Cycling hints
There’s some helpful cycling advice from Treehugger this week on making sure you claim back tax deductions for extra food as fuel expenses incurred while working – this might be particularly relevant to those many cycle couriers who burn extra calories whizzing about town all day long:
And there’s also ten tips to ugly your bike so no one steals it. Seems all you need is a bit of duct tape and plastic bag on the seat. I find a plethora of Green Party stickers help too.
And, more importantly the Cycle Action Network has this petition in support of their 9 point cycle safety plan, that needs your signature:
- Run a national Share the Road promotional campaign telling motorists and cyclists how to co-exist safely on the roads.
- Change transport planning and funding processes to make sure key problem areas or gaps for cyclists (e.g. Ngauranga to Petone cycleway, Auckland Harbour Bridge) get fixed - no more long delays or buck-passing between various organisations.
- Spend less on road building and more on encouraging alternatives to driving - more motor vehicles on our roads only make things less safe and attractive for cycling.
- Promote the use of lower speed zones (particularly 30km/h).
- Change the tolerance for motor vehicle speed limit enforcement from 10km/h to a maximum of ten per cent of the posted speed limit.
- Increase the walking and cycling budget in the National Land Transport Programme by a factor of five.
- Change funding and audit processes to make sure that all roading projects improve the environment for cycling.
- Change the driver licensing system and driver instruction (including bus and truck drivers) so motorists are educated about how to take care around cyclists.
- Fund and promote nationwide roll-out of cycle skills training for children and adults.
I like numbers 6 and 7. Although I would have thought that was the bare minimum increase needed.
Bookmark to:
July 31st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I wont be signing this selfish petition untill it includes
10. That the word “motor” be removed from all land transport legislation.
11. To further ensure equitable land transport funding, that the 25% tire tax be re-introduced.
July 31st, 2008 at 2:30 pm
How about motor scooters? You’d get a lot more people out of cars if you gave scooters dedicated lanes. I guess bikes could use them, too.
Few people want to transition to a tedious fitness regime that cycling requires - especially up long hills at the end of the work day.
July 31st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I find the long hills at the end of the working day a good thing. Gets the heart rate going and gives one an energy boost for the evening. A few weeks of riding also ensures one is fit enough to not get completely exhausted from work.
I reckon it’s far less tedious than going to the gym too… and less stinky.
Agree on the scooter front.
August 1st, 2008 at 12:49 am
Interesting story. Anyone know whether you can claim as a cycle courier in NZ? I bet a few of them would like to hear about this!
August 1st, 2008 at 1:18 am
Interesting that this cycle courier’s deductible fuel cost per km travelled is within a few cents of the deductible fuel costs of a van courier. Interesting. I wonder what his fuel consumption per tonne/km is. Definitely worse that a Fedex van, probably worse than a Fedex linehaul truck, possibly worse than a Fedex plane.
August 1st, 2008 at 8:46 am
haha
August 1st, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Yep, I uglied my bike with Green stickers. Someone even tried to scratch one off, making it more ugly..
I don’t ride much in the rain, tho’, so the bikes getting rusty now (and uglier..)
Spring is here (well, according to the thoroughbred calendar), so I might just need to do some bike maintenance & work out a feeding schedule to get myself up to speed again