Category: Quick news

Sad bikes in Paris

Paris canal cleanup bicycle montage

Crews drained the Canal-Saint Martin in the 10th Arrondissement of Paris to clear away the debris and refurbish the canal. When this canal was last drained in 2001, 40 tons of debris was removed. This time around, cleaning crews found a few of the 9,000 Velib bike share bikes that go missing each year, along with hundreds of other bikes, shopping carts, scooters, cameras, phones, and a firearm.

The 4.5 km Canal Saint-Martin connects the Canal de l’Ourcq to the river Seine and runs underground between Paris Métro Bastille and Paris Métro République. Students and tourists sit at at the several cafes along the canal and watch barges float past.

Hover over the photos for captions.

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Bottled air?

O'Hare bottled air

Do you remember this parody of bottled water in “The Lorax”?



It’s apparently become a thing in China, where consumers are buying bottled air imported from the Canadian Rockies.

A Canadian company which started out bottling Rocky Mountains air as a joke has seen its product fly off the shelves in pollution-hit China, with first shipment selling out in four days.

A 7.7 Litre can of crisp air taken from Banff National Park in the majestic Rocky Mountains range sells for roughly 100 yuan (£10), which is 50 times more expensive than a bottle of mineral water in China.

Read more in the Telegraph: Chinese buy up bottles of fresh air from Canada. H/T to William.

Fire in the hole

Leafy commute. #cycling #santaclara

This week in Santa Clara County, we had conversations about the hazards of leaves on bike lanes and bike paths around the county and what to do about these conditions.

Meanwhile, this guy hauls his bicycle past debris and burning cars following airstrikes in Hamouria in the eastern Ghouta region, a rebel stronghold east of the Syrian capital Damascus, on December 9, 2015. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 11 civilians, including four children, were killed in strikes on the town of Hamouria, but said it was unclear if they were carried out by Russian or regime aircraft. AFP PHOTO / SAMEER AL-DOUMY

Merry Christmas, all.