Ride 2 Work Day 2018

Ride@Work Day 2018. Bicycles Create Change.com 18th October, 2018 — Source: Bicycle Network

Yesterday was Australia’s Ride2Work Day 2018.

This event is a national program that encourages workers to feel good and have fun commuting to work by bike.

The aim of Ride2Work is to promote the health, financial and environmental benefits of riding and encourage more people to ride to work. Ride2Work Day helps people who have never commuted by bike before to give it a go and allows regular riders to stay motivated and encourage their work-mates to get involved.

To be involved, participants register their ride on Ride2Work Day website. Registering is a way peak bicycle advocacy groups can better understand bike commuter behaviour and help leverage campaigns for better riding facilities to councils, local and state governments.

Most capital cities hold a Ride2Work Day breakfast event. I went to last year breakfast in Brisbane and this year we had a Griffith Uni crew meeting there.

It has been raining for a week in Brisbane, but when I woke up early. It was a beautiful crisp morning, and I was looking forward to meeting the other 8 Griffith Uni cyclists in at the Brisbane Law Courts Plaza, 7.00 – 8.15am for a free cyclist’s breakfast, coffee, chat with some fellow riders and to see what the stalls and tents had to offer.

I was excited!

I took Leki and we arrived in the city early.

So I took a little sojourn along the Brisbane River. Then I started heading in the direction of the Law Courts and ended up joining up along the way with another rider named Peter. We chatted as we rode along, marvelling at the beautiful morning and how lucky we were that the rain broke for this event.

But when we arrived at the event site, this is what we saw…..

After a quick chat with a few other cyclists and some phone calls, we found out the event had been cancelled due to rain – obviously!

Funny, none of us knew the event had been cancelled or had received any notification.

I checked the Bicycle Queensland website and Instagram before I left and there was no notification – hence heading out. A friend said later there was a short post on Bicycle Queensland’s Facebook page – not so helpful for those who don’t use Facebook – perhaps an email for those who had registered?

And nothing from the other Griffith cyclists either – interesting…!

No matter!

It was such a beautiful morning. I was certainly not going to waste this opportunity! So with Peter’s directions, I headed out towards West End on an adventurous morning ride.

Unsurprisingly, I had a great time!

I went scouting for a cool cafe to stop at before the morning traffic got too much, but ended up having such a lovely ride along the river, I just keep going!

I chatted to a few other cyclists and really enjoyed watching the city wake up.

I went to parts of the city I have not seen before and rode the long way back along the Brisbane River using a bike path I’ve never been on. GOLD!

It was awesome.

Tired, sweaty and happy – I then started to head back.

So despite the Brisbane event being cancelled- I had a brilliant ride to work.

I hope you did too!

27/08/201829/08/2018

US National Dog Day

Yesterday was the US National Dog Day. In honour of this dog-gone day – today offers a smattering of pooch-and-bike tit-bits. This post is dedicated to my own amazing trail dog, Zoe! Many more happy trails to come! NG.

Image: Nina and Zoe (Forest, VIC).

Happy US National Dog Day

The American national holiday Dogs Day started in 2004 by animal behaviorist, author and animal advocate Colleen Paige. *

This day was originally designed to highlight adoptable dogs and rescue services – but is also recognised more widely to acknowledge the contribution, achievement and positive role that dogs have in our homes and communities.

This commemoration is also known as National Dog Day, Dog Appreciation Day, World’s Dog Day, and International Dog Day.

This event has also been adopted by other countries outside of the US.

“Love is a four legged word.” – Unknown

BCC loves dogs!

Regular BCC readers know that dogs are a regular feature on this blog. Some of our previous doggie reports include:

US National Dog Day. Bicycles Create Change.com 27th August, 2018. — Source: National Dog Day 2018

Third Wheel

To celebrate US National Dog Day, I found this sweet edit from Transition Bikes called Everyone Third Wheel. I appreciated the simplicity of the footage – and laughed where I saw the comment on Pinkbike under the title Everone needs a trail dog, which was:

Sick of seeing people rail trails harder than you ever could? Ready to smile while watching a bike edit instead of being overwhelmed with a feeling of inadequacy? We’ve got the answer.

Third Wheel: Deep in the woods of Vermont’s Green Mountains, mountain bikers escape to some of New England’s most pristine singletrack. The thick forests provide a refuge for those seeking adventure.

Rider Adam Morse and his dog, Flow, revel in the in the solitude and transform the green tunnel into a private playground.

So here it is!

And for the US readers – here are the top 10 US states that love dogs the most:

*Coincidentally, did you know…….August 26th is also Women’s Equality Day!

National Dog Day was founded by a woman (Colleen Paige) in 2004 and this date is significant for a number of reasons. August 26th is when Colleen’s father adopted their first family dog.

Interestingly, there was nothing about Women’s Equality Day found on the internet in 2004 (when Dog Day was initiated), which makes these two special initiatives, which come together years later, to be even more auspicious for those who know about this synthesis.

So give a dog in your life and extra special cuddle and trail ride today!

Happy National Dog Day to our American cycling brothers and sisters.

Ride on you awesome #Bike_CISTAS teams – the day is yours!

23/08/201824/08/2018

GCCRP Climate Change Symposium – Abstract

While participating in the Looping Masterclass earlier this year in July, Claire Tracey (my wonderful collaborator) suggested we put in an abstract for the GCCRP Climate Change Symposium.

Claire and I have produced a number of environmental/art performance projects over the years like The Wattle Festival ‘s Pop-Up ReCycle Shop (2013), Leki and the Ova (2014) and The Bio Bike: Your Future Thanks You (2018).

Recently, we have been workshopping our newest eco-performance idea.

It was our newest project’s conceptualization and development she thought would be an interesting addition to the GCCRP Climate Change Symposium program.

And of course – she was right!

So we put in an abstract and are presenting at the end of this week!

GCCRP Climate Change Symposium - Abstract. Bicycles Create — Claire and I working on our last eco-performance project ‘The Bio Bike’ for the national Sustainability Living Festival (Melbourne – Feb 2018).

Griffith Climate Change Response Program (GCCRP) Climate Change Symposium.

The GCCRP Climate Change Symposium is a research forum where HDRers and Early Career Researchers from Griffith University share their discoveries, outcomes and innovations.

It is on at Griffith Uni Southbank Friday 24 August 2018, 9 am – 4 pm

The symposium features a range of research presentations that showcase the cross-cutting nature of climate change research.

The five key research themes are:

Climate change impacts
Climate change and food security
Community engagement in climate change adaptation
Climate change policy and theory
Climate change and health

Our Symposium Abstract

Here is the abstract for the session Claire and I will be presenting:

Furthering climate change discourse and action through performative works

Presenters: Claire Tracey and Nina Ginsberg

Collaborators Claire Tracey (Visual Arts) and Nina Ginsberg (Education) use performance and audience engagement to communicate environmental issues. Through community art engagement, they aim to connect with local communities on an immediate level, furthering climate change discourse and action through performative works. Their work links Climate Change and Environment Science themes with performance, design and community- art interaction.

This research explores the intersection of climate change research and artistic interpretations of how to convey complex environmental issues to communities in a proactive and engaging manner. Their work seeks to increase community awareness about climate change issues in ways that are novel, participatory and educational. Their projects are informed by feedback from the engagement of the project itself, creating a direct relationship between the action and the sustainable and environmental issues that affect our immediate society.

The result of each performance interaction is offered with an open spirit- with the reception by the public to be determined in the moment as a collaborative process.

This session will outline a number of climate change projects we have undertaken to explain how theory and practice are enacted, using archetypes such as a feminine ecological shadow warrior, whose presence echoes of hope and perseverance derived from historical ideas of female protection, nurture, power and subversion.

About GCCRP

The Griffith Climate Change Response Program has been leading Griffith University’s research into climate change adaptation and mitigation since 2007.

GCCRP leads Griffith University’s research into climate change adaptation and mitigation.

As climate change issues cut across many fields of study its research projects are transdisciplinary. The program brings together the wealth of Griffith research expertise from across the University, enabling climate change problems to be addressed in a comprehensive manner.

GCCRP has successfully developed a number of strategic domestic, regional and international partnerships in the area of climate change adaptation and attracted significant external research funds.

The result is a growing portfolio of research and applied research projects where GCCRP works in collaboration with other research institutions, governments, international bodies, NGOs and communities to effectively understand, plan and respond to the adverse effects of a rapidly changing climate.

GCCRP now has a strong platform from which Griffith University’s research and expertise can influence the climate change policies, plans and actions required for effective adaptation and mitigation.

I’m excited to be part of this discussion!

I’ll let you know how Claire and I go!

19/08/201825/09/2018

Trail Troll – MTB Art

How often do you see art installations when you are on a bike?

Road riders see the most given they’re on roads and bike paths which have more art in public spaces, but it is rare for trail riders.

So how to bring more art to MTB trails?

Easy – have an arts festival in an MTB forest.

That way you can promote the outdoors, trail use (biking/walking), sustainability, community and the arts all in one place.

The annual Breckenridge International Arts Festival (BIFA) is one such event that showcases how exceptionally well the trail-art unity can work.

And this year BIFA’s trail art installation was particularly impressive…..

Trail Troll- MTB Art

This year Danish artist @thomasdambo created the most awesome thing I’ve seen in a long time on an MTB bike trail (aside from the actual wicked bike trail systems themselves).

A massive Trail Troll made from out of wood from the surrounding forest.

The best part of this part of this Trail Troll?

Hidden inside is a heart-shaped stone the local kids gave the artist when he was building the installation.

And – only those who ride (or walk) up the trail can access the sculpture.

For those who want to see it: Start at the trail sign at the east end of the Northern parking lot and walk up the trail to stairs. At the top of the stairs take a left and then a right onto Moonstone Trail and hike up the trail for 20-30 minutes.

The Trail Troll installation, BIFA and @breckcreate collectively, are brilliant models of how the trail using community (riders, walkers and others) can collaborate with industries to extend and innovative tourism, sustainability and public/arts opportunities and access.

What is the BIFA?

This festival is held annually in Breckenridge, Colorado (USA).

It is a unique meshworking and celebration of all things active, outdoors and creative.

Inspired by themes of environment and mountain culture, the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts brings together a variety of performances, installations, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, talks, and surprise collaborations, with an eclectic mix of music, theatre, film, visual and street arts, and family entertainment.

BIFA 2018 was held August 9-19th.

The festival’s key themes are:

Music & Performance
Visual Arts
Multidisciplinary
Film and Cinematic Arts
Contemporary Circus
Acoustic Flow
Workshops, Talks and Demos
….and most importantly for MTBers- the TRAIL MIX program!

What is the BIFA Trail Mix?

Trail Mix combines art, music, hiking and biking along the trails of Breckenridge through free outdoor concerts and environmental installations, featuring pop-up performances throughout BIFA. Featuring artworks by Nicole Banowetz, Thomas Dambo and Edina Tokodi. Co-presented with Breckenridge Music Festival.

The Trail Troll was a key part of this year’s Trail Mix Offering.

So if you are in the area – grab your bike and get on Moonstone Trail to check it out.

For those who are not in Colorado – perhaps the Trail Troll will fire up the imagination and action for an installation for your local trail.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Happy Trail Trolls!

14/08/201816/08/2018

On ya bike for World Elephant Day 2018!

How easily we forget or disregard that which is not part of our immediate daily experience….like the plight of elephants.

Elephant populations have declined by 62% over the last decade, with 24,000 Elephants poached last year in Africa alone.

Sunday (August 12th) was World Elephant Day 2018.

To celebrate the majestic elephant – and as a reminder that just because we don’t see them every day – much still needs to be done for those elephants still left.

So, here are a few ways that cyclists are progressing elephant conservation, both off and on the bike.

Ride a bike, not an elephant – Khatsahlano Street Party

One way to show support off the bike is by wearing a t-shirt like one of these below, which comes from annual Khatsahlano Street Party.

This event had local bands, artisans, food trucks, and giveaways. The T-shirt featured here was a key part of the event fundraising campaign to protect elephants from the unethical tourism industry. 100% of the net profit of these T-shirts went to free an abused elephant to a sanctuary in Asia.

Bike for Elephants 2018

‘Bike for Elephants’ is a 2-day charity bike tour arranged as part of the Dutch group Bring the elephant back home group. This bike ride is in eastern Thailand and the cost of participation goes towards innovative wild elephant conservation projects. This ride is promoted as an adventure and fun biking trip through the mountains and plantations and through forests in Chantaburi Province.

Cost includes safety instructions, a t-shirt, overnight stay, mountain bike rental, helmet, all meals and drinks. Also included are opportunities to meet the research team, see live elephants and new conservation techniques (like the beehive fences) in action and being part of an experience that is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

So what’s all the fuss?

Elephants are amazing creatures.

Green Global Travel’s website is focused on drawing attention to the challenge elephants face – and goes on to state that:

In the early 1900s African Elephant populations were estimated to be in the millions, while there were around 100,000 Asian Elephants. According to World Wildlife Fund, today there are around 700,000 African Elephants in the wild, and just 32,000 Asian Elephants.
In 1989, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) banned the international ivory trade. Yet poaching for ivory has been steadily increasing, with 800,000 African elephants killed over the last three decades.
In addition to poaching, habitat loss and conflict with human populations are key threats facing Elephant populations. Climate change projections suggest key Elephant habitat will become hotter and drier, so poor foraging conditions may threaten the survival of more calfs in the future.

So sometime this week, take at least one small step to support elephant rescue and conservation – and show the world that cyclists are connected and care about our world – both on and off the bike.

Click here for an extensive list of links, places and ways you can help elephants.

And next time you’re riding with cycling buddies, here’s a few other interesting elephant facts you can share…

Elephants are incapable of jumping, but these massive mammals can run at a maximum speed of 25 miles (40 km) per hour.
Elephants, like people, have a ‘prefered side’ of using their tusks: Some are “lefties,” others are “righties.” They’ll favor that tusk when fighting other Elephants, picking things up, or stripping leaves and bark off trees. Because of constant usage, their preferred tusk gets shorter over time.
The elephant’s trunk (called a proboscis) contains 16 muscles.
Elephants have incredibly poor digestion, with only 50% efficiency. As a result, they release an incredible amount of gas (methane) and produce around 250 pounds of manure a day!
Elephant skin is over an inch thick. But because it’s loaded with nerve endings, their skin is also highly sensitive. Elephants from the same herd will often use touch to greet each other, either wrapping their trunks around each other or giving each other friendly “hello” taps on the body.

18/07/201819/07/2018

Nelson Mandela – 100 years

Today is Nelson Mandela’s centenary commemoration.

If he was alive today, it would be a very Happy 100th Birthday.

Nelson (Madiba) Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18th 1918 and died aged 95, five years ago on December 5th 2013.

Internationally, Nelson Mandela was well-respected and admired for his courage, honesty and integrity.

He was a family man, a lawyer, a politician – and most memorably (and as best expressed in the immortal words of Rage Against the Machine), he was a ‘Renegade of Funk‘, whose philosophy and action unequivocally changed the course of history.

Equality, human rights, education and freedom were key fundamental principles that underpinned Mandela’s work.

Mandela was an incredibly eloquent man – and has left us with a bounty of inspirational and humbling quotes like:

“The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.”

Freedom Ride

The Freedom Ride was a social everyone-is-welcome 35kms bike ride that celebrates the spirit and legacy of Nelson Mandela – as well as to raise awareness about cycle safety, and bicycles as a form of transport and recreation.

The first Freedom Ride was held in 2013 and from what I can see online, it had a good turn out for a few years. The original route linked together the communities of Johannesburg and Soweto, which were historically divided by apartheid.

So I went online to see what was happening for this year.

There are many Freedom Rides online, but they are for other issues, like human trafficking, homelessness and abandoned animals. Some are on bikes, some are on motorbikes, but none were ones I was looking for.

It seems that there were no commemorative 2018 Freedom Rides in South Africa. However, I did find some other Mandela inspired bike events like The Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash (KwaZulu-Natal, RSA) and the Cycling South Africa’s Cycle Jozi Week, which included Freedom ride in their program. But these were all from 2016 – I couldn’t find any event listing for 2018.

I wondered if this had anything to do with the unfortunate 2014 official event t-shirt fiasco.

In 2014, the event T-shirt had one of Mandela’s famous quotes on the back. However, 5,000 of the official T-shirts had a serious misprint/typo: the word “freedom” it was instead “freedoom’.

Oh dear.

This meant 5,000 of the T-shirts (see below) read:

“The purpose of freedoom is to create it for others.”

I am pretty sure that oxymoron is NOT what Mandela meant.

But I doubt a typo is why there is no 2018 Freedom Ride.

Freedom Ride aside, today is the day to celebrate Nelson Mandela.

I am going on my own Commemorative Mandela Freedom Bike Ride!

For my ride, I will be pausing and reflecting on the legacy, courage and change that Mandela stood for and achieved.

I will be thinking about Mandela’s principles, hopes and actions and how I can use them to create more positive change in the world – one ride, one day, and/or one action at a time.

I see it as our global challenge to continue what Mandela started.

Happy 100th Madiba!

13/07/201825/04/2022

NAIDOC Week – Where are the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander cyclists?

NAIDOC Week - Where are our indigenous cyclists? Bicycles Create Change.com 13th July, 2018. — Artist: Cheryl Moggs “tarmunggie-woman”. NAIDOC Week Poster 2018

This week is NAIDOC week in Australia.

NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is held every year in the first full week in July. NAIDOC stands for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’, but the NAIDOC acronym has since been adopted as the name of the national event.

Click here for more about NAIDOC Week .

This years theme is Because of Her, We can! This theme celebrates the essential role that women have played – and continue to play – as active and significant role models at the community, local, state and national levels.

Bicycles Create Change fully supports greater recognition and understanding for the contributions and importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Islander peoples.

In the past this blog has covered:

For NAIDOC Week 2018, I found myself once again scouring the internet for some interesting stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bike riders.

It was disappointing – there are very few to be found.

When I typed in ‘cycling’ (despite other keywords), Tour de France material dominated the my feed. This is not surprising as the Tour de France is the largest international cycling event and is on currently. What was odd though, was that it would come up even with the main keyword ‘indigenous’ included in the search. Very few of the 176 riders from the 22 teams riding this year are not Caucasian or from a European or Scandinavia background.

This got me thinking.

Where are Australia’s Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander road riders and cyclists?

Australia is considered a pro-cycling country and more and more Australian’s are cycling. But rarely does Australian cycling planning, debates or statistical data mention indigenous participation in road riding.

I’d like to see Australia invest and take action on this year’s NAIDOC theme and increase female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in cycling.

In January this year, Jens Korff published a list of “A surprisingly long list of successful Aboriginal sportspeople and role models across all disciplines of sport”. This article listed the names and achievements of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes – some of whom are now household names, like Cathy Freeman.

The sports listed included:

Track and field
Basketball
Bodybuilding
Boxing & Wrestling
Cricket
Figure Skaters
AFL (Australian Rules Football)
Rugby League
Golf
Harness Racing
Horse-racing (Jockeys)
Hockey
Jui-Jitsu
Motorsports
Paralympics
Sailing
Soccer (Football/Socceroos)
Softball
Surfing
Tennis
Touch Football
Water Polo
Weightlifting

…..But no cycling.

It seems that road riding in Australia is like many other Western countries where the “unbearable whiteness of cycling” prevails and cycling continues to be the domain of rich, white men.

Australia and its cycling industry has a terrific opportunity here to make a difference – to be proactive in making cycling, road riding and biking in general more accessible for First Nations peoples.

Here’s to hoping that in the future there will be greater recognition, more support and sincere inclusion of more First Nations people in cycling and biking.

As I watch the Tour highlights after posting this, I think: How awesome would it be to see First Nations cyclists in the Tour de France? NG.

05/06/201814/06/2018

Happy World Bicycle Day 2018

Happy Inaugural World Bicycle Day 2018!!

I hope you, your bike and your riding mates had a great day yesterday.

I had an awesome time riding Leki ALL DAY!

Leki and I cruised around our local neighbourhood, caught up with friends, locals and other riders. In fact, I rode so much that I ended up loosing my voice and was quite tender the next day. Success!

Ride more, be happy, get fit, enjoy the outdoors and build positive community!

World Bicycle Day 2018

According to the UN, the aim of World Bicycle Day (WBD) is to :

devote particular attention to the bicycle in cross-cutting development strategies and to include the bicycle in international, regional, national and subnational development policies and programmes;
encourage improvements in 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;
encourage stakeholders to 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;
Encourages the adoption of 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.

A lone bicyclist speeds through traffic on a busy street in Brooklyn, New York, USA. UN Photo/Andre Istria Source: UN Photo/Andre Istria

There were many events locally and internationally celebrated World Bicycle Day.

Below are three places – one in Australia (Adelaide, South Australia) and two international (India and Denmark), that caught my eye this year.

RADelaide (Adelaide, South Australia).

I have a particular place in my heart for biking and Adelaide. It is a city that has an unwaviering passion for cycling – as well as being stunningly beautiful and having some of the freindliest locals I’ve met (and all of them were bike crazy!)

The last time I was in Adelaide, was to attended the 2017 Australian Walking and Cycling Conference, where I also presented a session called Creating Memorable Community Bike Projects.

So I was interested to see what Adelaide did for WBD 2018.

The Port Adelaide Bicycle Users Group (PortBUG), celebrated World Bike Day 2018 with a BISA/Bike SA Community Ride from Victoria Park to Elder Park. This event had several hundred bicyclists turned up all ready to celebrate in style as you can see below…

India

India is an important place to include for World Bicycle Day (June 3rd) as it is also the official host for World Environment Day (6th June).

In India, it was the politicians getting involved to celebrate World Bicycle Day.

In New Dehli, Vice President Naidu (below on the bike) said that “cycling is the best and cheapest form of exercise to keep ourselves healthy and people must be encouraged to adopt such environment-friendly mode of transport.”

One of the local newspapers, the Daily Kiran reported that VP Naidu addressed “a gathering of cyclists and environmentalists after inaugurating the Bicycle Rally and NDMC’s Smart Cycle Station for Public Bike Sharing on the occasion.

He said that the campaign to promote the use of bicycle must be taken up on a sustained basis and it should not be confined to a ritualistic exercise on the World Bicycle Day”.

Denmark

Copenhagen and Amsterdam are well known for consistently being the top two cities in the world for cycling. Both capital cities are considered to be the benchmark that other places look to for ways to improve urban cycling planning, infrastructure and participation.

This fun fact-filled video released for World Bicycle Day 2018 by Visit Demark servers not only as an inspiration to aspire towards, but also as a wonderful promotion for the best that urban cycling can offer. Here’s to hoping…(*sigh*)!

However you chose to celebrate it

I hope you had a fun first ever World Bicycle Day!

Viva la Bici! Happy riding all!

25/05/201814/06/2018

Mountain biking – Kampala, Uganda

To give balance to the last post (which was about the challenges facing cyclists in Kampala), this post focuses on some of the more positive aspects fo cycling in Kampala: its burgeoning local MTB scene.

This is a great story to share for a number of reasons.

It shows the increasing popularity of cycling in general, as well as the diversity in riding styles and codes.

It also serves to remind us that ‘Africa’ is not one single homogenous entity; that each region, country and city in Africa has its own unique culture, interests, practices and lifestyle differences, while also showing how multidimensional cycling is in Kampala.

Unsurprisingly, juxtaposed with some seriously dangerous areas for cyclists in Kampala, there are also equally amazing places to ride.

And finally, it is awesome to see strong support for more female riders.

Mountain biking is not usually the first thing most western people would associate with Kampala.

Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly popular in the area, mainly due to the efforts of (the seemingly inexhaustible) Kampala Cycling Club.

Kampala Cycling Club

I really like the Kampala Cycling Club’s approach.

The KCC claim that bike messagers are “the fastest couriers in Africa” and offer a full day Kampala Experience for tourists.

As a club, they are proactive, inclusive and forward-thinking.

For example, here is their training schedule:

I really like their rules for joining the club (take heed other clubs!).

Kampala Cycling Club

The Kampala Cycling Club has been involved in a range of events have that have significantly raised the profile and participation of cycling.

Two such events are…

1. Tour de Feminine

This year, from 24-26^th January, was the first ever “Tour de Feminine”.
This tour was formatted so that females could participate in either a competitive and recreation capacity.

To date, there is not much information about this event. I could only find a few registration details and a few photos on the Kampala Cycling Club Facebook page (see below).

Despite being a small ride (well it is the first time!), I was still keen to find out more and see what the event format, experience and outcomes were.

So I contacted the organisers – and hope to get more details soon.

I will keep you posted!

2. Red Dirt MTB Festival

The Red Dirt Mountainbike Festival was held on May 4th, 5th and 6th 2018.

The event FB page states “Uganda has so much to offer for the off-road cyclists. There are a zillion unexplored virgin singletracks in unique locations surrounded by beautiful nature and wildlife. We think it’s the best-kept secret and the closest thing to heaven for the outdoor athlete.

This awesome weekend will be stuffed with bicycle-related activities and other outdoor events for both young and old, fit or unfit, beginner or expert, national or international. Activities that will be organized are: nightrides, mountain bike clinics, mechanical workshops, family rides, BBQ, quiz night, movies, bonfires.

However, our biggest event will be organized on Sunday and will be an official MTB race in collaboration with Uganda Cycling Association.

This all will take place just a 15-minute boat ride away from busy Kampala, right in the middle of nature where the air is till fresh and the grass still green.”

The Red Dirt Facebook page has more details and info.

Prize money was awarded to both women’s and men’s podiums:

1st – 300.000 SHX
2nd – 150.000 SHX
3rd – 50.000 SHX

It looked like they had a great turn out – and a great time!!

Yesterday a highlight recap video was released (see below).

I love that MTB and cycling are so universal.

Congratulations to all the organisers, supporters, riders and locals who made these (and many others we have yet to hear about) happen.

It makes me very happy to know that these kind of events are happening and that they are increasing in popularity and participation.

Great work all!

Images from Kampala Cycling Club Facebook Page, Red Dirt Mountainbike Festival and Shotz By My.

15/05/201807/08/2018

Official: World Bicycle Day

Finally!

Happy news for cyclists – a few weeks go in Brussels, the UN declared:

June 3rd is World Bicycle Day!

Previously, countries have independently self-initiated a day to celebrate the humble bicycle, but following a passionate and very well researched campaign lead by the World Cycling Alliance (WCA) and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), on 12th April, 2018, at the 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly, full consensus and support of the 193 UN member states was reached.

This is a great win for cycling, bicycles and riding worldwide.

Just in the nick of time – June 3rd is fast approaching!

I am actually surprised that it took so long for the UN to recognise the significant value and positive impacts that bicycles have in relation to progressing local and global economic, environmental, health and sustainability priorities. Especially considering some of the other ‘International Day of the …’ that have been officially recognised by the UN for a long time.

This means International World Bicycle Day can join the ranks in the global event calendar alongside other not to be missed dates like:

Jan 7th – International Programmer’s Day
April 18th – International Day for Monuments and Sites
May 2nd – World Tuna Day
June 16th – International Day of Family Remittances
Sept 30th – World Translation Day
Nov 21st – World Television Day

Yup – the bicycle is now up there with only the best!

How did it happen?

It took two and half years of persistent advocacy headed up by the WCA and the ECF and the production of a report detailing how amazing bicycles are.

Bike Europe reported that “We are extremely happy with this declaration,” said Dr Bernhard Ensink, Secretary General of the World Cycling Alliance (WCA) and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) who campaigned for a UN-designated World Bicycle Day since 2016.

“Cycling is a source for social, economic and environmental benefits – and it is bringing people together. This UN declaration is an acknowledgement of the contribution of cycling to the sustainable development goals.”

Sustainability

WCA and ECF delivered a document to the UN in 2015 in which it is shown that cycling delivers directly on at least 12 of the 17 sustainable development goals, titled ‘Cycling Delivers on the Global Goals!’.

The declaration invites all Member States and relevant stakeholders to celebrate and promote awareness of the World Bicycle Day. The declaration encourages Member States to devote particular attention to the bicycle in cross-cutting development strategies and to include the bicycle in international, regional, national and subnational development policies and programs.

H.E. Ambassador, Aksoltan Ataeva, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations, introduced the draft resolution, co-sponsored by 56 countries, to the General Assembly for the vote.

Cycling Delivers on the Global Goals

The Cycling Delivers on the Global Goals report is a very thoughtful, infromative and easy read.

It highlights main areas where bicycles contribute significantly to progressing Global Sustainable Development Goals.

Download a copy here: Cycling Delivers on the Global Goals

The European Cyclists Federation state that: the Global Goals, as stipulated in the preamble of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), seek to realize the human rights of all. Cycling is already delivering on these goals worldwide, and this is a good reason to invest more in cycling. Making transportation more sustainable is of critical importance for humanity and the planet.

Moreover, active mobility is a human right on all scales – including the right to cycle. Governments at all levels should provide safe access to public space, protect those that walk and cycle, and ensure – through mobility – equal participation in society.

Hooray!

Bicycles really do create change!

Viva la Bici!

Put this auspicious date in your diary.

Time to organise something awesome on two wheels for June 3rd to celebrate! See you there!!

All images: Cycling Delivers on the Global Goals Report (2016)