Making tracks for Tower Bridge

Artist Thomas Yang makes beautiful prints inspired by the nuts and bolts of everyday cycling – literally. His bike-themed images use tyres, chains and other cycle components to achieve a distinctive black-and-white look that has won several awards. Now his series of urban images has reached London with ‘God Save The Bike’, a portrait of Tower Bridge made with tyre treads. It’s $90 and there are just 19 remaining.

A bike made of pies

Now this is the sort of sports nutrition we like. To celebrate the imminent arrival of the Tour de France in Yorkshire, Ripon butchers Appletons have created a ‘pie-cycle’ – a bike-shaped assemblage of pies, sausage rolls and sausages. As the shop’s Toni Vauvert told the York Press, “all we need now is a fork in the road”.

It’s now legal to jump red lights… in Indiana

Most cyclists are tired of the accusation that they “always jump red lights” – but in the US state of Indiana, it’s now legal to do so.

Under some circumstances, anyway. A new law, nicknamed the ‘Dead Red Law’, allows cyclists to cross a red light if they’ve been waiting for two minutes.

The law is intended to address induction loops in the road, sensor panels that trigger a light change, but are often incapable of detecting lightweight vehicles like cycles.

However, local police admit that the two-minute requirement will be difficult to enforce. “No-one’s going to put a stopwatch on you,” police captain Phil Trent told wsbt.com. He emphasised that cyclists should still take care at busy junctions.

In some US towns, however, the induction loops have already become obsolete. Instead, motion-detection cameras are being installed on traffic lights, which automatically trigger the light sequence whenever anyone strays into view – whether they be motorist or cyclist.

Oh, I do like to ride beside the seaside

Cyclists in Weymouth are hoping to be the latest to overturn a promenade cycling ban.

Recent months have seen bike bans overturned on Seaford and Llandudno’s seafronts. Now this success has inspired a similar campaign by the cyclists of Weymouth and Portland – which shares a name with the US city, but not yet the bike-friendly attitude.

The campaign is being spearheaded by the local Weyforward initiative, which aims to shed the Dorset town’s reputation as “a graveyard of ambition”. Local cyclist Jason West has set up a petition, explaining:

“Someone somewhere has confused pedalling (cycling) with peddling (hawking, street selling). The result is that the cycling community of Weymouth & Portland, and all of the healthy cycling tourists we welcome, are banned from riding their bikes on the seafront by an ancient and misread byelaw!

“We think a sensible solution allowing both cyclists and pedestrians to co-exist in a safe way can be explored and found – such as exists in Bournemouth and most other seaside towns in the UK, as well as canals.”

The ban was last debated by councillors in 2008, but this time it looks like cyclists might have the council on their side. Christine James, in charge of transport at Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, told the Dorset Echo:

“I have always questioned as to why we can’t get cycling on the seafront. It does need to be debated again. The byelaw is ridiculous – once it has reached 600 signatures they can present it to me and it will be debated by the council again.”

You can sign the petition at avaaz.org.

Plans revealed for new Cambridge bike bridge

A new cycle bridge over the River Cam could save cyclists a mile-long detour – and form part of a new north-south route.

Cambridgeshire County Council is proposing a £4m bridge to link Abbey and Chesterton, to be built near the existing railway crossing. As well as providing an invaluable local route, it would provide the ‘missing link’ in the proposed Chisholm Trail, which would connect the Science Park to the railway station.

The council has now launched a public consultation on the bridge, asking whether:

• the new bridge should be just east of the railway bridge, or closer to Ditton Meadows;
• the design should be a ‘truss bridge’, a solid box girder, or a half through girder;
• the ramps should be C-, S- or Z- shaped;
• and whether it should be painted red, grey or black.

The route will link to a new railway station being built to serve the Science Park and north Cambridge. Local councillor Ian Manning explained that it would help to alleviate parking problems.

“We need to make it as easy as possible to get from A to B in Cambridge, without having to rely on private cars. This new bridge will provide a vital link from the Newmarket Road area to the new station, and crucially will lessen the chances of East Chesterton being clogged up with commuter parking.”

The £4m cost will be covered by developer contributions, regional funding and possibly monies from the Cambridge City Deal. The County Council aims to have the new bridge in place by 2017.

The consultation is open until 28th July and you can find out more on the Cambridgeshire County Council website.