London Cyclist April-May 2010

magazine of the London Cycling Campaign April-May 2010

VOTE 'BIKE'

Let's put cycling at the top of the political agenda in May see page 16

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RIDES LISTING

CAMPAIGN NEWS

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Contents

020 7234 9310 www.lcc.org.uk

Editorial contacts Editor: John Kitchiner; londoncyclist@lcc.org.uk Design: Anita Razak; design@lcc.org.uk Communications: Mike Cavenett; mike@lcc.org.uk Products: Matthew Moore; m.moore@lcc.org.uk

news, letters & opinion

Claire Barber, 020 7878 2319; lcc@tenalps.com

Koy Thomson Asks for a flexible approach to Cycle Superhighway planning News Campaign successes, lorry dangers update and event news Letters Your latest rants, raves, comments and queries Zoe Williams Urges caution when it comes to politicians and promises

Contribute to the mag

features

Advertising contact

Email londoncyclist@lcc.org.uk to discuss feature and photography ideas

For the latest news, campaigns and events info, visit the LCC website, where you can also sign up for our fortnightly e-newsletter

Pre-election special The four main parties respond to the LCC manifesto Bike theft Why a new approach is needed to counter the crime epidemic Paris Vélib The lessons London can learn from the French hire scheme Road danger How new mapping can help target accident hotspots Interview Transport Minister Lord Adonis on the government's cycling policies Best rides in London Ham and High Hills Overseas Touring the EuroVelo route across central France e Competition Your chance to win a biking holiday Technical Step-by-step guide to servicing brake cables

Editorial, copyright & printing policy

reviews

www.lcc.org.uk

LCC is not aligned with any political party. All views expressed in London Cyclist are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the editor, nor do they necessarily reflect LCC policy. Editorial content is independent of advertising.

All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the editor. London Cyclist is printed by Commercial Colour Press Ltd on paper made from 75% recycled waste and 25% sustainably-managed forest.

London Cycling Campaign is a charitable limited company, reg no 1766411; charity no 1115789.

WIN

Bikes Versatile mountain bikes that cut it in the city Grouptest Six pairs of cycling shorts reviewed Products Elegant kit to style it up at the next Tweed Run Culture Travel books, biographies and light entertainment nt

a Limited Edition Boardma n Hybrid — worth £1 ,000 (see page 27)

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members Noticeboard Members' stories, discounts and other important notices Community cycling How three local projects are getting people onto bikes Local group news Campaign and event updates from around the boroughs Events diary Including rides listing for April and May London cyclists Photographic vox pops with the city's bicycle brigade

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WHAT LCC DOES… Q Campaigns for change Q Supports our members Q Promotes London cycling

COVER: Daniel Bosworth LOCATION: Regent's Canal

LCC’S STRATEGIC AIMS Q Promote cycling to the people Q Redesign our streets for cycles Q Promote cycling to our politicians Q Make cycling diverse and inclusive (www.lcc.org.uk/strategy)

MEMBER BENEFITS Q Up to 15% off in bike shops Q Free third-party insurance cover Q Exclusive deals on bike insurance Q Free bimonthly magazine Q Free legal helpline

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BEST RIDES IN LONDON

OPINION

Koy Thomson With the first Cycle Superhighways due later this year, LCC’s chief executive says the project's success hinges on flexibility, learning and political willpower

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s it just me or were a lot more people cycling throughout the winter? Some council safety officers actually discourage cycling in bad weather, so it's good to see those who adhere to the ‘cycling is dangerous' culture being ignored. My bike is not in good shape, being plastered with more salt and strange-looking gritty bits than a typical ready-meal. However, despite bad weather, LCC's campaigning is in good shape.

We have spent a good deal of the winter studying the development of the Cycle Superhighways programme and offering our suggestions to the Mayor and Transport for London. We have always supported the idea of good radial routes championed at the highest level and we believe that with resources — and political will — past hindrances can be overcome and some really good routes can be constructed.

The Superhighways concept, which links really good infrastructure change with measures to change people's behaviour, is a good idea. LCC has argued that, coupled with continued cycling investments such as cycle training and a completed cycle network, these would promote a major increase in cycling. When we heard about the Superhighways project, LCC decided to invest in expert analysis and critical-but-constructive engagement.

Officials are starting to get their head around our simultaneous close advisory and openly campaigning role.

Our members expect us to act in the way that is most effective for change and accountable to them. Sometimes this means speaking out and sometimes this means working close to the inside. It is a relationship built on trust and the value of our knowledge and expertise.

Blue is the colour Superhighways must succeed if they are not to add fuel to anti-cycling sentiment or become the butt of ‘blue-wash’ or ‘smurf’ jokes. While some commentators have argued that it's critical to get the Superhighways right first time (because the first two will create the brand and expectation), this looks challenging. Imminent local elections are discouraging officials from initiating some of the big changes that could really make a difference; internal tensions have to be resolved within TfL; individual council members can be every bit as obstructive as a US Senate filibuster; and the delivery timetable for the first two routes is extremely tight. The Superhighways are not only a design and engineering exercise, but a major political negotiation, at all levels and with a multitude of stakeholders. This is why support from the top is key.

If the first two Superhighways (the pilots) fall short of our expectations, how can we judge progress and be confident for the subsequent phases? Progress means more than evidence of cycling improvements — there will undoubtedly be examples of these. Progress means demonstrating an impressive interim resolution to a major barrier such as Stockwell gyratory. Progress means demonstrating that bikes have been recognised in traffic modelling and that road-space is reallocated as a result.

What is the best way to judge progress?

Progress means demonstrating the use of trafficmanagement measures to reduce the speed and volume of motorised traffic, such as 20mph speed limits.

Progress means demonstrating things have not moved backwards, that there are no examples of reduced priority or less space for cyclists. Progress, however, does not necessarily mean having to get both pilots right first time.

“London cyclists need an adaptive business plan approach, not a rigid political manifesto” Here's the rub. The promise of the Superhighways was the promise of the highest level political commitment. But they cannot succeed if they are managed as a political manifesto, allowing no deviation from the rapidly conceived 12 routes, delivered in a prescriptive way.

Political leadership must not hand the programme over to a delivery team and simply say get on with it. Pilots mean learning, allowing change to future ideas and practice.

There must be the flexibility to revisit the pilots and make them better, to reallocate budgets to spurs and branches (for example, to Canary Wharf) and to create connectivity to wherever people want to go. It must be possible to consider alternative routes and solutions, such as upgrading a high potential LCN+ route, rather than focusing entirely on A-roads. London cyclists need an adaptive business plan approach, not a rigid manifesto.

As the economist John Maynard Keynes said: “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”

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NEWS

News Visit www.lcc.org.uk for campaign updates and latest news reports

New guide sells cycling to the outer boroughs Survey data and case studies are just two elements of a comprehensive illustrated guide on how to boost cycle use in outer London. The report, called Delivering the Benefits of Cycling in Outer London is a follow-up to 2008's Barriers to Cycling report.

The 50-page guide includes contributions from LCC, London Councils, Sustrans and TfL. LCC’s input drew on comments from numerous local groups in outer London. The report is accompanied by an illustrated summary that can be used to explain the benefits of cycling to councillors and local politicians.

LCC campaigns manager Tom Bogdanowicz said: "The guide could be used to advocate cycle training in schools, which is under threat across Greater London because ring-fenced central funding is about to stop."

Q Download at http://tinyurl. com/LCC-outer-boroughs.

INSIDE INFO

Sunday 7 March saw the second annual ride to celebrate International Women’s Day. This year's theme was ‘Reclaim the Roads’ and the ride followed a scenic, circular route starting and finishing at the Shortwave Bar & Cinema, Bermondsey, where there was an after-party, including music and film screenings. LCC marketing manager Lucy Cooper said: “Not enough women in London cycle and the perception of road danger is the major cause. We hope rides like this will encourage more women cyclists.”

BikeGrid plans presented to TfL positive and we hope it'll work with London Cycling Campaign to progress these ideas."

the Cycle Hire Scheme.

LCC chief executive Koy Thomson said: "TfL has been

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Executives from Transport for London were presented with LCC’s Zone 1 BikeGrid plans this month. The BikeGrid is the series of east-west and north-south cycle lane-equipped, or traffic-calmed, routes that provide a costeffective and complete Zone 1 cycle network taking advantage of spare road capacity.

The detailed plans were produced in response to the lack of any complete east-west or north-south cycle routes in London, the scrapping of the London Cycle Network while only 60 percent complete, and the arrival of 6,000 new bikes in

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Q Half of all journeys in outer London are less than two miles, which takes around 10 mins on a bike Q A third of outer London households don't own a car Q More than half the residents of outer London boroughs are considering cycling this year Q In Sutton, cycling rose by 75 percent over three years following a smarter travel programme; Q 10 percent of all rail commuters from Surbiton station switched from car to bike

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MAPPED OUT: how LCC's BikeGrid links to the upcoming Cycle Superhighways

+++ Sign up at www.lcc.org.uk to receive a fortnightly e-newsletter on London cycling issues +++ 6 6 London Cyclist April-May 2010

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Lobbying secures safe crossing in Kingston Lobbying by Kingston Cycling Campaign has resulted in Transport for London installing a new £500,000 road crossing at the Robin Hood 'roundabout' on the A3 at Kingston Vale. The crossing is suitable for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, many of whom use this popular route between Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park.

Formerly pedestrians and cyclists were forced to use a stepped footbridge over the five-lane A3. Horse riders from the Stag Lodge Stables by Richmond Park's Robin Hood Gate relied on a member of staff holding a sign to stop traffic on the dual carriageway, one of the busiest A-roads in the UK. A new Pegasus crossing has

TRIPLE WHAMMY: A3 crossing will benefit cyclists, pedestrians and horse-riders

buttons mounted high up so horse riders can press them without dismounting. The adjacent Toucan crossing provides a more direct route for

walkers, and is more suitable for cyclists and the disabled for whom the stepped footbridge was unsuitable.

Jon Fray of the Kingston

Cycling Campaign said: “This crossing will make Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common more accessible for those who want to enjoy the parkland.”

Senior citizen campaigns for Cycle Hire discount Freedom Pass holder and Ealing cyclist Ol Rappaport says senior citizens deserve a discount on the Cycle Hire Scheme to encourage them to cycle.

Rappaport wrote to his London Assembly Member, Richard Barnes, asking whether discounts would be introduced this summer.

“Given that I can swim for free to encourage me to keep active, wouldn't it also make sense to encourage me to cycle around central London?” said Mr Rappaport. In reply TfL said: “This may be a possibility in the future, but it is not planned as part of the launch.”

Use of the bikes will be free for the first 30 minutes, but only after users have paid a

IT'S A RAPP: Ealing campaigner

registration fee (£1 per day, £5 a week or £45 per year).

A logical step to encourage older cyclists to make use of hire bikes would be to offer them a discount, on the annual fee.

Under current regulations Freedom Pass holders get free travel on the London transport network outside of peak hours.

The Scheme will provide 6,000 bikes in Zone 1, and the planning applications for the 400 roadside docking stations are currently being finalised.

(For more information read the feature on the successful Vélib scheme on page 22).

In parallel with the Cycle Hire scheme, work started on the first two Cycle Superhighways on15 February, with the routes from Merton and Barking to central London set for completion in ‘summer 2010’. LCC has been lobbying for the Cycle Superhighways project to deliver quality routes (see Koy Thomson's column on page 5) and is pressing the case for an integrated Zone 1 BikeGrid to try and improve conditions for the thousands of new cyclists expected on the capital’s roads this summer.

UP IN THE AIR: cycle schemes may not be prioritised by some councils

Schools training under threat from new funding allocation Children across London could find that their schools no longer provide cycle training under new city-wide funding regimes introduced by the mayor. In 2009-10 some £3 million pounds was spent on cycling training for both adults and children in London, but in 2010-11 that could fall sharply.

Next year, instead of ring-fencing money for adult and school cycle training, Transport for London is allocating money to local councils under general headings such as 'smarter travel' and 'corridors'. As long as they follow the principles of the new Mayoral Transport Strategy,

councils can allocate the money as they wish, either providing more, equal or zero money to cycle training.

New pupils in years 5 and 6 could get no training during their entire schooling.

MORE INFO Contact your local councillor and ask that the council’s Local Implementation Plan includes a specific allocation for child and adult cycle training. Ask, in particular, if all schools that request an allocation will get one.

+++ London Cyclist is looking for an illustrator. Interested? Email the editor, address on page 3 +++ April-May 2010 London Cyclist

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NEWS

HGV deaths compel TfL to act now

CROSSRAIL CONSTRUCTION: will require thousands more lorry journeys into central London over the next seven years

Campaigners help reduce Crossrail lorry dangers The largest construction project in Europe, Crossrail, has started, with work to build the eight stations and 15 miles of tunnels expected to last seven years.

Thousands of tonnes of dirt will be taken out of central London by trucks and new building materials will also be

brought in by road. Lorries will follow designated routes, but unavoidably for a project of this size, many include cycle routes.

LCC and CTC recognised early on the potential danger these lorries posed to cyclists and pedestrians. Combined lobbying has led to Crossrail agreeing to

provide cycle-awareness training for all 3,000 drivers on the project. LCC is working with Crossrail to improve the training and has attended pilot sessions.

LCC lorry campaigner Charlie Lloyd said: “This is the first time every driver on a building project will learn cyclist-awareness."

Two recent cyclist deaths have prompted calls for the measures in the Mayor's Cycle Safety Action Plan to be implemented immediately. Currently, there is no timetable for the measures to be introduced. TfL published its CSAP on Tuesday 9 March, the same day a 21-year-old man was killed by a tipper lorry in Weston Street, SE1.

On 10 March, a 28-year-old woman was killed by a skip lorry in Hackney.

The Action Plan has been greatly influenced by LCC and other lorry campaigners, with key elements relating to HGVs: 1 Promoting the most effective safety equipment, sensors, mirrors and guards 2 Encouraging public sector operators to provide cycleawareness and cycle training to lorry drivers in London; 3 Encouraging responsible procurement, using operators who meet high standards 4 Rescheduling HGVs away from busy peak hour roads 5 Awareness campaigns for cyclists and lorry drivers 6 More research, including on the ‘gender gap’ issue.

Victory as police step in to save vital safety unit from closure Cycle campaigners are celebrating after the functions of the Commercial Vehicle Education Unit were saved. The Mayor planned to disband the lorrysafety unit, but now it will be replaced by a Commercial Vehicle Unit (CVU), funded by the Metropolitan Police.

Under the new funding proposal many of the highly skilled police officers will remain in situ and their powers as Health and Safety Inspectors will be retained. Without the TfL funding, they’ll no longer manage the accreditation of TfL’s Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS),

which will be run by TfL. LCC chief executive Koy Thomson said: “We’re pleased that during a time when many budgets are being cut, the Met has recognised the importance of these specialist police officers.

We’re disappointed the change means the CVU reorganisation will result in the unit having only two operating bases instead of three, which might make them less effective.

“However, being directly funded by the police will make the unit less vulnerable to the whims of politicians. This unit is a model that can be copied in other cities: as the only

enforcement agency in the country aimed at reducing work-related road danger they deserve to be properly funded.”

The victory was supported with great efforts by the friends and families of those killed by lorries in 2009 and Jenny Jones, Green Party assembly member, led the campaign, questioning the Mayor about the cuts. There were questions in Parliament and a petition to the Prime Minister.

There remains a lot to be done to reduce lorry danger. Please ask your MP to sign Early Day Motion 600. Visit www.lcc.org. uk/campaigns.

POLICE ACTION: on lorry safety

+++ Get a full listing of local maintenance classes at http://tinyurl.com/LCCmaintenance +++ 8 London Cyclist April-May 2010

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Teenage driver jailed for killing cyclist A car driver has been jailed for 21 months after driving into a cyclist at 70mph on the A1 in Cambridgeshire. Nineteenyear-old Katie Hart said she did not see Major Gareth Rhys-Evans until the crash, saying: "He came out of nowhere." She narrowly missed another cyclist riding several metres behind the victim.

Hart admitted causing death by careless driving in May 2009, but was found guilty of the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving. The judge said a custodial sentence was mandatory and also banned Hart from driving for two years.

A Cambridgeshire police spokesperson said the case

could "send a message to drivers across the country "to pay attention when they are behind the wheel".

In July 2009, LCC joined

fellow demonstrators including relatives of Eilidh Cairns, the cyclist killed in a collision with a lorry in Notting Hill in February 2009, to protest at Crown

2009 CPS DEMO : followed death of another cyclist in Notting Hill

MAKING THE CASE: for fairer law

Lower 20mph speed limit to be introduced in Greenwich Park Greenwich Park will have its speed limit reduced from 30mph to 20mph later in 2010, after successful campaigning from Greenwich Cyclists, the local LCC group.

Minister for Culture and Tourism Margaret Hodge announced the measure, which is subject to parliamentary approval.

Anthony Austin of Greenwich Cyclists said: "We’ve campaigned for years for this change, more intensively since a motorist

pleaded guilty to causing the death of a cyclist by dangerous driving in June 2007. Our ultimate aim, expressed in a recent Cycle Route Inspection Meeting (CRIM) organised by the Royal Parks, is a halt to all through traffic in this park."

Lewisham and Greenwich Young Cyclists' leader Tom Crispin asked as an interim measure that the speed limit be cut to 12mph, as it is in Battersea Park, and for all motorised traffic to be banned: “It's absurd that a

Prosecution Service reluctance to press for more serious charges against the drivers of vehicles involved in collisions with vulnerable road users.

recreational area like the park can be used as a rush hour rat-run. However, a 20mph speed limit is a step in the right direction and is very welcome.

"I hope the regulation that allows children under 11 to cycle anywhere in the Park (other than the Flower Garden, Rose Garden and playground) is amended to include accompanying adults.

I also hope that the absurd ban on cycling along Bower Avenue is lifted."

Develop your campaigning skills at free training days Local cycling groups are the core strength of LCC and all members have the chance to make them stronger by taking part in training sessions. Recent workshops have covered media and communication skills, as well as putting cycling issues on the election agenda.

To get involved either visit your local group site (www. lcc.org.uk/localgroups), email localgroups@lcc.org.uk, or call 020 7234 9310 and ask for the cycling development officer.

COMING SOON

www.danielbosworth.com

Q Wednesday 21 April Regional LCC group forum: Kingston-Merton Q Wednesday 19 May Regional LCC group forum: Richmond-Hounslow Q Saturday 5 June Local group development workshop Q Sat 19 –Sun 27 June Bike Week, hundreds of rides and other events all over London

+++ Stay up to date with cycling news in London, go to www.lcc.org.uk and hit the news tab +++ April-May 2010 London Cyclist

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NEWS

Trek donation boosts campaign coffers One of the world’s leading bicycle brands, Trek, has shown its commitment to supporting London cyclists with a donation of £10k to LCC, with a further £10k to be donated in services — such as photography and printing costs — to help spread campaign messages in 2010.

LCC's Koy Thomson said: “Trek has great vision in recognising that support for LCC’s grass roots and expert advocacy promotes the creation of a safer London for cyclists, which in turn grows cycling, benefits the individual, the community and

the cycling industry. Trek’s gift will help us step up our work, in particular combating cycle theft, reducing road danger and pushing to get the most from the Mayor’s cycling programmes.”

Trek's marketing manager Andrew Griffin said: “Since its earliest days Trek's ethos has involved getting more people on bikes. Hopefully, this funding is not only a catalyst for positive change in the capital, but a catalyst for real progress on a much wider scale."

LCC will be seeking support from other progressive companies.

NAKED STREETS: artist's impression of how changes will reshape Piccadilly

Piccadilly Circus gets £14m revamp Piccadilly Circus will be made more cycle and people-friendly as part of a £14m revamp. The measures will reintroduce two-way traffic on Piccadilly and Pall Mall, reduce the amount of roadway apportioned to traffic across the scheme and rid the busy central London junction of more than a kilometre of metal guard railings.

Work will begin in November and is expected to end by December 2011 in time for the following year's Olympics, with beach volleyball, the marathon, triathlon and cycling events being held in the vicinity.

Atkins, the firm that designed the high-profile diagonal crossing at Oxford Circus, will spearhead this project too. The council expects TfL to bear half of the cost, with the rest being paid for by Westminster Council, the Crown Estate and Fortnum and Mason.

Colin Wing of Westminster Cyclists (the local LCC group) said: “This is good news not only because it will calm motor traffic, but also because we need southbound cycling in St James's Street as part of the cycle route from Regent's Park to St James's Park.

Ride 22 football grounds in 24 hours

Cyclists are being invited to join a charity ride on 5 June to visit every football club in Greater London in a day, ending at Wembley Stadium.

Participants can join organiser Thomas Moulton for the entire 142-mile route — dubbed 'KickBallPedalBike' — or for shorter sections.

The ride will raise money and awareness for LCC and the Southall Black Sisters, a charity providing shelter for victims of domestic violence. Moulton, a former LCC community cycling officer, said: "150 miles in the free-flowing countryside is difficult enough, but in the city's stop-start streets it's a massive challenge. We’ve already got nearly 40 brave riders and we expect many more by June.”

Anyone who wants to ride, or help with organisation, should email kickballpedalbike@ googlemail.com

Deaf school among grant beneficiaries The Community Cycling Fund for London (CCFfL) has awarded over £200k to set up and support cycling projects across the capital. And as LC went to press, there had been 43 applications this year, an increase of over 10 percent from 2009. Among the 19 successful bids so far is Oak Lodge secondary school in Wandsworth, a school for deaf pupils; the project will train teachers as cycling instructors to deliver Bikeability training throughout the school.

Funded by TfL and the Big Lottery, LCC has been administering CCFfL since 2007 and has worked with 50 projects a year. There are two funding rounds and groups can ask for either a 5k or £10k grant.

WE'RE GOING TO WEMBLEY: final stop on a 24-hour challenge ride to tie in with the start of this summer's World Cup

+++ Fancy a big ride? Try the Dunwich Dynamo on 24 July. Details at www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk +++ 10 London Cyclist April-May 2010

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LETTERS

Letters Comment, opinion, rants and raves — send yours to londoncyclist@lcc.org.uk I’m writing to you with a heavy heart, following news of the death of two more cyclists on our streets. Two young lives lost in 24 hours. It’s becoming an almost weekly tragedy now and urgent action — not prolonged discussion — is needed.

I don’t agree with the ‘unfortunate accident’ notion — these deaths are avoidable.

Forget this phony argument that there’s more cyclists in the city nowadays so the likelihood of accidents is greater, it just doesn’t wash. These cyclists are being killed by poor driving and poor practice. Yes, lorry drivers need more awareness training — and our cyling Mayor should be ashamed of himself for disbanding the CVEU — but I can’t help thinking that the root problem's being ignored. There are just a ridiculously high number of lorries on London’s streets these days, thousands per day, and it needs curbing.

On numerous occasions recently I have counted 12 — that’s right, a dozen — dumper trucks and concrete mixers in a line along St Thomas’ Street, backed up all the way from The Shard to Borough High Street — that’s just for one development.

Across London there’s hundreds of major construction projects ongoing, each involving massive use of HGVs — and with every extra lorry on the road there’s an added danger to cyclists.

Huge motor vehicles and tight Victorian streets don’t mix anyway, without factoring in the other road users and pedestrians. Can City Hall not be pressured into reducing lorry numbers in the city with immediate effect? I don’t mean fining companies or taxing them, I mean banning so many lorries from our already busy streets.

Couple a lorry reduction with an immediate speed limit of 10mph on all HGVs, especially around construction sites, and we might start getting somewhere. This senseless loss of life has to stop.

J Teer, SE8

John Davies

SHAME OF LORRY DEATHS

GRIM REALITY: the skip lorry responsible for killing a cyclist outside Victoria Park in early March gets removed by police

LCC SAYS: LCC is seeking to recruit a specialist HGV and road danger reduction campaigner.

We need your support. Please visit www.lcc.org.uk/donate to help us make London's streets safer for you.

EVERY LITTLE HELPS We can all feel frustrated at times, when the inconsiderate actions of others put cyclists in danger, or infringe our rights as road users. But my recent experience of taking on a supermarket, which was routinely blocking a pavement and forcing pedestrians into a cycle lane, gives me heart that we can change things if we try.

My commute takes me across Shoreditch High Street and into New Inn Yard EC2, where there's a well-marked cycle lane. Last year I began to notice that the supermarket on this corner was leaving its delivery cages on the pavement in New Inn Yard, both morning and night. This had the effect of forcing pedestrians into the cycle lane, and into conflict with cyclists.

I began by asking the supermarket to stop this practice, but no-one was apparently bothered

by my representations and nothing happened. The problem got progressively worse. Late last year I wrote in frustration to Hackney Council’s Enforcement Department to ask that enforcement action be taken to stop this routine and dangerous obstruction. Nothing happened.

At last, I contacted Barry Buitekant, Labour councillor for Haggerston Ward, to ask whether he could assist. He got straight back to me, said that he would look into the problem and find out why my letter to Hackney had not been answered. As a result of this intervention, the supermarket was visited by enforcement officers, informed that their obstruction of the highway was unlawful and so far it's worked.

So my advice is to get involved. We can change things for the better if we try and, yes, every little helps!

Ben Priestley, email

some action on the actual roads.

Somehow I must have been dreaming too, but I've just returned from maternity leave and am depressed/shocked/ outraged that neither TfL, nor the respective councils of Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, have done anything since I last rode to work — in fact it's worse.

My commute from Shepherds Bush to Oxford Circus offers no safe cycling routes for this entire major route, even more shocking as it includes the handsome boulevard of Bayswater Road/ Holland Park Avenue (the location of a number of cycling and pedestrian fatalities over the last few years) which could so easily accommodate a safe cycling route. Just recently, the cycle path marked out on the North Carriage of Hyde Park has been erased. Please help before more white bicycles appear.

Susannah Woodgate, W12

WEST SIDE STORY

HAVE WE GOT IT BAD?

I'm sure we'd all be delighted to read some of the 'fanciful headlines' which Koy Thompson dreamt up (Opinion, Feb/March 2010), but I'd also like to see

Reading through all your letters and articles, I’m struck by how much prejudice there is against anyone who isn’t a cyclist and left-wing with it. According to

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most of your readers, drivers are inherently selfish and cyclists are inherently right. As a cyclist who also drives, I'm acutely aware of the faults of all groups.

However, I find the undisciplined road use of some cyclists perhaps most aggravating of all.

Bug-bear number one is the bizarre belief amongst about 50 percent of cyclists that they don't need lights, or that a back light is sufficient and that front lights are unnecessary. Don't they realise front lights are so you can be seen, not for lighting up the road ahead.

My cycling persona has fewer grievances. I 've been yelled at for walking my bicycle across a zebra crossing rather than waiting with all the cars to turn right; I would rather cars respected cycle boxes at lights; and, it would be nice if there were more bike racks around and fewer signs threatening to remove bikes from railings. But in the general scheme of things, being a cyclist in London could be a lot worse. Anyone who doubts it should try cycling in Moscow.

Tom Wiseman-Clarke, email

BIKES ON BUSES I'm unhappy with TfL's policy of not allowing dismantled bikes (both wheels removed) onto buses, even in quiet moments when there’s few passengers.

On more than two occasions I've had a puncture or some other problem, but had to take a cab home with the bike because a bus driver has refused me entry.

Last week I snuck my dismantled bike on to the back of

the number 29 (bendy) bus and the driver walked all the way down to the back to get me off, even though the bus wasn’t at all crowded and the bike was resting up against a wall, with me standing in between the bike and any other passengers. I had already paid with my Oyster card, but the driver informed me that he would lose his job, then his house, then his family.

Has there been an attempt to alter TfL's thinking regarding this matter? Is there a precedent for a bicycle causing damage to a passenger? Thanks for listening and for all the good work you do.

David Oppedisano, email

LCC SAYS: The Uni-link bus company in Southampton, which started as a student service, is prepared to carry bicycles on its buses when space permits. It's a shame that TfL doesn't compel bus providers in Greater London to offer a similar level of service to customers.

SORRY STATE OF STREETS Most of your articles and letters are worthy and ring true. But they avoid one of the most important factors behind the safety of cyclists in London — the state of the roads. I have often commuted along cycle routes where the road surface has been so bad that my attention has had to be focused on avoiding the potholes ahead, rather than watching other traffic.

The recent winter weather has only exacerbated this problem. If councils could only ensure that road surfaces were

BUMPY RIDE: report these potholes

reliably smooth — at least in cycle lanes — we would all have more time to watch for errant bikers and drivers. Improved road surfaces would also encourage more marginal cyclists to get on their bikes. So please, less talk about pie-in-the-sky new routes and more spent on making existing roads usable in safety.

Paul Smiddy, SE13

TARGET THE ‘ROTTEN EGGS’ I am a long-time London cyclist and LCC member who, whilst preferring to commute by bicycle, also regularly rides a motorcycle in the city. I like to think that this combination of modes of transport gives me the experience to be courteous and aware of the needs of both parties on the road.

I was stunned this week when I was attacked by a cyclist whilst riding my motorcycle on Mortimer Street. Whilst filtering between cars I was hailed by a voice from directly behind, telling me to get out of the way.

Unaware that I had done anything wrong I asked what the cyclist meant and instead of responding he pushed past me

and thumped me in the face (I was wearing an open-face helmet) before jumping a red light and disappearing. I was not in any cycle box, nor was I blocking any path. I am still amazed that anyone feels that they are sufficiently empowered to physically attack another person in such a situation.

We have all had 'discussions' with other road users where we feel, often in the heat of the moment, that the other party will benefit from having their error pointed out to them.

Frequently people are apologetic, although I'm aware that they can also be hostile. The actions of people like the cyclist who attacked me, however, are inexcusable and I would hope deserve condemnation by all my fellow members.

London is a great cycling city and I support any initiative to make it safer and easier for people to travel by bicycle. The internet is littered with stories of motorists seemingly targeting cyclists, not to mention news articles on the tragic accidents which have claimed the lives of far too many. Rather than aid our cause, it seems a very small minority are consistently working to ensure that cyclists remain a hate figure and are persecuted by other road users for their aggressive behaviour.

This is a practice which must cease immediately if we are going to break down the walls of prejudice and build a truly safe cycling network on our congested roads.

Stephen Parry-Jones, email

Read more online If you can't wait for the next issue of London Cyclist magazine, you can find a large archive of this subversive cartoon strip (based in a Wisconsin cycle repair shop) by visiting www.yehudamoon.com

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BEST RIDES IN LONDON

OPINION

Zoe Williams As the local and national elections loom, our regular columnist suggests taking politicians' bold promises with a large pinch of salt

I

’ll tell you what I think about election promises where they concern cycling: they are always a little bit flaky. They tend to sound incredible and never happen. It’s the opposite to what happens to motorists, where the promises usually sound quite mild (“we will add an extra half a lane to three miles of the M6”) and then translate into something incredible (“Oh sod it, have a new tolled expressway! Why? Because you’re worth it”).

I’m trying to think myself into the skin of a politician, to work out why this might be. They take motorists more seriously, not just as voters, but as adults, and that is an unquestionable fact. Look at all that hardware they’ve got!

There must be a ton of metal in that person’s possession.

And they learnt how to drive it, it wasn’t just something they picked up at primary school. This is a serious person.

A driving licence isn’t just for driving, you know: it is also your passport into clubs and bars, your proof of ID, it’s your ticket to the adult world.

Cyclists have no ticket to the adult world. We’re only one step up from jugglers. Never mind broken promises, we should be grateful they make any promises to us in the first place. We should be glad they let us vote. That’s the first reason.

Suspicious of the Superhighways The second reason, very neatly illustrated by Boris Johnson, as so many broken manifesto promises can be, is that they assume that cycle-matters will be incredibly cheap. So Johnson offered a bike hire service, where TfL could team up with private companies and provide Amsterdam-style bike-plenty at no cost at all to the taxpayer. In fact, the cost to the taxpayer is going to be quite substantial: it’s not much less than £100 million.

You can see the problem — even expensive bikes look pared down, austere and cheap. Cheap bikes look like you made them out of broken kitchenware. It’s impossible to conceive of a world in which these things are going to cost as much as a third-hand Peugeot, and yet they do.

Having said all this, not all promises have been broken. The much-vaunted Cycle Superhighways are going ahead. I was always against these, but that’s because I am a kneejerk contrarian and also I thought they would look like Manhattan, with rollerbladers dancing down the middle, the Kids From Fame singing, some people who wished they were on Jackass skateboarding and actual cyclists squeezed to the edge of

what was effectively a circus in the middle of the road.

My second reservation was that they wouldn’t go between anywhere useful, and I continued this lesser rant right up until the maps were unveiled of the two that will open this year. “Who lives between Merton and the City?” I inveighed. “Well, we do,” my fella pointed out.

“And so does your mum. And your sister.”

Beware politicians bearing gifts So I guess you’d call this a good scheme, worth voting for.

On the other hand, it has already happened. So you could vote for someone else and still reap the benefits (so long as you live on the Merton route, this is. And I do!)

Periodically, some politician will mouth off about blame-apportioning in cycle accidents. It’s an inexact

“Drivers have licences.

Cyclists have no such ticket to the adult world.

We're only one step up from jugglers...” correlation, but lefties tend to say something flamboyant like “it should always be all the motorist’s fault, in a collision”, while right-wingers tend to have some equally tough line in the opposite direction — cyclists should have registration numbers, or their own CCTV apparatus so they can prove they didn’t shoot any red lights.

I steer clear of anybody making any bike-promise that sounds remotely bold: they’re like the anti-hunting lobby, they’re never really talking about the issue, they’re just trying to make you feel that they’re simpatico, they’re your sort of person. None of us need policy like that, do we? We’ve all got plenty of friends. What we need are better bike racks.

Zoe Williams is a freelance journalist and columnist who contributes regularly to publications including The Guardian and New Statesman

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Vote 'bike' at the next elections In this generation-shaping double election year, we asked the four main political parties to respond to the key points of LCC's cycling manifesto

L

CC has produced a cycling manifesto (see page 18), listing the policies we believe will most support an increase in cycling, helping to transform the capital for the better. Increasing cycling benefits the city with less congestion and noise, less CO2 and air pollution, healthier and happier people, and it’s good for the pockets of individuals and governors. We asked the four main parties to comment on

years as well as initiatives to what they planned to do for cycling in promote 20mph zones in Hackney London and whether they supported and Islington. They supported the of LCC's manifesto.

LCC’s manifesto explicitly and The Liberal Democrats and the highlighted the HGV issue as Green Party replied as requested by particularly important. responding in general terms and specifically to our manifesto. The Is there consensus on cycling?

Conservatives gave a general Labour peer Lord Adonis, in his comment on cycling in London, while interview, supports the growth of Labour didn’t supply a response in cycling and improved cycle parking, time. However, this issue of London pointing to the £140m the governCyclist includes an interview with ment is allocating to Cycling England Transport Minister Lord Adonis (see over three years and the £8m for page 28), so we direct you there for cycle parking at stations. He also an exposition of Labour’s view. highlights the Cycle to Work In its statement the Conservatives Guarantee programme which has emphasised what is happening with now been signed by 240 organisations Mayor Boris Johnson’s programme for and government departments. cycling, which includes the Cycle gover The Lib Dems refer to a hierarchy Superhighways, the Cycle Hire of transport, Scheme and a possible transpo with policies to explicitly favour the least polluting forms. experimental ‘turn left on They support 20mph for red’ trial. They also s the government's For a detailed look at residential areas and propose a suggested that politicians resid the interview with cycling agenda, look at ‘Gold Standard’ award for rail could save the cost of d Adonis on page 28 Transport Minister Lor stations taxis and ministerial statio that have sufficient cycling cars by cycling. cyclin facilities.

All the main parties recognise The Greens pointed and support the role cycling has to to their record at the GLA, sup play to some degree, which is due in mentioning the success in so no small part securing funding in recent p to the lobbying of

LABOUR

SPEED LIMITS: city-wide 20mph goal

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CONSERVATIVES

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Robert Goodwill MP, Shadow Transport Minister & Shadow Minister for Cycling

Norman Baker MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

Conservative plans for cycling in London do not have to wait for the general election because Boris Johnson is already pushing ahead with a dynamic and exciting programme.

Cycle Superhighways will provide safe, fast, direct routes into central London from outer London. The first two routes will open in summer 2010, with 10 more being introduced later.

Cycle Hire, also coming in summer 2010, will be a public bicycle-sharing scheme for short journeys in and around central London. You'll be able to pick up a bicycle, use it as you like, then drop it off, ready for the next person.

Boris Johnson has also applied to the Department for Transport for a trial of a ‘cyclists turn left on red’ scheme to allow cycles to proceed with caution at junctions before lorries and buses start off. Many of the worst accidents involving cyclists happen when cyclists are trapped against the kerb when large vehicles move off. The Conservative front bench has been critical of the Labour government for not exploring this option.

The Conservatives are also looking at ways in which MPs and Ministers can be encouraged to cycle around London saving the cost of taxis and ministerial cars.

The Liberal Democrats will promote a transport hierarchy, with the least polluting forms (walking and cycling) at the top, working down to the most polluting at the bottom. We will then look to invest in the most environmentally-friendly forms, whenever possible. We are concerned that only two percent of journeys in London are made by bicycle (2008 figure), when one in three Londoners own a bike. This compares with 20 percent in Copenhagen, and we would like to increase the capital’s figure as part of a shift towards cleaner modes of transport.

Our specific plans for cycling include: improving facilities for parking and cycle storage at stations; working with boroughs to develop a cycle recycling scheme enabling more people to have access to bikes; introducing legislation which requires new office blocks and other major places of employment to have proper facilities for cycling, including parking and changing facilities; promoting expansion of the National Cycle Network, particularly off-road routes as research shows that cycle routes when separated from roads have far higher usage levels than those which form part of roads; and ensuring cycling is built into all local transport plans and signage for cyclists is improved.

Comment on the LCC Manifesto We are broadly supportive of all the points made in the LCC manifesto. In particular, we are supportive of building facilities into all council, NHS and school buildings and making it a requirement in all relevant planning applications. We also want 20mph to be the default speed limit in residential areas. We would introduce a cycling ‘Gold Standard’ award for all rail and bus stations meeting minimum cycle facility standards. We are also supportive of making changes to local infrastructure to make cycling safer and easier, and support cycling competency and recycling schemes.

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1. TRAINING FOR KIDS Provide free on-road cycle training for all school children, free or subsidised training for adults and regular training for highway engineers and transport planners.

2. MORE PARKING Deliver sufficient cycle parking for staff and visitors at all council, NHS and school buildings, and make it a requirement in all relevant planning applications.

3. LOCAL ACCESS Make local cycling journeys easier by returning borough one-way systems and streets to two-way operation, or by allowing contraflow cycling.

REDUCING POLLUTION: needs to be central to all party policies

GREEN PARTY

4. LORRY DANGER Reduce casualties involving lorries through a driver-cyclist awareness programme for all council HGV drivers and by council membership of the Freight Operators Recognition Scheme.

Spokesperson for cycling The Green Party supports cycling passionately, both as a low-emission form of transport and a healthy and fun activity. Back in 2006, Greens on the London Assembly secured funding for a raft of green measures in the city’s budget — including an extra £5m for cycling, which more than doubled the money spent on 20mph zones across London.

We helped set the target to increase cycling by 400 percent by introducing plans for Cycle Hire, Cycle Superhighways and cycling hubs in outer London.

Green Party councillors work to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety with reduced speed limits. In 2008, the Greens steered a motion through Hackney Council making 20mph the standard speed on all roads under its control, and also secured the budget for 20mph in residential areas for Islington. In local government, we have consistently pushed to see the needs of cyclists met; Greens in Parliament will do the same.

Comment on the LCC Manifesto The Green Party endorses every aspect of the LCC manifesto — and is already striving for many of the measures it calls for. Green Assembly Member Jenny Jones produced a Transport Committee report recommending more 20mph zones throughout London.

She also heavily criticised the Boris Johnson when the Commercial Vehicle Education Unit was disbanded.

The Green Party strongly supports the LCN+ scheme, condemning the Mayor’s cuts to the programme’s funding. Jenny Jones said: “At every level, Green MEPs, MPs, Assembly Members and councillors will work for the promotion of walking and cycling in transport policy. In London, we will continue to push for pro-cyclist policies, because we believe cycling provides both a vital contribution to the carbon cuts London is trying to achieve — and it's lots of fun.”

Photos (all flickr): Rick Scully; Carlo Nicora; mezzoblue; EO1

CAMPAIGN

LCC CYCLING MANIFESTO*

LEFT ON RED: would be a welcome move

5. SAFER STREETS Reduce danger by setting a 20mph speed limit where people live, work and shop and by adopting a borough road danger reduction strategy.

6. SOLID TARGETS Back an investment plan that will enable our borough to surpass the Mayor’s target of a 400% increase in cycling by 2026.

IT'S TIME: cyclists came in from the cold

campaign groups like LCC over many years. But critical funding decisions have to be made, at the local level in particular.

If you want better conditions for cycle users, or cycle training for your children, make sure you present the LCC manifesto, or your local version of it, to electoral candidates and ask them to make firm commitments or pledges. You will be able to hold them to their promises after the election.

7. HEALTHY STAFF Encourage council staff to cycle by signing up to the Government’s Cycle to Work Guarantee scheme.

8. EVENTS & ROADSPACE Promote healthy living by running regular cycling events such as car-free Sundays, reducing car-dependency and reallocating road space to cycling and walking. *A template letter with the LCC manifesto is available from www.lcc.org.uk/campaigns

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CAMPAIGN

Breaking the cycle of theft As cycling continues to grow in London, so bike theft has spiralled to epidemic proportions. With LCC about to launch a new campaign on the subject, Oliver Schick and Tom Bogdanowicz outline what needs to be done

Photo: Mike Cavenett

“I

’'ll never forget one morning, watching out the window as a white Transit pulled up outside our office — three guys got out armed with huge bolt croppers and proceeded to liberate several bikes and throw them in the back of the van, followed by a couple of very expensive motorbikes. This all took less than two minutes.” These are the words of London office worker Dave Hall and, unfortunately, his sentiments have become increasingly common over the last few years.

Every day, an estimated 160 bicycles are stolen in the capital, which adds up to more than 60,000 per year. Last year, 23,175 bike thefts were reported to the police (up 30 percent from 2008), with around 40,000 more unreported (using UK under-reporting calculations). At an average of £200 per bike, that adds up to more than £12 million a year. The problem is so bad in some areas that increases in theft of up to 75 percent were reported in some wards in 2009.

The record level of reported thefts in London is not just a blow to the owners of those bikes, but also a serious threat to the growth of cycling in London. A survey by the Transport Research Laboratory showed that of people who had their bikes stolen, 24 percent no longer cycled at all and 66 percent cycled less often because of the theft.

The percentage share of bike trips in Greater London is still well below the proportion of people who want to cycle, so that reducing theft is critical towards increasing this figure. The fact is that valuable investment in cycling can be seriously undermined by thieves.

What the thieves are counting on is that for every bike they steal, they will find a buyer at a street or

internet marketplace. One London cyclist, Amelia Coulam, found her bike for sale on Gumtree after it was stolen: “I'm enraged, because this person is selling at least 20 bikes on Gumtree at the moment, under various names.”

Sellers of this type often just provide a mobile number on the advert and make efforts to do a quick anonymous deal such as offering to show the bike at a railway station.

LCC says that to deter thieves there should be tougher rules on providing bike frame numbers with online adverts and personal details should be verifiable.

Cutting off the source Cyclists are also reporting an increasing number of thefts from the street and of audacious residential burglaries. Reports of theft from the workplace are rare, and workplace cycle parking is getting better, but where it is still inadequate, many workers fear for their bikes or leave them at home.

LCC’s campaigning has paid off in many areas, with new secure parking facilities around residences, transport hubs and workplaces, but much more remains to be done.

Some theft victims have taken to trying to recover their bikes themselves — the Sunday trip to Brick Lane market with a couple of friends is now sadly a staple of the London cycling experience.

Crackdowns there only work when

enforcement is consistent. Another theft victim, Leonard Ehrenfried, who confronted a stolen bike buyer, recalls: “People gathered around us and I shouted that I had evidence and to see the frame number. A market trader helped me to read the number from the bottom bracket shell. ‘It’s his! He's right!’ the trader shouted and the crowd nodded approvingly. The guy who had bought the bike left.”

Police need tougher stance Means to prevent theft do exist.

For example, some police forces use bikes that have radio transmitters to catch thieves, while at some cash-converter shops they take photos of sellers to discourage dishonesty. Other shops record details of photo ID and evidence of purchase from sellers.

However, many of these solutions are applied in a piecemeal fashion and stamping out theft needs concerted action. The Mayor’s cycling ambassador, Andrew Boff, agrees cycle theft needs to be treated more seriously by the police.

There is no doubt that, without sufficient police resources and political backing for a consistent crackdown, the stolen bike trade will flourish and go unchecked.

Thieves are helped by the fact that recovering stolen bikes or reuniting them with their owners takes a lot of time that the police can’t use to tackle thieves themselves.

WHAT LCC IS DOING TO STAMP OUT BIKE THEFT

Q Pushing for a spring theft summit that brings together the important organisations in London

Q Developing a code of practice for bike shops and websites that sell used bikes Q Lobbying regional and national government to prioritise theft, including tackling gangs, street markets and internet sales Q Insisting that decision-makers increase secure parking provision Q Demanding that online retailers include frame number fields and collect detailed contact information for cycle sellers

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WHAT YOU CAN DO Q Ask your councillor and MP to support a crackdown on bike theft Q Tell new cyclists about better locking technique and security marking Q Avoid buying stolen bikes by insisting that the seller provides the bike’s frame number, photo ID and home address Q Write to websites like Gumtree and eBay asking them to take deterrent measures to stop stolen bike sales, such as a compulsory boxes for the bike frame number and a traceable phone number Stopping thieves stealing is therefore much more preferable to having to take individual action after each theft. Bike theft must be made much more difficult.

Concerted action is needed by police, market authorities and others. LCC has already lobbied TfL about a theft crackdown, and is also talking to the police. While it is important to educate cyclists about how to lock their bike or security marking, what potential victims can do to address the symptoms is much less effective than tackling the causes of the problem.

Campaign set for launch This spring, LCC is campaigning for a multi-organisation taskforce to address bike crime.

This approach starts with politicians and police making bike theft a priority and with specialist police units cracking down on gangs, markets and internet sales.

A code of conduct is being drawn up for shops and websites that sell bikes, including providing frame numbers.

The latest British Crime Survey indicates a UK-wide 22 percent increase in cycle theft between 2007/08 and 2008/09. LCC recognises that it must work with other cycling organisations and lobby the national government so that this multi-organisational approach is spread nationwide; otherwise, the thieves will just move to other cities.

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CAMPAIGN

VÊlib sets the hire standard With London’s new Cycle Hire Scheme due in a couple of months, Romain Grudzinski and Tom Bogdanowicz look at what has made the Parisian project the envy of world cities

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How does it work?

So a cycle hire scheme creates a healthier, more mobile and less congested city. How exactly does it work? In its basic operation, London is copying the Paris model, which

has changed little since its inception.

Over there, you buy annual (29€) or daily (1€) membership and get the first half-hour of hire for free; after that, it’s 1€ per 30 minutes on a rising scale. Over here, membership will cost £45 per year, or £1 a day, and the first half-hour will be similarly free.

One difference, however, is that while London is introducing some local ‘permeability’ or access measures across the Zone 1 hire area, pressed by LCC, Paris has taken more radical steps. In July 2008 it introduced a trial allowing cyclists to ride both ways on one-way traffic streets where the speed limit is 30kph (20mph) and there are a growing number of 20kph (12mph) zones where pedestrians have priority. Authorities say there are now 230 miles of cycle routes in the city. LCC has produced detailed plans for a complementary Zone 1 BikeGrid which we hope the Mayor will act on.

Photos: Tom Bogdanowicz

A

ccording to gallery owner Pierre Landry, "the Vélib is the cheapest gym in Paris." He rents a bicycle up to 12 times a day and has chalked up a massive 3,774 rentals in two years. “It helps my fitness and helps me travel to and from work all over our city.”

During the 2008 election, LCC made sure that every leading mayoral candidate promised to deliver a Vélib-style cycle hire scheme in London. Two years on, mayor Boris Johnson is delivering on this promise and every Londoner will get a chance to try cycling this summer. So why exactly has the Parisian scheme inspired city planners as far and wide as Krakow, Montreal, Washington DC and Buenos Aires to go down the bike-hire route?

The first reason is that the Parisian scheme has been so popular.

With more than 67 million memberships (short-term and long-term) recorded since its launch in July 2007, Vélib is already a Paris institution. The number of city centre bikes, covering 40 square miles, has grown from 10,000 to 20,000, plus there are pilot schemes in the outer suburbs with several thousand more. Estimates are that the number of bicycles in daily use in Paris increased by 56 percent from 2006 to 2008, mostly due to Vélib journeys, but non-Vélib cycling has grown significantly too.

Vélib is also very popular with French women, a demographic that has traditionally been much more reluctant to use bikes (as is the case in the UK) than their Dutch or Danish counterparts. In 2009, there were 150,000 annual Vélib memberships, with women accounting for 41 percent of these. Women also account for 63 percent of the shortterm rentals.

So far, there is no official data on improved public health, but the sheer volume of usage implies that Parisians are getting more exercise.

There are about 25,000 rentals per day in the winter, rising to over 100,000 per day in the summer. In the most recent survey, 46 percent of Vélib users said they use their cars much less, which reduces congestion and improves air quality.

IN SEINE: floating Vélib hospital houses team of trained mechanics

Teething problems The Paris scheme is not without its problems, the principal one being damaged and stolen bikes. Since launch in 2007, 16,000 Vélibs have been damaged and 8,000 stolen.

To repair the damaged bikes JC Decaux has installed a mobile workshop, ‘the Vélib hospital’, on a barge on the River Seine with 11 mechanics on board. Because of the high cost of maintenance (Vélib bikes use custom parts to make them less attractive to thieves and to aid durability), and reduced income from advertising, JC Decaux renegotiated their contract with the city. In London the costs of maintenance is due to be shared by the cycle hire contractor Serco and TfL, so Serco has an incentive to make the bikes durable.

Problem two is matching supply and demand at different docking stations. Like those planned for London, Paris docking points have more spaces than bikes to start off

INTEGRATED BIKEGRID LCC has produced detailed plans for a Zone 1 BikeGrid to benefit all cyclists, including those using the new Cycle Hire Scheme. The BikeGrid is a series of east-west and north-south roads in the city centre that would be re-prioritised for cycle use. The scheme takes advantage of over-capacity in many roads, converting one-way systems back to two-way and linking historic garden squares, which are re-prioritised for walkers and cyclists.

River bridges would also be tackled, along with the provision of Cycle Superhighway entry and exit points.

Q For more info: www.lcc.org.uk/campaigns

with, but stations in the centre get full while those on hills, such as Montmartre, get empty. The solution is to offer a 15-minute free bonus for returning bikes to the empty (uphill) docking stations and the redistribution of bikes by van.

Another problem that troubled the scheme at its inception was huge bills or ‘lost deposits’ for bikes that weren’t recorded by the system as properly docked on return. Improved docking station design and better user education have reduced this now.

Safety in numbers What about safety? The British press forecasts the worst but Paris authorities say that Vélib users have a lower level of collisions than other cyclists and that, overall, collision rates involving cyclists are falling. As with the Dutch experience it appears there is greater safety in numbers: more cyclists results in a lower rate of collisions per mile.

Whether it’s a mode of transport, a free gym or just a cult, the Paris Vélib has made its mark and, despite some negative headlines, it has been expanding. Mayor Boris Johnson once said that he wanted an even better hire system in London. With the benefit of lessons learned, London’s bikes and docking stations should be tougher and more efficient, while early testing of the bikes has been positive.

As a bigger and more populous city, London has the potential to outstrip the 20,000 plus bikes in Paris, but whether the Mayor and the boroughs crank it up will be down to Londoners. If you want cycle hire in your borough, start lobbying ahead of the May election.

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CAMPAIGN

Mapping the future of cyclist danger reduction A new online mapping tool has highlighted patterns in killed and serious injuries (KSIs) in London — these must be used to change attitudes to road safety and route design says Mike Cavenett

F

or many years road casualty statistics have been published

by Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport (DfT). Now LCC member Ted Reilly of City Cyclists has produced the first electronic map of Greater London showing serious cycling collisions. Anyone — politicians, planners and traffic engineers included — can see exactly where cycling collisions are occurring.

The patterns revealed are striking enough that they should immediately affect the designs of our streets, including the Mayor’s proposed Cycle Superhighways.

Looking at the the online map (http://citybeast.com), you see data pinpointing the locations of KSIs involving pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicle drivers during the period 2000-2008. Unfortunately, the maps don’t yet show motor vehicle or cyclist flows, but it’s hoped these figures will be added soon.

Reduction targets The first thing you notice is that there are far too many serious injuries to cyclists. Yes, the number has fallen by 20 percent over the last decade, while cycling over that period has doubled, but this is in large part attributed to the safety in numbers phenomenon, whereby an increase in cyclists increases awareness among car drivers, causing less collisions.

Yet from 2000-2008 there were still over 400 cyclist KSIs per year in London. And according to the DfT a ‘serious injury’ means a person is detained in hospital for at least one night, or suffers one or more from fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushings, burns, severe cuts or shock. Clearly any of these is a strong deterrent to cycling again.

Incidentally, LCC is arguing that this current definition of ‘serious injury’ is too broad because, for example, the relatively small number of very serious injuries occuring due

to collisions with HGVs are hidden among other data.

LCC is also trying to persuade TfL to set road danger reduction targets based on the number of road users.

The current method, where reduction targets are based on the absolute number of casualties, can lead to the bizarre situation where any project that increases cycling will be discouraged by road danger reduction planners because it could increase the

headline rate of road danger.

A second thing that leaps out from the map is that almost all serious and fatal accidents occur on trunk roads and bus routes, most often in the inner city, where the streets carry the greatest flow and size of motor vehicles, often travelling at high speeds, and frequently also the greatest flows of cyclists.

Behind every map marker (or the rather dehumanising term ‘KSI’),

FIGURES 1a & 1b UNTREATED TRUNK ROADS ARE DANGEROUS TO CYCLISTS

Holloway Road Consistent collisions (blue markers) along the whole route, including a fatality (red). This is due to high motor vehicle and cyclist flows, fast-moving traffic, multiple lanes, poor junctions, large vehicles including HGVs, and central railings.

Theobalds Road The incomplete LCN8 route should be carrying cyclist traffic away from Theobald’s Road via Russell Square/ Bedford Square (both currently one-way).

The borough-by-borough approach to the London Cycle Network has failed here.

FIGURES 2a & 2b CONGESTED STREETS INCREASE DANGER

Cycle Superhighway 3 is routed along Upper Tooting Road and Clapham High Street, both of which currently present increased danger to cyclists because of their narrow, congested streets, demonstrating that it’s not only fast-moving vehicles that increase risk.

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CAMPAIGN

there’s an individual story, the distress of which is impossible to measure. However, every KSI also carries a quantifiable cost to society.

Many seriously injured cyclists won’t ride regularly again, either because they’ve been injured too severely or due to psychological distress. The economic costs – emergency services, medical treatment, material damage, court time, work absence, and so on – are estimated at £1.43 million per fatality and £150,000 per serious injury.

The mapping data shows clearly where infrastructure changes are essential to reduce the danger on the proposed Cycle Superhighway routes. It also shows that some of the better London Cycling Network routes, if upgraded and extended, could be promoted to encourage increased and safer cycling.

The fact that there are 33 gyratories and major hazards along the length of the 12 proposed Superhighways shows the degree of commitment required to make this project successful — or perhaps

that some alternative routes may provide inherently safer cycling conditions.

The true tests, the vital indicators of the success of the Cycle Superhighways, will be clearly measurable: not just the increased number of cyclists per hour, but also the decrease in the number of serious cyclist injuries and fatalities along each route. We can only admire it when an ambitious politician like Boris Johnson stakes his reputation on a project with such clearly defined and measurable goals.

Understanding the figures KSIs occur all along roads full of motor vehicles where cyclist flows are also high. Collisions are more prevalent at junctions, but a busy road is likely to present danger at many points along its length [figures 1a & 1b]. The data also shows that narrow, congested roads can be as dangerous as broader roads with fast-moving traffic [figures 2a & 2b].

It’s especially notable that there are significant clusters of KSIs at major junctions and one-way gyratories. The mapping data shows significantly increased danger to cyclists wherever the road network has been designed using motorwaystyle slip roads, multi-lane one-way systems that encourage speeding traffic, or congested gyratories where there’s little room for cyclists to manoeuvre [figures 3a & 3b].

These ‘blackspots’ must be high priority for re-design.

Looking at well-designed cycle routes that run parallel to major roads shows a strong contrast between routes that are deprived of motor traffic, compared with those where motor vehicles dominate [figures 4a & 4b].

The mapping tool can also help to identify areas where minor roads are used as short-cuts by motor vehicles.

Whereas many residential roads have very low levels of cyclist KSIs, some minor roads have a marked increase, and these ‘rat-runs’ should be closed to through motor traffic, or traffic-calmed [figure 5].

FIGURES 3a & 3b MAJOR JUNCTIONS MUST BE RE-DESIGNED

Again on Superhighway 3, poor design of the Oval junction and Elephant & Castle roundabout create large clusters of cyclist collisions. The proposed solution for Elephant using the existing ‘bypass’ is limited by capacity and dangerous turnings into the bypass from the south.

FIGURES 4a & 4b CYCLE ROUTES PARALLEL TO TRUNK ROADS CAN BE VERY SAFE

The LCN10 cycle route (pale blue line) carries a similar number of cyclists as the A10, but in far greater safety. These routes are far better candidates for Cycle Superhighways than main roads, which can be untreatable.

The ‘Angel Bypass’ cycle route, again, carries a similar number of cyclists as the treacherous Upper Street trunk road, but with far fewer cyclist injuries. Again, this is the kind of route that should be expanded, not ignored.

What can be learnt?

The conclusions to be drawn from this online mapping are several and serious. If the mayor is going to encourage more (and more inexperienced) people to cycle ‘along obvious commuter routes’ there must be a concerted attempt to provide much safer cycle facilities along these high risk roads, especially at the very high risk gyratory systems.

FIGURE 5 STREETS USED AS 'RAT-RUNS' MUST BE CALMED Dartmouth Park Hill Used by cyclists to avoid the perilous Archway multi-lane gyratory. However, the same 30mph road is used as a short-cut (rat-run) by motorists, causing increased number of collisions — and the road is also a bus route. This is a classic candidate for traffic-calming features or closing to through traffic to improve safety.

26 London Cyclist April-May 2010

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Thanks to the guys at Boardman and Halfords, one lucky London Cyclist reader stands to win this sleek, sub-20lb commuter dream machine. Each of the 250 bikes in this limited edition is individually numbered (and signed), making it highly sought-after. You can even choose one of three sizes — from small, medium or large — to ensure you get the right fit.

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Designed by one of Britain's greatest ever cyclists — former Olympic champion in 1992, triple World Champion and World Record holder, Chris Boardman — it's built around an ultralight aluminium frameset with a special paint finish. A carbon fork and steerer, plus lightweight component spec keeps

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HOW TO ENTER You can enter online at www.lcc.org.uk. Simply fill in your details on the form provided, answer the question below and keep your fingers crossed!

QUESTION At which Olympics did Chris Boardman win a gold medal?

A: 2008 Beijing B: 2000 Sydney C: 1992 Barcelona

Terms and conditions Closing date is Friday 14 May — no entries will be accepted after this date. Incomplete entries will be inadmissable. The winner will be the first name drawn from the entrants' list after the closing date. The editor's decision is final. When the competition closes, no further correspondence will be entered into.

This prize is non-transferable. There is no cash equivalent. Normal Halfords competition terms and conditions apply. If you have trouble entering online, contact office@lcc.org.uk.

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INTERVIEW ADONIS AND BOARDMAN: at launch of Cycle to Work initiative

Lord Adonis With a general election fast approaching, London Cyclist talks exclusively to Transport Minister Lord Adonis about the government's cycling plans How does cycling figure in the government’s future plans?

There's obviously a lot more we can do and that's why we're investing £140m over three years in Cycling England to get more people cycling more safely and more often.

Everyone agrees that we need to reduce carbon emissions, tackle road congestion and get more active and cycling is a great way to do that. This is recognised by politicians in the main political parties.

I'm not convinced that a 'one size fits all' national target is the right way to encourage our local authorities to improve the environment for cyclists.

We want them to do this not because of a centrally imposed target, but because they recognise that more cycling is good for the reasons I've already mentioned. That’s why we're working closely with individual local authorities to put in place sharper, more focused plans for cycling to demonstrate the impacts of investing European levels of funding in cycling.

Cycle facilities at workplaces should be key to this…

The first thing we have to do is make it easier for people to cycle to work and so last year I launched the new Cycle to Work Guarantee to challenge employers to become more

cycle friendly. More than 240 organisations have signed up already, including many government departments, local authorities and Primary Care Trusts. There has been some positive feedback received to date — for example, GlaxoSmithKline reports that 15 percent of staff are now registered cyclists, an increase of 70 percent. A seven percent reduction in lone car driving has also been achieved which has reduced pressure on car parking.

Will cycling provision at stations be improved?

We’re already spending £5m on fully supervised European-style cycle hubs at 10 stations around the country, and £3m more on over 4,500 cycle parking spaces at nearly 350 stations. The first Dutch style cycle point will be opening in Leeds in May 2010, with a further nine to follow over the next two years — this includes three in London at St Pancras, Victoria and Waterloo.

Through the rail franchising process we will ensure that train operators take account of cyclists' needs and ultimately I’d like to see good quality cycle parking at every rail station.

Lorry safety surely also needs to be prioritised?

Training is key to making our roads safer for everyone. Lorry drivers are already required to undertake approved training every five years, including making them aware of the risks of the road — cycling can be included as part of this. All goods vehicles first used from January 2000 are required to be fitted with improved mirrors, which should help drivers see cyclists around their vehicles. This includes a close proximity mirror, as well as a wide angle mirror on the passenger side.

However, we need to strike a balance between making lorries safer and not overburdening the industry and jeopardising legitimate businesses. That is why we decided not to extend these requirements to older vehicles. We believe that this is a proportionate response but will of course continue to reassess it.

Is it possible to set casualty reduction targets in terms of casualty rates per distance travelled, rather than absolute numbers of casualties?

Safety is always my number one priority. But I don’t believe the way to improve road safety is by discouraging cycling. That’s why we have consulted on a new target by 2020 to reduce the rate of pedestrian and cyclist KSI (Killed and Seriously Injured) by at least 50 percent per kilometre travelled, compared to the 2004-08 average.

Can the current bike theft epidemic be solved?

Every cycle theft is regrettable, even more so if it means people are less likely to cycle in future. Government does have a part to play in coordinating a response but given the level of cycle theft varies across the country, it's crucial that solutions work at a local level. I want councils, retailers, employers and others to ensure that there are adequate places for secure bike storage.

How do you view the role of the voluntary sector?

We are fortunate to have a large, committed and skilled voluntary sector and I value their input. We work very closely with organisations like Sustrans, London Cycling Campaign and CTC to deliver cycling infrastructure, training programmes and much more. They can also be a valuable source of support, advice and expertise for areas looking to develop their cycling plans and enable the increase of cycling uptake in hard to reach communities.

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“Our target by 2020 is to reduce the rate of KSIs by 50 percent per kilometre travelled” Is there a policy on permeability and contraflow cycle lanes?

We've published comprehensive advice and examples of good practice for local authorities on how to provide more cycle-friendly traffic schemes. It includes measures such as contraflow cycle lanes, which allow cyclists to continue using one-way streets in both directions.

Of course, it is for local transport authorities to determine what infrastructure is needed dependent on local circumstances.

Isn’t one answer for tackling climate change and inactivity to aim for no further growth in motor vehicle ownership?

We want to give people more choices about how to make trips, not fewer.

The key is to ensure that those choices are as environmentally friendly as possible. That's why we are promoting cycling as well as electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

A large-scale transition to low carbon transport will not be achieved by deprivation. I want to make low carbon travel a better, more viable and attractive choice within, and between, different transport modes.

Not easy when £450 million is spent annually by advertisers promoting car use...

I want people to be able to make informed transport choices, whether it's about the car they buy or how they make a particular journey. As part of our plans to drive down CO2 emissions from cars, we've required manufacturers to display fuel consumption and CO2 data on advertisements. And through the 'Act on CO2' campaign we're currently encouraging people to think about how they could reduce the distance they drive by five miles every week.

What lessons have been learnt from the growth in cycling?

It shows sustained and targeted funding and support of innovative cycling programmes works. But let's have more of it. I now want the lessons learnt to inform the new local transport plans that are currently being developed across the country.

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In the second of three rides from his latest book, Tom Bogdanowicz visits the green spaces and architectural highlights of Hampstead and Highgate

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You approach Hampstead’s rival in the ‘desirable location’ stakes via the private, but bike accessible, Fiztroy Road which features charming cottages as it winds steeply to Highgate itself.

The Grove at the top of the hill has some of Highgate’s finest Georgian houses dating from the 17th century. Just across the road is the Flask, a well known pub (bike stands opposite).

Heading north up West Hill and turning into Pond Square brings you into the centre of the 18th-century Highgate village.

Venturing off route down Highgate Hill you can visit the

16th-century Lauderdale House set in the relaxed grounds of Waterlow Park. Nell Gwyn, Charles II’s mistress is thought to have been a resident. More recent residents of Highgate include Sir Bob Geldof and Sting.

Karl Marx is buried in nearby Highgate cemetery.

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This, your first stop, has to be reached on foot. The summit offers superb views of London and invariably draws a crowd on weekends: some flying kites, others picnicking or playing Frisbee. The Hill was added to the original 270 acres of protected Hampstead heath in 1866, which, with further additions, now extends to more than 750 acres. Louise Nicholson, in her guide to London, suggests that Queen Boudicaa was buried on the Hill. The route takes you down to Parliament Hill Park which you can see below you — it has a convenient café and WCs.

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ampstead is north London’s most desirable residential location for good reason. It has a beautiful heath, lovely Georgian houses, glorious views, good pubs and restaurants and a network of side streets with little traffic.

Camden Cyclists recommend local rides with one catch — London’s steepest hills. But don’t be daunted: take it slowly and enjoy breaks along the way.

There is also Kenwood House to visit with its art collection and pleasant gardens.

This ride takes you around old Hampstead and Highgate, as well as the early 20thcentury Hampstead Garden Suburb via little trafficked streets and along some off-road stretches of the Heath (restricted to marked paths); unless it’s wet most bikes can tackle this off-roading.

There are also a few short legs on busy roads which are, unfortunately, hard to avoid.

Q Adapted from The London Cycling Guide by Tom Bogdanowicz, in association with LCC; published in April at £10.99 . LCC members can buy the book at a 25 percent discount (with free P &P) by quoting the code ‘cycle’ at www. newhollandpublishers.com.

Sp ani ard s

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

Ham and High Hills

6

ANNESLEY LODGE AND CHARLES VOYSEY

As you pedal down Platt’s Lane , having enjoyed the secluded woods along Sandy Lane, stop just before the traffic light at the end to see an Arts and Crafts masterpiece built by Charles Annesley Voysey. Many consider Voysey’s work to be a bridge

PIT-STOPS Q Parliament Hill café, NW5 1QR Q The Flask, 77 Highgate West Hill, N6 6BU Q Kenwood House café (see panel 4) Q Golders Hill Park café, North End Road, NW3 Rd ay

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between the Arts and Crafts and Modernism. Medieval windows combine with the rough-cast concrete that became standard on thirties houses.

Voysey built the house in 1896 for his father and designed every element himself down to the heart-shaped letterbox.

Further along the route, as you enter England’s Lane, in Belsize Park is another Voysey house, designed for the illustrator Arthur Rackham. Nearby residents have included actress Helena BonhamCarter and TV host Mike Carlson.

DISTANCE 20km (15km shorter version) TIME 4 hours START Hampstead Heath station GRADIENT Medium; hilly with off-road sections and short stretches of busy road RAIL STATIONS Hamsptead Heath, Finchley Road and Frognal TUBE STATIONS Hampstead, Highgate GET A MAP http://www. bikely.com/maps/ bike-path/388425

Grand villas lead to this early example of a garden city. The concept was developed by inventor Ebenezer Howard in the late 19th century and led to the construction of towns like Letchworth and Welwyn.

In London, Hampstead Garden Suburb was established by social reformer Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1907 in collaboration with architect and planner Sir Raymond Unwin (one of the architects who designed Letchworth).

Houses are in the Arts and Crafts style that rejected classical symmetry in favour of more homey and functional detached houses that drew on medieval English architecture and rural cottages. Residents, of

3

7. GOLDERS GREEN PARK has a pleasant outdoor café with great ice cream. Across from the park, heading uphill, is the Old Bull and Bush pub.

Sandy Lane is a pleasant forest trail that runs alongside the park to Platt’s Lane.

8. KEATS’ HOUSE near Downshire Hill on Keats Grove, is open to visitors and illustrates the Regency house interiors of its time (Weds-Sun, noon to 5pm). The plum tree in the garden marks the spot where Keats reputedly heard the nightingale that inspired his Ode to a Nightingale.

9. HAMPSTEAD is the centre of fashionable north London with a wide selection of designer shops and eateries. The village became popular for its waters hence street names like Well Walk and Flask Walk. The famous Louis’ Patisserie serves sinful cakes.

10. FREUD’S HOUSE at 20 Maresfield Gardens (Weds-Sun, noon to 5pm) includes his famous couch as well as his collection of antiques. He moved there in 1938 and his daughter Anna lived there until 1982.

4

MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE

To the uninitiated the two white tower blocks of Highpoint may seem typical modern housing.

But these highly influential buildings were designed by Russian-born Berthold Lubetkin in the 1930s while most of Britain was still building neo-Arts and Crafts houses like those in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Highpoint was even praised by Le Corbusier, on a rare trip to London, according to writers Woodward and Jones.

Using their useful guide to supplement this route you can explore other icons of British

what has become a very affluent district, have included film star Elizabeth Taylor and TV presenter Jonathan Ross.

The vast central square features Henrietta Barnett school and two large churches all designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in different styles.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

KENWOOD HOUSE.

modernism, for example just off the route at 66 Frognal and at 9 Frognal Way (pictured). Erno Goldfinger’s 2 Willow Road is now a National Trust property and the white Isokon flats (1933) in Lawn Road, near the end of the route, pre-date Highpoint.

Their novelty attracted residents such as Agatha Christie and Henry Moore.

(Open Mon- Sun, 11.30am to 4pm, free). Riding though the affluent streets near the Heath you discover the entrance to the hidden side of Kenwood about a hundred metres after turning right into Hampstead Lane. The road was moved away from the house to get some privacy for its owner. Robert Adam, the 18th-century Scottish architect designed the house for the Earl of Mansfield, a judge, in classical style. The interiors are also by Adam. If you keep left around the house you’ll find a busy café and wooden bike stands. The art collection includes one of the

few Vermeers in Britain as well works by Rembrandt, Turner and Gainsborough. There is also a fine collection of furniture and silverware. In the summer there are concerts in the grounds — once only classical, recent performers include Ray Davis and Simply Red.

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OVERSEAS

Euro conversion Cruising across France, sampling the local cuisine and visiting châteaux, is many people’s idea of the perfect break. Tom Bogdanowicz discovered it’s also best done on two wheels, following an idyllic waymarked route…

I

magine a cycle ride that goes straight across a large industrial country but misses all the car traffic; imagine a route that runs for hundreds of miles following rivers and canals, winding through forests and past castles, and which offers endless numbers of hospitable places to eat and stay. That’s what my travelling companion was promising, but I’m a cynic. Then we began to ride along EuroVelo 6, created by the European Cyclists' Federation, and I had to eat crow. It crosses the whole of central France; it follows the rivers Doubs, Cher and Loire; it passes the Montagnes du Lomot and forests of the Domaine de Chaux; and it offers views of the most beautiful châteaux in the world.

The complete EuroVelo 6 follows a route stretching from the Black Sea to the Atlantic, but for a twoweek holiday we opted for the easy section that crosses France along the Loire Valley. In terms of distance, scenery and, of course, the food, it was hard to beat.

Armed with the usual touring kit and that essential secret ingredient, the EuroVelo route map, we first hit the road in Mulhouse just west of the German border. In fact it wasn’t a road, more a riverside path like much of the route — instead of exhaust pipes we saw the occasional

fisherman, swooping hawks and miles of rich green forest on either side of the river and canal towpaths.

Only the occasional cyclist or walker interrupted the rural idyll.

Stops were easy to plan with the EuroVelo map — distances, campsites, historical monuments all clearly marked. We chose L’Isle sur les Doubs, a sleepy French town with quiet riverside campsite and excellent coffee, for the first night. Next came Besançon with a towering fortress overlooking a medieval town that has its own equivalent of the Parisian Vélib and a terrific fish restaurant Carry On camping Our following stop, by the river Saône, became known as the night of the big tent — our senior (motorised) fellow travellers rendezvoused as planned and then discovered their attempt at camping was frustrated by an allegedly new tent that had the odd hole, a few missing bits and the previous owner’s name tag. Fellow campers helped out and our journey continued smoothly along canals and rivers, with the odd break for a dip in the warm water.

The night of the small tents was the second, and last, camping attempt enjoyed by the seniors.

Replacing the dysfunctional big tent with two, locally sourced, mini-tents

they discovered their beds were embarrassingly half-in, half-out.

After the Romanesque splendour of Paray le Monial’s basilica we stopped at a campsite with a perfect pool for tired riders and then headed for the Gothic and Renaissance spires of Nevers. The cathedral has a beautiful 11th-century fresco and the city’s 16th-century ducal palace was built for the Gonzagas. Beyond Nevers the wine country of Sancerre was curiously punctuated by steaming nuclear power stations. What was even more striking was the ride across the extraordinary pont-canal — a water bridge that carries boats, walkers and bikes across the Loire at a height of 30 metres.

The real Disneyland From here on châteaux became more common than potholes in London.

Sully sur Loire, the first, is a true fairytale castle with turrets, ramparts and moat. Renaissance extravagance then exploded in the architectural splendours of Chenonceau, Villandry, Chambord and Usse. The last, Usse, is reputedly the model for the castle that represents Europe to American children — Disneyland.

As we were admiring the turrets of perhaps the most romantic château of all — Azay Le Rideau — I must have been swept into its

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Photos: Tom Bogdanowicz PONT-FERRY: a little bit more relaxed than rush-hour Woolwich

fantasy world. We mounted our steeds and flew past the hundred kilometres to our next rendezvous point in the market town of Saumur.

No sign of the seniors.

"Nous avons eu une message pour vous monsieur," said the hotel receptionist. "Your friendz ‘ave lost zer car key." I had that sinking feeling as I patted my jersey pocket and pulled out the key I’d borrowed to bring a bag from the seniors’ car, and had forgotten to give back. It took a few more hours in the saddle and abject apologies to put matters right.

Diversions, châteaux, food stops and lost car keys meant we didn’t quite make it to the Atlantic by bike.

We curtailed our ride in Angers with its glorious cathedral, potent fortifications and superb cuisine.

But we’ll be back, to do the bit we missed and perhaps to continue to the Black Sea. Q www.ecf.com

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In this Year of Cycling, you can help boost LCC’s campaigning voice by signing up new members. As an added incentive, for every person you recruit, you’ll have the chance to win a Saddle Skedaddle cycling holiday

F

or every new member that you recruit to LCC before 30 June 2010, you’ll get an entry into a fabulous prize draw to win a Saddle Skedaddle cycling holiday.

And if you recruit 10 people, you’ll get 10 entries, with 10 times more chance of winning.

Persuading people to join LCC is surprisingly easy when you describe the work we do and the membership benefits. Explain our campaign focus and then tell them what’s in it for them: up to 15 percent discounts at over 120 bike shops, free third-party insurance, discounts on theft insurance, free local group membership and a free legal advice hotline.

Each new member generates revenue for promoting cycling and strengthens our collective voice, enabling LCC to campaign more effectively. Thanks to LCC and you, our members, cycling has doubled in London in the last 10 years.

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

COMPETITION

Win a cycling holiday!

SIGNING UP YOUR MATES

Recent LCC successes include helping to switch more one-way streets to two-way for cyclists, cycle-awareness training for thousands of Crossrail lorry drivers (see page 8) and more 20mph zones.

Our local borough LCC groups are also raising record amounts of money for cycling projects in their area, with millions of pounds being generated for cycling projects in areas like Lambeth and Southwark

thanks to local activists.

LCC needs more people like you to increase our strength, if we are going to achieve our goal of a truly cycle-friendly London.

If you have any questions about LCC membership, get in touch with the membership department — call 020 7234 9310 or email membership@lcc.org.uk.

We can provide marketing materials, membership leaflets and advice on member recruitment.

Q If you don't ask... tell your friends about our campaign work, successes and member benefits and the case for joining LCC is compelling.

Q Explain the discounts they can get on bikes, accessories or cycle insurance.

Q Ask friends along on an LCC ride (www.lcc.org.uk/rides), or to local group event so they can meet like-minded people.

Q Is your workplace running an event for Bike Week? If so, get in touch with LCC (020 7234 9310 ext 205). We can provide membership leaflets and other promotional material to publicise LCC. Q Get friends to sign up for our fortnightly email newsletter which contains info on London cycling issues. www.lcc.org.uk/enewsletter

HOW TO ENTER THE CO

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Simply ge t a friend to join and w hen they sign up, ensure they give us your de tails Competition entry If your friend joins LCC by phone, please ask them to give us your name and postcode at the time. If they join via the website (www.lcc.org.uk), there's a field in 'additional information' where they can fill in your name and postcode.

Either way, you'll be entered into the prize draw.

TERMS & CONDITIONS This prize is non-transferable. The voucher is valid for one year from rom the date of issue. The voucher can be used against the land-only costs of any holiday on the Saddle Skedaddle edaddle website (www.skedaddle.co.uk).

Holiday choice is subject to availability. Normal Saddle Skedaddle L Ltd booking apply.

There iis db ki conditions di i l Th no cash payable for any unused balance on the voucher.

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TECHNICAL

Servicing brake cables Keeping your brake cables clean and friction-free is a quick way to ensure optimum performance, as Julia Lally from Cycle Systems Academy explains

C

ables have come a long way since the humble rod brake, but essentially their purpose remains the same – to connect a brake lever to the caliper and transfer the force from the rider’s braking action to the brake pads.

Brake cables are made from coiled steel wire and have a rounded end (nipple) to hold it in the lever. Cable housing is made from a metal inner and flexible plastic outer sheaf, which is designed to minimise friction with the cable. Metal or plastic caps (ferrules) are positioned on the ends of cable housing lengths so that the cable sit snugly in the lever, caliper or cable guides. At the other end of the cable a small end cap is crimped into place to prevent fraying.

Four different types of cable 'nipple'

1a Tightening cable stretch on a typical road bike

1

Servicing brake cables Cables need to be lubricated regularly to maintain their smooth actuation. This is especially true in the winter when we recommend lubing cables monthly.

As always prevention is better than the cure, so do not wait until your inner cables are rusted solid inside the housing before you do something.

You can lube the cables without removing the end from the clamp-bolt by releasing your brake’s quick release mechanism and removing the housing from the cable guides on the frame. This will allow the housing to move freely along the inner cable. Use a bottle lube and rub it into the whole length of the cable, as you

1b Adjust via lever on bikes with V-brakes also want to protect exposed cable from corrosion. Then move the housing vigorously up and down the cable to help work in the lube.

Also use this opportunity to check that the ends of the housing have not split — you will need to slide off the ferrules to do this effectively. Cut off any damaged housing and replace the whole housing length if this renders it too short to use.

Cables will also stretch with use, especially when new. You will need to periodically re-tighten them and reset the brake (see above).

Of course, the time will come when you need to replace the cables. If you do so, you will need to follow these steps, 2 to 6:

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2

Cable housing preparation The cable housing must be measured correctly as shown.

Too much housing impedes braking action by introducing more friction to the cable, while too little housing causes the housing to rub against parts and split, or even be pulled out of position altogether.

There are also considerations to be made when cutting and preparing cable housing.

5

Routing cables into calipers Shown here is an example of how to route the cable into a front V-brake:

2b Check it doesn't pop out of cable guide

5a Double-check cable housing is cut to correct length

2a Measure housing from lever to caliper

2c Right length housing for rear brake

3

Routing cables through a lever There are several different types and brands of lever. Shown here are a couple of examples of how the brake cable would travel through the lever. Once the cable is through, you can guide the prepared housing (ferrule end) on to the cable, using the cable as a pilot to fit the housing snugly into the lever.

5b Feed cable through housing and 'noodle' to anchor bolt

3a Guiding cable through a road lever

3b And through a typical V-brake lever

4

Straddle yoke Cantilever brake types use a straddle yoke. In which case the cable will be fixed into the yoke and then the transverse (or bridge) cable will travel across the yoke and into the brake calipers.

5c Remember to include the rubber 'boot'

4 Fitting a transverse cable through the straddle yoke

6

5d V-brake set-up complete

Setting cable tension and fine-tuning Finally, you will need to adjust the brake cables in order to bring the brake pads further away from, or closer to, the rim — the aim is to have the pads sitting at about 1-2mm from the rim.

6a Use an allen key to adjust tension

6b Cut off excess cable

6c Finally, crimp on an end cap

MORE INFO To learn more about its range of maintenance courses, visit www.cyclesystems-academy. com, or call 020 7608 2577

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BIKES

Mountain bikes Mtbs have always been the most versatile of bikes, so here we’ve specifically chosen five hardtails that successfully bridge the town and country divide GENESIS i0iD £1099.99 www.genesisbikes.co.uk Originally conceived as a dual purpose commuter and mountain bike, the i0iD has been drawing plaudits more as the latter — a UK-specific ‘mud-plugger’ — though that really only tells half the story as it’s by far the most versatile bike here. Built around a canary yellow Reynolds 520 steel frame, the i0iD comes as standard with an 8-speed Shimano Alfine hub gear, giving a gear range equivalent to an 11-38T cassette.

Shifting with the single righthand lever is slick, requiring only a small thumb depression to change and you can do it without pedalling. Other than trips to Crystal Palace and Highgate I never strayed out of the top three gears around town, leaving the other five to come into their own on the rolling hills of the

North Downs and Epping Forest.

In the slushy winter we’ve just endured, the advantages of a maintenance-free transmission have been even more apparent; with no derailleurs to catch mud and grit, all that’s been required is the occasional chain clean and lube. Obviously the rear end’s a tad heavier than an equivalent with cassette/derailleur set-up, but once you figure the lack of front mech and chainrings into the equation, that overall comparison is more favourable.

Up front the Recon Race fork offers 100mm of travel and has so far performed faultlessly.

Like all suspension forks in this test, it comes with a lockout (the blue dial on the top of the right leg on

RockShox forks), meaning that when you switch it fully clockwise the fork is virtually rigid, making for far more efficient and comfortable tarmac treks. Likewise the Shimano disc brakes are top drawer, stop-ona-sixpence sharp, with typically great lever feel. The finishing kit is Genesis own brand, while I’ve been alternating the hefty 2.2in Continental Mountain King tyres with some 1.125in Gatorskins for the road and have been thankfully flat-free in recent weeks. The frame has mounts for a pannier rack, two sets of bottle-cage mounts, plus you get a free Cycra mudguard thrown in.

Available in four sizes that will fit most men and a fair number of women, the i0iD ranks as the ultimate do-it-all machine — a balanced off-roader and fearless commuter, with the added potential for fixed/singlespeed conversion should you wish.

PROS: truly versatile, hub gear CONS: just over Cycle2Work limit

USEFUL TERMS Q MTB common abbreviation for 'mountain bike' Q RIGID bike with no suspension Q HARDTAIL bike with front suspension only, hence ‘hard tail’ Q FULL SUSPENSION bike with suspension at both front and rear. Also known as ‘dual suspension’ Q TRAVEL the amount a suspension fork (or shock) moves to absorb bumps and hollows Q LOCKOUT a dial that allows you to ‘lock’ a suspension fork in a rigid position for road riding Q DISC BRAKES mechanical (cable-operated) or hydraulic, they have marked advantages over rim brakes in UK conditions, both off-road and on Q KNOBBLIES chunky, often heavy tyres with a pronounced tread pattern, usually between 1.9-2.3in wide Q SLICKS light, fast-rolling road-specific tyre, available for mountain bikes in common widths from 1-1.5in. Usually require narrower inner tubes.

The quickest way to turn your mtb into a fast commuter bike.

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KONA CINDERCONE £750

GT ZASKAR ELITE £999

www.konaworld.com

www.gtbicycles.com

As testament to the durability of this famous marque, I’ve still got a 1988 Cindercone (from the first year of Kona production) that runs perfectly.

But compared to the steel original this current iteration is a whole different machine.

However two design aspects have remained consistent over the decades: the compact geometry and sloping top-tube, both Kona trademarks. The shorter reach (15-20mm less than all but the Pinnacle) and lower standover are why the brand’s always been popular with female and smaller male riders, the more upright position providing great all-day comfort and making the bike highly manoeuvrable on tight trails.

Something of a revelation was the Rockshox Tora fork, which achieved its full range of 100mm travel over the bumps

Like the Cindercone, the Zaskar is one of mountain biking’s most distinguished names, dating back to the halcyon days of the late 80s. This entry-level model still features GT’s original ‘triple triangle’ design (where the seat-stays join the top-tube), only now it’s updated in a hydroformed Kinesis aluminium frameset. Despite the head-tube gussets and bridges at bottom bracket and seat-stay, the frame’s pretty light which makes it eminently upgradable.

It features the Tora fork (as on the Kona and Pinnacle) and again performance was surprisingly good for such a budget item; the 32mm lowers certainly make it feel solid on demanding trails and the lockout can be turned as you ride to switch between rigid or ‘open’. Avid Juicy brakes were

at Bedgebury (a rarity on cheap suspension) and when locked out for commutes still allowed a small amount of movement to taking the sting out of potholes. The Shimano brakes have been confidenceinspiring at every turn and the low-profile Maxxis tyres particularly adept on hardpack Sustrans-type trails. There’s rack and bottle bosses too.

My only recommended changes would be slimmer grips and a less heavily-padded saddle. Available in a staggering seven sizes from 14-22in, there’s one for everyone and women may want to check out the Lisa hardtail (£600).

PROS: fork, brakes, size range CONS: saddle, grips

a godsend in the wet and the 2.0in Kenda Karma tyres are probably the best crossover choice here for both commuting and hardpacked trails. Special mentions should be made for the WTB saddle, comfortable from the off, and the brilliant, narrow and super tacky grips (yes the small things make a difference).

Zero points, however, for the horror handlebar which is too narrow and needs swapping for a wider, low riser bar with a decent backsweep. There’s five sizes from XS to XL; women may like to try the GTw Zaskar Expert with specifically tailored geometry.

PROS: lightweight, tyres, grips CONS: handlebar

BOARDMAN PRO £999.99

www.pinnaclebikes.co.uk

www.boardmanbikes.com

Part of Evans Cycles’ growing in-house range which also includes women’sspecific models like the Aura 2.0 (£549).

A compact frameset (which gives the Kona a run for its money) is manufactured from custombutted aluminium and gets a reinforcing gusset at the head-tube, plus one set of bottle mounts and bosses to attach a mudguard under the down-tube. There’s four sizes (S-XL) but I found I straddled two, so get a test ride.

This was my third outing during this test on a Tora fork and yet again it proved dependable; I did have a small temporary issue with one of the seals but it was easily fixed and didn’t affect performance.

As is common at the price point, Shimano provides the hydraulic stoppers, M575s

As the identically-priced stablemate of last issue’s top-rated road bike, this had a hard act to follow — and it’s done a pretty impressive job.

Like the rest of the range, the component spec is astonishing, from the RockShox Reba forks (£350 in their own right) and Avid Elixir R brakes which are more commonly seen on bikes twice the price, to the SRAM XO rear derailleur used by the majority of World Cup racers.

The ultralight aluminium frame is again beautifully finished and comprises a variety of differently-shaped tubes, each of which adds strength where the greatest forces are experienced and compliance for on-trail comfort.

There’s also masses of room to run chunky tyres. On a few occasions I did clip my heel on

with 160mm rotors, a perfect combo for town and country. While Continental Mountain Kings are a decent bet for trail centre use, they’re too much rubber to be hauling around for commuting, so it’s worth investing in some 26in slicks. Although I found the stem too long for such a compact frame, credit's due for the comfy own-brand saddle (like an old-school Flite) and grippy ‘ODI’-style grips.

Backed up by a lifetime frame warranty, there’s a lot to like about this bike and with a couple of tiny refinements the Evolution’s complete.

PROS: brakes, saddle CONS: stem, check sizing

the seat-stays, but not enough to be a major issue.

The Reba fork is extremely stiff, keeping you on line over rutted Downs’ descents and offers loads of tunability, including a lockout for commuting duties. The Avid brakes are more than enough for any UK situation and the 2.1in Continental Speed King tyres worked fine until conditions got really gloopy. I’d recommend fitting a 15-20mm shorter stem though. Gripes like the down-tube cable routing, which can get caked in mud, are few and and at under 24lb it’s another standout bike.

PROS: amazing spec CONS: stem, cable routing

TESTS: John Kitchiner PHOTO: Daniel Bosworth

PINNACLE EVOLUTION 1 £899.99

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Like finding the right saddle, choosing the right shorts makes a world of difference to your comfort. We put six 'baggies' through their paces Endura Singletrack Short £44.99 44.99

Swrve cotton shorts £65

www.endura.co.uk This is the top-rated 'baggy' from the Scottish bikewear supremos, packed with a multitude of ingenious features. The Cordura fabric has a Teflon treatment which makes them not only highly durable, laughing off the odd scrape or tumble, but also splash-proof and quick to dry.

And even though they wick well anyway, there’s a pair of zipped leg vents to allow more air flow on sticky rides. The bomproof design means that all seams get double, if not triple, stitching, however the seat is kept smooth to avoid snagging. Personally I’d prefer a little more length in the leg, though that doesn’t affect performance.

You can tailor the e fit with waist adjusters rss and Velcro tabs on th the he leg; and just inside the e waistband you’ll find ‘Clikfast’ poppers where you can clip in a pair of extremely comfortable Endura a liner shorts (not included, £17.99), which is a brilliant solution for quick washing on multi-day trips. Two o front pockets — one of which hides a zipped security pocket — are complemented by a pair of larger rear ones that will swallow most maps. Available in

S-XXL and black or brown; there’s also a similarly priced women’s version with assymetric front fly and low rise for a flattering fit. JK

Ground Effect Supertankers £47

Howies Alder £95

Sugoi Greta Capri £80

Altura Quantum Women’s £44.99

www.howies.co.uk

www.sugoi.com

www.zyro.co.uk

www.groundeffect.co.nz

We’ve come to expect great looking kit from Howies, and the Alders fit right into a classic range.

With seven pockets, there’s a good mix of secure and easyaccess storage for keys, wallet and phone as you ride. The regular fit means you look good on or off the bike, and the EPIC cotton will keep you dry through brief showers.

But we do have a couple of issues with the Alders: the price (you can get two quality shorts for the same amount) and the tear in the crotch that appeared midway through testing.

Howies tells us it’s improved the strength and stretch in the fabric since then. S-XXL, black only. MM

These sleek-feeling capris look casual but hide some pretty technical features: a fabric that gives great stretch and excellent breathability; four pockets; zip fly with snap closure; and a removable chamois liner that must rank as one of the comfiest we’ve tested. S-L, also in black. EL

This pared-down baggy short includes a removable chamois liner that’s specifically shaped and padded for women. The waist can be cinched using a pair of adjusters and the zip fly is capped with a double popper. We’ve been impressed by the hard-wearing face fabric that seems to replenish with repeated washing. Sizes 8-16. EL

These Kiwi-designed and built shorts come in a longer, baggy cut that’s indicative of the company’s mountain bike roots.

Features include an elasticated waist, seamless gusset, single zipped rear pocket, front handwarmer pockets, zipped fly and belt loops. On the trail the shorts felt light and comfortable and the nylon material also dried quickly after drizzly spells.

A padded mesh liner is available separately (£30) to complete the package.

Sizes S-XL, in grey or black; Ground Effect also produces a handful of women’s designs. MC

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

PRODUCT

Bike shorts http://swrve.co.uk This sturdy and understated pair is cut fairly short and the fit’s fairly snug, although a Lycra fabric mix provides a little stretch. A seamless crotch helps avoid pressure points, while Velcro and zipped pockets keep belongings safe. Not cheap at £65, but you'll be looking for excuses to wear them. Sizes 30-38in, with three-quarter length options; also a range of women-specific designs. MC

Sombrio Badass Short £56.99 www.sombriocartel.com I like these shorts a lot. I’ve been riding in them most days since late last year and they’ve stood up to a fair battering on muddy trails and rain-soaked commutes.

Built from 500-denier Cordura, with a seamless crotch panel, they feel tough and best of all the DWR finish really helps in a downpour. They’re styled a bit like jeans and pretty low key, though some may not like the rear piping.

Two zipped rear pockets, two more at the front and a combination of zip fly and belt loops add to the appeal. XS-XXL, also in green. JK

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To celebrate next month's Tweed Run we rounded up a satchel’s worth of elegant products sure to appeal to lovers of all things vintage Brooks Swallow Chrome £145

Webury Jura Socks £19.70

www.brookssaddles.com No self-repecting fan of vintage bikes would dare adorn their steed with anything less than a Brooks leather saddle — but with dozens of his and hers models, sprung or unsprung, it’s tricky to narrow down the choice. For old-school racers, however, we’d recommend the classic Swallow, which is a direct descendant of the first modern racing saddle produced in 1937 and used in pre-war tours.There are two versions — the cheaper featuring the orginal chromiumplated steel metalwork, the

Rapha Tweed Cap £35 www.rapha.cc Rapha’s cap is based on the classic cycling biretta and is an urban alternative if you want something in tweed that’s not too ‘hunting-and-fishing’.

It’s available in range of fabrics, each inspired by classic British tailoring and uses a three-panel construction. Rapha’s brought the cap right up to date with a couple of nice features: a Rapha logo on the underside of the brim, and a bold stripe down the centre.

Unsurprisingly, it has been noted that cycling in a tweed cap can get sweaty, which is why Rapha has lined its cap with moisture-wicking, anti-bacterial tape. And an elastic closure ensures it stays on snugly when freewheeling down those steep hills. MM

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

PRODUCT

The need for tweed... www.webury.com

other a much lighter titanium (£263) — available in brown, honey or black. A free spanner is included so that you can tension the frame if needed, plus essential care instructions.

At 490g it may concede some

weight to its latterday foamfilled equivalents, but it will certainly outlast them. And so what if it takes some time to mould to your sit bones, what price the perfect custom fit?

Team with some matching Brooks leather bar tape (£45) and sit back as the fashion mags come courting. JK

Dashing Tweeds Modern Jacket £475

Cyclodelic Cape £230

www.dashingtweeds.co.uk

www.cyclodelic.co.uk

Yakkay Helmet and Cover £95 www.yakkay.com

For a modern, flamboyant twist on the most traditional British fabric, look no further than this company. Guy Hills designs some of the most exciting modern tweeds which have deservedly popped up everywhere from the silver screen to the country set. The use of reflective Lumatwill yarn even makes you more visible to cars at night, without a scrap of fluoro yellow in sight. Guy’s ready-to-wear collection is expanding quickly and also includes caps (£55) and legwarmers (£40). MM

How does the tweed connoisseur solve the problem between where plus-fours end and brogues begin? One of Webury’s hard-wearing, merino/acrylic blend socks should fit the bill. If your tastes tend to the conservative, opt for the Jura twin-pack, though for true lower-leg splendour splash out on the mustard and red Brockington (£32); the more elaborate designs come with matching garters.

Women are just as well catered for — try the sage Honeycomb (£32). MM

There’s no need for fashion to fly out the window if you wear a helmet. This Danish-designed lid conforms to safety standard EN1078 and comes in three sizes, which you can fine-tune to fit your head using the supplied foam pads. You can wear the helmet alone, but for a sharper look choose one of Yakkay’s unique covers to up the fashion appeal.

They do four styles, but we thought the Paris watch-cap style in a Prince of Wales check (shown) would top off a tweed ensemble really rather well.

Available from Bobbin Bicycles (www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk). MM

We’ve been fans of Cyclodelic’s range of women’s clothing since the Hackney-based company launched. One of Amy Fleuriot’s flagship pieces is this beautifully-styled cape, designed with comfort and practicality in mind every bit as much as looks. A heavy-duty outer in blue herringbone will keep you snug on nippy days and the reflective detailing aids visibility at night.

The designer's flair is apparent in the hand-decorated silk lining, and in homage to the cape’s rise in popularity in the 1930s you’ll find a traditional ladies’ name from the era on the label. Will yours be an Agatha or a Mavis? We’re also fans of Cyclodelic’s tweed cap (£35). MM

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CULTURE

Culture Biographies, travelogues and glossy manuals reviewed Bicycle: Love Your Bike Guardian journalist Helen Pidd has made a consummate stab here at providing ‘everything you’ll ever need to know to start, carry on, and enjoy cycling’.

The book is slightly under A4-format, with more than 250 pages ages of images and words that, while not particularly dense, are always easy on the eye. The colour scheme is a clever mix of black and orange, with plenty of supplementary illustrations that sometimes show essential info — such as how to safely lock your bike — and other times just look pretty.

The front cover bodes well, featuring the relaxed-looking author riding into the sunset on a traditional-style bike with mudguards and a rack. Clearly, this book is attempting to distance cycling from the tight-clad, testosterone-heavy stereotypes frequently (and somewhat tiresomely) over-represented in much of the media.

The author is clearly angling

Brompton Bicycle A book about Bromptons?

Br Sounds So perfect for pe space-saving sp Londoners.

Lo And, yes, this An 150-page, 150 pocket-sized poc book boo is certainly packed with a variety of information about the classic folding bikes. Strangely, for a book dedicated to one brand, it also goes on a bit about other makes of folder and peripheral information. That said, if you can ignore the imposters, get past the crammed layout (which really isn’t conducive to long reads) and navigate your

Helen Pidd £14.99

this th book towards women, which is a w canny move as this ca is a demographic severely underse represented in all rep areas are of cycling.

I loaned the book to lo a female friend who fe I’ve been trying to persuade on to t two wheels for some time and the response was extremely positive. She complimented the book’s tone: “not patronisingly dumbeddown, but not ludicrously technical either”. There’s simply enough information to make informed choices about buying a bike, selecting accessories, maintainance, and safe riding skills and techniques.

Usefully, there are more than a dozen pages of cogent answers to the most frequently used objections to cycling: 'I’ll get too sweaty', 'It might rain', 'I have too much stuff to carry'. Each ‘excuse’ is tackled reasonably, leaving the potential cycle commuter little room for manoeuvre. Leisure and sports cycling are covered too, with advice on dabbling in

David Henshaw

£11.95

way around the odd mix of photographs and text, the basic story of the little machine from West London is interesting.

The book traces both the growth of the company and catalogues developments and specifications, including serial numbers, chronology and sales and profit figures by generation. As part guidebook, part history, with lots of colour pictures, it does contain a range of Brompton-specific details, together with some Brompton oddities. Whether you would want to part with nearly £12 for the privilege though is somewhat debatable.

One for the fanatics perhaps?

Belinda Sinclair

cycle holidays and competitions.

So is this a book exclusively for women? Far from it. In fact, it’s a well-judged manual that

deserves high praise for its strong potential to encourage all kinds of people to give two wheels a go. MC

Lance Armstrong: The World’s Greatest Champion John Wilcockson £18.99 Mr Armstrong won’t need any introduction, but how thrilled should we be by another tome covering his amazing life? Well, no matter what other offerings are to be found — and there are dozens, including his two autobiographies It’s Not About the Bike and Every Second Counts — this stands up very well to criticism.

Cycling journalist Wilcockson is clearly very close to the man himself and the book is peppered with quotes and anecdotes from friends and relatives. However, while the book discusses many significant personal events in Armstrong’s life — such as his relationship with his estranged father and his rocky love life — the story somehow feels just a tiny bit sanitised.

Nevertheless, this hardback 400-pager provides a well-written and tightly researched biography of one of the world’s greatest sportsmen, particularly strong on his pre-Tour career and ending with his decision to return to competitive cycling in 2009. Not the definitive warts and all story one feels, but still a compelling read. MC

44 London Cyclist April-May 2010

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The Full Cycle

Vin Denson

Wh was it like What to rride with superstars of su the 1960s road race scene, ra France’s Jacques Fr Anquetil and An Belgian Rik van Be Looy?

Besides Lo being the first be Briton to win a stage in the Tour of Italy, Chester-born Vin Denson was a highly regarded super domestique to those celebrated names. The story also covers his friendship with another legend of the day, fellow countryman Tom Simpson. Not

£12.95

just about racing, the book reveals his reliance on a closeknit family and club life.

Starting as a strong amateur racer and following a successful professional career, he returned to play an active role in British cycling with the Harlow and Redbridge clubs. As TV commentator Phil Liggett writes in the forward, the book gives Denson the recognition he fully deserves. Mousehold Press, the publisher, is equally generous in allocating 30 pages to some excellent archive photography. It’s inspiring stuff.

Mark Mitchell

Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance Matt Fitzgerald £13.95 Lard, butter, dripping, bacon fat, pork belly — just some of the things that would have sports nutrionist Matt Fitzgerald turning in his spinning class. This is a book for ambitious athletes who have perhaps plateaued and are looking for sensible ways to increase endurance, improve performance and reduce times.

Whether it’s for cycling, triathlon, running or skiing, Fitzgerald provides myriad ways to set new personal targets. Along with expert advice on physiological determinants such as strength

training, calorie and nutritional food intake, there’s a lot of fascinating material i l on psychological self-training, with the author exploring our complex relationship with food.

At times, the book is rather too US-centric for a British palette — the advice to leave your car at one end of the ‘mall’ and shop at the other doesn’t sound very progressive to us — however, it’s full of tasty morsels of information that’ll leave you hungry for more. MC

Shot and Grape Tour: Bordeaux to Burley-in-Wharfedale Andrew Webster £6.95 This 90-page, mini paperback tells the tale of one retiree’s cycle tour from south-west France to the north of England. The book takes the form of a diary, with the reader following the author for each of the 17 days of his trip.

Each leg of the trip is noted in an enjoyable if somewhat whimsical style, and every section is simply mapped and accompanied by colour photos.

There are also a smattering of quiz questions at the end of each chapter (answers at the back), though how these add to the book is never really clear.

044045_books_final.indd 45

The author also makes notes on his daily dining experiences, from local cafés to Michelinstarred restaurants, but the details are too scant to be of much use to real foodies.

There’s enough information in the various appendices for anyone to recreate the route, which is notable for passing through areas of historical and military interest, but there are a good number of better companion guides than this. MC

16/3/10 21:52:34

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NOTICEBOARD SANDRINE’S STORY ough my housemate, I discovered LCC thr of wait for his issue Narcis. I couldn’t made ays alw I and ive arr London Cyclist to LCC ned pho I . Eventually, sure I got it first seen I’d e Onc . ues iss k to pay for some bac e, I w I had to have som the t-shirts I kne n the I s. our col the loved the design and g life lin cyc my g rin sha went on sort of to the anied my housemate with LCC. I accomp won a prize in and ty Christmas par JOIN THE EVENTS local LCC group’s ger who was fare-TEAM felt like a passen The events season the competition. I e, mor and e Mor . out is now in full swing found be to ut abo is and we need enthus dodging and , 11,000 members ias t of LCC: after all my path crossed tha help run stalls, rides tic volunteers to along to myy ped pop I ly ent , on . Rec ily eas y ver e hid don’t and membership re -street campaigns t good to give a cruitment drives. As ing evening: it fel first LCC volunteer n a thank you, we’ll give . Whe it was great fun too and e Stuck for aan inspiring ride this tim my of rs few hou and, if you’re working you an LCC t-shirt weekend?

LCC member?’ at a show, free g have you been an Sea rch our llisting at www.lcc.org.uk. the t I was asked ‘How lon por en to sup try me !

If Rides openn for yo e u’d com lik had kee ttoo help oouuttt,, em e emai I knew that the tim to non-members aill us aatt ng. b , so take your friends alon membership@ had shared all alo I @ @l lcc cc ues g c .o .or val o rg. rg g.u se .u .uk u who k annd wwee’l’lll pu organisation p t yyoou on o the events eem join now! ma a ail il l your life simple, l list ist is e s t t. . mak is: ice adv My est member.

Sandrine is our new • At we go to press, idaayy olid win a cycling hol ld cou you and Sign up a friend now .uk THIRD PARTY INSURANCE org cc. w@l the r stories to mat (see p35). Send you Remember, as an LCC member, you are automatically cove c red by third party cycl e insurance cover. This vvital cover protects you KEEP YOUR SHIRT for claims made against you ON! up u to of £5,000,000. If you Back by popular took out equivalent cover a an individual, it coul as demand! We’ve got d cost you up to £55. It’s a grea g t reason for supporti a new supply of LCC ng our campaign – why not tell yo friends? yo your t-shirts jus

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047_noticeboard_final.indd 47

WIN

a Limited Edition Boardman Hybrid, worth £1,000 (see page 27)

BIKE SHOP DISCOUNTS LCC members enjoy up to 15% off bikes, parts and servicing ap at over 120 bike shops in Greater London. For a clickable map and shop discount details, visit www.lcc.org.uk/discounts

16/3/10 23:58:31

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Community cycling From the dozens of local projects that it assists each year, LCC’s community team selects three diverse initiatives to revisit and report back on

Candi-flavoured success for NHS Q Project Candi-Cycles by the Camden and Islington Mental Health Trust Q Purpose Support service users, teach maintenance skills, provide cycle training and recycle bikes Q Awarded £4,580 from the Community Cycling Fund for London in 2009 Q Activities Maintenance sessions, cycle training, led rides Funded by the CCFfL in 2009, this NHS trust extended its existing bike maintenance project, dubbed Candi-Cycles, to include professional cycle training. As a result of the project’s success, the trust is now beginning work on a long-term research study into the benefits of cycling on mental health.

Candi-Cycles has a fleet of pool bikes which are used by service users whose mental health benefits from increased outdoor activity. A former

HOW IT WORKS LCC is influential in spreading cycling culture to harder-toreach communities in London.

TfL and the Big Lottery’s Community Cycling Fund for London awards grants of £5k and £10k from an overall total of nearly £250k. There are two funding rounds in 2010.

Contact the community team for more information.

FOR INFO Contact the Community Cycling team: Q 020 7234 9310 (option 4) Q community@lcc.org.uk Q www.lcc.org.uk/community

service user trained as a cycling instructor and now delivers training to those who want to improve their on and off road cycling skills.

The project set out to address problems of physical and mental wellbeing as well as tackling issues of stigma and social exclusion which are associated with mental health challenges.

Service users gain the skills to look after their own bikes and to ride safely in traffic, and use their bikes not only as a means of transport but also as a way of

taking part in organised bike rides and other social activities.

In order to establish the benefits of cycling on mental health, the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation trust, is now launching a long-term study.

Druid Flemming, project leader and occupational therapist, said: “We believe it’s important to gather hard data on this to support future funding for other projects and to make cycling a more common aspect of treating mental health problems.”

LCC chief executive Koy Thomson added: “We’re proud to be part of this pioneering effort.

There’s a mountain of evidence demonstrating the positive effects of cycling on physical health, as well as a smaller but still significant body of evidence that people with mental health problems can benefit from physical exercise such as cycling.

We want to see other health providers going down this route.”

MIND focuses on getting mental health patients onto bikes in inner boroughs Q Project Get Moving by MIND in Tower Hamlets and Newham Q Purpose Cycling activities for service users to support them and introduce them to an active lifestyle Q Awarded £3,230 from the CCFfL in 2009 Q Activities Cycle training, organised rides, events The mental health charity has established cycling as a core part of its services in Tower Hamlets over the last two years. By providing cycle training and pool bikes, service users can improve their cycling skills and are gently introduced to cycling as a means of transport.

Among a growing list of organised rides, the group took a trip to City Hall for a dedicated MIND art exhibition, which was attended by GLA member John Biggs who wanted to meet the riders. More recently the cycling group also organised a sponsored event to raise funds for Haiti.

Cycling to support recovery from substance abuse

Q Project Bexley and Greenwich Resource on Alcohol (BAGRA) and Haringey Advisory Group on Alcohol (HAGA) Q Purpose Cycling to support people in recovery from substance abuse Q Awarded BAGRA £5,000 in 2009, HAGA £5,000 in 2008 Q Activities Bike workshops, cycle training, social rides HAGA’s Wheels of Recovery cycling project was funded by CCFfL in 2008 to promote outdoor sports to recovering alcoholics. As social isolation is a common problem for this target group, the project works to re-engage participants with friends and family through events and activities.

In 2008 and 2009, HAGA organised a 1,000km relay in Finsbury Park. Project leader Alistair Mordey explained: “We introduced cycling as a means of replacing the buzz people got from their addiction. We came up with the relay idea to make it a real challenge. Completing it was a testimony to how far the participants have come.”

Inspired by HAGA’s success, BAGRA launched a spin-off project in Bexley in 2009. Using a similar template, regular rides build participants confidence and engage people in a social outdoor activity. The project has given service users a real sense of achievement and helped them get out in the local community, which is very important in terms of recovery.

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Local Group News Find out more at www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups

WINTER WARMER: Barnet members gather for a leisurely tour of the borough

BARNET www.barnetlcc.org Intrepid or foolish? Despite the harshest winter for years some members still went out on Sundays defying ice and snow conditions — perhaps they were just in training for our summer programme? In May we’re planning a weekend away cycling the Viking Way around the coast of Kent and later in the summer we hope to combine a ride with a canoeing session. ³ We also want to support a couple of charity rides: the London Bikeathon in aid of Leukaemia Research in late June and, in memory of Sylvia Clifford a member who died in a tragic cycling accident in France last year, there will be a memorial charity ride. ³ Our April evening meeting will be a talk/photo session about a member's cycling trip in Nepal.

The May meeting will be a Q&A session when we’ll try to answer any cycling-related queries.

MEETINGS: last Thursday of the month, 8pm at Trinity Church Hall, Nether Street, N12.

CONTACT: Jeremy Parker, 020 8440 9080.

BROMLEY www.bromleycyclists.org.uk Bromley has become a 'Biking Borough'. Our local election

manifesto is online at http:// www.bromleycyclists.org/ electionmanifesto.html.

Especially important is that Norman Park becomes a Cycling Hub, with potential to help absolute beginners to take up cycling. Second in importance is to make our streets safe with more 20mph zones. Make your comments on the website. ³ Our Bike Week centrepiece, The Bromley Bike Blast in Norman Park (19 June), grows in significance. It now includes: the Bikeability Cyclist of the Year competition; De-Stabiliser Challenge; Go-Ride Skills Course; Bikeability taster sessions for adults and children; bike MOTs; 'Rides for All' (absolute beginner all age rides, on first Sundays of the month for 12 months, from Norman Park); Bromley Go-Ride inter-club competition; Bicycle Parades (bring & ride whatever you have); 'Pimp My Bike' (we're looking for the best bike in Bromley); 'Cycling Village' (cycle specific stalls and cycle-related organizations to make cycling more enjoyable); and roller racing. Phew! Lots of helpers will be needed on the day, contact the coordinator.

MEETINGS: second Wednesdays, 7.30pm, see website. Other Wednesdays meet at Bromley South station for an easy ride to a pub and return, the ‘Wednesday Weekly Wander’.

CONTACT: Charles Potter, 07951

780869; coordinator@bromley cyclists.org

CAMDEN www.camdencyclists.org.uk The availability of funding related to the Cycle Hire Scheme is making it possible for Camden Council to implement some contraflow cycling schemes.

This has led to some arguments as to how they should be implemented — lightweight (signs only) or heavyweight (with painted lanes). ³ 'Permeability' — i.e.road design that does not impede but rather facilitates and prioritises safe cycling along direct routes — is increasingly becoming our main focus of campaigning. We welcome suggestions of where Camden residents or visitors would like to see this implemented. We are planning an event on this theme for the first weekend of Bike Week (19-20 June). ³ On 14 April, instead of our usual meeting we will be participating in a joint hustings for the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency with Transition Belsize and Friends of the Earth. It will most likely be in St Stephen’s on Pond Street/ Haverstock Hill. ³ Our AGM will take place on 10 May at Primrose Hill Community Association, 29 Hopkinsons

Place, (off Fitzroy Rd), NW1 8TN. MEETINGS: see website CONTACTS: Stefano Casalotti, 020 7435 0196; stefano@ lamsam-casalotti.org.uk. Or Jean Dollimore, 020 7485 5896; jean@ dollimore.net

EALING www.ealingcycling.org.uk This is the calm before the storm that is Bike Week. Nevertheless ECC is not taking the opportunity to hibernate over these wintry months. We are researching the feasibility of setting up regular bike maintenance workshops in the borough — that means identifying locations, volunteers and funds. Let us know what you think by filling in the questionnaire at http://www. surveymonkey.com/s/PRZJYR7 or contacting us directly. ³ We are also responding to the rising numbers attending our social rides (despite the season) by reviewing our guidance notes to ride leaders and participants.

We are quietly monitoring developments on Crossrail and Cycle Superhighways in and near the borough so that we are ready when the time for consultation comes. ³ Meanwhile Ealing has been designated a Biking Borough by TfL. This means that it has allocated funding for consultants to carry out a study

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of how cycling infrastructure could be improved to encourage more cycling; the outcome will be a cycling strategy plan for the borough. Not to be outdone by the council, ECC has won first prize in the LCC community cycling team’s ‘most clicks’ competition — check out the website to see what all the fuss is about. ³ We have not forgotten about the forthcoming elections. We have invited the local transport spokespersons for the four major parties to speak and answer questions on their vision for cycling in Ealing at our April meeting. Come along and have your say.

MEETINGS: first Wednesdays of the month, see website. Social ride on the first Sunday of the month, meet 10am at Ealing Town Hall, details on website.

CONTACT: David Lomas, info@ ealingcycling.org.uk. Or David Eales, 07880 797437.

GREENWICH www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk Minister for Culture and Tourism Margaret Hodge announced on 15 Jan that proposed changes to Royal Parks Regulations, including a reduced speed limit in Greenwich Park, will be implemented later this year subject to parliamentary approval (see News, page 9).

We’ve campaigned for years for this change, more intensively since a motorist pleaded guilty to causing the death of a cyclist in the park by dangerous driving in June 2007. Our ultimate aim, expressed in a recent Cycle Route Inspection Meeting (CRIM) organised by the Royal Parks, is a halt to ALL through traffic in the park. Lewisham and Greenwich Young Cyclists' leader Tom Crispin had asked that the speed limit be cut to 12mph as an interim measure that, as it is in Battersea Park, and for a ban on motorised through traffic.

The Greenwich Safer Parks Panel, which Greenwich Cyclists attends, is asking Nick Raynsford MP to expedite the legislation, after hearing that the imminent election could cause delay. ³ CCTV cameras in park — these will be placed in March 2010 at four locations: inside Blackheath Gate, on the police building, at

the Pavilion and the children’s playground. The purpose of the cameras is to monitor potential crime and anti-social behaviour.

MEETINGS: see website CONTACT: Anthony Austin, 07740 434078

HACKNEY www.hackney-cyclists.org.uk All one-way streets should be returned to two-way working, at least for cycle traffic — that's point one in our local elections manifesto. Hackney LCC members will hopefully find an insert with this magazine giving full details of the manifesto and responses from the parties.

We're grateful of course for the gradual progress being made on one-ways. Paul Street, EC2, will be fully two-way for bikes by the time you read this, meaning that once the City bows to the inevitable on Moorfields, the quiet route from Shoreditch to Southwark Bridge will be complete. We've also asked Hackney council to look again at Greenwood Road and Navarino Road, E8, where growth in rat-running motor traffic is making life tricky for people cycling contra-flow. ³ The Hackney Bicycle Film Club (president Adam Thompson) was inaugurated in February with a screening of A Sunday in Hell. It proved so popular that a second sitting had to be organised. Adam and colleagues also continue to preside over our ever-popular self-help maintenance workshop on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Search 'hackney cycle workshop' for details.

³ Our 14th Burns Night fundraising dinner and dance in January was another great night.

Thanks to all our guests, volunteers and prize donors.

Increased costs dented our profits this year, so we will have to review ticket prices for 2011. ³ Speaking of money, motoring and its associated industries are widely assumed to be good for the economy, so much so that desperate governments all over the world have been paying people to buy new cars. Motor traffic certainly has many negative impacts, including the suppression of cycling and walking, so those economic benefits had better be worth it.

But are they, even in narrow financial terms? We don't actually know, which is why Hackney Cyclists has commissioned the New Economics Foundation to come up with options for a major research project on the real cost of cars. Watch this space. ³ Last but not least, STA Bikes, the grassroots organisation formed by two parents of children at Sir Thomas Abney School which has pioneered large-scale cycle training and promotion in Hackney, celebrated its 10th birthday in January. Our congratulations and thanks to them for their work in helping to make Hackney such a cycling success.

MEETINGS: first Wednesdays of the month, 7.30pm at Marcon Court Estate Community Hall, E8.

CONTACT: Trevor Parsons, 020 7729 2273; info@hackneycyclists.org.uk MAILING LIST: send blank email to hackney-lcc-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com

BLUEBELLS RIDE: join Hammersmith & Fulham members on the nature trail

HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM www.hfcyclists.org.uk Spring is here. The Oxford and Cambridge boat race is on Easter Saturday 3 April this year. We usually have a barbecue by the milepost, starting a while before the main race starts. Bring suitable liquid refreshment and food and meet at the milepost at 3.15pm. Check the website for details on this and family rides to see bluebells, etc. ³ Preparations are well under way for the Greenfest on Sunday 20 June, the first weekend of BikeWeek. The Greenfest started off seven years ago as a small event funded by a LCC grant. It has grown year on year and 2010 will be greater than ever. If you want to be involved in the organisation, or on the day, please contact us. See www. greenfest.org.uk. ³ Still no positive news of progress on LBHF providing a ramp to lead cyclists to the new toucan crossing of the A3220 near Westfield. Our meetings on the first Tuesday or Wednesday of the month.

MEETINGS: see website.

CONTACT: John Griffiths, 020 7371 1290 or 07789 095 748; john@truefeelings.com

HARROW www.harrowcyclists.org.uk We’ve finalised a publicity leaflet that will go out to bike shops and libraries. And we have organised monthly rides for the next three months with the added bonus (for some) of a ‘fast ride’ in April.

But the main activity is directed at Harrow Council, hoping to exploit its born-again selfpublicity push of recent months. ³ The winter weather exposed the lack of maintenance on all roads — but especially quieter roads used by cyclists — so most are now a ‘dodge the pothole’ marathon. We are holding a competition for the worst hole (there are plenty of contenders) and will remind the council that what is a mere inconvenience in a 4x4 can be life-threatening to cyclists. ³ We are putting pressure on the council to improve bike parking (large parts of Harrow

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centre have no racks, let alone the secondary shopping areas) and to push on with contraflow schemes in central Harrow to save cyclists either going around a kilometre more or using the pavements. ³ The group has found that dealing with junior officials can be frustrating so our focus is now on the very publicity conscious councillor Susan Hall, who hopes to lead the council after the May elections. She’ll be one of the councillors and council hopefuls who’ll soon receive one of our questionnaires on cycling and the council — check the website in late April to see how those who want to rule the Civic Centre view issues such as parking, cycle training, safety awareness for council drivers, 20mph zones and potholes.

MEETINGS: second Wednesdays of the month. We have a new venue for our monthly meeting, the Beacon Centre in Rayners Lane — but always check the website first.

CONTACT: Colin Waters, 07799 537504, waters.colin@gmail.com

ISLINGTON www.icag.org.uk We'd like to thank Chris Ashby very much for leading our feeder ride to Critical Mass devotedly for the last five years. He has now stepped down from that role and although the ride won't happen every month it will continue intermittently led by Joe Young; join our e-group to see the announcements or check our website. We really appreciate Chris making this ride one of our regular fixtures and thank Joe for offering to lead it when he can. ³ With the local elections looming we have put together a wishlist of what we'd like to see our councillors supporting which includes cycle training, completing 20mph schemes, enforcement of traffic laws, etc. Check the website for further information and ask your prospective councillors to make a ward pledge on a cycling aspect you'd like done, such some cycle racks in your street. ³ If you weren't able to make our Veloteers launch on 13 March, we'd still love you to become involved in this scheme. It's aimed at helping LCC

members around the borough get measures for cycling improved in their area and there are more details on our website.

MEETINGS: second Wednesday of the month (14 April, 12 May, 9 June), 7.30-9.30pm at Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1.

CONTACT: Alison Dines, 020 7226 7012; alisondines@clara.co.uk

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA www.kc-cyclists.org.uk Things have really moved on this year in Kensington & Chelsea. As we went to press preparations were underway for the first ever Cycle Forum hosted by the council. We'll report on that on our new website (see address above) which is also our next piece of news — check it out. Also, we have a new committee and a bank account for funding, so watch out for news on projects. ³ Our next ride is due to be Sunday 11 April, themed 'Cycling with dinosaurs', also check website. ³ We continue to alternate our meetings with Westminster LCC so check its website for dates.

MEETINGS: Monday 10 May at the Devonshire Arms, 37 Marloes Road, W8.

CONTACT: Philip Loy, 07960 026450; philip_loy@yahoo.co.uk

KINGSTON www.kingstoncycling.org.uk Ours is now a Biking Borough which means that Kingston Council has £25k to spend on consultants to write a report on how best to encourage and provide for cycling. We have a long-standing ‘shopping list’ of schemes that we want to see happen and we’ve been active in many supporting roles — safety, security, maintenance and organised rides. We will make sure the views of KCC members are taken into account. At our AGM we want to hear your opinions and ideas — see below for AGM details. ³ We presented a petition with 207 signatures calling on the council to retain the contraflow cycle lane on King Charles Road bridge, easily surpassing the 142 signatures of those who

MAKING HEADLINES: Kingston unveils safer A3 crossing (see News, page 9)

wanted it removed and two lanes of traffic restored. We presented strong arguments and traffic data too, which went down well with the councillors.

Politicians of both parties decided to keep the lane for at least another six months and to reconsider it then. ³ We want to be able to easily contact our local membership about campaigns and would really appreciate your help. If you would like to be on our activists’ mailing list to get the occasional prompt to sign a petition or fire off a lobbying email, please send an email to info@kingstoncycling.org.uk ³ We will be celebrating 10 years of the Kingston ‘Bread Pudding Rides’ with a picnic during Bike Week in June (see rides listing). We hope to see everyone who has enjoyed the rides organised and guided by John and Roger. ³ A new 140-space state-ofthe-art secure bike compound will be opened during April in Kingston town centre, but it’ll only be accessible to council staff at the Guildhall. Wouldn’t it be good to have public use at weekends? Meanwhile, Kingston Museum will soon have some excellent new penny farthing-shaped bike racks in recognition of local Victorian champion cyclist and cycle innovator John Keen.

MEETINGS: our AGM on 13 April, 8pm, at the United Reformed Church (junction of Eden Street and Union Street). Then a usual meeting on 11 May, 8.30pm, at the Waggon & Horses pub, Surbiton Hill Road.

CONTACT: Rob James, 020 8546 8865.

LAMBETH www.lambethcyclists.org.uk With elections on their way we're planning to hold an election hustings on Tuesday 13 April — check website for venue and details. ³ Our AGM will be held on Tuesday 20 April. It’s always a big night, so come along. ³ Our next Architecture Rides are due to be the weekends of 24 April (21st century) and 22 May (Colour in Architecture), but always check the website for final details. ³ Lots of campaign things keeping us busy, including Brixton town centre. We plan to do a count as a follow-up to our original 1999 report, so watch out for that historic occasion.

MEETINGS: 20 April (AGM) and usual meeting on 18 May, 7.30pm, upstairs at The Priory Arms, 83 Lansdowne Way, SW8.

CONTACT: Philip Loy, 020 8677 8624; lambeth_cyclists@ hotmail.com

LEWISHAM www.lewishamcyclists.net We invited the leaders of the main political parties in Lewisham and our GLA representative (Len Duvall) to our annual meeting in February.

A reasonable audience listened and asked questions for 90 minutes about cycling and the fears that the Mayor of London will be reducing funds for transport after May’s elections.

Unfortunately the Tories didn’t respond, so we were not able to ask questions around the two

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big cycling projects coming out of City Hall. ³ Paul Taylor stepped down from the committee; we'd all like to say thanks to Paul for all the work he has done in the past. ³ Lewisham Council continues to frustrate and it gets increasingly difficult to obtain information on next year’s cycling programme. We have asked for all car club bays to have nearby cycle parking but, again, have received no response so have objected to the traffic order. We will also be asking for an end of project report on the LCN+, as well as an update on the Greenways project and looking forward to the Cycle Superhighway ride in early March. ³ We are considering holding a pre-election hustings meeting, so please keep an eye on our website for information. Also detailed on the website are the many rides both ourselves and neighbouring groups organise every weekend.

MEETINGS: see website.

CONTACT: katie.williams@lycos.com

MERTON www.mertoncyclists.org.uk Hurtling towards us are the hustings and we are gearing up to write to candidates in all wards. The local LibDems came and discussed our manifesto while it was in draft, but avoided commitment in the end. The Conservatives have not replied to our invitation of mid-Feb and

generally appear somewhat ineffectual; as they are in power that is presumably what they think the electorate wants.

Consultation under their regime is a farce and decisions lack cohesion; in this climate officers' most flourishing professional skill is, seemingly, deflection. ³ We hear Martin Way is (maybe) going to have some work done in time for the election. Meanwhile we pursue our complaint and now, after three months, it has reached stage four and we have the cycling chief exec's signature.

Will he respond to our invitation to ride it? ³ We welcomed a seemingly cycling design standard compliant scheme at Green Lane — this was naïve as we hadn't allowed for Merton implementing something completely different. Why this waste of all our time and energies, let alone theirs? We hope this election round leads to less gross extravagance. ³ Arising from our quarterly meetings with the council we were asked to suggest locations for 500 parking spaces in the public realm. David Vine of MCC rode all over Merton and produced a list of existing provision; the council, of course, hadn't had this data available before. Our proposed sites for additional parking have been put forward and will now be assessed by officers, who have now realised staff costs have to be taken into account. We suggested loops and were

TRUE BLUE: early sighting of the new Merton to City Cycle Superhighway

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OTHER GROUP CONTACTS BARKING & DAGENHAM www.stibasa.org.uk Contact: colin.newman@stibasa.org.uk BEXLEY Contact: Frances Renton, 01322 441979; f.renton@gol.ac.uk CITY CYCLISTS www.citycyclists.org.uk CROYDON www.croydon-lcc.org.uk ENFIELD www.lccenfield.fsnet.co.uk Contact: Richard Reeve, 020 8363 2196 HARINGEY Contact: R White; robert.hcc@virgin.net HILLINGDON Contact: Sarah James, 020 8868 2912, or Steve Ayres, 01895 230 953 WANDSWORTH www.wandsworthcyclists.org.uk Contact: Simon Merrett, 020 8789 6639

COPY DEADLINE June/July issue: Friday 16 April Send your copy and photos to: editorlondoncyclist@yahoo.com knocked back. Apparently civic design aspirations (whatever they are?) take precedence over common sense and cost control. ³ We offered to intersperse our quarterly council meetings with two informal monthly ones; at first welcomed, that has now been rejected.

MEETINGS: see website.

CONTACT: charles@barraball.com

REDBRIDGE www.redbridgelcc.org.uk Boris's Cycle Superhighway 2 goes from Ilford to Bow: we want to see a direct route which goes along the old High Road, through the Ilford Town Centre pedestrian precinct and then safely under the A406 flyover.

There are a number of suggestions as to how we can achieve this — the favourite is to have a contraflow cycle lane down Ilford Hill and then a bus lane for buses and cycles only onto Romford Road. ³ There has been fierce debate about the route of Roding Valley section 4, which we want to go as close to the River as possible.

So far we've won the argument, but the battle is not over. Watch out for yet more consultation. ³ Chris, Gill and Richard have been valiantly showing our

HERNE HILL VELODROME: after years of neglect the landowner has called in top architects to advise on revamping the site

'I love my bike' DVD at Area Committee Meetings from February onwards, in order to show councillors how great cycling can be. ³ Cycle Maintenance Workshops: please note the date for Redbridge's next four-week course of workshops, starting 28 April, then 5, 12 and 19 May. ³ Redbridge's AGM is on Friday 9 April at 7pm at 32 Kings Avenue, Woodford Green. Bring a dish and a drink for the curry buffet.

Chris and Gill will be resigning as your co-ordinators after a particularly busy year, so please come along and make sure that this successful borough group keeps up the good work.

MEETINGS: see website.

CONTACTS: Gill James, 020 8989 4898; gilljames@btinternet.com.

Or Chris Elliott, 020 8989 6285; c.elliott@dsl.pipex.com

RICHMOND www.richmondlcc.org.uk A campaign success to report: one of our members spotted the lack of cycle parking at Twickenham stadium and prompted the council to check and it appears the RFU was supposed to put more parking in than they did and so more has now been put in place. ³ Now Richmond Circus is finished, we will be supplying TfL with an audit of the roundabout and its environs, particularly now we notice people are using the athletics ground exit as a means of avoiding the new lights by Pools in the Park on the A316.

³ Keep checking the website for more info on our rides and maintenance workshops. The new site is now up and running. ³ For details of our rides, to take part in the campaigns or just to say hello, come to our meetings.

MEETINGS: second Mondays of the month, 8pm at The Ship Inn in Richmond.

CONTACT: 07976 294626; info@ richmondlcc.co.uk

SOUTHWARK www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk Herne Hill Velodrome is of course the last working vestige of the 1948 London Olympics. It's very well used not only by trackies but lots of other cyclists too, there's a great off-road loop and youth wing as well. Many of Britain's world-class medalwinning cyclists have either grown up there or used the track at some stage. Yet facilities have crumbled away and even the beautiful listed Victorian grandstand is now unusably rotten and forlornly locked off.

Grants can't be raised since the landowner won't grant more than short-term leases. But suddenly that landowner, the immensely powerful and enigmatic Dulwich Estates, take on very good architects Studio E to see how to save the place. All very secretive so far, but this is the best news there for years. ³ April sees our seven rides for the Southwark Silver Festival, that's aimed at the over 50s, but these rides are gentle explores for all age groups. ³ May's election time and the

10-point manifesto agreed by Southwark Cyclists and Southwark Living Streets has the simple aim of making Southwark the best place to walk and cycle in London. That's rightly a huge ambition from perhaps the best alliance between walkers and cyclists in the UK. ³ May also starts our Rides on Prescription, in partnership with Surrey Docks Health Centre. It should also see real progress towards Burgess Park Bike Heaven, a new social enterprise we're setting up at Burgess Park Bike Track to provide everything biked in mid-Southwark.

Timing's perfect as big money is getting spent both on Burgess Park itself and on rebuilding the Aylesbury estate. At the west end of Burgess Park is the two-year-old, £1m tennis centre, at the east end is the four-yearold, £3m football centre; Burgess Park Bike Track is right in the middle and was built with a £10,000 grant by us five years ago and has been grown organically ever since — with vegetables, chickens and even bees on the way! Incidentally, Studio E did those other two projects at either end of the park. ³ Then it's June and our 15 London Festival of Architecture rides. And 24 July is the fabulous Dunwich Dynamo, the eighteenth; be a little afraid and love it.

MEETINGS: first Tuesdays for social, 6.30pm at Leon's, Sumner Street. Second Wednesdays for monthly meeting, 6.30pm at The Community Space, Better Bankside, 3 Great Guildford

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Street/Zoar Street corner, London SE1 (bikes allowed inside).

CONTACT: Barry Mason, 07905 889 005.

SUTTON www.cyclismsutton.org.uk We need improvement in cycle route signage borough-wide — eg removing the ‘h’ from Worchester Park signs on LCN+75. ³ Consultation is in progress on bridleway conversion from Elm Road west to Morden Way. ³ Elsewhere… Redford Avenue should be completed and later the contaflow in adjacent Link Road. At Rose Hill Park West the widened path is to have kink removed near A217. Sustrans propose a raised plarform at Glenthorne Field. At Woodmansterne Road, the toucan to Oaks Park is delayed by signal work. Mile Road bridge, Hackbridge cannot be opened for cycling until land owners known. And Pyl Brook on hold, although bus route changes to Kimpton Road will affect the southern exit to Willow Walk. ³ On the High Street new signings and more cycle stands are needed where we indicated on our latest walkabout.

MEETINGS: second Tuesdays of each month (13 April, 11 May & 8 June), from 8.30pm at the Robin Hood pub at junction of West St and Robin Hood Lane, Sutton.

CONTACT: cyclism@blueyonder. co.uk

TOWER HAMLETS www.towerhamletswheelers.org.uk Cycle Superhighway 3 is now under construction, starting with the link past Westferry station. In short, it's too narrow, zig-zags too much, and has nowhere near enough capacity for a genuine Superhighway. But it's blue, which is obviously all TfL thinks you need. Boris Johnson, please come and have a look — surely the grand vision wasn't meant to end up like this! ³ Rides: see www.wheelers.org. uk/rides. Workshop last Saturday of every month, 11am at Boxing Club, Limehouse Town Hall.

MEETINGS: see website.

CONTACT: enquiries@tower hamletswheelers.org.uk

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WALTHAM FOREST www.wfcycling.org.uk In February we held our annual meeting, which was remarkably well attended. Unfortunately Robert can no longer be our secretary and Paul won't be able to continue as event coordinator.

Both will be around for project work though. Thanks to Simon, who has volunteered as our new secretary and Maria, who will look after council liaison. On the night we launched our ride and events calendar, which you can download at http://files.me.com/ matsimpson/fxg4e5 ³ Try our new Google calendar on the events page of the website or ring Gerhard on 07894 035571 for any enquiries. ³ Bike workshop: Low Hall Depot, South Access Road, E10 7AS — sale first Saturday of the month, 1-3pm; Recycling, Fridays 9-4pm; Public drop-in, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturday of each month 11-3pm (£3 donation for tools etc).

MEETINGS: see website.

CONTACT: wfcycling@wfcycling. org.uk

WESTMINSTER www.westminstercyclists.org.uk A study of cycle routes along Westminster's canals, conducted as part of the Greenways project, rightly concluded that the highest priority was to enable two-way cycling along the one-way sections of the canalside streets Delamere Terrace and Blomfield Road. But it is not yet clear how this will be turned into a reality. ³ Some of the erroneous signs have now been corrected at Oxford Circus, so cyclists can now enter Oxford Street from some directions. But certain turns are still prohibited for all traffic. We have yet to see some old traffic management orders that are said to impose these restrictions. ³ Annual meeting to adopt new constitution: Thursday 13 May at 7pm, Heart of London Business Alliance, London House, 53-54 Haymarket, SW1.

MEETINGS: see website.

CONTACT: Colin Wing, 020 7828 1500; cyclist@westminster cyclists.org.uk

15/3/10 22:50:49

JOIN THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION TEAM ON IT’S BIGGEST EVER...

LONDON TO PARIS BIKE RIDE 22nd – 25th July 2010

‘It was one of the best things I’ve ever done – I can’t thank The Big Issue Foundation enough’ c 3 days cycling 230 miles

Jason, London 2 Paris Cyclist 2009

c Celebratory finish at the Eiffel Towerr c Watch the final stage of The Tour De France

‘AMAZ ‘AMAZING!!!

AMAZ ZING!!! Than Thank you much!’ so mu uch!’

c All abilities welcome

Kirsty, London 2009 L ondon 2 Paris Cyclist 20

n istratio g e R d e Reduc £99 NOW / .org.uk e u s s i ig www.bndon2paris o l

£49

It’s a o once lifetime in a lif opportunity! oppor involved Get in sign and si with up wit today us tod

For more information about bout this or any of The Big Issue Foundation Events please c contact:

www.bigissue.org.uk/events Registered Charity No: 1049077

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Your bimonthly guide to all the best rides and events

Make a bid for World Cup glory It's being billed as the ride of the summer — linking all 22 major football grounds within the M25 — and LCC is among the lucky beneficiaries of this unique fundraiser (see News, page 10).

Kick-off for the KickBallPedalBike challenge is 5 June, the week before the World Cup starts.

CAN YOU KICK IT? Let's hope so...

RIDES & EVENTS ³ ³

For the latest info on cycle rides: www.lcc.org.uk/rides Sunday 4 April ³ Best of Richmond Ride: 10.15am, Richmond, Little Green (by library). 18-miler with a few hills. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Sunday 4 April ³ Cycle a Mile: 2pm, Norman Park (end nearest Bromley Common). A cycle ride for those who don't do rides; first sunday of the month, adding one mile each month.

Contact: Spencer Harradine (07958 693518); spencer@bromleycyclists.org Tuesday 6 April ³ Hackney Cycle Workshop: 7pm, The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Road, E9 7PQ. Contact: Adam Thomson (07940 121513); hackneybike workshop@googlemail.com Sunday 11 April ³ Bread Pudding Ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@ blueyonder.co.uk Saturday 17 April ³ Newham and 2012 Ride: 10.30am, Stratford Station. Almost entirely off-road along paths suitable for all types of bikes.

Contact: Bernard McDonnell (07947 236965 ); adavil@ntlworld.com

From the Blue Square South to the Premiership, from Thurrock FC to Chelsea, it's almost 150 miles in total — check out the route at http://tinyurl. com/ yjan4j5. You can either ride the whole thing or just a section and entry is free, although people will be encouraged to raise money for LCC and/or the Southall Black Sisters (a charity providing shelter from domestic violence in London).

Organiser Thomas Moulton is also asking for help with the following: advertising the ride; getting your local football clubs involved; help on the day with refreshments, mechanics etc; perhaps leading rides on sections that pass through your area.

If you can assist, email kickball pedalbike@googlemail.com.

Saturday 17 April ³ Up the Wandle: 10.40am, Earlsfield Station. 7 miles. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Saturday 17 April ³ Lewisham Loop: 9:30am, Cutty Sark Gardens. Tour around the (approximate) boundaries of the Lewisham borough, including Blackheath and the river, 5 hours.

Contact: Gareth (07533 564971).

Sunday 18 April ³ Peterborough 100: 7am, Peterborough, Cambs. Non-LCC ride, choice of 100-mile and 100km routes.

Enter online at www.action.org.uk/ peterborough100. Contact: peterborough@ action.org.uk Tuesday 20 April ³ Hackney Cycle Workshop: 7pm, The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Road, E9 7PQ. Contact: Adam Thomson (07940 121513); hackneybike workshop@googlemail.com Sunday 25 April ³ Bread Pudding Ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@ blueyonder.co.uk Wednesday 28 April ³ Midweek Ride: 7.30pm, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@blueyonder.co.uk

Putting your pedal power to good use From the hundreds on offer, here's our pick of the charity and challenge events you can sign up for in the coming months: Q 10 April: CARE London to Brighton Cycle Challenge. www.careinternational.org.

Q 9 May: Suffolk Sunrise 100. www.action.org.uk/sunrise Q 23 May: North London Hospice Sponsored Ride.

Contact: Evelyn Lydon (020 8446 2288).

Q 2-5 July: Meningitis Trust's London to Paris ride. www.meningitis-trust.org.

Q 2 July-28 August: Otesha's John O'Groats to Land's End ride. For 18 to 28-year-olds. www.otesha.org.uk.

Q 11-14 July: MAG Somme to Flanders ride. www.maginternational.org.

Sunday 2 May ³ Cycle a Mile: 2pm, Norman Park (end nearest Bromley Common). A cycle ride for those who don't do rides; first sunday of the month, adding one mile each month — after 12 months you'll be riding 12 miles.

Contact: Spencer Harradine (07958 693518); spencer@bromleycyclists.org Tuesday 4 May ³ Hackney Cycle Workshop: 7pm, The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Road, E9 7PQ. Contact: Adam Thomson (07940 121513); hackneybike workshop@googlemail.com Saturday 8 May ³ Newham and 2012 Ride: 10.30am, Stratford Station. Almost entirely off-road along paths suitable for all types of bikes.

Contact: Bernard McDonnell (07947 236965 ); adavil@ntlworld.com Sunday 9 May ³ Along the hog's back: 10.15am, Richmond , Little Green (by the library).

We meet at Richmond but cycle to Surbiton to catch the 11.05 to Guildford. Total about 40 miles. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Sunday 9 May ³ Bread Pudding Challenge Ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Slightly faster ride with some hills, pub lunch and tea stop. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@blueyonder.co.uk

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

EVENTS

Events IN BRIEF Bike Week 2010 If it's not in your diary already, put it in now — 19-27 June. Check the LCC website — and your local group's — for event details.

24 hours to Paris Adding a challenging twist to the traditional London to Paris ride, disability charity Scope is offering multiple teams of two cyclists the unique opportunity to speed through the entire 300-mile route in 24 hours.

Setting off from Blackheath in the early hours, one rider puts in a 35-mile stretch before rotating with their teammate.

Participating teams will be asked to raise a total of £1,800 in sponsorship. For further details, visit www. london2paris24.com.

Saturday 15 May ³ Crane River Ride: 10.40am, Strawberry Hill station (west side). 9 miles and mostly flat. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Tuesday 18 May ³ Hackney Cycle Workshop: 7pm, The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Road, E9 7PQ. Contact: Adam Thomson (07940 121513); hackneybike workshop@googlemail.com Saturday 22 May ³ Bike mainenance course: 10am to 4pm, Swiss Cottage, NW8. Free; will cover everything from basic skills to gear indexing. Contact: Richard Riddle (020 7974 5071); Richard.riddle@camden.gov.uk Sunday 23 May ³ Bread Pudding Ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@ blueyonder.co.uk Wednesday 26 May ³ Midweek Ride: 7.30pm, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@blueyonder.co.uk Saturday 29 May ³ Newham and 2012 Ride: 10.30am, Stratford Station. Almost entirely off-road along paths suitable for all types of bikes.

Contact: Bernard McDonnell (07947 236965 ); adavil@ntlworld.com

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VOX POPS

London cyclists Portraits of the city's cycling family, shot using an antique field camera www.danielbosworth.com

Name Teresa Griffith Age 48 From Woolwich Bike Custom hybrid Favourite London ride Canals What one thing would you change about cycling in London I 'd encourage cyclists to overtake on the right and motorists to drive on the left

Name Astrid Wingler Age 41 From Crouch End Bike Genesis Vapour Favourite London ride Up Highgate West hill What one thing would you change about cycling in London No taxis in bus lanes

Name Thor Burkard Age 51 From Bermondsey Bike Townsend Daytona Favourite London ride Hampstead Heath, Crystal Palace What one thing would you change about cycling in London Make roads safer with properly designated cycle lanes

Name Angela East Age 36 From Greenwich Bike Niohla Favourite London ride Blackheath — when it isn't windy! What one thing would you change about cycling in London More clearly defined cycle paths

58 London Cyclist April-May 2010

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