Author name: Steven Edwards

Almost 2,000 times more particle pollution is produced by tyre wear than is pumped out of the exhausts of modern cars, tests have shown.
The tyre particles pollute air, water and soil and contain a wide range of toxic organic compounds, including known carcinogens, the analysts say, suggesting tyre pollution could rapidly become a major issue for regulators.

Research produced by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK has shown that a large portion of young people are strongly considering changing their transport habits in the face of challenges to finances and environmental factors.

Already present on mainland Europe, the Powerstations are sought-after pieces of infrastructure, in particular where cycle tourism is prominent, each enabling electric bike riders to cut out range anxiety on long-distance rides.
It will take around one hour to boost a Bosch eBike battery to around 80% charged and there is no need for riders to bring their cables as part of the service. The chargers, at present, rely on the bike offering a detachable battery in order that users can stash the cells in a secure locker during the charge process.

E-bikes are often designed to be suitable for multiple types of riding and it’s not uncommon for e-cargo bikes in particular to come with various add-ons that alter the way in which they can be used. Canada’s Envo Drive Systems has taken adaptability one step further, however, developing the Flex frame which can be set up to be a bike, trike or even a snowbike.

16 June 2022
 Upway, a start-up that sells reconditioned electric bikes, has raised $25m (£20m) led by investors Exor Seeds and Sequoia Capital. 
The French company says it is making e-bikes more affordable and contributing to reducing waste. It believes it can contribute a modal shift where cars become the exception and e-bikes are the norm.

The University of Westminster’s Active Travel Academy has launched a special edition of its journal, looking beyond the traditional focus of short, urban cycling trips to explore longer distance cycling in the age of eBikes. Laura Laker caught up with the ATA’s Tom Cohen, and read the five Active Travel Studies reports, to bring you the lowdown…
For those unused to reading academic papers they’re not always an easy read, but cover some really important ground around what long distance cycling is, how more trips could be made easier by bike and how to achieve that in an inclusive and environmentally sensitive way.
Longer distance cycling for interspecies mobility justice in Canada considers how active travel infrastructure can benefit all life, including humans, by replacing car space with cycling in a way that’s sympathetic to ecosystems and social inequalities.

May 26, 2022

I am regularly asked “what is the single most important thing that mayors can do to tackle climate change?” It is a difficult question to answer, but if we broaden the question to include reducing inequality and poverty, then few interventions can match the transformative power of prioritising the needs of pedestrians and cyclists over space for cars.
In fact, any city where a private vehicle is necessary to get around is likely to be fundamentally unequal. Data from cities across the world show that men are more likely to drive cars, while women are more likely to rely on public transport and non-motorised modes like walking and cycling. Research carried out in the UK and US found rates of car ownership that were significantly higher among white people compared to other ethnic groups. We also know that, while wealthier households are more likely to own cars, they are less likely to be living in areas with the highest levels of traffic and traffic-related pollution. Another study found that car users took up 3.5 times more public space than non-car users. A city that is designed around the car is not an equitable one.