Kelly Roberson, 45, with her daughter Sophia Roberson, 8, of Iowa USA, pedals through Des Moines on a motorized bike on Wednesday afternoon, September 16, 2015. Roberson uses the bike to commute to work, run errands like buying groceries, and to pick up her two children from school.

​Click the image above to read more and watch the video at The Des Moins Register.

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Brighton and Hove has recently won an award at the inaugural Cycle Planning Awards in London last Monday. Brighton and Hove won the award for 'Best Cycle Network Infrastructure Project'.



Best Cycle Network Infrastructure Project

Joint winner – Lewes Road Scheme, Brighton & Hove – Brighton and Hove City Council & Mott MacDonald

The Lewes Road Cycle Scheme involved significant reallocation of road space on a busy 4.5km dual-carriageway in order to accommodate improved cycle facilities and enhanced priority for buses.  The scheme is most well-known for its introduction of 14 floating bus stops along the route which remove the previous conflict between buses and cyclists that was often seen as a significant barrier to cycling. Lewes Road (A270) is an important part of the City’s road network, linking the city centre northwards to major employers and destinations including: two universities, the Brighton & Sussex Medical School and the Amex Community Football Stadium and beyond. 

Click on the road.cc logo below to read the full article by Simon MacMichael.

"Now it's clear this is one of the best DIY kits on the market...and the most popular" Electric Bike .com  -August 2015.
Two years after their first review, an updated article bringing current views once again praises the many merits of the Bafang BBS01/BBS02 mid-drive e-bike motors.


Click on the Electric Bike .com logo below to read the full article.

Having a mooch around the we love brighton website recently, and spotted this link to an old video clip from the 1970s; simply had to share.

Electric bicycles can be a clean and green method of transportation, and building your own ebike is not only possible, but is also affordable. Micah Toll, the author of a popular DIY electric bike conversion book offers us 6 tips for getting started with building your own electric bike.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with using a conventional manually-pedaled bicycle, as they're fun, inexpensive, simple to work on and maintain, and about as low-carbon of a transportation option as you can get. But an electric bicycle offers some advantages over a standard bicycle, including speed and convenience, and require significantly less effort to get from one place to another. However, before you lay out a big chunk of cash on a ready made ebike, consider doing a DIY electric bike conversion.

Q: Why do you think people are switching to commuting with an ebike?

Toll: I've actually seen a wide variety of people switching to ebikes for many different reasons. A large group consists of college students and young professionals, especially those living in cities, who use ebikes as an alternative to buying a car or relying on public transportation. The main benefits for this group include being able to commute on their own schedule, not paying for a car, insurance, parking or a yearly bus pass, and being able to beat traffic in crowded cities. I also see a lot of eco-conscious adults in cities and suburbs who use an ebike as a second vehicle, allowing them to leave their car in the garage for many of their 'around the town' trips that don't really require a 3,000lb gas guzzling machine. Lastly, there are many people who would like to get into cycling, but due to their age or previous injuries, haven't been able to succeed. With an ebike, they can get back on two wheels and have total control over how much they are pedaling and how much the motor is assisting them.

To read the full article by Derek Markham click the Tree Hugger logo below.

A really very nice to ride Spesh Stumpy frame from the mid/late nineties having some Bafang treatment. 
Don't think the B.B. ever met grease upon installation, if it did it was so long ago it forgot.
A job well jobbed.

A short clip demonstrating the torque available from a Bafang (BBS01 36V 250W) mid-drive e-bike motor. It effortlessly tackles the pebbles on Brighton Beach. (Bike used fitted with 26x2.25 tyres).
No wonder it laughs so hard in the face of hills and headwinds.
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In short, it's quite possible that the collaborative effect of the best way being 'by bicycle', and the best day being 'Sunday 27th September 2015', could result in one of the most enjoyable days of cycling and exploring Parisians have ever seen.




Climate Action reports:

"Paris will ban motorised vehicles from the roads for the day on 27 September as an experiment in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The city will implement the ‘Une Journée Sans Voiture’ (A Day Without a Car) next month to coincide with European Mobility Week and a United Nations climate change summit, both of which will also be in Paris.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (pictured) said: “Paris will be completely transformed for a day… This is an opportunity for Parisians and tourists to enjoy the city without noise, pollution and therefore without stress.”"

So long as it's not hissing it down with rain and gusting a gale, a Sunday ride around gay Paris, electric or otherwise would surely be a great fun day out. 

It would be great if more cities felt able to implement similar arrangements in coming years.  As new forms of sustainable transport become available the likelihood seems ever more plausible.

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