WINTER 2021
BE A CLIMATE CHAMPION
DANGEROUS JUNCTIONS UPDATE BUSINESS BY CYCLE LEGAL FAQs ANSWERED ART NOUVEAU RIDE GUIDE BIKE LIGHTS REVIEWED
01_Covers.FINAL.indd All Pages
MAGAZINE OF
22/11/2021 19:29
IFC_ad.indd 2
07/11/2021 23:35
WINTER 2021
contents
News | Features | How To | Travel & Rides | Bikes & Reviews FEATURE > 12
HOW TO 56
GUIDES HOW TO
PILATES
FOR CYCLISTS
Susi Owusu is a Pilates rehab specialist in London. (pilateswithsusi.com)
The last in our year-long ‘Pilates for Cyclists’ series again builds on the work from previous issues, with four more simple exercises — core, hip/back mobility, legs, and stretch. As before, it takes just 10-15 minutes to complete these exercises, so hopefully something most people can slot into their day. To learn more about Pilates, join a Zoom class, or get one-to-one tuition, please visit Susi’s website.
1: CORE — LEG PULL FRONT From a high plank position, support your movement, you raise the right leg off the floor can raise one leg and then roll to hip height and release back backward and forward on the to the floor. Raise the left leg balls of the other foot. Do this next and keep alternating. five times before lowering the Once you have mastered this, leg and practising on the other engaging the abdominals to side (do each leg twice).
3: LEGS — FORWARD LUNGE As well as challenging your Return to the start position. balance, lunges activate your Repeat on the other leg. core, hamstrings, quads, glutes When you feel you have your and calves. Start in standing, balance, you might want checking your alignment, then to add variation by walking step the left leg forward and forwards through a series of bend both legs as you do. lunges. Repeat 8 times.
2: HIP MOBILITY — DOUBLE LEG SWEEPS Lying on your back, exhale inner thighs together. As you and bring one leg, then the exhale gently flex the feet other, into tabletop position. and sweep the legs towards Interlace your fingers behind the floor. As you inhale point your head and articulate the toes and bring the legs the head and chest off the back up to the start position. mat. Inhale and extend the Keep the spine neutral while legs gently squeezing the ‘sweeping’. Repeat 8 times.
4: STRETCH Start in four-point kneeling with the spine in neutral, hands underneath shoulders and knees underneath hips. Sweep the right arm out to the side and up towards the ceiling and let your eyes follow your fingertips. You
should feel a rotation of the spine and opening of the chest. To deepen the stretch sit your bottom down onto your heels and see if you can gently rotate a little bit more. Repeat on the other side and 8-10 times in total.
RIDE 59
56
In association with
RIDE GUIDE
LONDON’S
Follow our guide Tom Bogdanowicz on a tour of the capital’s hidden art treasures
ART NOUVEAU
U
NLIKE PARIS, Brussels and Vienna, London is not famed for exuberant Art Nouveau buildings and sculptures. But that doesn’t mean we have none — you just have to know where to look. And this urban ride, by London Cycling Guide author Tom Bogdanowicz, reveals some hidden masterpieces in the capital. Art Nouveau’s roots are traced to the late 19th-century British Arts and Crafts movement (many examples on the Kensington section of the ride) that reflected the philosophy of south Londoner John Ruskin and Frenchman Viollet-leDuc. It rejected the standardisation of classicism and prized gothic architecture and craftsmanship. The legacy is found in distinctive buildings and sculptures, with non-symmetrical shapes and facades, and, in the Art Nouveau incarnation, marked by whiplash, curve and sinuous floral decoration.
FACTFILE DISTANCE: 22.5km (14 miles) TOTAL ELEVATION: 120m RIDE TIME: 2hr, plus stops SUITABLE FOR: all bikes START/FINISH: Blackfriars station
We have partnered with mapping specialist Komoot to bring you free downloadable route maps. Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant page on your smartphone or tablet.
ART NOUVEAU IN LONDON
1
Harrods 6km
BLACKFRIARS
2
4
3
Michelin Hans Rd House 7.5km 8.5km
5
Queen Alexandra Memorial 12km
Whitechapel Gallery 19km
BLACKFRIARS
REVIEWS 63
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 59
Bikes & Reviews L ATEST | BIKES | GEAR | MEDIA
PRODUCTS
BIKES
ARCC E-BIKE 64
FRONT LIGHTS 66
LIGHTSETS 70
BOOKS 72
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 63
Far greater urgency is needed on the city’s dangerous junctions
FEATURE > 17
An open letter from the LCC team to our new Climate Safe Streets champions INTERVIEW > 22
BUSINESS BY CYCLE, 28
London has the chance to build the biggest cycling economy of any major European city ASHOK SINHA, OPINION, PAGE 9
We speak to members of the LAS cycle team on how bikes are the best tool for fast-response emergencies FEATURE > 40
The experts at Osbornes Law answer cyclists’ most frequently asked legal questions
DAWN RAIDERS, 46
We should focus on increasing mobility options to bring better urban living for all CARLTON REID, OPINION, PAGE 10 LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 3
0304_Contents.FINAL.indd 3
22/11/2021 13:19
CONTENTS | Winter 2021
Cover image: Andy Donohoe Location: Wapping, east London November 2021
EDITORIAL
It’s the hope that kills you Y
ES IT’S A hackneyed old football cliché, but as this edition heads to the printer just as world leaders depart COP26 in Glasgow, it seems appropriate. Another critical opportunity for united climate action missed. Adding further insult to injury — as our columnist Carlton Reid alludes to (page 10) — cycling was reduced to the tiniest of tiny footnotes, while the fossil fuel industries took their ‘greenwashing’ to new extremes. So while the finger pointing, whataboutery and dirty lobbying endures, it yet again falls to us, the people, to show what leadership really means. Things are desperate, but the fight’s far from over — and we’ll be pushing our campaigns harder than ever. If you’d like to be involved in our Climate Safe Streets campaign, maybe even become a local ‘champion’, then read our open letter (page 17) and get in touch. Elsewhere we revisit the capital’s most dangerous junctions and explain why far greater urgency is needed to make them safer for cyclists and pedestrians. We speak to businesses thriving as they switch to cargobikes for day-to-day operations, and to delivery cyclists themselves about how infrastructure could be improved. Also you can now get free online ‘ride guides’ for our routes thanks to a new partnership with Komoot. Happy cycling! 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, Katy Rodda, Suami Rocha, Calum Rogers, Tiffany Lam
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. CAMPAIGNS: lcc.org.uk/campaigns MEMBERSHIP: lcc.org.uk/membership TO DONATE: lcc.org.uk/donate LCC is a charitable limited company, reg no 1766411; charity no 1115789
London Cyclist is printed by Buxton Press on FSC carbon-balanced paper from responsible sources.
CBP0007421307115017
4
0304_Contents.FINAL.indd 4
22/11/2021 13:20
05_ad.indd 5
23/11/2021 10:15
Winter 2021
PETITION HANDED OVER AT DEADLY HOLBORN JUNCTION Trial changes implemented at junction show that safety improvements can be made without further delay
F
OLLOWING THE tragic death of Dr Marta Krawiec, who was killed by a lorry at the Holborn gyratory, and our subsequent protest, 7,614 of you signed our ‘Dangerous Junctions’ petition calling on the Mayor of London to take rapid action to tackle London’s most lethal junctions, in order to prevent further casualties. On 29 October, LCC handed in the petition to Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon MBE at the inter-section of Theobalds Road and Southampton Row where Dr Krawiec died. Caroline presented our petition to the London Assembly’s plenary on 11 November and the Assembly agreed to forward the petition to the Mayor for a response. Your campaigning support has already led to rapid action, with trial changes being made at Holborn to improve that junction’s safety. This shows that it is possible to make critical
improvements at such junctions without months, or even years, of delay and deliberation; it’s possible for London’s councils and TfL to move much faster. But much more needs to be done. Despite these changes, this junction, and many others, still remains dangerous. We cannot let needless loss of life continue. Vital safety issues for people walking and cycling must be addressed to deliver a ‘Vision Zero’ London free from fatal road collisions. So our work doesn’t stop with the petition hand-in to the Mayor. LCC will continue to push for a massive shift in priorities and for bolder, quicker action at our most lethal junctions. We are working on several strands of this vital campaigning work, including identifying the most dangerous junctions in inner London, that we will push the Mayor, TfL and local boroughs to act on.
NO MORE CYCLIST DEATHS: team hands petition over at lethal junction
6
006007_News.FINAL.indd 6
22/11/2021 13:23
NEWS
A WORD FROM NEW LCC CHAIR, EILIDH MURRAY It’s a really exciting time to be the new Chair of Trustees because of the work LCC is currently involved with: n Joining eight other NGOs during COP26, asking government to take urgent action to enable London to move forward faster on climate change, n Creating a network of Climate Safe Streets champions to work with the boroughs ahead of local elections next May, n Campaigning on dangerous junctions, n Working with borough groups to roll out and keep their LTNs, n Bringing together active travel, community and public transport campaigns, with the Sustainable Transport Alliance (STA), n Partnering with the Bicycle Association to promote potential green jobs and cycling economy, n Forging links with groups for expert input to the Diversity & Inclusion strategy (also joining a new TfL D&I Cycling network. Many thanks to the LCC team for their dedication, creativity and resiliance. Here’s to cycling and climate progress!
THE STATS
UK cycling & walking statistics, 2019-20
LCC JOINS ALLIANCES IN CALLING FOR URGENT CLIMATE ACTION
(DfT stats, Sept 2021; NTAS)
62% Average miles cycled per person rose from 54 miles in 2019 to 88 miles in 2020 (up 62%)
1.2
bn
Total ‘stages’ cycled (where cycling is part of a trip). Up by 24%.
49
%
Proportion of adults cycling 5x per week in Richmond (4th in UK)
55%
% of adults who would cycle more with safer roads and off-road/ segregated cycle paths
NB — these stats were collated before the Covid pandemic and cycling boom, so 2020-21 stats will likely be very different.
IN THE run-up to the critical COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, LCC was joined by London Living Streets, Campaign for Better Transport and CoMoUK in writing to the Mayor, urging him to revise his Transport Strategy — which currently won’t get us to zero-carbon roads by 2030, even with the most optimistic switch rates to electric cars. We were also joined by eight NGOs in calling on Alok Sharma MP, the UK’s President of COP26, and Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps, to ensure that TfL is given a proper funding settlement, or else jeopardise action on climate change. We also co-signed an open letter from 300+ international active travel NGOs, urging all governments to boost cycling levels to reduce carbon emissions and reach global climate goals quickly and effectively. Finally, the Sustainable Transport Alliance (of which LCC is a member) put on an event at COP26 itself to make the positive case for firm goals to be set for the shift away from unsustainable levels of private car use.
2021 CAMPAIGNER AWARDS THE 2021 LCC Awards ceremony was held immediately after the AGM in Camden, in October, as a hybrid event with Zoom audience participation (and virtual applause read out over the mic!). After a turbulent year for many, we handed gongs out to brilliant and dedicated campaigners and supporters, including those working on active travel outside LCC too. Of course, every LCC activist deserves heaps of praise, but you can read about this year’s winners and highly commended individuals and groups on the website at lcc.org.uk/ news/2021-campaigner-awards. LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 7
006007_News.FINAL.indd 7
21/11/2021 19:08
08_ad.indd 8
23/11/2021 10:15
OPINION
Let’s be leaders There’s a huge opportunity ahead for London’s cycling economy, says Ashok Sinha, so let’s grasp it
M
UCH HAS been said about the cost of saving humanity from catastrophic climate change. Wise readers know this is a false framing: whatever we spend, it will be a relatively modest investment to deliver a climate safe economy that is also more prosperous and fair. In that vein, here’s some good news. LCC members already know that there is a huge potential for carbon savings from switching car trips to cycles: over three million journeys are made daily in London that are short enough to be cycled — half under 3km, and over two-thirds without luggage or goods. That’s about 25% of all car occupant mileage. But have you ever thought of the jobs and economic uplift that will come from this? More people cycling means more businesses fulfilling that demand for cycling. LCC has embarked on a partnership with the Bicycle Association (BA), the cycling industry body, and asked it to look into this jobs question, as part of a wider economic analysis the BA has commissioned. Specifically, we first wanted to know how much cycling would need to grow to meet LCC’s Climate Safe Streets demand — ie that
009_ashok.FINAL.indd 9
London’s roads be decarbonised by 2030 (in line with the Mayor’s ‘net zero’ London 2030 goal)? And, secondly, how many new jobs and economic value would consequently accrue?
Eye-catching figures The first answer probably won’t surprise many readers: cycling’s mode share will have to rise from about 2% of trips to 14% (assuming an optimistic scenario for the switch rate to electric cars); demanding, but perfectly viable. But the jobs and economic dividend is particularly eyecatching: a massive 25,000 new, green, cycling jobs and an extra £4.8 billion in economic value. Better still, this expansion in London’s cycling economy will be a platform to create new career and business opportunities for some of London’s most impoverished and disadvantaged people, as well as for those rendered unemployed by Covid. Plus, with these jobs being distributed all over London, it will
“Over three million journeys are made daily in London that could be cycled”
Ashok Sinha Chief Executive of London Cycling Campaign
help rejuvenate London’s ailing high streets, hit hard by the double whammy of the financial crash and the pandemic. Further, this opportunity supports a ‘Just Transition’ for London. As carbon intensive jobs in our city decline, an expanding cycling economy provides a new pathway for those workers who are displaced. For example, the greater mechanical simplicity, modularity, and reliability of electric cars will likely reduce the need for local garages; an expanded cycling economy will provide a new home for such skilled labour and new opportunities for small businesses. Here’s the clincher: this huge number of new jobs, the massive economic gain, the potential to reduce disadvantage, are a bonus on investment in cycling that we must make to decarbonise our roads. London has the chance to build the biggest cycling economy of any major European city. By linking further investment in the cycling network to investment in skills, education and businesses development, it can win this economic dividend and stimulate entrepreneurship in a new mobility economy, leaving the old private car-based model behind. It’s an opportunity London would be crazy not to grasp with both hands.
20/11/2021 20:00
OPINION
Simple solutions While cycling was ignored at COP26, it remains the best way to reduce transport emissions explains Carlton Reid
I
’VE NEVER previously been to a Conference of the Parties, but with the 26th one happening in Glasgow, I thought I’d pop over there. Once I’d stored my bicycle at a friendly local bike shop, I hopped on a rental Nextbike and pedalled it over to COP26 HQ to pick up my press badge. That share bike was the last I saw of bicycling. Bizarrely, the UN climate conference was pretty much a cycle-free zone. Yes, there was a bamboo bike in the Indonesian pavilion and an ultracyclist’s ride in the Italian pavilion — but cycling, as a climatefriendly form of transport, wasn’t anywhere on the official agenda. Sadly, and destructively, COP26’s transport focus was on electric cars and trucks. But here’s some breaking news: the world is not going to reverse climate breakdown by exchanging 1.4 billion fossil-fuel-powered motor vehicles with 1.4 billion batterypowered ones. Can you even begin to imagine the resources, including rare earths, required to deliver such a planet-crushing solution? It’s not necessary only for dirty, lethal tailpipes to be turned into clean, non-toxic ones, there must be a massive reduction in motoring. This maniacal, delusional focus on EVs at COP26 was a shock. There
was only the merest mention of bicycling (or walking, or public transport) on the conference’s transport day declaration.
EVs aren’t the future For clean-air reasons, electrifying some of the global motor vehicle fleet is undoubtedly welcome. Still, it will take many decades to make the switch, and a quicker, slicker way to reduce carbon emissions is to throttle car use. Motor vehicle use accounts for nearly threequarters of transport-related CO2 emissions, and these numbers are not decreasing. And they cannot, in the short term, be reduced by the snail-like transition to EVs*. We don’t have time to wait; we have to deploy meaningful solutions today, not sometime after 2030. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on global warming identified cycling as an essential transport mode for a sustainable world. So, if cycling is a proven and quick way to reduce transport emissions, why was it not
“We should focus on increasing mobility options to bring better urban living for all”
Carlton Reid is a book author and leading transport journalist
taken seriously in the Blue Zone at COP26, the cordoned-off area for world leaders, delegates, observers, and accredited journalists? LCC was one of 70-plus organizations that co-signed a COP26 open letter to world leaders demanding that they must “commit to boosting cycling levels to reduce carbon emissions and reach global climate goals quickly and effectively.” Encouragingly, the list of signatories weren’t just cycling NGOs. The UITP — the International Association of Public Transport, founded in 1885 — also signed the letter. Its Secretary General Mohamed Mezghani told me: “Instead of more focus going to electric cars, which will not reduce congestion, bring better road safety or healthier cities, we should focus on increasing mobility options to bring better urban living for all.” He’s right, and it’s good to hear it from somebody who isn’t a bicycle advocate. We need more of these partnerships. But we need them quickly. All of this chinwagging — Greta Thunberg’s “blah, blah, blah” if you like — has to get real, and it can start by recognising there are existing, simple technologies that can deliver deep, speedy reductions in transport emissions. Bicycling is one of them, and our world leaders must wake up to this.
*LCC’s Climate Safe Streets campaign says EVs are not the answer, and will be calling on candidates in the 2022 borough elections to deliver mass mode shift to cycling.
010_carlton.FINAL.indd 10
22/11/2021 13:26
11_ad.indd 11
23/11/2021 10:16
THE PRESSURE
POINT
Photo: WfW, Crispin Hughes
Following the death of Dr Marta Krawiec, LCC is pressing for far greater urgency on our dangerous junctions. Report by Katy Rodda & Simon Munk.
J
UNCTIONS ARE objectively the most dangerous spots in any cycle or walking journey. The vast majority of serious and fatal collisions in London happen on, or within metres of, a junction. Junctions are also subjectively one of the biggest barriers to getting people cycling — they feel dangerous to ride across. So they should be a priority, but they aren’t. Successive mayors have promised much on junctions, but delivered little. Now, following the death of Dr Marta
Krawiec on the Holborn gyratory, an area LCC has already protested at multiple times — and where we’ve been promised action repeatedly, but not seen it — LCC has launched an ongoing campaign to tackle the city’s most dangerous junctions, to make them a real priority. And we need your help.
Making safer junctions Junctions will always be where the greatest road danger lies. Whether a small side road or a huge
12
012015_junctions.FINAL.indd 12
21/11/2021 18:45
CAMPAIGN
multi-lane roundabout or signalised junction, these are locations where the paths of motor traffic, those cycling and those walking literally cross. The biggest risk for cycling at junctions is the ‘hook’, a driver turning across the path of someone cycling or walking. So how do we make junctions far safer and feel far safer? There are numerous design approaches available to modern designers (see boxout overleaf) and we’ve seen some of these rolled out in London already. But the basic principles hold across all junction designs: n SEPARATE IN TIME & SPACE - to borrow from the film Ghostbusters: “Don’t cross the streams”. Do not allow turning motor traffic, particularly left-turning motor traffic, to turn across an ahead-moving flow of those cycling or walking. Cycle tracks between junctions separate in space, but at junctions, it’s mostly separation in time. In other words, you don’t give cyclists going ahead and drivers turning left a green light at the same time. n BUILD TO BE CALM - huge and angled junction entry and exit points are designed for motor traffic going fast. Similarly, long cycles of wait time for pedestrians and those cycling cause frustration, so far too many folks move on a red. Similarly, limiting sightlines and raised tables
From left to right: a junction improved enough for ‘nonstandard’ cycles; a Streetspace scheme that proved change can be made quickly; a safer new junction in Waltham Forest
JUNCTION ASSESSMENT TOOL The Junction Assessment Tool (JAT) was first produced in TfL’s London Cycling Design Standards, but is now also found in the Department for Transport’s mandatory ‘LTN 1/20’ design guidance. Every highways officer and campaigner should know it because it’s a super-simple way of assessing junctions on the ground and in design. n LTN 1/20 has a load of examples and guidance on how to do the score, but to simplify it hugely, simply take every turning movement on every arm of the junction you’re considering it and give it a red/0 rating if that movement would only be suitable for “confident existing cyclists, and may be avoided by some experienced cyclists”. It gets an amber/1 rating if most current cyclists would be okay on it, but possibly not new or less confident ones, and a green/2 rating if it’s “suitable for all potential and existing cyclists”. While LTN 1/20 neglects to suggest scoring for walking too, it’d be fairly easy to do. n The DfT’s guidance now tells designers not to build new schemes with any red/0 rated movements. Similarly, it’s time London started eliminating junctions that are hostile for those walking and/or cycling.
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 13
012015_junctions.FINAL.indd 13
21/11/2021 18:45
CAMPAIGN
JUNCTION DESIGNS: DOS AND CAN’TS n HOLD THE LEFT – by holding left-turning drivers on a red, but giving ahead-moving cyclists and drivers green signals, you can separate out left-turning hook risks. But the way these have been done in London in the past uses a huge amount of space and signal time (eg at Oval, on CS2, and elsewhere). n ‘PENINSULARISATION’ – for big roundabouts like Highbury Corner, Old Street and planned for Waterloo, TfL has favoured turning one arm of the junction into extra pedestrian space, joining the middle to one side and turning the rest of the roundabout into a series of T-junctions effectively. The result can add lots of signal time for drivers and those cycling, but is safe and does also create a nicer urban environment. n CYCLOPS – far more elegant, and newer, are Manchester’s ‘CYCLOPS’ junctions: crossroads where those cycling and walking wait for an all-green signal to go on all arms at once. More wait time for those cycling, but safe crossings all round and simple designs. But Manchester’s designs are actually just a slight improvement on London schemes found in the Waltham Forest ‘mini-Holland’ area. See the Blackhorse Road design and predecessor on Lea Bridge Road/Orient Way. These designs are also about as close to a Dutch ‘all green’ or ‘scramble’ junction as we can do right now. n DUTCH-STYLE ROUNDABOUT – when we build roundabouts in the UK it’s generally to get more traffic through a junction, faster. The Dutch use roundabouts often to do the reverse. And now Cambridge has its own version that’s calmer and more cycle-friendly. n ‘BLENDED’ CROSSINGS – for side roads, putting in a raised table at the crossing and tightening up the junction mouth slows motorists and calms interactions. One step further is to run the pavement (and cycle track) right across the junction mouth. This reinforces pedestrian and cycle priority. But it needs careful design to be inclusive for those with visual impairments. n SCRAMBLE & ‘GIVE WAY AT TURN’ – here’s two things we can’t currently do with UK junctions. Most of Europe runs green lights for cycling and pedestrians in parallel with drivers. Drivers (and cyclists) are then expected to just give way if turning. This, if allowed in the UK would not only simplify junctions hugely, and enable far safer designs, but also actually cut congestion too. Alongside this, true ‘all green’ or ‘scramble’ junctions (see CYCLOPS, above) are impossible in the UK currently – the rules won’t allow cyclists and pedestrians on a green to just go wherever. In Holland, more and more junctions are just allowing folks to just mix and merge. This gives the junction huge cycling and walking capacity and is very safe – but looks very chaotic.
GET OUR LATEST CAMPAIGN UPDATES HERE: lcc.org.uk/campaigns/safer-junctions
or speed humps can ensure drivers move slower and calmer. You want all interactions and turns to be calmly excecutable, rather than fraught. These principles are enshrined in just about all highways design guidance going, most notably both the London Cycling Design Standards and new, tougher national LTN 1/20 design guidance from the DfT. This tells engineers that cycling schemes going forward will only be funded if they meet a “minimum score of 70% under the Cycling Level of Service (CLoS), no critical fails, and under the Junction Assessment Tool (see page 13) no red-scored turning movements”. This techno-jargon means all cycling and walking schemes need to be of Dutch standard roughly. So why are these standards, principles and approaches, if so common and widely accepted, being ignored in London?
Schemes with ‘critical fails’ London has, we believe, hundreds of junctions featuring ‘critical fails’. During Boris Johnson’s time as mayor, his ‘Dangerous Junctions’ programme started with a list of 200 for action, but that rapidly dropped to just 33. Of which only a few got full fixes. His successor, Sadiq Khan went with 73 junctions on TfLcontrolled roads, but of the 43 that TfL says it has improved before Dr Krawiec was killed at the Southampton Row/Theobalds Row junction, hardly any have been fully completed to be safe for all movements, on all arms. Improvements made at most junctions, including after a fatality, are almost always partial, indeed many of the ‘Safer Junctions’ improvements have seen schemes left with critical fails intact. Even where a coroner has issued a notice to improve the junction — such as at Lavender Hill where Lucia Ciccioli was killed — the improvements have taken years to arrive and are solely for the one arm of a hostile junction where there was a fatality. Dr Krawiec was killed at the last remaining arm with an uncontrolled left turn of the junction. She’s the fourth person cycling to die on the junction in just a decade. And each
14
012015_junctions.FINAL.indd 14
22/11/2021 13:39
Photo: Alamy
previous fatality saw another tweak to the junction. Camden and TfL promise they’re working on a full treatment for this junction, but we really hope it arrives before another person is seriously injured or killed. Similarly, the Battersea Bridge junction where Jack Ryan was killed as he jogged is now set to only get a green man for its pedestrian crossing. This is vital and welcome — but the junction is more dangerous, with more serious collisions, for those cycling. And due to intransigence, it would appear, by Kensington & Chelsea Council, those cycling get nothing. So why have successive mayors, TfL and even willing councils failed to get a grip on our most dangerous collision hotspots?
Why the delays? Junctions are complex and can be expensive. That’s undeniable. The moment you start digging up telephone and power cables, realigning drains or re-phasing green and red signals, the costs mount. And modelling junction changes can be costly and timeconsuming. But they needn’t be. During the pandemic, we saw massive changes to our roads done quickly and cheaply. We threw out endless delays and instead trialled schemes and monitored their impacts. Doing
As good as it gets: the new Dutch-style roundabout on Fendon Road in Cambridge
this with junctions is harder, but not impossible, say the engineering experts. So, ultimately, the delays and compromises to junction safety we see are political, influenced by stakeholders who seem to hold vetoes on safety measures for cycle users. Camden Council had funding to improve the Holborn one-way system for two years before Dr Krawiec’s death this August. And it took nearly five years from Lucia Ciccioli’s death at Lavender Hill to see partial improvements come forward there. Roads authorities have emergency powers to close roads for gas leaks and other infrastructure emergencies, yet it takes deaths and large protests to get any action on fatal safety failings. It seems that TfL fears around ‘network assurance’ — in other words delays to buses or even private motor traffic — is part of the issue. But it also seems London’s councils have a huge power of veto over action which some of them are excercising, as are large developers and other stakeholders. Everyone, it seems, bar those who cycle and walk, gets a say over which is prioritised — a minute on journey times, or someone’s life shattered. We won’t stand for that any more. LCC has already pushed the Mayor and London councils with a huge petition, and next we’ll be pushing them with innovative ways to deliver. LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 15
012015_junctions.FINAL.indd 15
22/11/2021 18:46
16_ad.indd 16
23/11/2021 10:17
An open letter to a climate champion on behalf of the LCC team and all our supporters
somehow never gets a mention). Although time is not on our side, we can still avoid catastrophe and save countless human and non-human lives. Together we can put the break on the climate emergency and live to see a better world — for us and all those who’ll come after us. And, when it comes to cycling, together we can transform London into a city where the air is clean, public spaces belong to people, and our streets are safe enough for anyone of any age or ability to cycle — and enjoy all the benefits that come from that. Thank you for believing it’s possible that we can win and for volunteering to campaign alongside all the other Champions in our
Text: Suami Rocha Photos: Brendon Fraser
T
hank you for your interest in becoming one of LCC’s new Climate Champions. This group of volunteers will play an absolutely vital role in making the next phase of our Climate Safe Streets Campaign — focussed on next May’s borough elections — the success it can and must be. We’re so pleased and grateful you are thinking of taking on this role. We don’t need to tell you that swathes of the world are on fire or flooded, that environmental disasters are ever more common, that it’s only set to get worse and that the human race is on a course to societal collapse and untold suffering (along with the extinction of myriad species that
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 17
017020_champions.FINAL.indd 17
21/11/2021 00:58
Climate Champions Network. Our vision is a Climate Safe Bromley, a Climate Safe Harrow, a Climate Safe Redbridge — every borough’s streets and local areas being made climate safe. Just imagine what Climate Safe Streets in Neasden would look like! It would be very different to what it is now. Don’t get us wrong, London is a vibrant place where people are proud of where they live and strive to make their neighbourhoods better. But just imagine what we could achieve if we channelled all this pride and energy into transforming our streets to give people the freedom and enjoyment of cycling — the best zero carbon, zero pollution vehicle around. Imagination is our most important asset, along with the energy to make our vision real.
Our green go-getters: champions Steve, Simon and Monica at a recent meet-up
WHAT THEY SAY? “The floods in London this summer were a stark reminder that climate change is already with us. Our response to that must include an increase in active travel and a reduction in road traffic miles. Climate Safe Streets help us achieve this, but they are not just about cycling. The data shows that Climate Safe Streets lead to more vibrant neighbourhoods, lower air pollution and noise, as well as more walking and cycling. That’s got to be a good thing.”
Simon Saville – Southwark Champion
So thank you also for bringing your imagination and energy to this mission. Like us, you are acutely aware that transport remains the only sector in which greenhouse gas emissions have increased compared to 1990 levels. Improvements in technology and efficiency have been cancelled out by bigger vehicles, and more and more miles driven. Vehicle-miles travelled in the UK have seen year-on-year growth from 2010 and 2019, so it is imperative that this situation is reversed. In London, more than three million ‘unencumbered’ journeys (little luggage or goods) are made every day by car that are short enough to easily cycle. Imagine the carbon, pollution and congestion avoidance if they were. Action on cycling equals action on climate. That’s why our campaign is calling for action by all London’s leaders to create zero-carbon roads by 2030. In fact, Mayor Sadiq Khan won’t achieve his goal of a zero-carbon London unless he and they do so.
What we’re calling for
There isn’t a possible zero carbon scenario where cycles — and by that we mean all ‘micromobility’ types, such as e-bikes, trikes, e-scooters and adapted cycles — don’t play a
18
017020_champions.FINAL.indd 18
21/11/2021 00:59
CAMPAIGN
major role in our everyday transportation needs. But we know that people won’t cycle unless they feel safe enough. That’s why calling for Climate Safe Streets involves, at its core, calling for all the things we already demand, and have been successful in winning, to make our streets safe enough for people of all ages and abilities to cycle: high quality cycle tracks, low traffic neighbourhoods, 20mph default speed limits, School Streets. It also means calling for all those other things we need to help people access cycling, from cycle training to secure and convenient parking. It’s just that we need all of these things delivered at emergency speed. So what has this got to do with the local elections in May next year? Well, remember this: our boroughs are responsible for 95% of London’s roads, even if not most of the traffic, so the decisions they take about creating space for cycling will be critically important in creating a continuous, high quality, high density cycling network that connects everyone with their local town centres, amenities, services, and so on, and with every other part of London. Quite rightly, local people hold councillors responsible for most of what happens on their roads, and the support of local councillors from all political parties is a fundamental requirement to achieving Climate Safe Streets. This issue can’t be a political football. Securing the future of humankind is too important. This has to be a shared agenda that unites people from all backgrounds and political viewpoints.
WHAT THEY SAY? “I’ve lived most of my life in Haringey and have always hoped for a greener future, which I’m still hoping is just around the corner! I’ve become an LCC Climate Champion in the hope of making that vision a reality. It sadly took the road death of a much-loved teacher at my kids’ school for me to take the step into action, but it’s great to now be working with an experienced group of people. Hopefully together we can help transform the streets into a better, safer space for everyone.”
Monica Chakraverty – Haringey Champion But you probably knew that already and you’re committed to making a difference in your local area. That’s why you’ve applied to join our Climate Champions Network, so we can work together on how best to tackle the challenges ahead of us.
Positivity and determination
LCC is a member-led charity, where our local groups are the most important arm of our operation. Local groups are led by an army of volunteers who are keen to see more cycles on our roads and have been campaigning tirelessly for decades. You’ll join your local group and take advantage of their collective experience and bring your enthusiasm and energy to lead the way in devising a local strategy to campaign effectively for Climate Safe Streets ahead of next year’s local elections. You’ll be joined by fellow champions from all over London who are equally energetic and eager to make a difference where they live and you’ll be fully supported by the campaigns team at LCC headquarters. LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 19
017020_champions.FINAL.indd 19
21/11/2021 00:59
CAMPAIGN
Share the reality
WHAT THEY SAY? “We are not asking for new cycle lanes for cyclists. We are asking for the mass of young and old to have the confidence to stop driving short distances and cycle, walk or scoot instead.”
Steve Prowse – Camden Champion Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start, or whether you’re new to campaigning. Positivity and determination is all you need. When thinking about Climate Safe Streets, the kind of streets that are not contributing to climate change, an obvious image comes to mind: people walking, riding or scooting down these roads. These are the very types of roads that some Londoners already enjoy, which is a really important point: this kind of transformation can be done, it is happening, and can be made real everywhere. But while it’s true that some parts of London are already embracing Climate Safe Streets, those benefiting are not always the most vocal about it. As a result we tend to hear most from the angry people who disagree, who maybe haven’t yet joined all the dots or for whom the eventual benefits are not yet being felt. It will be so important to engage with the silent majority. After all, our elected leaders and candidates need to hear from them, to tell them they’re doing the right things and to keep it up, or to remind them we’re in a climate emergency and more needs doing.
The LCC Champions Network is growing each week: come and join us
We’ve said we’d need imagination, first and foremost. But we also need to take real world experience to those who haven’t had it yet. Places like the mini-Holland in Waltham Forest are great assets to our narrative. Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign has long been running mini-Holland ‘study tours’ to share their reality with other boroughs and interested parties. It shows that big and bold interventions are possible, despite initial pushback. And the data is clear: there are improvements on every metric such as road danger (down), air pollution (down), people cycling (up), younger people and families cycling (up), public approval for the road schemes (up). But it took large amounts of investment and strong leadership to achieve. That’s why we’re planning our own Champions’ mini-Holland study tours to demonstrate how such strong and decisive leadership can pave the way to enormous improvements to both local areas and boroughwide. What solutions are required on the ground may vary from place to place, but the key ingredient of political will does not. The main prerequisite is to care about our environment and be motivated to do something about it. Tick and tick. So welcome to our Champions Network, we look forward to working with you for the next few months. n Find out more about our Champions Network at lcc.org.uk/climate-safe-streets
20
017020_champions.FINAL.indd 20
21/11/2021 00:59
21_ad.indd 21
23/11/2021 10:18
22
022026_interview.FINAL.indd 22
21/11/2021 00:49
INTERVIEW
LAS CYCLE RESPONSE UNIT We spoke to Tom Baverstock and Laura McAllister about their work as pedalling paramedics in London and how the team has evolved When did you join the unit?
Though if the assessment indicates that they do require an ambulance, help will be arranged. We also have paramedics on e-bikes working half their shifts at GP surgeries, working closely with GPs, learning lots about primary care and also helping to deal with patients in the community. Lots has evolved in the past decade and keeps evolving.
LM: I joined in 2017. I’ve always cycled, so when I discovered I could work as a paramedic on a bike, I jumped at the opportunity. I enjoy being outside and working in whatever weather is thrown at us — and luckily we have great kit and uniform that keeps us warm and dry throughout the cold winter months. TB: I joined the London Ambulance Service (LAS) in 2010, and after nearly ten years working on an ambulance, I was ready for a change and a new challenge, so joined the Cycle Response Unit (CRU). I really enjoy cycling, so I was always keen to get on the team.
Were you both cyclists before joining the team? And did you have any specific training?
We interviewed the first cycle paramedic in the magazine over a decade ago, how has the team evolved in that time? TB: Over the years the team has expanded and changed, just as the city itself has. We have roughly 50 members of staff at any one time on the unit, with about 100 members of staff who are CRU trained across the service. We have teams in the busy central pedestrian areas and also out at Heathrow Airport. We also have cycle paramedics working in our 999 control rooms, operating on our clinical hub; they play a crucial role in assessing and signposting patients to the most appropriate point of care or service in their local community for their needs.
On call at Trafalgar Square: Tom and his near-75kg bike and kit
Who can apply to work on the CRU? TB: The team recruits experienced paramedics, who have experience working as solo paramedic responders. And those who do apply must also be fit, competent and experienced cyclists.
Interview: Calum Rogers & John Kitchiner
TB: I enjoy cycling and taking my bike out when I’m not working. I recently got a new bike at home and try to go out for a ride when I can. LM: I also regularly cycle and before joining the team I used a bicycle as my main form of transport. I’ve really always enjoyed cycling and have completed multi-day tours across Europe. To join the CRU we had a week-long induction course on specific skills to help us ride with heavy panniers. This included riding up and down steps, balancing while turning corners, group riding through heavy traffic, and correctly mounting and dismounting the bike while keeping it stable. TB: Some existing cycle paramedics are also trained as instructors, so the training is in-house. LM: Every year we also complete a mountain bike training day at Swinley Forest, where we have a BMX trainer who helps us improve bike handling skills on different types of terrain.
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 23
022026_interview.FINAL.indd 23
21/11/2021 00:49
INTERVIEW
The first step is to apply when a recruitment drive is advertised and if your application is successful, you get invited for an interview, a cycling proficiency assessment and also a ‘cycling workforce assessment’ — or what others may refer to as a fitness test! Pass all of those and you then get invited to attend that week-long Public Safety Cycling (PSC) course. Pass that and you can go on the waiting list for a vacancy.
Tell us more about this PSC course... TB: It is based on the hugely successful International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) course that is currently taught in the US, Canada and Europe. It is regarded as the leading UK emergency services course and is being used as the standard for nationwide public service cycling standards. It tests your proficiency in cycling knowledge, legislation including the Highway Code, fitness, road cycling, low-speed cycle skills and group riding to national standards.
What are the main advantages of the team? Any examples of the advantages over vehicles, including fast-response cars?
Line of duty: Laura (above left) and team out and about in Westminster
I responded to one incident recently where a fast-response car got to scene at the same time as me, but they then had to walk 10 minutes with heavy kit, whereas we were able to ride our bikes, fully-equipped, through the building itself to get to the patient. We can nip through small alleyways and shortcuts throughout the city. We even get jobs at London Underground stations, or at the main railways, where we can cycle down the platform or take the lifts down to reach the patient, with all our kit ready to administer immediate medical treatment. TB: I echo what Laura’s said. There are many advantages of using pushbikes in central London. The first has to be the speed we can get to addresses. But we also have zero emissions and are completely carbon neutral. Plus, for me, personal fitness is a huge benefit too. We do attend lots of less urgent calls as well, and are often able to resolve incidents at the scene, which frees up resources for other emergencies. For example, we may be able to refer someone to their GP if appropriate, or assist them to a minor injuries unit. On the flip side, we can also ask for more resources if a patient starts to deteriorate, while treating them in scene. Working in the community also gives the public some reassurance — they see us out and about and ask us questions. Lots of great advantages.
It is not unheard of for members of the team to clock up 100km in a single shift
LM: Using a bicycle to respond to 999 calls in London has multiple advantages, specifically to do with traffic and also how densely populated the city is. Our teams can often get to the patients quicker than an ambulance because of the traffic or road layouts. We are able to manoeuvre the bike around this and get to the patient first. We even have jobs in office buildings.
How quickly do the bikes get to patients? TB: The average response time to calls is six minutes.
How do you find your way around? Do you use sat nav? LM: Each team gets to know their areas like the back of their hand. In addition to
24
022026_interview.FINAL.indd 24
21/11/2021 00:49
25_ad.indd 25
07/11/2021 23:48
INTERVIEW
which they also have a map on the top of their rear panniers!
What bikes are you riding? Any special or unique features? TB: Mine is a Specialized bike, with adaptions to be able to carry up to 75kg worth of kit in total. It has hi-vis panniers, a siren and blue lights. Most of the bikes when fully loaded with equipment — along with the uniform each team member wears, including the stab vests, boots, etc — can easily weigh as much as 70kg. We have had, and currently use, various different brands of mountain bikes, from the likes of Specialized, Cube and Saracen, and we replace them once they reach the end of their working lives, with sites/CRU hubs staggering the time when it comes to renew their fleet. So, although the bikes may superficially all look similar throughout the team, currently we don’t have the same brand or manufacturer’s bikes across the service. This means the CRU isn’t tied to one brand or manufacturer, which provides resilience in case there’s a recall or similar. It also creates a competitive environment when we look to replace the fleet.
Can you give us an idea of the medical kit you carry? TB: Our cycle responders’ kit is very similar equipment to that found on the ambulances, fast-response cars and motorcycle response units (MRUs). It includes an ECG monitor, a defibrillator, maternity packs, advanced airway management kits, PPE, bandages and dressing, and much more. LM: Basically everything you need to help start delivering good quality care at the scene of an incident. We can attend any 999 calls ranging from minor injuries to major trauma falls anywhere in the city.
All in a day’s work: the CRU has units based right across the city
You’ve got all bases covered then? LM: Yes. From the most life-threatening jobs and cardiac arrests, to minor injuries where patients can be treated on scene or referred to appropriate treatment. We’re often the quickest to the most ill patients in congested areas, starting life-saving treatment before others can get there; and for the less seriously ill, the CRU reduces ambulance usage and the intake of patients into A&E departments — resolving over half of all incidents at the scene — which saves time and money for the NHS, LAS and patients.
What areas of the city do you operate in? TB: Our bikes are currently based in the West End, Victoria, the City, Islington and Camden, St Pancras, Kingston and at Heathrow Airport. We also work at events including Twickenham rugby matches and massparticipation events such as the London Marathon. So please do give us a wave if you see us out and about.
How far do you cycle per shift? TB: It is not unheard of for members of the team to clock up 100km in a single shift!
And how many jobs do you reckon you attend each year? LM: I’m told the CRU attends roughly 16,000 calls a year.
26
022026_interview.FINAL.indd 26
21/11/2021 00:49
27_ad.indd 27
22/11/2021 13:25
BUSINESS BY CYCLE There’s not much that can’t be moved around a city more efficiently by using pedal power. Tom Bogdanowicz speaks to some ardent converts...
I
F YOU’VE BEEN in central London in the past year you must have noticed the ever-growing number of cargobikes, cycle delivery riders and innovative coffee, ice cream or laundry cycles on the streets. With the development of pedal-assist electric cargobikes a 100kg-plus load can be moved easily by cycle, with all the consequent benefits for speed, convenience and low emissions. Add a trailer and you can easily transport a dozen bikes for a school Bikeability session. What smart businesses are discovering is
that using cycles, in addition to their efficiency, also makes them more attractive to both individual and corporate clients who want to demonstrate their sustainability and ‘green’ credentials. And, at present, businesses that start using cycle transport can get access to government grants of up to 40% of the cost of an e-cargobike (capped at £2.5k). We met up with half-a-dozen less mainstream London businesses which are widening the range of what cycles can be used for in their day-to-day activity.
28
028031_cargobikes.FINAL.indd 28
21/11/2021 01:01
CARGOBIKES TRAVEL
INDIE BEER
ECOFLEET
Photos: Tom Bogdanowicz
While Uber Eats and Deliveroo cater to individuals, Ecofleet has chosen to provide services to businesses (usually dubbed B2B, or business to business). From its base in Wandsworth, its team of two dozen riders can rack up to more than 4,000 drops in a single day, whether that’s delivering food, dry goods, clothes — in fact anything the customer wants. Like Oxwash (see p.31), Ecofleet uses specialised software to optimise the delivery schedule. This helps efficiency and gives clients the speed of service they want. Founder Farah Asemi suffers from a chronic pulmonary disease that is exacerbated by the air pollution in London. She says: “Instead of accepting the status quo I was determined to find a smart and sustainable solution for mobility.” That solution was to assemble a multi-cultural team of managers and riders to provide carbon-neutral transport across the city. Initially grant funded, Farah says they were just becoming profitable before the pandemic hit. As with so many businesses, the past year has been difficult, but she hopes the worst is over and looks forward to a green recovery.
The founders, owners and delivery riders of Indie Beer are Clare and Owen Daniel. When they started their business in north London four years ago they used either their own pedal bikes (packing beer in rucksacks) or a conventional van. In 2021 relief for their knees and backs, as well as fuel emissions, came via a smart Bullitt e-cargobike. From a base in the Holloway Road — where there’s a bar and over-the-counter shop — they deliver craft beers and ales, to nine north London postcodes, an area that stretches from Highgate to the Angel to Tottenham, and includes some of the capital’s most challenging inclines. On an e-cargobike, says Clare, the hard rides have become so much easier. In one bike box Indiebeer can pack 150 cans or bottles from a selection of 400 beers made by independent breweries. The use of sustainable transport is efficient and cost effective, as well as being part of Clare and Owen’s sustainability agenda. They minimise packing materials by reusing those used by suppliers and recycle those in turn. On nearby Arsenal’s match days reusable plastic glasses are used. They also have an awning at the front of the shop to help reduce warming of refrigerated cabinets. During lockdown the business experienced a boom as shoppers purchased beers to drink at home, but this year has been tougher as people cut-back on spending. Interestingly, Clare and Owen report that they get a lot of cycling customers and they have been lobbying Islington Council to provide a bike stand outside the shop. It’s a theme that comes up often in conversations with cycle-based and other businesses: having the right infrastructure in place, whether cycle lanes or cycle parking, can attract yet more cycling customers.
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 29
028031_cargobikes.FINAL.indd 29
21/11/2021 01:02
CARGOBIKES
FREDDIE’S FLOWERS
ST STEPHEN’S HEALTH CENTRE While most medical consultations take place at a surgery or by phone/video, some elderly or infirm patients need to be visited at home. Assessments of safety within a home for example, or examination of immobile patients cannot be carried out remotely. Like many GP practices in London, St Stephen’s has a relatively small (approximately 1km square) catchment area and over that kind of distance driving is rarely the best transport option for a home visit. Dr Rachel Bower, a GP at St Stephen’s, often walks to calls at the local housing estates, but for visits further afield a cycle is the obvious choice. Like most of the staff at her practice Rachel does not drive to work — improved cycle facilities and reductions in local traffic volumes have made both commuting and home visits by bike safer and more pleasant. The regular sight of a local doctor on a cycle also helps social contact with patients and sends out a positive message about active travel. Like many doctors, Rachel encourages patients to exercise by riding their bike or walking in local parks. A remaining problem for Rachel and other doctors and nurses who travel by bike is the lack of cycle parking on estates and streets. Unlike delivery riders, who are rarely away from their bikes for more than a few minutes, doctors and nurses have to spend time in people’s homes and the lack of secure parking for visitors is an ongoing issue across much of London.
The 20 cycle riders at Freddie’s Flowers make up to a staggering 13,000 deliveries of flowers per week — without generating exhaust emissions, without causing congestion on roads and without causing damage to road surfaces. For a business that has such a huge volume of drop-offs in a small dense area bicycle transport was always going to be the most efficient solution. Founded in 2015 by Freddie Garland (his real surname), the firm had the backing of green greengrocer Able and Cole, whose Keith Able remains chair of the company. It specialises in tastefully-arranged bouquets made up of flowers sourced directly from the growers and delivered promptly to customers (mostly individual households), so that they remain fresh for a couple of weeks rather than a few days. Initially Freddie’s Flowers used the services of Pedalme, the London-wide cargobike delivery firm, to complete their orders, but in 2019 they opted to take the whole process in house. With the riders spread across two depots (Earlsfield and Bermondsey) Freddie’s Flowers can already cover much of London, but they are planning a further depot in Hoxton to cover an even greater area efficiently.
30
028031_cargobikes.FINAL.indd 30
21/11/2021 01:02
OXWASH
JONES BROS DAIRY Back in 1877 when Henry Jones and his wife Sarah established Jones Dairy in east London, they could not have anticipated a change in their delivery method from horses to cycles to horseless carriages and then back to cycles, albeit electric ones. Henry’s grandson, another Henry and also son of a Henry, remains in the business along with Stephen O’Rourke and several other family members. He sometimes rides to work and says that they’ve been thinking about returning to cycle deliveries for several years “as it’s what some of our customers prefer to see”. The opportunity to try cycle delivery to Jones Bros’ many clients in the City of London came with the offer of a Raleigh e-cargobike trial. The electric bike, which can take 250kg of goods in a front container, is a far cry from the pedal cycles that Jones Bros used in the 1930s (see below), though Henry recalls that they did use electric milk floats long before Tesla EVs became fashionable. The cargobikes of the 1930s had to deliver ten-gallon iron milk churns to City caterers. Today, the advent of plastic crates, aluminium churns and electric bikes make that job much easier. In a retro twist Henry also reports that re-usable glass bottles are growing in popularity again, along with emission-cutting oat milk. A key to the future growth of cycle milk deliveries says Henry is the establishment of a hub on the City border from where he anticipates ten e-cargobikes could serve their many clients. While currently using a ‘makeshift’ arrangement near the City, Henry is hoping for a permanent hub near Middlesex Street, just around the corner from where the first Jones Dairy was founded in Jewry Street.
Founded almost four years ago in Oxford, laundry business Oxwash, is now expanding in London. It’s a straightforward idea — you call, they pick up your laundry by e-cargobike, do the laundering, ironing and dry-cleaning and deliver it back on another cycle. The service is aimed primarily at businesses, such as fashion houses, restaurants and garment rental firms, but the firm also offers a service to individuals. Biodegradable detergents are used, ozone for disinfection and hi-tech to minimise water use. Tom De Wilton, one of the directors, says delivery bikes make commercial sense — they’re quick and efficient and the riders are all involved in the laundering as well as the transport side. In the capital five e-cargobikes are used to carry out 30 to 40 deliveries per day. Interestingly Oxwash is backed by venture capital, having raised more than £2m in funding from backers such as Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, the younger Bransons and Paul Forster of Indeed.com. What makes the firm so attractive is that it not only has a laundry service, but has also developed specialised software that ensures the laundering and delivery processes are maximally efficient.
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 31
028031_cargobikes.FINAL.indd 31
21/11/2021 01:02
32_33_ad.indd 32
07/11/2021 23:46
32_33_ad.indd 33
07/11/2021 23:46
DELIVERY CYCLISTS With funding from the Active Travel Academy, Tiffany Lam interviewed nine app-based delivery cyclists to learn about their experiences of cycling in the capital
D
elivery cyclists represent a sizeable proportion of people cycling in London. Recruitment drives by food delivery companies like Deliveroo and Just Eat, together with the explosion of on-demand grocery platforms like Getir, have put an increasing number of such riders on the road. Streets and public spaces form the lion’s share of delivery cyclists’ ‘workplace,’ yet their views are often left out of discussions on street design and infrastructure. It’s important to understand their perceptions and experiences too, to make cycling more inclusive.
LTNs & infrastructure Delivery cyclists are often cycling on busy roads with fast-moving traffic where, they’re “overtaken
and beeped at a lot”. Near misses happen daily, with vehicles and pedestrians. Riders also get ‘close passed’, often by other delivery workers, which they almost understand. One said: “They have to deliver as soon as possible, so they don’t really think too much about the rules of the road.” However, most riders agreed that the growth in cycling since the pandemic started was positive, though many felt that cycling around inexperienced cyclists could be stressful, especially when on the clock. Some of those interviewed suggested expanding cycle training, particularly for novice cyclists (though this is under threat in some boroughs) — including those with little cycling experience prior to doing deliveries. All too frequent conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists
34
034036_delivery.FINAL.indd 34
21/11/2021 01:06
LONDON
underscored the need for more space for walking and cycling. All riders expressed broad support and high demand for more protected cycle lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), as they felt it made cycling safer and more pleasant. One rider said: “I have peace of mind when I’m in an LTN.” At the same time, most riders pointed out that the temporary cycle lanes and LTNs installed during the pandemic were “too piecemeal” and “barely scratched the surface.” For example, one rider described how the red-and-white blocks demarcating a temporary cycle lane in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham often got moved around because cars drove into them. This made things more dangerous than if nothing was there. Another rider shared frustrations with the variability of cycling infrastructure from borough to borough: “It’s like I’m on the road one minute, then I’m on the pavement, and then I’m back on the road again.” Cycle lanes need to be wellmaintained and function as a joined-up network. This means facilitating local, orbital journeys, as well as longer, radial ones. According to a former Deliveroo rider: “As a courier, you’re
making lots of short journeys so it doesn’t really fit into the cycling infrastructure norm because we’re rarely going in a straight line (eg, east to west) — we’re zigzagging all over.”
Parks & green spaces All delivery cyclists appreciated London’s abundant parks and green spaces. However, women and non-binary riders felt there were not enough places to stop and rest in between deliveries. Male riders were more likely to feel comfortable stopping anywhere. One said: “I just use benches in parks, or I’ll sit on a busy road; if there’s no bench then I just sit on my bike.” Meanwhile, a non-binary rider said they “rarely find anywhere really chill to rest.” This is particularly problematic in the winter, as a queer female rider explained: “It’s always on your mind, the needs of your own body, where to use the toilet, where to get water, where to get warm.” Street harassment is another key issue for female and non-binary riders too, which they said occurs more frequently while cycling for deliveries compared to cycling for other reasons. They wondered if having branded delivery uniforms made them more visible targets. They also felt that aggressive
NEED FOR MORE PUBLIC TOILETS & WATER FOUNTAINS “Something very important to talk about is the fact that London doesn’t have any public drinking fountains. There are a lot of those in other cities in other countries, but not here. These facilities would be extremely helpful for people who have a job riding around all the time. And even though we’re just a small part of the cycling population, I really think the rest of the public would really appreciate something like that. In my home country, Italy, there’s lots of fountains and, if I run out of water I don’t have to go into the supermarket, buy another bottle, waste more plastic — I can just go and refill my bottle. Here that’s not the case. “Also, there’s a big issue of not having public toilets, especially in parks and green areas where there’s space for them to be fitted. During good weather when people spend a lot of time outside, surely that also benefits everyone? Otherwise it can result in the degradation of public spaces where people just go and pee behind a tree, which is not nice for anybody. It would be amazing to see the re-installation and refurbishment of public toilets and water fountains in parks at least, or in busy areas like close to high streets.” Giulia
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 35
034036_delivery.FINAL.indd 35
21/11/2021 01:07
LONDON
driving behaviour was coloured by sexism, as drivers might not necessarily intimidate and closely pass male cyclists as much. Overall, there was high demand for more public toilets and water fountains. Toilet access was a problem the IWGB Couriers and Logistics Branch campaigned on during the pandemic. One rider joked: “Toilets — that’s a VIP thing, isn’t it!” Another echoed that sentiment: “You’re out there and you’re basically on your own.” While Pedalme riders said clients usually offered to refill their bottles, riders for other apps flagged the need for more public water fountains. One said: “It’s quite bad, I don’t drink as much water as I should so I don’t have to wee, because I don’t know where the next toilet will be.”
EVERYDAY STREET HARASSMENT “I’ve experienced harassment from another courier who worked for Deliveroo. I’ve also experienced harassment from people out in the street. It’s almost like because you’re a courier on the bike, there’s more of a reason for them to come up and talk to you. I don’t really get that cycling in normal life. Maybe it’s because you’re stopping and starting at places all the time. “I’ve had men harass me for my number. I’ve had a man put his arm around me, I had literally no idea who he was. I’ve had a man punch me in the stomach as a joke, though it wasn’t funny. I know members in our union have delivered to flats where a guy’s tried to pull a female rider in the door. The harassment, being touched and people shouting at you on the road are things you could do without in your day.” Anon
Recommended changes to our streetscapes Delivery cyclists have other helpful ideas about how to make cycling in London safer and more enjoyable. One popular idea was couriers’ hubs in parks: “There could be more places to pull over, check your tyres, have a sit down, use the toilet, have a cup of tea, just have somewhere to call base.” There was also strong appetite for an integrated network of quality, protected cycle lanes and LTNs to create a more low-stress environment. This includes more cycle parking, 20mph zones, enforcement of speed limits, improvements to junctions and better signage for cycling. So things are moving in the right direction, but with a rapidly growing number of deliveries being made by cycle — and only likely to keep on rising — there’s an urgent need that their voices and ideas are heard.
NEED FOR MORE PROTECTED CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE “The first wave of Covid massively reduced the number of cars on the road, which was very welcome. However, rather than improving cycling conditions, it actually felt less safe in many places, as drivers took advantage of the extra space to travel at higher speeds. “Although there have been a number of interventions (pop-up cycle lanes, LTNs) my view is that the attention they’ve received, positive and negative, has outweighed their practical impact so far. They make passing through those areas far more pleasant, but as a proportion of total space they’re a drop in the ocean. All too soon, you’re back in the thick of it, fighting with vehicles along two-way streets turned into one lane by cars parked bumper-tobumper along both sides. “The only places where I feel safe enough to really enjoy cycling in London are along the Embankment and Blackfriars Road. There are no other significant stretches of bike lanes that are of the standard we ought to expect. While I appreciate that most change is incremental, rather than revolutionary, I do sometimes think that people are too quick to settle for less, because we’re so used to seeing no progress at all. If ever there was a time to push for more, surely it’s now?” Nick (pictured above)
36
034036_delivery.FINAL.indd 36
21/11/2021 01:07
37_ad.indd 37
07/11/2021 23:53
38_ad.indd 38
22/11/2021 13:29
Free CatEye Light Sets for you and a friend
Introduce a friend to LCC membership: they’ll support our work campaigning for safer cycling in London and you’ll both receive a free CatEye AMPP400 front light and CatEye Rapid Micro rear light. Dependable and portable, perfect for increasing your visibility day or night. NEW MEMBER BENEFITS • Third-party insurance cover • Free cycling legal advice • Discounts with 100+ bike shops and top cycling retailers • Subscription to London Cyclist magazine • Free CatEye AMPP400 and Rapid Micro lights HOW TO CLAIM Visit www.lcc.org.uk/lights/ or use the QR code opposite.
39_ad.indd 39 LCC21_lightsoffer_magazine_ad_v3.indd 1
22/11/2021 13:34 27/09/2021 09:53
CYCLING’S LEGAL FAQS
I’ve been involved in a collision — what should I do at the scene of the crash? Shock and pain can make it difficult to react immediately and properly to a collision involving injury, but here is our advice on what to do: 1: Be safe — get out of danger and get others to help secure the scene. 2: Call 999 — ambulance paramedics will assess your injuries and the police will investigate the cycling accident.
3: Swap details with the other party — this is a legal requirement unless the accident has been reported to the police. 4: Evidence – use your phone to photograph the other vehicle, driver and the scene itself. Check for CCTV cameras, speak to witnesses and obtain their contact details. 5: Get legal advice — Following a crash which has resulted in injury to you, it is always worth speaking to a specialist lawyer who will be able to advise you on your rights, obligations and the next steps. LCC members can call Osbornes Law on 020 7681 8672.
40
040044_osbornes.FINAL.indd 40
21/11/2021 18:57
TRAVEL LEGAL
The law around collisions and claims can appear daunting, so we asked Stuart Kightley at Osbornes Law to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions
I was involved in a crash, but the other party did not remain at the scene. Can I still make a claim?
The ‘heads of loss’ in a cycling accident claim are broad, and cover past losses and expenses as well as rehabilitation and the cost of meeting future needs, including: loss of earnings and prejudice on the labour market; bike repairs and equipment damage; travel expenses and loss of use of bike; treatment, rehabilitation and therapy costs; specialist equipment and care; and adaptations to vehicle and home. Osbornes Law recently acted for a client who was thrown off her bike in a collision at a roundabout and suffered a lumbar spine fracture. During her period of recovery she had to work reduced hours as a hospital consultant and required therapy for the psychological effects of the accident and her injuries. Interim payments were claimed from the opponent to meet these costs. Longer term, she was restricted in terms of the physical aspects of her job, and the eventual financial settlement included the value of continued reduced hours, up to retirement, as well as compensation for the lost opportunity to gain further promotion. We acted for another client who sustained a lower back injury when he was knocked off his bike. He made a good recovery but would always have a vulnerability to episodes of back pain if he over-exerted physically. We were able to recover damages to allow him to pay contractors to complete the home DIY and garden renovation work he had started, and secured an allowance every year to cover the cost of heavier DIY and gardening in the future, beyond retirement age.
How do I start a claim for compensation? Speak to a solicitor, who should offer you a free initial assessment. The first consideration will be whether a claim for compensation is likely to succeed. That will depend on the facts of the particular case, but if it can be proved — on the balance of probabilities — that another party was at fault and their fault caused the accident then the claim will succeed. If the lawyer
Images: photocatalyst.uk
Yes! If you are the victim of a ‘hit and run’, or the other party is an uninsured driver, you will still be able to seek a compensation award. This is done through a third-party organisation called the Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB). The MIB’s job is to step into the shoes of the insurer and to compensate for all genuine claims made against a negligent, but uninsured or unknown, driver. Your solicitor will handle the whole process.
Can I claim for any damage to my bicycle, travel expenses and any loss of earnings?
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 41
040044_osbornes.FINAL.indd 41
21/11/2021 18:57
LEGAL
xxxx: xxxx
How do I fund my case? These cases are most commonly instructed on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. Osbornes will offer you a ‘no win, no fee’ funding agreement so that you will not have to meet the legal costs and expenses as the case proceeds. In the unlikely event that the case is not successful, you will not be left out of pocket. If you win you pay a small success fee from your recovered damages.
Photo: bigstock
The other party have said I am partly to blame — can I challenge this? believes the claim has little or no chance of success they will decline to take the case on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. You are then at liberty to consult one or more other lawyers, because other firms may take a different view on liability or have a different appetite for risk. It may well be that it is too early at the outset for the lawyer to have a clear idea on liability. It may be that you are unable for various reasons to recount the accident circumstances and it can take time to gather the liability evidence together. The solicitor should then obtain the police, witness, CCTV, accident investigation and other evidence necessary to review the case on liability, pursuing the claim with the opponent’s insurers and seeking an early admission of liability. There is a protocol that your lawyer and the third-party insurers will follow, which has short time limits to deal with the exchange of initial information and which is designed to resolve issues on liability in the initial weeks after the claim is brought. Rehabilitation is also an early consideration, and in many cases an early independent rehab assessment is carried out so that funding can be sought from the opponent to cover the cost of medical investigations, therapies and treatment. Issues around medical assessment, prognosis and compensation assessment should wait until the injuries have stabilised, and so they tend to follow liability investigations.
In relation to liability, your lawyer will use their expertise and experience to secure 100% liability, or as close to it as possible on the facts of the case. If the opponent was at fault but alleges that it was also your fault, then they are making a claim for ‘contributory negligence’. Just as it is for the claimant to prove their primary claim by evidence, it is up to the defendant to put forward evidence to show that you are partially to blame. If they succeed, the final amount of compensation is reduced by a percentage to reflect your contribution of blame. Some accidents are genuinely six of one and half-a-dozen of another. For example, if two vehicles collide head on at a bend because the drivers both took it too fast and strayed into the opposite carriageway, they could both be 50% to blame and so would be liable to meet 50% of each other’s claim. If one party was a cyclist and the other a lorry driver, then the former may have a large loss claim and the latter a negligible one, and so the lorry driver’s insurers would have to meet 50% of the cyclist’s claim. It is common for contributory negligence to be raised against claims brought by cyclists. Examples include running a red light, being unlit in the dark, and turning without indicating. Where a claimant sustained head or facial injuries and was not wearing a helmet, insurers and their lawyers will usually claim up to 25% for contributory negligence, but they will not often succeed in this evolving area of the law.
42
040044_osbornes.FINAL.indd 42
21/11/2021 18:57
NEVER STOP RIDING. Don’t let anything stop your ride, especially not a flat tire. Tannus airless tyres guarantee puncture proof tyres no matter what your level or type of riding.
Armour
Tubeless
Airless
www.tannus.co.uk info@tannus.co.uk
43_ad.indd 43
23/11/2021 10:21
LEGAL
Parking nirvana: at North Middlesex Hospital in Enfield
It should be remembered that the hierarchy of responsibility principle is likely to be written into the Highway Code soon, and is already generally applied as a common law principle. It means that those with the potential to do the most harm must bear the greatest responsibility to avoid the danger they pose, and in practice means that the negligence of a motor vehicle driver will be considered more serious and significant than that of the injured vulnerable road user. So findings of contributory negligence against cyclists are often relatively low, around the 20-30% range. It is also the case that allegations of contributory negligence can be thrown in to discussions for the purposes of negotiation and may not always have merit on close inspection. We acted for a claimant who suffered a serious head injury in a bicycle accident claim. The defendant’s lawyers contended for a 25% reduction in damages because he was not wearing a helmet, but to succeed with that claim they had to show firstly that he owed a legal duty to wear a helmet and secondly that a helmet would have prevented the injury. There is currently no good legal precedent that a cyclist is mandated to wear a helmet, and secondly the impact was to the front of the head — an area where a helmet offers little protection — and so the defendant was not able to show that a cycling helmet would have made a difference.
Our advice is to contact a specialist firm of solicitors before accepting any offer made, as
I’ve been injured in an accident and no other road user was involved. Is it possible to bring a claim? Depending on the facts of your case, if the accident was caused by another party (such as a local authority) not properly discharging their duty of care and causing a highway defect or hazard, it is possible to seek damages from them for injury. Osbornes is representing a client who was thrown off his bike when a large stone became lodged in his front wheel while riding on a cycle path, sustaining very serious injuries. The claim was pursued against the local authority, who had failed to properly maintain the track, and a seven-figure award secured. We represented another client who suffered severe shoulder and wrist injuries after his bike slipped from underneath him. On gathering witness statements, it was revealed that a local authority road sweeper vehicle leaking an oily substance had passed the area shortly before the cyclist. We approached the insurers for the local authority and alleged fault. Liability was admitted and substantial damages awarded.
Photo: bigstock
The insurers for the other party have made me an offer to settle the case — do I need to accept?
in our experience such offers can be very low and do not take into account the longer lasting impact of any injuries sustained. Osbornes Law represented a cyclist who suffered severe facial injuries following a collision. In this case the driver’s insurance made an early offer of £15,000, which we rejected on behalf of our client. By instructing medical experts we were able to build up a much better picture of the client’s long-term prognosis and the final award we achieved was £70,000.
44
040044_osbornes.FINAL.indd 44
21/11/2021 18:57
45_ad.indd 45
22/11/2021 13:35
DAWN RAIDERS Looking to add more spice to a classic, John Kitchiner and friends pack light to ride from London to Brighton, off-road, at night
E
MERGING SLOWLY FROM our deciduous canopy, the landscape finally opens its embrace. Through tired, dust-ravaged eyes we can just make out soft freckles of morning light on the eastern horizon; the light hitting bull rushes and dormant grasses to perfectly direct our forward progress. The Arun lies still beside us, not a ripple breaking its surface, the most gentle of mists adding a dreaminess to the moment. It was a moment we’d been talking about, hoping for — and now it was here we let it soak over us. Our timing had been flawless and we were revelling in a plan coming to fruition so beautifully. The more we rode on, the more our quiet chatter was joined by birdsong; blackbirds, thrushes, even the odd robin sounding their waking calls. An exquisite daybreak to follow a fortuitously balmy night. By the foot of our final hurdle, the sun’s baby rays had begun caressing the hilltops ahead, beckoning us upward. The going begins easy, then quickly steepens, dramatically, traction hard to find on loose rocks. But the grimacing is thankfully short-lived and soon replaced by appreciative smiles and long overdue embraces. The finish lies in sight, across verdant downland. It’s truly glorious and while we empty the last of our waterbottles, we’re reminded of the words of one-time local Alfred Lord Tennyson: You came, and look’d and saw the view Long known and loved by me, Green Sussex fading into blue With one grey glimpse of sea.
Another bone-shakingly brilliant descent and we hit civilisation again, for the first time in several hours, before a weary sprint to the shingle beach and that last dismount. We’d completed the London to Brighton, off-road, at night and, without doubt, it’s one that will live long in the memory for myriad reasons.
Luck on our side Like pretty much the entire global population, plans of any sort had been a constant shuffle of postponement and revision for much of the previous year. Cycling adventures had likewise taken a back seat to more pressing concerns. Most major events too had either been knocked off the calendar completely or shunted to an unseasonally late date. However our group had been hedging its bets, keeping its collective fingers crossed for one special, small-scale outing that looked set right on the cusp of when pandemic lockdown restrictions would potentially be eased. And, in the first of several large slices of luck, the organisers got the definitive thumbs-up only a few days before the off. The deliberately limited numbers also allowed things to run in a natural, relaxed, Covid-safe way; a mere 75 of us took to the start, a small fraction of the thousands usually signed up to huge road sportives. With riders set off in waves and rapidly dispersed across the route, it meant we could enjoy the time without niggling virus worries. Chatting to fellow riders at the evening briefing, everyone shared this relief and was simply relishing the challenge ahead.
46
046050_nightride.FINAL.indd 46
21/11/2021 01:09
ADVENTURE
Photo: Dan Milner
LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2021 47
046050_nightride.FINAL.indd 47
21/11/2021 01:09
ADVENTURE
An added chunk of good fortune came our way with the weather forecast. Checking and refreshing the Met Office website almost hourly in the lead-up pointed to laughably good conditions for the duration, possibly the finest overnight temperatures of the entire summer. That meant we could be confident in packing much lighter than we normally would — bulging rucksacks eschewed in favour of small handlebar bags or seatpacks, with windproofs stashed in rear pockets, along with easily-accessible snacks. Ageing backs and injured shoulders would thank us, particularly on the rutted second half of the course. As it transpired, we recorded 21-degrees at 10pm that night and 16-degrees at 4am the following day; jerseys only, certainly no jackets required.
Capital to coast Of course the concept of riding from the city to the sea overnight isn’t new; Audax riders have been doing variants across the country for decades. Indeed a couple of our party had done capital to coast a few times previously in classic style: minimalist kit, following as quiet a route as possible, with a plan to refuel or shelter at 24-hour petrol stations if the going got desperate. This latest venture had a similar feel, but was almost entirely off-road, bar a few short ‘linking’ sections on country lanes. The L2BO@N is really a ride of four distinct quarters and it’s useful to break it down that way mentally to help tick the mileage off. The grand depart is always at one of the big sports grounds or parks in south-west London, meaning the first leg is a mad dash alongside the Thames, your efforts cheered by loud groups
in riverside pub gardens. The pace is typically high as everyone races to leave the bright lights behind; this year we’re ‘treated’ to dust clouds like the Strade Bianche peloton and woe betide anyone who’d neglected to bring clear glasses. You’re never too far from the River Wey as the route turns due south, the first major milestone chalked up when the A3 has been crossed. It’s also the last you hear traffic noise until you’re pretty much in the home straight. Next comes the North Downs, heart of the stockbroker belt and spiritual home to London’s mountain bike community, where singletrack trails abound. Copses give way to denser woodland, the gradient kicks up — and sharply down — and this is where your handling skills meet their sternest test. The darkness and unfamiliar shadows add a frisson of excitement on rooty chutes and drops, and it’s here the few who’ve opted for drop-bar gravel bikes question that decision. Sadly we’re skirting the rowdiest of the Pitch Hill network tonight and weaving a wide, circuituous arc to the west of Cranleigh and, later, Horsham. Act three takes us across the Weald on the famous Downs Link bridleway, a converted railway track that runs from near Guildford to Shoreham-by-Sea.
ABOVE LEFT: a stunning dawn by the River Adur. ABOVE: the first rays of sun arrive before the grand finale.
48
046050_nightride.FINAL.indd 48
21/11/2021 01:09
49.indd 49
08/11/2021 09:41
ADVENTURE
Trains ran along here for 100 years until the line was closed in the aftermath of the Beeching Report in 1966. Now it’s a largely ‘hardpack’ recreational route enjoyed by families and users of every description — and that heavy footfall shows. There’s humps and holes all over the track, and even though there’s zero navigational difficulties you daren’t slack on the concentration front for fear of being bucked off; this is where those nimble, narrow-tyred bikes edge ahead of heavier mtbs. Shrouded by trees there’s little to distract you, your lights illuminating an endless tunnel of foliage, and there’s no option but to get your head down and grind out the miles. The four of us form two pairs, set a big-ring tempo and do just that. It’s a huge advantage having a wheel to follow and friends to chat with through here and, as the leaves begin to thin, we know that the epic finale is close to hand — and with it our specific goal of topping the South Downs for sunrise. As we meet the winding River Adur we pause in a strange pre-dawn glow, turn off fading headlamps, dial the other lights down a notch and chomp the remains of our sandwiches. Looking ahead, our final challenge is silhouetted against a cloudless sky and we count our blessings. Sharing this moment with old friends, riding together again after such an enforced gap, just felt magical.
USEFUL INFO n The London to Brighton Off-road at Night is organised by Max Darkins and the team at Rough Ride Guide (roughrideguide.co.uk). They have been running mostly offroad events for 20 years, including the daytime version of the London to Brighton Off-road, in partnership with the British Heart Foundation, which is the biggest off-road charity ride in Europe. Among a long list, they also offer more sedate ‘Brewery & Vineyard’ rides, and will provide back-up and bag transfers if you’re planning your own self-supported challenge, like King Alfred’s Way, the Ridgeway or South Downs Way. n PREPARATION — before tackling the L2BO@N, we’d suggest doing the daytime version, which usually takes place at the start of September. If you don’t ride ‘off-road’ very often, this will familiarise you with the sort of terrain you’ll encounter, get you used to lengthy saddle time, and help you decide on what kit to take and what’s overkill. Faster, fitter riders can complete the course in 6.5-8 hours, while riders new to off-road can easily take 10 hours, so you need to be prepared. n WHAT TO TAKE — as a bare minimum you’ll need to pack two spare inner tubes (fixing punctures at night, in the middle of nowhere, isn’t fun), tyre levers, mini-pump and multi-tool. You’ll need a lightweight waterproof/windproof jacket and potentially a spare warmth layer, plus you’ll need bottles or a hydration pack to carry water — there’s up to 4 feed stations on the route for top-ups. To minimise stops and cover the worst eventualities, we each took sandwiches or bagels too, and cereal bars. Helmets are compulsory and we highly recommend clear lens glasses (for flying dust, dirt, insects and overhanging branches), padded cycle shorts and lightly-padded gloves. n LIGHTS — we’d recommend taking three front lights: one helmet-mounted (for peering round corners and off the trail), a powerful bar-mounted light with long run time for the darkest sections in the North Downs, and a smaller bar-mounted light for the easier riverside paths and open ground. Add to that 1-2 bright rear lights for visibility.
ABOVE: one last climb at dawn, up to Beeding Hill on the South Downs. ABOVE LEFT: brekkie and beer awaits at the finish on the beach.
50
046050_nightride.FINAL.indd 50
21/11/2021 01:09
51_ad.indd 51
22/11/2021 13:32
GIFT IDEAS: FOR CYCLING FANS Stuck for gift ideas for cycling friends or family? Then here’s nine suggestions that cover a range of budgets — with only one pair of socks in sight!
W
ITH THE FESTIVE holidays just around the corner, here’s our annual guide to gift ideas for the cyclist(s) in your life. From a child’s ‘first bike’ to more essential kit that will keep you safe, warm and dry over the coming months, we hope there’s plenty of inspiration and something to suit most pockets.
#1 LUMOS ULTRA
As days grow shorter, this smart helmet is exactly what you need. Available with MIPS protection and designed to increase your visibility with full 360˚ coverage LEDs and turn signals, ensuring that you’ll be seen by drivers from all angles. It’s wellventilated and weatherproof, perfect for the fickle British winter. n £84.95; lumoshelmet.co
#2 ERE EXPLORATOR
As the first point of contact, quality handlebar tape is as important as a good saddle. Explorator bar tape is made of sticky rubber for maximum grip, with a foam/gel backing for added comfort and vibration damping. Comes with torque plug end caps for a stay-in-place finish. n £25-£31; ereresearch.com
#3 RALEIGH PROPAGANDA MINI BALANCE BIKE
Made for tiny adventurers, the Propaganda Mini Balance Bike is the perfect introduction to cycling; by skipping ‘stabilisers’ toddlers hone their balance, motor skills and coordination. With a durable aluminium frame and 12in wheels, it can be ridden anywhere! n £120; raleigh.co.uk
#4 REHOOK PLUS
The definitive cycling multi-tool. Clever design includes tyre levers, wrenches, hex and spoke keys, screwdriver, and the original Rehook tool head that’s ideal for dropped chains, tyre changes and roadside issues. n £26.99; rehook.bike
#5 VELOPAC MULTI-TUBE BANDANAS Worn as a neckwarmer, face mask, bandana, beanie, balaclava or hair ‘scrunchy’, these versatile, windproof and seamless microfibre tubes protect the wearer from the worst of the elements. Dozens of colour options. n £10; velopac.cc
#6 TOPEAK BARLOADER
A quick-mount handlebar drybag that has plenty of room for your workplace essentials during the week, or for snacks and spare layers when you head out on weekend adventures. Featuring sonically-welded seams, a roll-top closure and weather-tight zippers
to ensure kit stays dry. Plus there’s a shoulder strap for off-bike use. n £62.99; topeak.com
#7 SQUIRE RETRAC 2 COMBINATION CAFÉ LOCK Sometimes you don’t want to carry a hefty D-lock if you’re just popping to the café and will have your bike in clear view. That’s where this 50g, recodable combination lock comes in: temporary, short-stay security. Also handy for attaching helmets to bikes, it features a 600mm retractable steel cable and quick-release mechanism. n £14.99; squirelocks.co.uk
#8 ETC FR700 LIGHTSET
The FR700 lightset brings together two ETC stalwarts: the F600 (a 600-lumen, alloy-bodied front light) and the R100 (a super bright, 100-lumen rear light). A combination of multi-functions, long run times and USB recharging make this pairing a reliable team for both night and daytime riding. n £46; moorelarge.co.uk
#9 EDZ WATERPROOF SOCKS A winter essential for cyclists as they can be worn with most footwear, EDZ waterproof socks not only keep your feet dry from splashes and puddles, but the merino wool lining ensures your feet stay toasty when the temperatures drop. You won’t want to take them off until spring! n £24-£29.99; edz.co.uk
52
052053_GiftGuide.FINAL.indd 52
21/11/2021 01:19
ADVERTISING FEATURE
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9 LONDON LONDON CYCLIST CYCLIST Summer Winter2020 2021 53
052053_GiftGuide.FINAL.indd 53
21/11/2021 01:19
MAP READING
BASIC SKILLS
John Kitchiner is the editor of London Cyclist and confirmed bikeaholic
In the second part of our new series on planning cycle routes, we look at basic map skills. These are still hugely useful whether you prefer using printed maps or online ones (and we’d always recommend carrying the former for safety reasons). This will be followed by a look at how to plot rides using online tools, and what you need to take for either short or long trips.
1: CHOOSE THE RIGHT SCALE Maps come in a variety of Landranger maps are best for scales, but not all are useful short to mid-length routes. for cyclists. A huge road atlas Harvey Map and Vertebrate can give an overview but it Publishing also do brilliant lacks detail, so a series like dedicated maps of many of Ordnance Survey’s 1:50,000 the UK’s national trails.
3: SQUARE UP Understanding scale makes things very easy. On our sample 1:50,000 map, one small grid square equates to 1km on the ground in real life. This means you can make
quick, very rough distance calculations by counting the squares between A and B. Divide each square into ten equal parts on either axis and that’s 100m on the ground.
This bridleway junction in Snowdonia is located at grid reference SH 716 609
2: CHECK THE KEY Familarise yourself with the most important annotations, symbols and markings. The public rights of way section is particularly important — it shows the different but 54
similar-looking markings for footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways, and byways open to all traffic. The former is illegal for cyclists to use, the rest legal.
4: GRID REFERENCES Knowing exactly where you are, especially in an emergency, is vital. Start by identifying your ‘eastings’ (numbers across the bottom of the map), then ‘northings’
(numbers up the side of the map). Further dividing that specific square into equal parts will give you a 6-digit grid reference. NB: see key for fuller, clearer explanation.
H DISCOVER THE EDZ MERINO RANGE AT WWW.EDZ.CO.UK H
054055_HowTo.FINAL.indd 54
22/11/2021 19:27
HOW TO In association with
(w)40mm x (h)25mm CMYK. Incl. 3mm bleed
5: ON-ROAD MARKINGS Step 2 explains where cyclists can legally ride off-road, but there’s also hundreds of marked ‘on road’ routes too. Above you can see a national trail (red diamonds),
on-road cycle route (green dots) and ‘traffic free’ cycle route (green circles) in close proximity. But beware, not every part of every national trail is legal for cycles.
7: CALCULATING YOUR RIDE TIME While walkers have long used day rides without luggage, Naismith’s rule — allowing 25kmph and 750m/h ascent 1hr for every 5km forward is feasible. But with heavy and 30 mins for every 300m panniers, 15-18kmph, with of ascent — things are 400m/h is a more useful trickier for cyclists. For faster general guide.
6: READING CONTOURS For touring or gravel/mtb adventures, topographical maps help identify the hilliest routes. If these brown lines are far apart the ground will be relatively flat; close
together and the ground will be very steep. Above you can see the Snowdon Ranger Path which varies from steep to ‘flatter’ to super steep in just 5km (experienced riders only).
8: KEEP YOUR MAP DRY Many printed maps these days are weather-proofed, but to be on the safe side it’s worth carrying maps in a plastic bag (we often use a ziplok sandwich bag) or dedicated
map holder. Some bar bags (pictured) or panniers have rainproof map pockets. We’ve also had map extracts laminated — anything to avoid a soggy map!
H DISCOVER THE EDZ MERINO RANGE AT WWW.EDZ.CO.UK H 054055_HowTo.FINAL.indd 55
22/11/2021 20:23
HOW TO
PILATES
FOR CYCLISTS
Susi Owusu is a Pilates rehab specialist in London. (pilateswithsusi.com)
The last in our year-long ‘Pilates for Cyclists’ series again builds on the work from previous issues, with four more simple exercises — core, hip/back mobility, legs, and stretch. As before, it takes just 10-15 minutes to complete these exercises, so hopefully something most people can slot into their day. To learn more about Pilates, join a Zoom class, or get one-to-one tuition, please visit Susi’s website.
1: CORE — LEG PULL FRONT From a high plank position, support your movement, you raise the right leg off the floor can raise one leg and then roll to hip height and release back backward and forward on the to the floor. Raise the left leg balls of the other foot. Do this next and keep alternating. five times before lowering the Once you have mastered this, leg and practising on the other engaging the abdominals to side (do each leg twice).
3: LEGS — FORWARD LUNGE As well as challenging your Return to the start position. balance, lunges activate your Repeat on the other leg. core, hamstrings, quads, glutes When you feel you have your and calves. Start in standing, balance, you might want checking your alignment, then to add variation by walking step the left leg forward and forwards through a series of bend both legs as you do. lunges. Repeat 8 times.
2: HIP MOBILITY — DOUBLE LEG SWEEPS Lying on your back, exhale inner thighs together. As you and bring one leg, then the exhale gently flex the feet other, into tabletop position. and sweep the legs towards Interlace your fingers behind the floor. As you inhale point your head and articulate the toes and bring the legs the head and chest off the back up to the start position. mat. Inhale and extend the Keep the spine neutral while legs gently squeezing the ‘sweeping’. Repeat 8 times.
4: STRETCH Start in four-point kneeling with the spine in neutral, hands underneath shoulders and knees underneath hips. Sweep the right arm out to the side and up towards the ceiling and let your eyes follow your fingertips. You
should feel a rotation of the spine and opening of the chest. To deepen the stretch sit your bottom down onto your heels and see if you can gently rotate a little bit more. Repeat on the other side and 8-10 times in total.
56
056_pilates.FINAL.indd 56
20/11/2021 20:22
57_ad.indd 57
08/11/2021 23:35
58_ad.indd 58
22/11/2021 13:29
In association with
RIDE GUIDE
LONDON’S
Follow our guide Tom Bogdanowicz on a tour of the capital’s hidden art treasures
ART NOUVEAU
U
NLIKE PARIS, Brussels and Vienna, London is not famed for exuberant Art Nouveau buildings and sculptures. But that doesn’t mean we have none — you just have to know where to look. And this urban ride, by London Cycling Guide author Tom Bogdanowicz, reveals some hidden masterpieces in the capital. Art Nouveau’s roots are traced to the late 19th-century British Arts and Crafts movement (many examples on the Kensington section of the ride) that reflected the philosophy of south Londoner John Ruskin and Frenchman Viollet-leDuc. It rejected the standardisation of classicism and prized gothic architecture and craftsmanship. The legacy is found in distinctive buildings and sculptures, with non-symmetrical shapes and facades, and, in the Art Nouveau incarnation, marked by whiplash, curve and sinuous floral decoration.
FACTFILE DISTANCE: 22.5km (14 miles) TOTAL ELEVATION: 120m RIDE TIME: 2hr, plus stops SUITABLE FOR: all bikes START/FINISH: Blackfriars station
We have partnered with mapping specialist Komoot to bring you free downloadable route maps. Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant page on your smartphone or tablet.
ART NOUVEAU IN LONDON
1
BLACKFRIARS
Harrods 6km
2
3
Michelin Hans Rd House 7.5km 8.5km
4
Queen Alexandra Memorial 12km
5
Whitechapel Gallery 19km
BLACKFRIARS
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 59
059061_ride.FINAL.indd 59
21/11/2021 01:23
In association with
RIDE GUIDE
Route Guide LONDON’S ART NOUVEAU START: THE BLACK FRIAR, 1905 (Herbert Fuller-Clark) Thanks to an intervention by poet Sir John Betjeman and others, we can still enjoy the extraordinary interiors as well as the exterior of the Black Friar pub which was going to be demolished in the 1960s. The interiors illustrating jolly monks and friars singing and carousing were remodelled by Herbert Fuller-Clark with work by individual sculptors, while the mosaics on the outside are credited to Henry Poole. The pub overlooks the very popular North-South cycleway from Elephant & Castle to Kings Cross.
Photos: Tom Bogdanowicz
1] ORCHARD HOUSE, HARRODS’ FOOD HALL, 1903; FOX AND ANCHOR, 1898. (WJ Neatby) You have only to look at the work of master tiler WJ Neatby to recognise Art Nouveau. The vibrant colours, the curves, the whiplashes, the floral (and culinary) extravagance are all there. Neatby was not, however, an architect and the houses he decorated, like the Fox and Anchor, and Orchard House, follow more conventional Victorian forms. Harrods’ food hall is a tiling tour de force and Neatby was also responsible for the decorative exterior tiles. 2] MICHELIN HOUSE (Francois Epinasse) The famous piles of tyres and Michelin Man, ‘Bibendum’, are widely known across London. The celebration of the French tyre maker is
evident right across the building that is impossible to classify as to style, but would not likely have been built without the popularity and acceptance of Art Nouveau in Paris and elsewhere. Epinasse was an engineer at Michelin and is only known to have designed one other building: the Michelin offices in Paris. The building here was bought by two affluent fans, Terence Conran and Paul Hamlyn and restored and developed as a gourmet restaurant and office space. 3] HANS ROAD, 1891 (Charles Voysey & Arthur MacMurdo) Macmurdo’s woodcut for the cover of the first publication of the Art Workers’ Guild that he founded is credited as the first known example of the Art Nouveau ‘whiplash’ motif. His buildings did not adopt the motif, but he introduced the early horizontal windows in the Modern style, a trope that became the trademark of fellow Arts and Crafts influencer Voysey. Voysey may be the most influential architect you’ve never heard of. The two (early) townhouses in Hans Road are not typical of his style, but the low mansions faced in white rough concrete became de rigueur for thousands of 1930s semis — and some argue that his minimalism was a stepping stone to modernism. 4] EROS; QUEEN ALEXANDRA MONUMENT (Alfred Gilbert)
FIND, PLAN AND SHARE YOUR ADVENTURES WITH KOMOOT Turn your next ride into an adventure with Komoot. Get inspired by tapping into shared community knowledge and recommendations, then bring your own adventures to life with the easy route planner. New users can receive a Komoot Region Bundle of offline maps (worth £8.99). Visit komoot.com/g and enter the code ‘LCC’ to choose your free Region Bundle.’ [Valid for new Komoot users only, redeemable until 31/12/2022].
On this ride the work of George Gilbert falls most clearly in the Art Nouveau category. Eros, or correctly Anteros his brother, in the middle of Piccadilly Circus is his best known work, but it is the Queen Alexandra Monument outside St James’s Palace that shows his affection for Art Nouveau. Gilbert designed the sculpture as his swansong after being re-admitted to high society following a period of debt and rejection. 5] WHITECHAPEL GALLERY, 1897; BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE, 1894; ALL SAINTS CHURCH, 1892 (C H Townsend) Townsend’s three masterworks are all in London (the Horniman Museum in Dulwich is not on the ride) and are all iconic buildings built in what is called ‘Free Style’. The Bishopsgate Institute has turrets decorated with intricate foliage and friezes that reflect Art Nouveau. The Whitechapel Gallery was due to have a pre-Raphaelite central frieze by artist Walter Crane but the money ran out. All Saints church is an early work with intricate Arts and Craft sgraffito inside.
60
059061_ride.FINAL.indd 60
21/11/2021 01:24
5
2
3
Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant ride guide and map on a smartphone or tablet.
1
4
S
F
CUT-OUT AND KEEP
ART NOUVEAU IN LONDON
059061_ride.FINAL.indd 61
21/11/2021 01:24
62_ad.indd 62
08/11/2021 23:37
Bikes & Reviews L ATEST | BIKES | GEAR | MEDIA
PRODUCTS
BIKES
ARCC E-BIKE 64
FRONT LIGHTS 66
LIGHTSETS 70
BOOKS 72
LONDON CYCLIST Winter 2021 63
063_ReviewsCover.JK.indd 63
21/11/2021 18:50
BIKES
HOT TECH
NEW E-BIKES
How does Cambridge-based ARCC’s electric conversion compare to rivals? MODEL: ARCC ELECTRIC BROMPTON CONVERSION n from £1,799 n arccbikes.com
Test: Mark Strong, John K
S
PICING UP your favourite bike with an electric conversion kit is becoming increasingly popular; it can usually be done at home without much ‘technical’ knowhow and usually costs a fraction of a new dedicated e-bike. Having tested several third-party kits (Swytch, Bafang, Copenhagen Wheel, etc), plus Brompton’s own pedal-assist offering, we wanted to see how ARCC’s version compared. Only this time we forewent the assembly and received a ready-togo folder so we could focus purely on the performance aspects. If you do want to go down the DIY route, it essentially involves swapping out the front wheel, mounting the main unit and
sensors, then wiring everything up. ARCC will happily do it all for you, or sell you a complete bike. The brains of the oufit, what ARCC calls the ‘Intelligent Drive Pod’ is fitted in front of the headtube, to which a Bosch 4Ah battery is clicked on. During normal commuting weeks we found we needed to charge the battery every other day; it never quite reached the claimed range of 75km though. Our test rig came with a spare battery, which was light enough to carry in our bag as a back-up for longer trips, but if buying ourselves we’d likely opt for the bigger 6Ah battery. A magnetic, Bluetooth controller on the handlebar allows you to select an automatic or manual mode for the pedal assist, and while the
former is very clever and detects the gradient to determine how much boost you might need, we preferred to be in control ourselves. Moving through the assist levels was extremely smooth and we rarely needed more than the lowest three settings around town. On the steep inclines near home, however, a
64
064065_ebike.FINAL.indd 64
22/11/2021 13:09
REVIEWS
quick blast of full power was very welcome, delivered without any rhythm-breaking jerkiness. The conversion doesn’t interfere with the fold either and the minimal extra weight is barely noticeable when carrying. With a 5-year warranty to boot, this might be our best-rated conversion to date.
FACTFILE n Larger 6Ah battery also available, bringing conversion unit cost up to £1954.80. n Adapter kit available for Brompton bags (£100). VERDICT + Handy USB light/phone charger on main unit. + Lightweight conversion means your bike can be ridden with or without battery. + Excellent for shorter trips, especially hilly ones.
064065_ebike.FINAL.indd 65
22/11/2021 13:09
REVIEWS
FRONT LIGHTS
EXPOSURE Diablo Run times: 1hr 15mins / 1hr Charge times: 4hr 15mins / 4hr Having used earlier incarnations of this helmet-mounted light for off-road epics (see page 46), multiple marathons and overnighters, without any issue, we can honestly say that it’s in a class of its own. And the latest Mk12 version just ups the ante further, with an 1800-lumen max output, from triple LEDs, creating a powerful wide beam that brings security and confidence in the darkest of forests. Clever tech keeps the unit at optimum temperature to prevent overheating, and you only need to tap the body (or helmet) to change modes. Pricey but brilliant. JK n £215; exposurelights.com
We’ve tested six of the latest front lights that will help you stay safe on the roads this winter
* Run & charge times, on main mode, shown as actual/claimed
NITERIDER Swift 500
TOPEAK HeadLux 450
Run times: 1hr 35mins / 1hr Charge times: 2hr 10mins / 2hr 30mins
Run times: 2hr 15mins / 1hr 30mins Charge times 2hr 5mins / 2hr
Run times: 5hr+ / 1hr 30mins Charge times: 1hr 55mins / 2hr
Ridding the world of redundant charging cables, the Micro Drive has a built-in, weatherproofed USB stick which slots straight into your computer. Build quality is top-notch and this is a no-fuss light that easily transitions from well-lit streets to dark parks. The mounting strap is fixed to the light too, so no searching for fiddly rubber bands before you head off; the unit can also swivel to offer a variety of orientations and fits some helmets direct depending on vent design (a separate helmet attachment is available). The main mode run time is fairly short, but we got 3hr-plus on the middle 200-lumen setting. There’s also a lovely option which eliminates the strobe and multiple brightness options, simply leaving you with full overdrive or economy modes. n £55; upgradebikes.co.uk
A main mode of 450 lumens doesn’t sound much in today’s lighting arms race, but it was plenty to illuminate the dark paths across Burgess Park. It comes with two different rubber band attachments, although the helmet one worked much better than the handlebar one; even on thinner bars, the rubber feels quite maxed out and ready to snap. It’s ok if you can leave the light on your bike when unattended, but if you need to take it on and off multiple times there’s better solutions out there. We left it on a helmet for this very reason and it worked a treat, giving us average run times much higher than Topeak claims. The aluminium casing has proved pretty robust and at just 75g it was one of the featherweights on test. n £46.99; extrauk.co.uk
Measuring average run times on this light proved tricky because it far exceeded its claimed 90mins on the highest 500-lumen setting, every single time — that’s a lot of babysitting! Battery life is on another level, perfect for people with longer commutes or who always forget to charge their lights up. It has a fixed rubberised mount and only takes seconds to fit or remove. The brightness and full beam pattern are great for use on poorlylit backstreets and, like most bike lights these days, there’s also a daytime flash mode. One nice additional feature allows you to lock the unit off, so that you don’t accidentally turn it on when you chuck it in your rucksack — although that’s much less of a stress when you have so much battery life on tap. n £35; zyrofisher.co.uk
REVIEWS: Jessica Pike
LEZYNE Micro Drive 600XL
66
066067_frontlights.FINAL.indd 66
21/11/2021 19:10
CATEYE AMPP 1100 Run times: 2hr 35mins / 1hr 30mins Charge times: 3hr 5mins / 3-5hrs The first thing you notice about the AMPP is its size — it’s a whopper. And while it doesn’t feel cumbersome, it’s certainly not low-key. But it’s big on brightness too, with 1100 lumens in high mode and excellent side cutouts for added visibility. It’s got all the modes you’d expect (including daytime) and, to save faff, even remembers which mode it was last in when you turn it back on. The bracket is more fiddly than most, but once it’s fixed to the handlebar you can just leave it there and remove the lamp separately. It can also be fitted to a helmet (with an additional mount) though it can feel a little unwieldy on the head. Leave it on the bars and the wide beam is good for easier off-road trails as well. n £94.99; cateyecycling.co.uk
INFINI Super Lava Run times: 2hr 3mins / 1hr 30mins Charge times: 2hr 55mins / 2hr 45mins Another unassuming light that can be used on both bars and helmets, the Super Lava puts out 300 lumens on constant beam. You can change the orientation of the GoPro-style helmet mount by 90 degrees and it has a screw knob adjuster for added versatility. It’s easier to fit the handlebar mount before adding the separate light unit as it’s awkward to access the hooks otherwise, but once set up it’s solid and can swivel as required. One welcome feature allows the beam to fade in and out of full brightness so that you can choose the exact brightness you want by re-pressing the button. If you’re very specific about your lumens or just like innovative gadgets, this will be right up your alley. Luckily real-life alleys are well illuminated by the ‘Super Bright’ setting, while the flashing mode lasts about half a day. n £54.99; freewheel.co.uk
LONDON CYCLIST Summer 2020 67
066067_frontlights.FINAL.indd 67
21/11/2021 01:28
REVIEWS
Reliable rear lights are essential for night-time cycling, so here we assess four of the best
KRYPTONITE Incite XBR
LEZYNE Strip Alert Drive
Run times: 6hr 15mins / 10hr Charge times: 2hr 15mins / 2hr 30mins
Run times: 3hr 20mins / 4hr Charge times: 2hr 30mins / 2hr
A compact, easy-to-use light, the XBR brings seven modes to the party, the standout of which is a ‘brake light’ system; an acceleration sensor detects when speed is reduced by more than 5.75km/h and the lower of three LEDs shines three times brighter than in steady mode. This worked well, particularly in group ride settings, thanks to the near-immediate response, avoiding brakes slamming on behind you. It straps on neatly behind the seatpost, plus the angled fixing means that it will sit perpendicular to the ground to ensure optimum light distribution (mounting on a seatstay is less effective). The run time is excellent, though not as long as claimed, but this is not a high-powered unit. For city riding it’s fine, but for extended trips on unlit roads you need to look elsewhere. n £34.99; freewheel.co.uk
We’ve long rated Lezyne’s rear lights and the Strip Alert is no exception. Compact and weighing just 50g, it’s suitable for all riding styles and is a great pick for busy roads, unlit roads, or, as we discovered, even in fog. Mounting is quick, via a rubber strap, but you have to fit it over your seat-clamp to get a better backward-facing angle. Saying that, though, the side visibility is really impressive. Using the 35-lumen ‘blast’ mode depletes the battery in a couple of longer commutes, but choosing flashing or economy settings extends that to a few days. The single button is easily accessible on the fly and when wearing gloves. Standout feature (other than the integrated USB stick) is the braking sensor; the beam goes solid like a car brake light when decelerating, then gives out a distinct flashing pattern once stopped. n £42; upgradebikes.co.uk
NITERIDER Sentinel 250
TOPEAK Taillux 25
Run times: 2hr (high beam, with lasers) / 8hr (high beam, no lasers) Charge times: 2hr 30mins / 3hr
Run times: 3hr 20mins / 3hr Charge times: 1hr 20mins / 2hr
A little larger than most rear lights these days, the Sentinel packs a hefty 250-lumen main mode punch and has one other trick up its sleeve. Lasers project a virtual lane behind the rider to increase a driver’s awareness of proximity when overtaking; it certainly drew comments from fellow cyclists, though the jury’s out on its effectiveness on busy streets. We didn’t feel ‘safer’ with the lasers on. That extra power does limit run time on full beam, so we were regularly topping up the battery at the office. Fitting to a seatpost is easy, but the rucksack hook is a little fiddly, plus the operating buttons are too small and close together for our liking. Overall it’s a really solid choice for commuters, with excellent side visibility, daylight mode and the option to deploy the lasers or not. n £55; zyrofisher.co.uk
Borrowing the integrated USB concept from Lezyne, the Taillux plugs directly into any computer or laptop and charges in little more than a lunch hour. It’s very easily attached to your seatpost using rubber bands (again you need to angle it upwards using your seat-clamp), but can also be hooked onto a saddlepack or rucksack loop. Two LEDs combine for a maximum output of 25 lumens, and it’s easy to change setting while riding. The run time on constant high mode was shorter than we’d hope for on a light of this size, but the flashing mode is better (up to 40hr). That means this light is a little under-clubbed for entirely unlit routes and will fall short on more demanding night rides of significant length. It’s at home on short day-to-day commutes — and is hard to beat on price. n £21.99; extrauk.co.uk
* Run & charge times, on main mode, shown as actual/claimed
REVIEWS: Toby Zeidler
REAR LIGHTS
68
068_rearlights2.FINAL.indd 68
22/11/2021 13:50
69_ad.indd 69
08/11/2021 23:46
REVIEWS
From ‘get you home’ to all-singing, all-dancing’, we look at four new front and rear light combos
BLACKBURN Dayblazers 800 & 65
CATEYE Volt 100XC & Rapid Micro
Run time: 1hr 20mins / 1hr 30mins Charge time: 3hr 50mins / 4hr
Run time: 1hr / 1hr 5mins Charge time: 1hr 45mins / 1hr 30mins
Having run another Dayblazer set for a year now, we can attest to their durability and reliability. Up front the ‘blitz’ mode throws a massive beam to light up pitch darkness, but it does burn through the power quickly, so we used the third constant setting (300-lumens) most frequently. We really liked the pulse setting, less distracting than the flashing mode; good side illumination too. A real bonus is that it also mounts in a variety of places, including on the fork crown. The featherweight 65 rear is tougher than it looks and again it fitted every seatpost or seatstay we tried (or can be clipped to bags or jackets). Near faultless performance overall, our only gripe is that you need to be pretty firm with the buttons. n £84.99; zyrofisher.co.uk
As its name suggests, the Volt only provides 100 lumens on its brightest mode, so it sits firmly in the ‘get you home’ category — but as it weighs the same as most rear lights, and is the same size as a lipstick, it’s the sort of back-up you can genuinely carry in a pocket without fuss. The beam’s not great on unlit roads, but for sub-hour commutes on main cycleways it was fine. It’s also cable-free, with a neat USB stick at the rear, which adds to the appeal. The rubber band mount is simple and allows lateral adjustment, which means you can fit it and angle it exactly how you like. The Rapid Micro does require a USB cable, but we found it charged much quicker than the 2hr claimed time. Best feature is that it defaults to flashing mode when running low on juice and lasts about 5hr. n £31.99; cateyecycling.co.uk
LEZYNE Mini Drive 400XL Pro & KTV Pro 75
SEE SENSE Beam & Ace
Run time: 1hr / 1hr Charge time: 2hr 10mins / 2hr 30mins
Run time: 4-5hr / 5hr Charge time: 2hr 5mins / 2hr 30min
Even though this set sits in the lower reaches of Lezyne’s huge range, it’s easily one of the better options for day-to-day urban riding. Both lights look and feel polished, aren’t fazed by the odd drop and their compact size makes them ideal for those of us with invariably cluttered handlebars. Once attached the Mini Drive can be angled towards the centre of the road, though it’s a little stiff to begin with and we love the integrated strap, ensuring it’s never lost. The main mode does deplete quickly, but the next setting down lasts at least double the time and is perfect for commuting. The KTV has excellent side visibility and its fitment is equally as versatile. Huge credit again to Lezyne for pushing the anti-waste, cable-free design. n £54; upgradebikes.co.uk
Simplicity and smart tech is the name of the game with this ‘see and be seen’ pairing. Unlike most competitors, the Beam has just four settings: three constant (the brightest at 1000 lumens) and an ‘adaptive’ mode, which varies its output depending on the speed you’re travelling and the light levels around you. It’s clever stuff, and in that mode you can easily get a week’s commuting in without a recharge. All bases are covered with the Garmin-style mount or GoPro-style alternative, and while it’s rock solid once sorted, the intial set-up proved fiddly; sadly it can’t be angled inwards either if your bars sweep backwards. Use the smartphone app and you can get theft alerts or send crash alerts to contacts (and much more). n £131.99; seesense.cc
* Run & charge times, on main mode (front light only), shown as actual/claimed
REVIEWS: Katy Rodda
LIGHT SETS
70
070_lightsets.FINAL.indd 70
20/11/2021 20:13
50 Electric Bikes is the UK’s leading manufacturer of electric bikes with each customer’s bike made to order and handbuilt in Loughborough, Leicestershire. 10% Discoun
ts
from the for Lo readers just ndon Cyclist quote LONDO N10 valid until 31 /01/21
We have taken 20 years of electric bike experience and knowledge to create a powerful range of e-bikes that will suit your individual needs.
Citywave 5G - £1995.00
Trekking 5G - £1995.00
Allwave 11G - £2595.00
Trekking 11G - £2595.00
Allwave Speed - £2995.00
Trekking Speed - £2995.00
t: 0330 0978787 | w: 50-electric-bikes.com
71_ad.indd 71
08/11/2021 00:03
REVIEWS
REVIEWS: John K, Jon Collard
BOOKS & GAMES
BIG RIDES: GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND Edited by Kathy Rogers & Markus Stitz
BATTLE OF THE BIKES CARD GAME David Sparshott
BIKEPACKING ENGLAND Emma Kingston
laurenceking.com; £8.95
v-publishing.co.uk; £20
If you like the illustrations in our Iconic Bikes series (see page 74), then you might be interested to know that 30 of David Sparshott’s beautiful drawings are used in this ‘Top Trumps’-style card game. You can get a Brompton facing off against a Mongoose BMX, a Cervelo R5 road bike trying to outdo a 1970s Marin Klunker — each bike is given ratings (out of 100) on dayto-day practicality, ride-by kudos, top speed, robustness and 24/7 comfort level, plus an open-ended retail price. As with other trump games, highest score wins, and the overall winner’s the one who bags the entire deck. For variety we often select one category (eg price or speed) where the lowest score wins, but you can mix it up however you like. Fun for all the family and a nice break from screen time — though, personally, we’d buy it just for the artwork.
What cycle touring is to road cyclists, bikepacking is to (mainly) off-road cyclists, the latter generally understood to be more the preserve of gravel or mountain bikes, with minimal gear carried in a variety of frame, saddle or bar bags. It usually involves a multi-day trip with an element of camping or bivvying — and that’s where things get tricky in England as, unlike in Scotland, you need a landowner’s permission to wild camp. So here the author has created 20 large loops and shows where such overnight stays might be possible, as well as listing official campsites. The routes are broken down into four regions — South East, South West, Midlands and the North — with descriptions, maps and other useful notes. The images give a real taste of the terrain you might encounter, the sunset ones in particular illustrating why everyone should try this activity once.
One of the joys of the winter months for us is the chance to pore over maps and plan new adventures for the year ahead. And this smartlydesigned book details 25 of the best long-distance rides in GB and Ireland (and two that nip into France). From wellworn national trails (South Downs Way), to emerging classics (King Alfred’s Way), to Scottish epics (Highland Trail 550, North Coast 500), each route gets a short summary, overview map and useful factfile, with simple icons used to explain which type of bike is most suitable, the facilities on route and the best times to travel. The gradient profiles alone will have you wincing or salivating, depending on your masochistic bent, and there’s plenty of inspiration to satisfy cyclists of all hues. With a dozen here still on our ‘to do’ list, we’d better get cracking...
v-publishing.co.uk; £20
THE ORDNANCE SURVEY PUZZLE BOOK Ordnance Survey & Dr Gareth Moore ordnancesurvey.co.uk; £9.99 Ordnance Survey (OS) is Britain’s mapping agency and, with 20,000 features added to its database every year, it remains the definitive resource for cartography and navigation. Many people will be familiar with either its printed or online maps (as self-confessed nerds we have more than 200 of the former at home), and this puzzle book is a brilliant dip-in-andout brainteaser. Within chapters headed ‘Changing Landscapes’, ‘Industrial Heritage’ and suchlike, there’s a variety of maps of different scales and ages, with four sets of questions ranging from easy to challenging. The easier ones simply involve finding features hidden on the map, while the harder tasks can involve anagrams, or working out contour heights and distances. It’s learning by stealth, and we love it.
72
072_books.FINAL.indd 72
22/11/2021 13:52
73_ad.indd 73
08/11/2021 23:48
ICONIC BIKES
2009 ONWARDS
Gocycle G4 There’s integration and there’s super-intergration and, as John Kitchiner explains, this folding electric bike was well ahead of the tech curve
E
Next came the G2, in 2012, which made headlines as the first production e-bike to have Bluetooth connectivity, followed in 2016 by the G3, featuring a unique ‘daytime running light’, another industry first. Both the G1 and G2 picked up the prestigious ‘Best Electric Bike’ award at Eurobike. A year later the company turned to crowdfunding to launch its GS model; its target was successful and it sat in the top 1% of all Kickstarter projects in 2017. But undoubtedly the biggest change to the original design came in 2019 with the GX and GXi models. These were the first to incorporate the new ‘fast folding’ mechanism which sees the rear end of the bike ‘hinge’ towards the front end in less than 10 seconds with the wheels remaining attached, as opposed to previous versions where the ‘monostay’ pivoted underneath the front half of the frame. Which brings us to the very latest G4. And while the silhouette remains the same, closer inspection reveals a new carbon mid-frame, carbon fork (still one-sided) and quieter, more efficient G4drive motor. There’s a USB port on the handlebar for charging your phone and an app to customise assist modes. We recommend a longer-than-usual test ride.
Illustration: David Sparshott
VEN NEXT TO some of the other futuristic-looking machines we’ve featured in this series, the Gocycle stands out. In fact most of us are so used to seeing an assortment of clanking metalwork and cables hanging off traditional bikes that the Gocycle’s super-sleek integration gives the immediate impression that something’s missing! But incredibly it’s now 12 years since the first G1 models rolled off the factory floor and the company, Karbon Kinetics, is on the fourth major iteration of its multi-awardwinning, folding e-bike. The aesthetics alone hint at founder Richard Thorpe’s background as an industrial designer at motorsports giant McLaren, but it still took seven years of painstaking research from his one-bedroom flat in London before his vision to build “the world’s best urban electric bike” was realised. The G1 became the first injection-moulded, magnesium alloy bicycle in history and key features (which remain to this day) included interchangeable, quick-release wheels, a fullyenclosed chain, a motor powered by a lithium-ion battery, plus a unique ‘flatpack’ storage and transport system.
74
074_Endpage.FINAL.indd 74
20/11/2021 20:14
IBC_ad.indd 75
08/11/2021 23:51
OBC_ad.indd 76
08/11/2021 23:52