The concept of Fly By Bike...

Extreme Idea? Yes! But how good would this be?! Fly above the streets, avoid all the traffic and avoid all those windy streets! Fly By Bike is a 'Magical concept by us a BiketoBasics we are not sure it is do able but we like to dream! Who knows with a bit of help we could be looking at Bristol 2050

#biketobasics    #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

Magical Response| RIDE ABOVE IT

Bike to Basics proposes a suspended cycle-lane network, which lets riders glide over traffic, flying above the streets and pollution. The sheltered cycle flyway will make traveling by bike the only way to travel. The flyway will be lit will kinetic energy collectors in the system that harnesses the pedal power.

....More Road Chatter

I cycle into the city centre every day to get into work. I think it’s a brilliant way to get around the city and it a good way to keep fit. I have cycled in many different cities in Europe and I think Bristol is one of the best cycling cities. The hills are always a challenge for me but I enjoy the challenge. Obviously I enjoy going down the hills more than going up them. Something that I especially dislike about cycling in the city is the large amounts of buses and other traffic on the roads. As a cyclist it can be quite intimidating to be in amongst so many large vans, buses and trucks that do not respect cyclists on the road.

I believe cycling is the future for transport in Bristol and it would be great for the city, as well as the environment if something could be done to get more people on their bikes.

Giovanni  Borini, 33

The Bike Travelator explained

BiketoBasicsBRISTOL's 'Powered by Movement' initiative explained. 

We are proposing the concept of a 'Bike Travelator' where cyclists literally cycle onto an escalator type system which then aids in pulling them up the hill. Below are diagrams showing an initial concept of the system which will be powered by similar technology to that of Pavegen's using the kinetic energy from bike and road traffic going down the hill and converting that into the electrical energy to power the travelator. 

BiketoBasics wants to see a cycling revolution and to do the we need to address the issues which put the majority of people off cycling. In Bristol one of these major issues is the hills. So this initial concept is trying to address that issue. Why not have a little break going up a hill? A similar design could be used anywhere. So Sheffield, Edinburgh, Lisbon, La Paz what do you think? Fancy having a Bike Travelator? We do!

Pavegen - A solution for the hills of a 'Green City'?

You may have read or heard us mention a company called Pavegen systems earlier on in this blog or on our twitter or Facebook page. Pavegen produce innovative technology which harness' the kinetic energy of people walking and converts it into electrical energy. It has already been used in events such as the London Olympics 2012 and the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon 2013. The diagram below is from their website and gives a brief explanation of 

We would like to harness this technology on the hills of Bristol. Cyclists who we have spoken have said these hills are one of the biggest off puts of biking in Bristol, so we wanted to investigate how we tackle this. This is where the pulley system comes in! It is all very well going down the hills on a bike but this system aids cyclists who want to go up by letting them attach to a cable system that pulls them and the bike upwards. 

'So how do we power this pulley system?' I here you say, well back to Pavegen technology. Bristol is 'Green City 2015' so an immediate task of our team was to investigate an innovative solution to creating electricity which we can harness on these hills for our cable concept. We want to develop a system similar to that of Pavegens however instead of footfall we want to utilise the kinetic energy of cars and cyclists going down the hill and convert this into electrical energy to power the cable system. 

Team working hard in the studio! #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #biketobasics

Radical Response| GLIDE UP THE HILLS WILL WHEEL POWER

Many people are put off the idea of cycling around the city due to its big hills. Bike to Basics proposes a bike lift on Park Street to connect the centre and Clifton, easing that journey for cyclists. The system will involve the placement of Pavegen pads on the road that can harness the kinetic energy from cars and bikes which can then be used to power the pully system in the bike lift.

Powered by the Movement

We are striving to find new ideas to bring into this cycling revolution. We want cycling to be as popular as X-factor on a saturday night (or is it Strictly), anyway, if you have been keeping up with our blog or follow us on twitter you will know that we are based in Bristol. We love Bristol, so do the people we have interviewed, but as all Bristonian cyclists will know it is almost impossible to avoid a steep climb somewhere on your journey. THE HILLS ARE EVERYWHERE!

So we have been putting our heads together and have been doing some research. How do we make Bristol hills seem less daunting to cyclists? If we want to build a cycling revolution in our cities how can we make it more attractive to the masses? Everyone enjoys a bit of fresh air down their lungs but some of these hills we think Mark Cavendish would struggle to pedal up.

So without further-ado (or just general rambling) we give you 'Powered by Movement'.

'Powered by Movement' is part of our 'Dream City' innovative intervention. It harness kinetic energy from cars and cyclists going down hills and using technology similar to that of Pavegens converts that energy into electrical energy. This electrical energy then powers a bike lift where cyclists wanting to go up the hill attach themselves by a foot too the system which then pulls them and their bike up to the top. Simple and Sustainable. Check out our poster for the concept.

 'Hills, What Hills?'

PARK(ing) day initiative| 04.10.14

Bike to basics supports the international PARK(ing) day initiative. PARK(ing) Day is an open-source global event where parking spaces are transformed into PARK(ing) Spaces.

In re-appropriating parking spaces for PARK(ing) spaces the value of the road is re assessed as an important part of the commons. The promotion a shared space makes the road a safer place for cyclists and the event will hopefully catalyse a change in attitude towards the road encouraging more permanent change.

Get involved, turn your parking space into a Park(ing) space, and hop on your bike for a ride in the park. National Park(ing) day: 04/10/14    http://parkingday.org

...more Road Chatter

'I have been cycling in Bristol for five years now. I choose to cycle because it’s the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to get around. I enjoy cycling in Bristol, however it’s by no means the safest nor easiest place to ride a bike. Often the busy roads of the city centre can be particularly scary when you’re riding a bike. Also the steep hills, specifically in Clifton are very tiring to climb, I often have to dismount and walk up them. After being knocked off of my bike by a car last winter I try to use cycle paths as much as I can, however there just isn’t enough of them around to be able to get from ‘A’ to ‘B’ without having use the roads as well. I think if something could be done to overcome this people would be more inclined to cycle.

If I could improve anything about the cycling experience in the city it would be the safety of cyclist. In my opinion more separation between pedestrians, cyclists and cars is needed.'

Mark Johnson, 22

...More Road Chatter

‘I like cycling, because it is outdoor, green, healthy, and it’s cheapest exercise that you can easily integrated into your daily life. Cycling in Bristol is nice, there are numerous cycle paths lanes and trails provided for the public to use compared to other cities in the UK. I think to make cycling more accessible, Bristol should introduce more independent, continuous, and well signed cycle paths of which are separated from the road traffic. Bristol is an interesting cycling city for its natural hilliness, because it provides a good range of difficulties. I find it enjoyable to challenge myself cycling up a hill. But for some of my non-athletic friends it is difficult at some hilly location and also discouraging some potential cyclists. There may be many ways of tackling the hilliness problem, but it should ensure the continence and speed throughout the journey with my own bike, no unnecessary stopping, no changing of vehicle. Also, if we tried to lift up the cycling path to the air, it won’t be a good idea for people who are afraid of height and I would worry about the safety myself. But If I get some reward back from cycling up to the top of the Park Street, I would, a lot of people would, like to do so, plus going back down is the most awesome experience.’

Raymond, Software Programmer, 23