Getting To The Airport By Bike – The Return Trip 7
James’ Dutch cargo bike parked at Terminal 3 – Person International Airport – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country After exiting the airport terminal I walked through the automatic sliding glass doors. A cool breeze swept over me as I got outside, and at 8 degrees Celsius, I knew it was going to ...
In Support of Lance Armstrong 13
Photo of Lance Armstrong courtesy of Martyna Borkowski, Rubenstein Although I have never been a close follower of professional cycling, I had always had immense respect for the sport. It pushes the human limits, encourages people to stay active, and has minimal adverse effects on our environment. The recent doping allegations and overwhelming evidence against ...
Getting To The Airport By Bike 65
Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country I fly out of town for business approximately once every month. There are many different ways to get to the airport from my home downtown. I normally take public transit, but will occasionally take a taxi if I am running late or if I have an early ...
Toronto Bicycle Collages
Bicycle photo collage by Xander of 416CycleStyle.com It has been a little while since we have had any fun posts on here. Our friend ‘Xander over at 416CycleStyle.com put together some beautiful bicycle collages that put a smile on my face. ‘Xander took photos of everyday people in Toronto getting around the city by bicycle, ...
If Car Shopping Was Like Bicycle Shopping… 6
Racing bicyclist – photo by Team Traveller Kent over at Kent’s Bike Blog recently wrote a brilliant piece that illustrates how shopping for bicycles is less about practicality/pragmatism and more about sport & performance. To emphasize this point, Kent uses a parable where he fictitiously goes shopping for an automobile. Here is an excerpt: So ...
Invisible Helmet: Great Technology, Bad Marketing 31
The Invisible Helmet – Photo from hovding.com For several months now, the “Invisible Helmet” video has been making the rounds. It has been forwarded to me several times and hailed by some friends as “brilliant” and “ingenious”. I have been asked several times what I think of the idea. Sometimes when I am asked certain ...
My Ideal World…
Photo courtesy of YouTube video by James Schwartz / The Urban Country In this short film, James Schwartz of The Urban Country discusses urban design, parenthood, car culture, bicycles and asks, “What is your ideal world?”. James D. Schwartz is a Transportation Pragmatist and the Editor of The Urban Country. You can contact James at ...
Saved By The Wheel Lock 38
Batavus Fryslan Dutch bicycle – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country I returned to Toronto on Tuesday after spending my long weekend in New York City only to discover that somebody had tried to steal my Batavus Fryslan bicycle from my front patio. I live in a ground-level loft on a busy arterial ...
Bicycle Infrastructure Continuity 12
Artist’s rendition of the proposed revitalization of Queens Quay in Toronto – from Waterfront Toronto This past Sunday my family congregated at my place to join me for our annual bike trip & picnic. There were a total of 8 people pedaling, plus my daughter and my dog. We pedaled a total distance of 40 ...
Streetcar Tracks & Bicycles 33
Bicycles in Amsterdam – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country (March 2012) On Monday 47-year-old Toronto resident Joseph “Maverick” Mavec died after his bicycle tire jammed in a streetcar track and he fell on his head. This tragic and unfortunate incident has prompted a discussion about navigating a city full of streetcar tracks ...