London Cyclists February-March 2011 by London Cycling Campaign

magazine of the London Cycling Campaign Feb - Mar 2011

WORLD-CLASS

CYCLING CITY? We give our verdict on the Mayor's 'Year of Cycling' PLUS Double Our Voice campaign update

01_cover_v2_FINAL.indd 1

19/01/2011 00:56

IFC.indd 2

12/01/2011 09:50

2 Newhams Row London SE1 3UZ 020 7234 9310 www.lcc.org.uk

Editorial contacts Editor: John Kitchiner; londoncyclist@lcc.org.uk Design: Anita Razak Communications: Mike Cavenett; mike@lcc.org.uk LCC contributors: Ashok Sinha, Tom Bogdanowicz, Charlie Lloyd, Matt Mallinder, Gerhard Weiss

Advertising contact Jo Brookes, 020 7657 1831; lcc@tenalps.com

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

www.lcc.org.uk For the latest news, campaigns and events info, visit the LCC website. 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.

Contents news, letters & opinion

News Local and city-wide campaign successes, plus 'Double Our Voice' update Letters Your latest comments, queries, rants and raves Zoe Williams Argues that radical legal reform is needed to protect cyclists Tim Lang & Geof Rayner On the dangers of the new public health strategy

4 12 15 17

features Year in Cycling Ashok Sinha reviews the last 12 months and looks forward to 2011 Cycle Parking The last in our series considers developments at transport hubs Safety awareness Behind the scenes as London bus drivers receive cycle training Best Rides in London Kensington & Chelsea London interest How well are the Olympic cycling sites progressing? Cycle Superhighway Newham Cyclists explain why there'll be no Olympic bike route How to One man's unique take on the charity ride — you could organise your own too!

18 22 26 30 32 36 38

reviews Bikes Four of the new breed of what we're calling 'urban cross' bikes rated Grouptest Waterproof jackets enjoy a typically English winter mauling Product More waterproof products to keep you and your gear dry Books A selection of glossy coffee-table hardbacks and interesting paperbacks

42 45 46 48

members Group news What's happening with campaigns and events in your local area? Rides listing Enjoy a classic LCC guided ride over the next two months London cyclists Photographic vox pops of the city's diverse bike fraternity

51 55 58

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

COVER: www.danielbosworth.com LOCATION: Putney, SW London

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

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 3

NEW_03_contents.FINAL.indd 3

18/01/2011 23:11

NEWS

News Visit www.lcc.org.uk for campaign updates and latest news reports Jack999/flickr

Ealing scraps bus lane trial As a result of the increased casualties related to motorbikes in bus lanes, Ealing Council is to scrap its trial, which has run since January 2009. The council considered data from the London-wide experiment on Transport for London roads and data from motorcycle crashes on Ealing roads. The increased casualties in Ealing were similar to those on the TfL roads. There were significantly more motorcyclist casualties especially from crashes with cars turning across lanes or changing lanes. In both trials cyclist casualties were higher than expected. The original claims that there would be a 40 percent safety benefit to motorcyclists has been proven wrong in both experiments.

Fastest track in the world The London 2012 velodrome track has now been completed and is expected to become the fastest in the world. The London Organising Committee (LOCOG) worked together with track designer Ron Webb on geometry, temperature and environmental conditions within the venue, creating a track which is 26ft wide with steepness ranging from 12 to 42 degrees. Seating will be available all around the track so spectators can be as close to the action as possible and show their support. After the Olympics, a road circuit and mountain bike course will be added outside and the venue will be reopened as the Lea Valley VeloPark. This cycling hub — including café, bike hire and workshop — will be available to professional athletes and the local community. (See main feature on page 32).

Read my LIPs LCC is calling on all cyclists who ride through the City to make their views known on the Local Implementation Plan (LIP), setting out spending priorities for the next three years. The City is one of the first London authorities (along with Bexley and Newham) to put their LIPs online. Local campaigners have questioned the City Corporation's true commitment to cycling, despite a 10 percent target for cycle journeys, pointing out that similar targets set in the past are nowhere near being reached. The LIPs set out how council money will be spent in coming years, and you're entitled to comment on these plans as part of your local LCC group or as an individual. The plans must set a target for cycling in your borough. The

Mayor has set a target of a 400 percent increase from 2001 to 2026, which would mean 5 percent of journeys would be made by bicycle. The current level is just 2 percent for the whole of London, though this is an increase from 1.2 percent in 2001. In surveys, one in three Londoners says they want to cycle more, which is why LCC is calling for a higher target of one in five journeys to be made by bicycle in 2026. LCC advises searching for words like 'cycling', 'cyclist', 'cycle' and 'bicycle' to see how often and where they come up. Make sure that there are clear commitments to cycle training (especially for children), cycle parking, and improvements to infrastructure in the LIP.

The draft LIP for Bexley, for example, includes references to cycle training and cycle parking, but these are brief compared to the section on car parking. The

Bexley target for the 'modal' share of cycling is set below the Mayor's target of 5 percent, although it aims for an increase in the number of journeys.

+++ To receive a fortnightly e-newsletter on London cycling issues, sign up at www.lcc.org.uk +++ 4 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

0405_news.FINAL.indd 4

18/01/2011 23:14

‘Must do better’: verdict on Cycle Superhighways features could include: making all the blue cycle lanes two metres wide and mandatory; making all the advance stop lines five metres deep; ensuring all parts of the routes which are one-way for cars are two-way for cyclists; improving all junctions on each route; introducing 20mph speed limits for all busy sections; and ensuring there will be a police Cycle Task Force enforcement campaign for each new Cycle Superhighway when launched. The Assembly also praised the Cycle Hire Scheme saying: "We found great enthusiasm for the Cycle Hire scheme. Over 20 percent of respondents to our survey had started cycling as a result of the scheme and over 80 percent thought it good value for money." Assembly members again included several recommendations that matched those of the LCC, including the need to expand

Martin Deutsch/flickr

A London Assembly investigation into the Mayor’s headline cycling projects has welcomed both the Cycle Hire Scheme and the Cycle Superhighways, but concludes that the Superhighways need significant improvement. Assembly Member Valerie Shawcross, chair of the Transport Committee, said: "Users of the pilot Superhighways have told us that they don't feel safer using these routes and they're not always respected by other road users. There are clearly lessons to be learned from the design and development of these initial two Superhighways." Mirroring LCC's recommendations, the committee added: "We'd like to see a greater consistency in the features on future Cycle Superhighway routes so they are safer for cyclists. The Mayor and TfL could establish a minimum level of features which should be introduced." It concluded that such

on TfL’s journey planner, and creating a 'BikeGrid' of cyclefriendly routes across Zone 1.

the area covered by the bikes, introducing corporate memberships, including docking stations

£7 million available for bike parking across the UK says Network Rail

www.steverutherford.co.uk

Network Rail, which owns and operates most major stations in London, has told LCC that it has allocated £7 million for cycling facilities, such as cycle parking and cycle access to stations, across the UK. Under the Labour

government £14 million of Department for Transport and Network Rail money was earmarked to improve very poor facilities for cycle users, as highlighted by the Minister for Transport, at UK stations. The

DfT says that £1m has been spent (at Leeds, Waterloo and other stations) and £6m cut, but Network Rail will be allocating £7m after conversations with the DfT. Network Rail says improve-

ments will include cycle hubs at Victoria, Waterloo, St Pancras and an upgrade to cycle parking at Paddington. Negotiations at both Waterloo and Victoria are in progress but there are no details yet of St Pancras and Paddington. An LCC survey of major London stations in December 2010 found that although some new parking facilities had been installed at Waterloo, Euston and Liverpool Street, most stations still had insufficient provision. LCC's Cycle Parking 4 London campaign wants to see 500 spaces at every mainline station in Greater London, with 200 of these being secure. Network Rail says that in addition to the hubs mentioned above it is going to provide additional parking at Clapham Junction and King’s Cross. It also says it has provided funding to local councils for improvements at King’s Cross and Farringdon stations. The company would not commit to immediate improvements in station signage to cycle parking, saying this would be considered when refurbishments take place. ■ See main feature on page 22.

+++ LCC local groups organise bike rides throughout the year — see page 55 for a full listing +++ Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 5

0405_news.FINAL.indd 5

18/01/2011 18:43

NEWS

CPS refuses to act after driver filmed threatening to kill cyclist

A cyclist has complained after the Crown Prosecution Service refused to take action against a motorist who was filmed threatening to kill him as he cycled through Hounslow in November 2010.

Martin Porter QC, a barrister, showed the headcam evidence to police, which included the number plate of the motor vehicle, but no action was taken. The incident took place on the A315 in west London after a

driver became irate with Porter 'taking the lane' in accordance with National Cycle Training. Reported in the Evening Standard, Porter who also writes a cycling-related blog said: "I was saying to [the motorist] that it wasn't a good place to overtake. He zoomed off, but I overtook him at a traffic queue, then he came past me again, probably about four miles down the road, drew up alongside me, wound his window down and said he was going to kill me." Responding to criticism that the incident was trivial, Porter said: "He drew alongside me no more than a couple of feet away on a narrow road and threatened to kill me." A spokesperson for LCC said: "The authorities have a duty to protect cyclists from the minority of motorists who think it's acceptable to drive aggressively and dangerously.” Earlier in 2010, Hounslow CPS was on the receiving end of a highly critical report from Her Majesty's CPS Inspectorate.

Herne Hill campaign into second phase The campaign to Save The Velodrome has set out ambitious plans to renovate the Herne Hill arena on a new website (www. savethevelodrome.com). The campaign, organised by local residents and supported by many local cycling groups including Southwark Cyclists is trying to halt the slow decay of the facility, and looking for ways to make the velodrome a selfsustaining enterprise. The first meeting of the campaign in October 2010 was attended by 700 people and received pledges of support worth many thousands of pounds. The plans have been drawn up with Hopkins Architects, who are responsible for the Olympic velodrome. The renovated velodrome would feature an elevated cafe, a family circuit, workshops and storage facilities, and a fitness centre.

Signs of change for DfT on one-ways vovchychko

The rule that forbade local authorities from simply adding an 'Except Cyclists' notice to existing No Entry signs is expected to be removed in 2011. The change to the current Department for Transport's signing rules will make it easier for councils to allow cyclists to travel in both directions again along streets that have been converted to one-way. Councils wanting to allow cyclists to cycle in a contraflow direction have until recently been expected to build expensive engineering measures to create a dedicated contraflow cycle lane at the entry point to the one-way street. Alternatively, they have had the option to use ‘No Motor Vehicles’ signs, but these aren't popular because many motorists don't understand what

the 'flying motorcycle' means. LCC has long favoured the move, and the DfT's decision comes

after successful trials of the new signs in several London boroughs, including Kensington & Chelsea,

Hackney and Lambeth. The new rules will apply across Britain.

+++ Find a comprehensive archive of London Cyclist news and features at www.lcc.org.uk +++ 6 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

0607_news.FINAL.indd 6

19/01/2011 15:51

Grassroots groups rewarded by City Hall Gerhard Weiss

pleasure to be present to recognise the commitment and achievements of the project staff and participants." Ashok Sinha, LCC’s chief executive, added: "We are very proud of the achievements of the community groups we have supported and believe community engagement is essential in making cycling part of everyday life." The recipients of a certificate of special commendation were: ■ Schools — Ursuline High School, Merton; Shacklewell Primary School, Hackney. ■ Youth projects — Kyu-Yo-BuShin, Westminster; Oasis Children's Venture, Lambeth. ■ Community cycling initiatives — Bromley Bike Blast; Ocean Somali Community Association, Tower Hamlets; Kingston Voluntary Action. In 2010, grants of £5,000 and £10,000 enabled 47 groups across London to provide cycle training, bike maintenance workshops and to organise bike-related events. Projects in need of extra support were match-funded by the Big Lottery.

Since 2007 Transport for London’s Community Cycling Fund for London (CCFfL) has been supporting a range of local groups, grassroots organisations and schools to encourage more people to start cycling. In early

December TfL, together with LCC, presented the most successful CCFfL projects with an award at City Hall in recognition of their achievements. The awards were presented by Ben Plowden, TfL’s Director of

Better Routes and Places who commented: "The excellent work delivered by CCFfL projects is an important part of raising the profile of cycling in London, and contributing to the Mayor’s Cycling Revolution. It was a

Design a bikeshed in Bankside competition percent of trips made to Bankside on a regular basis are by bicycle. Discussion with member businesses has highlighted the problem of finding space for cycle parking, particularly when premises are leased or in older buildings. Better Bankside has therefore set a target to establish a secure cycle park in the western end of the BID area by March 2011. The design competition is open, but not limited to architects, designers, artists, product designers, and those working in related disciplines. The Architecture Foundation encourages design teams to suggest flexible, innovative yet realisable designs for this portable structure. The winning entry will be built as a prototype. Entries will be judged anonymously by a jury including

Ashok Sinha, chief executive of LCC; Deborah Saunt, director of DSDHA; Sarah Ichioka, director of The Architecture Foundation; and Jonathan Bell, architecture editor of Wallpaper* magazine. The deadline for registration

and payment is Wednesday 16 February and the competition deadline for final submissions is Friday 18 February. ■ For more info and to download the registration form, go to www. architecturefoundation.org.uk. Mickey Lee

The Architecture Foundation has launched an open international competition to design a modular, portable and secure cycle parking solution on behalf of Better Bankside Business Improvement District (BID). The competition forms part of Better Bankside's ‘Smart Green Business strategy', a new EU-funded project to improve local businesses' environmental performance. This currently includes a free recycling scheme, public realm improvements and information events. It is also actively promoting cycling for commuting and work related trips though its Travel Planning programme. The issue of cycle parking has been high on the agenda of Better Bankside for the last few years. Data from a recent local survey indicate that up to 17

BETTER BY DESIGN: see your cycle parking ideas become reality on Bankside

+++ Catch LC photographer Dan Bosworth's show from 8-20 March at Look Mum No Hands +++ Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 7

0607_news.FINAL.indd 7

18/01/2011 18:45

Matthew Thomson

NEWS

Roadwork contractors fail to account for cyclists

SIGNS OF THINGS TO COME: unwelcome notices on Southwark Bridge Road

Roadworks all over London are blocking roads and cycle routes unnecessarily, contravening Department for Transport Guidance on safety of cyclists. The guidance says: "Contractors should evaluate the cycle flows and potential risks, and wherever possible they should allow space on the carriageway for cycles and other vehicles. If that's not possible,

contractors should sign a suitable diversion route. Only as a last resort should cyclists be directed to share a footway with pedestrians, and only then is it appropriate to use the Cyclists Dismount signs." LCC has found numerous examples of DfT guidance being flouted, including: ■ Southwark Bridge Road: Cycle Superhighway 7 blocked by

A popular commuter cycling route along Tavistock Place is to be improved after extensive campaigning by Camden Cyclists, the local LCC group. The improvement is at the junction of Marchmont Street and Tavistock Place, part of a segregated cycle lane installed in 2004. LCC's cycling development officer Gerhard Weiss said: "This junction has a separate phase for all sorts of manoeuvres and the cyclists' phase causes severe delays to the thousands of cyclists that use the route." Due to valuable input from Camden Cyclists, the junction is

now to be changed to remove left turns for motor vehicles, which should improve pass-through speeds for cyclists considerably, although there will still be no left turn going westbound. Work on the junction was due to start in January and last for three weeks. ■ Another road closure nearby will affect cyclists for months to come. Pancras Road will be closed at the junction with Goodsway from January for about six months. No arrangements for cyclists have been made, so you may want to wheel your bike on the pavement for the short stretch of the closure.

LCC launches YouTube films Every year the Community Cycling Fund for London supports around 50 community initatives and LCC is proud to launch three short films — on the London Cycling channel on YouTube — illustrating their potential: ■ Candi-Cycles looks at the

work of Camden & Islington Mental Health Foundation Trust. ■ Agewell on Wheels supports over 50s in Hammersmith; now in Camden and Westminster. ■ Squeaky Chains — a recycling outfit working with homeless people in central London.

failing to follow the safety guidance in a way that puts cyclists or pedestrians at risk. "London needs a culture where it's normal to make safe and easy routes for cyclists to navigate roadworks. This is all part of the process of creating a cycle-friendly city."

HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ■ If you can, take photos of the roadworks with your phone. ■ Email photos and basic details of the complaint to us, so LCC and our local groups can monitor the situation. ■ Complain to the contractor using the phone number posted on the roadworks. If there isn't one, find the foreman of the site and get a contact number for the contractor from him. ■ Complain to your council, check websites for details.

'No Cycling' signs on South Bank Lambeth Cyclists, the local LCC group, are continuing to put pressure on politicians and landowners to allow considerate cycling on the South Bank, rather than introduce an outright ban. ‘No Cycling’ signs have recently been erected in front of St Thomas’s Hospital, between Lambeth and Westminster Bridges. These signs were put up by the property owners, and local cycle campaigners are dubious about their legality. Community police in the area say they’re only advising cyclists to dismount. LCC’s Mike Cavenett said, “When we visited the area [see the short film at www.youtube. com/london_cycling] there was no evidence of conflict between cyclists and walkers. We spoke to a father and his teenage daughter who cycle the route regularly who were concerned

Route victory for Camden

roadworks, and inappropriate 'Cyclist Dismount' signs erected, even though there was ample space for cyclists to use the carriageway. ■ Vallance Road, Whitechapel: gas repairs have totally blocked the road. When LCC asked why there wasn't a space left for cyclists (which is perfectly feasible), the contractor failed to answer, asking LCC: "Why do cyclists always ignore the signs they put up?" ■ Bermondsey Street, SE1: two 'Cyclist Dismount' signs within a hundred metres tell cyclists to stop cycling, even though there's a clear route along the carriageway. LCC campaigns officer Charlie Lloyd said: "We can educate contractors to think about cyclists before they block routes. And we need to talk to the councils, for whom many contractors are working, and the contractors themselves. "A 'Cyclists Dismount' sign doesn't excuse contractors from

LAMBETH CYCLISTS: on the case

about being forced on to the intimidating and traffic-heavy alternative route along Lambeth Palace Road. We’ll continue to lobby for considerate cycling rights along the South Bank.”

+++ Get a full listing of local maintenance classes at http://tinyurl.com/LCCmaintenance +++ 8 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

NEW_08_news.FINAL.indd 8

18/01/2011 19:20

p9.indd 9

10/11/2010 20:36

p10.indd 10

12/01/2011 10:39

Double Our Voice campaign: get your mates to join

In the last issue of London Cyclist, LCC launched its 'Double Our Voice' campaign, with the aim of raising the profile of cyclists in London by asking every member to recruit one more to the cause. Chief executive Ashok Sinha said: "There's never been a more important time for cyclists to be

heard. Budget cuts at all levels mean there's competition for resources. It's essential that cyclists' voice is heard and LCC is the organisation best-placed to make sure we're not forgotten. "We're urging all members to sign up a cycling friend or family member, and give cycling a boost in 2011."

New members can sign up online, by calling 020 7234 9310, or by printing out and passing on the leaflet on the website. What's more, everyone who buys Gift Membership for a fellow cyclist will receive a free copy of the London Cycling Guide, the capital's best book of leisure rides, worth £10.99.

Met outlook good after record sign-up An LCC member at the Metropolitan Police has recruited more new members than any other as part of our Double Our Voice campaign. Carole Fell-Smith, who works at the Police Forensic Unit in Walworth, said: “When I heard about LCC, I joined up straight away and managed to persuade a few of my colleagues to do the same." "We were attracted by the added benefits such as free third-party insurance and discounts at many bike shops throughout London. Joining LCC feels as if I'm becoming part of an ever-growing cycling

POLICE ON BIKES: thanks to Carole

community within London. "LCC staff have also been very supportive in my efforts to set up a workplace bicycle users group (BUG) too, sending me copies of

the latest magazine, recruitment leaflets, and maps of London.” LCC’s membership officer Matthew Dunton said: “We have nothing but praise for Carole for putting so much effort into our Double Our Voice campaign. We’ve already had 10 new members from the Met since she started promoting LCC at her workplace. "If we could all recruit that many new members, LCC's membership would be 100,000 strong by this time next year!" If anyone else needs help setting up a BUG, or recruiting members, they should get in touch with our membership team on 020 7234 9310.

NEWS

No third-party covers costs cyclist dearly A student cyclist who incurred heavy financial damages during a crash would have saved thousands of pounds if he'd been an LCC member. Gary Morgan was in a collision with an large four-wheel-drive car, which he maintains was the motorist's fault. However, without legal representation or third-party cover, he's ended up with a bill for damages of nearly £3000. Gary was wrongly advised to represent himself and lost the case when the judge believed his opponent, who was represented by a barrister. Gary explained: "I was riding to work, when I came upon a bus stuck in traffic. It was right against the curb, so I decided to go around the outside. There was at least three feet between the middle of the road and the bus. As I passed around (on my side of the road), the wing mirror of a car coming the opposite way hit my right forearm and dragged me into the back of his 4x4. I cut my head badly, and hurt my arm; he was unharmed, though his car had a broken mirror and scratches. The driver claimed that I was the one on the wrong side of the road, and when the case came to court the judge believed him over me. I'm now left with a huge bill for damages, but I'm a student and don't have this kind of money." LCC membership officer Matthew Dunton said: "If Gary had been an LCC member, he would have known to call our expert solicitors, Levenes, who would have made his case a priority. He might even have won substantial damages against the other party, but even if he hadn't, he would have been insured against claims against him by LCC's third-party cover."

+++ There's an LCC group in every borough, so why not pop along to a meeting — see page 55 +++ Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 11

011_newsDOV.FINAL.indd 11

19/01/2011 18:14

LETTERS

Letters Comment, opinion, rants and raves — send yours to londoncyclist@lcc.org.uk

LONDON'S SOUTH BANK: as you've never seen it before. Eerily quiet on Christmas morning — no bustling crowds, certainly no pesky bikes, in fact no sign of life at all...

RIVERSIDE SIGNAGE Is LCC aware of the ‘No Cycling’ signs which have recently gone up on the riverside ‘greenway’ alongside St Thomas's hospital? Is this the first move to make the entire riverside cycle-free? It certainly seems to go against the EU definition of a greenway: ‘Communication routes reserved exclusively for non-motorised journeys, developed in an integrated manner which enhances both the environment and quality of life of the surrounding area. These routes should meet satisfactory standards of width, gradient, and surface condition to ensure that they are both user-friendly and low-risk for users of all abilities.’ There's no justification for the move, since there is ample space for pedestrians and cyclists alike. Anch Warlow, email

SOUTH BANK BAN As a passionate and committed London cyclist (and LCC member) I must take issue with your position on the proposed total

ban on cycling on the South Bank. As well as being a cyclist, I’m a pedestrian and I fully support the segregation of walkers and cyclists. Bikes cannot successfully share space with pedestrians, as their motion and speed inherently introduces unacceptable uncertainty into the business of navigating as a walker. The risks of collision are high and the consequences severe. Furthermore, bicycles belong on the road, regardless of the age of the rider. It is drivers who must make way for non-motorized road users, not walkers. Only by creating a critical mass of road-using cyclists will London be transformed into a properly cycle-friendly city and any effort to distract riders from their rightful place — on the road — should be opposed by cyclists and their representatives. The notion that ‘responsible cycling’ alone could be permitted on the South Bank is risible. There is inadequate enforcement of all transport at

present and to attempt to introduce further subtleties is doomed to failure. Corin Ashwell, email

LCC says: LCC recently posted a short video on our website and YouTube channel (London_ cycling) supporting 'considerate cycling' on the South Bank. We think a ban is unreasonable and it's particularly important to keep this open to cyclists as the alternative route along Lambeth Palace Road is not pleasant: multiple lanes of fast-moving traffic that will deter tourists, children and most other less experienced cyclists.

MORE TOUR BUSES Firstly, great Xmas issue — it makes CTC’s magazine look amateurish. Anyway I'd like to echo Marylyn Macquaide's complaint (London Cyclist, Xmas 2010) about tour bus drivers. They are possibly the most dangerous drivers on the road and cyclists should beware. I was almost knocked off by a London Tour bus on Holland Park

Avenue earlier this year. It decided to overtake me at around 25mph between a line of parked cars and a traffic island. The gap was around a foot and though I wobbled was able to remain upright. When I caught up with the driver a few hundred yards later, he denied seeing me at all and then became abusive. Timon Day, email

LCC says: You'll see from the feature on p26 that bus driver training is certainly something LCC promotes. After recent complaints from cyclists, our lorry campaigner Charlie Lloyd has been lobbying the tour companies to improve their cycle-awareness among drivers.

BELATED RESOLUTIONS I know it's a bit late for New Year resolutions, but I nearly got run over by a bike this morning, on the pavement near City Hall and I thought how wonderful the world would be if all cyclists made the following commitments: 1) I shall not cycle dangerously

12 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

012013_letters.FINAL.indd 12

17/01/2011 22:40

on pavements — that means safe, courteous cycling on pavements is just about ok. 2) I shall not go through red lights — my pet hate since being knocked off my bike by a red light jumper last year. 3) I shall use all the space of an advance stop line box — so that other fellow cyclists don't have to queue along the gutter, plus as we all set off, we ‘traffic calm’ beautifully. Jenny Jones AM, Green Party

LORRIES IN PARKS Readers should take extra care in London's parks. During November a cyclist was hit by a motorbike on Regent's Park’s outer circle where many cyclists commute and train. The road was closed and the injuries are thought to involve serious paralysis. One of the attending officers told me he'd turned away "over 500" cars in less than 30 minutes. Like Richmond Park, Regent's Park is a major rat run these days. Road markings are minimal and sections are very dark at night. Too many users of the Regent's Park outer circle think they're out of the normal road system and take liberties. As a result it's an accident waiting to happen every day of the week. Please take care! R. Lofthouse, N16

MORE CRAZY SOCKS Is Greg Hall or ‘Crazy Socks The Courier’ (London Cyclist, Xmas 2010) the most famous London cyclist of them all? He's fast becoming so.

LETTERS IN QUESTION

BIKE HANGAR: green and very secure

I keep seeing him everywhere. Firstly a babelgum video (http://www.babelgum. com/channels/180801/ clips/6002926), then more than once on one of the best cycle blogs I've seen (ThatMessenger Chick), but also in your Oct-Nov issue (Laurence from FullCity was modelling his ride) and, finally, in the London Cyclists gallery of your last issue. The only place I haven't seen him is out on the road. More Crazy Socks please! Matt Garbutt, email

SAFE AS HOUSES Londoners live in small spaces and they love their bikes. So why are front gardens full of cars, not bikes? “Get it out of the hallway! Put it on that flowerbed,” I said. “But I want a garden (she knows about carbon offset) and a clear path. And mind those pipes and cables,” she replied. Our solution? A Bike Hangar (pictured above) — space for two cycles, sedum’s on top. Secure? Don’t even try. Readers can find out more via PeterTreadgold@ btinternet.com. Peter Treadgold, email

I was very shocked and angry at LCC's inadequate response to some correspondents in the London Cyclist Xmas 2010 issue, in particular to the following two letters. The first, headed 'Leading Lights', expressed concern at the number of cyclists in Cambridge who had no lights, wore dark clothing with no helmets or high visibility clothing and wobbled so unsteadily on their bikes that it appeared they "were about to swerve in front of buses or taxis". LCC's response was merely to celebrate there being more cyclists in Cambridge "even if they're a bit wobbly". You should at very least have recommended that cyclists not ride in traffic until they can ride steadily, because to do so is unsafe for them and other road users. Remember, wobbly cyclists cannot perform any essential manoeuvres correctly. I do not support the wearing of high-visibility clothing or helmets being made compulsory, but bright clothing certainly does add visibility and helmets may add protection, and you could have mentioned this. About these cyclists having no lights (which is illegal and more importantly, very unsafe at night) you have nothing to say. LCC continually points the finger at motorists and pedestrians who do not act safely on the roads, especially since such behaviour causes injury or death to others, including competent cyclists. But here it seems you think

novice cyclists should be excused being so sloppy. The second letter, headed 'Protection Under The Law', asked five very relevant questions about an issue important to all road users; what action can we take if we observe someone using their mobile phone while driving. I'm sure I'm not the only person who'd like advice on this. You didn't reply to this letter at all! Maybe I'm mistaken in thinking one of your main purposes was promoting cohesion and road safety for cyclists? Theodore Brown, email

LCC says: Our intention was to convey the fact that however much training one has, there is always likely to be a phase where a novice cyclist is honing their skills on streets with traffic. We welcome this and think our laws and infrastructure should reflect and encourage it. It's a shame the phrase "a bit wobbly" could have been interpreted to mean we were encouraging incompetent cyclists to act in a dangerous way. This was certainly not the intention, especially given that LCC actively supports cycle training. As for the other letter: there wasn't space to address these important questions in a proper fashion, particularly given that most involve quite complex legalities. However, we expect to raise these issues in future, so we can advise cyclists on how best to deal with dangerous behaviour from other road users.

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

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 13

012013_letters.FINAL.indd 13

17/01/2011 22:54

p12.indd 12

10/11/2010 20:38

p16.indd 16

12/01/2011 11:13

OPINION

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

OPINION

Tim Lang & Geof Rayner There’s a danger that Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s new public health strategy won’t get more people on bikes, say Tim Lang & Geof Rayner

he latest British Social Attitudes report showed that the UK public has become more sceptical about politicians over recent decades. Sometimes this is deserved, but it’s worth remembering that politicians have the power to create and deliver frameworks that enable decent lives to be lived. And nowhere is this more necessary than in public health, an area in which London has a proud history. However, that history is not a straight line of progress, more a tangled web of competing visions — part stumbling, part follies, part reversals and part breakthroughs. It looks like that pattern is set to continue. Last December, Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley launched two new strategies. The first, Liberating the NHS, is about restructuring NHS bureaucracy; whereas more important for the future of cycling is the second strategy, Healthy Lives, Healthy People, which is about improving public health. Unfortunately, the government’s new strategy is likely to see the end of existing projects such as ‘cycling towns’ and ‘healthy towns’, pilots funded by the Department of Health that have seen places like Tower Hamlets attempting to get people to walk and cycle to tackle obesity problems. These programmes were instigated on the advice of the Department of Health expert advisory group on obesity (on which we, the authors, sit). Essentially, the last government realised back in 2007 that unless current trends towards increasing obesity are reversed, massive extra costs will end up on the NHS’s plate. Undoing the good work However, it appears that Healthy Lives, Healthy People sets out to alter this strategy. Lansley didn’t like the framework under Labour, which he attacked as ‘nanny state’, and so he’s creating five new ‘Responsibility Deals’ (RDs) to steer policy. For example, food companies now sit on the food RD; the fitness industry has a place on the physical activity RD; while drinks companies sit on alcohol’s RD. Sure, talking with industry is fine, but having the purveyors of fat, sugar, soft drinks, booze and gym memberships running the show? Hmm, the old proverb about foxes guarding the hen coops springs to mind. Creating a world where cycling and walking are normal, and where cars and other energy-guzzling modes of transport are exceptional isn’t easy. It requires large-scale structural change such as shortening distances between work, home, school, shops and leisure, as well as creating infrastructure to support exercise in daily life (not just to bolster expensive fitness clubs). But to deliver this, cycling

must be made accessible for all. Ordinary people must start to use cycling as a normal, not exceptional, mode of transport. We’d argue that even the creation of Cycle Superhighways sends the wrong message. In place of the so-called ‘nanny state’, Lansley favours ‘nudge’ behaviour-change psychology, which is fashionable

“Having these companies run the show is like the old proverb about foxes guarding the hen coops" but thin-thinking. This is an ideology that centres on personal responsibility rather than traffic lights (either the street kind or those on food packaging). But is this really the way to prevent Britain’s powerful food industry from churning out cheap fats or soft drinks, or to undo decades of motorway investment and ‘nudge’ bicycles to replace BMWs? These are areas where governments should direct policy. What does it mean for London? So it appears that projects like those that have been taking place in Tower Hamlets are threatened by the funding squeeze in local authorities and the NHS. Projects to improve public health take a lot of energy, time and collaboration to build, let alone deliver. True, Lansley’s white paper says he will learn from these and similar initiatives but, given that they cost money, it is unlikely that all the learning in the world will make a difference to their wider implementation. Let’s hope our fears about the government’s new approach are wrong, but there’s a real danger of returning to 19th century politics, where localism was driven by ratepayers resisting any advance in the public health, arguing that the costs were unbearable. We’ve already seen the damage caused by right-wing front organisations like the Taxpayers Alliance. Perhaps every locality should create a sustainability alliance as an active counterpoint: “Cyclists of the world unite... and we won't even lose our chains?” Tim Lang is Professor of Food Policy and Geof Rayner is Hon Research Fellow at the Centre for Food Policy, City University, London. Both are London cyclists.

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 17

017_opinion.FINAL.indd 17

17/01/2011 21:16

p21.indd 21

12/01/2011 11:16

CAMPAIGN

At the hub of things Concluding our series of features about London cycle parking, Tom Bogdanowicz looks at provision at transport hubs. Additional research by Joe James

22 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

022025_parking.FINAL.indd 22

17/01/2011 21:45

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 23

022025_parking.FINAL.indd 23

17/01/2011 21:45

CAMPAIGN

wo burly railway workers are digging out a bicycle from under a pile of dozens of bike frames and wheels for an impatient young woman. “Why don’t you have proper cycle parking?” she asks not expecting an answer and knowing it will happen again. It did happen again, and again: extracting a bike from the disorderly pile of 200 cycles locked four-to-astand at Waterloo Station was a regular problem just two years ago. It took a personal visit from the Minister of Transport, and the

WHAT YOU CAN DO 1 — Write to your local MP and ask them to raise the matter of cycle parking at stations with one of the ministers responsible — Teresa Villiers is the minister responsible for rail, Norman Baker is the minister responsible for cycling (www. writetothem.com ). The DfT provides a substantial portion of Network Rail’s funding. 2 — Network Rail owns and runs London’s major stations. You can submit comments at www. networkrail.co.uk/aspx/2709.aspx, or call 08457 11 41 41. It says it will respond within 10 days. 3 — LCC is looking for cycle carriage champions to coordinate lobbying of management at each mainline National Rail station in London. If you'd like to volunteer please get in touch with Adam Field on office@lcc.org.uk and mention which station(s) you have an interest in.

promise of £8 million in funding across the UK, to save Waterloo from international embarrassment. Years of lobbying by LCC, CTC and even Transport for London had achieved very little at Waterloo. The station operator and Network Rail weren’t even interested in the funding TfL had offered for a decent bike facility. But a year after the highly publicised visit by the then Labour Transport Minister, Lord Adonis, Waterloo station has 280 new (two tier) bike racks, 126 docking stations for hire bikes and several dozen bike stands on platforms. You can also rent a Brompton for just £5 pounds a day (£5 a week for season ticket holders) at the Waterloo lost property office and talks are underway about providing an additional secure cycle parking facility. All the existing cycle parking is free, and under camera observation, but none of it is closed off to members of the public. In Leeds they’ve gone one better and created a Dutch-style fully staffed cycle station that is accessible to users from 6am till midnight. It offers secure cycle parking (for a fee of £1 a day) for 300 bikes as well as a bike shop, repairs and cycle hire. The capital funding for the project came from the DfT, as part of the Adonis package, and the shop and hire bikes are run by Evans Cycles.

LCC Survey If the example at Waterloo was multiplied right across London, cycling would have another major boost. There is little doubt that there is excess demand for the cycle parking currently provided at major London stations. An LCC survey, in the depths of one of the coldest winters on record, found that more than half the London rail termini either had no cycle parking or overfull stands despite the bad weather (see panel). Secure parking — at a price In central London, only London Bridge has nearby secure cycle parking that is in an enclosed area with entry restricted to bike owners. Run by the On Your Bike shop it can accommodate up to 400 bikes (for a £1 a day fee) as well as offering both repairs and cycle hire. However it is located five minutes away from the station platforms and is only open from 7.30am to 7.30pm which limits usage. Many cycle users prefer to chain their bikes to the 50 'wheelbender' stands on platform 8 despite the overcrowding. These will disappear when the station is redeveloped but Network Rail has said it will provide an alternative. A national embarrassment St Pancras station was designed from scratch to have the longest

24 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

022025_parking.FINAL.indd 24

17/01/2011 21:45

BIKE SPACES ON STATION LAND (2 per Sheffield stand / 1 per Josta)

WINTER OCCUPANCY

Cannon Street

None

Charing Cross

None

Euston

240

90%

Fenchurch Street

None

Marylebone

220

100% — restricted to season ticket holders

Kings Cross

164

100% plus

108 (station) /400 (bike park)

90% (station)

Liverpool Street

230

75%

Paddington

300

100% plus

St Pancras

100

90%

Waterloo

340

70%

Victoria

100% plus

9,000

(4,500 are secure spaces)

London Bridge

Leyden, Netherlands

Progress and rationing Marylebone station was the first London terminus to implement well managed, relatively secure, convenient and free cycle parking. Users of Chiltern Rail leave top-end bikes chained-up over the weekend at the station seemingly confident that thieves will not pass the ticket barriers in full view of security cameras to go and steal bikes. The station issues numbered zip-ties to registered users. The problem with the convenient facilities is that they attract high demand and Chiltern now restricts the parking spaces to season ticket holders. Until a year ago Euston and Liverpool Street were little better than King’s Cross and Paddington, then rows of gleaming two-tier stands sprang up without fanfare or

fuss. Liverpool Street has the better deal with 130 indoor stands under camera observation. Clear signs direct you to platform 10 and staff say no thefts have been reported. The outdoor stands at Euston are more vulnerable to theft but they are conveniently located next to the main concourse and spaces were available during our survey.

Photos: www.steverutherford.co.uk

champagne bar in Europe — and absolutely no cycle parking. A special Act of Parliament gave it immunity from local authority planning rules, and the requests of TfL and arguments of campaigners fell on deaf ears. Only a demonstration by LCC and CTC members on Eurostar’s opening day secured the installation of just 50 bike stands in the station’s distant car park (seven minutes' walk from the platforms). St Pancras, along with Victoria and Waterloo, was one of the stations that Lord Adonis visited in 2009 and earmarked for serious upgrading on the cycle parking front. Network Rail has told LCC that cycle stations at St Pancras and Victoria, as well as Waterloo, are still planned and improvements are scheduled for Paddington. But the total cycle funding from the Department for Transport and Network Rail has been slashed. Network Rail says it has allocated £7m for cycling across the UK, and the DfT confirms that the rest of a £14m package that followed Lord Adonis’s intervention has been spent (£1m) or cut. The lack of decent facilities at Victoria is as bad as at St Pancras. Despite its grand location, one of the busiest stations in the UK has a tiny allocation of cycle parking in a virtually secret location. At the very far end of platforms 8 and 12 are 42

bike stands — almost all of them full — a tribute to the intrepid cycling explorers who found them. King’s Cross station has experienced decades of completely packed stands and whenever more have been provided they have been filled up. You can admire the intricate web of chained bikes near platform 8. Under the Ken Livingstone regime, TfL was due to install a brand new secure cycle park for 600 bikes, on rented land next to the station, but that appears to have stalled indefinitely. Paddington used to rival Waterloo for the greatest tangle of parked bikes and Mayor Boris Johnson is among the victims of cycle theft at the station. A few more stands have been provided in recent years, but our survey found that there were still more than two bikes per stand at the 130 stands along platform 8.

CAMPAIGN

STATION

Other train stations Charing Cross has zero cycle parking and Network Rail says there is no space to provide any. There is no parking either at Fenchurch Street and Cannon Street and NR expects no change. Blackfriars is under development, but it is not known if parking will be provided. At Farringdon NR has given Islington Council funds under a planning agreement to develop land around the station which will likely include cycle parking. At Clapham Junction NR says it will be creating more cycle parking facilities as the Brighton Yard entrance gets redeveloped. Got parking, can't find it? While station operators and NR can argue that installing new cycle parking takes time and money there is no such excuse for the absence of signage to existing facilities. If Liverpool Street and St Pancras can put up signs, surely all the other stations can do the same? LCC found that most termini had no indication of where cycle parking was located and few station staff knew where it was. NR says it will address signage when upgrades take place, meanwhile “to raise any issues about signage people should either speak to station staff or call 08457 114141.”

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 25

022025_parking.FINAL.indd 25

17/01/2011 21:45

CAMPAIGN 26 London Cyclist February-March 2011

026028_buses.FINAL.indd 26

18/01/2011 19:14

Photos: Neil Cordell

On the buses David Dansky gets a different perspective on city cycling during a training course with a group of London’s red bus drivers

major part of LCC’s No More Lethal Lorries campaign is a call for all Greater London councils to make on-bike training standard for their lorry drivers to reduce the risk of lifethreatening lorry-cyclist collisions. Of course, HGV drivers aren’t the only motorists who can benefit from cycle training, as two London bus companies, Go-Ahead and Abellio, have realised. In recent months, they've organised on-bike sessions for their bus drivers, and Cycle Training UK (CTUK) was there to steer the groups in the right direction. The instructors headed over to the Go-Ahead bus depot at Waterloo on a crisp autumnal day, the plan being to run a series of sessions as part of the company’s health and safety week. Thirty drivers attended. On arrival we were greeted by ‘Basil’, who immediately told us that he wouldn't be attending the sessions as he thinks cyclists shouldn’t be allowed on the roads. To counter that

poor first impression, however, we noticed that the depot's bike rack was full; a high number of the drivers are cyclists themselves. The first session of the day proved lively. As it transpired, 'Basil' did attend and his loud objections to cyclists were shouted down by the rest of the drivers. In fact he was in a minority of one. The drivers as a whole were thoughtful, considerate and respectful of people on two wheels. They were aware of their responsibility to both their customers and other road users.

LCC & LONDON BUSES

What the bus drivers said On being asked to describe any interaction between themselves and cyclists, much of the stuff they described was negative. One driver said: “Some cyclists race to overtake when I’m signalling to pull away from a stop, then swear at me or stick

CORRECT POSITIONING: the bus should not be in the ASL, while the cyclist would be safer if they were more central

LCC began working closely with London Buses after the shocking death of Vicki McCreery, a cyclist who was run over and killed by a London bus driver on Blackfriars Bridge in 2004. The incident exposed serious problems with the system that Transport for London had inherited, which saw driver standards falling and haphazard training. Through managing the contracts of the 20 different companies, London Bus Services Ltd brought about better driver training. Nowadays, simply having a bus driver licence is not sufficient to drive a London bus. Drivers must also take the London drivers' BTech course, which includes a session on safely sharing the road with cyclists. LCC provided expert input into the "Big Bus, Small Bike" video used as part of this training. LCC has repeatedly affirmed its belief that all bus drivers should experience on-bike training. We're encouraged by the two bus companies taking the lead to give cycle training for their drivers, and are lobbying for every driver to have full Level 3 (National Standards) training as part of their Certificate of Professional Competence. David Dansky's article also shows how cyclists could learn sensible road use from the experiences of bus drivers.

June-July 2010 Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 2727

026028_buses.FINAL.indd 27

18/01/2011 19:15

CAMPAIGN HUGGING THE KERB: not the correct, nor safest, place to ride

fingers up as they pass.” Another added: “They squeeze between the bus and the kerb even when we’re at a bus stop.” Interestingly, a couple of the drivers realised their comments were negative and made a few more positive points. “The couriers are excellent riders, always twitching their heads back and riding where you can see them. They also overtake us like motorcyclists,” explained one of the group. Then a colleague added: “You sometimes get cyclists who slow and indicate for to me to pull out from a stop. I always signal a ‘thank you’.” On being asked what they can do to ensure the safety of riders sharing

CLEAR AND VISIBLE: cyclists giving a wide berth to a stationary bus

the roads with them, they were clear about the need to overtake wide, moving into the next lane and to avoid tail-gating. They admitted that there are drivers who don’t always do this and commented how useful the session was in reminding them about how to share the lane with cyclists. One driver, Ian, then offered to take us on a tour in his bus to get a view from the driver’s perspective. It proved highly enlightening. Taken for a ride The bus had eight cameras, including one on the driver monitoring his actions. There was also a monitor transmitting a signal to the depot every time a driver brakes suddenly. Ian happily gave us a running commentary along the route. We observed some good riders who were positioned where they can see and be seen and signalled their intentions clearly to Ian. But we saw other riders who seemed oblivious to anyone else on the road, as well as oblivious to their own safety. One point Ian made struck a particular chord. “Cyclists often cycle too near to the kerb,” he said. “These riders leave drivers the option to squeeze past when there isn’t enough room,” admitting that drivers shouldn’t do that but that he believed cyclists

weren’t helping themselves. We reassured him that ‘taking the lane’ when necessary is an important outcome of proper cycle training. Eye-opening experience Ian also turned out to be an excellent predictor of cyclist behaviour. At one point a woman positioned herself ahead of the lights with her foot on the kerb. Ian asked where we thought she was going — we answered that from her position she was about to turn left, while Ian said that she’d be turning right. He was right, of course. The cyclist swung out in front of the bus, without a look or signal, while Ian waited patiently, smiling. After our time at Go-Ahead, we found the bus drivers were a pretty thoughtful bunch who spent a lot of time discussing their job and were very aware of their responsibility to other road users — despite the inordinate amount of abuse they suffer from some quarters. Due to popular demand we returned to run another session later that week. And guess what? We had a chat with 'Basil' who was much less combative — in fact he asked whether we would arrange some cycle training for his daughter, so he can go riding with her at weekends... ■ www.cycletraining.co.uk

28 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

026028_buses.FINAL.indd 28

18/01/2011 19:15

p29.indd 29

13/01/2011 09:17

LCC’s Tom Bogdanowicz guides us around a handful of Arts & Crafts gems in west London, plus visits a few palaces for good measure...

HighStree t

PALACE GREEN

Ken sington Road

C rl’s Ea

Ro ad

ns de ar eG lif dc gh Re rou bo Fin

oad ie R L ill

Fu lh am

En d

STUDIO HOUSE

d oa

Brompton Cemetery

Ro ad

CHEYNE W ith Ed

ie Ro ad Lill

Chelsea Harbour

FULHAM PALACE

New

ad ’s Ro King

Hurlingham Park

Yo rk

Bishops’ Park

church after Sedding’s death. The wood carving of the chancel is by Henry Bates.

Chu

ad Ro

ad Ro rsh

atterse a

ad Ro

ts Lo

Wa ne C hey

Ri ve rT ha m es

d oo w ar H

FULHAM

Ro ad

e ov Gr

d Roa g’s Kin

ad Ro

CADOGAN SQUARE

Built on the estate of the affluent Cadogan (pronounced ‘Ca-dugg-n’) family, is one of the most exclusive addresses in London, with houses valued at more than £25 million each. It’s a good example of ‘Pont Street Dutch’ style (after nearby Pont Street and the ‘Dutch’ style gables on the houses) which was an off-shoot of A&C architecture. Numbers 60, 62, 68 and 70 (1887) are by Norman Shaw, a pioneer of the A&C movement who later switched to a more classical style ( look out for a Norman Shaw ride in Lambeth Cyclists’ architecture series).

30 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

030031_ride.FINAL.indd 30

dn Sy

ive Dr on t mp ro MICHELIN dB Ol BUILDING

rt ou

d Ro tan uns D St

RUS ORT CHU

KENSINGTON

Pelham S

W ar w ick Earl’s Ro ad Court

Talgarth R oad

ALBERT 5 MEMORIAL

Victoria Albert Mu Natural History Museum ad Cromwell Ro

d Roa

Just off Sloane Square in Sloane Street, this late 19th century church, designed by John Dando Sedding, is a gallery of the Arts & Crafts movement. The stained glass on the east side is by Edward Burne-Jones, a leading pre-Raphaelite painter, who worked for William Morris’s company which specialised in A&C decoration. Other windows are by Christopher Whall and William Blake Richmond (the lady chapel). The altar rails and outside railings are by Henry Wilson, who completed the Gothic style

n ingto ns

Hyde Park

Hammersmith F lyer

th Nor

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH

■ The Orangery, Kensington Palace, Palace Green, W8 — tel 020 7938 1406. ■ Builders Arms, 1 Kensington Court Place, W8 — tel 020 7937 6213. ■ C’est Ici, 47 Palliser Road, W14 — tel 020 7381 4837. ■ Fulham Palace café (see panel right). ■ The Sands End, 135–137 Stephendale Road, SW6 — tel 020 7731 7823.

ad Ro ce a la mP lha Fu

KENSINGTON PALACE 6

FOOD & DRINK

Gloucester Ro ad

ondon’s answer to the Gaudi buildings in Barcelona and the Art Nouveau buildings of Brussels is the architecture of the less well-known, but equally fascinating, Arts & Crafts (A&C) movement. Arts & Crafts preceded Art Nouveau in the late 19th century and was based on the writings of English philosopher John Ruskin. The style stepped away from the classical architecture of the 18th century, allowing form to follow function, and architects such as Norman Shaw and Charles Voysey designed asymmetrical buildings drawing on the Gothic, Tudor and Queen Anne periods. This ride takes you past some of the best examples of Britain’s Arts & Crafts architecture. You will also see original baroque and medieval designs at Kensington and Fulham palaces, which are both open to visitors. The route is mostly on quiet roads, but includes a couple of sections where you have to walk along one-way streets in order to see the sights. The ride is extracted from Tom Bogdanowicz’s London Cycling Guide, by permission of New Holland Publishers. Available from most bookstores (£10.99).

Fu lha

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

Kensington & Chelsea

18/01/2011 18:55

FACTFILE

START Sloane Square tube LENGTH 18km (11 miles)) TIME 2 hours TERRAIN Easy — mostly quiet streets, some oneways that have to be walked NEARBY STATIONS West Brompton, Imperial Wharf

3 HANS ROAD

W a

Victoria & ert Museum

elham Str eet

H os pi ta lR oa d

Ro ya l

y kle Oa

ent bankm ea Em Chels

eet Str

Wa yne

favour of more ‘honest’ architecture which revealed the uses behind the façade of a building. The palace, which became very prominent after the Princess Diana’s death, has interiors by Wren and William Kent. There is a pleasant, though pricey, café/restaurant in the Orangery at the back where bikes can be chained.

HOLY TRINITY 1

ad Ro g’s Kin

et re St

NE WALK

(1661-1702). Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in classical style (open daily 10am–6pm summer, 10am–5pm winter), the Palace can be considered an example of what A&C architects were rebelling against. They rejected the devotion to perfect proportion and the symmetry that Wren sought to achieve in

2 CADOGAN SQUARE

Slo CHURCH START/FINISH an eA ve nu e

ey dn Sy

LIN NG

tre nS lto

KENSINGTON PALACE

Street Sloane

RUSSIAN 4 ORTHODOX CHURCH

oad idge R rt Br Albe

ge rid aB rse tte Ba

ad Ro rsh

ad Ro

BATTERSEA

Battersea Park

MAP D DOWNLOA gton ve s Dri Pr P rince of Wale

ad tp://bit.ly/Kensin Roht ark ea P ChelseaRide ers t t Ba

oad ere R hm Latc

HANS ROAD, numbers 14 and 16

Behind the Edwardian glamour of Harrods department store, are two unusual A&C works (1891) by Charles Voysey. Every detail is hand-crafted including the floral design on the door and the sculpture inside the porch. A Voysey rival, Arthur Mackmurdo, designed no.12 after Voysey had a row with the client. There follows a tricky section of the route: after you pass

THE ALBERT MEMORIAL

By Sir George Gilbert Scott, it is a tribute to Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, and a magnificent exhibition of A&C skills. The Gothic spire, above the statue of the Prince, stands on a plinth festooned with sculptures representing various achievement of the t Victorian era. Figures represent the world’s r continents and aspects of c industry. in On the other side of Kensington Gore, just K before the elliptical Albert b Hall, H are two early works by b A&C architect Norman Shaw: the RGS building S (1873) and Albert Mansions ( (1879). (

the Regency houses in Montpelier Square, walk 20 metres down Rutland Street (no contraflow cycling at present) and go up three steps though a ‘hole in the wall’ on the right to Ennismore Gardens.

POINTS OF INTEREST ■ Palace Green (by Kensington High St) is a rare London work by A&C pioneer Philip Webb. ■ Studio House (17 St Dunstan’s Road). An early A&C work by Charles Voysey featuring his trademark roughcast concrete exterior, steeply pitched roof and medieval style window surrounds. ■ Fulham Palace (open Mon, Tue, Sat, Sun afternoons, free). Accessed via Bishops’ Park, the medieval palace was once the home of the Bishop of London. ■ Cheyne Walk. At numbers 38 and 39 are the meticulously finished houses by A&C philosopher CR Ashbee. ■ Michelin Building. It’s worth a short detour from the route, via Elystan Street, to see this novel building (F Epinasse, 1905), with its white tiles and tyre decoration. ■ The Studio House (25 Cadogan Gardens), by Arthur Mackmurdo (1893), is the final A&C gem along the route. Mackmurdo, a longtime member of the Century Guild of Artists , is credited with an early modern design in Enfield that dates back to 1887; it currently has a flat roof but research shows it was once pitched.

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

This unusual church is described in the excellent architecture guide by Jones & Woodward as a rare early example of a copy of a primitive Christian basilica. Although the church dates back to 1846, before the A&C movement took off, the front is ascribed to CH Townsend, one of the most imaginative of the A&C architects, who also designed the unique Whitechapel Art Gallery and the Horniman Museum. Inside the church, the wall decoration is by another A&C master: Heywood Sumner.

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 31

030031_ride.FINAL.indd 31

18/01/2011 18:55

p35.indd 35

12/01/2011 11:36

NEWHAM

Superhighway stops short With London 2012 on the near horizon, Arnold Ridout of Newham Cyclists discusses why the local Cycle Superhighway plan needs urgent revision Newham’s outer neighbour is a selfdeclared Biking Borough, and its councillors are known to support the Superhighway. So who’s to blame? So why has CS2 been hacked to pieces in this way? Well, the route passes through streets controlled by three key players: Transport for London (TfL), run by Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson; Newham Council, with 60 Labour councillors out of 60; and the Olympic Development Authority (ODA). All the evidence points to the fact that TfL wants a complete CS2 all the way to Barking. The Superhighways are one of the Mayor’s high-profile cycling schemes, so it stands to reason he wants it done to the original spec. When asked, TfL points to issues with Olympic works and Newham's approach to street design. The ODA has stated publicly that it’s one of its priorities to make the 2012 Olympics an ‘active travel’ event, setting the goal of getting 100 percent of spectators to the Games by public transport, walking or cycling. It's said: “We anticipate there will be considerable demand for cycling spectators and workers to come direct from London via the A11 and onwards through the Bow roundabout/flyover.” It went on to say: “The ODA has not been a party to the decision to defer completion of Cycle Superhighway 2."

With TfL and the ODA supportive of completion is Newham Council responsible for chopping CS2 short of the Olympics and denying its benefits to tens of thousands of potential users in central London, Newham and Redbridge?

David Vallade

ncredibly, there’ll be no dedicated cycle route going from central London to the Olympics in 2012. When the second batch of Cycle Superhighways is completed this summer, CS2 will not pass through Stratford on its way out to Ilford as originally intended. Instead it will be only one third of its originally announced length and it will go only as far as Bow — 600 metres short of the Olympic site and more than 4 miles short of its original destination. It’s hard not to perceive this as an embarrassment to the city at large. At odds with the need to reduce carbon emissions and the Olympic ethos of “faster, higher, stronger”, London can’t even build a direct cycle link to our highest-profile location in a generation, one that’s less than three miles away from the City. Embarrassment aside, this is an opportunity lost to boost cycling in London. That lost section of CS2 could enhance what is potentially a direct and flat commuter route to the City. Whatever your feelings about the Superhighways (and LCC has consistently said they should be much better), it was a chance to do something to encourage cycling in Newham and Redbridge, boroughs that have a remarkably low take-up of cycling despite high potential. What commuters there are in the area tend to use this route, and easing the difficulties they face at the major junctions are long overdue.

Real cycling credentials? Newham Council is insistent that it hasn’t said ‘no’ to CS2, and that the decision has merely been deferred until after the Olympics, apparently seeing no irony in this at all. It claims that the Olympic development taking place on Stratford High Street prevents it accommodating a cycle route there. Now, while it’s true this road will include a dedicated traffic lane for the duration of the Games (part of the Olympic Route Network), this is only temporary and elsewhere the ODA are planning alternative options for disrupted cycling facilities.

ROMFORD ROAD: no blue bike lanes here for the foreseeable future

36 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

NEW_036037_newham.FINAL.indd 36

19/01/2011 18:46

Bearing in mind the incredible size and complexity of the Olympic project, it is hard to accept that CS2 was truncated on such weak grounds. When we put this to the ODA, it said: “The Olympic Route Network measures are short-term and are not a reason for delaying the implementation of a Superhighway.” And there’s certainly no ‘Olympic’ reason why the Romford Road section couldn’t be given the Superhighway treatment. TfL reports that Newham Council is keen to promote "a multi-modal approach along Romford Road, with no one mode being prioritised". Well, it’s hard to look at Romford Road and conclude that motor traffic isn’t currently being heavily prioritised, and that CS2 might have gone some way towards redressing the balance. Newham Council’s press officer highlighted the Tour of Britain taking place in Newham, work on the Greenway (an off-road cycle and walking route from Beckton to Hackney) and staff pool bikes as evidence of the council’s cyclefriendly credentials, but there is evidence to the contrary.

HAVE YOUR SAY Anyone who thinks they might want to use the proposed Superhighway route, including to visit the Olympic site, is encouraged to email the Mayor of Newham Council, Sir Robin Wales, at mayor@ newham.gov. uk, objecting to the truncation of the route

No go as Biking Borough Newham Cyclists, the local LCC group, has a dossier detailing its efforts to engage constructively with the council, which have not been addressed. Newham Council decided not to provide any provision for cyclists in its current redevelopment of Stratford High Street, although it is obvious that for much of its length a cycle lane could be accommodated on the pavement. Throughout the long construction phase there have been no compensating provisions to alleviate what has become a particularly hair-raising section of road for cyclists. Newham also did not apply for Biking Borough status, which could have provided money for compiling a cycling strategy for the borough, using the thin excuse that it had insufficient time. Its draft Local Implementation Plan, as we went to press, speaks of promoting cycling but contains no targets for increasing the number of cyclists. Newham Cyclists is determined that Newham Council should stand to account to the wider public, for a decision that will affect the whole city. We’re calling for an investigation by the London Assembly into this extraordinary blocking of a cycle route that would enhance facilities for cyclists in Newham and Redbridge, and for Olympic visitors from every corner of the capital.

Christmas 2010 London Cyclist 37

NEW_036037_newham.FINAL.indd 37

19/01/2011 15:47

HOW TO

Kick Ball, Pedal Bike

Last summer Thomas Moulton devised a unique charity ride: to visit all the senior football grounds within the M25. Here's how it all panned out...

he plan was to cycle around all the football grounds within the M25, from those in the Conference South right up to those in the Premier League, a week before the World Cup kicked off in South Africa. The spiralling route spinning around London would clock up 150 miles — the same distance as London to Barnsley as the crow flies — finishing up at Wembley. In my mind it was a journey akin to a ‘small’ club reaching the FA cup final, taking in 22 grounds on the way. All this pedalling was to raise money for two great charities — The Southall Black Sisters and LCC. The thought to do this ride popped

38 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

NEW038040_charityride.FINAL.indd 38

into my head when I found myself getting over-excited about the football World Cup nine months too early. Contrary to a lot of cyclists, football and cycling sit quite nicely together in my head. Some cyclists seem to get a bit green about the money and attention that is thrown at football but what could be better than pedalling out to a game? I realise I’m biased; a good Saturday for me would be spent riding out to Oxford to see Barrow AFC scrape a draw against Oxford United in the cup. To begin with I was just going to do the ride on my own but someone suggested making it a charity ride and it seemed like a good idea and a

The ride visited sm a clubs as well as the ller elite

18/01/2011 18:57

Photos: m4r00n3d/flickr, Martin Key

TERRACE HUMOUR: who said you can't wear Lycra and football shirts together?

positive way to channel my excitement for the summer’s global extravaganza. I chose to raise money for the Southall Black Sisters, a charity which provides support and shelter to families suffering from domestic violence. They are a small London charity that delivers a lot on a small budget. I knew that whatever I could scrape together from this small ride would be welcomed by them. Choosing LCC as the other beneficiary was easy too, as I love cycling in London and with its massive army of volunteers LCC keeps making this better and better. It’s all about the ride I had never organised a charity ride before and to be honest I’ve never been that big a fan of them. In order

to get sponsor money out of my tight fist you have to truly suffer in the event you are doing. At the risk of sounding a bit Daily Express, not a week goes by without someone asking me to sponsor them to climb a mountain, scuba dive or something equally fun. My favourite one recently was a colleague who asked me to sponsor her to horse-ride across Iceland (the country not the shop). That to me sounds like a holiday, not an arduous task which is deserving of my pennies. I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear I did see my Kick Ball Pedal Bike cycle worthy of sponsorship – 150 miles on the congested and hot streets of London, stopping every 10 minutes at traffic lights to view such delights as Heathrow Airport and the SELCHP waste incinerator. This was no pleasure ride through French countryside to Paris. The ride was for a specialised group of geeks, people who like long urban rides and love football. This combined with the 6am start at White Hart Lane led to a relatively small turn-out, just 29 people rode on the day — but what a group! The camaraderie, vigour and spirit of the riders was impressive and the day was better than watching Leeds lose the play-off final. Finish on the big stage People joined and left the group at different grounds adding new energy and faces over the day, keeping the legs of the four riders who completed the entire 150 miles pumping. It took us 18 hours to get to Wembley, climbing and descending 3,162 feet on the way, the equivalent to the height of Scafell. It wasn’t all plain sailing though. I don’t know if you have ever been faced with the dilemma of how to get

from Welling United to Thurrock FC on a bike, but it’s a tough one. Do you go back on yourself and take the Woolwich ferry or do you risk the Dartford crossing? I opted for the Dartford crossing; who can resist the link between Bluewater and Lakeside? Testing the route out a few months before the ride I discovered you can’t just ride across the Dartford crossing. I rolled down the sliproad to the crossing only to be pulled over by a security woman in a Land Rover who gave me a good telling off while trying to confiscate my camera, claiming I was a terrorist. She calmed down when she saw my camera was full of shots of football stands and realised I was just a harmless nerd. Eventually she called for a very nice man who drove me and my bike across the Thames. On the ride itself I was asked to ring ahead to warn them of the group approaching. When I did I was told they were too congested to get us across, due to an accident. So we tracked back to the Woolwich ferry and to everyone’s disappointment we had to miss out Thurrock FC; a fine ground where I once saw Barnet’s Women tonk West Ham’s. The to-ing and fro-ing still put us over the 150-mile mark and I was happy with that. On the final leg of my route check I

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY If you are impressed by what Thomas and his group achieved, or just want to give some money to two great charities, please pop to their websites: www. southallblacksisters.org.uk and www.lcc.org.uk.

June-July 2010 Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 3939

NEW038040_charityride.FINAL.indd 39

18/01/2011 10:49

toastbrot81/flickr

HOW TO UPTON PARK: home to England's only ever World Cup winning stars

M More in the pipeline These Th hes were really minor setbacks and quite amusing se etba with hindsight. I really w enjoyed the ride, not just enjo e reaching Wembley’s rreac stunning new arch but sstun also seeing a group of a strangers come together stra to help h egg each other on right through the day. So rig inspired by organising the ins ride, I have been thinking rid up new ways to suffer on my m bike and currently have ha two ideas rolling around m my head. he First, another Kick Ball Pedal Bike ride which would go to every team which wins a league this season; in theory this would take us on a random ride right across the country. Second, I like the idea of a Speedos and flip-flops ride from London to Hastings — running straight from the saddle to the sea at arrival. For the time being though I’ll settle for a ride through the Essex countryside to watch Braintree Town (The Iron) face Hampton and Richmond Borough (The Beavers).

ks as the Snaps and snac rnet a group reaches B decided to finish off at Wembley to watch England complete a ‘promising win’ over Egypt (champions of Africa) just before the World Cup proper. I wandered out of the stadium quite buoyant, only to discover that my bike had been nicked from under the noses of 100,000 fans and hundreds of police men. I asked a steward if he had seen anything and he said: “I wondered what that noise was, it sounded like a saw, probably your bike being stolen.” Not good.

DO IT YOURSELF It’s not that surprising that so many people sign up for a charity challenge during the post-Christmas comedown. Too much trifle and Terry’s chocolate orange tends to leave a heavy feeling in the legs. Setting yourself a physical challenge for the spring or the summer is a great way to motivate yourself to being more active and busting the seasonal blues by looking forward to a time when the days are long and the sun’s rays are bound to be shining. ■ It’s worth spending a bit of time choosing the right charity event for you from the vast range on offer nowadays. Some choose to support a cause that’s special to them, such as a cancer or mental health charity; some people hook up with friends, family or work colleagues on an event that they’re doing too; while others choose to visit a place or region they’ve always wanted. ■ Whatever you choose, it’s important you do something that’s a challenge to you. Be realistic, but also be prepared to train and put some effort in on the day. Believe it or not, this will make the event even better and will ensure that when you go cap in hand to sponsors, they’ll be only too willing to watch you suffer. ■ Once you’ve decided, sign up early so you can start fundraising as soon as possible. Most charities offer advice on fundraising — so take it — and you can look forward to the most exciting event of your year.

40 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

NEW038040_charityride.FINAL.indd 40

18/01/2011 18:57

p41.indd 41

12/01/2011 11:39

BIKES

‘Urban cross’ bikes Taking elements from both cyclocross and mountain biking, the new breed of ‘urban cross’ bikes are ideal for commuting, touring and light off-roading...

042043_bikes.FINAL.indd 42

18/01/2011 19:00

GENESIS Day01 Alfine £999.99 www.genesisbikes.co.uk

Last year we tested the Alfine-equipped Genesis i0iD and loved it — and this bike takes it’s allround rideability credentials from both that and the similarly set-up Croix de Fer on which Vin Cox set his round-the-world record. The backbone is a double-butted Reynolds 520 steel frame, with head-tube gusset for added strength, neat cable routing and rack eyelets, while slim seat-stays add comfort on uneven surfaces. At the heart of the drivetrain is Shimano’s 8-speed hub gear, which has run faultlessly throughout the winter. Unclipping the gear cable to remove the wheel is a bit of a faff — especially with frozen hands — but with practice it’s straight-forward and beefy tensioners make repositioning wheels a cinch.

www.jamisbikes.com

Decent width drop bars have proved ideal for longer outings and reliable shifting comes courtesy of the new Virsa VRS1 unit. Tektro brakes might not have the caché of the Avids seen elsewhere but have been consistently good through the slush and multiple mudbaths. Likewise the 35c Continental Speed King tyres have been happy on tarmac, towpaths and hardpacked bridleways alike. We’ve ridden this bike a lot off-road and it’s the only one we’d recommend for more extreme adventures. Five sizes from 52-60m. JK PROS: genuine all-rounder, maintenance-free hub gear CONS: rear weight bias

KONA Honky Inc £1199.99 www.konaworlduk.com

US brand Jamis has been dormant in the UK for a while, but in its day was known for goodvalue mtbs. The new Bosanova is aimed at urban/touring riders, and it’s a well-judged product that's attracted its share of admiring glances. The frame is Reynolds steel, with a shortish wheelbase, making for a manoeuvrable and comfortable ride, and this is allied to a carbon fork. Avid cable disc brakes give you the confidence to ride 'on the hoods', even in busy traffic or when heavily laden. The 27-speed drivetrain is a mix’n’match of components from respectable brands such as FSA, Shimano, SRAM and KMC — but it’s not the perfect combination and gear changes sometimes felt a little clunky. An extended steerer tube with extra headset spacers

encourages you to move the stem/bar position up or down depending on your type of riding — aerodynamic commuter or relaxed tourer — though personally we’d chop it down and find a good all-round set-up. The chunky wheelset and rubber fared well in our winter weather. Overall, the spec could be improved in some areas (those flimsy mudguards for a start), yet that excellent frame makes for a solid bike that should give you many miles of pleasure. It’s available in six sizes and one colour scheme. MC PROS: great frame, great stopping power CONS: drivetrain & mudguards could be better

MARIN Toscana scana £999 www.marinbikes.co.ukk

in the hills of Surrey and the Cotswolds too. The Avid BB7 disc brakes are the best on test; they feel well modulated, have proved adept and responsive in fairly horrendous conditions and lever shape is very neat. Most of the finishing kit comes from the Kona in-house line-up and special mentions go to the bar tape and saddle. Conti’s 28c Ultrasport tyres haven’t flatted yet, though we swapped them out for some gentle off-roading at Xmas. Comes with a lifetime frame warranty and in five sizes (49-61cm). JK PROS: top performing drivetrain and brakes CONS: getting pricey

With its esteemed mtb heritage, it's no surprise Marin has come up with a versatile two-bike platform squarely aimed at commuting and light trail-riding duties. Unlike the others here, the Toscana's made from aluminium — triple-butted 6061 no less — which makes it the lightest on test by several pounds. It also makes it the fastest by some distance too. The frame, with its curved top-tube and down-tube, is married to a carbon fork, which again helps with vibration damping on less than perfect surfaces, though it has induced a few winces as it’s hit the far edge of hidden potholes. The bike comes with extremely reliable 32c Continental Contact tyres (which we’ve rated before for their puncture-proofing) and

there’s clearance to fit something fatter or knobblier if you’re heading off-road. Transmission is a combo of Shimano Sora and Tiagra, while the FSA triple chainset and 9-speed cassette provide a range that will take you anywhere in the UK. Again the Avid cable disc brakes have given standout performance. Elsewhere we rate the WTB perch for comfort, but found the bars a tad narrow. We’d recommend this bike as a lightweight all-rounder, though the fork pegs back its hardier off-road desires. Five sizes (50-62cm). JK PROS:lightweight, nippy CONS: bar shape/width

TESTERS: JK, Mike Cavenett PHOTO: Dan Bosworth

A long-time member of the Kona stable, the now revised Honky Inc includes trademark touches like compact geometry and sloping top-tube. This makes for a riding position that’s spot on for city commuting and relaxed enough for longer tours. The classic-looking steel frame is beefy enough to shrug off potholes, yet compliant enough to not leave you feeling battered after a day in the saddle; it’s paired with a carbon fork that definitely takes the edge off chattery roads. Curiously, however, the overall bike weight is very similar to the hub-geared Genesis. The rest of the spec is an excellent mix. The transmisson’s Shimano 105 and Ultegra, a combination of 50/39t chainset and 10-speed cassette more than adequate

JAMIS Bosanova £700

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 43

042043_bikes.FINAL.indd 43

18/01/2011 19:00

p44.indd 44

12/01/2011 11:46

PRODUCT

Waterproof jackets

A selection of the latest weather-beaters ridden and rated ALTURA Night Vision Evo £99 www.zyro.co.uk

This is Altura’s most popular commuter jacket and it makes no apologies for being a cycling jacket with a cycling-specific cut and bucket loads of reflective features. For those who want a general outdoor jacket for on and off the bike, it might not be to your taste. For cycling though you can’t help but be impressed by the cut — it has a decent arm length so that it won’t ride up as you stretch to the bars, a long back to catch the splashes and a higher cut at the front to eliminate bagging. It’s made from a soft Touch 2 layer fabric which is waterproof, breathable and durable. The zips are water repellent and there are underarm ‘pit-zips’ and a back vent if extra ventilation is required. There is a

light fleece collar with drawcord for a snug fit and a mesh lining. This jacket features the most reflective material of all the jackets tested which avoids being gaudy while affording the security of high visibility from any angle. Extra features include an attachable hood (available for £9.99) and a nifty LED lightstick which can attach to the rear for extra visibility. There’s ample storage with chest, rear and two side pockets. Colours: black, red, yellow. Matt Mallinder PROS: excellent reflective detailing CONS: cut won’t suit everyone

ENDURA Flyte £99

MADISON Telegraphe £99

Made from eVent fabric, the Flyte is fully waterproof and its breathability is claimed to be on a par with Gore-Tex. To ensure the waterproof properties Endura uses sealed seams and waterproof zips. The jacket is purpose designed for cycling with a long back and sleeves, discreet reflective strips on all sides, a protected rear pocket and a convenient, waterproof, ‘Napoleon’ pocket. An unusual but useful feature is the spectacle/ shade cleaning cloth attached inside this chest pocket. Perhaps a stronger selling point is the fact the Flyte undercuts comparable Gore-Tex products by about 25 percent. It fits closely so consider going up a size if you wear multiple layers underneath. Colours: black, red, yellow. MM PROS: good value, quality finish CONS: lack of pit-zips

A generous, noncycling specific cut means that this versatile jacket is as at home hiking or biking. Constructed from M:Tec 5000 micro rip-stop fabric, it’s waterproof and breathable. Elements are firmly kept out with a stowaway hood, taped seams and watertight zips. There is ample storage with waterproof pockets on chest, sleeve and sides. A nice feature is the two-way main zip allowing top or bottom access — perfect for finding your Cycle Hire key. On the bike the jacket provides Velcro cuff adjusters to prevent rain or wind getting in and discreet reflective detailing for visibility. Colours: black, olive, red/black, tangerine. MM PROS: 'go anywhere' versatility CONS: we'd prefer more reflective detailing for commuter use

www.endura.co.uk

www.madison.co.uk

DARE 2 B Amplitude £65

PEARL IZUMI Select Barrier WxB £130

www.dare2b.com

www.pearlizumi.com

The sportiest jacket on test offers a ‘tailored’ cut, but one that didn’t feel too snug — arms are the perfect length with nifty asymmetrical cuffs. In black it’s smart enough to wear casually as well as on the bike. The fastdrying Select Barrier WxB fabric has a thermal layering and proved warm in January’s snow. It's also very breathable and waterproof, with a stretchiness that adds to on-bike comfort. It comes with fully taped seams, one-hand drawcord at waist and detachable hood. Good storage with two hand pockets and one back pocket and ample reflective elements for visibility. Colours: black, red, screaming yellow. MM PROS: cut, tailoring CONS: price over similar alternatives

Dare 2 B specialises in ski-wear but they have a sideline in light waterproof clothing. The lightweight Amplitude comes in retro-lime green and has fully taped seams and a rollaway hood. It is made from a waterproof/ breathable fabric Dare 2 B calls Ared VO2 10000, and which features on some of its mid-range ski-wear. There are no pit-zips and no waterproof sealing on the front zip but it packs into a small package and will protect you from even heavy rain (we tested it in a shower). Its breathability is acceptable if not close to Gore-Tex standards. While the design is not cycling-specific it has reflective piping and a slightly longer back; no rear pockets, but two hand pockets. Colours: green. MM PROS: good for emergencies CONS: too lightweight for heavy daily use

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 45

045_jackets.FINAL.indd 45

17/01/2011 21:18

PRODUCT

Product More waterproof kit and fashionable clobber rated by our experts RESPRO Waterproof Flo £24.99

BROOKLYN INDUSTRIES Totes Safe T $34

www.respro.com

The Waterproof Flo (or ‘Hump’) provides instant waterproofing and extra visibility for your backpack. It’s well constructed, with taped seams, and an uncomplicated but effective pair of elasticated straps allows it to shroud rucksacks with up to 40-litre capacities. We used the cover in some torrential downpours, yet still found virtually zero water ingress. The cover also includes an external mesh pocket for storing belongings you need quick access to, and large 3M reflective chevrons increase visibility at night. Overall, this is a well executed solution. At first our reaction was to think it a bit pricey, but judging by the number of them we've seen this winter lots of people don't agree. On reflection, you realise it's less expensive than a backpack upgrade and might save a laptop from a destructive soaking. MC PROS: waterproof, easy to fit, bright CONS: has ‘Hump’ written on it

GORE City Race Power Thermo £44.99 www.gorebikewear.com

These overshoes are very solidly built compared with others we’ve encountered. Their uppers are made from a waterproof and breathable Gore-tex membrane with a Polyester lining. Velcro fastenings at the back keep them in place, while slots underneath allow for cleated shoes. In use, the waterproofing is impeccable and these overshoes also provide welcome warmth in sub-zero temperatures. Our only grumble is the sizing: they work superbly with narrow footwear, but a lack of width adjustment means it’s near impossible to squeeze into them with shoes that are above-average width. MC PROS: waterproof, warm, well made CONS: won’t fit all shoes

MISSION WORKSHOP Rondel £125

www.missionworkshop.com

As these were the first pair of Rondels in the UK, it’s been our pleasure to hammer them over a particularly grim winter. Smarter than a ‘skate-style' shoe, they’re designed to be worn all day about town; the midsole gives enough support on short rides, but is flexy enough for walking comfort round the home/office. The SPD cleat box is recessed so that you won’t damage wooden floors either or slide on tiles. The upper fends off splashes well, while the fit’s generous (though we’d prefer a tighter, more supportive heel cup). Flashes of refectivity too; sizes 7-10. JK PROS: most stylish SPD shoe we've tested to date CONS: price, knife needed to cut cleat box out

www.brooklynindustries.com

One of several cycle-inspired t-shirts from New York’s finest designers. Cycling there has risen at a similar rate to our own city in recent years and it seems some messages remain universal; this design of bulldog and multiple D-locks feels like a typically London comment. S-XXL. JK PROS: sends out right message CONS: only available online

ORTLIEB Saddlebag £37.50

www.ortlieb.co.uk

Every now and again you find that you don’t want to carry a rucksack or panniers, nor do you want to overstuff jersey pockets — and that’s when this larger volume (2.7-litre) saddlebag makes sense. We managed to fit two 700c inner tubes, tyre inflator, multi-tool, lightweight jacket, snacks and wallet inside the fully waterproof compartment — which would have made it perfect for this year’s balmy Dunwich Dynamo. But it's the sort of thing ultra-light tourers could pair with a bar bag. It tucks nicely behind your saddle and bolts/buckles to it and the seatpost in seconds. Smaller 0.8 and 1.3-litre options also available. JK PROS: keeps gear dry and clean CONS: tight for some minipumps

SEALSKINZ Ultralight sock £25 www.sealskinz.com

If you can’t afford waterproof cycling footwear or overshoes, Sealskinz socks are the answer. Mountain bikers have sworn by them for years and this pair is the lightest in the range, incorporating a Coolmax liner to prevent clamminess. A 100 percent waterproof and windproof membrane means you can slip into a puddle and your foot will remain dry; trust us, it works. This thinner model can be used with most cycling/ recreational shoes, though the flip is that it isn’t as warm as other bulkier Sealskinz that have a Merino liner. S-XL. JK PROS: essential piece of winter kit CONS: won’t keep shoes dry though

46 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

046_products.FINAL.indd 46

17/01/2011 21:21

p47.indd 47

12/01/2011 11:57

BOOKS

Books More glossy hardbacks and info-packed paperbacks to digest The Custom Road Bike £30 Guy Andrews Published by Laurence King, this is the latest glossy offering from the ever industrious editor of Rouleur, Guy Andrews. And it's as far away from the grubby world of cycle maintenance covered in his last book as it's possible to get; this is a 224-pager that's designed to elicit one emotion —

lust. It's dripping with every conceivable kind of road bike finery, from the world's foremost purveyors of quality handmade bikes and top-end componentry. That's just the pictures though. The book's premise is simple: if you want the

perfect bike, then you want to invest in the best custom frame you can afford. And once you've got it, there's no point hanging some cheap rubbish from it, is there? No, you want to see names like Campagnolo Record, Shimano Dura-Ace, Chris King and Phil Wood staring back at you. So each chapter takes you through specific areas of the bike — steering, wheels, contact points, controls, gear and drivetrain — delivering a potted history of how relevant hardware has evolved and summarising what's available now. If you remember, we reviewed Rob Penn's It's All About The Bike recently, in which the author travelled the globe, assembling his dream machine from parts

he'd actually seen being manufactured. Here, in The Custom Road Bike, the cherrypicking's done for you — you just provide the readies or, more likely, the daydreams. Interspersed between the main chapters are interviews with bike design luminaries such as Ernesto Colnago, Dario Pegoretti, Ben Serotta and Richard Sachs. Did you know the latter two started building frames at the old Witcomb shop in Deptford in the 1970s? To be fair, there's lots of interesting stuff inside, especially for those new to road biking. For me, I spent a sad amount of time sighing and making 'mmm' noises as I went through it. Nothing to do with that hefty cover price either... JK

48 London Cyclist Xmas 2010

048049_books.FINAL.indd 48

17/01/2011 21:53

On Tour £14.99 Bradley Wiggins Fans of Wiggins will undoubtedly love his latest book, but there’s plenty here for most people interested in the Tour de France. The 10x7in format gives plenty of space within this 194-page paperback to show off the moody black-and-white photographs of collaborator Scott Mitchell, which dominate the contents. ‘On Tour’ is a diary of the more significant milestones of the 2010 Tour, along with other general comments on the event. As he was in his 2008 autobiography, Wiggins is again outspoken about himself, his colleagues and the sport, and the book avoids drifting into platitudes. Overall, a welcome addition to the literature on a great race and a fascinating rider. Also available as an e-book. MC

Britain and the Olympic Games £15.99

The Advanced The Spring Cyclist’s Training Classics £29.95 Bouvet, Brunel, Callewaert, Manual £16.99

Matt & Martin Rogain

Luke Edwardes-Evans

The publicity for this book draws comparisons between the Britain of 1948 in the run-up to the Olympics and the nation today. While some of these feel a bit laboured, it shouldn’t be allowed to denigrate what’s an excellent accomplishment by the father and son writing team, both of whom are heavily involved in British sport. Subtitled ‘Past, Present, Legacy’, this well-researched hardback digs into the social history of the Games, offering insights into the end of amateurism, the rise of sponsorship, the bidding process, and coaching and funding of athletes, plus several other topics There’s a chunk dedicated to the Paralympics too. MC

For those wanting to take a step up from commuting or casual leisure riding towards road racing, this book takes the reader through a year-long training schedule. It starts with self-assessment and bike fitting, then provides winter training ideas, before preparing you for the big day itself. So, if you’ve signed up for your first summer sportive, this book could be a valuable companion. Written in an informative but accessible way by a respected cycling journalist, The Advanced Cyclist’s Training Manual is laid out in a welcoming fashion, with a decent number of photos and numerous box-outs and tips to break up the text. Assuredly, it’s a useful training partner. MC

Gatellier & Laget

While the Tour de France gets all the headlines, for many aficionados Europe’s ‘spring classic’ road races provide as much, if not more, drama. Brutal challenges like Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders push riders to their limits and are adored by fans for their unpredictable outcomes in often tempestuous conditions. Whether already an expert or coming to the subject fresh, you can’t fail to be impressed by this lavishly produced coffee-table history, with chapter-length descriptions of each race from no less than five continental contributors. Packed full of a century’s-worth of great photos, if you like cyclists covered in mud, then this is for you. MC

Xmas 2010 London Cyclist 49

048049_books.FINAL.indd 49

17/01/2011 21:54

p59.indd 59

13/01/2011 09:27

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

FESTIVE SPIRIT: Barnet LCC members stop off on the Pymmes Brook cycle path during their annual Xmas outing

BARNET www.barnetlcc.org

MEETINGS: last Thursday of the month, 8pm at Trinity Church Hall, Nether Street, N12. CONTACT: Jeremy Parker, 020 8440 9080.

Many thanks to all those who joined our Xmas ride, followed by lunch at a Greek restaurant. ➤ Back in November we held an auction of bits and pieces to raise BRENT funds for the group. Having done www.brentcyclists.org.uk so — and feeling benevolent — we decided instead to donate the We hear that TfL has probably money to a good cause. For a dropped the idea of a Cycle cycle group the obvious answer Superhighway (11) along the A5. was to give it to a charity The replacement proposal is to supplying bikes, to help children use the A41 from Marylebone in the developing world get to Road to the start of Hendon school. We raised enough to buy Way. This is not in Brent, but two bikes through the UNICEF would certainly advantage Inspired Gifts scheme. many Brent cyclists if it included ➤ Our campaigns committee has measures to make safer the a hard time ass Barnet appalling Swiss Sw Cottage gyratory. Council is singularly gularly gyratory Unfortunately disinterested in Unfo BICYCLE the record of cycling. In CE N A R INSU Superorder to try to o Su r each yea With 80,000 bikes stolen highways have some h d! ure ins is rs you e in London, make sur to already impact on ess acc you es giv hip ers mb me LCC nce, with completed them we've ura ins ft the le cyc ue great val 0 ‘get you home’ does not decided to new-for-old cover, £15 remain lend interact l cover and discounts if you it www. confi claim-free or are 40+. Vis more with co dence ce. ran nsu ngi ycli urbanc that local residents’ s’ tha this will te. quo a co.uk for happen. The groups to happ A41 is, li like the A5, endeavour to enlist full of buses, with the their support for added hazard of high-speed relevant issues. long-distance coaches sharing ➤ At our February meeting we the same kerbside space that the will be looking at and discussing Superhighway will use. And if folding bikes and electric bikes, that were not enough, it also so do come along to learn more.

allows motorcycles in the bus lanes, and plenty of off-peak parking. It also appears that TfL has shifted the proposal for Superhighway 10 from the A4 to the A404 Harrow Road — we would welcome this and it was indeed our suggestion. We will work to try to influence TfL to give the best outcome for Brent Cyclists from these two routes. ➤ Also, our GLA member, Navin Shah, has been pressing the Mayor to extend the Cycle Hire Scheme to Brent, and we have been supporting him in this. ➤ We have established a rides programme for 2011. Rides will always be on the second weekend of the month and start from a variety of points in the borough. The next two will be on Sat 12 February and Sun 13 March — see website for details. MEETINGS: Tuesday 1 February, 7pm at The Crown, Cricklewood Broadway NW2; Wednesday 2 March at Samaritans Centre, 1 Leopold Road NW10. CONTACT: Ian Saville, 07949 164793; coordinator@ brentcyclists.org.uk

BEST RIDES IN LONDON

GROUPS

Local Group News Cycling Fund for London awards, for ‘Community Cycling Initiative: Bromley Bike Blast,’ held last summer in Norman Park. In lieu of the December group meeting, 17 attended the Bromley Cyclists' Christmas dinner, at the Crooked Billet in Petts Wood. ➤ The Annual Meeting is on 9 February, with election of officers — positions are opening up, so come along and volunteer to serve for a year. Spring focus will be on helping whole school communities into cycling, together with a significant presence at the Bromley Fun Run. MEETINGS: second Wednesdays of the month, 7.30pm, venue details on website. Other Wednesdays meet at Bromley South station for an easy ride to a pub and return, the ‘Wednesday Weekly Wander’. CONTACT: Charles Potter, 07951 780869; coordinator@ bromleycyclists.org; twitter.com/ bromleycyclists

CAMDEN www.camdencyclists.org.uk In future Camden Cyclists will meet on the third (instead of the second) Monday each month. This change was made to avoid a date clash with Hackney Bicycle Film Society which now meets in Camden. ➤ Camden Council closed Camden High Street between the tube station and the lock on Sunday 21 November. Camden Cyclists organised a slow bike race using a Boris Bike (see an illustrated account on our website). It was amazing to see that some skilled cyclists could

BROMLEY www.bromleycyclist.org.uk In early December the group received a special commendation certificate at the Community

TUCKING IN: Bromley LCC at Xmas

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 51

051056_groups.FINAL.indd 51

17/01/2011 22:26

BEST RIDES IN GROUPS LONDON

➤ Our social rides continue throughout winter, shorter to accommodate fewer hours of daylight. The Bike Hub carries on unabated. ➤ To find out more about DIY cycle maintenance, check out www.ealingbikehub.co.uk. MEETINGS: first Wednesday of the month, venue details on website. Social ride on first Sunday of the month, meet 10am, Ealing Town Hall. CONTACT: David Lomas, info@ ealingcycling.org.uk. Or David Eales, 07880 797437. TRACK STANDS: on Cycle Hire bikes

'track-standing' in one place on a freewheel bike. ➤ We're pleased Camden Council has agreed to review the idea of allowing two-way cycling throughout the web of one-way streets bounded by Euston Road, Judd Street, Sidmouth Street and Grays Inn Road. ➤ Camden Council is currently making changes in Montague Place and Malet Street; they modified and reopened the contraflow cycle facilities at the western end of Montague Place and the southern end of Malet Street. They are now removing the two-way cycle track from the remainder of Montague Place. With-flow cyclists ride in the road and eventually there will be a contraflow lane on the correct side of the road. Temporary measures will be made for cyclists while the works are in progress. MEETINGS: our next meetings are 21 February and 21 March at Primrose Hill Community Association, 29 Hopkinsons Place, (off Fitzroy Rd), NW1. CONTACTS: Stefano Casalotti, 020 7435 0196; stefano@ lamsam-casalotti.org.uk. Or Jean Dollimore, 020 7485 5896; jean@ dollimore.net

EALING www.ealingcycling.org.uk No rest for ECC during the cold winter months. We have engaged in productive discussions with Ealing Council about their Cycling Strategy 2010-2016, particularly in exploring the key elements of the proposed cycle hubs.

ENFIELD www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups We've already started planning events for this year's Bike Week. We hope to make the Cycling Festival in the town park bigger and better, hopefully with a celebrity presence. And we want to make this year's Big Bike Ride the biggest ever by involving schools and youth organisations. If you have any contacts with either, then please do get in touch. ➤ Meanwhile our programme of regular social rides, in conjunction with Edmonton Cycle Club (www. edmontoncyclingclub.fsnet.co. uk), continues throughout the year. Why not come and join us, whatever your ability level? MEETINGS: first Thursday of the month — 3 February, 8pm at Winchmore Hill Cricket Club, The Paulin Ground, Fords Grove, N21; 3 March, 8pm at The Wheatsheaf pub, 185 Baker Street, EN1 3JT. CONTACT: Richard Reeve, 07957 591387; r.reeve@blueyonder. co.uk

HACKNEY

intimidating obstacle to inexperienced riders. In its place, a simple priority junction is being created, raised to footway level. We proposed this transformation several years ago, and we are very grateful that the council has now taken the plunge. Improving conditions for cycling was our initial motivation, of course, but the biggest winners from the return to an ordinary crossroads will (quite rightly) be people on foot. Where previously they were forced out of their way by the roundabout, they will now have zebra crossings on the natural desire lines for walking and a streetscape that's much less dictated by the car. As time goes on, the new arrangement may also provide the opportunity to re-establish this as a local centre; once it was a bustling corner, complete with a pub and a post office. We hope this stands as a good example of the holistic approach which we advocate. ➤ Meanwhile at Goldsmith's Row, next to Hackney City Farm, the council is delivering another substantial piece of work in response to a long-standing Hackney Cyclists' suggestion. The current arrangement — a two-way segregated cycle track and a one-way carriageway, with an after-thought of a footway sandwiched inbetween — is a well intentioned but flawed effort at cyclefriendliness dating from GLC days. In concentrating almost exclusively on providing for the designated cycle route, it resulted in structural conflict with pedestrians and restricted cycling permeability, making the left turn onto Hackney Road difficult and technically illegal. This will all soon be gone, to be replaced by a normal two-way

carriageway for cycles and service vehicles, with wide and well-paved footways either side and bollards at one end to prevent through motor traffic. A little spur of cycle-track will remain, leading from the carriageway to the existing signalled crossing of Hackney Road. In the longer term we would like to see the cycle route re-aligned more directly across Hackney Road into Ion Square Gardens — something we look forward to working on with our colleagues in neighbouring Tower Hamlets Wheelers. ➤ We had annual elections to the Hackney Cyclists committee recently. Michael Cordy and Trevor Parsons remain in post as treasurer and co-ordinator, while Oliver Schick volunteered as secretary to replace Ben Edmonds, who has moved south of the river. Brenda Puech and Siobhan Owens kindly offered to continue on the committee as events co-ordinators. If you would like to contribute to the Hackney group, you are warmly encouraged to get involved. Find out more by coming to a meeting, signing up to our mailing list, or contacting us. MEETINGS: first Wednesday of the month, 7.30pm at Marcon Court Estate Community Hall, near corner of Amhurst Road and Marcon Place, E8. CONTACT: Trevor Parsons, 020 7729 2273; info@hackneycyclists.org.uk.

HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM www.hfcyclists.org.uk We have had over 200 responses to our survey on cycling over Hammersmith Bridge. The responses are overwhelmingly

www.hackney-cyclists.org.uk A sizeable symbol of the motor-dominated highway engineering of our borough's past will be but a memory by the time you read this, with the demise of the space-wasting roundabout which stood where Hoxton Street, Pitfield Street, Hyde Road and Whitmore Road meet, near the Britannia leisure centre. The roundabout was a blot on the landscape, and while not really a problem for skilled, assertive cyclists, was an

FISHY BUSINESS: unique ferry used by Brent & Harrow Cyclists in East Anglia

52 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

051056_groups.FINAL.indd 52

17/01/2011 22:26

in favour of a 20mph speed limit on the bridge. These results and the enlightening answers to the open-ended questions can be found on our website as below. However the Council is very pro car at the moment and is unlikely to want to annoy car drivers. Over the coming month or two we will develop an approach to try to convince the council that a 20mph limit is a good thing to put in the LIP, including both as a benefit to pedestrians on the footway who are upset by cyclists avoiding the carriageway, and as a way of prolonging the life of the fragile structure. Are there any structural engineers out there who know about such things? ➤ Xmas Eve brought the scrapping of the western Congestion Zone extension. Is it any easier to move through stationary traffic? ➤ We hope to see you at one of our monthly evening meetings. MEETINGS: Tuesday 1 February, see website for details. CONTACT: John Griffiths, 020 7371 1290 or 07789 095 748; john@truefeelings.com.

HARROW www.harrowcyclists.org.uk As Harrow Cyclists pedals into its second year, we appreciate just how musicians feel when they produce that second album — will it ever be as good as the first? We intend our second year to be better. We've got a full programme of rides arranged until well into the spring, although we had to cancel our now legendary Christmas lights ride — a tour of the more exotically decorated homes in the area — thanks to icy weather. ➤ We used our first year to learn about the arcane practices of Harrow Council committees. Now, thanks to a great deal of help from an ex-councillor in our group, we've reached the stage where we are included at a number of meetings and briefings without having to beg. We've still got some way to go before we get all we want — in particular the College Road bike contraflow — but it's far more than a year ago. We have prepared a leaflet (see website) that spells out exactly what we want and what we don't want.

SITE FOR SORE EYES: at last, one of Hackney's most obstructive roundabouts is being replaced with a simpler jucntion

This way, none of our elected has become much more ward representatives can claim based which isn't good for ignorance. cycling. Although the council ➤ On the Tesco bike parking Leader, Catherine West, is a front, the stores group has keen cyclist it seems that unless a local councillor can be obviously noted our demands persuaded there are votes in a and has increased the number of cycling scheme it won't get stands at its main Harrow store support. So it has never been from two to twelve and is in more important to look out for discussions with the council anything happening in your over provision outside some of area that could impact on its many smaller shops in the cyclists and either support it if borough. it's good or make a fuss if it isn't. ➤ We hope to grow the group by Our veloteers scheme has been organising basic maintenance devised to help our members do classes and we are in just that and we had a negotiations to recruit Harrow's successful second meeting in best bike shop (The Bike Shop) November; see our website for into helping with premises and what people are doing. If you are lessons. And we are now on interested in veloteering, Facebook — look for Harrow contact sltaylor001@yahoo.co. Cyclists LCC group – but if you uk for more details. spell it any other way, Facebook ➤ Our appeal for opinions on will say we don't exist! It's early whether we sshould be days for this so o if any other borough the local h urging th groups have any police to ny police clamp HE LP US AT Facebook hintss down dow on CYCLE EVENTS and tips, cyclists cy We’re building up our list of events please jumping red ju volunteers for 2011’s events seas on. contact us. lights l If you would like to help us out at MEETINGS: resulted in r events, taking petition signups, sellin g second plenty of p memberships and publicising our campaigns, email matthew@lcc Wednesday feedback, as f . org.uk. No experience needed, of the month well w as sites just a friendly manner and a (see website). where this wh love of cycling! CONTACT: was a Colin Water, particular partic 07799 537504. problem. However 4. we have decided decid not to take it any further at the moment as there have been ISLINGTON reports that the council's www.icag.org.uk considering introducing a bylaw to increase its powers to deal Since Labour won it's big with irresponsible cyclists and majority in May (35 vs 13 Lib we want to see what the Dems, with no councillors from outcome of this is. other parties), the council's focus

➤ Changes to crossings and pavement widths around the Angel have meant that northbound cyclists may find themselves competing with buses to squeeze through a narrowed crossing on Upper Street by Liverpool Road. Be aware that the buses then move left to get to the bus stops, so position yourself to avoid this. MEETINGS: second Wednesday of the month (9 Feb and 9 Mar), from 7.30-9.30pm at Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1. CONTACT: Alison Dines, 020 7226 7012; alisondines@clara.co.uk.

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA www.kc-cyclists.org.uk All are welcome to our friendly meetings, so do feel free to come along. There's always lots to discuss and things to do. And check our website and email group for meetings, rides, and other events. MEETINGS: Monday 7 February and 7 March, 6.30pm at the Devonshire Arms, 37 Marloes Road, W8. CONTACT: Philip Loy, 07960 026450; philip_loy@yahoo.co.uk.

KINGSTON www.kingstoncycling.org.uk Kingston railway station now has a secure cycle compound attached to it, but it is a little way away from the station entrance. It’ll be interesting to see whether commuters prefer the security and shelter of the

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 53

051056_groups.FINAL.indd 53

17/01/2011 22:27

BEST RIDES IN GROUPS LONDON

➤ Our 2010/11 AGM is scheduled MEETINGS: see website. for Wednesday 16 February at CONTACT: Roger Stocker (also 6.30pm, Lewisham Town Hall, via website). (Room 3), Catford. It’s been a pretty quiet year and as ever we are looking for more people to be MERTON involved. The co-ordinated rides www.mertoncyclists.org.uk calendar with neighbouring groups has been very successful MCC has had a tricycle-rickshaw with someone leading a ride for several years now. Frankly, a almost every weekend. bit of a beast to t pedal We are still to and we wouldn't o see if w the change in contemplate n conte FREE LEGAL administration London to on Lon ADVICE always at the town Brighton Br ’re With LCC membership you hall has any with w it. It ver knowledge that whene the in e saf positive is i graced LCC p. hel to e you need us, LCC is her affects with with w two third party e fre you es giv hip ers memb e of valu a to cycling in Victorian V up er cov ce cycle insuran to free cyclethe borough Carriage C £5,000,000 and access more info — at least the lamps, the la friendly legal advice. For m on Tea hip ers mb Me call the cycling officerr real rea things, of 020 7234 9310. is still there and which LAMBETH nd whic we are it’s really pleasing very proud. Even asing pro www.lambethcyclists.org.uk that they are taking more so as we w got them lit this year for the first time. Our Architecture Rides are due to forwards our suggestion of installing cycle racks near to car They are powered by large-ish be on the themes of the 'Oxford club bays — multi-modal candles, courtesy of Holy Cross Movement' in February and journeys. Church, Motspur Park, and are 'Antiquities' in March. Always ➤ Officers rode some of the pushed up in their holders by check the website for latest large springs. Each spring is details. LCN+ in the borough to see how contained in an original silk ➤ We're always busy with the project went — we were sleeve. The rickshaw joined the ongoing campaigns and issues so fairly positive. Thanks to the Wimbledon Winter Wonderland LCN+ team for coming along as do come along to our meetings or parade and looked rather well. Have other groups done events whether you're an LCC spectacular. something similar? member or not — all are very MEETINGS: see website. ➤There is now a really good way welcome. CONTACT: Charles Barraball, 020 of checking local planning alerts MEETINGS: 15 February and 8949 0708 or 07590 077445. 15 March, 7.30pm, upstairs at (http://www.planningalerts. The Priory Arms, 83 Lansdowne com) — check cycle parking is Way, SW8. included in those nearby CONTACT: Philip Loy, 07960 applications (and that new RICHMOND 026450; lambeth_cyclists@ estate isn't full of one-way www.richmondlcc.co.uk hotmail.com. roads). We are now chasing TfL to find out why removing the After our annual meeting, we Kender gyratory (good news) say goodbye to campaign ended up with some banned coordinator Alastair and LEWISHAM turning movements for cyclists secretary Melissa as they have http://lewishamcyclists.co.uk/ and the lack of ASLs at certain chosen to give up their roles but junctions — very frustrating. continue to be active members. Key news is that we now have a Now to ask about the Catford Thanks to both of them for their new website — if any groups can gyratory yet again. hard work over the past year. link to us we would be grateful. Our new campaign coordinator Nick has already put out some information about how we move forward as an effective campaigning group, building on our work over the past years. Have a look at the ‘campaign news’ section of the website for more info, including details of how the council are going to spend their money on cycling. ➤ The Cycling Liaison Group meetings seem more positive than the previous councils’ meetings. We hope to be working more closely with the council, BUSY WINTER IN KINGSTON: with a free lights handout before Xmas (left) and new racks installed at the main railway station although the issue of

cycle park or the convenience of the racks on the street. We argued the case to retain the racks on the street. We have been contacting South West Trains, MPs and TfL about getting a compound at Norbiton (officially ninth worst London station for bike thefts) and hope to have good news soon. ➤ To the end of November, 468 bikes had been reported stolen to the Met Police — up 13 percent on the same period in 2009, despite concerted effort by the police to mark bikes and (they say) to identify thieves. We have questioned figures issued by the Grove Ward police who, it appears, were not including bikes stolen from the town centre on their stats — which of course gave a rather rosier picture than the ugly truth. ➤ Before Christmas we gave away nearly 40 bike lights in our annual action for the light-less, gaining good publicity locally and on cycling websites. ➤ The council has consulted us on proposals for changes to Kingston Road junction with South Lane that would remove the cycle lanes under the railway bridge. We told them we were sceptical of their designs. There are proposals to alter layouts at the Fountain roundabout too and we have suggested investigating the removal of guard railings. ➤ Tolworth looks set to get a make-over complete with a shared-use ‘Greenway’ down the middle of the Broadway. Though the proposal would give a better connection to the station side across the middle of the roundabout, making the subways redundant, it seems that cycling down the middle of four lanes of traffic isn’t likely to

be popular. Meanwhile, Tesco is again looking to develop the former government offices site. Maybe they’ll get planning approval this time? ➤ Funding for cycle training at schools looks to be secure, but adult training may be vulnerable to increased charges or cuts. ➤ Our Bread Pudding rides have again seen a record-breaking number of participants. Seems that people like them and keep coming back for more. There will be more than 20 rides in 2011. MEETINGS: 8 Feb and 8 Mar, 8.30pm at the Waggon & Horses pub, Surbiton Hill Road. CONTACT: Rob James, 020 8546 8865.

54 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

051056_groups.FINAL.indd 54

17/01/2011 22:27

consultation on new schemes has yet to be addressed. Councillors Head and Harborne have introduced a ‘cycling champion’ councillor in each ward. How this will translate into effective growth of cycle usage remains to be seen but we will be pushing to make the most of this publicity. ➤ Rumour (still to be confirmed) has it that the second option for Richmond Station will be chosen, ie the option without the pedestrian forecourt outside the station. ➤ We are working with Friends of Kneller Gardens and of the River Crane to get as much cycle path as we can out of the Twickenham station and Post Office site developments. We hope to get a continuous cycle route from the Hounslow border at Mogden Lane to Hounslow Heath. ➤ Our rides are still going from strength to strength. Join Paul on his rides — the Rides for Everyone are for a couple of hours and suitable for families; our Rides for Explorers are a day out with a stop for lunch — rides@richmondlcc.co.uk. ➤ We have setup our own Twitter account — details of our rides, maintenance workshops and other events are all published there, including any last minute updates along with lots of other info. We’re being followed by Brompton Bicycles! MEETINGS: second Monday of the month, 8pm at The Ship Inn, Richmond. CONTACT: Jonathan Rowland, 07976 294626; info@ richmondlcc.co.uk.

The new decisive wind at LCC wants to do more for ordinary bikers of all sorts and double the membership. Let's do all we can to double LCC's membership too while also getting on with what we all do so well. ➤ And all we can to get Herne Hill Velodrome solidly relaunched and safeguarded. MEETINGS: second Wednesday of the month, 6.30pm at Better Bankside, corner of Great Guildford Street/Zoar Street, SE1. CONTACT: Barry Mason, 07905 889005.

SOUTHWARK

www.towerhamletswheelers.org.uk

www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk

We’ve had a busy couple of months dealing with the continuing problems with Cycle Superhighway CS3 running from Tower Hill, via Cable Street, to Barking. ➤ Like other groups, our rides programme has been badly affected by the weather and we’ve had to cancel a few of our rides in the country. We recently replaced an out of town ride with a tour of the cycle cafes that have sprung up around London, which was well attended and maybe showed the way forward in terms of the riding to tea stop ratio we’ll aim

Watch out for 14 February and, at last, the long, long promised Singles Ride from Alex, plus our Southwark Healthy Rides and the Silver Rides, Dunwich Dynamo, Afterworkers and the rest, ad infinitum into the sunset/sunrise. Keep a very close eye on our great new website and e-news. ➤ 2011 is the year everyone's talking about evolution, prevarication, restoration, reduction, revolution… two wheels good… two aims better... the year to give LCC a chance.

SUTTON www.cyclismsutton.org.uk Borough Cycling Officer Lynn Robinson has £20,000 to spend on minor works — eg missing cycle route signs, flush/drop kerbs, sites for cycle stands & replacing bent stands etc. For the old LCN+75 route, Lynn has 25 repeater signs and needs places for installation. ➤ A cycle plug on the build out at the junction of Lewis Road and Throwley Way to allow two-way cycle access. ➤ Next basic cycle maintenance course is planned for Saturday 9 April, 9.45am to noon, at Sutton West Centre, on the north side of Robin Hood Lane. Evening Rides start in May. MEETINGS: second Tuesday of every month from 8.30pm at Robin Hood pub, corner of West Street and Robin Hood Lane. CONTACT: Chris Parry, 020 8647 3584, cyclism@blueyonder.co.uk

TOWER HAMLETS

RIDES & EVENTS

For the latest details on cycle rides: www.lcc.org.uk/rides Sunday 6 February ➤ Bread Pudding challenge ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Fasterpaced ride with pub lunch. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@ blueyonder.co.uk Sunday 6 February ➤ Snowdrops by the Thames ride: 10.30am, Twickenham Riverside, by Eel Pie bridge. 28-miles, lunch in Staines. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Tuesday 8 February ➤ Hackney Bike Workshop: 7pm, All Saints Church Hall, 22-24 Northwold Road, N16. Contact: Adam Thompson (07940 121 513); hackneybikeworkshop@gmail.com Wednesday 16 February ➤ Biketastic: 6pm, Danson Park, outside the Boat House, Bexleyheath. Max 8 miles. Contact: Jane Smith (020 8308 7859); jane.smith@bexley.gov.uk Wednesday 16 February ➤ Lewisham Cyclists AGM: 6.30pm, Lewisham Town Hall, Catford. Contact: John Phillips (020 8244 2192); jjsp7@ hotmail.com Saturday 19 February ➤ Isabella — hints of Spring ride: 10.15am, Teddington Station (east side). Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@richmondlcc.co.uk Sunday 20 February ➤ Bread Pudding ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@ blueyonder.co.uk Sunday 20 February ➤ Little Green Ride: 9.45am, ticket hall at Finsbury Park mainline station. Contact: Stephen Taylor (07977 235735); sltaylor001@yahoo.co.uk Thursday 24 February ➤ LCC retention evening: 6pm, LCC offices — see website for details. Sunday 27 February ➤ Essex Nature Reserves & Marshes: time/place, tbc. Contact: Caroline Fenton (07967 139491); caroline@towerhamletswheelers.org.uk Tuesday 1 March ➤ Hackney Bike Workshop: 7pm, The Kings Centre Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park, E9. Contact: Adam Thompson (07940 121 513); hackneybikeworkshop@gmail.com

for in future. ➤ Earlier in November our 'Memorial Ride' was held on Remembrance Sunday. After observing the silence, it wound about east London and the City highlighting the various types of memorials ranging from the Monument to the Great Fire to Postman’s Park with its memorials to ‘ordinary people’ who gave their lives for others. ➤ And finally, Leigh Andrews from the Wheelers has made an

Sunday 5 March ➤ Yoga for Cyclists: 10am to noon, Evolve Wellness Centre, South Kensington. Contact: Verity Bell (07984 763250); verity@kickstep.org Tuesday 8 March ➤ Hackney Bike Workshop: 7pm, All Saints Church Hall, 22-24 Northwold Road, N16. Contact: Adam Thompson (07940 121 513); hackneybikeworkshop@gmail.com Sunday 6 March ➤ Bread Pudding ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@ blueyonder.co.uk Sunday 6 March ➤ Windsor & The Great Park: 10.20am, Richmond station. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@ richmondlcc.co.uk Tuesday 15 March ➤ Hackney Bike Workshop: 7pm, The Kings Centre Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park, E9. Contact: Adam Thompson (07940 121 513); hackneybikeworkshop@gmail.com Saturday 19 March ➤ Biketastic: 6pm, Mill Row Bexley Street, Bexely Village. Contact: Jane Smith (020 8308 7859); jane.smith@bexley. gov.uk Saturday 19 March ➤ Along the Crane & Thames: 10.10am, Strawberry Hill station. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016); rides@ richmondlcc.co.uk Sunday 20 March ➤ Bread Pudding ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875); johnedunn@ blueyonder.co.uk Sunday 20 March ➤ Little Green Ride: 9.45am, ticket hall at Finsbury Park mainline station. Contact: Stephen Taylor (07977 235735); sltaylor001@yahoo.co.uk Sunday 20 March ➤ Eltham Palace ride: time tbc, top of Green Bridge (near Mile End station) Contact: Caroline Fenton (07967 139491); caroline@towerhamletswheelers.org.uk Thursday 24 March ➤ LCC retention evening: 6pm, LCC offices — see website for details.

inspiring short film for women and beginner cyclists. Called A Sense of Safety, it interviews women about their cycling lives and is well worth a watch. She says: “Ask most women in London why they don't cycle and they'll tell you they're terrified of traffic. If you're one of those women, this film is for you." She followed a group of women on their journey to becoming confident riders. You can find it here: http://lcc.org.

Feb-Mar 2011 London Cyclist 55

051056_groups.FINAL.indd 55

17/01/2011 22:27

WFCC

BEST RIDES IN GROUPS LONDON

High Street (opposite Town Hall) and afterwards at Brewers Inn. CONTACT: Simon Merrett, 020 8789 6639.

WESTMINSTER www.westminstercyclists.org.uk Cycling through some of Westminster's major streets could become more difficult, with the council proposing to install central reservations in Pall Mall and Oxford Street. Although these are intended to make crossing the road easier for pedestrians, they funnel cyclists and motor vehicles into a narrow space. We have pointed out the potential dangers of this arrangement to the council. ANNUAL FAT BOY RIDE: attracted more than 40 cyclists from Redbridge, Bexley, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich and Lewisham ➤ More encouragingly, work is in progress on a new crossing of a big difference. uk//index.asp?PageID=2154. time and expertise to make our ➤ Other volunteers have met up ➤ Make a New Year’s resolution streets better for cycling and Regent Street. This is expected with a local councillor, Russell to form part of a new eastbound to burn off the calories and look therefore better for everyone. If cycle route from Brook Street to you think you can help us King, and some good ideas have at the Rides/Events page on our Great Marlborough engage with politicians and website for details of our next come out of that. hat. We Marlb Street. There is officers regarding cycling issues Lee Valley ride and our ride to talked a lot about out T WANTED — currently no in your ward, please get in touch Eltham Palace in February. It also filtered curre VOLUNTEERS direct with our Veloteers programme lists our free maintenance perm-eability dire route from the (veloteers@wfcycling.org.uk) or workshops and meetings. of our streets fr Every month an eager team of volunteers joins us at our monthly north of come to one of our meetings Anyone is very welcome to for cyclists, n Retention Evenings — why not come Mayfair into ➤ Workshop — Low Hall depot, attend any of our events, rides and as a M along? By helping us with our mon Soho, so the South Access road, E17 — sale on or meetings. follow-on S thly member mailings you’ll be saving LCC new route MEETINGS: see website. we’re after first Saturday of the month; n £100’s and we’ll reward you with good will CONTACT: Rob Lister, robl@ suggestrecycling on Fridays, 9am-4pm; w fill a company and refreshments. Email signifi cant wheelers.org.uk. ions from all public drop-in on second, tird and si matthew@lcc.org.uk for gap members for fourth Saturdays of the month, ga in the more information. network. one-way streets 11am-3pm (£3 donation for tools ets netw MEETINGS: that could benefi WALTHAM FOREST and support). nefit MEETI Thursday from being returned MEETINGS: every second urned www.wfcycling.org.uk 17 February, 7pm at Heart of to two-way for cyclists only Wednesday of the month, 8pm at London Business Alliance, London — let us know your ideas. Hornbeam Centre. A big thank you to everyone House, 53-54 Haymarket, London ➤ We also met with the CONTACT: Gerhard Weiss, 07894 who came to our Xmas social and SW1. Battersea MP, Jane Ellison — 035571; gerhard@wfcycling.org. to our Annual Meeting. A special CONTACT: Colin Wing, 020 7828 uk. Stay in touch via @wfcycling thanks to all those who have another very positive meeting. 1500; info@westminstercyclists. (twitter); Waltham-Forestoffered their help for 2011. Issues discussed included 20mph org.uk. Cycling-Campaign (Facebook); ➤ Our rides programme is limits and Thames crossings, www.scribd.com/wfcycling; www. already in full swing. If you including Albert Bridge, as well walthamforest cyclingcampaign. as our mutual desire to enlarge missed the Scouting for Cyclists OTHER LOCAL blogspot.com. London’s Cycle Hire scheme to ride, read about GROUP CONTACTS include at least a part of it on the BARKING & DAGENHAM Battersea. We’re very keen on blog and hopefully we will see www.stibasa.org.uk this and plan to do all we can to you on the Museum ride (27 Feb) WANDSWORTH BEXLEY help progress the idea. the Great Enfield Daffodil ride (27 www.wandsworthcyclists.org.uk www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups ➤ A group of members are doing Mar) and the traditional Lazy CITY CYCLISTS loads of energetic campaigning London Marathon (17 Apr). Our very own WCC superheroes www.citycyclists.org.uk ➤ We continue to push for more over the works on Albert Bridge. are continuing to hassle TfL over CROYDON www.croydon-lcc.org.uk regard for cyclists from town A survey has shown there is a Cycle Superhighway 8, part of HARINGEY huge amount of support locally which runs through the borough planners but we have been R White; robert.hcc@virgin.net to make the bridge cycle- and and is due to open in the spring. disappointed by the lack of REDBRIDGE pedestrian- friendly and this is a Our heroes have met with TfL, in adequate consultation on the www.redbridgelcc.org.uk unique opportunity for the the hope of getting local cyclists’ Forest Road scheme and Wood COPY DEADLINE cycling lobby to make its voice views on this route heard and Street regeneration in heard — do get involved. have managed to get the Walthamstow. Read about it on Apil/May 2011 issue: Friday 18 Feb MEETINGS: second Tuesdays of proposals tweaked a little in the the blog and in the new Hubbub. Send your copy and photos to: the month, 7pm at Friends light of local knowledge — a few ➤ We remain determined to editorlondoncyclist@yahoo.com Meeting House, 59 Wandsworth minor changes to signs can make offer the council our voluntary

56 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

051056_groups.FINAL.indd 56

17/01/2011 22:28

p57.indd 57

12/01/2011 13:48

VOX POPS

London cyclists

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

Name Krisz Borbely Age 29 From Hungary Bike too many to list! Favourite London ride Herne Hill: Muddy Hell & Wednesday track league One thing you'd change about cycling in London Make every cab and lorry driver cycle once a week!

Name Emmy Tither Age 20 From Lima, Peru; now in Haggerston Bike Surly Steam Roller Favourite London ride Dunwich Dynamo One thing you'd change about cycling in London Fewer pedestrians

Name Mark Benjamin Age 22 From Walthamstow Bike GT Chucker singlespeed Favourite London ride Epping Forest One thing you'd change about cycling in London Better wages for couriers

Name Will Hanlan Age 26 From London Bike Police issue tactical mountain bike Favourite London ride Any route along the fascinating Thames Pathway One thing you'd change about cycling in London Clearer off-road cycle lanes.

58 London Cyclist Feb-Mar 2011

058_voxpops.FINAL.indd 58

17/01/2011 22:19

p50.indd 50

12/01/2011 12:06

2010 b unbeat ikes at able pr ices

IWX

N O S A E S F O END

E L A S

Fuji Fuji Roubaix 3.0 ‘10 (129500)

£499.99

RRP £649.99

Specialized

Tricross ‘10 (126163)

£599.99

RRP £699.99

Was £59.9

£39.99 Was £129

Ba s i l

.9 9

£103.99

Was £59.9

Mir te Sh o Bag (120 pping 7 6 4)

£39.99

£47.99

R R P £4 9

.9 9

Up to 50% off

Bontrager

Grocer y Bag (103639)

£24.99

RRP £29.99

Clothing

1 Northwave Blade Jersey (EV137365) was £59.99 2 Pearl Izumi Stockton Jacket (EV137420) was £129.99 3 Pearl Izumi Thermal Jersey (EV137419) was £59.99 4 Surface Liquistretch Trousers (123298) was £54.99

as £5 4.9 9

£44.99

3 Was £4 4.9

£24.99

Was £49.9

Was £3 4.9

£29.99

d Big Brannce Cleara 01293 574 900

£39.99

www.evanscycles.com

£24.99 5

2 Was £4 4.9

Was £5 4.9

£39.99

Parts & accessories 1 2 3 4 5

Shimano M520 SPD Pedals (120382) was £34.99 Shimano Tiagra 4500 (120127) was £44.99 bspoke 1w Front Light (131402) was £44.99 Cateye EL020 Solar/Battery Front Light (106158) £49.99 Look Keo Plus LE (134333) was £54.99

*Terms & conditions apply. Information correct at 01/01/2011 excluding genuine errors. Items may not be available in all stores so please phone ahead to avoid disappointment. Registered Office: F.W. Evans Cycles (UK) Ltd. Camino Park, James Watt Way, Crawley RH10 9TZ. Registered in England No. 2784079 / VAT No. GB 927-170-229

p60.indd 60

12/01/2011 14:04