Project

Here’s some more info about Urban95 project in their own words:

From the front box of a cargo bike, how do our streets and

built environment look and feel to a 2 & 4-year-old?

The Urban95 initiative asks this simple question to leaders, planners, and designers.

Urban95 design principals focus on family-friendly urban planning and those designs can help us active transport professions in our work.

The Urban95 project has at its heart a focus on children-friendly cities and urban development.

Urban95 interventions help cities increase positive interactions between caregivers, babies and toddlers; increase access to — and use of — the services and amenities families need; and reduce stresses on caregivers. They are organised into two categories of policies and services:

Family-friendly urban planning and design, including the planning, design and regulation of a city’s space, land use, infrastructure and services
Healthy Environments for children, including improving air quality and access to nature

The Urban95 background states that more than a billion children live in cities, and rapid urbanisation means that number is growing.

Babies, toddlers and caregivers experience the city in unique ways.

They need safe, healthy environments, where crucial services are easily accessible, frequent, warm, responsive interactions with loving adults are possible, and safe, a stimulating physical environment to play in and explore abound.

The City at Eye Level for Kids

From Urban95 comes The City at Eye Level which, as their website explains, develops and shares knowledge about how to make urban development work at human scale.

A collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s Urban95 initiative, this – The City at Eye Level for Kids – book contains over 100 contributions from across the world on work to improve cities for children and the people who care for them.

It shares practices, lessons, perspectives and insights from 30 different countries around the world, that will be useful to urban planners, architects, politicians, developers, entrepreneurs and advocates for children and families.

Download: The City at Eye Level for Kids (PDF)

14/06/202109/08/2021

Leo Rodgers: An inspiration for cycling

Leo Rodgers is a man who loves to ride his bike.

Leo lives with his family in Tampa Bay (USA) and has become a well-known figure in the community bike scene as a hero for diversity and inclusion after having his left leg amputated following a motorbike accident 14 years ago.

After learning to walk again, he started riding a bike to get around. This soon became an integral part of his identity, mobility and independence.

Leo started getting involved in community bike rides (like critical mass and weekly social night events), then single speeds and fixies and this lead to racing track cycling – and then all kinds of riding.

What I love about Leo and his story is his how positive and relatable he is – he just loves riding his bike.

There is much to learn from Leo’s story about overcoming adversity, being open to trying new things, being bold and brave, perseverance, being true to yourself, leading through example, surrounding yourself with good people, and the profound ways bicycles can change people, break down barriers and transform lives.

I’ve been following Leo for a few years now. I dig his genuine passion for riding all types of bikes, being connected with community and how he stoked he gets sharing his passion with others.

It is just an added bonus that he has mad bike handling skills – endurance, skills, balance, speed, epic track standing prowess and the rest!

You can find heaps of online content about Leo – he’s been in news reports, blogs, articles, cycling documentaries and lots of YouTube videos (just type his name into the internet to see!) if you want to find out more about his story and adventures.

For background: His local paper the Tampa Bay Times published an article by Chris O’Donnell that chronicles his childhood and entry into the cycling world with a level of detail I had not see elsewhere.

On the bike: Peter Flax did a great article for Bicycling on Leo in May 2020 in which they go for a ride and talk about Leo’s cycling history, approach to riding (and life), successes and personal style to come through. (It is well worth the read.) Here’s a little of what Peter wrote about Leo’s bike affiliations

Leo isn’t in a bike tribe—he’s in all of them. He likes to go out at night in khaki shorts and smash it with a fixie crew and he likes to do hard paceline training rides with the local spandex roadies and he likes to go out for gravel epics with dudes who consume a lot of CBD chewies. He does alley cats and pub crawls and off-road centuries. He noodles around the waterfront on a tall bike he helped fabricate.

Leo’s Instagram @slimone1000 show the range of events he is involved in and the types of bikes he rides: track cycling, fixi, tandem, urban commute, street/park, mountain-biking, bike packing, cruising with critical mass, his beloved blue and pink repainted singlespeed bombora, bike riding adventures, events, social meet ups, and good times with friends.

His Instagram motto is: ‘overcoming adversity through cycling’.

As Peter writes: ‘Without explicitly trying, Leo makes a powerful statement every time he pedals through his community.’

What an inspiration for his kids, for the biking community, and for us all.

Image: Bob Crosling for Bicycling

All images are stills from Leo Rodgers is Unstoppable by Bicycling unless otherwise attributed.

18/04/202114/06/2021

‘Ride Nation’: Australian national bike education program for schools

Not many people know about Ride Nation. Ride Nation is a national Australian school-based bike education program designed to get more students on bikes.

Ride Nation is pitched to schools as being ‘a fun and interactive learning experience that teaches young people to develop their riding skills and confidence – supporting kids in their independence and giving parents peace of mind.’

Ride Nation is also a wonderful exemplar of a comprehensive and well-thought bike education program that could be implemented more widely, or modified for different contexts.

The focus of Ride Nation is to improve engagement with physical activity and sport with bicycle riding. The aim here is to shift generational beliefs and behaviours from sedentary and inactive to be more active, happier and healthier. By working in schools, Sport Australia is using bike riding programs to reinforce and emphasise a healthy lifestyle, fundamental movement skills, environmental awareness and physical literacy – all of which are important skills for transitioning through life and into adulthood.

This program not only promotes regular and safe use bicycle riding for students, but also have a robust focus on building the skills and professional development of teachers and adults too. For example, they offer Cycling Australia School Teachers (CAST) and Introductory Skills Instructor (ISI) accredited programs.

Ride Nation website has heaps of links for all levels, types and styles of bike riding. There are links to clubs and providers a coaches community and a finder network.

There is also a Ride Nation blog, which is regularly updated stories of local families riding, ideas on where to go and other useful information.

The Ride Nation website has a ‘download zone’ where you can get free resources to get kids started with bike riding, a good load of teacher resources to help extend learnings from the courses, and coach resources to help assist with connecting and delivering these programs. These resources are well worth a look for anyone who has young kids learning to ride.

Ride Nation in-school bike progams develop key skills such as:

Movement and mobility skills

This program is 6 x 1-hour sessions. The focus here is on foundational bike handling skills. Using a game-sense/experience approach students are able to practice: riding in a straight line, riding through a salem course, riding slowly and in control, emergency braking, scanning (looking) left and right, standing and pedalling, and precision braking.

Confidence and hazard perception

This program develops rider situational awareness and response to the moving environment. This program has a mix of classroom content and riding activities so student-riders can understand, identify and respond to different hazards, such as bike control skills, precision maneuvering, signalling, scanning traffic/hazards, hazard perception, and entering roadways.

Exploring places

Where the previous sessions have a focus on road safety and skills, these final two sessions, Explore Places focus on riding opportunities in local communities. The core competencies in this module are: safe route planning and risk assessment, riding in groups, riding of active transportation and riding with other roads users.

I’d love to see Ride Nation being enshrined in the national curriculum of all Australian schools – after all, riding a bike is an essential life skill everyone should learn!

If you haven’t heard of Ride Nation before – check it out.

If you have kids in school or are a teacher – consider getting your school involved.

It is never too early to be safe and confident on a bike!

Happy riding all!

All images from Ride Nation

05/04/202110/06/2021

Some ‘wheelie’ specific bike tattoos

This blog is no stranger to bicycle tattoos.

In earlier posts, I have looked at:

In this post, we are looking at a very specific subset of bike tattoo and that is – bike tattoos that have specifically detailed colour or design included in the bike wheels … or what I call … ‘wheelie’ specific bike tattoos.

I scoured the internet and rolled through hundreds of cool, funny and (at times) questionable bike tattoos to find 5 solid representations of tattoos that have details in the bike wheels as their central focus.

In each of these cases, colour and form was used as the central cohesive design feature.

Let’s have a look…

Some 'wheelie' specific bike tattoos. Bicycles Create Change.com. 5th April 2021. — @Mountainbike on Pintrest

The first two tattoos (see above) have a similar aesthetic which uses a sunset or landscape scenery as the key motif. I put two versions of this design here as the gentle difference in colours has quite a significant impact on the ‘feel’ of the overall tattoo, yet the symbolism is equally clear and meaningful. Having mountains on the side and a river or track running through the middle helps accentuate the perspective of the ‘never-ending great outdoors’ so desired by bike riders. This iconography is made all the more striking when contained within the circular frame of both wheels which (also) forms a simple black bike frame silhouette with no background. Interestingly, I sourced both these tattoos from the same location, which makes me wonder if this specific design is ‘a mountainbike thang.’

The third tattoo (above) is more of a whimsical, flowery bike design interpretation made more impactful with the use of the two strongly contrasting and complementary colors of blue and red. This is an unsual and particular tattoo that stands out for its unconventional and creative design – a bold choice for a permanent tattoo!

The fourth tattoo (above) is a calf single wheel tattoo highlighted by the distinctive red and black diagrammatic colouring that really makes it pop. This tattoo is dramatic in its almost tribal-style patterning. The composition is controlled, yet creative with clean and authoritative lines that clearly accentuate the ‘wheel-ness’ of the design. The strong outlines are offset by the red 5-petaled flower at the centre of the wheel, hinting to the softer interior of the ‘hard-wheeled’ rider-owner who is bold enough to wear it.

The last tattoo (above) looks like it takes its cue from graphic design using both colour, texture and geometric patterning to good effect. On closer inspection, it almost looks like the texture of puff paints (it did make me second guess whether this was a ‘real’ tattoo) or maybe the tattoo had just been applied and was brand new, hence the raised (or skin reactive) beveling of work.

Tattoos – and more specifically bike tattoos – are not for everyone. But there are many people who love riding and want to celebrate, share and commemorate bikes with tattoos. And these ‘wheelie’ bike tattoos are just one example of people do this.

Which begs the question:

If you were to get a bike tattoo, where and what would you get?

12/03/202130/04/2021

A Dog’s Tale – celebrating mountain bike trail dogs

Ruby the Trail Dog. Bicycles Create Change.com 18th April 2018. — Nina and Zoe the kelpie. ‘Follow the dog’ trail. Forest, VIC.

Many trail riders are what you might call ‘outdoor people’.

One of the greatest delights trail riders can have is going for a ride on wicked trails with best mates. And when I say best mates, I mean two-wheeled (of course), but also two-legged (human mates) and four-legged (trail dogs) mates.

I love riding trails with dogs.

My kelpie Zoe and I have been on many happy bike riding adventures.

Having a dog just makes life, and riding your bike, so much fun.

Dogs and bikes just go together so well.

Who wouldn’t love to give it all up to cycle the world with your dog?
Ruby the Trail dog is one of many trail dogs that I go to if I need a lift and seeing her out on natural singletrack with her MTB dad turns always makes me smile.
There are always some great content, videos, products and artworks circulating for special events and days like US National Dog Day.
I loved hearing the story of Xiaosa, the tiny intrepid Chinese dog that spontaneously joined a group of cycle tourists on their epic 20-day, 1,833km long trip and kept up with the 60kph pace for the whole time she was with them, outlasting some of the cyclists!
Or the big-hearted project Riding for Rescues, a program where bike riders raise money to help, rescue and sponsor animals (many of them dogs) to get them out of high-kill shelters and be re-homed instead of being put down.
My #bikes_CISTA Instagram project, celebrates people out and about on their bikes with their dogs. #Bikes_CISTA stands for Cycling Interspecies Team of Awesomeness. There is a lot more to this project, but essentially, my criteria for including a photo in this collection is to have at least one rider, one dog and one bike – and that the subjects are strangers.

A Dog’s Tale

Recently I got sent a link for A Dogs Tale which celebrates dogs and trail riders. It is in a similar vein to Paws and Wheels, but with a stronger narrative line from the POV of retired trail dog Raven.

This video has a mix of all kinds of shapes, sizes, colours, ages, locations and breeds. In this video we are introduced to:

Raven (the narrator)
Levi
Lucy & Sid
Driggs
Nash
Emmy

They are all adorable and make you want to get out on your bike on single track.

So many awesome bike riding trails, environments and moments.

Emmy’s tummy scrub at 6′ 55″ is such a great slo-mo shot! Just saying!

So do your mental health a favor … and check the video out.

The description for this video reads:

It all starts with the trail. The crunch of the dirt, the smell of a dewy morning ride, or the feeling of brushing away pebbles with a perfectly timed belly scrub.

These are the happy memories of a trail dog’s life well lived.

Raven is a 13-year-old retired trail dog from Squamish, British Columbia who’s spent countless days frolicking on loamy singletrack beneath towering spruces. Old age has slowed her down, and now Raven happily lies in the driveway, watching dog after dog, and their human, head for the hills.

Celebrating the joys of mountain biking through the eyes of the trail dog, Raven takes us from her driveway memories in BC to the high deserts of Utah, to freshly cut South African trails and back again.

We meet some of the feistiest, four-legged trail personalities along the way, who all enjoy the mountain bike world in their own way, just like us humans do, whether it’s hitting jump lines, lapping through the loam, or setting out to build new trail.