This Friday we are looking at BikeMyDay is a cycling blog/magazine from Osijek, Croatia in the corner of Serbia and Hungary. BikeMyDay was formed by a group of cycling enthusiasts that wants to share their enthusiasm with the rest of the world.

“We see the development of cycling as an important part of the solution to traffic, ecological, economical and health problems and needs” reads their website.

BikeMyDay is a civil movement for the development of cycling and cycle culture in Osijek as well as Croatia and they are constantly pursuing the fight to make authorities recognize the need for better cycling infrastructure.

By publishing several articles daily (still in Croatian but translations to English will come) on topics such as everyday cycling, bike maintenance tips, cycling tourism as well as education people about the Croatian traffic rules for cyclists BikeMyDay seeks to inform and educate the Croatians and move towards a cycling culture. Thay also feature interviews with cycling activists from around the world.

To get the newest EU member-state to mount their wheels BikeMyDay also organized events.

Osijek - Pecs. Photo from BikeMyDay

“The last thing we did was organizing a cycling event between Osijek and Pecs, in which 100 cyclists from Osijek cycled to Pecs and back, and cyclists from Pecs did the same thing from Pecs” says Ivan Podraza, chief editor of the magazine and head of the new organization who is hoping to make it an annual event. 

"We are also looking into organizing a cycle trip to Novi Sad, Serbia during the summer months and use our good relasionship with NSBI (Novi Sad Cycling Initiative), but it is still on the planing stage."

Osijek - Pecs. Photo from BikeMyDay

 Ivan Podraza continues to explain that "Since we have started working (early 2011) the number of cyclists in Osijek has increased dramatically, from a city that had a few hundreds of everyday cyclists to a city that has (by our estimates) around 15% of everyday cyclists and the same percentage of occasional cyclists."

As a result of their work the cycling infrastructure has improved and has spread around the city "But there is still very much to do on micro level like removing of obstacles and widening of cycle paths and on a macro level like planning the infrastructure and connecting the city with it" says Ivan Podraza. 

You can follow BikeMyDay on Twitter: @bikemyday and Facebook: BikeMyDay

About the Author

Anette Christiansen works as communications Assistant at the European Cyclists’ Federation, and rides around Brussels on her old second-hand classic dutch bike.

She holds a Masters-degree in European Tourism Management (EMTM) and is specialized in Cycling Tourism.