Jo Helme

Should we associate cycling with noisy, dangerous ‘highways’? Are longer, but more scenic routes worth it? Are speed e-bikes hijacking the highways? Read this article to challenge your conceptions of cycle highways and hear what people working in the field think.  Having covered the basics of cycle highways in our...

‘Cyclists Dismount’. An instruction that seems reasonable, pretty agreeable. It’s probably placed in front of a school, or in a park, or before a pedestrianised shopping street. Best not to scatter the crowd by pedalling through their unaware milieu of chatter and meander.  Unknown to many urban planners, however, a...

We’ve all heard of the terms ‘public participation’ and ‘stakeholder engagement’, but what do they really mean? How can you actually persuade someone adamantly against cycling policies to change their mind? Here’s an alternative approach which is winning cycling-sceptics over. Stakeholder's Objections to Cycling Projects Any city trying to implement cycling...

From helmet hair to soaked suits, cycling to work isn’t always appealing. Here’s why paying commuters to cycle to work is misguided and how employers, employees and policymakers can all play their part. Making Cents to Cycle  Paying people to cycle to work is a popular strategy with politicians in achieving...

The humble bicycle may just be the cure we need for our suffocating planet, sickly air and illnesses stirred by static lifestyles. Divided into four arguments, this article hopes to illuminate why cycling cities are so desperately needed.  1. Cycling Saves: The Planet  Transport accounts for a quarter of all EU...

Why not wear a helmet, if it could save your life? Aren’t bicycle helmet laws just victim blaming, rather than focusing on the real issue of unsafe drivers? We’ve made the case for both sides, so cities have all the facts when making their decision.  The debate around mandatory bicycle...

Despite being ranked as the world’s most congested city, bicycles in Bogotá are blooming. This is the remarkable story of how the bicycle weaved its way through – and how it shook up social statuses and the sound of Sundays in Colombia’s capital.    Bogotá’s Bicycle Story: It Began With a Sunday With...

Bogotá’s former mayor, Enrique Peñalosa, redrew the capital’s cityscape. Surviving two recall elections, he built hundreds of parks, bike tracks, bus lanes and sidewalks. For him, a bus stuck in traffic does not represent inefficiency – it represents inequality.  How Peñalosa Changed Bogotá  The sheer scale of construction and change that Enrique Peñalosa...

To tailor BMW’s catchphrase, Isabell Eberlein is the ultimate cycling machine. Her track-record of cycling advocacy is staggering – from Berlin’s bicycle referendum, to cycle rides against the patriarchy, to making businesses bike-friendly. She told us about what drives her and how she campaigns for change. Isabell's Story: Not the...

‘Handshake’ is currently the biggest European Union project on cycling, combining thirteen cities and a budget of nearly five million euros. We spoke to the project coordinator, Mario Gualdi, to get a first-hand account. What's the Aim of Handshake? “The starting idea is bringing together people that are doing similar things, in...

Safe intersections are critical to any cycling city, yet are often the last link to be thought about. Here is a beginner’s overview to bike-friendly intersections, based on advice from three experts in the field.  Out in the Open: Why Bike-Friendly Intersections Are Important There are two main reasons why any...

Cycling seems like second nature in Amsterdam, but after speaking with Marjolein de Lange, co-author of the book ‘Bike City Amsterdam’, we discovered that this hasn’t always been the case. Filled with fierce activism, from white bicycle archaists to angered mothers, this is the story of how Amsterdam fought...

Not sure how to cultivate a cycling culture? Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or an advanced cycling city, we’ve got your next steps planned out. Stages of a Cycling City Whatever stage your city is at, there’s more that can be done to grow a cycling base. Below are the next...

Creating a cycling city is no easy ride. Here’s everything you should know from the outset, all brought to life by people we’ve spoken to who deal with cycling every day.   Whilst no city is the same, there are a few challenges even the champion cycling cities struggled with. Thankfully...

Kimberley’s dangerous commute led her down a path where she would end up transforming Calgary into one of Canada’s cycling cities. She tells us about the journey, along with e-scooters dating, ‘sanity rides’ and how best to drive change.  Kimberley’s Story: Battling for the Bike Commuting to work by bicycle, there...

What do stars, pasta and chips have in common? They’re all names for EU funded initiatives on cycling. Here’s the place to start if you want to understand this curious world of EU cycling projects.  What Are EU Cycling Projects? Any project which promotes cycling and has received European Union funding...

Trying to encourage children to cycle to school? Follow these tried and tested ideas, and you’ll be sure to pass with flying colours!  Why Cycling Comes Top of the Class  Although convenient, driving to school by car has its downsides. If there are too many cars, congestion halts the start of...

Building a cycling network? Here’s everything you need – not just the pains and gains, but also the brains behind cycle lanes and the knacks behind cycle tracks. No cycling city is complete without at least a few cycle routes. Colloquially, most refer to all forms of cycle routes as...