Increase of cycle path network leads to increase of cyclists

I am a very defensive rider. It means that I cede my priority, that I pay extremely attention at each pivate gate. Fortunately I can ride most of the time on a separate cyclepath when I come from Leuven to Brussels so that all those precautions and attention aren't really necessary.

The cyclepath I use is an exception. 

In the Netherlands they met in the '80 the same infrastructural problems. The roads weren't adapted for cyclists. Massive protests an political led eventually to a splendid cycle path network. Have a look at the video...

How the Dutch got their cycle paths

A remedy against autumn blues...

Past Friday rain convinced me to go by car to work. When I was at the office, I was in a bad mood due to minor incidents on the road, but dry indeed... Clouds moved into my mind :-s . 
The evening was worse: traffic jam from start to end: 21km/h. Awful. Cycling I use to have an average of 25km/h when I'm slow...
True. Bad, dark weather does require a bit more discipline than in the sunny summer days.
A first adversary is the rain. Meet and beat is my device: face the rain in the right clothings: clothings that repell or at  least don't absorbe all too much water and breathe at the same time. A classic rain jacket or a rain gown are ok when you don't need to go far. With 27 km ahead of you you'll be wetter from the transpiration than from the rain. Personally I protect only my valuable items against the rain (my breadbox for example: wouldn't want to miss my breakfast at my arrival at Mobistar...). Roughly estimated I got soaked less than 5 times a year. Rain is worse from behind the window than when you are actually in it...
A more dreadful opponent is the darkness. This real danger is systematically underestimated. Weapon you against darkness. Cyclists are the weak participants in the traffic.Their visibility should appeal cardrivers to a caring attitude towards cyclists.
I never leave without my safety jacket,  white front light,  red back light and reflectors in my wheels. 
What about the autumn blues? I don't autorize rain and darkness to predict my behaviour. Defying circumstances is a way to cope with upcoming blues. That power is in each of us. Feel wind and rain on your face and taste life.

Although the cyclist hasa back
light and reflectors, he isn't visible

A safety jacket increases
considerably visibility

Congratualations! Much more than 6000 km...

7115 kilometers in August with still 3 days to go… Mobistar employees know how to cope with challenges! Many persons helped to reach this goal: experienced cyclists, starters, but also supporters. We did much better than expected and we had to fight for it. Our adversary was the bad weather with in August more than 20 rainy days, not to talk about the stormy days! Nevertheless the 6000 km cape has been reached easily!

The Move Green event on 23/08 was the occasion to thank all the contributors and supporters wholeheartedly. It was great to welcome you!

Bike To Work for the good cause!

Bike to work and register your kilometers!
It's for a very good cause: Your Health and The Environment.

Discover Move Green on 23/8!

Inscriptions for Mobistar employees via "Insight" "Online Registrations""Cyclist's Rewards". Everybody is Welcome!

Rose-Marie started to Bike to Work: her findings...

Gazing out of the office window at the fifth floor, I can nearly see my home... This fact often made me consider the idea to come to work by bike. It would improve my condition without a supplementary time investment in sport.
Many obstacles prevented my thoughts from turning into action...Which route to take? How to organize? Are there facilities for cyclists? And especially...What about my condition? My condition was really poor.
Eventually a colleague convinced me to put all my hesitations aside and to try it out. The first time I "bikepooled" with a cycling colleague. It took me over 55 minutes to conquer a steep climb and to cover the 11 km to the office...
Today, about a month after that difficult start, I obtained a certain routine which facilitates considerably my organization: I decide to bike and to prepare everything the evening before so that I can leave early in the morning and am not tempted  to take my car.
It is still difficult, but I am improving: I am now in 45 minutes at the office... Still more important than time is that my body is boosted by this regular exercise. After all that's why I am doing it for! I feel good!

Encouragements from Dixie Dancercoer and Sam Deltour!

Dixie Dancercoer and Sam Deltour cross fingers for a successful challenge in August. Here, straight from the heart,  is what Dixie wrote:

"Met plezier wil ik een hart onder de riem steken van de mensen die zich geëngageerd hebben om de fiets als transportmiddel te gebruiken op weg naar Sirius. 

Ondertussen hebben jullie al begrepen dat open bloedvaten niet alleen een open mind opleveren, maar dat elke vermindering van CO2 een zeker sukses is.  Geen discussie, geen twijfels, het is telkens weer een persoonlijke overwinning in functie van een gezonder habitat!

Dat het weer soms roet in het eten gooit, dat weten we allemaal.  Maar maak de volgende bemerking:  jullie zijn niet alleen, en als het moet, probeer je je maar in onze kleren te steken als we op expeditie op ELK moment van de dag de kou moeten kunnen plaatsen, op de juiste manier bekampen, eigenlijk aanvaarden als een kleine handicap.  Het ga jullie goed!"

Dixie 

Belgium by Bike!

The beautiful side from our country you discover as cyclist!
In Wallonia there are the RAVELs. Those cyclepaths along rivers or former railways are often the shortest connections between two cities. Motorised traffic isn't authorised.
In Flanders you can compose your own route by connecting different nodes and following the arrows.You won't have the shortest, but certainly the nicest road with few traffic.

Discover on the links below the unknown cyclepaths near your home: you might decide to come by bike to work!

Ravels in Wallonia


"Fietsknooppunten" in Flanders

A Bid for 6000 K in August...

4 Months of preparation should culminate in a genuine challenge during the month of August. Biking  in one month  the equivalent from what Dixie and Sam will do during their expedition: 6000 km without motorized assistance... Just rely on nature and your own physical power. It will be a challenge... Also for us...
Somehow August is a good month: biking to work brings you in a real vacation mood! There is much less traffic and hence the perfect moment for starters to take up the challenge!
Together we are able to reach the goal. In May we already reached the 6000 k although it was in perfect circumstances. Let's show Dixie and Sam that we support their efforts by succeeding in our particular challenge!

Oxygen on the bike! Read Madani's testimonial.

Madani lives on 4 km from the office. Biking to work is less than an effort since it goes slightly downhill. "The return is more difficult, but the climbing effort empties my mind so that I can pay all needed attention to my family once arrived at home". This is necessary because his daily task is very demanding.

Often he works off-site so that he lacks the benefits of biking to work. "I really miss those precious moments of coming by bike when I work in Luxemburg." He is a fervent adept of cycling and for sure he will take care that his little boy one day will discover on his turn the beauties of cycling.
"Yes, of course that I am a cycling ambassador: I try to motivate my colleagues and now during the holidays they have no excuse anymore to try it out!"

No excuses anymore...Try and bike!

One of the classic and very reasonable arguments not to come by bike to work is that the kids must be dropped at school. The holidays are therefore an excellent moment to dust off your cycling skills, to oil your chain, inflate your tires and to leave your car at home.
Your kids will admire you for that and will want to copy you! Who knows that one day that you will bike together with your family to school and to work?
This is how the world eventually will Move Green!

Impressions from an almost drowned cyclist...

Karel still having fun in the rain

Chronicle of a Storm foretold... Although everybody expected the bad weather,  I defied the fate by leaving the office much too late. The initial rainshower degenerated in a real thunderstorm. I wasn't all too confident in the situation and Karel's words (bikepooling colleague) couldn't reassure me.

Bikerstunnel transformed in a
swimming pool

During this memorable ride I witnessed how disastrous situations reveal sometimes the best in human beings: cardrivers gave me prioity where they shouldn't and colleague cyclists were remarkably attent for each other.

5 cm mud where there should be
a nice clean cycling path

Only when I arrived save and sound (but wet) at home, I realized by hearing the news that I experienced an exceptional situation. Next time I will take into account the forecast.

Bikepooling

Bikepooling is a teambuildig activity by excellence.


Bikepooling to the office...



Colleagues using the same route go together by bike to the office and the pace is the one of the slowest.

It's a very nice way of coming to the office: time flies and you have the opportunity to discover other sides than the ones you are confronted with in your daily job.


...and the rain gives it an
extra dimension



Bikepooling enlarges your network and is in that sense an important enrichment of your social and professional activities.

The route from Leuven to Evere is a very popular route with many active bikepoolers. Why wouldn't you follow the example of many? Just try it out!

BikeTaboo

People would like to try it out, but they don't dare. What if the others discover that I can't bike? What if the others see that I can't follow? What if the others notice that I am scared? Yes, there is a taboo to be broken.

Some adults learn their child to cycle,
but aren't able to accompany them
on a family trip, because they lack the
skills themselves.



There are cyclists in all measures and weights. Some like sweating, other hate it. Some like to rush, others like to observe and enjoy the route.  Diversity is also on the bicycle an embellishing riches.

Those who answer to the cycling appeal, discover a whole other world, a new freedom, the same kind that you experienced when you just obtained your driving license.

Another colleague is experiencing this freedom: she learned to bike! She is now the 3d  cycling teammember who never biked before.

Bicycle Repair Workshop: tires

Who comes by bike to the office, might be confronted with bicycle problems. Most of the problems can be repaired quickly, but one needs to know how to do it.


Some theory...

 Michael Peeters, who is in his "other" life an experienced mechanic, learned us in a first workshop how to repair a flat tire. After a short theoretical introduction unveiling the secrets of a tire, it was "hands on" for the participating teammembers.





 Seen the succes of this first workshop a second workshop might be organized somewhere in july (focus on more advanced material such as broken chain, spokes, pinion). This is however to be confirmed! Michael's presentation can be found on the  Bicycle Repair page.



hands on!



each participant received a repair kit



ICE Bike To Work Breakfast

On 9 June the Mobistar cycllists met each other during a solid Bikers Breakfast. The Cyclists got the breakfast for free. Non-cyclists contributed only 3 euro to the ICE project Mobicents and were able to take knowledge from all the advantages when you bike to the office.

Michael collected the contribution for Mobicents

Peter districbuted vouchers to cyclists

Plenty of bananas...bio or fairtrade...

A friendly cosy breakfast!

Some happy visitors...

It was a success and certainly something that should be repeated. It was nice to chat about cycling with the colleagues. In total 70 guests were received and 120€ went to Mobicents.

Thank you ICE for this opportunity by sponsoring this breakfast!

4 Mobistar cycling teams...

4 teams (2 more than past year!) will defend the Mobistar colours on the national Bike To Work contest.


Team 2 Going for the 75% challenge



2 teams took up the 75% challenge (= come to the office by bike 3 days on 4), the 2 other teams go for the 50% challenge (2 biking days on 4).

The contest goes from May 30 to June 23.

 The participating MobiStars are: 


Women Team (Sybille joined later)

 

Women Team (50%)

Erika Dreesen

Aline Gevaert

Cathleen Rau

Sybille Vande Perren

Team 1 (75%)

Johan Baes

Peter Cserba

Marc Huygh

Wouter Meeusen

Team 2 (75%)

Karel Cocquyt

Koen Van Mol

An Van Rie

Christophe Vervaet

Philippe Ysebaert

Team 3 (50%)

Olivier Baeten

Pedro Costa

Vincent De Waele

Marc Huygh

Jan Leonard

Good luck, have fun and above all let the sun "lighten" your road!



Two inspiring stories...

!New! Bijou and Koen realized the unexpected... They learned to bike. Read their testimonial  here.

Alive and kicking!

Today I felt the fabulous power of nature during my ride homewards.The wind was chasing in my back as if he would prevent that the imminent shower would overtake on me. A marvellous rainbow in front pulled me towards my destination. I arrived at home in a record time: less than 50 minutes from Evere to Leuven. 5 minutes after my arrival it started to rain and the sweet feeling of victory came over me... Of course, I admit, there are no sweet victories without annoying losses. That's the beauty of real life. In a car you are cut off from this kind of excitement...

Route Anderlecht - Evere

Try the new route provided by Marc Huygh. Thank you!

Leave your car at home and win...

!New! Your wallet, your body, the environment: they all win, when you go by bike to the office. Check it out with the "fietscalculator" at the left.

Route Dilbeek Evere

Jurgen Secq and Frank Frederickx procured a new route. Check it out at the "Routes" page. Thank you Jurgen and Frank!

New testimonials

Cyclists of today are explorers: we travel on unexploited and unknown paths in a world that is dominated by the car.  Discover the adventures of Peter Cserba, Mark Huygh, Catherine Shaner and Olivier Baeten on the "Testimonials-Page"!

Infosessions

Two infosessions have been given.
1. How to bike to work? The presentation has been pasted in the "Checklist" at the left side of this blog. Even for experienced cyclists this might contain useful info.
2. Conditiontraining: the basic principles. A lack of condition is one of the arguments not to come by bike to work. This infosession sheds a light upon the basics of condition training. The presentation can be found on the Intranet (An Van Rie/My Site).

Victory!

The second "Start to Bike" was a success. The public was again limited, but very special. None of the participants knew how to ride straight forward or to hold the balance on the bike. One participant was never on a bike before. I was astonished about their courage and motivation. In 45' and thanks to specific exercises they were all riding rounds on the basketball court: they learned to bike in only 45'! Exercises will now focus on agility. The next step is integration in the traffic... A new world lays at their feet and is waiting to be discovered.

Promoting the Cycle Highway Leuven-Evere...

In the late evening, when I was hanging posters, I encountered Sabine and Robert, two other Ice Challengers who commit themselves to improve the recycling process at the company. They took the picture!

Start to Bike

Cycling seems to be a privilege for young people, students and kids. Many settled adults took the habit to drive only the car and hid the cycling past carefully in their subconsciousness. They believe to have forgotten their skills and don't dare to cycle anymore.This is a pity because many beautiful spots aren't accessible by car...

To take up the lost skills again a very special Start to Bike has been organized. The focus wasn't on the kilometers, but on agility and integration into the trafic.

The first practical session was a success even though the number of participants was limited to 5. The conclusion from all was amazement: cycling isn't at all difficult and I still know how to do it...

Heroes of Every Day

Heroes of Every Day

To Bike to work you need courage, be in good shape and have the right knowledge.

 
In other words, Green Movers are heroes alike.....

First of all you need the guts to change and to resist the human nature to be lazy. You must consider to make the effort. You must break with the daily routine of being stuck in the traffic jam. It seems crazy and yet it's not that simple...

Secondly  you need to be fit. Shape and change are tightly linked: the fitter you are, the smaller will be the effort to get the bike out of the garage and to face the war on the road. On the other hand, once you made the click and you got on the bike your state of fitness improves quickly.

And finally of course, you also need the right knowledge...No knowledge means no pleasure. The nice routes are those where cars and motorized transportation are forbidden. You have to know them. Clothing and material (shoes, bike, helmet…) play another important role in the success of your personal daily expedition to the office and back  home. Safety rules, seen from the biker’s perspective, are often not known...

Coaching is no luxury in the transformation process from “homo automobilis” towards a Green Mover...
Physical condition and  knowledge result finally in change.
Once you are used to bike to work, it's hard to go exceptionally by car.

You make the difference!

Belgium has an ecological deficit of 6,4 hectare per person. With this we score as the second worst country in the world.
Only the United Arab Emirates do even worse with 8,4 hectare per person.
I was dismayed about that result. Are we doing that bad? Will my nephews and nieces still have some green to live in? Then the question arose: what can I do? How could ever my insignificant share contribute to a greener world?
Suddenly I remembered an ants colony struggling for its life: a heavy shower had wiped thousands of ants into a well. They held together and formed a ball, roughly about the size of a tennis ball. Half of the ball was under water but the ants were changing places continuously, consecutively in the water and out the water until they reached the wall of the pit, got on the dry and disappeared.
I understood that my small share does make a difference. If we want results, each one of us must do something to keep the head above water. I want a clean world and that is why I Move Green and bike to work. Sometimes it's hard, but most of the time I just feel good.
Our World deserves respect of each of us.