London Cyclist October-November 2010

magazine of the London Cycling Campaign October-November 2010

Bike cafĂŠ culture We explore the capital's most exciting new ventures PLUS Cycle task force, parking campaign, HGV appeal

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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 Bike tests: Matthew Moore; m.moore@lcc.org.uk

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

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

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

Editorial, copyright & printing policy 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 Wyndehams on paper made from 80 percent recycled waste and 20 percent sustainablymanaged forest.

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

news, letters & opinion News Campaign updates, London Cycling Awards, newly-opened routes and more Letters Your latest rants, raves, comments and queries Ashok Sinha LCC's new chief executive states the case for strong activism Zoe Williams Takes her own wry look at the Cycle Hire scheme Phillip Darnton Believes the financial incentive for cycling cannot be ignored

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features Bike theft We spend a couple of days with the police's new Cycle Task Force Cycle parking Why investment in workplace parking is the way forward HGV safety Examining how lorry design can be improved to safeguard cyclists Best rides in London Newham and 2012 Interview We investigate the recent boom in bike cafés London interest Photo montage of this summer's biggest car-free events Technical How to use the city's most common cycle lanes more safely

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reviews Bike test A handful of urban cruisers and 'cargo-lite' bikes rated Grouptest 700c tyres with added puncture resistance Product Commuter-friendly accessories and trendy T-shirts Books Guidebook, travelogue and biography — our month in softback

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members Community cycling How three projects are benefitting from CCCfL funding Local group news Updates on campaigns and events in your local area Rides listing What's happening around the boroughs over the next two months London cyclists Photographic vox pops of the city's diverse bike fraternity

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

COVER: www.danielbosworth.com LOCATION: Micycle café, Islington

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

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

October-November 2010 London Cyclist 3

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NEWS

News Visit www.lcc.org.uk for campaign updates and latest news reports farid/bicycleimages.com

LCC appoints new chief executive In September LCC welcomed Ashok Sinha as its new chief executive. Ashok is a veteran of sustainability campaigning, having begun his career as a climate change scientist before moving into policy analysis and advocacy. Most recently, he led Stop Climate Chaos, building the organisation from inception to the largest NGO campaign on climate change in the UK. Prior to this, Ashok was director of the Jubilee Debt Campaign (working for the cancellation of debt in developing countries), during which time he helped found ‘Make Poverty History’. He has also served as vice-chair of LCC and Amnesty UK, being involved in grass roots human rights work both at home and abroad.

Cycle hire trips near one million More than 500,000 journeys were made on the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme in the first six weeks following its July launch — with the one million landmark figure expected to be crossed some time in October.

Around 18,500 journeys a day are now being made on the ‘iconic’ blue bikes by the 80,000 people who have signed up as members of the Mayor's scheme.

On 7 September thousands of

commuters used the scheme to beat the tube strike, making a record 24,500 journeys between them.

According to TfL, around 93 percent of all journeys made by scheme members have been under 30 minutes, which means that the vast majority of people using the scheme haven’t been paying any more than their daily £1, weekly £5 or annual £45 access fees.

Last chance to enter awards Support LCC lorry appeal expanded to include the Best Cycling Event (Non-Competitive).

There will also be a special presentation by the London Cyclist team. The categories for this year’s nominations are: Best Cycle Facility, Best Community Cycling Initiative, Best Cycling Initiative for Young People or Children, Best Workplace Cycling Initiative, and Best Cycling Event (Non-Competitive).

Nominations can be made by any organisation involved in a scheme (including self-nomination), or anyone who considers a project or facility should be nominated. Projects should have been initiated or completed since April 2009. However, if you haven’t submitted your nominations yet, you’ll have to be quick as the deadline is Monday 11 October. Go to www.lcc.org.uk to download the relevant form.

LCC has launched an appeal to raise £20,000 to help pay for six-months' advocacy work from a specialist lorry campaigner.

Members are being asked to donate money to fund work on the widely-publicised ‘No More Lethal Lorries’ campaign, with the ultimate goal of vanquishing lorry-related road deaths, the single biggest killer of cyclists in the capital.

Members are also urged to get their employers to sign up to our online Pledge Board, where individuals and companies can show their support for LCC's lorry safety campaign by donating to the appeal.

Ways to get involved in the campaign include: ■ Donate — visit www. no-more-lethal-lorries.org.uk or call 020 7234 9310.

■ Sign the petition to support

LCC’s five-point plan.

■ Get your company to sign up to our Pledge Board.

For more related information, read our feature on ‘Intelligent design’ on page 28.

Capo2@flickr

For 2010 LCC has expanded its usual AGM format and has secured a Greater London Assembly representative from all the major political parties to speak about their cycling policies.

The four confirmed speakers are: Andrew Boff (Conservative), the Mayor's Ambassador for Championing Cycling in London; Murad Qureshi (Labour), a Member of the Transport committee; Caroline Pidgeon (Liberal), Deputy Chair of the Transport committee; Jenny Jones (Green), a Member of the Transport Committee.

Of course the AGM — on 17 November — will also see the winners of the 2010 London Cycling Awards announced. This is the general public’s chance to reward the capital’s best cycling projects and events, with the programme having been

+++ To receive a fortnightly e-newsletter on London cycling issues, sign up at www.lcc.org.uk +++ 4 London Cyclist October-November 2010

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Urgent action: take 10 minutes to protect city cycling

Cycle parking

P

A new website created by LCC is allowing Londoners to have their say in where new bike parking facilities should be located. Cyclists are being encouraged to visit www.cycleparking4london. org.uk and indicate where more on-street, residential, transport hub or workplace parking is needed. LCC will collate the info and use it to pressure councils, companies and the Mayor to install the thousands of spaces the capital requires.

4 LOND

CYCLE PARKING ON

LONDON CY CLING CAMP AIGN

Spending Review is only weeks away and the knives are being sharpened.

The powers behind Crossrail, the Underground investment and other big projects are all lobbying hard to save their schemes. We need to make sure this doesn’t drown out the case for cycling.

Please call for bold and decisive action by your elected representative to protect cycling budgets from the axe.

Write today to tell your Assembly Member that you welcome all the support for cycling from the Mayor and the Assembly, from the Cycle Hire Scheme to the Cycle Superhighways. Please also remind them that expenditure in cycling is a vital investment: ■ According to the Department of Transport, every pound invested in cycling generates three pounds of benefit to the economy. Cycling is part of the solution to London’s economic difficulties.

■ Employers all over the capital are realising the potential for a fitter, happier, more productive cycling workforce. We need to

Mike Cavenett

If you only take one action for LCC this year, please do this: write to your London Assembly Member, asking them to do everything they can to protect cycling budgets from public expenditure cuts.

Every day we read a new story about the cuts in public spending planned by the government. The Comprehensive

HAND OVER: LCC's new chief executive Ashok Sinha hands in letter at City Hall

maintain public investment to enable more of London’s workers to cycle.

■ A cycling city is a world-class city, making London a healthier and more attractive place to live, work, play and bring up children.

Every letter from an LCC member counts and the more cyclists that write, the greater the chances of success. So please send a letter to your Assembly member today, however short.

You can find out who your Assembly member is at: www. london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/the-london-assembly/ members. If you can, copy your letter to your local MP, asking them to do all they can too.

Send your letters to: Assembly Member Name, GLA, City Hall, Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2AA. And finally, if you have time, send us any replies that you may receive. Thanks for your support.

New Cross streets returned to two-way Mike Cavenett

One-way streets in New Cross, described as 'intimidating' by local cyclists, are being returned to two-way, making the routes safer for vulnerable road users.

Transport for London works have reverted Kender Street and Besson Street to two-way. There have been improvements to footpaths, junctions and pedestrian crossings. There's also a new bus and cycle lane in Queen’s Road.

Katie Williams of the local LCC group, Lewisham Cyclists, said: "This street is part of my regular commute and the more direct route cuts at least five minutes off my journey. The feedback we've had from others cyclists has been positive too; many had previously described the one-way streets as intimidating."

LCC's Mike Cavenett added: "This is a major step in the right direction, but still more needs to be done to make this part of London more bike-friendly."

CHANGING LANES: the signage from the one-way system has yet to be replaced

Opposing plans for congestion zone changes As LCC responds to the current consultation on the scrapping of the western extension of the congestion charge zone, it is suggesting the public reminds the Mayor of the adverse effects of this move.

Scrapping the zone will cost Londoners £55 million in lost revenue, worsen congestion in west London and damage targets for increasing cycling. It would also take air pollution beyond already unacceptable levels and increase CO2 emissions.

LCC has argued since 2005 that the scheme should have two zones, with separate charges to more effectively reduce inner city traffic.

+++ LCC local groups organise bike rides throughout the year — see page 55 for a full listing +++ October-November 2010 London Cyclist 5

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NEWS

Latest London Cycle Guide omits one-ways

The new editions of the London Cycle Guides (originally generated by LCC members) have been welcomed by cyclists, but there has been disappointment at the removal of arrows showing one-way streets on the Central London map 1.

A spokesperson for Transport for London said: "Removing the arrows simplifies the guide and makes it clearer and easier to read. Furthermore, budget was not available to check that all one-way street arrows were accurate and up to date." LCC is calling for an urgent review of this decision and TfL has agreed to consider comments via smartertravel@tfl.gov.uk.

Record numbers for 2010 Skyride series

More than 100,000 cyclists joined this summer’s series of Skyride events in the capital. In addition to September’s massive central London car-free day, two local events were held in Ealing and Redbridge, which each attracted some 10,000 participants. LCC local groups organised and led dozens of feeder rides to the three cycling festivals, bringing many thousands of families and new riders to the streets for the first time.

Check out our gallery of images on page 36.

Trial route opens in Kensington Lengthy lobbying pays off as Parks (cycle@royalparks.gsi.gov.

A stretch of path in front of City streets return to two-way uk), asking them to make the Kensington Palace has been opened up for shared use by cyclists and pedestrians on a trial basis — until 31 January 2012 — extending a valuable east-west cycling route.

Previously only for walkers, the link extends the popular cycle route across Kensington Gardens, from the Serpentine Gallery to the Broad Walk, to meet Kensington Palace Gardens Road.

Cyclists will now be able to avoid sections of busy road along Kensington Road and Bayswater.

LCC member Rik Andrew, who has championed the newlyopened connection as well as the original Kensington Gardens route, advises cyclists to cycle considerately “giving way to pedestrians at all times”.

LCC is asking cyclists who use the route to email the Royal

move permanent. At the same time, members are encouraged to state their preference for opening up more routes for cyclists in the city's parks, many of which are still barred.

Long-term advocacy work from LCC has opened up several new routes in the City, as one-way streets in the area have been made two-way for cyclists.

Moor Place is now two-way for cyclists, while bikes are also allowed to turn right from Beech Street into Golden Lane and from Golden Lane into Beech Street through the gap in the central reservation.

Further improvements include seven more one-way roads becoming two-way for cyclists.

These include: Fann Street, West Smithfield (two-way around the circuit), Cloth Fair (linking with West Smithfield gives a total bypass of Smithfield market), Throgmorton Street, Salisbury Court, Creechurch Lane and Finsbury Circus (the western link

to Moorgate). Cyclists still need to take appropriate care as several of these streets are narrow and will only allow one road user (cyclist or motor vehicle) through at a time. However, the very low volumes of traffic on these streets should mean this rarely affects anyone.

LCC campaigns manager Tom Bogdanowicz said: "Making these streets two-way for cycling is very welcome. It opens up key cycle routes and enables cyclists to avoid busy main roads. We look forward to the City Corporation and London boroughs making more streets fully accessible to cycle users."

There are also plans to improve signage on a number of the main cycle routes through the City of London.

+++ Find a comprehensive archive of London Cyclist news and features at www.lcc.org.uk +++ 6 London Cyclist October-November 2010

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Chris Dorney

New tool in fight against bike theft

No Superhighway to Olympics A large section of the proposed Barclays Cycle Superhighway 2 (CS2) — due to open in summer 2011 — has been temporarily shelved, according to TfL officials. Originally meant to run from Aldgate to Ilford via the 2012 Olympic site in Stratford, it appears that the section to the east of Bow roundabout has been deferred until post-2012 when it will be reviewed again. This decision follows consultation between TfL and the London Borough of Newham.

A TfL spokesperson said: “There are a number of projects

planned in the Stratford area throughout 2011, including significant urban realm improvements as part of the Stratford High Street 2012 project, as well as wider improvements throughout Stratford town centre.

Furthermore, the Olympic Delivery Authority begins operational testing in May 2011, which will constrain the availability of road space for construction projects.

“The London Borough of Newham is keen to promote a multi-modal approach along Romford Road, with no one

mode being prioritised, and TfL will further engage with the borough to understand whether Cycle Superhighways can be delivered as part of these parallel proposals.”

However, the Bow to Aldgate section of CS2 is due to go ahead on schedule, with works to include resurfacing, new cycle lanes and a safer route via Bow roundabout.

LCC’s communications officer Mike Cavenett said: “This is very bad news indeed for the many thousands of people intending to travel to the 2012 Olympics by bike.”

A new website, Bikeshd, is fast gaining in popularity among cyclists as a quick way to trawl Gumtree and eBay to look for stolen bikes.

The site 'scrapes' photos of each day's London bike sales onto its home page, allowing theft victims to rapidly see if theirs is for sale. Clicking on a bike photo takes users to the original advert.

The site appears to have kept a fairly low profile for a couple of months, but in recent weeks its traffic has grown considerably.

It is hoped the site will become another weapon in the fight against bike theft in London, at a time when LCC’s own ‘Beat the Thief’ campaign is already making its mark.

Roadworks permits to reduce danger for cyclists We Jackson@flickr

Cyclists are expected to benefit from the new London Permit Scheme for roadworks, which has so far been rolled out across 19 London boroughs.

LCC has been providing input to London Councils, which is examining implementation of the scheme, suggesting that all roadworks take account of cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

LCC campaigns manager Tom Bogdanowicz said: “We’re asking that where roadworks create narrow lanes, there must be signs telling drivers not to overtake cyclists. And we’ve asked that all roadworks should be reinstated to their original condition and meet required safety standards.”

A further seven boroughs are

expect to sign up to the scheme this year, under which utility companies and highway authorities have to meet certain

conditions in terms of duration and safety.

Ian Hawthorn, chair of the Permit Stakeholder Group, said:

"Cyclists are important to us and we need to make sure we factor them in when planning and setting up works."

+++ Get discount tickets for the Cycle Show (8-10 October) at www.cycleshow.co.uk/LCC +++ October-November 2010 London Cyclist 7

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NEWS

New round-the-world record

HOMEWARD BOUND: Vin Cox sets new benchmark for unsupported global ride

February in temperatures as low as minus seven degrees, but that rocketed by as much as 50 degrees in the heat of North Africa. In all he travelled through 17 countries, with the challenge starting and finishing in Greenwich, to raise money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation.

He hopes to make £18,000 in total — one pound for every mile he rode.

There is no set route for circumnavigation record attempts, but there are rules, including starting and finishing in the same place, travelling at least 18,000 miles and not back-tracking. Cox explained: “Not only did I plan to break the record, I wanted to have a proper adventure. I wanted to be the first record holder who's visited Africa and South America on the journey; in fact the only continent I didn’t visit was Antarctica because it's got no roads and is a bit cold.”

■ To read more about Cox’s journey (or donate to his charity), go to www.greatbikeride.com

Britain clocks up another cycling world champion After 15 years as a professional racer, Tracy Moseley claimed her first rainbow jersey, winning the women’s elite Downhill World Championship title at Mont St Anne, Canada.

An elated Moseley told London Cyclist: “It’s been a long road to finally getting my hands on that jersey.

After so many near misses I must admit I wondered if I ever would get there at times though. It feels amazing.”

Moseley’s win caps an amazing run in recent years for British mountain bikers, with Steve Peat having won the Worlds last year and both Gee Atherton and sister Rachel claiming the respective downhill titles in 2008.

Champion cyclocross racer Vin Cox has been confirmed as the new Guinness World Record holder for the ‘fastest circumnavigation by bicycle’. His time of 163 days, 6 hours and 58 minutes was a little over a month

faster than the previous official record time of Mark Beaumont.

It was also significantly quicker than the non-ratified efforts of James Bowthorpe and Julian Sayarer in 2009.

Cox’s challenge began in

WF cyclists blaze an art trail in E17

Muddy Hell event returns to Herne Hill

The local LCC group in Waltham Forest organised a grand tour and several shorter étapes to help cyclists discover a huge arts event in the borough. The Art Trail saw 200 listings, with 1,200 participating artists in 100 venues scattered throughout the borough.

Mat Schmidt from WFCC said: "Our grand tour visited 18 locations in one afternoon and there was enough time to savour the art, talk to the artists over wine, stop for ice cream and, naturally, cycle.”

Following its hugely successful inaugural event last year, the Rollapaluza team has organised another ‘Muddy Hell’ event, on the eve of Halloween, at Herne Hill velodrome on Saturday 30 October. If cyclocross racing in a gimp suit, witch's outfit or skeleton mask is your thing — or Belgian beers, BBQs and rollerracing come to that — then head along there.

For competitors there's night-time off-road racing across several categories, with new ‘surprise’ obstacles around the course (which will still pass through the beer tent) and rumours of ‘guaranteed mud’.

Less experienced riders are welcome in the novice/ fixed-wheel/mountain bike/ singlespeed mtb category.

New title sponsors Knog are providing £1,000 in cash prizes, as well as awards for best fancy-dress racers. As in 2009,

spectator entry is free.

However, race entries were almost full as we went to press,

so get in quick if you want to compete — www.rollapaluza. com/cross.

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

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LETTERS

Letters Comment, opinion, rants and raves — send yours to londoncyclist@lcc.org.uk IT’S KIDS’ PLAY We went as a family to Redbridge Sykride this year and can thoroughly recommend these local events to anyone — especially as a way of inspiring children to take up cycling. Let’s have more, spread across London throughout the year. Much better than the central London Skyride where there’s simply too many people to keep moving.

Georgie Last, E17

DONE THE DUNRUN I noticed in your excellent magazine that in the next issue you’d be doing a feature on ‘cargo’ bikes — having done the Dunwich Dynamo this summer on a Kemper Filibus along with Tigger (my springer spaniel), I couldn’t let the opportunity pass to drop you a line.

I bought the Filibus about 18 months ago from Velorution, primarily to transport my two dogs (Tigger and Moppett) who love being taken all over London.

This year I started to attend charity rides with Tigger and took him on the BHF London to Brighton and then the BHF London to Southend ride.

People's reactions to a dog sailing past them at great speed downhill and then overtaking us when we're very slowly climbing the next hill is simply fantastic — people always talk about the bike, how it easily replaces my need for a car and how well it cycles.

Along with other cyclists from NHS Tower Hamlets who took part in the DunRun, we hope to be able to raise £2,000 for the work of Maternity Worldwide, a charity that works in developing countries to ensure childbirth is a safe experience for mother and child (www.justgiving.com/nhsth).

Tigger seemed to enjoy the DunRun although the fourteen hours ride was definitely the longest and hardest I’ve ever done — the last 20 miles seeming to magic up new hills that I'm sure weren't there last year!

So if you want a genuine

UNUSUAL CARGO: Chris Lovitt at the end of this year's Dunwich Dynamo, with his dog Tigger and ' carry anything' bike

‘cargo bike’ that rides like a proper one, that can cope with two supermarket trolleys full of shopping, carry most DIY purchases, transport two dogs in style and eagerly cover long distance rides, I recommend testing one of these.

Chris Lovitt, email

awareness of the practical issues faced as a cyclist, in the hope of reducing accidents, but improve perceptions amongst drivers. It might incidentally also just promote cycling which will in turn reduce accidents anyway.

Susannah Woodgate, W12

WONDERFUL COPENHAGEN LCC says: Well done Chris, we saw you along the way — great atmosphere as always. Sadly the bikes we’re looking at this issue are more ‘urban cruisers’ or ‘cargo-lite’ bikes compared to yours, but a proper feature is on its way.

IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM Following up on the column and letter by Amy Aeron Thomas (London Cyclist, June-July 2010) and Andy Bebington (London Cyclist, Aug-Sept 2010), it seems obvious to me, if not others, that another way to change behaviour amongst drivers is to make cycling an obligatory (where possible) part of learning to drive. Of course, there will need to be exceptions (perhaps for people with disabilities). This approach might not only help to improve driver

How refreshing and inspiring to read the Copenhagen article in the last issue; 38 percent bike usage compared to our lousy two percent — amazing! I think we should learn from them using traffic wardens too. Surely TfL could organise electronic tagging and our numerous (and unpopular) traffic wardens could be incentivised to identify stolen bikes by scanners? I for one would happily pay a small charge for recovery. Perhaps the insurance companies could sponsor a pilot scheme? Our stolen bikes recovered and traffic warden's reputation enhanced in one fell swoop. What's not to like?

Heather Davis, email

SEGREGATED LANES Your last issue (Aug-Sept 2010) once again features a continental city where cycling is

much safer than London — this time Copenhagen. And as with the other cities, the prime reason for that safety is segregation of bikes and motor traffic. Ritte Bjerregaard (former mayor) says: “Copenhagen could never have become such a successful cycling city if we hadn’t created such a distinct divide between bike lanes and cars.”

I have wondered for a long time why the LCC says so little about segregation of bikes and cars. If the cities held up to us as examples stress it, why do we downplay it? The argument that London streets are too narrow doesn’t wash. Some are, but many aren’t. Separated bike lanes are not even mentioned in the LCC’s election manifesto — unless they come under the eighth and last point as “reallocation of road space”.

In the same issue, LCC campaigns officer Charlie Lloyd says that “the number one reason non-cyclists give for not using a bicycle is that they don’t feel safe”. I would think there’s nothing safer for cyclists than segregated routes. But where does the LCC stand on this?

Bill Saltmarsh, SE27

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LCC says: When speeds and volumes of vehicles are high, LCC says separate bicycles and cars. However, removing through traffic from residential areas and reducing speed limits can also work towards creating a cycle-friendly city.

WATCH THE BIRDIE As a keen cyclist and birdwatcher I must correct Tanya Jackson's bird observation in Deal (London Cyclist, Aug-Sept 2010). If the bird in question was hovering it was more than likely a kestrel, not a sparrowhawk.

Now I have satisfied my pedantry, how about an article about the combined joys of cycling and birdwatching? Only the other week I set off to visit Weeting Heath (NWT) and Lakenheath Fen (RSPB) reserves in East Anglia, travelling from Finsbury Park to Brandon by train, then cycling at either end and between the reserves. And my reading material for the train? RSPB Birds magazine and London Cyclist of course!

Adrian Platt, Tufnell Park

ON THE VIKING TRAIL Thanks for the article on the Viking Trail in Kent (London Cyclist, Aug-Sept 2010). We followed this route and stayed in the same hotels — it was a great refreshing break. The Millers Arms now has a new manager, Paul Henderson, who is a keen cyclist from Scotland, and is making the hotel even more cyclist friendly.

Before leaving Canterbury for our return to St Pancras (only 57

SEA FARE: sampling oysters in Kent

minutes on a new train) we rode to Whitstable along the eight-mile cycle route, very worthwhile. I can recommend the oysters on the harbour front.

Martin Scott, NW3

STOP THE ‘JAY-WHEELERS’ Thank you LCC for your 'Beat the Thief' campaign. Worries about theft do put people off cycling and actual thefts can keep them from cycling altogether. But there are softer issues that stop people cycling and one of the most infuriating is 'jay-wheeling'; maybe that could be the new word to describe the ignoring of traffic lights by cyclists?

London has a fine tradition of jay-walking already (hence all those barriers at intersections, against which cyclists may be crushed); perhaps this is why so many cyclists follow suit. I commute daily by bike and some mornings see as many cyclists ignoring the red lights as stopping at them. Those who might otherwise be inclined to stop seem to gain confidence by seeing others ride on with impunity, such that one or two

jay-wheelers can create a snowball effect, picking up more and more recruits over a given stretch of road.

Yesterday I saw some police officers trying to curb the tendency by pulling over a few jay-wheelers for a fine or a warning. I approve — it may be the only way — but would like to see them extend the courtesy and also try to get the trucks, cars, buses and motorcycles out of the advance stop boxes too.

CS, SE13

ANOTHER NEAR MISS I feel a bit hard done by. A week ago, I had a very near miss with a coach in central London, in the early evening. I was being overtaken while I was cycling along, about a metre away from parked cars and the coach passed so close to me that I was able to touch it. I had previously overtaken the coach, so was able to give the company a number of streets that the coach had driven on and its direction when I made my complaint. However as I was unable to give the full registration number, the company said it could do nothing about it.

Do they really have so many coaches that they can't keep a track of them and cannot match a coach to a partial plate? Or is it that they simply won't bother? I work in the construction industry, where near misses are taken very seriously. Why can't we do this on the road? I wouldn't have contacted the company if I hadn't been in such potential danger.

Leonora Lang, email

BUS LANES OVERKILL In response to Charlie Lloyd's article in the last London Cyclist — and the hard-hitting ongoing LCC campaign about motorbikes in bus lanes — what's the fixation with bus lanes about? Bus lanes often make terrible cycleways, surely we all know that? They're nearly always on major roads, they never have a curb separating you from motor traffic (my number one safety feature of any cycleway), and even forgetting the motorbike thing you have to share them with cycle-unfriendly vehicles.

Buses have a very annoying habit of overtaking you and then stopping right in front, pushing you out into the main traffic flow. And let's not forget the fact that taxis are in there too and their driving habits can be less than courteous.

There's only a finite amount of campaigning effort around, so why don't we focus it on the cycleways that really make a difference? Curbed off from the road, running through green spaces, proper wide and safe havens truly separated from motor traffic — these are the ones which encourage people to take up cycling.

Ric Hill, Camden Town

LCC says: We campaign for better cycle lanes, but that doesn't change the fact that many cyclists see bus lanes as a relatively safe haven from motor traffic. Putting fast motorbikes in them reduces this sensation of safety and, according to TfL's report, creates more road danger.

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

Ashok Sinha In his first column for London Cyclist, LCC’s new chief executive explains how cycling can be a key factor in many social challenges we face today

B

y the time you read this I will have been serving as London Cycling Campaign’s new chief executive for about three weeks. But copy deadlines being copy deadlines I’m actually penning it some three weeks before starting in post. So, writing this column involves some unusual (for me at least) situational time travel. In the spirit of which I’m going to hop around in time just a little bit more.

Let’s start with the global picture over the coming few decades. By the end of this period, as many of you will be acutely aware, we need to have largely decarbonised the world’s major economies to avert the worst likely human and environmental impacts of climate change. The energy sector is comparatively tractable — policy-makers agree that the solution is to maximise efficiency and switch to low carbon energy sources. But reducing emissions from transportation is arguably a greater headache. This is where cycling has a significant role to play.

Whilst it’s ineluctably true that an upswing in cycling (though important) won’t alone ease the pain, getting more people on bikes, more often, will be visibly emblematic of the positive shift in mindset we need to tackle global warming.

As that visionary future-gazer HG Wells said: “When I see an adult on bicycle I do not despair for the future of the human race.” That’s one good reason why I am a cyclist.

Cycling as part of the solution Now to the present. As many readers will again be aware, cycling has the potential to be part of the solution to many of the social challenges we face today. Whether arresting the surge in childhood obesity and inactivity, ameliorating London’s frequently woeful air quality, civilising our streetscapes or seeding economic development, cycling — as LCC rightly and frequently asserts — has a transformative role to play. That’s another reason I’m a cyclist, and indeed an LCC member.

Moreover we shouldn’t move on without celebrating the successes LCC members have helped deliver. Who would have imagined even just a few years ago that today we would have over £100 million earmarked to encourage cycling in London, the new Cycle Superhighways and the new Cycle Hire Scheme? Whatever the merits of each particular initiative — and the debate has been vigorous — it’s pretty uncontentious to state that cycling has rarely (if ever) had such high stock politically.

LCC — and by that I mean all of you, even if your only active involvement has been to sign up as a member — has helped achieve this. But the present gains if anything simply illuminate how much left there is to do. Which, of

course, means we need your active involvement in LCC more than ever.

Back to the future But in case this is all sounding a bit worthy, let’s reset the dial on our time machine to ‘nostalgia’. It’s the 1970s, it’s summer and I’m seven years old. The street where I lived, located on a fairly steep hill, is full of kids playing footie and riding bikes.

Dave up the road has finally agreed to let me try out his bright red Tomahawk — a junior version of the legendary Chopper. I don’t yet know how to ride a bike, but after a couple of tries and the same number of narrow squeaks I’m tearing downhill in the middle of the road, yelping like a banshee with pleasure. It was a pivotal moment and I never looked back. Having fun on bikes suddenly became an integral part of growing up. Later, my bike would transport me across my student years, always faithfully waiting for me after the last bus had long gone.

“Whatever the merits of each initiative... it's pretty uncontentious to state that cycling has rarely had such high stock politically” And today the pleasure of seeing my children on bikes is unalloyed, knowing the freedom and joy cycling will bring them, just as it did (and does) me. If I’m honest, without resiling from any of the wider environmental and societal motivations, this is the fundamental reason why I cycle — for the simple freedom and joy of it. And I suspect that the same may be true for quite a number of you too.

So, whatever gets you on your wheels — to build a sustainable future for our planet, to create more peoplecentred urban spaces, to save time and money, get fit, compete, look good, attract admirers, release the inner child in you or simply to have fun – long may you ride.

Well done for all you have achieved and thank you for being a pioneer and ambassador for all that LCC works hard to accomplish. I, and this wonderful organisation that I have the privilege of joining, promise to strive hard to find even better ways in future to serve and support you.

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OPINION

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

OPINION

Zoe Williams Now that they’re officially part of the London streetscape, our regular columnist can't resist a dig at the Cycle Hire bikes…

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f course I have a few petty gripes about the flagship London Cycle Hire Scheme: Firstly, I actually don’t object, but I feel as though I ought to, to the Barclays branding. I saw a bike today with a sticker above the logo: it was a rude word.

And it wasn’t 'sod'. So you can probably guess what it was.

“Ha ha! That’ll stick it to the man,” was my first reaction.

But I couldn’t help thinking, who would go to the effort of getting rude stickers made in a Barclay’s font? Haven’t they actually done us a favour, by buying us all these bikes?

Perhaps the subversive-sticker industry would be better occupied f***ing NatWest, who haven’t given away anything since the porcelain pigs? So anyway, that is a problem. They have disturbed my relationship with the banking industry, which used to be unmitigated hostility and is now tinged with a friendly gratitude. I am too old to make a change like this.

Secondly, can we clear this up: are you supposed to carry a lock with you, everywhere you go, in case you get the urge to mount a bike? Or are you supposed to assume that nobody would bother stealing one, because there are so many of them? Or are you supposed to only want to travel between one bike rack and another? That last option has a certain lateral-thinkers’ appeal (hmm… what kind of journey can I conceive, that takes me from Shepherdess Walk to Waterloo? A fashionable haircut and then some theatre?). But if that’s the case, then I believe there are other methods of transport travelling between fixed points and they’re called trains.

Breeding bad habits?

Necessarily, the 'Hire Bike' will attract bad seeds. I saw a woman today cycling across a pedestrian crossing, onto the pavement. Ok, that would have been fine if it was residential, but this was Trafalgar Square. The only way she could have been more obstructive and hazardous is if she’d incompetently ridden a horse onto the pavement. And she had that angry-cyclists’ face on that says “don’t tell me! I know I’ve done something wrong! I’m just going to shout right back, it’ll be worse for you in the long run!”. I know this face, mate, I invented this face. But when you see it on somebody else, you realise what a bad name it gives the whole lot of us.

Next, there are questions to be answered about why the bike had to weigh as much as a car. Is it to make us all fit, as well as green? Is that not a little bit unfair? Can we not have some citizenship-share arrangement, some citizenoffsetting, where the environmentally-conscientious get to not worry about obesity?

Also the placement of the bike racks is openly Westminster-centric. Never mind that there are loads near the actual Houses of Parliament, when any fool knows that all MPs have their own bike, in order to prove they really know how to ride it. There are racks on the south side of the Thames, as you approach Lambeth bridge. I’ve never even seen anybody walking down there, let alone walking with a mind to cycling. I don’t even know how you’d get there in the first place, if you didn’t already have your own bike.

No need for mickey-taking And I know it’s a Barclay’s colour, but the blue is distinctively square. Sure, sure, you’d never mistake anyone for a Yellow Jersey anyway on one of these things, but you can see them coming from a mile off, they look like policemen from a

“Why do the bikes have to weigh as much as a car? Is it to make us all fit, as well as green? Is that not a little unfair?” children’s story. Part of the fun of cycling is pretending you’re going really fast and everybody is standing back in awe. You simply can’t do that on a steed that looks like an 80s corporate golf umbrella.

Finally, and as a result of this, plus the weight, plus the consequent slowness, other cyclists aren’t very nice to hire bike riders. They dart in front of them, and up the inside, and overtake them unnecessarily, just to laugh. That’s probably what the poor maligned Trafalgar Square woman was doing on the pavement. She’d probably just been bullied by a Claud Butler, in an incident of open bike-centric bigotry. Now I feel bad that I probably (definitely) gave her a dirty look.

But if we can just leave all that aside, for a second: this is all a roundabout way of saying, they’re terrific, aren’t they?

Aren’t they just the best thing that ever happened?

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

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OPINION

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

OPINION

Phillip Darnton The Chairman of Cycling England explains why spending money to put people on bicycles makes sound economic sense, even in these tough times

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here’s not much difference between selling sausages and selling cycling. Every advertising agency will tell you that you’ll never convince people to buy your sausages simply by listing their ingredients and nutritional content. What’s important is ‘the sizzle’: that wonderful image extolling the ‘eat me’ appeal of a pan of bangers — so vivid your taste buds are a-flutter, and your gastric juices go into overdrive.

It’s those images that makes you think, “Sausages, let’s have sausages!” — quite forgetting their fat content or the amount of bread they might contain. And selling cycling should be much easier than selling sausages because cycling is through-and-through good for you. And it’s fun!

Yet despite the long list of tasty ingredients — mental and physical wellbeing, congestion-busting, convenience, reliability, cheapness, zero pollution and CO2 emissions — the idea of everyday cycling still only has minority appeal.

Governments often fail to realise that these worthy reasons make cycling worth backing, enough to encourage people to take it up for some of those short trips where we still instinctively reach for the car keys. Cycling just hasn’t had the ‘sizzle’ factor for many politicians.

Threefold return on cycling investment That might be changing, though, because over the past five years Cycling England has worked to convince both central government and many local authorities that they should take cycling as a mode of transport seriously, and invest accordingly. The argument that has been winning over sections of decision-makers is not any of those individually worthy ingredients, but rather it’s been the economic case: that investing in cycling generates a large financial return.

For the Treasury and spending departments the ‘sizzle’ for cycling is the benefit-to-cost ratio.

The Department for Transport recently analysed the results from three years’ investment in the UK’s first six cycling towns and came up with some very positive conclusions. The headline is that the payback for investment in cycling is at least three to one, which means for every £1 invested, there's at least £3 back in terms of benefit. And this is a very conservative figure, with economists agreeing that only small changes in the basic assumptions can create a benefit-to-cost ratio of more than five to one.

The fact is that no other transport schemes can offer this level of payback for Government investment.

There is some small-print under this headline, but it's still good news. The benefits are that a large portion

(typically over half) of the the return on investment is delivered in health gains. Health benefits are naturally influenced by the age of the new cyclists; their existing activity levels; their longer-term commitment to cycling and so on. But even so, it’s still only necessary to encourage a person to cycle for 40 minutes, three times a week, to achieve a real, clinical, improvement in their physical well-being – that’s just 20 minutes one way, and 20 minutes back. This translates into serious savings for our increasingly overworked healthcare system.

“Pay-back for cycling investment is three to one. No other schemes offer this level of return” Indeed, an increase in cycling trips from their current level – about one-and-a-half percent of all our journeys in the UK — to just two-and-a-quarter percent would create a benefit to the government of £1.5 billion over five years.

In this ‘age of austerity’, there can be few more compelling cases than this to persuade the holders of the public purse-strings that cycling works. It’s affordable, and, the real selling-point, it pays handsomely.

Creating a happier, healthier nation The cost of sedentary lifestyles to our country is extraordinarily high, with estimates that obesity will cost the UK more than £30 billion per year by 2050, with motor traffic congestion already costing London £2 billion a year. Cycling England is currently waiting to hear what level of funding it will receive from the government for the period 2011-14.

What a sad waste it would be if such productive models of transport spending were subject to stringent government cuts — at precisely the time when the data is showing that investment in cycling pays for itself.

The message that we must put out to politicians and decision-makers is that money spent on cycling – for schoolchildren or adult training, public hire schemes, bike lanes, or car-free events — pays back at least threefold in creating healthier people in a safer and friendlier environment. In a time of cuts, remember that not a penny that’s spent on cycling is likely to be wasted — not a sausage!

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CAMPAIGN

Next steps in fight against bike crime Successful lobbying by LCC has contributed to the recent creation of a police unit specifically to tackle cycle crime. Mike Cavenett spent a couple of days with the new Cycle Task Force in central London

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n a summer’s evening somewhere in London there’s a black mountain bike, nearly new, secured to a stand with a medium-weight cable lock — at least 10 people are watching it. The bike belongs to the Metropolitan Police’s new Cycle Task Force.

Three of the people watching the bike think they’re going to steal it.

One is the ‘spotter’, who selected the bicycle, and has just used his mobile phone to describe its lock and location to a pair of accomplices.

Seconds later, two others arrive together on a single BMX. The ‘cutter’ breaks the lock, ready for the ‘rider’

to disappear on the newly-freed bicycle. The whole process, from identification to theft, can take less than a minute.

This time, however, the thieves aren’t the only ones on the scene: five members of the Cycle Task Force are strategically located around this particular bicycle, as well as a

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Photos: Mike Cavenett SPOT CHECK: here officers provide helpful advice; they also stop anyone they suspect of being involved in bike theft

dedicated Cycle Task Force, with responsibility for fighting cycle crime, was greeted with relief by London cyclists. While bike theft has always been a problem, things have got out of hand in recent years, with the worst ward in the capital suffering a 75 percent increase in theft in 2009.

The launch of the Cycle Hire Scheme in late July was also a deciding factor in the creation of the squad.

LONDO N CY CAMP CLING AIGN

number of private security guards observing the scene remotely via CCTV cameras.

The denouement is sudden: the moment the lock has been cut, the thieves are overwhelmed with a swift display of muscular policing.

A van appears from nowhere and the three thieves are driven away.

PC Robert Johnston is one of 12 constables on the new Cycle Task Force. He says: “We know the most likely locations and times, then we wait. Sometimes we joke it’s like The Wire, except it’s more like The Tyre.

We always lock the bikes up, so we catch the thieves who are tooled up for the job.”

The creation this summer of a

Mounting proper stings The team now shares a building in Southwark with its paymaster, Transport for London. At full strength, the pan-London unit will comprise one inspector, three sergeants, 12 PCs, 12 PCSOs and up to 30 special constables. The Task Force’s remit is broad: reducing cycle theft, protecting the Cycle Hire Scheme and tackling illegal behaviour on the streets.

Stings like the one described above take place in high-risk areas that have many poorly locked bikes.

For example, one central London university campus had 500 bicycles stolen in 2009. The police and security guards there have set a target of a 50 percent reduction in bike theft in one year.

The Task Force has to deal with other modus operandi too, including work-alone thieves. PC Johnston explains: “Some look like your archetypal ‘respectable’ London cyclist: helmet, high-vis jacket and rucksack, riding a decent-looking city bike, even wearing a suit. They ride up to a rack of bikes, apparently locking up at random and wandering off. However, they return a short time later, ready to steal a pre-

THREE REASONS TO MARK YOUR BICYCLE...

1. IT’S FREE AND EASY: Police mark your frame number using indelible UV ink (stamped numbers can be filed off) and record your details on the National Mobile Property Register, which can be checked while they’re on the street. There’s little point using an electronic tag because the scanners are currently the size of a suitcase so rarely see much action.

2. IT HELPS CATCH THIEVES: If your bike is stolen, there’s a chance the culprit might be stopped in the street riding it. A marked bike can be instantly checked against the National Property Database and the theft identified. You get your bike back and the thief gets their collar felt.

3. YOU MIGHT GET YOUR BIKE BACK: Thieves who are caught often lead to stores of bikes waiting to be fenced. If yours is marked, then there’s a much greater chance of uniting it with its owner. Estimates vary as to the numbers of recovered bikes stored in police stations, but it’s probably in the thousands.

POLICE BIKES: rugged hybrids are highly visible and street-ready

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CAMPAIGN BIKE MARKING: helps catch thieves

events, spending time in busy locations, talking with cyclists and registering bicycles.

CYCLE HIRE SCHEME: the Task Force keeps an eye on bikes and docking stations

selected bike. Keeping their tools in their bag the whole time, they lift it up to cover the lock while they cut, letting the bits fall into the rucksack.

Then they’re free to ride away on the stolen bike, returning later to pick up their own. They can be very subtle and very quick, but now we know what we’re looking for, we can catch them.”

Blitzing problem areas Stings are one headline-grabbing method of policing, but another effective tool in the police’s armoury is the area blitz: up to 20 officers on bicycles comb the streets of a high-theft neighbourhood. Officers will stop anyone on a bicycle acting suspiciously and carry out frame number and ID checks. Riding on the pavement or going through a red light is grounds for investigation (though not necessarily a fine), but other more subtle markers are used too. PC Johnston says: “Perhaps someone is riding a bike that doesn’t

quite fit, or it’s a man on a ladies’ bike.

Maybe you spot a frame with dents where it might have been damaged when the lock was twisted off. We use our experience.”

The police claim to get results from these street sweeps and are confident they’re making life uncomfortable for thieves in high-risk areas. However, officers lament the small number of bikes that have identifying markings.

Sergeant Titus Halliwell of the Task Force adds: “When we recover a stolen bike, we run its details through a number of databases in the hope that we will have a match with its owner. However if the owner hasn’t registered their bike frame number or security mark, it is virtually impossible for us to reunite people with their bikes.”

The police argue that a standardised frame registry for bicycles would significantly reduce bike theft. This is why members of the Task Force organise bike-marking

Spreading the ‘net Although it’s too early to see results in a reduction in online sales of stolen bikes, LCC was present at a meeting with executives from the internet site Gumtree where a representative of the Cycle Task Force agreed to work more closely with the website to address the problem.

Street markets such as the one at Brick Lane in east London — which have provoked anger among cyclists because of people apparently brazenly selling stolen bikes — have also come under closer scrutiny this summer. The local LCC group in Tower Hamlets reports that unlicensed street vending has come under pressure from officers working with market inspectors.

Just a few months after its inception, it’s difficult to judge the success of the Cycle Task Force.

It’s not clear exactly what targets have been set for bike theft reduction, nor how the unit will fit in with other anti-theft policing efforts such as those from the British Transport Police and Safer Neighbourhood Units. However, the bike thieves have had it too much their way for too long. Now it’s essential this dedicated team succeeds so cycling can be allowed to grow to a level where it can dramatically improve the quality of life for London’s residents.

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FEATURE

Key to safe parking As LCC launches its new cycle parking campaign, Tom Bogdanowicz looks at best-practice examples of workplace parking and how you can get your situation improved. With additional research by Liz Reiner and Nick Davies.

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CAMPAIGN

SPACE-SAVING CYCLEPODS: have been installed by companies like the Guardian group, Sky, Ikea and various NHS Trusts

TWO-TIER STANDS: increasing capacity

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ommuting by bike has three essential requirements — a bike, a place to leave it at home and a place to leave it at work. The first two are usually yours to solve, the third depends on your employer or your council. Providing good facilities can lead to a massive increase in cycle use, as LCC found out a decade ago when it surveyed employees and found a quarter would cycle to work if facilities were provided. Ten years on, companies like the Guardian and GSK, with good secure cycle parking, are finding that the survey estimate was spot on.

4 LONDON

LO N D O N C YC L I N G C A M PA I G N

significantly, but you can quote them as a minimum standard when your council is setting planning guidelines or deciding on planning applications.

The trouble is that many developers provide no more than the minimum and then there are insufficient bike spaces. The huge 'Shard' tower in Southwark, for example, is expected to have just 250 cycle parking spaces for up to 6,500 workers.

Cycle parking pays When employers decide to do cycle provision properly it invariably results in an increase in the number of cycle users, as well as offering cost savings. Pharmaceutical giant GSK, a pioneer of workplace cycle facility design, recently reported a three-fold increase in registered cycle users after a revamp of its bike facilities.

When the company first embarked on cycle provision a decade ago it did the maths and came to the conclusion that every cycling staff member saved GSK the cost of £2,000 per year on a car parking space. So investing a few thousand pounds in better cycle facilities was not only good in terms of improving staff health and punctuality, it also helped the bottom line. GSK’s improved scheme offers staff an on-site bike shop, regular bike servicing and a ‘bike miles’ incentive scheme (collect stamps and get a new

ROUGH GUIDE TO COSTS ■ Sheffield stand (2 bikes) with installation: £150 ■ Two-tier bike stand: £500 (2 bikes) ■ Wall hook with security bar: £100 (1 bike) ■ Bike locker: £550-700 (1 bike) ■ Bike shed with gate for 10 bikes: £5,000 ■ Cyclepod: £330 (1 bike)

Photos: Tom Bogdanowicz

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CYCLE PARKING

Parking standards As LCC’s surveys of town halls and hospitals discovered (London Cyclist, Aug-Sept 2010), while some employers score well on staff provision, others offer their workers very little. Underlying this disparity is a planning legacy that used to ignore cycle users, allowing tower blocks, estates, hospitals and offices to be built without any cycle facilities at all.

The planning game, however, is changing, with an increasing number of local authorities stipulating that developers have to include cycle parking in their projects.

This is what the City of London says: “On new B1 (business) office developments there is a planning requirement to provide cycle parking spaces. This represents the provision of a cycle parking space for approximately 10 percent of the building’s workforce. In addition, developers are encouraged to provide more cycle parking than the minimum required and to provide visitor cycle parking and ancillary facilities such as showering and changing facilities.”

The Mayor’s London Plan also has official standards for cycle parking in developments ranging from one space per eight staff or students at universities, to one per 20 customers at a restaurant or café. LCC is lobbying to have them revised upwards

CLASSIC RACKS: in a secure compound

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CAMPAIGN PUBLIC CYCLE PARKING: semi-vertical racks at London Bridge

bike), in addition to further storage and showers.

London’s legal and architecture firms have also been among the most active in providing for their cycling staff. Responding to staff demand, law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer decided three years ago to allocate what was an underground car park entirely to cycle facilities.

Most cyclists will be envious of the purpose-designed, 154-space, fullysecure compound with large clothes lockers, a bank of showers and, the crowning glory, a giant drying cupboard for wet clothes (not to mention a track pump and stretch of carpet for cyclists who use cleats). It’s no wonder that about 10 percent of the staff now ride to work. Stacey Collins, who manages the facility, says: “Demand is now outstripping supply and we are looking at other solutions to put in more bikes.”

SECURE LOCKERS: designed to hold riding kit and other luggage

It's space that counts At new developments providing for bikes should be easy and in many

cases it is a planning requirement.

The new Royal Bank of Scotland block in Southwark has more than 300 bike spaces in its basement with dozens of spaces outside for visitors. But Broxap (www.broxap.com), which has installed close to 1,000 school cycle shelters (the polycarbonate variety) in London, says too many developers still expect to squeeze dozens of bike stands into insufficient space.

“Developers are often unaware of what space is required,” says Broxap’s Darran Williamson. “Local Authorities should provide clear guidelines not just on the number of bike spaces, but on the area that has to be allocated to install them.” LCC has argued repeatedly that Mayoral and local cycle parking standards should specify the space required.

There are, however, a growing number of space-saving cycle stand designs. The Guardian newspaper group is one of several London offices to use Cyclepods (www.cyclepods. co.uk) — a system that can hold bikes in a semi-vertical position. Helen Pidd, the Guardian’s cycling writer says: “It takes a bit of effort to push your bike up but they really help pack the bikes in." With 200 bike spaces available a quarter of the Guardian’s staff now ride to work.

Another space-saving device is the two-tier stand — easy to spot at several London railway stations (Liverpool Street, Euston, Surbiton, Waterloo). Cycle-works (www. cycle-works.com), one of the main suppliers, says company demand for high density parking is booming.

"We’ve installed them for banks (Lloyds), hospitals (Royal Free) and we find that this is a fast growing area of business, with corporate demand increasing by 10 to 20 percent per year,” says director Peter Davenport.

Also on the menu at some firms — and on housing estates — are full-size lockers which provide a greater degree of security for a bicycle and the rider's luggage.

Sharing space Catering for both the public and corporate customers, the London Bridge Cycle Park (at On Your Bike in Tooley Street) is effectively a cycle parking showroom. It has a selection of ordinary racks, vertical racks, hooks and other devices to store up to 400 hundred bikes, offering different levels of security and storage density (a hook on the wall, for example, may suit a small office with a very small amount of interior space).

The facility is an illustration of

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CAMPAIGN

GUARDIAN OFFICES: offer both internal and external cycle parking

WHAT YOU CAN DO ■ It’s best to team up with other cyclists at your workplace and create a bicycle user group (BUG) which can make the case for improved bicycle facilities. Senior staff who cycle may prove valuable in presenting your case.

■ Take advantage of any funding that is available. Transport for London offers free cycle stands to businesses that are prepared to provide space and pay for installation.

Businesses located within 1.5 kilometres of a Cycle Superhighway can apply for a grant to install parking of up to £5,000.

■ Make sure your company is signed up to the Cycle 2 Work scheme that offers staff the opportunity to get a bike at up to 40 percent discount.

■ Make the case that cycling is beneficial for the employer as well as the employee. Provision of facilities satisfies some of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) targets that many businesses have. Cycling has also been shown to encourage better health, fewer absences and better time-keeping.

■ Offer to check out your workplace to see what opportunities there are for providing cycle parking.

LCC has carried out many audits in London for employers that identified cycle parking space which hadn’t been thought of. Contact the LCC office for advice on audits — 020 7234 9310.

■ Show your employer this article and tell them what other employers are doing. how an employer can provide cycle parking, even though they may not have space to accommodate cycle stands themselves. Several companies rent lockers and stands at the bike park to provide spaces for staff. Shared space may become more common as firms in densely built-up areas like the West End and City seek to satisfy the needs of cycling staff.

A recent planning application in the City, by a commercial company, aims to develop a cycle centre inside a part empty car park at London Wall — the company has applied to install stands, showers and a service centre.

If your employer doesn’t provide cycle parking we urge you to start lobbying today. Hundreds of firms have discovered that cycle facilities are a great investment. See panels above for an idea on what you can do and how much it costs.

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CAMPAIGN

Intelligent design LCC’s campaigns officer Charlie Lloyd explains how lorries can be made safer

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hese pages show what can and should be done to impove the safety of large lorries.

The main picture actually shows one of the best lorries, which has more safety features than the law demands. The vehicles on our streets typically have fewer, and even the safest of the current designs of large lorry pose an unacceptable risk when sharing streets with large numbers of cyclists and pedestrians.

It’s high time that urban lorries were designed in such a way that the reduction of the danger they pose to the vulnerable was made a priority. Visit LCC’s www. no-more-lethal-lorries.org.uk website for more details.

■ Support LCC's 'No More Lethal Lorries' appeal and help us reach our £20,000 target. Donate today via the dedicated website or call 020 7234 9310.

HEIGHT Too many lorries in cities are built on 'off-road' chassis, with a high front and side (often over 60cm), which are much more likely to run a cyclist over, rather than knock them aside. Lorry bumpers should be no higher than 45cm. Lorry seating should be made lower so it’s easier for drivers to see other road users at street level.

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All lorries should have warning lights, people sensors or cameras linked to the left-turn signal to reduce the risk of hitting a cyclist or pedestrian. These are already fitted to many lorries for reversing, but not for left turns.

WARNINGS

■ Thousands of UK lorries must be upgraded to the latest EU standards, which require a complete set of wide-angle mirrors.

■ Many lorries still lack a forward-facing mirror, which reveals cyclists and pedestrians close to the front of the lorry.

■ A Fresnel magnifier on the left-side window helps reveal hidden areas. Transport for London has given out thousands of these lenses.

Highly visible warning signs should be compulsory on the back of all lorries in cities, explaining to cyclists the dangers of passing large lorries on the inside.

WINDOWS

SIDEBARS

Lorries in urban areas should have much improved visibility around the driver, so vulnerable road users close to the vehicle can be seen. This requires more extensive use of glass panels, so windows are designed to come down as low as possible and doors are fitted with see-through panels.

Many types of lorry are exempt from regulations to fit side 'under-run' protection, which can push a cyclist away in the event of danger. Responsible operators fit these bars to all lorries, even those that are exempt.

CAMPAIGN

SENSORS AND CAMERAS

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October-November 2010 London Cyclist 29

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With less than two years until the Olympic Games come to town, Bernard McDonnell guides us on a loop of the main host borough

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where the Olympic Games will be held as ‘Stratford Marsh’.

Romford Road follows the route of the Roman road to Colchester and at Stratford it met up with the road to Cambridge so that all travellers crossed by the ford. Stratford, therefore, was a major road junction. In the 12th century, it became important after Stratford’s Langthorne Abbey was built. For a brief period in 1267 Henry III made this his headquarters in his struggles with Simon de Montfort. The Abbey ceased to exist in 1538, at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries.

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The name Stratford is thought to have come from the two words meaning ‘street’ and ‘ford’. Until relatively recent times the Lea (or Lee) valley was a marshy area with deeper river channels of the rivers Lea and Channelsea running through it. Some quite recent maps still label the area

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DISTANCE 13 miles (20km) TIME 4 hours, plus stops START Stratford station GRADIENT Flat PUBLIC TRANSPORT Stratford & Canning Town rail; several DLR stations GET A MAP http://bit.ly/ bgJaE7

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or the last few years, Newham Cyclists’ ride co-ordinator Bernard McDonnell has been organising regular summer rides that link venues for the 2012 Olympics and other sites of historic interest in the borough.

Starting at Stratford Station, the route heads past the soaring Olympic stadium, along the hidden Greenway, visiting Three Mills and Trinity Buoy lighthouse, as well as taking in the Royal Docks, Thames Barrier Park and film studios.

A new series of rides will begin next spring, so keep an eye on the listing pages of London Cyclist or watch for updates at www.lcc.org.uk/rides ■ For a fuller route description, see Tom Bogdanowicz’s London Cycling Guide, published by New Holland (£10.99), available at discount to LCC members.

Manor Rd

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

Newham and 2012

CANNING TOWN & EXCEL 5 ROYAL DOCKS Royal Victoria Dock

BRICK LANE 6 MUSIC HALL

Thames Barrier Park

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THE GREENWAY AND THE OLYMPIC PARK

Truly a phenomenon that goes unnoticed by most Londoners, the Greenway is a level, almost continuous and straight traffic-free route that carves through Newham and through the Olympic Park at high level, overlooking houses and gardens with some interesting views.

It starts at Wick Lane and ends after 4.4 miles at Royal Docks Road, Beckton. A broad, bonded gravel track, the Greenway was constructed on top of the Northern Outfall Sewer Embankment, designed

by Sir William Joseph Bazalgette,

which carries effluent from north of the Thames to the sewage disposal works at Beckton. Despite this unpromising factor, it’s become a haven for wildlife, as the track is lined with grass and shrubs.

The Olympic Delivery Authority is upgrading and landscaping the Greenway in time for 2012.

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PIT-STOPS ■ Fatboy’s Diner — 020 7987 4334 ■ Three Mills café — 020 8980 4626 ■ Thames Barrier Park cafe — 020 7511 4111

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BRICK LANE MUSIC HALL

The building where the Music Hall is now housed is the former church of St Mark’s, built in the 1870s by Samuel Teulon, better known for his design of Victoria Tower Gardens overlooking the Thames by the Houses of Parliament. The building is of historic interest for its unique gothic brick exterior and the grace of its interior design.

Having been deconsecrated in the 1980s the building could have been destroyed by fire had it not been for the weight of pigeon muck on the roof, which fell and quickly extinguished the flames! The building was carefully restored but then remained empty for many years

POINTS OF INTEREST

before being offered as a distinguished home for Brick Lane Music Hall. A Grade II listed building, the exterior remains largely unchanged, while the interior has been tastefully refurbished to retain all of its former character, whilst housing a full stage, lighting and sound systems, a bar, offices, kitchen and all the conveniences of a modern-day theatre.

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ROYAL DOCKS & EXCEL

King George V Park

THREE MILLS

It is thought that there were 8 or possibly 9 mills on the River Lea in Stratford at the time of the Domesday Book. These would therefore have been the earliest recorded examples of a tidal mill system. Some time during the Middle Ages, Langthorne Abbey acquired the three mills and the area became known as ‘Three Mills’. By the time Henry VIII dissolved the abbey, the mills were grinding flour for the bakers of Stratfordatte-Bow, who were celebrated for the quality of their bread and who supplied the huge City of London market.

The 250 acres of the Royal Docks are unique in their scale and location. Reputed to be the largest area of impounded water in the world, they comprise the main Royal Victoria, Royal Albert and King George V docks, the smaller Pontoon Dock and Albert Basin, and King George V and Gallions locks, these giving direct access to the River Thames.

In 1588, one of the mills was described as a ‘gunpowder mill’.

During the 16th century the three mills were reduced to two (the House Mill and the Clock Mill). In the 17th century these mills were used to grind grain, which was then used to distil alcohol. House Mill was built in 1776 and last used in 1941.

The water areas are now used principally for recreational activities, including sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, rowing, jet-skiing, water-skiing and water-based events including The London Triathlon.

ExCel will be the venue for the weightlifting, Paralympic powerlifting, judo, wrestling, boccia, taekwondo, table tennis, boxing and wheelchair basketball in the 2012 Olympic Games.

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■ Abbey Mills Pumping Station Grade II listed building.

Otherwise known as the ‘cathedral of sewage’. It is called Abbey Mills because it was built close to the site of Stratford Langthorne Abbey.

■ Bow Creek Ecology Park Open daily from 9am to 5pm. A species-rich educational nature park within a bend of the River Lea, designed around a series of created wetlands.

■ Thames Barrier Park London’s first major riverside park was officially opened by Ken Livingstone in November 2000. Open from sunrise to sunset daily.

■ Beckton Alps Created by the LDDC as a monument to an extinct industry in the mid-80s.

Featured in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket and housed a dry ski slope from 1989 to 2001.

■ St Mary Magdalene Church, East Ham A Grade I listed building dating back to the 12th century. Funds raised by the local congregation (plus grants) have helped to finance the restoration and conservation of the rare 700-year-old wall paintings. Since 1977 the churchyard has been a nature reserve.

TRINITY BUOY WHARF

The Corporation of Trinity House was originally a voluntary association of shipmen and mariners, and was granted a charter by Henry VIII in 1514 as ‘The Guild or Fraternity of the most glorious and undividable Trinity of St Clement’.

It received its coat of arms in 1573 and with it the authority to erect and maintain beacons, marks and signs of the sea, “for the better navigation of the coasts of England”.

Since then it has been the famous company responsible for buoys, lighthouses and lightships and pioneering the techniques involved.

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INTERVIEW

Bike café culture

This year has seen a boom in cycle cafés across the capital. London Cyclist visits a handful of the new guard, plus one longer established favourite…

LOOK MUM NO HANDS 49 Old Street, EC1

You officially opened in April, what’s been the highlight so far?

There have been quite a few but the final mountain stage of the Tour de France when there was no room to stand in the café was pretty special.

People were shouting and cheering at the screen and standing on tables in the yard to get a better view.

And the events you've hosted?

We've had book launches, socials for cycling clubs, film nights, art shows and industry product launches. We had a great evening with Procycling magazine in July with commentator Phil Liggett and Cervelo Test Team rider Dan Martin, holiding a Q&A session before the Tour de France got underway.

Tell us about yourself and your business partners and their relative backgrounds...

There are three of us: Sam, Lewin and me. My background is in the financial sector, Sam has worked in the bike industry in an assortment of well known workshops and Lewin, who I've known since junior school, has a background running cafés. We all love bikes and use them daily, but while Lewin and I have both raced a bit locally, neither of us are up to Sam's standard.

Why this location?

We knew that we needed a place with outside space, plenty of room to lock customers' bikes, plus we wanted somewhere large enough to show sport on a big screen and to be able to hold events. We knew that this spot was perfect when we

found it — it's big, airy and full of character, with loads of natural light.

And the yard is almost too good to be true. It's like it was designed for us.

How long did all the work take before opening?

We were lucky that the place was in a reasonable nick. A slight rearrangement of the walls, a lick of paint and some tinkering with the plumbing and electrics was all that was needed. We did most of it ourselves so it all worked out quite cheaply and we were up and running in less than five weeks.

Was it always the plan to offer workshop services?

Definitely. Without the workshop we'd just be a cycling-themed café.

The workshop not only gives customers a reason to visit but it also

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With a permanent demand for good mechanics in London, has that side been swamped?

The workshop is running at capacity already. Partly because of the demand for workshop services in central London, but also because of the reputation that Sam has earned as an excellent mechanic. He has a loyal list of clients who have been following him for years and that base is growing.

You can’t just rely on cyclists to tick over, what sort of punters do you get?

That's true and we always knew that we should be very inclusive. Not only did we want all cyclists to feel welcome, but also that non-cyclists would want to come too because of the great space and because the cafe is good enough to stand on its own merits. I think we've achieved this as the majority of our business comes from locals enjoying our pies and salads at lunch, buying their morning coffee or enjoying a drink after work.

On any weekday morning you're likely to find people in suits having a business meeting, road cyclists just back from a ride and students using the free wifi.

Will you be expanding to include bike sales?

We didn't set out to sell bikes as they take up so much room and we had our hands full enough with the workshop and café/bar, but who knows? There are often one or two bikes on display that are for sale. We get a lot of queries about secondhand bikes and bike hire too.

Having been so successful already would you consider adding other venues?

We've been successful so far, but we're not in a hurry. We want to enjoy what we've achieved and there is still some way to go before the Old Street café fulfills its potential. It's interesting to wonder whether other cities in the UK would be able to sustain a café like LMNH or whether London could support two.

Plans for the future?

In the short term, people seem to want to buy our t-shirts, cycling caps and jerseys so we're adding a shop to the website. Longer term, we've got plenty of ideas and we've had a few interesting offers, but as I say we're in no rush.

NEW VENTURES: for Matthew Harper of Look Mum No Hands (left) and Krisz Borbely of CycleLab

www.danielbosworth.com

adds a bit of theatre that all our customers can enjoy.

CYCLELAB 18a Pitfield Street, N1

How long had you been planning the business before opening?

I started researching my project about two years ago, the shop itself took about 4-5 months and fitting one month. We opened in early June.

And the juice/smoothie bar was always part of the plan?

Actually when LMNH opened just before me — and I have a very good relationship with the owners — I thought I'd offer something different.

I always wanted to learn more about nutrition and raw food, so juice was an obvious option. But yes, I always aimed for a bike shop, with an added café or bar section.

Your family has strong links with cycling doesn't it?

My dad opened his bike shop in 1994 in Hungary and I started there as a Saturday boy, before moving on to other shops. I started racing bikes in 1988 (I was 7) and was in the national squad until 2002, when I stopped my professional cycling career. Then two years ago I had the opportunity to work for Sigma Sport as a race mechanic and I ran their maintenance courses. I loved to work with those boys, but I always wanted my own business. I wanted to have the shop around this area as there's so many cyclists around and it's very close to the City.

Your regulars can't all be cyclists though?

We get loads of media and art guys.

Everyone is trying to eat healthy stuff. We'll try raw warm juices in winter and I'm planning to do yoghurt ice cream next summer. And we're starting our maintenance courses in early October, which have drawn a lot of interest.

You're selling a few bikes too, what are the best sellers?

The SE bikes have been going well and I'd say that the SE Lager and classic PK Ripper are the best sellers.

We also stock Swobo bikes, which aren't very mainstream, but offer great build quality for reasonable money. We are also the only KHS Bikes frame-only dealer in the UK. Sounds like you've had a good, busy first six months...

It's been busier than I thought it would be and we've had really good reviews in the press, customers appreciating what we do and people walking past telling us how 'cool' the shop looks.

What next?

I'd like to get our own cycling club up and running (for BMX, road, and track riders) —I've got the plans and artwork ready for our club kit. I'd also like to offer a bigger range of fruits and veg for our customers. We're also looking to get a nice old VW Transporter van with a coffee machine and a juicer at the back, and offer drinks at various cycling events. Further down the road it would be amazing to get bigger premises, or maybe another shop.

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INTERVIEW

We opened on May bank holiday, with an intentionally slow start so we could fine-tune the business model and fully train the staff before we got inundated.

What’s been the highlight so far?

We operate a free, kids' used-bike swap, so watching all the local kids beetling past giving us a thumbs-up is pretty special.

You started the business with husband Matthew — what are your respective backgrounds?

We met at art college and both of us have been cycling forever. My work background’s advertising, graphics and film, his is interior and product design; this start-up has brought a lot of these interests together.

MICYCLE 47 Barnsbury Street, N1

Loving the garden... must be a major selling point?

Yes, it was done by TV gardener Joe Swift before we moved in. We've since added touches like a bike wash and storage area though.

And the building?

Again pretty good condition, but we we cut a hole in the floor and

installed a pulley to winch bikes down to the workshop. It took ten weeks to design and fit.

Why this part of Islington?

We both know and love it, not just for its high cyclist population, but we're interested in the revival of Barnsbury Street and the Liverpool Road area: it’s an old fashioned high street, very different from Upper Street.

HIDDEN OASIS: the verdant garden of Micycle, founded by Penny and Matthew Hilton

Your launch was fairly low key...

CITY GENT: Fullcity owner Lawrence Lumley

Was it always the plan to run a café and workshop?

Always. We weren't going to sell bikes at all either, but our focus group thought we were mad and demanded bikes to buy.

Workshop busy?

Very. We have a great team, but even they get inundated. If we can’t do on-the-spot repairs, we’ll offer a courtesy bike, a stylish Dahon folder.

FULLCITY 72 Leather Lane, EC1

I hear you offer couriers cheap coffee and snacks?

Couriers were the original focus of the business, so we make special provision to keep them on the road and well caffeinated. We'll lend working couriers the tools to complete their own repairs and give generous 'friends and family' discounts. Plus our proper Monmouth coffee is 75p and PG Tips is 50p.

Are couriers why you chose this location too?

It was initially based on the courier city routes — we're on the Leather Lane market between High Holborn and Clerkenwell Road — however there is just something special about a London market, that slightly trashy market feel rather than a sanitised high street experience.

And the guys working here?

Similarly, the people around me are mainly ex-couriers, fixie riders all.

I never advertised for workers, they kind of drifted towards the shop and didn't leave. I'm trying to instill a form of long distance aesthetic into them, with organised training rides and

trips to Paris and Amsterdam, but they're still happiest zooming between buses on Oxford Street.

What makes your place special?

I like to think we're kind of like the bike shop you might remember from before the days of high street chains, or just plainly somewhere that’s a bit friendly. We also make great coffee.

Are assorted punctures your most common repair jobs?

Yeah, whether it's a sharp, pinch puncture from a pothole or, more frequently, a loose spoke. We charge £6 for our inner tubes and £3 to change them. Also, more London cyclists are deciding that they don't need all their gears and are requesting to convert to singlespeed; this starts at around £50, depending on the required set-up.

Was the workshop always central to the business plan?

Weirdly my original idea was a pure cycle café, dedicated to the pursuit of two wheels, with an emphasis on the courier community. However, as I had previously worked in a bike shop, I thought I could maybe make a bike or two and display them among the

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Who comes in?

All sorts. We get triathletes, even celebs — Islington being the new Hampstead after all. And a Welsh rugby team has been blogging about us, so news is spreading!

Any regular events?

We host weekly evening workshops, kids' bike sessions in school holidays and we've also started team-building sessions for local businesses. On Christmas Day we are doing a 'Pudding Ride', a taxing cycle round London when the streets will be empty; if anyone is interested look at the website and sign up.

You sell mostly commuter bikes?

Yes, singlespeed Bianchis, touring Konas and seven-speed Dahons.

What'll you be doing next year?

We're interested in vintage British design and we will shortly be selling restored cycles which combine hand-built frames from the 70s and 80s with moving parts by Italian manufacturer Campagnolo. We have plans of how we can develop the website and peripheral downloads and ways to promote cycling virally given our backgrounds. Plenty in the pipeline. tables. Sadly that former idea got bulldozed. It wasn't initially the plan to be a workshop. I assumed that the oily world of the bicycle and the sanitary world of coffee-making were mutually exclusive. But, we found a way and now have world-class baristas in the shape of Will and Liam who will make you a 'Sproffiee' coffee that ranks alongside the best in town.

You opened last October, right?

Crazily yes. I remember at the time thinking that I couldn't really have come up with a worse time in the cycling calendar, so I dug in and waited for spring. I kind of thought that I'd be sitting on my hands until then, but I was soon overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of cyclists in London.

When it became clear to them that we weren't going to rip them off, there weren't enough hours in the day to finish all the work. I've also been greatly encouraged by the amount of female cyclists coming by — I think they like the less 'exclusive' set-up.

Any future plans?

I believe we're in a golden age of cycling; we’re coming out of the shadows. We just hope to keep going, spending more time doing the fun stuff and mucking about on bikes.

OLD HANDS: Kathryn Burgess and Lee King opened Lock 7 more than two years ago

LOCK 7 129 Pritchards Road, E2

You’ve been open a couple of years longer than this year's crop, when did you launch?

Officially it was April 2008 but we started negotiating the lease in September 2007.

What inspired you to start with?

I visited Copenhagen in 2007 and was really amazed by the number of, and aesthetics, of some of the bikes there.

I visited a bicycle shop owned by Sogreni (a well-known Danish designer), and I asked him why he didn't have a shop in London. He told me I should set one up, so we did.

At the time I was a crime scene examiner with the police but was looking for something else to do.

When I saw 129 had come up for lease, I asked to view it. Even just as a concrete shell I knew that something to do with bikes in that location would be great. It also had a food licence so it made sense to use that.

You knew the area well?

The location is key to it all. I live about 100 metres away from the shop, so I knew how many bicycles passed by.

Sounds like the café section was always part of the deal?

Yes, we got the local food standards officer in to check if that was even viable and with certain restrictions we got the go-ahead. We did consider applying for an alcohol licence as margins are attractive, but I just couldn't marry up promoting cycling whilst 'under the influence'.

Personal highlights so far?

Just getting open was very funny, it felt like we were playing at being

shopkeepers. Another was paying off all our debts one year after opening.

It sounds silly but when a famous person comes in that is a highlight too; we’re easily pleased.

Have you hosted many events?

We did more in year one as there was less stock and bikes in the way. We had a choir visit last Christmas, Doll Boy (a local musician) played a set which was great and also Siobhan McCauley (a local artist) held an exhibition. If we can sort the storage out, we'd certainly like to do more.

Who does what at Lock 7?

Lee King is the other founder. We have both always ridden bicycles, but she isn't a technical kind of person and works mainly on the café side.

I had a basic understanding of bicycle maintenance but had to learn a lot more as it was part of the business plan to repair them. After we had done a drop-in service from 8-10am with local mechanic/artist Naked John, which was really successful, we realised we could do it full-time.

There was a gap in the market for people to get repairs done in a timely and affordable manner.

You mostly renovate old bikes?

Initially we couldn't afford much stock and relied on doing up bikes from police auctions. Also companies like Brompton and Trek won't sell to us as we're too near existing shops in their network. Necessity is the mother of invention as they say; it’s more fun selling unique bikes.

Whats'next?

Tricky one. At the moment it's great as things are. I'm off to the States to study frame-building soon — the world needs more female frame-builders!

October-November 2010 London Cyclist 35

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LONDON

Local rides add to mass appeal “I

t’s not real cycling, though, is it?” is the curmudgeon’s refrain, whenever Skyride gets a mention. And it’s true: this type of car-free event is not akin to the everyday London bicycle experience. But, for very good reason, they’ve rapidly become a beloved fixture on the cycling calendar.

Indeed, over the course of last summer more than 100,000 cyclists took part in the three Mayor of London Skyride events, in central London, Ealing and Redbridge. This is an impressive figure compared with the few thousand who took to the streets for the first Hovis Freewheel ‘way back’ in 2007.

Holding a regular, vast, car-free central London event was the brainchild of LCC board member David Love. And LCC is still strongly

involved, this year leading more than 60 guided rides from the suburbs, making sure thousands more families and novice cyclists take part.

David recognised the appetite for cycling in London that remains unquenched, exemplified by the number of bikes that are dragged out of garden sheds just for one day, with LCC’s ride leaders typically spending the first 10 minutes of the morning pumping up soggy tyres and tightening loose cables.

For many (or so they tell us), riding with a feeling of added security through streets they know and love is the highlight of their Skyride – even more so than the crowded central jamboree. LCC is always keen to remind those riders about the leisure rides that our local

groups run every week (www. lcc.org.uk/rides), where they can regularly join a family-friendly ride to build confidence.

However, despite the joy we feel accompanying the tens of thousands of cyclists on the streets on the big day, we’re also dismayed at how many of these parents aren’t comfortable taking their kids on the road the rest of the year. We can argue until we’re blue in the face that statistics show London cycling is safe, but until these parents feel it in their bones, cycling will remain a minority activity, except for one day a year.

No, Skyride isn’t ‘real’. But what better way to illustrate to decisionmakers the latent desire for cycling in our city: if they build the facilities, the people will fill them.

Photos: Tom Bogdanowicz, Mike Cavenett, NIgel Wilson

For 2010 the Skyride series was extended to include two ‘local’ London events, in Ealing and Redbridge. Here’s our pictorial guide to three great days in the city

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TECHNICAL

Riding safely on cycle lanes With so many different types of cycle lane in the capital — including the new Cycle Superhighways — Lucy Nandris and David Dansky from CTUK explain the safest ways to deal with them

T

he aim of Bikeability, the National Standard (NS) for cycle training, is to get people making more trips by bike, more often, more safely.

Here we will be assessing to what extent cycling specific infrastructure is likely to encourage new cyclists by examining whether using the infrastructure improves a rider's safety. We will be exploring different infrastructure projects, including the new Cycle Superhighways.

"Deciding where cycle lanes can help a journey and demonstrate their correct use" is actually a Level 2 outcome of National Standards/ Bikeability cycle training. This recognises that using some infrastructure built for cyclists may make a rider less visible to other road users and therefore at higher risk than they would be sharing the road with drivers. Also is using the infrastructure going to make their trip slower and less efficient? An additional factor, unfortunately, is consideration of the risks caused by

drivers wishing to 'punish' cyclists for not using cycle lanes.

Using bus lanes There is a vast network of wide largely empty direct ‘cycle lanes’ covering the whole of London. They are the bus lanes found on most major A-roads. These have been enforced (through fines) for some years now ensuring that they are mainly used by professional drivers, as well as motorcyclists (as part of the Mayor’s ongoing trial).

When using a bus lane, ride in the middle of the lane, glancing behind regularly over your right shoulder.

This will encourage bus and taxi drivers to overtake by moving into the next lane, giving the rider a lot of room. Even the occasional motorcyclist sharing the bus lane will also be encouraged to pass wide if you hold your line and look back regularly.

Look over your left shoulder occasionally checking for cyclists too.

When overtaking another cyclist in a bus lane, pass the rider wide, moving

into the next lane if necessary.

Using a bus lane in this way will ensure you get seen and given room, making bus lanes a low risk facility for cyclists especially now that many bus drivers are receiving cycle and cyclist awareness training. It is doubtful whether bus lanes encourage novice cyclists, however, since people perceive the risks as being higher than they actually are.

BUS LANE: here on CS7, shared with taxis

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PARKED CARS: force cyclists into traffic

Cycle Superhighways The recently opened Cycle Superhighways follow main A-roads from Barking to Tower Hill (CS3) and Merton to the City (CS7). The routes are painted blue. Bus lanes are included along CS7 in particular and are also painted blue; some bus lanes are divided in two halves.

While the design may encourage new cyclists, giving them the perception that they must be safer since the lane is designed for cyclists, riding in the blue half can encourage bus and taxi drivers to pass closer than they would were the rider to maintain a central position in the bus lane. We would encourage cyclists to ride in the middle of the bus lane regardless of where the blue paint appears (as mentioned above).

There are also places along the Cycle Superhighways where drivers are allowed to park or where bus stops interrupt the route. At these places riders are expected to pull out into the traffic stream to pass these hazards. Blue squares have been painted in the middle of the main traffic lane indicating places where this is likely to happen.

As soon as you notice a parked car or bus ahead, take action early, ensuring that this is a low risk manoeuvre. Check over your right shoulder. Signal to anyone who may be affected by your change of position, then move into the middle of the lane and pass the parked car/ bus at least a car door’s width away.

Before moving back left to your original line, check over your left shoulder looking out for cyclists on your left, signalling if necessary.

Contraflow segregated cycle lanes Completely segregated cycle lanes may go a long way to encourage new cyclists and have been successful in facilitating a huge percentage of trips being made by bike in some

CONTRAFLOW: watch out at junctions

European cities. In London there is often not enough space to build a separate segregated cycle network, whilst UK law makes it difficult to give priority to cyclists over other vehicles. There are hazards to consider when using a segregated cycle lane, especially if the cyclist travels in the opposite direction to the traffic flow, such as the one on Cable Street which is part of Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3).

Riders travelling along this segregated cycle lane are travelling against the flow of traffic. Drivers waiting to give way at the junction before joining this one-way street may only be checking left expecting the road to be one-way and not seeing the cyclist in the cycle lane.

This is even more likely in a nonsegregated contraflow lane.

As you approach a junction on the contraflow cycle lane ensure that the driver has seen you by attempting to make eye contact. If the driver is not looking at you then wait. You may be forced to let the driver pull out of the junction even though you have right of way.

If you are travelling in the segregated lane in the same direction as the traffic stream you may wish to consider using the road where you may be able to ride faster and more efficiently than you would sharing the cycle lane with slower riders.

Should you do this some drivers make beep you, expecting you to be in the cycle lane — at least they’ve seen you.

Permeable cycle routes The final type of infrastructure we'll explore are the permeable cycle routes pioneered in Hackney.

These were developed 10 years ago

by Hackney Cyclists’ LCC group and Hackney Council, the idea being that: "the council should map all the physical and legal restrictions to cycling — one-way streets, road closures lacking cycle gaps, banned

HACKNEY ROUTE: to 'permeable' cycling

turns, etc — and remove them so as to restore hundreds of lost route choices.”

This project has meant that cyclists can cross the borough on wide Tarmac'ed roads designed for cars, yet only encounter the occasional driver who is entitled to use these roads to access their home.

Cyclists will mainly encounter other riders. The risks both real and perceived, in using this infrastructure are very low. Riders feel safe and are generally very safe.

Where two of these routes cross there are no markings indicating priority, so people have to look out for other riders (listening is even less useful here than usual since bikes are silent), make eye contact and negotiate who goes first. Custom would suggest that riders should give way to people on their right but not all users of these routes will be aware of this.

Conclusion There is a variety of cycling infrastructure in London, some of which functions to encourage new cyclists by making them feel safe.

It’s worth noting that not all cycling specific infrastructure does in fact minimise risk and may, in some cases, make the riding experience riskier.

Some infrastructure that seems more risky (eg, bus lanes) may actually be quite low risk. Undergoing Bikeability cycle training will help any rider, whether new or experienced, in assessing the best place to ride for speed, efficiency and safety.

CYCLE TRAINING Training linked to the Cycle Superhighways and Cycle Hire scheme is free or subsidised by Transport for London — see TfL’s website for more information.

Or visit Cycle Training UK’s own website (www.cycletraining.co.uk) to book a lesson.

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BIKES

Urban cruisers & ‘cargo-lite’ bikes For easy-paced (or heavily-laden) trips, try one of these robust steeds...

VIVA Bellissimo 1 £549 www.evanscycles.com

Viva is a Danish company that's been making stylish bikes for a couple of decades. More recently, Evans Cycles has started importing select models from the company’s extensive line-up, including this Bellissimo 1, which is available in a vivid cyan or a more subtle beige.

In fact, there’s more than one Bellissimo model, with a choice of either the singlespeed model tested, or a women's ‘mixte’style design (Bellissimo 7) with seven-speed hub gear.

Looks are clearly important to the Viva designers and there’s a good deal of chrome in the finishing kit, along with those

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colour-matched mudguards.

A sculpted chainguard covers the top chain run, combining a curved piece of steel with a bolt-on plate behind the chainring. It sounds complicated but it’s actually effective, good-looking and rattle-free.

Our bike came with two conventional brakes on its flat bars (all unbranded kit), although there’s the option to have a rear coaster brake instead. The rear hub is the 'flip-flop' variety, though it only comes with one fixed cog (an 18T), which makes the inclusion of a rear brake on our test model fairly redundant.

The stock 48T/18T gearing combination works well around town, though as the bike's a touch heavier than some stripped-down singlespeeds, you sometimes need to put a harder dig in on the hills. It’s no porker at a touch over 11kg, but that’s still a bit weightier than many of the one-geared bikes we've tested over the last year.

Cream-coloured 28mm Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tyres shod to 700c wheels look pretty retro and continue the comfort

and style over outright performance theme. They provide solid protection against London road surfaces though.

Overall, the Viva feels like a decent compromise between looks, practicality and pace.

Available in four sizes, from 53cm to 62cm, we’re sure it will have plenty of fans. MC PROS: style, 'mixte' frame option CONS: tad heavy

22/09/2010 15:05

AZOR Carolina £499 www.dutchbike.co.uk

The Carolina is about as trad-Dutch as they come. Black is the default option (gloss or matt), with other colours by special arrangement only.

It features all the hallmarks of a classic ‘Dutch bike’, from the hefty steel frame, including a substantial rack, to the wide, swept bars and upright riding style. It also comes with an enclosed drivechain, full mudguards, nylon skirtguard, three-speed Shimano hub gears and hub brakes, making this truly a bike for all seasons. There's even a built-in wheel-lock, with an option to upgrade to a unit with an extension chain.

It’s worth noting that anyone attempting to steal a Carolina would quickly encounter substantial resistance because this is a bike built for sturdiness rather than fleetness of foot. On the road, however, instead of

CHARGE Lazy Susan £499 www.chargebikes.com

fighting it you find yourself adapting: the saddle is an amazingly soft and capacious Selle model, which invites you to relax onto it, while the seated position is vintage 'sit up and beg'. The 38mm-wide Schwalbe tyres offer more rolling resistance than skinnier offerings, but they've proved nigh-on bulletproof.

Yes, journeys might take a little longer on the Carolina than on your typical sports hybrid, but they’re also relaxing and reliable. The bike comes in sizes from 45-65cm, with dynamo lighting for £30 extra, plus there’s a cheaper singlespeed option. MC PROS: Dutch-style features CONS: weight

Charge has made a strong impact in recent years with its Plug singlespeed and Tap eight-speed hybrid among others, however many urbanites rate this as the primo ‘bike named after kitchen fitting’.

A ‘Dutch bike with attitude’ is one way to describe this burgundy machine that shares a steel frame, sprung saddle, mudguards, chainguard and sturdy rack with its Euro cousins. Helpfully, the rack also includes a platform for giving mates a 'backie' (something that’s commonplace on the continent, but liable to get you a frown or fine over here).

Shifting comes courtesy of Sturmey Archer’s triggercontrolled three-speed hub gear, and there’s a pair of drum brakes for stopping. Kenda supply the 1.95in whitewall tyres, with the majority of other kit being Charge’s own,

including a kickstand.

On the road, the Lazy Susan's an enjoyable ride, with its bulbous tyres adding to its predictability and comfort. The wide bars take a bit of getting used to, but the riding position is perfect for laid-back cruises around town.

Despite an overall positive impression, the boxy chainguard (covering the upper chain run) didn’t work for us aesthetically. Minor niggle apart, this is a great take on the modern, do-it-all transporter. Impressively, it’s sized all the way from XXS-L, plus there’s a gents’ version called the Steamer. MC PROS: gears, tyres, comfort CONS: ugly chainguard

GLOBE Haul 01 £500

PASHLEY Poppy £435

www.globebikes.com

www.pashley.co.uk

For some this bike will be love at first sight; others will be more circumspect.

Is it form over function? Does the integrated rack add too much weight?

How can large loads be secured practically? How is it to ride?

Globe has certainly got the looks right. A moss-green frame, chestnut saddle and bars, with cream 700x35c tyres, will draw compliments.

The components are smart for a town bike too; as well as mudguards and kickstand, we like the V-brakes, internal cable routing and Shimano Alivio chainset. Best of all are the integrated front and rear lights.

But sceptics are right to point out drawbacks. Sweptback handlebars and compact geometry give the Haul one of the most bolt upright riding positions we’ve ever come

This is another British-built, ‘Dutch-style’ cruiser that's made with a well-finished, traditionally lugged steel frame.

The Poppy uses Sturmey Archer hubs brakes and three-speed hub gear (operated by trigger shifter), both of which have proved fuss-free. The drivetrain is partially enclosed to keep your clothes clean and full-wrap mudguards provide excellent protection in the wet. The 26-inch rims are clad in attractive and highly punctureproof cream rubber (Schwalbe Marathons), while the sprung Brooks perch is both classy and supportive. The swept bars and cork grips are nicely shaped, completing a comfortable cockpit that's happy on both shorter cross-town ambles or weekend pub crawls. It’s

certainly a head-turner.

On the road, the Pashley’s efficient, rather than mindblowing, with a set-up that encourages leisurely lopes rather than breezy blasts.

Nevertheless, the ride is always balanced and confidence-inspiring.

Available in pink and blue, the Poppy comes in sizes 17.5in, 20in and 22.5in, with a two-year warranty. Be warned, though, that accessories like the basket, rack, kickstand and dynamo lighting can up the price fairly significantly. LC PROS: gears, saddle, tyres CONS: extras make it pricey

TESTERS: Matt Moore, Mike Cavenett, Lucy Cooper

across. Wide tyres and padded saddle filter out smaller bumps, but medium-sized potholes almost bounced us off.

Think twice, too, if you want to use the Haul as a ‘serious’ cargo bike. Granted you can fix panniers at both ends and the rear rack’s rated to carry 50kg, but you'll struggle to secure such loads directly onto the frame. And adding anything like that weight will slow you to a crawl.

Looks may seduce, but those looking for a longterm partnermight be better off looking elsewhere. MM PROS: looks, lights, brakes CONS: securing loads, weight

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PRODUCT

700c tyres A selection of new rubbers for commuters, tourers and fixed-gear riders HALO Twin Rail Courier £16.99-£19.99 HALO Twin Rail Courier Berlin & Berlin HC £22.99 www.ison-distribution.com

It's three-for-the-price-of-one time, as we look at a trio of very similar tyres from Halo. The basic Twin Rail Courier (available in seven nifty colours) was launched specifically for the fixed-gear and courier market, in other words riders who are particularly hard on

VITTORIA Randonneur Hyper £34.99 www.vittoria.com

Snapped up quickly by the test team’s most fanatical tourer due to it being a featherweight in its class — the result of a superlight Kevlar folding bead and supple (120tpi) casing. Close up, the all-new triple-layer puncture protection almost appears flimsy, though in action it’s had no problems through post-storm debris. And while the tread slits should theoretically aid grip in the wet, that’s when we found performance was less than brilliant, especially inflated to the 95psi maximum. The reflective sidewall band is highly visible at night. Available in 32/35/38c widths.

PROS: perfect for touring CONS: quality costs

their kit. It’s got a steel bead to keep the price down and a quality 120tpi (threads per inch) casing for added durability. The chunky ‘Twin Rail’ central tread contains an impressively thick anti-puncture strip (we struggled to drive a nail in) and it comes in a narrow

SCHWALBE Lugano £14.99 www.schwalbe.co.uk

Increasingly seen specced on complete bikes, this is Schwalbe’s latest entry-level road tyre.

Incorporating the company’s ‘bi-colour’ compound, meaning the central tread — shown in blue, red, yellow or white on the fancy options — is a much harder rubber than the sidewall. Beneath it there’s a puncture protection belt that has hammered through glass shards and Norfolk flint without any problems. The simple diamond tread pattern, together with the sticky Silica, makes for fast rolling and sure-footed handling in both dry and drizzly conditions. Amazingly this 23c width, with wire bead, weighs a mere 325g — and can be found for a tenner at most online retailers!

PROS: great all-rounder, value CONS: one width only

700x24c size (maximum inflation 120psi) that fits many bikes with tight frame/fork clearance.

But if the basic tyre isn’t hardy enough for you — and it will be for most everyone — then there's a beefed-up Berlin version with even greater puncture defence.

The regular 1mm anti-flat strip is replaced with a whopping 2.5mm one (you’ll need a mallet this time).

Amazingly, it still only weighs 415g and rolls better than some training tyres we’ve ridden lately.

As the name suggests, the Berlin HC is made of hard compound rubber as it’s intended for rear wheel use only. This needs stressing as, although it offers

greater wear resistance, the harder compound gives much reduced grip so it’s no use at the front. Halo rates a Berlin up front and Berlin HC out back as its ultimate combination — we've been riding this combo for a couple of months without a single flat.

However one of our courier mates has gone through a basic pair in similar time (too much skidding!). JK PROS: flat resistant, ideal for fixies CONS: not for everyone

PANARACER Pasela White £24.99

CONTINENTAL Gator Hardshell £38.99-£29.99

www.zyro.co.uk

BERLIN: 2.5mm anti-puncture strip

(folding/wire bead) www.conti-tyres.co.uk

A brand new retro colourway in the popular Pasela range that already offered 10 different options to suit 26in and 700c wheels. Although likely to prove a hit with classic builders and fixed-gear makeovers, we reckon this would easily handle crossover commuting/touring duties thanks to a tread pattern that works well in a variety of conditions and a tough Kevlar ‘breaker’ underneath to prevent flats. It’s even managed some gentle ‘off-roading’ on hard-packed trails this summer.

It weighs 490g, respectable for a ‘touring’ tyre with wire bead, and comes in 23c or 28c widths.

PROS: perfect for retro builds CONS: doesn’t stay white for long, very tight to fit

Modelled on the famous Gatorskin race clincher, this 2010 Hardshell version has more reinforcement for fast commuting or training.

A breaker strip wraps the entire width of the tread to prevent punctures, while a Duraskin mesh helps fend off sidewall abrasions; throw in some extra thick rubber and this tyre really lasts. We’ve had several hundred miles out of these so far and they’re still performing, even in the wet; we’ve only had one flat too, a ‘pinch’ in the dark at Dunwich Dynamo. Available in 23/25/28c width, with folding or wire beads; our 25c folder weighs 280g.

PROS: perfect for fast commutes CONS: pricey (but lasts)

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More new kit we've been putting through its paces this autumn Cycle Hire T-shirt £20

MISSION WORKSHOP Rambler £200 www.missionworkshop.com

www.ibikeldn.com

This is a UK exclusive first test on one of two new packs from the American urban specialists who have just opened a branch at 14 Bike Co, just off Brick Lane. The Rambler’s a mid-sized cargo backpack, with a number of great features. The main central compartment can be expanded — doubling the basic capacity to 44-litres — and, thanks to a set of compression straps and a highly supportive ‘framesheet’ built into the back system, loads are kept very stable in transit. I’ve carried hefty photography kit for long days, even a 5-litre paint tray, with no problem — even more impressive as the pack relies on just a sternum strap and wide padded shoulder straps rather than a waistbelt (available as an extra).

A rear roll-top compartment easily swallows a 15-inch laptop, plus there’s a large zippered front pocket that I’ve been using for books and A4 documents, and a small key/wallet stasher on the front panel. The Rambler is also PVC-free and uses fabrics coated with urethane, which not only makes it greener and tougher but also totally waterproof (likewise all zips) — trust me it got plenty of extreme deluge testing in August!

Of course it’s double the price of the smaller Ortlieb pack we tested last issue, but it should be more fairly compared with professional-level (and equally pricey) messenger bags — hence the lifetime warranty. I was sceptical about the stability issue, but the Rambler’s proved very comfortable. It’s highly visible too. JK PROS: bombproof, watertight CONS: price

SIGG sports bottle £19 www.sigg.com

Outdoor types will know Sigg bottles have been around for years, but this latest ‘sports’ incarnation features a ‘wide mouth’ design which allows you to top up your tipple with ice cubes — and makes for easier cleaning.

Made from a single sheet of aluminium and available in myriad colour options, some with a ‘fluted’ body for better grip, the biggest attraction is that they’re recyclable and reduce the landfill waste of plastic bottles. I’ve had an old Sigg for nearly two decades, so the investment makes sense. JK PROS: durability, saves waste CONS: initial outlay

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PRODUCT

Gear and gadgets

MARMOT Mica Jacket £99 www.marmot.eu

It’s weight and compactability that makes this jacket special — at just 200g it feels and stuffs into a pocket like a windcheater, but it’s completely waterproof, with fully-taped seams. It’s also got an adjustable peaked hood, elasticated hem adjuster, Velcro adjustable cuffs and two zippered handwarmer pockets. The fit’s more ‘athlete’ than ‘tellytubby’ and the sleeves (with reflective tabs) are nicely designed so they don’t ride up when you’re hunched over your bars, though a slightly longer drop-tail would make it perfect. A great choice not just for commuting, but touring and other pursuits. S-XL. JK PROS: carry anywhere, highly breathable CONS: slim fit won't suit everyone

PITLOCK skewers £39

Latest timely release from the Soho-based IBikeLDN creatives.

Available in black, cream or fluorescent pink, with reflective bike logo and type, these Ts are made from super-soft organic cotton and printed in Camden. Reflective versions of the existing ‘roadster’, ‘fixie’ and ‘Brompton’ Ts are also now available in a variety of colours.

PROS: design, reflectivity CONS: not a lot

BELL Arella £59.99 www.madison.co.uk

www.londonfieldscycles.co.uk Similar in idea to the Pinhead skewers we previously tested, but offering even greater reassurance as there’s 256 different ‘Pit key’ combinations to deter thieves.

Fitting is straightforward: simply remove your old skewers and insert the Pitlocks, ensuring all the washers are fitted in the correct order (the company also recommends lightly greasing the threads); then tighten the Pitlock key by hand before finishing with no more than half to one turn using a 14mm spanner. This set contains skewers for front and rear wheels only but there’s other options including seatpost pins available. Each set comes with a ‘code card’ to make reordering any lost Pit keys easier. JK PROS: anti-theft deterrent CONS: just don’t lose the key!

It’s not often that a helmet gets an ‘instant fit’ endorsement from every tester, but this new women’s-specific commuter lid did. The Arella incorporates the latest retention system that has three adjustment points and elasticated rear strap for added comfort, a new buckle to prevent nipping your chin and two built-in flashing LEDs. Head-cooling’s aided by 22 vents and, uniquely, there’s attachment points at the rear and on the visor for Blackburn’s Flea 2.0 lights (available separately). Comes in four not-too-girly colourways and one size (50-57cm), plus there’s a three-year crash replacement deal when you buy from a UK dealer. EL PROS: Great commuter features CONS: One size only

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CULTURE

Books Guidebook, travelogue and biography — we review the latest titles Where To Ride: London £14.95 Nick Woodford 2010 is proving to be a bumper year for books on leisure routes in the capital. First, we enjoyed the London Cycling Guide, written by LCC’s own Tom Bogdanowicz — and now we have the pleasure of Where To Ride: London, by Nick Woodford.

The Where To Ride series isn’t well known in this country, but it’s a successful format in Australia and the USA, with guides covering many major cities. The formula isn’t dissimilar to that used in Tom's book: plenty of routes (there’s a grand total of 50 here, across 256 pages), high-quality photography and mapping, step-by-step route instructions with places of interest, places for taking on food and drink en route. In fact, there’s everything you need to enjoy

some great days out all over Greater London.

Construction of the Where To Ride book is innovative, with a ring-binding and cardboard outer that allow it to be folded back on itself — useful, say, if you’re using a map case on your handlebars, or

just don’t want to lose your place.

The inside front cover also features the map symbols, so you’re never wondering what’s what. The book even fits perfectly in the basket of the new hire bikes — a happy coincidence.

Overall, this is an excellent

book. The routes are varied in length and terrain, covering more obvious routes along Thames towpaths and London parks, as well as lesser-known areas such as Bromley and Beckenham. Whether you’re new to London or not, there’s plenty to keep you entertained.

Perhaps the only sticking point is the price: the cheapest we found Where To Ride (including P&P) was around £12 on Amazon which is twice the price of the London Cycling Guide. The book is very new, mind, so look out for discounts in the coming months.

In the meantime, enjoy the free sample ride at www. wheretoridelondon.co.uk. MC

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It’s All About The Bike £16.99 Robert Penn This is the second book that’s arrived in the office this month referencing Lance Armstrong’s classic autobiography (we’ll review William Fotheringham’s offering next issue). Many readers will have watched this author’s hour-long televised adventure on the BBC, during which he covers pretty much the same ground as the book: building his ‘perfect’ bike from custom and classic components.

There are many stories to be told en route, from the near-total demise of British frame-makers (once the envy of the world), to the hand-made wonders that are Californian wheels and West Midlands’ leather saddles, via the absolute secrecy and competition surrounding high-end drivetrain manufacturers such as Campagnolo.

What shines through in these 186 pages is the author’s undying love of two wheels, along with a charming acceptance of a certain kind of materialism (the kind that lasts a lifetime), and his rejection of the other (the kind that lasts 12 months).

As the author’s quick to point out, his journey round the globe probably makes his bike one of the least 'green' machines ever assembled — but he contents himself with the fact that he’ll be offsetting these carbon miles many times over. MC

Mr Tom £14.99 Chris Sidwells Mr Tom is about Tom Simpson, the legendary British road and track racer of the 1960s. Sadly, he may be remembered most for his tragic and controversial death on 13 July 1967, at the age of 29, climbing Mont Ventoux in blistering heat during the thirteenth stage of that year’s Tour de France. Now in its second edition, the book is written by an author with strong connections, for his mother was one of Simpson’s sisters.

Chris Sidwells adds to the Simpson story by describing the area, the people and cycling exploits that shaped the man’s life. Simpson was the son of a coal miner, the youngest of six children and didn't start competitive cycling until his late teens, when he began winning local time trials. He was then advised to try track cycling

and travelled regularly to Manchester to compete, soon winning a medal in the national 4000m individual pursuit. At 19 he won a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, before taking individual pursuit silver at the 1958 Commonwealth Games.

For those interested in the times, the sport and a different perspective, this is a ‘must read’, well detailed book. For others it reveals much about Simpson’s character, ambition and overwhelming will to win. The book has a foreword by Phil Liggett, good black and white photographs, and a detailed record of achievements compiled by Richard Allchin.

Mark Mitchell

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LCC’s community team received over 110 applications to CCFfL in 2010.

Here we look at three projects that have been thriving in the capital

Turning Minds in Tower Hamlets ■ Project Ocean Somali Community Association ■ Purpose to provide the local Somali community, particularly women with the opportunity to cycle and take part in healthy physical activity ■ Awarded £5,000 ■ Activities cycle training, Dr Bike sessions and rides The success story continues for Mind in Tower Hamlets, who received CCFfL funding in 2008 to provide cycle training and rides for people with mental health problems. Mind worked in partnership with Bikeworks to deliver cycle training and organise rides for service users — and the project was so successful that they applied for funding again in 2009 in order to take the training in-house and become more sustainable. Two of Mind’s employees completed the cycle instructor course and

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 (CCFfL) awards grants of £5k and £10k from an overall of nearly £200k. The two funding rounds are now closed for 2010.

FOR INFO Contact the community team: ■ 020 7234 9310 (option 4) ■ community@lcc.org.uk ■ Sign up for e-newsletter at ww.lcc.org.uk/community

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COMMUNITY

Community cycling South London schemes pool efforts to get women cycling ■ Project Lewisham Young Women’s Resource Project ■ Purpose to encourage and support young women and girls to cycle ■ Awarded £4,870 ■ Activities cycle training, rides

were accredited to deliver National Standards cycle training.

Mind was already working in partnership with NHS Tower Hamlets to promote physical activity and smoking cessation via health trainers. And following the success of the cycle project, the NHS funded several places on the cycle instructor course so that health trainers could also deliver cycle training as part of their role.

Having successfully rolled out cycling within the service, the project leader Abdirashid — who trained as a cycle instructor — set out to support a fledgling CCFfL project that was awarded funding in 2010. The Ocean Somali Community Association was new to cycling but sought to deliver cycle training for adults

and children, alongside Dr Bikes.

Abdirashid from Mind has been working as an instructor on the project and his previous experience of running a cycle scheme has proved invaluable in getting this new one off the ground.

Sahra from Ocean Somali said: “We are very grateful to receive funding through the CCFfL, as the project has so many benefits for the local community and the environment.” To date, 15 people have taken part in Ocean Somali’s ‘Learn to Cycle’ scheme and the more successful the project becomes, the more outreach they intend to do.

Partnerships will continue to grow and more organisations will catch the community cycling bug, bringing fresh opportunities to more people across the capital.

The Young Lewisham Project (YLP) set up after-school cycle workshops for local young people in 2009 with CCFfL funding. Participants learn maintenance skills and fix up their own or donated bikes. The project reaches a lot of people, but mostly boys and young men.

To expand things further, LCC put YLP in touch with the Lewisham Young Women’s Resource Project (LYWRP) and on 13 August young women went to YLP where they had an introduction to maintenance and were invited to sign up for weekly sessions. The Road Safety Team from Lewisham Council was on hand to offer advice about cycling and project leader Patricia was pleased that people came together to provide a positive experience for LYWRP.

Collective effort for sustainable transport in Finsbury Park ■ Project Transition Finsbury ■ Purpose provide the local community with access to cycling, reaching out to women and minority groups ■ Awarded £4,960 ■ Activities Training, Dr Bikes, rides, route planning and advice Cycling mum Nuran Biligin regularly chats to other parents when she picks up her kids from Parkwood Primary School in Finsbury Park. Many families in

the school’s catchment area are from a Turkish background where cycling is underrepresented for socio-economic reasons. Nevertheless, plenty of the parents would like to encourage their children to ride to school but feel they lack the skills to actually cycle with them themselves.

Nuran decided to approach Transition Town Finsbury Park, who had been awarded funding to run a family bike club.

Together they have started a regular bike club where parents can not only get cycle training but also learn bike maintenance skills. The family bike club has now linked up with Pedal Power, a local all-ability cycling club, to organise regular events like bike breakfasts and to take part in the annual ‘Well Oiled’ festival which explores the community’s potential to address climate change and environmental problems on a local level.

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Find out more at www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups

ARCHITECTURAL TOURS: the backbone of LCC Barking's summer rides programme, including a visit to hi-tech housing designs

BROMLEY

EALING

www.bromleycyclists.org.uk

www.ealingcycling.org.uk

‘Cycle A Mile’ in Norman Park finished a successful season at the beginning of September, with more than 120 riders of all ages having attended at least once (with many repeats).

The children’s cycling clubs are thriving; a borough league has recently been formed. The schools' cycling competition will repeat in the spring, this time borough-wide. ➤ Planning is underway for the second borough cycling festival for next summer, a joint effort with the Council Road Safety Team and British Cycling.

Schools and higher education centres remain a central focus of Bromley Cyclists’ encouragement of new cyclists. In that vein, there is a new series of family rides, centred on the four schools where there is a children’s club.

MEETINGS: 7.30pm, second Wednesday of the month, check venue details on website. On all other Wednesdays we meet at Bromley South station at 7.30pm for an easy ride to a pub and return, the ‘Wednesday Weekly Wander’.

CONTACT: Charles Potter, 07951 780869; coordinator@bromley cyclists.org

What a summer — Bike Week, Ealing Skyride, central London Skyride. The number of people cycling or thinking about cycling is rocketing, as the number of people attending our events suggests. During Bike Week we ran a Dr Bike and three information stalls, plus we organised three social rides, with 45 people joining us for our sunset ride on a glorious summer’s evening. 13,000 people enjoyed the Ealing Skyride, some of whom made use of the feeder rides from Hounslow, Hillingdon and Harrow organised by LCC and led or marshalled by ECC volunteers. ➤ The Ealing bike hub goes from strength to strength, combining tutored maintenance workshops in the morning with a drop-in session after 2pm for people to work on their bike. To find out more go to www.ealingbikehub. co.uk. ECC has been awarded two more grants totalling £5,000, one from Heathrow Airport (love the irony). ➤ Our programme of social rides continues throughout the autumn and we have a full agenda of campaign issues for our monthly meetings. The AGM will be held at the October

meeting. We can only rise to the increasing demand for social rides, bike maintenance classes and cycling information if we have sufficient volunteers, so please join us and lend a hand.

MEETINGS: first Wednesday of the month, venue details on website. Social ride on first Sunday of the month, meet 10am, Ealing Town Hall — details on website.

CONTACTS: David Lomas, info@ ealingcycling.org.uk; David Eales, 07880 797437.

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

GROUPS

Local Group News priority cycling facilities/projects which we’d like to see introduced or extended and this is currently being considered by the council cabinet, with a view to any potential works starting in 2011. ➤ Foot tunnel — works are now well underway. As we write, both lifts are still open during rush hour; the rest of the time the north lift is open and you have to use the stairs at the south end. This means that there are often dozens of cyclists queuing to use the north lift in the morning — if you can, our advice is to leave earlier. Once the works on the south lift are complete, this situation will be reversed. ➤ Local LCC members led a series of rides to and from the Mayor of London’s Skyride at the start of September — many thanks to all the volunteers for their help with marshalling.

MEETINGS: first Wednesday of the month, 7.30pm at the Armada Centre, Creek Road, SE8.

CONTACT: Gareth Scarlett (secretary), scarlgar@yahoo.co.uk

HACKNEY www.hackney-cyclists.org.uk

As we missed getting our news into the last mag, here's a quick round-up of major developments GREENWICH during the spring and summer: www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk ➤ Hackney's cycle training programme has now A few of us recently cently been brought met with locall br GET THE in-house by councillor Mary ry in-ho Hackney Mills who has Ha LATEST NEWS Council, been tasked Co The LCC e-newsletter having been with looking h provides the latest campaign news, events information and spec built up by at how the b ial member offers. If you’re not getting STA Bikes council it you’re missing out. To receive from a could f the e-newsletter every fortnight, couple of improve its c go to www.lcc.org.uk and sign sessions in cycling se up on the home page — click a school facilities. We s tab on the right-hand side. playground 10 discussed a play years ago dozen potential ial a (funded by a grant from LCC of ideas, ranging g from just £200!) to a £250,000+ access to the Thames Path initiative training many and cycle parking to cycle hundreds of pupils, club training in schools and reducing members and individual adults. speed limits. We followed up by Most of the instructors who compiling a ‘hit list’ of the ten

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BEST RIDES IN GROUPS LONDON EARLY ADOPTERS: Ealing members test riding the Cycle Hire bikes in late July

were working for STA Bikes will continue to deliver the training, under the capable direction of Hackney Streetscene's Alison Butler, who herself was previously involved in turning Tyssen primary into a tremendously cycle-friendly school, building on the great work done there by Tim Evans.

Fingers crossed for a smooth handover. STA Bikes aims to carry on its innovating role, concentrating on promoting cycling to the 'harder to reach' groups for whom it isn't yet an obvious choice. ➤ Continuing with the theme of mainstreaming grassroots initiatives, the council has enthusiastically taken up our 'cycle pitstop' formula (a marquee set up in a street or park with half a dozen mechanics, hundreds of free bananas, and queues of people wanting their bikes checked and tuned), and is running one pitstop a month through the summer and autumn. Such a high-profile commitment is tremendous, though given the demand, you could run six

and Rachel Aldred for their work on this. ➤ Following our lobbying of all parties prior to the local elections in May, and the acceptance by candidates of many of our 'manifesto' points (which include a 20mph default speed limit and getting rid of one-way systems), we are about to have our first meeting with Feryal Demirci, Hackney's new cabinet member whose responsibilities include transport, streets and planning, to discuss how we can work together to make these happen. ➤ Advance notice — we will hold elections for co-ordinator (chair), secretary, treasurer and other committee posts at our monthly meeting on 3 November. Please let the current co-ordinator know if you'd like to stand.

MEETINGS: first Wednesday of the month, 7.30pm, at Marcon & Aspland Estate Community Hall, near corner of Amhurst Road and Marcon Place, E8.

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

pitstops a day around our HARROW borough and still have queues. www.harrowcyclists.org.uk ➤ Hackney's HGV safety working group has been meeting As Harrow Cyclists celebrates its regularly this year, looking at the first birthday as a fully nitty gritty of regulation, constituted group, it's time to licensing, training, education, look both back and forwards. procurement, technological Over these 12 months, we've innovations and collision data. done a lot to put cycling firmly on Among several the Harrow map. We've held al encouraging developments, regular monthly s, the mo council is bidding meetings ding meetin where for European the 'pub vs ' LCC SURVEY funding to run n co FEEDBACK pleted community com a cycle centre' c Thanks to all of you who in September. training debate d the LCC member survey ough the info programme over We’re currently sifting thr e rov and we’ll be using it to imp for lorry location appreciate our services to you. We drivers. remains a r any at ers mb feedback from our me permanent ➤ Hackney p , nts me com time, so if you have any at topic, though Cyclists was to why not fill in the survey promoting instrumental in prom www.lcc.org.uk cycling in Harrow persuading the he is our number one council's planning ning num purpose. sub-committee ee to reject purpose We've used the past year both to set up Tesco's heavily car-based relationships with councillors development proposals for its and council officers, while Morning Lane site. The company learning about the myriad will undoubtedly have another committees, mysterious budgets go and we will be prepared to and mind-challenging acronyms withdraw our objections if a that feature in local government. suitably amended proposal is But we've not forgotten cycling's tabled. Thanks to Oliver Schick

leisure aspect. The group has organised at least one ride a month — usually easy-paced. ➤ We organised a highly successful feeder ride to and from the Ealing Skyride in July.

More turned up than expected.

And our route avoided all main roads. And, most importantly, we've set up a website which is fast moving up the Google ratings. We welcome input and ride details from other LCC groups — especially those which border our area. Our website is designed for easy access – you don't have to register. ➤ Looking forward, besides more rides, our autumn action programme will include continuing links with the council.

This will focus on issues such as the need for a cycle contraflow opposite Harrow bus station and the need to upgrade cycle lanes to prevent them being negated by car parking. We are working to collate and then publicise ‘Harrow's 10 most useless bike lanes’ — sadly there are all too many contenders. And we have started a write-in campaign to convince Tesco to put in proper bike facilities where it has a car park, while urging it to sponsor bike racks outside its small format Express stores. ➤ We designed and printed an introductory leaflet which we distribute in bike shops and attach to parked bikes. So far, we have given out several hundred and recruited both LCC members and interest in the website as a result. We are all hoping our second year is even more successful than the first.

MEETINGS: second Wednesday of the month, check website for venue details.

CONTACT: Colin Waters, 07799 537504.

ISLINGTON www.icag.org.uk Last year speed humps were installed in Douglas Road South/ Islay Walk much to the consternation of cyclists who use this path. We contacted Homes for Islington (HfI) at the time and found there had been concern from local residents about the speed of cyclists (and possibly scooters) there. Finally the humps have been removed but replaced by three sets of

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offset barrier railings (see photo right), fitted between St Pauls Road and Douglas Road South and 'no cycling' signs have been put up. As this is in an estate no consultation was required with highways or groups like ourselves. Therefore we are keen for any cyclists living in Islington estates to become active in the residents/ tenants groups to try and counter anti-cycling sentiment and instead get improvements like cycle parking installed.

If you're interested and would like some help/suggestions, please get in touch. ➤ We have raised objections to the most recent plans for the Rock Street/Station Place junction at Finsbury Park station, being done as part of the Connect2 project. If you'd like to make any comments about cycling in this area, please let us know and visit our website to see the interactive Google map where you can add comments about any site in the borough. ➤ The manager of the 'Indian Veg' restaurant in Chapel Market says that, over the last five years, 700-800 bikes have been stolen from the bike racks in the alleyway beside his restaurant, much to his dismay. Beware — this is obviously an unsafe place to park your bike in Islington. ➤ If anyone lives or works in the Farringdon area and would be interested in attending the Farringdon Community Liaison Forum meetings, please let us know. These are opportunities

BARRIERS TO CYCLING: railings have replaced speed bumps on Islington estate

to meet representatives from Crossrail and Network Rail who present various aspects of local schemes and to ask questions.

MEETINGS: 7.30-9.30pm on the second Wednesday of the month (13 Oct, 10 Nov) at Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1.

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

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA www.kc-cyclists.org.uk You may have seen from our website that last month a new 'Bikeworks' workshop opened in the Royal Borough where people can learn how to repair, maintain and even build their own bike at the new community cycling hub on Maxilla Walk under the Westway (end of Kingsdown Close). This is a great new facility for the local area and will also feature a new All-Ability Cycling Club where people can learn

cycling skills on a range of specially-adapted bicycles at Little Wormwood Scrubs Adventure Playground — see www.bikeworks.org.uk ➤ There has been a great response to our call for suggestions regarding Albert Bridge and possible traffic management options. If you're interested do get in touch. ➤ Check our website and email group for meetings, rides and other events.

MEETINGS: Monday 4 October and Monday 1 November at the Devonshire Arms, 37 Marloes Road, London W8.

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

KINGSTON www.kingstoncycling.org.uk The group has established a working relationship with the Kingston Police’s Safer Transport Team to push the David Arditti

problem of cycle theft higher up their agenda. We will be in Kingston at Little Wood Street on Saturday 18 September and Claremont Road in Surbiton on Sunday 26 September demonstrating different lock types and other security measures, while the police does Bike Register marking. ➤ Also in September we hope the Surbiton Neighbourhood committee will vote to retain the contraflow cycle lane on the bridge at the northern end of King Charles Road. We will be there to argue the case. In any event we have nominated it in the best facility category of the London Cycling Awards. ➤ We have submitted comments on the borough’s transport Local Implementation Plan (LIP2) policy section. Oddly, contrary to recent police statistics, it says that cycle theft has been decreasing in recent years. The council’s policy is to encourage and support increased take-up of adult cycle training, however we’ve pointed out that Kingston’s training is costly (£30 for 90 minutes) compared to that offered by neighbouring boroughs which may be free — even if it still is really useful. ➤ We were pleased to see that the council has a prioritised list of locations to install permanent cycle counters — something that we think is important for supporting the argument for further investment in facilities.

Please see our website for weekly news updates. ➤ Our busy rides programme has again proved popular this year with increased numbers of riders.

MEETINGS: 8.30pm on 12 Oct and 9 Nov at the Waggon & Horses pub, Surbiton Hill Road.

CONTACT: Rob James, 020 8546 8865.

LAMBETH www.lambethcyclists.org.uk

CELEBRATING THEIR FIRST YEAR: members from LCC Harrow have enjoyed numerous rides and events in the last 12 months

As we go to press we're trialling a new location for our popular cycle maintenance classes at the Kennington Hub project based in the Lilian Baylis Community Hub, Lollard Street, Kennington, SE11. This is a community project providing a range of cycling activities for

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young people and adults, in which our own Charlie Holland is heavily involved — see www. pedalpowerkennington.org.uk ➤ Our ever popular Architecture Rides continue to run and the next rides are scheduled to be 'North London Markets' on Saturday 30 October and 'Art Deco' on Saturday 27 November, but check the website for details. ➤ We're always busy with ongoing campaigns and issues so do come along to our meetings or events whether you're an LCC member or not — all are welcome.

MEETINGS: third Tuesday of the month (19 October and 16 November), 7.30pm, upstairs at The Priory Arms, 83 Lansdowne Way, London SW8.

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

since last April. We have been offered the opportunity of reviewing (by cycle) the LCN+ in the borough — please contact us if you would like to take part.

Unfortunately as much of the network has yet to be signed you have to know exactly where it is to find it. No news on whether the borough will be installing more cycle parking this year. It would be very interesting for LCC centrally to review the numbers of stands boroughs have installed at the end of the year under the new funding arrangements and we will be asking for a meeting with the borough to discuss the 2011-12 funding bid.

MEETINGS: for details, please visit the website.

CONTACT: Roger Stocker, rgstocker@gmail.com

MERTON www.mertoncyclists.org.uk

We are still asking Lewisham about the 2010-11 TfL funding.

We have been told that cycle facilities are being ‘incorporated’ into other schemes rather than stand-alone and they are looking at ‘gaps for cyclists being blocked by parked cars, allowing cyclists through no entry points and cycle contraflow facilities in one way roads’. Unfortunately we have no regular meeting with the council for updates and normally have to wait for the consultation — we will be looking to address this. ➤ We have suggested using some of the £357k Smarter Travel budget on estate cycle parking but Lewisham council has said that it is ‘not taking forward a project for cycle parking on estates as we would be expecting the Lewisham managed services to be carrying this out and we're concentrating our funding on improving cycling in the public realm’. Very disappointing. ➤ After much prompting the council has a viewable map of cycle parking in the borough — one of the few in London to do so — www.lewisham.gov.uk/ TransportAndStreets/Cycling/ ➤ We also have the usual TfL gripe about a TLRN scheme on the Greenwich border that has made conditions very dangerous for cycling. TfL has had a plan

With two of the five Martin Way horrors still to be removed, we had an opportunity to ride with Councillor Andrew Judge in September when we tried to convey to him what it was like being a cycling and walking voter on Merton's roads/paths.

The tour visited Wandle Trail, London Road and Martin Way. MEETINGS: see website for further details.

CONTACT: Charles Barraball, info@mertoncyclists.org.uk

Luke Evans

LEWISHAM www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups

you want to know what happened. Rumours suggest that the ‘economic climate’ will www.richmondlcc.co.uk dictate that ‘soft’ measures (ie training, Dr Bikes, As part of the LCC ‘Beat The n, our projects to get people Thief’ campaign, cycling) will be campaigns’ cycling GIFT areas coordinator hass the a MEMBERSHIP where money been hard wh will be spent. at work w Stuck for a gift idea? LCC Gift membership is suitable for every Let us know extracting L occasion, whether it’s a birthday, your information y anniversary or just as a thank you from the tthoughts (or dare we mention Christmas?). on the best police about o It’s a great way of supporting LCC way to bike thefts in w and it’ll be appreciated all year spend money the borough. sp long. Visit www.lcc.org.uk/ The FoI on cycling. membership for info.

The Turning response and ➤ Th www. data can be seen en on Hub ( w theturninghub.co.uk) our website — http:// theturningh tinyurl.com/355slnh. Most is working with some local interesting (and dismal) is that organisations like SPEAR, the thefts are up by almost 50 Edgar Road community centre, percent in some areas in the first Richmond MIND. We are six months of this year. attempting to start a recycling The council is starting its own scheme with these and other initiative after hearing of our organisations. Get in touch if you campaign and initial meetings want to help; mechanics, bike have been held. Meanwhile, donations and a location are bikes are still stolen, some of needed. Richmond MIND has a which are worth more than the selection of second- hand bikes average car — please get in touch available to buy, all have been with your safer neighbourhood worked on by their volunteers team and lobby them to do more and all money goes to Richmond to stop bike theft.

MIND. Use the contact details ➤ We are waiting for the below if you're interested in council’s new Cycling Champion buying a cheap bike.

MEETINGS: second Monday of to be announced and the first the month, 8pm at The Ship Inn Cycling Liaison Group (CLG) in Richmond. meeting to be held. The CLG CONTACT: Jonathan Rowland, should be held in early October, 07976 294626; info@richmondlcc. so look out for minutes on the co.uk. council website or get in touch if

RICHMOND

SPIN CYCLE: Guy Roberts and Chris James demonstrate LCC Lambeth's bike-powered music machine in Brockwell Park

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SOUTHWARK www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk In biblical times, it is written, Lot and his daughters fled to Zoar to escape the wrathful destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. On 13 October — unlucky for some perhaps — Southwark Cyclists do their monthly second Wednesday flee to the corner of Zoar Street. It's our Annual Meeting this time, to ensure the destruction of our Management Committee. The whole bunch gets sacked, replacements are elected — it's a quick, unpompous, humane and painless process that's not without suspense, and that's very worth being part of. If you want to improve cycling in Southwark and wider, be part of that democratic process — vote, make a noise, get elected, be part of it. ➤ Rides: Fright Bike Five on 28 October, Southwark Healthy Rides every first Saturday, almost every Thursday we hold ‘Afterworkers’, on 24 November ‘Time & Talents’ is on the Sewerage of London. And then it's the 2512 again.

MEETINGS: see website.

CONTACT: Barry Mason, 07905 889 005.

SUTTON www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups In early August, along with Sutton's Cycling Officer, members looked at green spaces via LCN+ route 76 and back via LCN+ route 77, pointing out missing signs and dropped kerbs.

Also resurfacing the bridleway from Park Close passage to Blakehall Road and paths around Stanley Park Rec Ground.

MEETINGS: second Tuesday of each month (12 Oct, 9 Nov), from 8.30pm at the Robin Hood pub at the junction of West Street & Robin Hood Lane, Sutton.

CONTACT: Chris Parry, 020 864 73584; cyclism@blueyonder. co.uk

TOWER HAMLETS www.towerhamletswheelers.org.uk At the last general election, Tower Hamlets voters chose to switch to having a directly

elected mayor in future, and the election is due in October. The mayor will have a great deal of power within the borough and so we're contacting each candidate as the names are announced, to gather their views on cycling and sustainable transport. We'll post the responses on our website, so that LBTH members can make a more informed choice. ➤ Wheelers support various events in the borough each year, one of which is a 100-lap ride around Arnold Circus. This year was special because it was the centenary of the site and the aim was to get 100 riders, doing 100 laps in the 100th year.

We actually managed 90 riders, which is a record for a Wheelers ride, so well done to all who attended and thanks to the Friends of Arnold Circus for letting us run the ride during their annual sharing picnic event. We have a number of other events coming up, so if you're able to help us run a stand (handing out maps, leaflets and advice, plus Dr Bike), please get in touch (robl@wheelers.org.uk). ➤ Design work is now starting on Cycle Superhighway 2, which runs from Bow to Aldgate. We're hoping that we can influence TfL to avoid some of the mistakes of CS3, which was rushed in to hit a deadline and as a result has several deficiencies.

Certainly, it seems that there is more extensive consultation happening this time, so maybe we'll get a better result too.

MEETINGS: second Wednesday of the month, 7.30pm at St Margarets Hall, Old Ford Road.

Monthly workshop (bike maintenance, tea and chat) on last Saturdays, from 11am to 3pm at the Boxing Club, Limehouse Town Hall.

CONTACT: Rob, robl@wheelers. org.uk.

WALTHAM FOREST www.wfcycling.org.uk In our effort to get the Hoe Street cycle lights working again (after over a year) we were told it will take until the junction gets remodelled. This is of course unacceptable and would not be tolerated for any other mode of transport. So we have now filed a formal complaint.

RIDES & EVENTS

For the latest details on cycle rides: www.lcc.org.uk/rides

READY FOR THE OFF: B&D members assemble at the Barking 'Dog'

Sunday 3 October ➤ Bookham Common ride: 10.30am, Twickenham Riverside, by Eel Pie Bridge.

Out via Esher to Cobham, then return via Claygate after pub lunch; moderately hilly.

Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Friday 8 October ➤ ACE Africa Cycle Kenya: 500km Western Kenya Challenge. Camp in game park lodges, fully supported. Contact: Samantha Kite (020 7808 6291); event@ ace-africa.org Sunday 10 October ➤ Bread Pudding Challenge ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Fasterpaced local ride with pub stop, bring lights. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@blueyonder.co.uk Wednesday 13 October ➤ LCC retention evening: 6.30pm, LCC offices — see website for details.

Saturday 16 October ➤ Isabella Plantation ride: 10.10am, Strawberry Hill Station (west side).

10-miler, via Ham and Richmond Park.

Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Thursday 21 October ➤ LCC monthly social: 7pm, venue tbc. Informal meeting on third Thursdays of the month, with venue rotating around the boroughs. Contact the LCC office (020 7234 9310) for latest details.

Sunday 24 October ➤ Bread Pudding Challenge ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Easypaced local ride with pub stop, bring lights. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@blueyonder.co.uk Wednesday 27 October ➤ Rides Planning Meeting: 6:30pm, Dog & Bell, Deptford. Monthly meeting for

Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark cyclists to discuss ride planning.

Contact: Andrew Fergar (07717 693701); andrew.fergar@cliffordchance.com Sunday 7 November ➤ Bread Pudding Challenge ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Easypaced local ride with pub stop, bring lights. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@blueyonder.co.uk Sunday 7 November ➤ Burnham Beeches ride: 10.15am, Richmond Station. We get return tickets to Staines and circle past Pinewood Studios and quiet Fulmer to Burnham Beeches.

Cafe/pub lunch. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Wednesday 10 November ➤ LCC retention evening: 6.30pm, LCC offices — see website for details.

Thursday 18 November ➤ LCC monthly social: 6.30pm, central London venue tbc. Contact the LCC office (020 7234 9310) for latest details.

Sunday 21 November ➤ Bread Pudding Autumn Special Part 1: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place.

Short, easy-paced morning ride with pub lunch. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@blueyonder.co.uk Sunday 21 November ➤ Bread Pudding Autumn Special Part 2: 2pm, Kingston Market Place.

Short, easy-paced afternoon ride with tea stop and slice of bread pudding; bring lights. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@blueyonder.co.uk Wednesday 24 November ➤ Rides Planning Meeting: 6:30pm, Dog & Bell, Deptford. Monthly meeting for Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark cyclists to discuss ride planning.

Contact: Andrew Fergar (07717 693701).

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➤ Four of us, including Paul from Living Streets, attended a ‘walkabout’ along Wood Street.

We were happy with the early involvement in this scheme and we’ll keep you posted on developments. It’s looking good for 20mph and extra parking. ➤ We are now in the LIP consultation phase and having had no opportunity for early feedback we will have to be particularly thorough with our response. Any help is welcome, please contact gerhard@ wfcycling.org.uk ➤ Events — 3 Oct, coach-assisted ride, details tbc; 10 Oct, Family Bike Club, 1pm, Church End Walthamstow village; 21 Nov, Fat Boy Ride, 9am, Walthamstow Town Square; 4 Dec, Cycling Santas, details tbc; 12 Jan, Annual Meeting, 8pm, Hornbeam Centre, 458 Hoe Street, E17. Please double-check our website for updates.

MEETINGS: see website.

Workshop — Low Hall depot, South Access road, E17; sale on first Saturday of the month, recycling on Fridays 9am-4pm, public drop-in on second, third and fourth Saturdays of the month 11am-3pm (£3 donation for tools and support).

CONTACT: Gerhard Weiss, gerhard@wfcycling.org.uk.

WESTMINSTER www.westminstercyclists.org.uk We have objected to proposals to close Lisle Street to cyclists in the afternoon and evening as

GREEN LIGHTED: Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign has been supporting Sustrans to develop this attractive new green route

part of a pedestrianisation scheme. Apart from the traffic-choked Shaftesbury Avenue, Lisle Street is the only east-west route through the Leicester Square area. ➤ On a more encouraging note, we have seen plans for a cycle contraflow in Hanover Street.

This will eventually form part of a new west-east cycle route from the north of Mayfair into Soho, via a new crossing of

PLEASE DONATE TODAY TO SUPPORT LCC’s HGV APPEAL You could help us raise £20,000 to help pay for advocacy from our lorry campaigner Charlie Lloyd.

To pledge what you can afford, please call 020 7234 9310 or go to our website www.no-more-lethal-lorries.org.uk

Regent Street. There is currently only a route in the opposite direction. ➤ This year we ran a couple of rides on Open House Weekend (in mid September), a new experience for us, which will influence what we do for next year's planner.

MEETINGS: see website.

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

OTHER LOCAL GROUP CONTACTS BARKING & DAGENHAM www.stibasa.org.uk BARNET www.barnetlcc.org BEXLEY www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups CAMDEN www.camdencyclists.org.uk CITY CYCLISTS www.citycyclists.org.uk CROYDON www.croydon-lcc.org.uk ENFIELD www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups HARINGEY R White; robert.hcc@virgin.net HILLINGDON Sarah James, 020 8868 2912 REDBRIDGE www.redbridgelcc.org.uk WANDSWORTH www.wandsworthcyclists.org.uk

COPY DEADLINE Xmas issue: Friday 22 October NB — this issue will cover the months of December and January, so please include relevant meetings/events.

Send your copy and photos to: editorlondoncyclist@yahoo.com

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London cyclists More of the bike fraternity by our snapper with an antique field camera www.danielbosworth.com

Name Doug Cowie Age 33 From Archway Bike 2009 Kona Zing Favourite London ride West Highgate Hill, Muswell Hill, Swain's Lane; it's a fun climbing workout One thing you'd change about cycling in London Less grumpy (and fewer) drivers

Name Kat Jungnickel Age 37 From Sydney Bike Old Brian Rourke racer Favourite London ride Cycling across the Thames, suddenly you can see for miles One thing you'd change about cycling in London I'd like to see more 'freakbikes' on the roads

Name Jamie Jenkins Age 39 From Southwark Bike Storck Fascenario 0.7 Favourite London ride Tower Bridge to Hever Castle and home early on Sunday morning One thing you'd change about cycling in London Better awareness from motorists

Name Colin Carroll Age 45 From Acton Bike Old Specialized Crossroads Favourite London ride London Sightseer Audax, from Hampton Court to Greenwich One thing you'd change about cycling in London Reducing bike theft, it deters so many people

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