Cycling facts and figures.
I decided to create this blog post with exactly zero facts and figures in mind. In fact, i am hopelessly ignorant about the technical side of the cycling world. Aside from designing and manufacturing cycling bags, I'm more of a commuter cyclist. someone who supports my local bike shop for jobs as simple as fixing punctures.
1. Most expensive bike ever
The most expensive bike ever, Damien Hirst's Trek Madone, or the Butterfly Bike, was auctioned for $500,000 at Sotherby's. This beautiful Damien Hirst designed bike was ridden by Lance Armstrong into Paris during his 2009 comeback Tour de France. The design was actually commissioned by Bono of U2 fame and those are real butterflies that Hirst lacquered onto the frame of Armstrong’s Trek Madone. Naturally, the butterfly element attracted some negative attention, but Hirst wanted to use the real thing so that they would shimmer when the light caught them.
2. Biggest cycling cities
Things have changed a lot in some cities recently making them more cycle friendly. But have you wondered which cities have the high percentage of the population regularly cycling. Here is the chart for the European cyclists association.
| Copenhagen | 49% | 2018 |
| Amsterdam | 35% | 2017 |
| Berlin | 13% | 2013 |
| Ljubjana | 13% | 2018 |
| Helsinki | 14% | 2019 |
| Zagreb | 10.1% | 2012 |
| Dublin | 10% | 2017 |
| Stockholm | 9% | 2013 |
| Vienna | 7% | 2017 |
| Paris | 5% | 2019 |
| Riga | 4% | 2014 |
| Brussels | 4% | 2014 |
| Luxembourg | 3,5% | 2011 |
| Sofia | 3% | 2010 |
| Nicosia | 2% | 2010 |
| Athens | 2% | 2005 |
| Budapest | 2% | 2014 |
| Bratislava | 2% | 2012 |
| London | 2% | 2009 |
| Prague | 1% | 2013 |
| Tallinn | 1% | 2012 |
| Vilnius | 1% | 2010 |
| Warsaw | 1% | 2009 |
| Lisbon | 1% | 2013 |
| Bucharest | 1% | 2007 |
| Rome | 0.6% | 2012 |
| Madrid | 0% | 2011 |
3. The largest bicycle in the world
The largest rideable bicycle has a wheel diameter of 3.3 m (10 ft 9.92 in) and was built by Didi Senft from Germany. This record breaking bicycle measures 7.8 m long and 3.7 m in height. The diameter of its wheels measures about 3.3 m wide and weighs approximately 150 kg. Its official measurements were taken at Pudagla Germany on October 2,2012. Senft, who is widely recognized in his devil costume and known as the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia devil or El Diablo, has invented over 100 bicycles.
4. The first woman to ride a bicycle around the world
Traveling with only a change of clothes and a pearl-handled revolver, Miss Londonderry earned her way, in part, by turning her bicycle and her body into a mobile billboard, carrying advertising banners and ribbons through the streets of cities around the world. Thus adorned, and riding a men’s bicycle and a man’s riding suit, Annie turned every Victorian expectation of female propriety on its ear.
5. Longest bike in the world
Gas and oil company Santos and the University of South Australia built a 41.42 m (135 ft 10.7 in) long bicycle - that’s approximately twice the length of a bowling lane! Guinness World Records required the constructors to prove that the bike can travel a minimum of 100 meters, without riders touching the ground.
7. Finnish man take a 5 year bike trip
5 years. 50 countries. 50,000 kilometres. Finnish photographer and explorer Tomi Rantanenas prepares to set off on this once-in-a-lifetime journey. Tomi was inspired by his grand father to ride bikes and over time built up longer and longer rides until he decided to plot out a 5 year bike ride around the world solo. Some of the photos from the trip are truly inspirational. Read more about the trip HERE. You can see some of the amazing photography he has captured here on his instagram account.
Do you have any other interesting facts and figures about cycling? Please email us at hello@goodordering.com
References:
http://www.skalatitude.com/2011/01/annie-londonderrya-flash-from-way-past.html