Tag: norm

Bike Share: when it’s done well

What is Bike share? Bike share systems are local government run provisions of bicycles (free or at low cost) supporting a city’s transport system. Such a system works alongside a network of buses, trains, trams, taxi/uber and private vehicles and provide people a way of getting around town without. The nature of trips are usually short and bike shares fills specific needs for users to get around town. Of course, the idea is to get people active, minimise their carbon footprint and alleviating congestion.

Many local government authorities around Australia are playing with the idea of implementing these systems. Advocates and critics cast their eyes to Melbourne and Adelaide where bike shares have been implemented. Running a successful bike share systems contains more than simply buying a bunch of bicycles, locking them at the nearest corner and waiting for people to do their thing. Risk adverse councils like to point to lack of infrastructure and costs versus uptake.

The bike share debate has left me fairly ambivalent in the past for various reasons: my bicycle is dear to me (I’ve named it for god sake!), I plan my trips with my own bicycle and public transport, which means I had no personal need. Yes, I could imagine it may be useful, but as neither Perth nor Fremantle have a bike share I also couldn’t imagine what it would be like with one. You don’t miss what you don’t have.

Well, this all was meant to change on my last stint to Europe.

What are all those red bicycles about, I wondered while doing the tourist shuffle through Hamburg and Berlin. In both cities people were zapping around town on fire engine red “StadtRAD” (Citybike) branded treadlies. Train station exits donned bicycle racks with parked citybikes waiting for their next user. I had to find out more about it.

Hamburg’s bike share website explains how it works: first 30 minutes are free, hire and return your bicycle at any station you like – where are the stations? Well, where AREN’T the stations? There is hundreds of them scattered around town!

Perfect for tourists, I thought. Yes, but actually, perfect for anyone who needs to travel a short journey as the system is set up with customer cards, mobile phone access for very fast and convenient rentals.

It makes sense. The more you know a city the more you know exactly which of your trips are worth using buses or trains for, which require a car and which one you can tick of by bike.

Did people in Hamburg and Berlin complain about traffic? Oh yes, they did. Did they have alternatives for using the car? Hell yes, and they did! In fact, the single most complained about aspect of travelling by car was *drum roll*, you guessed it: parking! Any short, quick trip by car was prolonged by finding parking that riding a bicycle made more sense.

Have you tried a bike share? What were your experiences?

Who are these people on bicycles?

For quite a while now Gill and I have been doing what we do best: philosophising about life, planning how to change the world and pedalling around town on our bicycles. We also have also been watching curiously to see what motivates people in life, why and how they make decisions. See, while both Gill and I have quite positive, optimistic dispositions we’re not happy. Not happy at all.

As you know, people in Australia get fatter and unhappier. Why? We drink too much, eat too much fat and sugar and don’t move enough. The question we’ve been contemplating is – why are we the only people who can see that (at least it feels like we’re kinda alone in our observations) and, more importantly, what can we do about it?

Over the last thirty or so years we – you, me, the person next to you and the guy sitting over there who’s picking his nose (eeew!) – have become accustomed to a lifestyle that makes us inherently unhappy and unhealthy. It’s our priorities we pick and it’s social norms we follow. By and large it’s out of balance.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
Albert Einstein

This is why we are creating this very space you’re currently reading. Balance. “The ability to maintain the line of gravity or also the point between two opposite forces that is desirable over purely one state or the other.” We feel current culture needs more of it – it’s a mono-culture and needs some serious spruiking.

So far, I’m fairly elliptical, but rest assured, it’ll contain more about people on bicycles in the future. If that sounds vaguely like something you might enjoy please join. It might also completely outrage you, well, then please join anyway.