Abwrackprämie?!

What is this about? A new German word creation? Basically it comes from a campaign, that the German Government started to convince users of old cars to buy new ones with better pollution references. The old cars must be brought to licensed scrap merchants and the owner gets a bonus of 2.000 Euros. So "Abwrackprämie" means something like "scrapping-bonus"...  This campaign was in the critics right from the beginning, because the anticipated impact on the national car industry was more or less "zero". Most of the new cars being sold, were bought from foreign importers like Dacia or Renault. A small impact could be registered at Opel, but as this company is looking towards it´s end for other reasons, the "Abwrackprämie" seems to be nothing but cosmetics on a lethal case.

But is it really an alternative to give benefits to the car industry? The same industry that had ignored throughout years the signs and indications of  better environmental decisions? If we are counting the CO2 balance of the production of new cars it still makes sense to continue driving an old one, that has already been produced a long time ago instead of polluting the world and the cities with new cars. But these "revolutionary" thoughts are not our business. Greenpeace, Robin Wood and others are much more better than we are in adducing reasons that beat!

How to find the way to our bicycle subject!? Take a look at this! The city of Mannheim/Germany has started a serious campaign to give the "scrapping-bonus" to each buyer of a new bicycle! It is necessary to buy a new bike in a licensed shop, bring an old one to the "Scrapper" and receive 50 Euros.. (OK, not that much, but in relation to an average bicycle price..)

This seems to me a symbolic step into the right direction! Could this be and idea for a bicycle friendly city in Portugal for ex. Aveiro? ;-)

Biking for abandoned animals

 Another two idealists..

Toni Aematteis (Italian) e Sabine Knoll (German) started with 2 bicycles and three dogs in Italy to pedal through Europe.

They started on 22 of August 2008 in Ostuni (BR) are now in Portugal (Aveiro).

This is what "Journal de Notícias" wrote today:

Pedalada para salvar animais

And this is their Blog to follow:

http://www.tonisabine.blogspot.com/

They are now on their way to Porto. I will try to contact and meet them somewhere on the way. This seems to be a real adventure. A stolen bike. A lot of help from strangers. Lack of money. Discovering the roads. The need of taking care of the animals during the journey.. and so on!

But so far they are having a lot of feedback, as well from Portuguese TV and other media. This helps not only the animals. This makes people think about a bicycle as a serious vehicle. So it will help our idea as well alittle bit! we should support them in any way when we meet them! How will join mee to look out for them?

100 days in Lisbon by bicycle

This is a story about an idealist 

 

 Paulo Guerra do Santos, born 1973 decided to use his bicycle.

Nothing spectacular so far?

Of course, if we would talk about Munich, Amsterdam or Berlin.

But we talk about Lisbon. Portugal.

A city and a country still made for car drivers. The natural enemy of a cyclist. And city planners. The fulfilling helpers of these car drivers. Where are these bicycle lanes, that we are used to from other countries? Where is this legislation, that gives us - at least - theoretical protection?

No my friends, nothing so far in Portugal. We have to step back in time to the early 80ies, where everything started to become a peaceful revolution in traffic spaces. OK, Portugal in the early 80ies still had to suffer from another peaceful revolution, that lead the country from dark and decent dictatorship to a democratic and progress orientated place in Europe.

But meanwhile we changed the century. Bicycles and their daily use could be the solution for collapsing cities. And therefore it is an anachronism, that we are talking about something special, when someone uses his bicycle in a European city. This should be natural nowadays. But it isn´t. Take a look of what happened to Paulo. I will visit him in Lisbon and talk about his story and his experience. Maybe we can find some points together, where we can work on a CHANGE!

BTW: he overtook the 100 days. We are counting day Nr. 225.. ;-)

What hell of an idealist!

Finally: What is this Blog about?

Olá amigos!

Hello friends!

We started in October 2008 collecting information about urban mobility solutions, that are available in Portugal. This lead us to the conclusion, that a lot of work could be done and a lot of products - already available in the rest of Europe - could be interesting for that market to indicate solutions and practical hints. As we realized soon, there is a very active and courageous community in Portugal already working on the subject. There is a big movement in the society that comes along with individual transport, alternative vehicles and traffic solutions. But unfortunately no one out of Portugal noticed this so far.

We have many Blogs, we have a lot of idealistic bike dealers, activities and - last not least - we have a revolutionary bike rental and mobility concept for students! But this is maybe known in some parts of Spain and for sure to some individualists in the rest of Europe. But generally these facts were not so well known as they should be!

 So we decided to use this blog in the beginning as a collecting tool for links, sites, activities that are already known and practiced in Portugal. To tell the rest of the world of bicycle blogs what goes on in this country. Therefore the blog appears mainly in English. To let people from abroad be part of what is going on in Portuguese bike-scene. And to initiate - vice-verse - a interchange of information about bike culture and products.  Of course: PRODUCTS! Means, bikes, accessories, tools, services and so on..
Gotcha! Commercial targets! Yes! But not only for the things that we sell on www.cargobix.com. As well for everyone who feels free to present something really new or innovative or his own company. Take it as a platform and let us see, how it works!

Independent from this we are always looking for guest editors, who are interested in publishing Portuguese content as a additional feature for the future! Subscribe yourself as an author or send us a mail with your suggestion!

So far this Blog will link to other famous bike blogs in the world - I think, I already mentioned some oft them.. ;-)

BTW: recently there was a famous bike race, that the World MUST have noticed! It took place in Copenhagen, a harbour city with not ANY curve in it! Would it be a real challenge to invite Marc from http://www.amsterdamize.com and Colvile Andersen from http://www.copenhagenize.com to shoot this out again in Porto or Lisbon?

Cities with a landscape to fall in love and some decent curves:



 

I will get them!

So far, take a look at this:

[pro-player width='530' height='253' type='FLV']http://vimeo.com/3953108[/pro-player]

BTW: I know.. we are a little bit delayed with our shedule, but promised:
This was the third (and last announcement).. now content is following.. ;-)

No time to loose...

...we are working hard in the background, no news are good news... we will be back, soon!

BTW: All cargo bike related videos are now on:

http://www.youtube.com/lisbonize

and... Hans from Copenhagen did send me this link:

http://vimeo.com/3920537

Pictures from the Atlantic coast...

[gallery slide="1" link="file"]

Copenhagen Design meets Atlantic Ocean!

Hey!

It is a week ago, that a big truck brought a big box from Denmark. Inside were two Cargo Bikes "Bullitt" from LarryvsHarry/Copenhagen.

I will start this story with the documentation of  completing the bikes and doing the first ride!

So: stay tuned!

 

 

The story:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Steffen.Wollmann/HamburgOporto