Helsinki Bike Pockets In Practice

First official bike pockets were painted on the streets of downtown Helsinki last week. That was great, I personally think bike pockets are a great thing for cyclist struggling in busy city traffic.

Now here's just two photos showing how creative attitudes some motorists are showing towards the pockets:  Using the lane that the cyclist should use in order to pass the cars to get into the pocket as nicely marked new parking slots. But it's a learning process, right?

EDIT. But justice is being done!

(Snaps by Paulus and Konkeli)

NYC Bike Lane Issues

3-Way Street

3-Way Street from ronconcocacola on Vimeo.

Cycle Lane Hämeentie Helsinki 2.8.2010

So it turns out, bit suprisingly, that the Cycle Lane Art Happening on Hämeentie Helsinki last night was kind of a success with the claimed 250 or so people participating.

Hämeentie is one of main traffic arteries of Helsinki leading to the city centre from the east and northeast uptown districts and it's one the worst streets to ride a bike on due busy high speed traffic and total lack of bike lanes so the idea behind the event was cool. Hämeentie is also part of my daily commute but as I was actually home asleep last night so these pics are all taken by the organizers, check out more HERE.

But as often happens, there are some haterz online already resenting the fact that the art aspect of the event in Helsinki was copied from Berlin, as stated clearly from the beginning by the people organizing the event. But I don't, man. If you post Wallpaper magazine on your blog's links, that really tells more about you than what we really need to know. Whatever.

Cycle Lane, Hämeentie Helsinki 2.8.2010 // Pyöräkaista Hämeentielle !!!

"We the people of Helsinki hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and cycling."

In connection with the URB festival the Länsiväylä group will realize a new work named Cycle Lane. In the work, a 'cycle lane' is painted with fluorescent paint on Hämeentie, in Helsinki. A bit like this: http://www.abitare.it/highlights/guerilla-paint-action-in-berlin/

The cycle parade assembles Monday 2nd of August 1.45 am at Piritori in Kallio Vaasanaukio in Sörnäinen and moves on from there. Cycle Lane is open for all.

ATTENTION! There's paint involved so don't put on your best clothes most expensive limited edition sneakers. We provide the gear to wash your bike afterwards at Tokoinranta."

Facebook event and more info HERE. 

Bicyclist Going 45 MPH Hits Bear In Boulder Co.

A cyclist in Boulder County was injured after a run-in, literally, with a bear. 

Tim Egan, 53, was riding on Old Stage Road Tuesday afternoon when suddenly a bear appeared in front of him. Egan hit the bear and ended up skidding across the road.

"This bear looked at me with a look of terror on his face and sort of made a noise," said Egan. "I looked at him with a look of terror and we went, 'aaaahhhhh.'"

He cracked some ribs, suffered cuts on his head and had road rash. Egan said he and the bike flipped and flew over the bear, hitting the pavement hard.

The bear ran away after the accident when a deer appeared.

Egan's nephew ran to help the injured cyclist.

"When I tell people, they say 'right, are you kidding me, who hits a bear?'"

Egan estimated he was going about 45 mile per hour at impact. He said the bear was about six feet tall and probably weighed 500 pounds.

His bike was okay so he got back on it and pedaled to the hospital.

Egan said he was relieved his kidneys weren't damaged because he plans to donate one to his sister later this year.

The accident was the second involving a bear and cyclist in Left Hand Canyon in the past two years. A woman in the Boulder Triathlon ran into a bear in the same area last year.

'HAVING BIKES IS FORBIDDEN' at the University of Helsinki

The other day I had lunch at the Olivia Unicafe student canteen in University of Helsinki Behavioural Sciences building. I had a nice chicken breast filé at a reduced price and all that but what did I see outside? This sign: 


WTF? People have been parking their bikes by that wall to left of the sign for about three year since the building was opened and NOW they make it forbidden. And not only that but what was the dimwit who made the sign thinking really?

I mean, "PYÖRIEN PITO KIELLETTY" actually means "HAVING (or 'keeping') BIKES FORBIDDEN". They obviously meant that 'keeping bikes by the wall is forbidden' but just like in the english translation, in Finnish it really says 'HAVING BIKES IS FORBIDDEN'.

Pretty funny, yes, but f*ck whoever made the sign all the same. We, as cyclists, need to fight this kind of stupidness. In addition, smoking by the wall, behind the sign and outside of the building main entrance is allowed but not parking your bike there? Right. 

Criminal Mass Takes Over The Freeway

This news was so awesome that I just had to steal it, like this:

"Last Friday, Crimanimal Mass took their second bicycle ride on the freeway during drive-home rush hour. Whizzing by gridlocked cars, the demonstration, albeit illegal, raises questions. Good questions. One of the group's organizers, Morgan Strauss, 29, was quoted in the Santa Monica Daily Press (.pdf) this weekend saying that he “just wanted to raise questions about the transportation infrastructure. In a city ruled by cars, why is it that you can get places faster on bikes?”

Many photos were taken of the ride, which included nearly 30 bicyclists, but also three rollerbladers."

There's a nice gallery of photos, click here.