{"id":198734,"date":"2025-06-10T09:11:54","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T09:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=198734"},"modified":"2025-06-10T09:11:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T09:11:54","slug":"if-cyclists-designed-cities-why-roundabouts-would-be-velodromes-and-public-transport-would-be-tandems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/06\/10\/if-cyclists-designed-cities-why-roundabouts-would-be-velodromes-and-public-transport-would-be-tandems\/","title":{"rendered":"If Cyclists Designed Cities: Why Roundabouts Would Be Velodromes and Public Transport Would Be Tandems"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Urban planning is serious business. Unless, of course, you hand it over to cyclists\u2014then it becomes a deliciously deranged blend of spandex, sprockets, and suspiciously clean carbs. Here\u2019s what your average city might look like if the people who think a great Sunday includes 3,000 metres of climbing were given the blueprints.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Roundabouts? Sorry, that\u2019s a velodrome now<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Roundabouts are a nightmare for cars and an anxiety attack on wheels for pedestrians. But for cyclists? It\u2019s our moment to shine. Picture this: every intersection becomes a mini velodrome. Banked corners. No braking allowed. Points for overtaking. Loser has to buy the coffee at the next stop. The city doesn\u2019t slow down\u2014it <em>laps<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Dedicated bike lanes? You mean the main roads<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In our utopia, cars are dedicated to \u201coccasional use rural lanes\u201d and replaced with a flowing network of cycle highways. Four lanes. Overtaking encouraged. Speed governed by FTP. The only gridlock is waiting for your mate to finish a snack break.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Public transport: Just really long tandems<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Forget buses. We\u2019re talking 12-person tandems with built-in pannier racks and playlists curated by the local bike caf\u00e9 DJ. Don\u2019t want to pedal? Tough. This is a democracy powered by quads. No freeloaders\u2014unless you&#8217;re a spaniel in a handlebar basket. That\u2019s always allowed.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Every hill has a KOM\/QOM segment name<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>No one says \u201cgo up Main Street.\u201d We say \u201chit the KOM on Main Mayhem.\u201d Cities would install official segment signage: start lines, gradient markers, and a ceremonial cowbell at the top. And yes, there\u2019s a podium ceremony if you beat your PR. Even if it\u2019s 5am and you&#8217;re alone.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Parking? You mean pedal-in espresso bays<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>You don\u2019t <em>park<\/em>, you <em>clip out and sip<\/em>. Every shop, workplace, and government office has a bike valet and espresso counter. Bonus: a pump station, banana dispenser, and motivational quotes from <a href=\"https:\/\/tadejpogacar.com\/?v=9c049173fad5\">Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a> engraved into the floor tiles.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Weather forecasts include wind direction, always<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A proper city update wouldn\u2019t just tell you \u201cpartly cloudy.\u201d It\u2019d let you know it\u2019s a tailwind kind of Tuesday and time to finally go for that Strava segment downtown. And during headwind days? Free pastry with every ride. We\u2019re not monsters.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Street names would be changed to cycling lingo<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Say goodbye to \u201cMaple Avenue\u201d and \u201cFirst Street.\u201d Say hello to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><strong>Bonk Boulevard<\/strong><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong><strong>Chamois Crescent<\/strong><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong><strong>Drafting Drive<\/strong><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong><strong>Puncture Parade<\/strong><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong><strong>Cadence Court<\/strong><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Locals give directions like: \u201cTurn left at the feed zone, then right after Wheel Sucker Way. If you hit Lactate Threshold Lane, you\u2019ve gone too far.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Public holidays include \u201cchainring appreciation day\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A national day off to degrease, clean, and admire your drivetrain. Bike parades through the city. Fancy dress encouraged (theme: \u201890s pro peloton or Tour de France scandal). Kids reenact dramatic finishes in the cul-de-sac. Beautiful chaos.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Final thoughts: A city that spins together, wins together<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Would this utopian cyclist city function? Maybe. Would it be sweaty, joyful, and covered in tyre tracks and smugness? Absolutely. Until then, we\u2019ll keep dreaming. And pedalling. And secretly designing tandem buses on napkins during boring work meetings.<\/p>\n<p>Just remember: in our perfect city, there\u2019s no such thing as traffic\u2014just a very long, very scenic warm-up ride.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Urban planning is serious business. Unless, of course, you hand it over to cyclists\u2014then it becomes a deliciously deranged blend [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":197724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[334,330],"tags":[2668,620,2865,5186],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-198734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-socialising-and-culture","category-urban-cycling","tag-cycling-fun","tag-cycling-infrastructure","tag-urban-cycling","tag-urban-planning","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>If Cyclists Designed Cities: Why Roundabouts Would Be Velodromes and Public Transport Would Be Tandems - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Urban planning is serious business. 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