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bicycles
By the time Mark Quattrochi had biked through China, he had raised enough to build a school room. Rather than stopping at the border, he plotted a new route that allowed him to visit all of the other communities in India, Kenya, Ecuador and Nicaragua where he wanted to build school rooms.
Balancing on a self-propelled, two-wheeled mechanism is not everyone's cup of tea. Those who do it, though, agree that it's one of the most exciting experiences. Cycling is an activity that has significant social, economical and health benefits. And with all the new technologies available, it's only getting better.
Rainy days, sunny days, I will ride in pretty much any weather (except maybe when it's icy). I always feel better after riding my bike. As I pedal down the road, my mind and heart are open, and I am able to be creative and think of some of my best ideas. To find out the latest tips on how to keep safe and cycle in the fall, I spoke with Jim Adams, MEC Toronto Cycling Staff.
Cycling has come a long way...in the past few years. Long gone are the days of having to choose between either cycling clothing or day clothes. Now there is a lovely hybrid of urban wear and commuting clothes that can take you from the office to riding around town.
This week, two European tourists complained about the Canadian car culture after a brief stint in the 10 million square kilometer nation of over 35-million people. The British and Danish complainers now reside in Aarhus, Denmark. While I support criticizing a country, it is also good to have the facts in order. To that end, here are some stats Chabowski should have taken into account before making rush judgments on Canadian society.
The personal and societal benefits of getting out of your car and onto a bike are well-known. Still, despite the many arguments in favour of cycling, increased infrastructure always incites criticism -- most of it unwarranted. And the behaviour of some cyclists doesn't help.
Amsterdam is a city of almost 800,000 inhabitants, and 600,000 bicycles. They're everywhere. But as a North American traveling to Amsterdam, I was simultaneously impressed by their pedal power while surprised to discover that not one single cyclist owned an essential piece of biking equipment from our part of the world: the bike helmet.
In some European cities, planners are finding that making life more difficult for drivers while providing incentives for people to take transit, walk, or cycle creates numerous benefits, from reducing pollution and smog-related health problems to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and making cities safer and friendlier.
