Integrating bike riding into city living

In a lot of European countries, bicycles are totally integrated into city life, but in South Africa, only a few people use a bike as their primary mode of transport.

Now, Bicycle Empowerment Network (BEN) is encouraging people to use their bikes to get around. The NGO works with the City of Cape Town to develop safe biking infrastructure in the city.

Meet Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler have traveled across South Africa and Mozambique meeting and profiling people on bikes for their ongoing project, Bicycle Portraits.

The Cape Town Bicycle Map lists bicycle lanes, safety routes and parking bays for bikes in the city. It also explains the different bicycle street signs and the rights and responsibilities of cyclists. You can buy the map on their website: //capetownbicyclemap.co.za/about/ or find it at some Cycleworks in Cape Town.

Critical Mass is a fun ‘bicycle ride’ that takes place in Cape Town on the last Friday of the month. If you want to participate, enquire at Woodstock Cyclework, 99 Sir Lowry Rd Woodstock, Cape Town or on //capetownbicyclemap.co.za/about/.

For more information about BEN, visit : //www.benbikes.org.za/. For more information about Bicycle Portraits visit : //www.dayonepublications.com/Bicycle_Portraits/Index.html

Pictures of the bicycle lanes from the MOBILITY magazine www.mobilitymagazine.co.za