People – Page 2

Forget all the other reasons you should be riding a bike. This is the one that matters

by Tom BabinCities, People August 9, 2017February 1, 201827 Comments

A new study offers perhaps the most definitive reason yet why society should be doing more to encourage cycling, and serves as another reminder that the health benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks. This British study took a comprehensive look at the health benefits of bicycle commuting, and the results are staggering. Over the …

Here’s why people ride their bike to work

by Tom BabinPeople May 9, 2017May 9, 2017Comments are Disabled

On Bike to Work Day, I asked people a couple of straightforward questions about their chosen commuting mode. Here’s what they said. Take note of how many who said they ride for environmental reasons, for ideology, or because they hate cars (hint: none).

Increasing number of dead pedestrians are a reminder that bike lanes matter

by Tom BabinPeople April 26, 20172 Comments

A reader recently asked a question recently that got me thinking: If conditions are ripe for cycling, why bother adding bike infrastructure? The question came out of my recent post from Yellowknife in which I mused about the city’s potential as a great bike town thanks to its wide streets, slow traffic and hearty residents. …

Contest: Win two tickets to the world premiere of Bicicles, the winter-cycling documentary

by Tom BabinPeople January 19, 2017January 25, 2017Comments are Disabled

Calling everyone who rides a bike. In winter. And loves it. We’re giving away two tickets to the world premiere of Bicicles, the Documentary, a look at winter cycling here in Calgary. Created by Calgary filmmaker Kim Kelln, the documentary follows the commutes of a cross-section of people on bikes through the Canadian winter. If you’d …

The epic winter bike rides of this musician make your commute look paltry

by Tom BabinPeople December 7, 2016December 7, 2016Comments are Disabled

It’s not easy being an independent musician in Canada. The pay is low. Tours are difficult because of the long distances. The wolves sometimes stalk you. OK, that last one may only apply to one musician in Canada: Felipe Gomez, a Chilean-born bass player living in Saskatchewan who has, for the past several years, been …

Why are we so afraid of letting kids ride bikes when statistics prove their safety?

by Tom BabinPeople October 12, 2016April 21, 20174 Comments

Is riding a bike too risky for kids? The question nags many parents beyond the typical helicopter-parent anxiety that permeates modern childhood. Cycling has gone from a bedrock part of childhood a few generations ago to something akin to BASE jumping in the eyes of some grownups. Sometimes, even those trying to promote public health …

A handy guide for avoiding uninformed anti-bike rants

by Tom BabinPeople September 7, 20166 Comments

The rant was so out of touch as to be almost quaint. Earlier this month, Canadian Sen. Nicole Eaton, 71, went on a Twitter campaign against cycling in Toronto, criticizing the construction of bike lanes using the same old arguments that are often thrown around by uninformed reactionaries: Nobody rides a bike, cyclists don’t obey …

Behold: the ultimate tool for transforming our cities, the humble camera

by Tom BabinBikes, People May 17, 2016May 17, 2016Comments are Disabled

For all the work that goes into making streets safer and more welcoming for cyclists, consider perhaps the greatest and most under-appreciated tool of this transition: The ubiquitous camera. Street photography is nothing new, of course. From Henri Cartier-Bresson to Robert Frank, impromptu moments from city life have always been at the forefront of photographic …

Middle-ground fashion: Are we in the midst of transitional North American cycle chic?

by Tom BabinPeople May 2, 2016May 11, 20169 Comments

In addition to cheese, trains and museums, Europeans tend to look down on another aspect of North American life: The way we dress on a bike. Cases in point. This image is from my city of Calgary. This one from the Netherlands. Calgary. Netherlands See the difference? I’m not judging their fashion choices (good lord, have …