London Cyclist - Autumn 2021

AU T U M N 2021

CYCLE NETWORK: MIND THE GAPS

HEIDI ALEXANDER INTERVIEW BECOME AN LCC CLIMATE CHAMPION E-SCOOTER TRIALS EXPLAINED ISLE OF WIGHT BIKEPACKING REVIEWS: E-BIKES & HELMETS

MAGAZINE OF

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AUTUMN 2021

contents

News | Features | Travel & Rides | How To | Bikes & Reviews FEATURE > 12

HOW TO 48

GUIDES HOW TO

PILATES

FOR CYCLISTS

Susi Owusu is a Pilates rehab specialist in London. (pilateswithsusi.com)

As we approach autumn, we reach stage three of our four-part ‘Pilates for Cyclists’ series. Here we build on the work from spring and summer with four more simple exercises — core, hip/back mobility, legs, and stretch. It takes just 10-15 minutes to complete these exercises, so easy to find time for.

To learn more about Pilates, join a Zoom class, or get one-to-one tuition, visit Susi’s website.

1: CORE — LEG SWEEPS Lying on your back with knees bent and spine in neutral, float the right leg up and extend to the ceiling. Flex your foot from the ankle, keep a neutral spine, and sweep the leg towards the floor. Then point

the toe and reach the leg back up to the ceiling. Repeat 8 times before bringing the leg back down to the floor and repeating on the other leg.

Keeping the spine neutral is key, that will determine range.

2: HIP MOBILITY — PELVIC CURL This exercise will help to Keep curling the spine up, articulate your spine so try through your lower back, to focus on moving each mid back and upper back vertebra in sequence. Start until you are at the tips of on your back in semi-supine your shoulder blades. Arms position, think about rolling are by your side for balance. your tailbone off the floor To come down, reverse the towards your pubic bone. movement. Repeat 8 times.

3: LEGS — DOUBLE LEG STRETCH Start lying on back, knees As you inhale, reach your arms bent, with fingers interlaced behind the head and straighten behind your head. Curl your legs. As you exhale fold your head and chest off the floor. knees back into tabletop and Exhale and float one leg into sweep your arms out to the tabletop position, then float side and round to meet your the other leg up to meet it. knees. Repeat 8 times.

4: STRETCH — CALVES This can be done on a step, or using a yoga block or a book. Make sure you have something to hold onto for balance. With toes on the step, drop your heel over the edge; you can stretch one leg at a time or both

together. Find an angle where the stretch is comfortable.

If you are tight, it may go all the way into your hamstrings.

Stretch for about a minute on each side, going into and coming out of the stretch for 15-20 seconds, 3 or 4 times.

RIDE 51

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GIN, GUNS

From canal paths to the heart of Epping Forest, enjoy a loop guided by Charlie Codrington

& FORESTS

E

PPING FOREST needs no introduction to most London cyclists: an oasis of ancient woodland that stretches from Wanstead to Essex. Equally well known is the Lee Valley, another finger of continuous parkland running parallel to the forest.

Here we enjoy a circular offroad adventure, guided by Charlie from Hidden Tracks Cycling (hiddentrackscycling.co.uk) that combines the two — exploring the wealth of history and diversity of the wildlife of the Lee Valley and

contrasting it with the peace of the forest before finishing in the Olympic Park.

The route uses a variety of trails and mainly quiet roads. Most of the trails are well-made gravel paths, however, there are a few stretches of bridleway, as well as parts of Epping Forest, that can be pretty challenging when wet.

With no major hills and few off-road technical sections, this is a ride that can be completed by most cyclists on any off-road bike, even hybrids and road/touring bikes can

be used in the summer when dry.

The biggest challenge is not to be distracted by all the sights along the way!

FACTFILE DISTANCE: 64km (40miles) ASCENT: 558m SUITABLE FOR: gravel, cyclocross and mountain bikes all year. When dry, light hybrid and road/touring bikes with all-terrain tyres will also be fine.

NEAREST STATIONS: Stratford MAP LINK: https://www.plotaroute. com/route/16129762

GIN, GUNS AND FORESTS

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1 STRATFORD

Walthamstow 12.5km

Gunpowder Waltham Park 23.5km Abbey 25.5km

Epping Forest 39km

STRATFORD

REVIEWS 56

LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2021 51

BIKES

HOT TECH

NEW E-BIKES

MODEL: KINESIS LYFE, Equipped Edition ■ £2,300 ■ upgradebikes.co.uk

Test: Susi Owusu, John K

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that’s proving popular with buyers as the bikes look identical to nonelectric models. The lack of clunky bar-mounted computer aids the sleek aesthetic further, with only a small toptube button needed to cycle between pedal-assist modes; a traffic light system displays which mode you’re in, how much battery is left and turns the lights on and off. We recommend using the free phone app to tailor power settings precisely to your taste and get the most from each battery charge.

We can’t avoid hills in our local area so all our test routes tend to be ‘lumpy’, and tricky head- or crosswinds frequent, but we achieved significantly more range from the Lyfe’s X35 system than others we’ve ridden. We topped 60km on

FEATURE > 17

We’re looking for Climate Safe Streets ‘champions’ to spearhead pre-election campaign INTERVIEW > 22

one out-and-back trip in the easiest assist mode (the manufacturer says it will do 75km), while the turbo setting had us ripping back from the weekly shop in double-quick time.

In short it’s a pleasure to ride, on road, towpaths and hardpack trails.

Spec highlights include a 1x10 Shimano drivetrain, Tektro hydraulic

ISLE OF WIGHT BIKEPACKING, 40

Something can still be done... the game is definitely still to turn around that handcart ASHOK SINHA, OPINION, PAGE 9

We ask Heidi Alexander if London’s climate plans are bold enough and how targets will be met FEATURE > 29

An exciting crop of light, easy-to-operate e-bikes is coming thick and fast – and a new Kinesis model proves the adage that ‘less’ is more

ACK IN spring 2020, right at the start of the Covid pandemic, we were lucky enough to get a few weeks aboard the new Kinesis Range, powered by a lightweight, mid-drive Fazua system. We loved its ride feel and versatility. Well the brand has just upped the ante and launched another even lighter, potentially more versatile — and cheaper — e-bike line: Lyfe.

The impressive overall weight of just 17kg for our ‘equipped’ test rig — which includes mudguards, pannier rack, kickstand and integrated lights — is thanks to the Mahle’s ebikemotion rear hub motor and a 250Wh battery hidden away in the downtube. It’s a set-up we’re seeing more often and one

Plugging the obvious gaps will bring a safer cycle network much closer

Everything you need to know about e-scooters & how they can fit in the travel mix

CYCLE NETWORK, 12

Pedestrians will be, rightly, placed at the top of a new ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ CARLTON REID, OPINION, PAGE 10 LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2021 3

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CONTENTS | Autumn 2021

Cover image: Andy Donohoe Location: Hammersmith Bridge, August 2021

EDITORIAL

Into the last chance saloon T

HIS ISSUE heads to the printer just a few days after the latest International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report landed with painful thump. It warns that major climate change is now inevitable and irreversible.

Human influence has warmed the planet at a rate unprecedented in at least 2,000 years and pegging temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels looks highly unlikely.

Yet still the UK government is supporting new coalmines, oilfields and fossil fuel business. Still the Mayor of London is supporting the Silvertown tunnel. Still councils of every political hue are ripping out cycle lanes and thwarting active travel. With our ‘leaders’ in denial, what can millions of angry, exasperated individuals do? Living car-free — and persuading friends and family to do the same — remains the most effective way to reduce anyone’s carbon footprint (ahead of not flying, switching to renewable energy, and adopting a plant-based diet). And joining a campaigning organisation allows you to amplify your voice further. In this issue we explain how you can become a local ‘champion’, an LCC patron, or support protests for safer streets.

Here’s hoping we’ll finally be able to report on some critical global actions from COP26 in the next magazine.

John Kitchiner Editor

LCC MEMBERS’ LEGAL HELPLINE Osbornes Solicitors is the official legal partner of LCC, providing members with exclusive access to a legal helpline. If you’re involved in a collision or have a cycling-related legal issue, phone the Cycling Team at Osbornes for advice on 020 7681 8672.

LONDON CYCLIST Unit 201 Metropolitan Wharf, 70 Wapping Wall, London E1W 3SS n 020 7234 9310 n lcc.org.uk

EDITORIAL

Editor: John Kitchiner (london.cyclist@lcc.org.uk) Design: Anita Razak Contributors: Simon Munk, Tom Bogdanowicz, Ashok Sinha, Carlton Reid, Aydin Crouch, Suami Rocha, Lucy Cooper, Katy Rodda, Calum Rogers

ADVERTISING

Allie Gill (allie.gill@lcc.org.uk)

SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTER: @london_cycling FACEBOOK: @LondonCyclingCampaign INSTAGRAM: @london_cycling Editorial, copyright, membership 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. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the editor. Editorial content is independent of advertising. All LCC membership offers and discounts are presented entirely at the discretion of the provider.

London Cyclist is published by LCC. OUR AIMS: lcc.org.uk/strategy MEMBERSHIP: lcc.org.uk/membership TO DONATE: lcc.org.uk/donate LCC is a charitable limited company, reg no 1766411; charity no 1115789

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Autumn 2021

SIGN THE PETITION & JOIN THE PROTEST After another needless and tragic cyclist death at a notoriously dangerous junction, LCC calls for immediate action

O

N 4 AUGUST we’re very sorry to report that another cyclist was killed on London’s streets. Yet again by a left-turning lorry and yet again at the lethal Holborn ‘gyratory’ where many other cyclists have lost their lives. Dr Marta Krawiec, a 41-year-old paediatrician, died at the scene.

This is now the fifth time in eight years that a cyclist has been killed at the same dangerous junction. LCC has held two large protests here previously, each calling on the Mayor, TfL and Camden Council to immediately remove the dangers facing vulnerable road users. Indeed Camden was funded by TfL under its Liveable Neighbourhood programme for major changes to the entire gyratory in 2019, including this specific junction, but schemes have simply failed to progress.

Holborn’s Liveable Neighbourhood plans were impressive when announced and included modal filters, segregated cycle lanes, car-free

zones, and consolidated freight and servicing.

Camden successfully bid for more than £9m of TfL funding and, including other sources, the total package would have amounted to at least £12.5m. But something has gone badly wrong — and not only in Holborn. This is a pattern playing out all too often across London.

That’s why we can’t accept inaction any longer. LCC has launched a petition demanding action on lethal junctions, calling on the Mayor to address “critical issues” and achieve Vision Zero, where no more lives are lost, particularly where they have been lost before.

We’re also calling on members to join us for a protest ride on 8 September (see lcc.org.uk) to end all avoidable cycling road deaths and for lethal junctions to finally be treated with urgency. Any cyclist death is one too many and we need you to help us amplify this message. n SIGN THE PETITION — lcc.org.uk/campaigns/ junctions-action/

SAY NO TO LETHAL JUNCTIONS: join us for a protest ride at Holborn

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NEWS

Benefits of cycling and walking, according to UKGOV

COUNCILS TO LOSE FUNDS OVER POOR RECORD ON ACTIVE TRAVEL

(DfT’s ‘Decarbonising Transport’, 2021)

5.3 £££

bn

Costs of air pollution to health and social care could reach this by 2035

9.7 £££

bn

NHS costs attributable to overweight and obesity by 2050

£££

7-10 bn Estimated annual social cost of urban road noise in England

49.9 bn £

Alastair Hanton OBE — LCC trustee, chair of the Action on Lorry Danger Group, Living Streets London chair, and Southwark Cyclists’ activist — made an extraordinary contribution to LCC, to the promotion of active travel and to the reduction of road danger in the capital.

In his professional career Alastair was a banker (who introduced direct debit in the UK and was CEO of National Girobank), but it was as an active travel activist that LCC and Living Streets members knew him. He steered the multi-organisation Action on Lorry Danger group, to a series of successes in reducing road danger notably on safety mirrors, driver training and the ‘Direct Vision’ standard.

Alastair was formally honoured by LCC, Living Streets and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cycle Planning Awards.

We pay tribute to a tireless, resourceful and successful campaigner, who passed away on 26 May 2021, aged 94.

THE STATS

££

TIRELESS LCC CAMPAIGNER DIES, AGED 94

Wider costs of current transport system to society per year

NB — the government’s £27bn road building programme remains in place as the UK prepares to host COP26 in November...

THIS TIME last year, active travel campaigners were reeling in astonishment at the amount of funding suddenly being given out for cyling and walking projects, ones that would make an immediate impact on transport mode shift.

This August, the Department for Transport and Andrew Gilligan (the PM’s transport adviser) finally brought the ultimate stick available to central government to bear on local decision-making around such projects.

Chris Heaton-Harris, Minister for Transport, told Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea, Redbridge, Sutton, and Wandsworth councils that they would not be able to bid for the next round of TfL active travel funding “pending further discussion” and might lose out on wider transport funding. These authorities have removed or disabled active travel schemes either before full data about their impact was gathered, against the results of consultations or monitoring, or as a result of complaints from groups least likely ever to accept, let alone welcome, reallocation of roadspace.

The ‘Gear Change: One Year On’ report states: “We will reduce funding to councils which do not take active travel seriously, particularly in urban areas ... The aim should be to retain schemes and adjust, not remove them, unless there is substantial evidence to support this.”

Critically, the onus is now on proof of failure, not success: “We have no interest in requiring councils to keep schemes which are proven not to work, but that proof must be presented.”

This de-funding consequence should galvanise calls for councils to do more and better on walking and cycling, and provide even more incentive for councils to aim higher in engagement, planning, and monitoring, to address the climate crisis and decarbonise personal travel.

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OPINION

There’s still time...

We owe future generations an obligation to address the climate emergency right now, says Ashok Sinha

W

HISPER IT softly but I’m not a devotee of sports cycling. Yes, I’ll give it a look from time to time, being a bit of a sports fan, but you’ll more likely find me watching the new Hundred cricket competition or Premier League football.

And when it comes to the Olympics, the track events (as in track and field, not velodrome) are where it’s at, for me at least. I’m not a cycling campaigner because I’m a fan of the Tour de France or obsess over top-tube welding. No, it’s because I don’t want humanity to go to hell in a handcart.

That’s why my eyes and ears have been tuned in, above all else to the weather. Biblical flooding across Europe — with torrential downpours closing large parts of central London — searing heat in the northern US and Canada, wildfires in the Arctic. Climate change, which I’ve worked to help avoid for most of the last 30 years, is now so stark a reality for those of us in the affluent West that, almost in the blink of an eyelid, denialism has morphed into cries of something must be done!

Well, we did warn you, the cynic in me might unhelpfully retort. And it is unhelpful, because something can still be done, albeit

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that the level of climate change we are seeing now, plus a bit more on top, is locked in. The game is definitely still to turn around that accelerating handcart.

Emergency actions The hope of every Olympic Games is that it will inspire everyone — but especially the young — to become physically active, and to spark the imagination of those children who could be the next generation of champions. This is as it should be. But what if we asked the young what they wanted from the future?

This has been done in various ways, and the answers keep pointing in the same direction — a decent job, a good home, a fairer society, and a liveable planet. So, can any of us in older generations put our hands on our hearts and say that this is what we are bequeathing them? I for one, can’t.

All bets are off for any kind of social or economic prosperity for future generations unless we get

“Something can still be done... the game is definitely still to turn around that handcart”

Ashok Sinha Chief Executive of London Cycling Campaign

an immediate grip on the climate and ecological emergencies.

Wales has a Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe. Her job is to scrutinise the policies of Welsh public bodies to assess if they meet the needs, nay rights, of future generations. She has been wonderfully passionate about the insanity of building more roads and generating yet more traffic when the top priority must be to expand active travel, public and shared transport.

The founder of the Big Issue, John Burt, is championing a Welfare of Future Generations Bill in the House of Lords, to effect a similar sort of scrutiny in England.

The moral case underpinning all of this is our obligation to future generations, who have no say in the matter, not to screw up their lives.

I think most people would buy into this view.

Proper oversight So, I think the time may have come for us to have an institution of this nature in London, a body dedicated to holding the Mayor and boroughs to account on behalf of generations yet to come. For a start, it would help put all the arguments over cycle lanes and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods into proper perspective.

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OPINION

Critical changes Long overdue and highly welcome updates to the Highway Code are due from next year, says Carlton Reid

B

ARRING ANY last-minute spanner throwing from MPs, a revised Highway Code will come into force next year. We’ll have to watch out for metaphorically lobbed tools because the revisions have rattled some in the tabloid media, with a bunch of predictable war-onthe-motorist headlines when the changes were announced at the end of July.

MPs who take their cues from certain newspapers may demand changes. I’m generalising but not exaggerating when I say that an amalgam of the headlines would read ‘Cyclists will Lord it over motorists’.

Presumably, these inaccurate headlines were for the clicks because the most significant change in the Highway Code isn’t anything to do with cyclists. Instead, pedestrians will be, rightly, placed at the top of a new ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’. And motorists will be at the bottom because they have a greater propensity to harm. “Those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision,” states the revised Code, “bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others.”

The AA and RAC both welcome the proposed revisions and the

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new hierarchy. While cyclists are not at the pinnacle of the hierarchy — they are second — one of the Highway Code’s revisions could be immensely beneficial for us, on paper at least.

There will be a “universal duty to give way” on turning that, eventually, could reduce the dreaded left- and right-hook smashes where drivers turn across cyclists going straight ahead.

Changes set out in law To date, there has been no clear official view on who has priority at traffic lights between an HGV turning left and a cyclist going straight on. This manoeuvre has led to numerous fatalities, especially in London. Indeed while writing this, news came through of a female cyclist killed in a collision on the lethal Holborn ‘gyratory’.

The new Highway Code will now definitively state that the cyclist going ahead always has priority.

It may take some years for such behaviour to become the cultural

“Pedestrians will be, rightly, placed at the top of a new ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’”

Carlton Reid is a book author and leading transport journalist

norm, but a critical first step was getting it into the Highway Code.

And that it’s now to be included is primarily thanks to Phil Jones of Phil Jones Associates, a transport planning company that specialises in designing safer roads. Lobbying from British Cycling, Cycling UK and LCC helped get the ear of the government, with Jones charged with studying how the “universal duty to give way” worked in Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. (In truth, it’s the norm in most of the rest of the world already.)

“We found that this principle was clearly set out in law,” said Jones, “and it formed part of the syllabus and test for new drivers.”

In a document introducing the proposed changes, the Department for Transport stated that “it is vital that the changes are communicated to drivers so cyclists do not face intimidation and aggression from drivers who wrongly perceive them as impeding traffic flow or being obstructive”.

Part of the communication, ahem, drive will be DfT ‘Think!’ campaigns in mainstream media and online. Hopefully, driving instructors will also be bombarded with information on the changes so that today’s driving culture can, over time, become detoxified.

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CAMPAIGN

New infrastructure built during the pandemic brings us a big step closer to a coherent cycle network. But Aydin Crouch, creator of the Safe Cycling in London map, spots the gaps that need plugging

O

VER THE last decade, London has built some brilliant cycle infrastructure. However, the capital’s cycle network as a whole cannot be given the same praise.

Large parts of London still lack any decent infrastructure at all, and where things have been built there are often gaps with two stretches of cycleway failing to join up. But things don’t have to remain this way.

Since the Covid pandemic began, we have seen how pop-up infrastructure can be built quickly, cheaply and easily. Using this method, councils and TfL can not only build new routes where potential demand is high, but also look at what already exists and swiftly fill in some of the obvious, easy gaps. And in doing so be one step closer to rolling out an extensive and truly coherent network, one fit for the 2020s.

Tracks under tarmac

Photo: Carlton Reid

London — like much of the UK — has many miles of older, protected cycle track that predate TfL. Forgotten, neglected, and often even remarked for car parking, these are an untapped resource which, if upgraded, could cheaply and easily add potentially hundreds of miles to London’s safe cycle network. Some of these date back to the 1930s, mostly along arterial roads — in fact, LCC columnist Carlton Reid has been running a nationwide campaign to bring many of these back into use. Others date from the 1990s or 2000s, often along suburban roads.

Both types tend to be of a lower standard than acceptable today, with generally narrow tracks, nearly always untreated junctions and often merging with the carriageway at bus stops.

Some of these routes have already been upgraded and incorporated into TfL’s cycle network such as the Western Avenue Cycleway (1934), which became part of C34 in 2020, and

Cable Street Cycleway (mid-2000s), which became part of CS3 in 2010. In the short term, to avoid the lengthy consultations that would be necessary for more permanent changes, temporary measures could very smartly bring these existing routes up to modern safety standards for relatively little cost.

In many cases, reviving these old cycleways would result in neither roadspace, parking bays, nor pavement being lost. This would garner less opposition, making the changes more likely to stay in place beyond the current crisis.

In fact, for many of these legacy cycle tracks, it would mostly just be at junctions where new treatments and traffic lights for cyclists would be required.

This is certainly true of the A4 cycle path between Gillette Corner and Hounslow West.

Despite being almost 80 years old, it is of a remarkably high quality; safety standards only fall short when side roads join and, more pressingly, where main roads intersect with it.

But, as we’ve learnt during the last 18 months, these are not insurmountable obstacles.

Although creating new pop-up cycleways along main roads is essential and should obviously continue, the objections against taking roadspace for cycling will likely remain loud and new tracks will continue to struggle to be delivered against both noisy resident and professional driver opposition, plus the needs of buses. So it makes real sense for TfL and councils to pick some of this low-hanging fruit. It costs less money, requires less construction work and, due to most of the infrastructure already being in place, has little reason to attract backlash and create further division. These can be seen as simple cycle route ‘upgrades’ rather than some entirely new route — and thus far less threatening to many.

Side road junctions can be redesigned fairly LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2021 13

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Photos: Aydin Crouch

easily and indeed uncontroversially these days, tightening turn radii, providing a raised table or continuous track/footway treatment, or clearer markings and improving sight lines — this is fairly inexpensive and straight-forward. More complicated are signalised junctions, where permanent schemes require modelling. But even here, there are often cheap temporary solutions available for the medium term — and TfL has been delivering exactly this across London during the crisis.

Closing the gaps The other quick way to improve London’s cycle network is to bridge the gaps, most of which have been borne out of unfinished Cycleways and a lack of collaboration and coordination between two councils and/or TfL. There are a number of examples across the capital where two stretches of brilliant infrastructure come less than a mile from meeting one another, leaving cyclists vulnerable to the hostile road traffic in between.

These are especially important as cyclists are drawn to good infrastructure, resulting in a high number of them having to bridge these gaps to reach the next good stretch of cycleway in their journey. More, high-quality cycle routes not only get existing cyclists to shift their journeys onto them, but also encourage droves of people new to cycling to get pedalling. However, those new cyclists will suffer the negatives of the gaps in cycle routes far more keenly.

Most gaps could also be cheaply resolved with minor interventions, making people using these routes safer and, in turn, more confident. Here, we list a few examples of the most obvious of these missing links:

Updating ‘forgotten’ bike lanes: like these on the A4, can be cheap and simple

GAP 1: CS5-CS7 (Oval) CS7 is the oldest Cycle Superhighway in London (alongside CS3), and until last year’s recent Streetspace upgrade it was largely unsegregated from road traffic. An exception to this is at Oval, where the stretch alongside Kennington Park was upgraded in 2015. In the same year, the first section of CS5 was built between Pimlico and Oval Cricket Ground. It was originally planned to go further east to Lewisham, but this extension is indefinitely on hold. Therefore, for the foreseeable future at least, CS5 will end just shy of CS7 — only 0.2 miles away to be exact.

GAP 2: Tottenham Hale & Seven Sisters C1 (formerly CS1) is a far from perfect, but heavily used north-south route, connecting north London to the City. East of Tottenham Hale station, the recently completed Forest Road/Ferry Lane cycleway provides a safe route to the rest of the Waltham Forest Mini-Holland network. Both cycleways miss each other by just under a mile. Cyclists wanting to safely bridge this gap are currently forced to use a mixture of a low-quality pavement cycle path along Broad Lane and the carriageway. Minor interventions, with short new stretches of wands and better connections with the Broad Lane cycle tracks could make crossing this car-dominated traffic intersection a lot safer. And indeed this is part of a route that has been long-promised by TfL between Camden and Tottenham Hale. Surely it would be possible for the boroughs and TfL to start working on this part of the route at least?

GAP 3: CS3-C8 (Westminster) Since C8’s upgrade, with the installation of wands between Chelsea and Lambeth bridges,

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CAMPAIGN

Photo: Carlton Reid

a new gap has emerged between C8 and CS3 (the ‘East-West Cycle Superhighway’). This short stretch currently prevents there being a continuous Thameside cycleway from Chelsea to Tower bridges. The obvious challenge here would be competing for space with the security infrastructure currently outside the Palace of Westminster. Perhaps a compromise measure would be to install wands just between Lambeth Bridge and Victoria Tower.

Creating a cohesive network There are many more examples of gaps like this in the network and despite some being fixed — such as the new link between CS3 and Q1 along Savoy Street (currently under construction) — others are frustratingly being created. One of these, in Tolworth, will see the future C29 come half-a-mile short of meeting a brilliant 1930s legacy cycleway south of Tolworth roundabout, heading south towards Ewell.

One of the reasons why I created the Safe Cycling in London map (that LCC is working with me on), is because the emerging network of safer cycle routes in London, and the gaps in that network, were not being seen clearly. With the map, it’s possible for you and your borough group to campaign to close some of the gaps in your area.

Safe Cycling in London map For borough groups and local campaigners, there’s a real opportunity to push your council to get some good, fast and cheap results, by bridging the gaps in the existing network and finding where legacy infrastructure can be brought into the 21st century.

The Safe Cycling in London map allows you to see where the infrastructure exists (legacy and contemporary), see which parts of London are served well, which parts are not, and, of course, where the gaps are. You can also use the different layers to spot where Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) should connect to nearby cycle tracks and layer on daytime routes through parks and suchlike too.

To attract more people to take to the saddle,

Engineers’ plans for the Great West Road in 1936: show how 9ft-wide cycle tracks were built in both directions (see main image on page 12)

and to help beat the climate crisis, we cannot wait another decade for the network to grow at the rate that London was seeing before the pandemic. We must not only act fast, but learn to maintain a high pace over time.

Fixing what we already have doesn’t just deliver a lot more network on the cheap, and quickly, it also gives London stuff to get on with while engineers work on the longer-term, tougher-to-develop sections and schemes. The opportunities are there and ready for us to use, they just need to be identified and revived.

2021-standard protected cycleways could be quickly established between Hounslow West and Brentford, South Tottenham and Brimsdown, Sidcup and Orpington, North Harrow and Northolt Park, and many, many more. On top of this, the gaps in the network need to be identified and bridged, making the system of cycleways we’ve spent the last ten years building fit to attract the new cyclists of the 2020s. n Safe Cycling in London map: bit.ly/378amr0.

Also twitter.com/SafeCycleLDN. LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2021 15

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CAMPAIGN

SEARCH FOR CLIMATE

CHAMPIONS

To help push LCC’s Climate Safe Streets targets, new campaign officer Suami Rocha explains how local champions will be key

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O MANY OF US it feels like the world have never been as divided as it is right now. It seems that there are always only two sides to an argument, either for or against, leading to the mistaken conclusion that if we disagree, it MUST mean we are with the other side. Whatever that even means. The truth is that there’s a desperate need for nuance.

It’s easy to get distracted with the ‘Us vs Them’ argument when it comes to campaigning for our streets to become the kind of places we’d like to spend time in, that feel inviting to all, no

Help us to keep the pressure up: ahead of next year’s local elections

matter the age. The mainstream media doesn’t help here, deliberately fuelling disagreements and polarisation — this works well for attracting more website clicks, but at a great cost to society at large.

Despite such polarisation in many aspects of life, we do have a point where we converge, even though many people haven’t realised it yet. Most of us agree that human life should thrive on earth — and that alone should spur actions that support it. Yet we often see questionable policies and outright contradictory behaviours.

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is making societal changes that promote the kinds of behaviour that’ll lead us to reach our zero carbon targets. Plastic bag use went down massively after the 5p charge introduction. How can we realistically reduce the number of short car trips in London? The answer will surely be long and multi-faceted and we can certainly talk about all the amazing things that can be done to achieve this (LCC’s Climate Safe Streets report goes into great detail). But as part of that effort, we’re launching the Climate Safe Streets Champions Network, a team of volunteers who’ll support LCC’s local groups with their own Climate Safe Streets campaigning.

These volunteers will work closely with local groups all the way up to the local elections in May 2022. By strategically applying pressure on our local authorities’ candidates, we should bring the focus back to why we need Climate Safe Streets in the first place.

Why Champions?

In 2012, LCC ran its very successful Love London, Go Dutch (LLGD) campaign, which was only made possible by the countless LLGD Champions. Now — with the help of grants and support from patrons — a new CSS Campaign Officer role has been created to hopefully replicate that 2012 success, by supporting this network of champions to see us through the build-up to the local elections.

Message is clear: we need climate action, and we need it now!

It’s no secret the influence councillors can have on policy. In many cases since the Covid-19 pandemic began, councillors were integral in making or breaking schemes, with local pressure often used as their justification. But a huge issue we’re seeing across London is that, when change happens, those who are against or don’t fully understand it are very quick to criticise and usually gang up together to flood the scheme with negativity — impeding any trial and thwarting any useful conclusions.

Those in charge feel the pressure and from their perspective changing the current status quo is just not worth it, it makes no political sense.

What they are not hearing is how great it is, that bold action is supported by their constituents, that it is in the benefit of the whole community and that we’re on the right side of history. That our kids’ new-found freedom is to be celebrated, that birdsong is a great addition to our landscape, that we’re happy to leave the car at home for short trips because the roads are inviting to walk and cycle, that we don’t miss the rat-running, that we’d like to see this widespread in the whole borough, in the whole of London. That this is compatible with a greener London, the kind of London where anyone who wants to, can cycle.

We’re not defending councillors here, but when the increasingly loud minority feedback is so negative, who can blame them?

We need to counter that negativity with positivity — which is happening, but not on the same scale. That is where our champions will have a key role in shaping the strategy for their local groups with support from the LCC campaigns team. We all know what our objective is: a zero carbon transport network.

And the next few years are crucial in putting London on the right footing to achieve that. The local elections should be our next main focus.

We want to elect candidates who are going to deliver on those promises, we just can’t waste any more time, we need to act now. We need to have elected politicians who’ll act now. And they need to know that what they are currently

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doing is too little and too slow. They need to understand that their seats are not safe and that the electorate wants change, and wants it fast.

Around 300 local authorities have declared a Climate Emergency in the UK. How many of these are actually taking it seriously though?

We need to respond to the emergency, with the seriousness it warrants. And if there isn’t a Climate Emergency in your borough — well, hello! Of course it’s not enough to just declare an emergency, it is our job to hold these decisionmakers to account.

We believe London is in great shape to achieve these necessary changes, but our politicians need to urgently understand how important this issue is to us. We need to actively engage with them and work with them on making the right changes, be openminded when things go wrong and accept that perfection is elusive, that having a clear idea of what it is that we want and communicate that effectively to our neighbours, friends and families. Collectively we can lobby our decisionmakers, we can draw out the negative noise and have conversations about ways forward. The status quo is unacceptable.

Positive signs of change: like this filter in Walworth

Pooling campaign ideas

expand their passion and knowledge about climate change issues. To work on solutions and share best practices. To recognise progress and praise when praise is merited. To identify opportunities to make our streets zero carbon.

To attend training and work together in pursuing LCC’s Climate Safe Streets targets.

So please join us in transforming London.

The next few years will be vital and we need everyone who wants more expansive active travel options, alternatives to the private car, to join in — together we are stronger. Collectively we can increase local groups’ campaigning capacity at the same time as making sure that London’s diversity is represented in our grassroots movement.

The most effective action one can take is to vote ­— to elect candidates who are going to act on the climate emergency we’re in by taking decisive action to curb emissions. The second most effective action any individual can take is to join a campaigning organisation.

So on top of all the great things LCC members are already doing, we have a moral obligation to demand climate action clarity from those interested in our votes, and to encourage others to do the same. We’re looking forward to sharing this journey with you.

The Champions Network will be a forum in which champions around London can talk to and inspire others — and also be inspired. To

n Find our more about LCC’s Champions Network at lcc.org.uk LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2021 19

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HEIDI ALEXANDER Tom Bogdanowicz asks the Deputy Mayor of London for Transport whether the capital’s climate plans are bold enough and how targets will be met The Mayor says he wants London to be net zero carbon by 2030. Will the shift away from cars, including electric ones, need to move faster than the Mayor aimed for in 2016?

Our ambition is still for London to be a zero carbon city by 2030, but we still only have the powers and resources to deliver less than half the carbon emissions required to reach zero carbon. We still require urgent action by government on the other half where they have levers, as well as devolving powers and resources to London that let us take the bold climate action needed to achieve the target.

That said, London has made and continues to make good progress towards this ambition — electric vehicle infrastructure, reducing the emissions of our bus fleet, Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and our work to get more people walking and cycling. We’ll need to continue to move quickly to create streets that will enable this shift, learning from the ways in which we have worked during the pandemic.

Prior to May’s election Sadiq said: “Our roads should be limited to blue light services, to electricians, to plumbers, to commercial drivers, to taxis, to those that need to use our roads... rather than individuals that could be walking, cycling and using public transport”. How will you make private motor car ownership unnecessary for all but a few people?

Our long-term plan is set out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, to increase the proportion of journeys made by

active and sustainable modes to 80% by 2041. That’s a reduction of three million daily car journeys. To do this, we need a combination of carrots and sticks. So on the one hand we have things like the Congestion Charge, ULEZ, parking permits. And on the other hand we have our programme of both continuing to invest in and improve public transport, and enabling more journeys to be walked and cycled. We know that a huge number of journeys made by car every day in the capital are very short and that many of them could be done in other ways, freeing up space for emergency services, taxis or lorries.

School Streets is a great example here. Around a quarter of traffic in the morning peak has historically been associated with the school run, journeys that by definition are mostly very short. Closing streets outside of schools to cars at drop-off and pick-up is a fantastic combination of carrot and stick, creating a safer environment to walk and cycle in by physically preventing cars from using the space. Tackling car dependency isn’t going to happen overnight, but I think we have the right set of policies in place and are on the right trajectory.

Will bringing in smart road user charging, as mentioned in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy already, need to be part of the move to net zero?

Our immediate focus around road user charging is to deliver the expansion of ULEZ to inner London. This will improve air quality for millions of Londoners and we are determined to complete what is a very challenging project successfully.

On future schemes, TfL is currently undertaking a feasibility study into a potential Greater London Boundary Charge for non-residents. This includes looking at the case for such a scheme — charging to cross the London boundary, where traffic volumes are rising and where our powers to control it are more limited than in London itself. This will establish whether such a scheme would be effective in delivering key existing policy objectives at the same LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2021 23

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Strategic Cycle Network in the face of such opposition?

time as providing essential income for London’s transport network. No decisions have been taken on any of this, but it’s worth saying that a scheme of this sort would not preclude a smart, distance-based road user charging scheme in the longer term, which would be much more complex in nature.

E-scooter trials have started (see page 29). What role do you expect them to play in achieving the targets on carbon and mode share, if both shared and privatelyowned scooters are approved for use by government?

We’ve launched the trial because we think that e-scooters could play a role in hitting some of the difficult targets you talked about in previous questions, particularly in shifting journeys out of cars for those who may not think that getting on a bike is right for them.

Safety is at the heart of this trial and we’ve put lots of different measures in place including a lower maximum speed than other cities of 12.5mph, lights and geo-fencing technology meaning the e-scooter cannot be parked outside of a designated parking space. I would urge Londoners to only use rented e-scooters and avoid unregulated privately-owned e-scooters, which remain illegal on public roads and have not been designed for use on the capital’s streets.

We remain extremely disappointed that Kensington & Chelsea has not decided to reinstate the temporary cycle lane.

The original trial lanes on Kensington High Street were used by more than 3,000 people each day, of all ages, and our polling showed that a clear majority of residents supported it. We’re considering all our options to deliver a much-needed safe cycle route in this part of London — nothing is off the table.

Despite the positions of some boroughs, we continue to make good progress with building our Strategic Cycle Network. More than 100km of new and upgraded cycle lanes have been built since the start of the pandemic, leading to a huge increase in the number of Londoners living within 400m of the network.

Last year, despite the crisis, we saw huge progress in schemes, waves of opposition to schemes and indeed huge local support for them. What do you want to say to LCC’s local group campaigners and others working hard every day to make sure London gets better for cycling and walking?

I want to say a massive thank you because I know how much time and energy your local groups put into this work on top of already busy lives. I hope some of your campaigners are starting to see visible changes in their neighbourhoods which is definitely the best reward of all.

More than 100km of new and upgraded cycle lanes have been built during the pandemic

What has been your favourite cycling scheme that’s gone in during the last 18 months to ride on and why?

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Photo: TfL

A few boroughs have repeatedly opposed cycle infrastructure schemes, most notably the opposition by Kensington & Chelsea to cycle tracks in its borough. What is TfL going to do to complete the

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INTERVIEW

During the pandemic, my bike was a lifeline for clearing my head, as well as being a pretty good delivery vehicle for my mother-in-law’s shopping. I think she was constantly amazed about how much I could get in my bike crate.

I think the best bit of infrastructure to be delivered has been the stretch of Cycleway 4 between the Rotherhithe roundabout and Tower Bridge. I love it: the design, the trees, the diagonal crossing to get you from one side of Jamaica Road to the other.

Both national and London polls show that restricting through-traffic on residential streets is a popular measure, yet vocal groups opposing traffic restrictions are persuading councils to row back on LTNs and protected cycle lanes. What would you say to local politicians who back down in the face of such opposition?

I know how difficult these changes can be, but I also know how transformative they can be if done properly. It’s obviously important that councils listen to the feedback they are receiving and make tweaks to schemes where there are genuine issues. For example, in some cases feedback has resulted in cameraenforced closures being put in place instead of physical closures to maintain access for emergency services. All I would say to the politicians delivering these schemes is to give them a fair trial.

There’s no point in putting them in if they’re just taken out after a couple of weeks — that’s just wasting money.

In its manifesto for the mayoral election, LCC put forward the concept of access to shared mobility (including cycles, shared EVs and scooters) every 300m across the capital. Do you support such a development and how can TfL-owned property contribute to various micro-, mini- and macro-mobility hubs?

Yes, as a landowner TfL can support it

Cycleway 4 shows how safe cycle tracks work: this section is close to Rotherhithe roundabout

by providing parking spaces for e-scooters and bikes around its stations, as we do with Santander Cycles and as we have with the e-scooter trial, where parking bays have been installed on TfL land.

Progress towards the Mayor’s ‘Vision Zero’ target has been slow. Will innovative ideas like close-passing enforcement operations, speed enforcement by police community support officers, and using speed controllers in all public service vehicles be progressed?

Every death on London’s roads is one too many, which is why we’re determined to eliminate these tragedies through our Vision Zero action plan. Data published in June shows a continued decline in the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads in 2020, with a 21% decrease over the year compared to 2019 data. However, we cannot be complacent.

The launch of our new online dashboard in January is key to achieving our Vision Zero goal, as making collision data more accessible is useful not only for TfL and partner organisations, but also the public.

We’ve also reduced all TfL roads in the central London Congestion Charging zone to 20mph, brought in our pioneering Direct Vision standard to reduce lethal blindspots on lorries, and continue to make lifesaving changes at some of the capital’s most dangerous junctions. We continue to work with the Met and other partners to drive down road collisions even further.

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CAMPAIGN TECH

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

E-SCOOTERS With e-scooters now being trialled across the capital, Andrew Middlehurst, solicitor at Osbornes Law, explains about where they sit legally and how they fit into the transport mix

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ANY FELLOW LCC members will be aware there have recently been some changes to micro-mobility regulations, which for the first time have allowed e-scooters to be

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ridden legally on some of London’s streets.

You’ll doubtless have noticed e-scooters on the roads or pavements around town for many months, if not for the past few years. They are a form of low-carbon transport that have proved popular in other world cities. However, LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2021 29

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it may surprise many members to learn that all e-scooters they may have seen prior to June 2021 were being ridden illegally and that even now only e-scooters hired from certain hire companies taking part in a government trial scheme are considered legal.

It is unclear whether adequate infrastructure and education is in place yet to ensure the safety of all road users and the general public. It is also unclear whether people are aware of the distinction between illegal and legal e-scooters.

What are e-scooters?

They are two-wheeled scooters propelled by an electric, battery-powered motor. The rider stands on the footplate and controls the speed with a hand-operated throttle and the direction is controlled using a handlebar.

They are considered to be ‘powered transporters’. This is a term used to cover a number of different types of powered micromobility transport, including Segways, hoverboards and electric unicycles.

There are no specific regulations yet relating to powered transporters and therefore e-scooters are considered to be motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act (1988) which defines

Click and go: using a phone app to access the new e-scooters

motor vehicles as “any mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on roads”.

As a result of their definition as motor vehicles, e-scooters must comply, in order to be legal, with a number of regulations including, among others, the requirement for insurance, payment of vehicle tax and licensing.

Legal and illegal e-scooters With the aim of a ‘green restart’ following the pandemic lockdowns, and with reduced public transport use in mind, the government has decided to allow trials of rental e-scooters within specified areas across the UK. The government has therefore made limited amendments to the existing regulations to allow the trials to take place. However, despite the amendments this still means that privately-owned e-scooters remain illegal to ride unless on private land with the landowner’s permission. Whereas e-scooters hired through the trial scheme can now be ridden legally.

The actual design of the e-scooters tend to be similar whether they are private or hired.

There are only a few differences such as hired e-scooters being limited to a maximum speed of 12.5mph within London, whereas private

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hired e-scooters. If roads are busy with traffic, particularly large vehicles, there is a potential for riders to use pavements in order to keep themselves safer. This could then cause issues for pedestrians on the pavement and means the rider is riding unlawfully. On roads in the trial areas, small changes to infrastructure could be made to avoid these problems, such as a reallocation of space so that cycle lanes are widened, or by creating LTNs.

What are the requirements for hiring a legal e-scooter?

e-scooters are subject only to the limit installed by the manufacturer.

The only other major practical difference is that e-scooters hired through a scheme have the benefit of insurance, which is a requirement for all motor vehicles used in public.

Where can e-scooters be hired legally in London?

E-scooters can only be hired in areas participating in the trial scheme.

Within London this includes: the City of London, the boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Richmond (but not within Richmond Park), the northern area of Southwark, the northern area of Lambeth, Westminster, plus they can be hired and ridden in Canary Wharf (Tower Hamlets).

‘E-fencing’ is in place to prevent the hire scheme e-scooters from leaving these areas.

E-scooters hired through the scheme can only be ridden within these areas on the roads, in cycle lanes or on cycle tracks. Riding on the pavement is forbidden.

There is a potential for road users to come into conflict with each other unless infrastructure keeps pace with the demand for

Coming to a street near you: e-scooters could be an option for short local trips

In London, in order to hire an e-scooter through the scheme, riders will need to be aged over 18 and have a driving licence. This can be a UK provisional or full licence, or an overseas full licence if the rider is an overseas resident.

Helmets are recommended in the regulations, but it is not a legal requirement to wear them.

Penalties for riding private e-scooters in public There are several criminal penalties if riders of private e-scooters are caught by the police: n A £300 fine and/or 6 points on the rider’s driving licence for riding without insurance; n The e-scooter can also be seized for riding without insurance and there will be a fee to have this returned by the police; n A £100 fine and/or 3-6 points for riding without a driving licence which can be applied to any future driving licence.

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What can you do if you’re injured in a collision with an e-scooter rider?

Prior to the start of the trial scheme Osbornes had started to receive instructions from pedestrians injured by e-scooter riders, in addition to e-scooter riders injured by vehicle drivers.

If you are injured in a collision, whether on your bike or as a pedestrian, and the e-scooter rider was at fault, you can seek damages.

If the rider has hired the e-scooter within a hire scheme you should make a claim to the insurers of the scheme.

If the rider is riding a private e-scooter you can seek damages from the Motor Insurers Bureau. This is a body set up to compensate people involved in collisions with uninsured drivers or drivers who flee the scene of collisions. As e-scooters are classed as motor vehicles, it is for the MIB to compensate those injured in collisions with them where the rider is uninsured or untraced.

What can you do if you’re an e-scooter rider injured by another road user?

You are entitled to seek damages for injury from another road user’s insurance company whether you are riding a private e-scooter or a hired e-scooter. E-scooter riders are still owed a duty of care by other road users whether they are privately owned or hired through a trial scheme.

Given their size, e-scooter riders should be

Join the Dotts: Dott is one of the three operators now being trialled in London (alongside Lime and Tier)

considered within the category of vulnerable road users defined in the Highway Code, in a similar way to cyclists. This means additional care should be taken by drivers of vehicles.

Although we’re not aware of any reports of civil cases involving private e-scooters to date, we would expect that when the courts do come to assess these cases they are likely to make a finding of contributory negligence on the part of the private e-scooter rider. This means a percentage would be deducted from any damages to reflect an apportionment of blame between the parties. The justification could be that the private e-scooter rider took a risk by riding a motor vehicle which was illegal.

The Future The government has indicated that it may look to amend the law in future to ensure all e-scooters become legal. In order to do that they propose treating e-scooters more like e-bikes, which are not motor vehicles. We think ultimately the government will make these changes, so the e-scooter it seems will be here to stay.

LCC welcomes the trial as an important step towards reducing dependency on private cars and cutting carbon emissions and pollution.

And while e-scooters don’t offer the full benefits of active travel, they are small, electricpowered, and offer an alternative to car use for shorter trips.

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PATRONS

HOW PATRONS POWER OUR CAMPAIGNING Without the generous support of donors, LCC’s campaigns would be much less effective. Lucy Cooper explains how prospective patrons can get involved

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ISTORICALLY LCC has always benefitted from a healthy group of generous donors fuelled by their love for cycling. We saw a significant increase in large donations during the period when cyclist fatalities rose a few years back and people wanted to support our Safer Lorries campaign.

LCC launched the Patron Network on the back of this in 2016. We saw that people were passionate about creating a better city for cycling and really wanted to play a part in making this happen. It started with a small group of long-time donors giving more than they had previously, with events to promote this work, and it quickly snowballed from these kind individuals to groups funding considerable chunks of our campaigns.

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off the ground which trusts and corporates would not consider until they can see some tangible outcomes. For instance at the beginning of the Covid pandemic the Patron Network stepped in and contributed funds to enable LCC to expand the campaigns team, which was under a huge amount of pressure with the implementation of so much new temporary cycling and walking infrastructure.

The other key thing the network has enabled is access to small grants and trusts which we would never have known about, and these once again have helped us kickstart various campaigns.

Invaluable support for campaigns It’s safe to say that without the support of the Patron Network many of our projects simply would not have had quite so much prominence, or in fact happened at all. This is not just down to financial contributions either. Those in the network have also opened up their address books, given us unique venue opportunities, provided speakers at meetings and events for us, which has given LCC more avenues

WESTMINSTER PROJECT Westminster council posed quite a few obstructions for cycling infrastructure and LCC had been

struggling to get community support. So to combat this we decided to have a fundraiser to recruit a member of staff to dedicate their time to this issue.

Richard Kramer, one of our long-standing patrons, lives in Westminster and wanted to try a fresh approach to networking and fundraising. He came up with the idea to fund a dinner for potential funders in one of the top restaurants in Westminster, to discuss the problem. The outcome was that we presented the issue clearly and discussed

LORRY SAFETY PROJECT

LCC’S ASHOK SINHA

to make our voice heard and to a much broader audience. LCC has become much more prominent in the work of business professionals and influential people who are aware of the importance of cycling in cities.

Here’s a brief illustration of a few of the key campaigns that the Patron Network has made happen and how they have done this:

Lorry image: DennisEagle

JEREMY VINE ADDRESSES A PATRONS’ EVENT

PATRONS AND GUESTS AT A PATRONS’ EVENT IN PARLIAMENT

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how we could change things with funding; this would have been difficult to get across in a standard funding application or sponsorship proposal. The dinner was a huge success and enabled LCC to recruit a new campaigner to champion our Better Streets work.

Since then this post has been made permanent and work has expanded out into Soho.

SOHO PROJECT One of our LCC members who works and has an interest in Soho met with us to discuss how additional funds could help increase our campaigning efforts here. He had seen the successes in Westminster and was keen to help further. He gave us additional funds and we set up some work engaging with the communities.

The pandemic hit during this work and we reached out to the rest of the Patron Network for additional campaign resource.

We also received support from one of our long-term patrons, Peter Murray. He drew us a vision of a pedestrianised, al fresco Soho (see page 35) which he shared on social media and generated positive support for us. This behind-the-scenes support has been invaluable to our work and has led to a real shift of opinions in the Soho area from the communities and businesses to support our vision.

LORRY SAFETY WORK Sadly most of the funds we have received for this project have been driven by tragedy. We have a core group who have lost people close to them and, as a result, give large

RICHARD KRAMER

contributions to LCC. This has enabled us to do huge amounts around campaigning for Direct Vision lorries.

Following many years of LCC campaigning for safer lorries, the freight industry took steps to improve vehicle safety. Road danger in London has reduced and we continue to campaign for a ‘Vision Zero’ city with no serious or fatal collisions.

been able to have any networking events, meetings or dinners, which is our main method of recruiting new patrons. The use of videos and webinars has helped with this process, but we still need to reach out to more people. So we are asking our members to see if they or their colleagues would be interested in getting involved.

Our main focus for this year and the next is going to be:

The Patron Network going forward

n Expansion of the Cycle Buddies programme — during lockdown LCC volunteers have been supporting people to cycle by helping them buddy up with experienced cyclists from their borough, giving them bespoke advice and information to get started. We have some lovely stories and want to expand this scheme across all boroughs. We

It’s clear that the support from the network has been instrumental in helping get some really important campaigns off the ground. We have exciting plans for the next few years and need to expand the network to get them moving too.

With restrictions on gatherings during the pandemic we have not

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A WORD FROM OUR PATRONS “I first met LCC through the Love London, Go Dutch ride in 2012. I’ve been a cyclist in London for almost all of the last 30 years and believe passionately that safer cycling provides huge benefits to society, from improvements to air quality to noise pollution to public health. So I became a member and then went to learn more by meeting Ashok and found LCC’s values closely aligned with my own. Since then I have been a supporter of many of the campaigns and when Lucy set up the Patron Network was glad to participate in a number of ways. It’s been a delight working with LCC across the years and I have seen some great results.”

Sandy Rattray, CIO, Man Group plc

CYCLE BUDDIES SCHEME

need funding for the administration and staffing to enable this. n Better Streets work — our Better Streets London project is about creating spaces for communities in London that allow them to walk and cycle for local journeys. With the aim that walking and cycling should be a real option for most people, meaning they need to use cars less. We want to work with partners/individuals to support this, be it through redesigning existing places or by creating new space in large developments. The Patron Network has already funded work in Westminster and Soho for this project, but we would like to identify more boroughs for this project and work with partners and individuals who have an interest to develop Better Streets projects. n Growing the Climate Safe Streets network — patrons have funded

an LCC staff member whose job it will be to recruit Climate Safe Streets ‘champions’ across all the boroughs (see page 17). We need to continue to expand this work in the lead up to the local elections in 2022 and bring in new volunteers who are better representative of London’s community. n Taking LCC’s campaigning work national — our work in London has been so successful that we want to share best practice and increase collaboration and support for campaigners in other cities. This will mean fundraising for a staff member to manage this project.

We have grand plans for the years ahead, and being part of the Patron Network will allow those involved to clearly see the results of their support right across the city.

If you want to come along to the next event to find out more, please contact lucy.cooper@lcc.org.uk.

“I’ve been a member and active in my local campaign groups for nearly 10 years now. I was contacted by Lucy after tweeting that I would like to be more involved with supporting LCC’s work. I met with the campaigns team and we discussed the work in Westminster and how LCC wanted to progress into Soho and we devised a plan. We have been working together for over two years and it’s been great to watch things progress.”

Martin Mignot, partner, Index Ventures “I’ve been an LCC member for longer than I can remember, but only became actively involved last year purely by chance when my local group picked up on something I had contributed to and invited me to join them. Cycling ticks so many boxes with potentially huge benefits for air pollution, congestion, road safety, CO2 emissions and our physical and mental wellbeing.

The observation by HG Wells that ‘every time I see an adult on a bicycle I do not despair for the future of the human race’ has never been more true than today.

Though I would include children as well!”

John Garnsworthy, retired, formerly Statistician in the Civil Service

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WIGHT DIAMOND Looking for a traffic-free cycling break that wouldn’t break the bank, Calum Rogers packed his ‘overnighter’ kit for a trip across the Solent 40

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TRAVEL

F

From the city to views like this: in under 3hr, by train and ferry

time we’re going self-supported and pulling together our own bikepacking itinerary. And without giving too much away, we left singing the place’s praises once again.

As a cyclist, the best way to arrive on the island is using the fast pedestrian ferry, which has ample cycle storage. From Waterloo there’s a direct two-hour connection to Portsmouth Harbour, from which the boat lands you on the historic pier at Ryde. This is the UK’s oldest pleasure pier, with more than 600m of smooth

Photos: VisitIoW, Calum Rogers

OR CITY FOLK cycling by the coast is a treat at any time of year, but in summer it takes on added appeal.

Sea winds help keep you cool even on the steepest climbs and it seems there’s always ice cream stops close at hand. It can be a double-edged sword, however, as many roads to and along our southern shores in particular are often teeming with fast-moving traffic.

So what if you could get your fill of seaside touring on quiet roads, and only a short hop, skip and jump from the capital? Luckily for us that cycling nirvana does exist within easy reach: the Isle of Wight.

We’ve raved about the island’s cycling potential in the past and on our last visit we were trialling some route options made even more accessible by e-bike. Now, with farther flung travel plans still derailed by the Covid pandemic we’re back again, only this

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TIPS FOR BIKEPACKING There’s several schools of thought about the ‘best’ way to plan a cycle trip away: some of us favour a miminalist, ‘winging it’ approach, while others prefer leaving nothing to chance and considering every eventuality. There’s no right or wrong, but experience tells us that there’s a few simple ways you can ease the organisational hassle!

A checklist is always a good way to get organised, whether travelling solo or with friends. These days that can be done via a shared Google drive or SharePoint; collate your timetables, tickets, kit in one place (and store your photos and videos).

You can go paperless with maps as well, with dozens of navigational tools now available. Likewise you can use QR codes on your phone for travel tickets. All this does mean you’ll need to carry a powerpack or charger for your smartphone.

Stuck for route ideas? Then there’s hundreds of printed guidebooks offering suitable inspiration from long established publishers like Cicerone (who offer a discount for LCC members), plus dozens of useful websites. Bikepacking.com is great for overseas, particularly adventurous off-road trips.

For this Isle of Wight ride, we used the ‘Round the Island’ route (free on visitisleofwight.co.uk), then cobbled together the rest using Komoot.

Be sensible with your mileage. We decided 70km a day was reasonable for us at a steady pace (with 1000m ascent on day 1 and 500m on day 2). But you should travel at a pace that’s comfortable for you and your group, leaving plenty of time in the mornings and evenings for getting going and making your camp. And don’t underestimate how much more work it is to move a cycle when it’s fully laden with cargo!

Coastal loop or inland trails: options for all types of cycling

wooden boardwalk welcoming you onshore.

As both Lucy and I had been awake since 5.30am, a quick fuelling up at one of the town’s excellent cycle-friendly cafés was in order.

No.64 Ryde came recommended and served a really good vegan spread, with clear views out to our laden bikes.

As friends had told us, the IoW riding is really what you make it — there’s genuinely something to suit all ages and abilities. We only had a long weekend and intended mixing much of the official signposted ‘Round the Island’ loop — which, as you’d expect, follows the coast with some hefty ups and downs — with quiet inland roads and zero-traffic cycleways. Local campaign group Cycle Wight has some great ideas on its website (cyclewight.org.uk) and we were happy to pilfer a few of their suggestions.

Detours are worthwhile Hitting the road the first thing we noticed was how we could actually hear our tyres warbling on the asphalt; we’d deliberately taken a Friday off work to try to avoid the visitor traffic and this was an almost surreal experience. We weren’t here to hammer out watts either, instead enjoying relaxed side-by-side pootling through the leafy lanes. And, as we found, there’s no shortage of scenic spots around the island to stop for a break, our first main one even had a family connection.

We detoured slightly to visit St Catharine’s Lighthouse, the southernmost point of the island, and this is where my mum lived during my grandad’s deployment as a lighthouse keeper here. What a spot it was! It’s a bit of a steep climb back out, but top of our list as a picnic location, with plentiful supplies

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available in nearby Niton Undercliff. Well worth the extra puff when you depart.

Another reason for our self-supported bikepacking ‘overnighter’ was to give our camping gear (and skills) a brush-up before longer cycle adventures we both had planned later in the year. By the evening of day one we’d reached Yarmouth (travelling clockwise around the isle). We found Yarmouth Pier a cosy place to have a couple of drinks, before setting up camp for the night a short pedal away. After such a long day the frozen home-made vegetable curry we’d brought was thoroughly thawed and we only needed to boil a pan of rice and stir it all together. A great way to round out the day, and we were even treated to an evening of super mild weather, a welcome contrast to a frigid trip to Purbeck only a few weeks earlier.

For anyone new to cycle camping, one of the best tips we can share is about clothes — taking the right combinations for the weather that’s forecast (we always carry an extra warmth layer for the evenings) and the psychological benefits of a fresh top and clean socks. These little things make a big difference. As it was such a short trip, neither of us was too fussed about showering, though there are plenty of options on the island such as in Yarmouth harbour where you can have a scrub. Plus there’s always the sea for a dip. We camped ‘wild’ (with the permission of the landowner), but there’s no shortage of ‘glamping’ spots, B&Bs, hostels and hotels if you need a little more luxury.

Ice cream and coffee The following day we continued a little along the ‘Round the Island’ route into Gurnard.

There’s a mini-estuary off of the charmingly-

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TRAVEL

named ‘Gurnard Luck’ river. Supposedly this is where Charles I landed before being imprisoned in Carisbrooke Castle and the coast around Gurnard, into Cowes, is later where the Victorians established myriad health resorts, hence the eclectic mix of architectural styles.

Getting to Cowes, we turned off from the main circuit and rode along the Red Squirrel Trail, one of many converted railway lines closed to motor traffic and extremely popular with young active families.

The longest continuous stretch for us was from Cowes to Newport, a near arrow-straight whizz down a dedicated path into the heart of the island. Our only disappointent here being the kinds of chicanes and railings intended to protect against motorbikes, but which in

Travel by bike is well catered for: with dedicated racks on the boats

FACTFILE

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: Round the Island loop; camping options; cool cafés all over; ice cream stands.

COWES

YARMOUTH

RYDE

NEWPORT

ISLE OF WIGHT

reality just discrimate against disabled riders and users of less manoeuvrable cycles.

Otherwise the trail is a fun mix of hardpack and gravel surfaces. Lucy’s choice of 700c/28mm tyres on a conventional road bike was totally fine in the dry conditions we faced, though my chunkier 650b/47mm combo would likely be a better bet in wetter weather when there’s also more debris around.

It was lovely to get out of the big city after so long, doubly so to visit somewhere this peaceful.

And we really just sampled a small fraction of the Wight’s cycling potential — hopefully it won’t be long before we’re on the ferry again.

SANDOWN

SHANKLIN VENTNOR

n Getting there: direct trains from Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour. A 7am train arrives in time for the 9.15am fast catamaran to Ryde. Book tickets at wightlink.co.uk. n Fuel/pitstops: No.64 Ryde in Ryde (for big breakfasts); Gossips Café in Yarmouth; Gurnard Bay ice cream stand; Muzza’s in Sandown (lots of hot/cold options). Dozens of other great cafés all across the island, plus country pubs galore. n Tourist info: VisitIsleOfWight.co.uk lists every type of accommodation option, things to do, places to eat and more, including suggestions for family-friendly cycle routes. n Maps & guides: cyclewight.org.uk is a great resource; our team imported their GPX routes to Komoot and tweaked them for a custom trip.

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PLANNING A

CYCLE ROUTE

John Kitchiner is the editor of London Cyclist and confirmed bikeaholic

This issue we’re kicking off a new ‘How To’ series looking at the ins and outs of planning cycle routes. We’ll start with a few basics, then move through some essential navigation advice, how to plot rides using online tools, and what you need to carry for either short or long trips.

Hopefully it’ll fire up the inspiration for future city breaks or week-long pedal adventures...

1: LOOKING FOR A FEW IDEAS Cycling is one of the best Guidebooks from the likes ways to discover new areas of Cicerone and Vertebrate, and places of interest. If you or dedicated cycle maps, usually ride in your own or can be very useful. You can adjacent boroughs, look at also ask at bike shops about heading out a little further. recommended routes.

3: START SMALL, CLOSER TO HOME If you’re new to route you might need to book a planning, then our biggest tip space for a bike. Once you’re is to start close to home and familiar with such logistics create a series of day trips. (and the potential faff), then This could involve a train at longer overnight trips can be the start or finish, for which planned more easily.

2: ASSESS THE GROUP’S CAPABILITIES If you’re heading out alone, or new cyclists ride on their you should have an idea of own? How far can a parent how far you can comfortably tow a kid on a trailer? So err ride in a day. But things on the side of caution and get trickier with groups or factor in ‘bale out’ options families. How far can kids like short-cuts or stations.

4: MAPPING & MODERN TECH Once you know where you’re can plot ‘fastest’ or ‘quietest’ going, it’s time to plot a routes and get turn-by-turn route. As well as printed directions. Other easy-tomaps (step 1), there’s loads of use tools include komoot, great online tools you can use. ridewithgps, Strava, even With CycleStreets.net you googlemaps offers the basics.

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HOW TO In association with

(w)40mm x (h)25mm CMYK. Incl. 3mm bleed

5: WHERE CAN YOU RIDE? Read the map key carefully canals are great, if permitted. and obviously avoid ‘A’ roads Off-road you can legally and busy junctions — you’re cycle on bridleways (long ideally seeking out quiet roads green dashes on Ordnance and backstreets. Greener Survey Explorer maps), other routes via parks and along byways and designated trails.

7: FINAL PREP With route plotted you’re just about set (we’ll cover the things to carry in future issues). Ideally choose a quiet time to ride a route for the first time and ensure your

smartphone is fully charged as GPS/mapping tools suck life from your battery very quickly. Consider taking a battery powerpack (and cable) or paper map as back-up.

6: WHERE CAN’T YOU RIDE? You cannot legally cycle on night for personal safety and footpaths (short green dashes it’s worth noting that some on Ordnance Survey Explorer parks shut at sunset too (not maps) or private land. We all mapping shows this detail). recommend avoiding dark Canal towpaths can also be unlit streets and parks at very busy in rush hours.

8: DO A DRY RUN A dry run is a great way to familiarise yourself with a route. This helps pinpoint any sections that might need tweaking, any roadworks to avoid, and where the best

cycle parking is found. But you’ll also be able to find good new stopping places: cafés, shops, playgrounds, attractions and find their relevant opening hours.

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HOW TO

PILATES

FOR CYCLISTS

Susi Owusu is a Pilates rehab specialist in London. (pilateswithsusi.com)

As we approach autumn, we reach stage three of our four-part ‘Pilates for Cyclists’ series. Here we build on the work from spring and summer with four more simple exercises — core, hip/back mobility, legs, and stretch. It takes just 10-15 minutes to complete these exercises, so easy to find time for.

To learn more about Pilates, join a Zoom class, or get one-to-one tuition, visit Susi’s website.

1: CORE — LEG SWEEPS Lying on your back with knees bent and spine in neutral, float the right leg up and extend to the ceiling. Flex your foot from the ankle, keep a neutral spine, and sweep the leg towards the floor. Then point

the toe and reach the leg back up to the ceiling. Repeat 8 times before bringing the leg back down to the floor and repeating on the other leg.

Keeping the spine neutral is key, that will determine range.

2: HIP MOBILITY — PELVIC CURL This exercise will help to Keep curling the spine up, articulate your spine so try through your lower back, to focus on moving each mid back and upper back vertebra in sequence. Start until you are at the tips of on your back in semi-supine your shoulder blades. Arms position, think about rolling are by your side for balance. your tailbone off the floor To come down, reverse the towards your pubic bone. movement. Repeat 8 times.

3: LEGS — DOUBLE LEG STRETCH Start lying on back, knees As you inhale, reach your arms bent, with fingers interlaced behind the head and straighten behind your head. Curl your legs. As you exhale fold your head and chest off the floor. knees back into tabletop and Exhale and float one leg into sweep your arms out to the tabletop position, then float side and round to meet your the other leg up to meet it. knees. Repeat 8 times.

4: STRETCH — CALVES This can be done on a step, or using a yoga block or a book. Make sure you have something to hold onto for balance. With toes on the step, drop your heel over the edge; you can stretch one leg at a time or both

together. Find an angle where the stretch is comfortable.

If you are tight, it may go all the way into your hamstrings.

Stretch for about a minute on each side, going into and coming out of the stretch for 15-20 seconds, 3 or 4 times.

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GIN, GUNS

From canal paths to the heart of Epping Forest, enjoy a loop guided by Charlie Codrington

E

& FORESTS

PPING FOREST needs no introduction to most London cyclists: an oasis of ancient woodland that stretches from Wanstead to Essex. Equally well known is the Lee Valley, another finger of continuous parkland running parallel to the forest.

Here we enjoy a circular offroad adventure, guided by Charlie from Hidden Tracks Cycling (hiddentrackscycling.co.uk) that combines the two — exploring the wealth of history and diversity of the wildlife of the Lee Valley and

contrasting it with the peace of the forest before finishing in the Olympic Park.

The route uses a variety of trails and mainly quiet roads. Most of the trails are well-made gravel paths, however, there are a few stretches of bridleway, as well as parts of Epping Forest, that can be pretty challenging when wet.

With no major hills and few off-road technical sections, this is a ride that can be completed by most cyclists on any off-road bike, even hybrids and road/touring bikes can

be used in the summer when dry.

The biggest challenge is not to be distracted by all the sights along the way!

FACTFILE DISTANCE: 64km (40miles) ASCENT: 558m SUITABLE FOR: gravel, cyclocross and mountain bikes all year. When dry, light hybrid and road/touring bikes with all-terrain tyres will also be fine.

NEAREST STATIONS: Stratford MAP LINK: https://www.plotaroute. com/route/16129762

GIN, GUNS AND FORESTS

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Walthamstow 12.5km

Gunpowder Waltham Park 23.5km Abbey 25.5km

Epping Forest 39km

STRATFORD

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RIDE GUIDE

Route Guide GIN, GUNS & FORESTS

THREE MILLS ISLAND [2] There have been tidal mills on this site since Domesday, but the current buildings built by Huguenots in 1725 were originally used for grinding grain for bread, later for gin. It’s difficult to believe but the lower Lee Valley was at one stage a stinking industrial heartland, full of Dickensian factories and overcrowded slums.

Re-join the Lee Navigation and recross it on the zig-zag bridge, ride the towpath along the narrowboatlined channel until reaching Hackney Marshes. With 88 pitches it claims to be the greatest concentration of football fields in Europe.

The path leads away from the Navigation and crosses the river on a footbridge winding up to Lea Bridge Road. Cross this and enter the Equestrian Centre; the centre always looks closed but the route is open. Take a sharp right just before the buildings onto a path that leads to yet another channel of the Lee. WALTHAMSTOW [3] Formed around a cluster of reservoirs

these wetlands are the largest urban wetlands in Europe, home to hundreds of different species of bird and insect life. The route follows the concrete path below the reservoirs, but we’d advise you to stop and wheel your bikes to the top of the embankments to appreciate the scale of the reserve. Halfway along the reservoir path, you’ll pass the Copper Mill, a further reminder of the area’s industrial past. The café in the Victorian engine house has a good selection of cake – worth a visit.

GUNPOWDER PARK [4] Head north from the wetlands along the towpath for the next four miles until reaching Enfield Island, home of the Enfield Rifle, before reaching Gunpowder Park. This was built on the site of an ordnance testing site and you can still see the bunkers as you leave the park.

WALTHAM ABBEY & GARDENS [5] You may need to walk this next section, but it’s worth it, as the route crosses the 12thcentury gatehouse past the ruined Cloisters and on through the Abbey Gardens.

As an aside – Harold II, of Battle of Hastings fame, is buried in the nearby Abbey Churchyard.

Take care leaving Waltham Abbey on the busy B194 Crooked Mile Road and head north until you see a bridleway on the right-hand side.

It’s a climb up to Harold’s Park Farm, but you are rewarded with a glorious

flowing descent on a classic gravel track, complete with views of the City ahead of you.

[6] EPPING FOREST This huge forest shouldn’t need much introduction.

Riddled with decent bridleways intertwined with mountain bike paths, it’s an offroad riding haven.

The route follows the made-up bridleways which can be super smooth well-maintained gravel, however there are patches where it is clear the money ran out! Look out for the numerous mtb ‘short-cuts’ for the adventurous between Rangers Road and Chingford Road where the route runs parallel with the River Ching. If you’re lucky you’ll come across the herd of cattle that roam the forest; they’re magnificent with their curly horns and thankfully docile.

As you go further south the trees thin and the forest morphs into a series of heathland ‘flats’, places where drovers used to graze their flocks of sheep and herds of cattle before leading them to Smithfield Market.

Leave the forest on the Wanstead Flats and wiggle along back streets to the Olympic Park.

The park is riddled with brave architecture, the legacy of the 2012 Games. You can’t miss the velodrome with its Pringle-shaped roof, nor the blinking eye of the Aquatics Centre, both overlooked by the looping Anish Kapoor Orbit sculpture, which is also near the London Stadium. In addition to the ‘big’ buildings, the park is riddled with sculptures, planted meadows with pleasant cafés. You can cycle at will throughout the park so it is well worth exploring. n Find an online map at: plotaroute.com/route/1612976

©Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey. Media 060/18

Photos: Charlie Codrington

ABBEY MILLS PUMPING STATION [1] From Stratford follow the cycle paths beside the busy A13 until reaching the peaceful Channel Sea river path heading towards Abbey Mills Pumping Station, a glorious confection of high Victorian engineering. This ‘Cathedral of Sewage’, with its decorative brickwork, was built in 1865 by engineer Joseph Bazalgette to house eight beam engines that pumped the sewage to the treatment works at Beckton.

Follow the route past the painted Snail, along the Long Wall path around Abbey Creek onto Three Mills Island.

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Bikes & Reviews L ATEST | BIKES | GEAR | MEDIA

BIKES

KINESIS E-BIKE 56

BENNO E-BIKE 58

PRODUCTS

HELMETS 60

CAMPING KIT 62

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BIKES

HOT TECH

NEW E-BIKES An exciting crop of light, easyto-operate e-bikes is coming thick and fast – and this new Kinesis model proves the adage that ‘less’ is more MODEL: KINESIS LYFE, Equipped Edition n £2,300 n upgradebikes.co.uk

Test: Susi Owusu, John K

B

ACK IN spring 2020, right at the start of the Covid pandemic, we were lucky enough to get a few weeks aboard the new Kinesis Range, powered by a lightweight, mid-drive Fazua system. We loved its ride feel and versatility. Well the brand has just upped the ante and launched another even lighter, potentially more versatile — and cheaper — e-bike line: Lyfe.

The impressive overall weight of just 17kg for our ‘equipped’ test rig — which includes mudguards, pannier rack, kickstand and integrated lights — is thanks to the Mahle’s ebikemotion rear hub motor and a 250Wh battery hidden away in the downtube. It’s a set-up we’re seeing more often and one

that’s proving popular with buyers as the bikes look identical to nonelectric models. The lack of clunky bar-mounted computer aids the sleek aesthetic further, with only a small top-tube button needed to cycle between pedal-assist modes; a traffic light system displays which mode you’re in, how much battery is left and turns the lights on and off. We recommend using the free phone app to tailor power settings precisely to your taste and get the most from each battery charge.

We can’t avoid hills in our local area so all our test routes tend to be ‘lumpy’, and tricky head- or crosswinds frequent, but we achieved significantly more range from the Lyfe’s X35 system than others we’ve ridden. We topped 60km on

one out-and-back trip in the easiest assist mode (the manufacturer says it will do 75km), while the turbo setting had us ripping back from the weekly shop in double-quick time.

In short it’s a pleasure to ride, on road, towpaths and hardpack trails.

Spec highlights include a 1x10 Shimano drivetrain, Tektro hydraulic

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REVIEWS

Cycle Buddies HELPING YOU TO CYCLE MORE

Want some help to cycle more? Would you like to build your confidence riding on London’s roads or find safe routes to school or work? Or do you cycle already and want to help others experience the joy and freedom of getting about by bike?

Cycle Buddies puts new and returning riders in touch with experienced riders in their local area. Meet up and ride together – to work, to the shops, or just to the park for practice!

Sign up at: www.lcc.org.uk/cyclebuddies

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disc brakes and puncture-defying 42c Schwalbe tyres, though it’s the superbly-finished aluminium frame and fork, and those sparkly decals, that immediately grab the eye.

It looks good, rides great, can be lifted up stairs without getting a hernia, and is ready for work straight from the box. Lyfe is looking up...

FACTFILE n Non ‘equipped’ version sells for £2,200. n Two colours: wood sage (pictured) and slate blue. n Lights come linked up directly to battery.

VERDICT + Pedals like a regular bike with assist turned off. + As the battery can’t be removed, you do need a power source near your bike storage. + For commutes or day trips it’s just great fun.

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BIKES

HOT TECH

NEW E-BIKES

From the school run to shopping and deliveries, e-cargobikes are proving to be a key transport option for families and businesses alike MODEL: BENNO BOOST n from £4,499 to £4,799 n ison-distribution.com

Test: John K

A

S MENTIONED in our ‘Iconic Bikes’ feature (page 66), cargobikes of every type are enjoying a moment right now, with mainstream media hailing their benefits and major cycle brands slowly elbowing their way into the fold. Until recently Benno — set up by Benno Baenziger, previously a founder of Electra — has been a small player in the UK, but if our time on the Boost is any indicator we’re confident it won’t be long before we see this ‘etility’ range in towns everywhere.

There’s a lot to like here, including the fact that the bike fits riders from 5ft1in to 6ft3in tall, and can be configured to carry a gross weight (rider plus cargo) of 200kg (440lb)! That’s enough shopping

for a family of four, or for an adult pedaller and two kids on dedicated seats at the rear. We’ve transported extremely heavy building supplies on multiple occassions, and even shifted the majority of our clothes, books, records and suchlike as part of a house move. There’s dozens of ways to carry your gear, with accessories galore to choose from, though we found standard aftermarket bags fit perfectly well.

A hefty but neatly detailed aluminium frameset and 250W Bosch Performance CX motor make all this portage potential possible.

It’s a high-torque motor more usually found on top-end mountain bikes which, coupled with a 500Wh Powerpack, gives you 100km+ of range — but only if you’re savvy

in mode selection. Leave it in top ‘turbo’ setting and you’ll be lucky to get a quarter of that. Fortunately the computer displays remaining battery stats for each assist mode.

The wide 24in wheels have been more than a match for the most broken of roads, while the Shimano disc brakes easily reeled in the speed

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REVIEWS

when fully laden. Special mention too for the Supernova lights, a high quality addition.

We’d recommend a test ride on the Boost to anyone, we feel it’s a genuine car replacement for many families (or businesses). That is if they can solve the single biggest issue in our book: storage space.

FACTFILE n Five colours and step-through version available. n Removable battery takes 4.5-6.5hr to charge fully. n Wide range of Benno accessories (racks, bags, etc).

VERDICT + There’s no escaping the price tag, but it’s a fraction of the cost of buying/running a car. + Tricky to squeeze in many flats or small houses. + Superb performance in multiple guises.

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BIKE HELMETS With so many helmets now available for every cycling discipline, we tested seven new models intended for city riding or crossover gravel/trail use

E

VERY HEAD is different so, as with saddles, finding the ‘perfect’ helmet is a tricky business. Added impact protection or MIPSstyle systems provide peace of mind if you do take a tumble, though some riders will want to prioritise light weight and superior ventilation instead.

It’s horses for courses. Most important of all is fit, so we highly recommend trying before you buy if feasible...

#1 GIRO RADIX MIPS

REVIEWS: John K, Susi Owusu

Sitting in the middle of Giro’s extensive range, the Radix features an internal MIPS cradle which protects the head against rotational forces in the event of a fall (non-MIPS version is £89). A simple rear dial adjusts fit, there’s a small peak to keep rain and sun glare from your eyes, and a whopping 25 vents do a brilliant job of keeping your head cool (joint ‘coolest’ on test). n £114.99; 3 sizes, 5 colours; giro.co.uk

#1

#2 MET ALLROAD

Designed specifically to cover crossover commuting and ‘gravel’ duties, the Allroad is one of the best all-rounders we’ve come across. It’s light (under 300g), well vented, and the shell sits really nicely down on the head with an overall profile that’s more slimline than most. The visor can be removed if it’s not your style, plus there’s a neat LED light integrated into the rear adjuster. n £70; 3 sizes, 6 colours; met-helmets.com

#3 NUTCASE VIO ADVENTURE

Already well known for its kids’ lids, Nutcase has just launched a few new models for adults. The Vio Adventure is another crossover design, erring more towards city use, with MIPS technology and a dual density foam construction; head coverage is excellent and our female tester rated this the comfiest helmet she’s ever tried. A removable peak adds to the multi-season versatility. n £90; two sizes, five colours; upgradebikes.co.uk

#4 KASK URBAN R WG11

If you can get past the Italian ‘scooter boy’ aesthetic, this is essentially a skate-style helmet on steroids; masses of protection all round, with minimal venting (these can even be closed when it rains), and basic fit adjuster.

It felt a bit weighty in use and was by far the sweatiest. The main USP is that panoramic visor, which can be quickly clicked out and swapped for others depending on light conditions. n £189; 3 sizes, 9 colours; kask.com

#5 ABUS URBAN-I 3.0 MIPS

It’s business up front and party out back for this European best-seller: you get a Fidlock magnetic strap buckle and bug nets over the forward-facing vents, while the rear features reflective strips and a built-in LED light with choice of steady or flashing beam.

Inside there’s a MIPS cradle for added impact protection. Our only niggle was the shell’s width, which we found narrow and had to trim the sweat pad to achieve maximum comfort. n £99; 2 sizes, 3 colours; extrauk.co.uk

#6 LAZER COYOTE MIPS

The stealthy, understated looks do a good job of hiding the Coyote’s light under a bushel, but it incorporates everything you need in a trail package.

The MIPS system integrates neatly inside the shell without affecting airflow, the dropped profile offers plentiful side/rear protection, while an elongated peak keeps the elements at bay. We also liked the adjustable basket which fine-tuned exactly how high the helmet sat off our head. n £89; 3 sizes, 4 colours; freewheel.co.uk

#7 TSG PEPPER

Classic ‘in-mold’ construction is used on the Pepper, marrying a shockabsorbing EPS liner with a tough polycarbonate shell, and the finishing is super sleek. Straps are reflective for added side visibility, the visor can be set in two positions, and the 20 vents did a fine job of keeping our head cool on fast-paced commutes. Two sets of comfort pads is an added bonus too. n £89.99-£99.99; 3 colours, 2 sizes; ison-distribution.com

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REVIEWS

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REVIEWS

CYCLE CAMPING KIT Weight, packed size, durability and cost — our main criteria for camping gear selection. So here’s a few new and trusted products we highly recommend

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REVIEWS: John K, Jon Collard

HOOSING THE right gear for your first cycle tour or bikepacking trip can seem daunting, but get the key ingredients right — sleeping and cooking — and you’ll be fine.

You can always then refine those picks for future adventures. ­ Bivvy bags and tarps are the lightweight option, but many people prefer the security of a tent, especially when weather forecasts are patchy. So try to source the lightest shelter you can afford and think about packed size and how you’ll carry it. The same applies to sleeping bags and mats, but don’t skimp on warmth as that can ruin your night under the stars.

For short trips some people just take cold food or preprepped meals in ziplock bags.

But a compact stove offers more options: you can have a morning brew, create ‘one pot’ classics and even toast marshmallows!

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#1 ALPKIT AERONAUT 1

When the forecast’s set fair and we’ve got huge mileage to cover, a bivvy bag and tarp (both also from Alpkit) is our favoured combination. But a couple of months using this innovative new one-person tent, with features aimed specifically at bikepackers and cycle tourers, has had us reconsidering our outdoor sleeping habits! The genius is in the inflatable central ‘air pole’, which does away with those long aluminium poles that are always a pain to stow; this inflates with a standard mini-pump (Schrader valve) which you’d be carrying anyway. It pitches outer and inner together, saving hassle when you’re tired, and can be pegged out, pumped up and ready in under 10 minutes when you’ve mastered it.

Sleeping space is pretty generous and the porch is more than big enough for wet kit and dirty pots. At 1200g, we think the added weight is worth it. n £179.99; alpkit.com

#2 CUMULUS INTENSE

Choosing the right sleeping bag is crucial if you want a good night’s kip after a long ride and the choice is either down filling (lighter, more compact, pricey) or synthetic (heavier, a bit bulkier, cheaper). As synthetic insulation performs better in damp UK conditions, that’s what we prefer, plus the Pertex outer fabric here breathes well to prevent overheating. This model is comfort rated at 40C (with fleecy leggings and warm socks we’ve gone below that). At 810g it isn’t a ‘minimalist’ bag, but it stashes away in our 10-litre handlebar bag just fine. n £129; cumulus.equipment

#3 PRIMUS LITE PLUS

Having used this stove at sub-zero camps in the Alps and sun-kissed South Downs bivvies, we cannot fault it. The 0.5-litre pot locks to the burner and a gas canister then screws onto that; ignition requires no matches and water reaches boiling point in under three minutes. It’s beautifully simple and reliable. And when you’re done both burner AND gas (100g) pack away neatly inside the pot. n £129.99; subzero.co.uk

#4 SEA TO SUMMIT X-SET 3 Though they also do pairs sets (and cooking pots) of the same BPA-free, food grade, folding silicone design, we tend to share this set between two, in tandem with the Primus pot (and split the carrying duties). Weight 365g for mug, bowl, plate, all heat resistant. n £40; seatosummit.co.uk

#5 FORCLAZ 700 AIR L

While some cycle tourers still swear by those thin closed cell foam mats, it’s air beds all the way for those of us who need more comfort and support. For longer trips in the colder months we’ll usually default to our favourite 6.5cmthick Therm-a-rest NeoAir X-lite, but for the last year we’ve been using the Forclaz 700 with great success.

It’s tapered like a good sleeping bag and weighs only 510g, but is still 5cm deep and packs down smaller than a standard waterbottle; it inflates in 5 minutes and deflates using a second valve. The fabric might not seem too durable but we’ve used it repeatedly on stony ground without issue. n £39.99; decathlon.co.uk

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REVIEWS

BIKE BOOKS

DESIRE DISCRIMINATION DETERMINATION — BLACK CHAMPIONS IN CYCLING Marlon Lee Moncrieffe

REVIEWS: John K, Rob Eves

rapha.cc; £25 Moncrieffe’s groundbreaking book uncovers the rich history of black cyclists that has been overlooked until now. Lead interviewees include familiar names like Maurice Burton, Russell Williams, Shanaze Reade and Tre Whyte (older brother of Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kye), but the stories of Kittie Knox (a late Victorian pioneer), Ali Neffati (first nonwhite Tour de France rider in 1913), or Clyde Rimple (a Windrush migrant) will almost certainly be unknown.

The dazzling design is complemented by dozens of never-seen-before images, many sourced from riders’ families and friends due to the invisibility of black riders in traditional archives. It’s a celebration, both enlightening and inspiring, and the best, most important cycling book we’ve read in a long while.

FROM A TO B: A Cartoon Guide to Getting Around by Bike Dave Walker bloomsbury.com; £12.99 In this golden age for cycle-related cartoons and illustration, Walker is one of the foremost exponents, with his work regularly appearing in The Guardian and other publications. His drawings – most commonly just people on bikes of some description – are kept simple and unfussy for clarity; it’s the captions and graphic dressing that bring insight and wit to the most mundane of observations and classic arguments.

Useful explanatory bike basics sit happily alongside the debunking of anti-cycling nonsense (road tax, ‘polluting’ cycle lanes, helmets, etc).

There’s a dedicated chapter on infrastructure and another great one on city cycling and climate action. Campaigners and enthusiasts will definitely love it and nod sagely, though we challenge even infrequent riders not to enjoy finding the absurd in the obvious.

BIKE LONDON Charlie Allenby

LONDON STREET SIGNS Alistair Hall

accartbooks.com; £15

londonstreetsigns.info; £14.99

While it’s not quite the “definitive guide to cycling in the UK’s capital” that its jacket claims, there’s plenty of useful info here for new cyclists or those who don’t usually stray far from their own borough. There’s lists of cycle cafés, clubs, bike shops and suchlike, though none are comprehensive and sadly the chapter on events is already out-of-date due to the pandemic disruption. Perhaps handiest are the route guides, specifically the ones taking you out of London (gpx files are available).

Overall, however, we felt the book could benefit from a ‘less is more’ approach, more indepth focus on fewer areas.

The layout too felt disjointed in places; standalone spreads appearing in the middle of chapters, and the opening cafés section being followed by a single page ‘Introduction to Bikepacking’. It’s not far off the mark, but the competition is fierce these days.

From enamel plates to hand-painted lettering, and from simple cast-iron signs to ornamental architectural plaques, as cyclists we see and use them all the time – London’s street nameplates.

One would be forgiven for thinking of these signs as no more than road ‘labels’, helping us pinpoint locations and navigate the city more easily. But they also tell fascinating stories.

Long-time LCC supporter and graphic designer Alistair Hall includes more than 350 photographs in this book (shot over the course of four years) and traces the origins of the typefaces and styles of sign used in different areas and boroughs at different times in London’s history. From the paved signs of Fleet Street courts to the quintessential signs of Westminster and tiled signs of Hampstead, it’s sure to appeal to Londonphiles, historians and designers alike.

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ICONIC BIKES

1984 ONWARDS

Christiania cargobike It took some smart Danish design to reinvent the ‘box bike’ for the modern age and help solve the school run conundrum, as John Kitchiner explains

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hardwoods, iron fittings and leaf springs. Cargobikes remained popular, particularly with street vendors, until the 1950s and 1960s when pick-up truck and petrol van sales soared.

The modern bakfiets (Dutch for ‘box bike’) can be traced back to early ’70s Copenhagen and the district of Christiania, where Lars Engstrøm and friends had to solve the issue of moving stuff around their recently-designated car-free area.

Initially they used old Second World War trikes, before setting up their own blacksmiths and producing bike trailers from recycled bed frames; these trailers became hugely popular for carrying young kids safely and sold in their thousands across Denmark. However, Engstrøm wanted to find a solution where two kids could sit up front next to each other, with luggage, in full view of the rider. By 1984 he’d nailed it and presented the first model to his wife as a birthday present. Fifty were sold that first year and the couple never looked back, now distributing globally from their production facility in Bornholm.

To cement their iconic status, Christiania Bikes has even been awarded the coveted Danish Design Award, joining the likes of Lego, Bang & Olufsen, and Carlsberg in an elite hall of fame.

Illustration: David Sparshott

HILE TRANSPORTING goods and passengers by bicycle isn’t a new idea, there’s no doubting that the cargobike is enjoying a major renaissance at the moment. Hundreds of delivery companies and small businesses are switching from vans for around town, cross-city work, while an increasing number of families are ditching the car in favour of ‘box bikes’ or ‘longtails’ for the school run, weekly shopping and recreational activities. With no MOT or tax, no parking charges, no hefty maintenance bills, emissions slashed, predictable journey times, active travel benefits, it’s easy to see the appeal.

But most people might be surprised to learn that cargobikes, like ‘Dutch’ bikes, are actually a British invention and generally credited to that man James Starley again. In the 1870s he drew three ‘carrier’ designs, with smaller wheels at the front and loads carried in a basket or grocery crate. His idea was refined by others over the next few decades and by the early 20th century cargobikes had largely replaced hardcarts and horse-drawn carts. In fact it was carriage builders who really embraced the concept, creating ornate models with beautiful 66

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