Smarter Than Car is breeding a theoretical framework since some while which can be used to discuss the role of cycles (defined as pedal-powered vehicles oft two or three wheels) in contemporary and future cities. With the term (bi)cycle urbanism we aim at supporting a new integrated role for pedal-powered vehicles in urban environments; for living in, managing and constructing the contemporary glo...

There is a lecture coming up in Vienna which will feature STC's ongoing research on bicycle culture in Beijing and STC's comparative work on international policies supporting bicycle life. STC researcher Florian Lorenz will give a talk in the public venue of Vienna's Department of Urban Planning (MA18) on May 18th.The venue is called 'Planungswerkstatt' which translates to 'planning workshop' and ...

This page shows you real ways you can get hit and real ways to avoid them. This is a far cry from normal bicycle safety guides, which usually tell you little more than to wear your helmet and to follow the law. But consider this for a moment: Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car. Sure, helmets might help you if you get hit, but you...

Speed Bikes are just as fast (or nearly as fast) as cars on short trips (<5 miles) inside the city -- which are a majority of all trips. (More than half of Americans live less than five miles from their jobs.) For all the examples below, we'll use 5 miles as the commuting distance. Cars have a very high top speed but that's irrelevant for most commutes, since most are slowwed down by ...

The Cyclist Lifestyle Two questions immediately suggest themselves: 1) What is a cyclist? 2) Do cyclists have a common lifestyle? Research articles and statistical reports avoid "cyclist," perhaps to prevent confusion with motorcyclists, using "bicyclist" or "pedalcyclist" instead. Newspapers, on the other hand, use "cyclist" to describe anyone riding a bike. History can help, as...

The Cyclist Lifestyle Two questions immediately suggest themselves: 1) What is a cyclist? 2) Do cyclists have a common lifestyle? Research articles and statistical reports avoid "cyclist," perhaps to prevent confusion with motorcyclists, using "bicyclist" or "pedalcyclist" instead. Newspapers, on the other hand, use "cyclist" to describe anyone riding a bike. History can help, ...

had a lovely woman come into the studio yesterday and we discussed gears on bicycles and how they worked. Apparently she didn’t know how to use them and nobody helped her learn. This post is to all the women in the world who get frustrated with bicycles and elitist riders who make them feel badly. In a word, don’t. You learn things differently than men and it is ok! You don’t ha...

Photo by Alexandra Moss. Once known as the world’s ‘bicycle kingdom,’ China has experienced rapid urbanization leading some to declare the beginning of the end for China’s bikes. While it’s true that from 1995 to 2005, China’s bike fleet declined by 35 percent and private car ownership more than doubled, there is no evidence today that bicycles are a thing of the past on B...