News

50 per cent more fuel duty or road user charging – you decide

May 15, 2012

Falling revenue from taxes on fuel and vehicle excise duty will leave the Treasury with a shortfall of £13bn a year by 2029, according to a report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies. In order for the government to plug the gap in revenue, fuel duty would have to be increased by 50 per cent. The government is committed to finding alternative...

General News

New electric bicycle boasts automatic wheelie mode

May 15, 2012

The ability of kids to master cycling skills, be it the perfect wheelie or the elusive art of bicycle drifting, is a source of amazement and frustration to older cyclists everywhere, but help is on its way in the form of a new e-bike from Audi equipped with an automatic wheelie mode. Cyclists wanting pull off the perfect wheelie have to put...

Cycling

Bicycle power: from coffee tables to aircraft

May 14, 2012

As more and more of us save money on commuting costs and gym memberships by ditching cars, trains and treadmills in favour a bicycle, designers are looking to incorporate pedal power into other areas of our lives…from coffee tables to aircraft. Pedal power . Made from recycled cedar and leather, WeBike invites you to power your web surfing...

Cycling

Pedal-powered Ferrari is slow, but green

May 10, 2012

It’s a supercar that has blood red Ferrari-style bodywork, a superlight chassis and gull-wing doors, but will turns heads for an entirely different reason; the pedal-powered Fahrradi is zero emissions. The Fahrradi Farfalla FFX is the work of Austrian artist Hannes Langeder. The remarkable car will be on display at the Lentos Museum of Art...

Cycling

The Hornster: World’s loudest bicycle bell is noisier than Concorde

May 3, 2012

City cyclists who battle to get themselves noticed on the roads can now resort to the ultimate deterrent against inattentive truck drivers; a bicycle equipped with a horn that is louder than Concorde. At close quarters the Hornster bicycle emits a level of sound so powerful that, if used in anger, it could deafen any motorist who veered too...

Cycling

Zagato Volpe electric car is as small as it is cheap

April 27, 2012

A pretty-looking, single-seat electric car is to go on sale that is as small in size as it is low in price; the Zagato Volpe measures 2.13m by 1m and when it goes on sale it will cost £5,600. As well as the fully electric version, the Volpe will be available as a petrol or LPG hybrid. The electric Volpe has a top speed of 30mph and a...

Environment

DJ uses BMX bicycle to mix music

April 27, 2012

With renewed interest in bike-sharing schemes around the world, how best to promote this new way of travelling to the young? According to COGOO, a smartphone-operated bike-sharing service currently being developed at Yokohama National University, the answer is BMX-controlled music that mixes well with street culture and is fun to play. The...

Cycling

The car that tells you off for causing congestion

April 27, 2012

If you are a motorway driver who regularly gets so close to the vehicle in front that you have to dab your brakes to prevent a collision, Honda has a new car for you. Driving too close to the car in front is dangerous and can cause a concertina effect in the cars following behind that can bring the motorway traffic to a complete standstill....

General News

Bicycle helmet with headlights

April 26, 2012

The idea of incorporating lights into a cycle helmet seems like a good one, but there are very few designs of this type available to buy. Los Angeles industrial designer and avid cyclist Nathan Wills decided to create a helmet with built-in head and tail luminous panels that were highly visible from the front back and sides of the cyclist....

General News

What is road-user charging and why is it important?

April 26, 2012

Our members, supporters and customers often raise the issue of how much the motorist should pay for roads. Below we have listed the most frequently asked questions along with a few more to help inform you of the ideas behind, and the consequences of, road-user charging. What is road-user charging? This charge is simply a method of charging...

General News