Towards a cycling future. Part 1.

The increasing popularity of cycling in the UK is going to produce some interesting challenges for all concerned. Imagine, possibly thousands of new cyclists taking to the roads of our towns and cities every month, each individual with his or her quite steep learning curve as they acquire the new skill, learn rules of the road that they may not have been aware of before and come to terms with the changes in their daily way of life. It may be assumed that the majority of the newcomers will be adopting cycling for commuting to work or similar, as it is commuters who stand to make the biggest savings in fuel costs by leaving the car at home. The first couple of weeks will be hard work for those who are not fit already through some sporting activity. Then the benefits will start to be felt in the form of improving fitness, the loss of unwanted inches and a pound or two in weight. Even after two weeks the saving in fuel costs could make a decent dent in the cost of the bike – and that is only the beginning.

Other road users are involved as well and it is important that they understand what is happening and what we cyclists are hoping to achieve. It needs to be understood that cyclists are not trying to drive motorists off the road and neither are we trying to win any special privileges. The current increasing popularity of cyclists is actually being driven by motorists – ie. those motorists who are finding it worthwhile to leave the car at home and take to the bicycle instead. Most cyclists are merely interested in ensuring that there will be adequate provision for our growing numbers in line with current best practice. Far from harming the interests of motorists, improvements for cyclists should mean improvements for other road users as well. 

I assume (being a simple soul) that local highway and planning authorities are continually at work seeking to improve road layouts and traffic conditions and that they have been aware of trends in cycling for some time already. Presumably local authorities will want to prioritise cycle provision for commuters first as they will be the ones who cycle on several days per week and quite likely at peak traffic times. So first we need good routes from residential areas to city/town centres and to other commercial areas where large numbers of actual or potential cyclists are employed. Then we need routes which form concentric circles around town and city centres, connecting commuting routes and enabling cross city cycling.

A lot of provision for cycling can be created at very little cost. Often, all that will be needed is some paint and possibly road signs. A reasonable first step would be to make sure that existing provision is clearly marked and signposted in accordance with official regulations and adequately publicised to the local population and on the web.

There is a lot more space for cycle lanes, on and off road, than might be thought at first. There are plenty of wide roads which have space for a cycle lane along each side of the carriageway. Then there are under-used,  or even virtually unused, pavements (sidewalks to our American friends), often along both sides of a road, which could be shared with pedestrians – or even one of them taken over by cyclists. And there is no reason why off-road cycle lanes shouldn’t cater for cycling in both directions. Out of town there are miles of roads with grass verges (again, often on both sides) so no lack of space there.

I know this is all an oversimplification but it is a starting point and a great deal can be done at relatively little cost. I am hoping that those UK towns and cities that are not on The Governments new list of cycling demonstration towns will not regard that as an excuse to do nothing until further notice. I think that interest in cycling will continue to increase, as will the cost of motor fuel which is probably the major factor driving this trend at present. However, having taken up or returned to cycling, lots of people really will discover other benefits including improved health and fitness – and they will also discover (or rediscover) that it is actually FUN.

So action is needed by local authorities across the country NOW, not some years down the line when the demo towns have started to show results. The demo town idea was not that clever anyway. If we need demo towns they are sitting there waiting for us – they are called Copenhagen and Amsterdam (see the links on the right of this page) – and you would think that our MPs and councillors around the country would be busting a gut to organise their free outings to those cities at the taxpayers expense – for the purposes of research you understand. Perhaps they are.

The other thing that a lot more MPs, councillors, planning and highway authority officials etc. should do is get out of their cars and on to bikes and find out at first hand just what is feels like to be on two human-powered wheels in their local traffic. My guess is that they would soon start, enthusiastically, producing great ideas about improvements for cyclists – and let’s not forget that improvements for cyclists will bring about improvements for all road users.

The Sunday Outing

My daughter and I had our Sunday outing again today, starting half an hour later than usual having waited to see what the weather would do. It was a case of light winds, heavy grey clouds, and small patches of blue sky sometimes delivering brilliant sunshine. We decided to take a chance. Wrong again. Those blue patches were too small. We got wet. Twice.

It is one thing to press on for 7-8 minutes through light drizzle and dry out again over the next couple of miles. The second time was something else – batting into a strong headwind, and a cold one at that, with blinding rain throughout our last four miles.

Even so we covered 10 miles, at our usual pace of 11-12 mph on the flat and 7-8mph up hills, stopping three times for a short rest and a drink and averaging 10mph. It’s not spectacular but it is enjoyable and we are both becoming fitter and (a little bit) leaner already.

There were a lot of other cyclists going the opposite way on our route today. They seemed to be mainly family groups and they may have been on some sort of cancer research charity run – at least some of them had “got the t-shirt”.

I have been out on shorter rides several times since buying the bike six weeks ago and have had no problems at all with other traffic.  Admittedly I have avoided the busiest times. However a pattern is emerging concerning the overtaking behaviour of motorists. The overwhelming majority of drivers have been most considerate, giving me plenty of room when overtaking me, even holding back first, in the narrower roads, while waiting for oncoming traffic to pass. However, a few drivers have held steady to their original course, when there was ample room to move over, and have passed that bit too close for comfort. Every time this happened the driver was young, male, and driving a small saloon. 

Raleigh Oakland reviewed

At a time when, so we are told, more and more people are taking to cycling, a few words about my Raleigh Oakland bicycle might be of interest to those who are wondering what to buy. The Raleigh is six weeks old and has been on several local outings of up to 12 miles.

It has been variously described by cycle dealers as “classic gents”, “hybrid”, “trekking”, “comfort” etc. from which it is clear that it is neither a mountain bike nor an out and out racer but clearly intended for everyday use about town or country, wherever there is a reasonable road surface.

My Oakland has a 19 inch steel frame (22 inch is the other option for men) and 700c wheels with road tyres. It comes with 18 Shimano gears and Revoshifters (ie. revolving handgrips). Standard equipment includes full front and rear mudguards, a chain guard and a rear luggage rack. As explained in an earlier post I replaced the original bell with a much noisier traditional item  and am now on my second mirror, having made a poor choice for the first one which proved to be far too flimsy. I am thinking about changing what is laughingly described as a comfort sprung saddle. Actually, in fairness to Raleigh, the saddle is not that bad, though there is little spring about it, but I do not possess the same resilience in the seating department as I did when younger and the roads around Cardiff can be horrible – even continuously so. 

You get a lot of bicycle from one of the great names in bicycle manufacture for £160, or less if you shop around. If you want to spend more of course that is up to you but you will also need accessories. I bought a helmet and a decent lock which accounted for another £50 between them and have since added front and rear lights, a bicycle computer, water bottle and carrier (two bottles for the price of one at Halfords), an inexpensive pair of pannier bags from Tescos. The latter are ample for my local jaunts and big enough for tools, maps, a picnic and waterproofs.

The Raleigh Oakland is a pleasant bike to ride, with a solid and balanced feel about it. A prospective buyer would need to try one for size but I am very happy with mine and would certainly recommend it. I note that the Raleigh website is offline for maintenance this weekend but you could try Googling for a Raleigh dealer in your area.

I haven’t finished yet! Apart from changing the saddle I am also thinking about a saddlebag of the old-fashioned style if such a thing can be found. I also want a couple of spare innertubes (it’s when you haven’t got them that you get the punctures) and a second lock of a similar quality but different type from the one I am using at present.

The list could continue if I started to think about extra waterproofs, gloves and extra lights for winter cycling but I will think about those later. Meanwhile, I have shifted the rear light from the seatpost to the back of the bike and added a couple of bright reflectors to the pannier bags. I have also bought a roof rack for the car and, guess what, I am looking at adding some bicycle racks. This is getting serious.

 

 

Bicycle security

I was browsing the bike for all website today and discovered a link to an excellent page of information about bicycle security. Very informative and well worth reading so I though I would spread the word. 

 

 

That cycling helmet debate…

I have been thinking about the helmet thing again. Ignoring mountain biking, racing, trial biking etc. and confining myself to everyday, around town sort of cycling, whether commuting, shopping or whatever, I am thinking that a helmet is a good idea, here in the UK, but not entirely for the most obvious reason.

Cycling accidents are far less frequent than most folks seem to imagine and, of these, accidents involving any sort of head injury are in a small minority. Those involving serious head injuries are extremely few and in these cases a helmet is unlikey to make much difference to the outcome, simply because cycle helmets are not designed to withstand heavy impacts.

Evidently the best that can be expected of a cycle helmet is that it will spread the effect of a light to moderate impact against a flat surface, thus sparing you the pain and potential damage of a direct blow to the head and the inconvenience of local cuts and abrasions. You might think it worth the inconvenience of a helmet in return for this degree of protection.

In my opinion children and teenagers should always wear helmets. They have a greater need of protection due to their relative inexperience, inherent high spirits and lack of judgement (and medical experts might add that their potential damage is greater while their skulls – and the contents thereof – are still developing). Older people might choose to wear a helmet when first taking up or returning to cycling until confidence and some experience is gained. This is fair enough but I am totally against any compulsion.

The main reason why I wear a helmet still, and will do so for some time to come, has to do with the road and traffic conditions which prevail here in the UK. Cycling had become very popular by the 1930s and remained so well ino the 1950s when a substantial percentage of households owned no other form of transport. Despite the boost to popular car ownership which arrived with the pre-war Austin Seven (and others) in the 1920s and 1930s it was not until the late 1950s and early 1960s that the wider population was becoming prosperous enough for motoring to stride ahead again, with a corresponding decline in cycling. Although in those pre-motorway days the roads were soon becoming a lot more crowded even though the traffic was somewhat slower then, there is one key difference between then and now. In those days there were still plenty of cyclists about and, probably more importantly, most drivers of motor vehicles had cycled at some time and had certainly lived in a cycling environment.

Although many of today’s drivers are also cyclists, cycling has not been anything like as visible over the past 20-30 years as it was in earlier times.  With the popularity of cycling increasing again now, drivers in general will have to learn or re-learn to see and cope with cyclists, who have every bit as much right to their space on those roads from which they are not specifically excluded. That task is arguably more difficult for drivers than it once was due to the ever more crowded roads, the sheer pace of modern traffic even in busy city areas, and the multitude of visual distractions -  multiple road signs, traffic lights, vehicle lighting and signals, all against a multicoloured background of shop windows, neon lights, advertising signs and hoardings etc.

Cyclists must help to promote their cause by riding with due consideration for other road users – it works both ways – and by avoiding illegal behaviour. And for some time yet I think it is simply common sense to put up with the inconvenience of being as visible as possible (bright reflective clothing and/or belt and good lighting when appropriate) and by wearing a helmet just in case. That said, I am sure that there are places in the UK where cycling can be done on public roads without the need for these precautions – but the majority of the population does not live in those places.

When, a few years hence, some of our towns and cities have begun to apply the lessons of Copenhagen and Amsterdam and elsewhere, and when cyclists are much more numerous and accepted again as an unremarkable part of everyday life, then perhaps we will be able to adopt a less defensive approach to our relatively safe mode of transport. 

Cycling – helmet or no helmet?

A helmet is, according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, a defensive or protective head cover, which is why it is used by military personnel, firemen, policemen, miners, building workers and others in hazardous occupations. It seems entirely natural therefore, and even a matter of common sense, to regard a helmet as a means of protecting the head against injury.

But do helmets provide protection in the context of cycling, and particularly everyday non-competitive cycling? How great is the danger of suffering a serious head injury as a result of a cycling accident? To what extent (if any) will a helmet protect against a serious head injury?

You may think the answers to these questions are obvious. So did I. Then I became aware that the apparent need to wear a helmet is putting a lot of people off the whole idea of cycling. This seemed a great shame and I began to wonder whether the widespread perception that a helmet is a necessity for cyclists is justified.

Are people being put off for no good reason? It is an important question because most authorities agree that it is in the interests of cyclists for there to be more of us. Growing numbers of cyclists encourage local authorities to make better provision for them which, in turn, encourages more people to take up cycling. It is also worth noting that in some European cities where there are large numbers of cyclists, very few wear helmets.

So I have started to look for some reliable information, hoping that it will be unbiased either by the interests of the helmet manufacturers or by the enthusiasm of the pro-cycling advocates who might tend to play down the dangers. So far I have looked at the Bicycle Helmet Research Foundation and at the British Medical Journal. There is plenty more to do and your comments will be welcome. 

“Cycling for everyone” – Prof. Pucher’s “must see” video

Every cyclist, especially those whose town or city could be making better provision for cyclists, ought to see this video of a presentation by Professor John Pucher, speaking in Vancouver.

John Pucher is the Professor of planning and public policy, at Rutgers University, in New Jersey, USA. The video runs for over an hour and there is a lot to take in but it really is well worth seeing with plenty of interesting facts and numerous illustrations. John Pucher’s enthusiasm for his subject is infectious and underpins a presentation which is entertaining and 100% positive.

Given the increasing popularity of cycling in the UK, USA and Canada and elsewhere, local authorities and politicians are going to need good information about what is possible, what works and why. Which is why they need to see this video as well.

Fathers’ Day

My lovely daughter decided, quite correctly, that I needed a cycle computer for Fathers’ Day while my grandsons decided (equally correctly) that quantities of chocolate would be a good idea – and apparently they also chose my card which included a badge that says “Super Dad”. Needless to say I have no hesitation in wearing the badge.

So Fathers’  Day started off on a high note and, following a decent interval after lunch, continued in the same way when the aforementioned daughter and I took to our bicycles for a gentle outing into the wide open spaces of Wentlooge Level and beyond. As I explained last week (in “Between Cardiff and Newport“) this area provides easy cycling on level ground and our aim at present is to extend our range, both in distance and time spent cycling, knowing that our hill-climbing abilities will get quite enough practice nearer home, whether we like it or not.

As usual we took our time, stopping at intervals to stretch the legs, sip some water, look at a map and admire the view. The view at various times included numerous horses and cows, a few ducks, a goat, and by way of a special treat, a heron. There was also a close encounter with a couple of those nasty snappy little Yorkshire terrier type dogs.

On returning home I plotted and saved the route on Map My Ride (find it on that site by searching for Cardiff, and then Wentloog 2) and it totalled 11.99 miles, a new record for me.

Between Cardiff and Newport

At shortly after 10am today, Sunday, June 8th, there was brilliant sunshine from an almost clear blue sky. My daughter cycled the two miles from her home to join me and we set off on what proved to be my longest ride to date.

We cycled out of my usual territory, and away from the hills, into a very flat area between Cardiff and Newport, next to where the Bristol Channel becomes the Mouth of the Severn. This must be almost perfect cycling country, being flat with long, straight country lanes, often running alongside the long straight irrigation and drainage channels (locally known as reens) and with plenty of open views obstructed by nothing more than reeds rather than tall hedges.

We had chosen a short route, starting and finishing with the short sharp hills near my home, followed by more gentle gradients and then a small loop of about 3-4 miles through this flat, fen-like countryside called (on the Ordnance Survey map) Wentlooge Level. The open countryside was sparsely populated though there were a couple of small villages on our route. There were also several public houses and (I was told) an Indian restaurant. All of which will have to be sampled over the next year or two and there are longer routes within this flat area to which we can progress as we become fitter.

This appears to be cattle grazing country. At one point we stopped close to the group of local residents (shown above) who probably thought we were awfully rude to stand and stare. So they stared back, with the usual uncertain mixture if curiosity and laid-back indifference.

We took our time, proceeding at a fairly leisurely pace and stopping several times for refreshment. This, the easy cycling, and the much more enjoyable experience of cycling in company rather than alone, enabled me to more than double my previous maximum mileage. Just three weeks ago my first ride on the bike took me around the block by my home, a distance of under a mile. At the end I was overheated, very tired and aching all over for several hours afterwards. Today I cycled 7.74 miles with no ill effects at all. Perhaps the secret of success at my age is to take it in easy stages. Well, my targets for the next few weeks are a 4.4 mile route involving hills and further trips to Wentlooge where the routes will increase to 10 and then 15 miles. Perhaps by then I might be not just fitter but lighter as well.