With the recent passing of the Ottawa Cycling Plan, I thought it would be interesting to highlight some of the more innovative cycling-friendly things I’ve seen recently. First up is a bike stand in Berlin that doubles as a bicycle pump:


Designed by Studio HiMom, the Heklucht pump was originally developed for an art project in Ypenburg, a newly built Dutch neighbourhood. With the goal of stimulating neighbourhood interaction, eight of the stainless-steel units—available in multiple colours—were placed in front of eight Ypenburg houses. The Heklucht won a Dutch Design Award back in 2006 in the category of public space products, and has since been installed also in Gent, Vienna and Leeds, Studio HiMom says.
via Springwise

The other cycling-related innovation I saw recently (also on Springwise) was a vending machine for bicycle parts, interactive maps, how-to videos, as well as free air. This one was sponsored by Trek, a bike manufacturer, but could easily be sponsored by Trek and a local bike shop perhaps near a cycling hub somewhere in the city.

“Motorists have it easy,” says Hammond. “Gas stations, convenience stores, auto parts stores, tow trucks—you name it. The support network for cars far outclasses cyclists. The Trek Stop aims to change that by breaking down some of the ‘worries’ attached to cycling.” While the Trek Stop is currently just in prototype form and slated to run for only another month or so, Seattle-based Aaron’s Bicycle Repair has actually had a similar vending machine in place since 2005. With items like inner tubes, flat repair items, energy bars and gel, the machine is located just outside Aaron’s for after-hours service.
via Springwise.

What do you think? I can think of a couple of times when I’ve been out cycling some of the paths in the city when I realized I could do with a little more air in my tires. I think a few well placed public pumps at some of the larger path hubs would be pretty handy.