News, opinion, analysis and comment
All the news that’s fit to print, and a lot of slabber in between. If it’s an everyday cycling related story in Belfast, Northern Ireland or beyond, we’ll do our best to cover it. If you want to contribute an article or opinion piece to start or wade into a debate, use the contact us page to outline your idea and we’ll take it from there.
Election Cycle over – what now?
The clock has started counting down on the first five years of Northern Ireland’s quarter century vision for cycling – will this crop of MLAs seize the moment after backing the three aims of Election Cycle 2016?
May 9, 2016 – read full story..
Anti-cycling voices
NI Cycles looks at the common threads among the ongoing anti-cycling comment pieces on television and newspapers – the points deliberately missed and provides a quick reminder of what the benefits of mass cycling really are.
May 11, 2016 – read full story..
April 2016
First section of Belfast to Dublin Greenway opens (#1 most read)
Northern Ireland Transport Minister Michelle McIlveen has opened the first 15 mile section of an imaginative traffic-free greenway from Belfast to Dublin – and the comments show people are nat happy about it..
April Fool’s Day, 2016 – read full story..
Election Cycle (#2 most read)
Bikefast joins forces with Cycling UK and Sustrans NI to quiz the 276 candidates standing in the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly Elections – and the response is an amazing endorsement of out three cycling aims.
April 2016 – read full story..
Cyclist thrown into the River Lagan (#3 most read)
A young man from the Shankill Road was “thrown head first” into the River Lagan from the towpath at Stranmillis on Sunday after he collided with another person while riding his bicycle – although you might want to check the date.
April 11, 2016 – read full story..
My year with Belfast Bikes
Interview – April 28, 2016
191,000 journeys in Belfast Bikes year one
News – April 27, 2016
Get involved in tomorrow’s Belfast Bikes festivities
Event – April 26, 2016
Sun, cycle, study..
Opinion – April 24, 2016
The culture shift of Election Cycle 2016
Event – April 22, 2016
Cycling in the city with kids
Opinion – April 18, 2016
Belfast cycle network goes west
News – April 15, 2016
Election 2016: UUP Party Political Bikecast
Analysis – April 8, 2016
Ciclovia Belfast 2 on the cards
News – April 6, 2016
Cycling to health in Northern Ireland
Opinion – April 6, 2016
Family Adventure: Dutch Style
Opinion – April 5, 2016
Knockmore Road, Lisburn
Event – April 3, 2016
Alfred St – Upper Arthur St Cycle Path
Event – April 2, 2016
March 2016
Lazy danger of shared footways (#1 most read)
Pavement cycling shouldn’t be a common point of conflict for pedestrians but it’s being actively designed in by lazy road engineers too timid to take any space away from drivers – leading to dangerous conflicts.
March 14, 2016 – read full story..
Belfast congestion mayhem? Nah. (#2 most read)
A global report puts Belfast in the spotlight for congestion as it’s claimed that drivers waste 38 hours each year stuck in traffic. Cue another media storm about bus lanes. But this time we bring sense and reason to the fevered debate.
March 16, 2016 – read full story..
Belfast’s new cycleway launched (video) (#3 most read)
The new Alfred Street – Upper Arthur Street cycleway in Belfast has been officially launched by Transport Minister Michelle McIlveen – and BIKEFAST was on the scene for a video report and interviews with the key players.
March 24, 2016 – read full story..
Report: Man killed in lorry / bicycle collision in Lisburn
News – March 23, 2016
Join the grand opening of Belfast’s new cycleway
Event – March 22, 2016
Belfast’s first bicycle signal installed
News – March 21, 2016
Road Signs – Relevant and helpful…
Opinion – March 17, 2016
Star in a new video about NI cycling
Event – March 15, 2016
South Belfast biking
Opinion – March 15, 2016
Election 2016: SDLP party political bikecast
Analysis – March 13, 2016
Alfred Street Junction Design
Opinion – March 12, 2016
Linen Quarter hung out to dry?
Analysis – March 09, 2016
New Orleans cycling lessons for Belfast
News – March 07, 2016
On two wheels for #IWD2016 in Belfast
Event – March 06, 2016
Election 2016: Alliance party political bikecast
Analysis – March 05, 2016
Belfast trashes the Bin Lane
News – March 01, 2016
February 2016
Gasworks Bridge survives rough ride through planning (#1 most read)
Belfast’s proposed pedestrian and cycling Gasworks Bridge has been granted planning permission by Belfast City Council, but a row has broken out over last minute Unionist resistance to the project.
February 17, 2016 – read full story..
Cyclesaurus is dead (#2 most read)
Contractors working on the Belfast Bicycle Improvement Plan today ripped through Cyclesaurus, little dinosaur tail cycle lane on Alfred Street. A city is in mourning and it appears the Bin Lane is next.
February 22, 2016 – read full story..
Allstate NI Laganside diversion (#3 most read)
Work is beginning this week on the new Allstate NI office beside Belfast’s Central Station. Users of the Laganside path will face a number of diversions over the course of the expected 22 months of construction work.
February 17, 2016 – read full story..
New Belfast Bikes video is great
News – February 29, 2016
White Ortlieb pannier bag found in Belfast
News – February 27, 2016
Go West!
Opinion – February 26, 2016
Comber Greenway in line for a makeover?
News – February 23, 2016
Northern Ireland Transport Minister goes Dutch
News – February 20, 2016
Linen Quarter Current Problems
Opinion – February 18, 2016
First sight of the future network
News – February 15, 2016
Changing the narrative
Analysis – February 13, 2016
Belfast bus lanes and bikes are working
Opinion – February 10, 2016
Jeopardy (Linen Quarter consultation)
Opinion – February 8, 2016
Happy birthday John Boyd Dunlop
News – February 5, 2016
Bicycle down, Ormeau Road
News – February 3, 2016
“Anti-motor car Taliban” ruining Belfast soitis
News – February 3, 2016
January 2016
Belfast Bikes branches out early
Expansion is happening before the first year of Coca-Cola Zero Belfast Bikes has finished, with partner organisations falling over themselves to fund doscking stations to benefit their staff and customers. But where are the new stations going to be sited?
January 18, 2016 – read full story..