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magazine of the London Cycling Campaign June-July 2010 SADDLE UP FOR SUMMER Cycle Hire Local rides Rollapaluza Veloteers Bike Week PLUS: Tweed Run report, cycle training & bike tests
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  • magazine of the London Cycling CampaignJune-July 2010

    SADDLE UP FOR SUMMER Cycle Hire Local rides Rollapaluza Veloteers Bike Week

    PLUS: Tweed Run report, cycle training & bike tests

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  • June-July 2010 London Cyclist 3

    Editorial contactsEditor: John Kitchiner; [email protected]: Anita Razak; [email protected]: Mike Cavenett; [email protected]: Matthew Moore; [email protected]

    Advertising contactClaire Barber, 020 7878 2319; [email protected]

    Contribute to the magEmail [email protected] to discuss feature and photography ideas

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

    Editorial, copyright & printing policyLCC 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 refl ect LCC policy. Editorial content is independent of advertising. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the editor. London Cyclist is printed by Wyndehams on paper made from 80 percent recycled waste and 20 percent sustainably-managed forest.

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

    news, letters & opinionNews Campaign updates, Cycle Superhighways feedback and other cycling issues 4Letters Your latest rants, raves, comments and queries 10Koy Thomson Explains why quality engagement is needed with policy makers 13Zoe Williams On what makes us behave strangely when riding with mates 15Amy Aeron-Thomas Why civil law must be reformed in favour of cyclists 17

    featuresCycle Hire scheme We test ride the new bikes on a typical commuter challenge 18Beat The Thief Latest LCC campaign targets London's bike crime epidemic 22Veloteers Islington initiative shows how to get active at a grass roots level 25Interview The boys from Rollapaluza on their success and future ventures 28Best Rides in London Dulwich and Lambeth parks 30Tweed Run Possibly the most stylish event in the world? 32How To Encouraging more kids to cycle to school 36Technical What's involved in Level 3 Bikeability training 38

    reviewsBike Test Five singlespeed and fi xed-gear bikes 40Grouptest Summer jerseys for men and women 43 Product Gadgets and gear for all types of rider 45Culture A trio of guidebooks to inspire your next adventures 47

    membersCommunity cycling How three projects are benefi tting from CCCfL funding 49Local group news Updates on campaigns and events, including Bike Week 50Rides listing What's happening around the boroughs over the next two months 55London cyclists Photographic vox pops with Tweed Run participants 58

    2 Newhams Row London SE1 3UZ

    020 7234 9310 www.lcc.org.uk

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

    MEMBER BENEFITS Up to 15% off in bike shops Free third-party insurance cover Exclusive deals on bike insurance Free bimonthly magazine Free legal helplineCOVER: Daniel Bosworth

    LOCATION: Kensington Gardens

    Contents

    res

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

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  • LCC has appointed Gerhard Weiss as its new cycling development offi cer. Gerhard is joint-coordinator of the Waltham Forest LCC group and brings many years of cycling advocacy to the role, as well as a strong knowledge of local issues. LCCs current cycling development offi cer, Charlie Lloyd, stays with LCC to concentrate on road danger reduction campaigns. Also Lucy Davis, who has been on maternity leave since 2009, has left LCC with our best wishes.

    NewsVisit www.lcc.org.uk for campaign updates and latest news reports

    NEWS

    +++ Sign up at www.lcc.org.uk to receive a fortnightly e-newsletter on London cycling issues +++

    A green-fi ngered resident is giving some of the citys many potholes a GroundForce-style makeover by planting fl owers in them. Steve Wheen, a Shoreditch resident, has had his work featured in the Evening Standard and on TV news bulletins, and his eff orts appear to have inspired others as copycat examples have been recently spotted in Lambeth. You can report potholes at www.lcc.org.uk/campaigns.

    LCC warns of extra 700 lorries on city streets

    Guerrilla gardener uses flower power to solve pothole problem

    Familiar faces in new roles

    CONCRETE JUNGLE: lorry journeys across the capital are at an all-time high

    4 London Cyclist June-July 2010

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    Cyclists were warned to take extra care when hundreds of 32-tonne lorries passed through central London to The Shard building site near London Bridge station last month. Starting during evening rush hour on Friday 16 April and lasting for 36 hours, almost 700 return lorry trips continuously poured 12,500 tonnes of concrete into the foundations of Europe's largest construction project. This put an extra lorry on London's streets every two to three minutes.

    Concrete lorries and similarly-sized tipper lorries are among the most hazardous vehicles for London cyclists. A few weeks ago, a cyclist was killed in a collision with a tipper lorry from this very site.

    All cyclists in the central

    London area, particularly south of the river around London Bridge and Borough, were warned to take extra care on Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. The lorries came from concrete plants in Bow and Battersea. Route details were published prominently on the LCC website and widely circulated.

    Until LCC contacted the contractors there were no plans to warn cyclists of the extra danger or to publicise the routes.

    LCC road danger campaigner Charlie Lloyd said: "More than half of the cyclist deaths in London are caused by collisions with lorries, as recent tragedies have shown. All developers and transport companies must do more to reduce the danger to cyclists and pedestrians."

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  • +++ LCC local groups organise bike rides throughout the year see page 55 for a full listing +++

    TIME FOR CHANGE: London's main shopping street needs to be pedestrianised

    Oxford Street bus fatality highlights roadworks danger A cyclist has died in the vicinity of the major roadworks on Oxford Street, which form part of the massive Crossrail construction project. Jayne Halliwell, 26, was hit from behind by a 390 bus a few hundred metres west of Tottenham Court Road tube station. The driver of the bus was arrested on suspicion of causing death by driving without due care and attention.

    The narrow lanes, temporary one-way restrictions and diversions have caused many

    Beat the Thief campaign tackles crime epidemic

    cyclists to complain about the route. LCC safety campaigner Charlie Lloyd said: There seems to have been a failure of organisation between the diff erent arms of Transport for London in Oxford Street."

    LCC has frequently argued that Londons fl agship shopping street should be entirely free of motor vehicles, with a continuous east-west cycle route as part of a pedestrianised street. View a video made by LCC of the problems in Oxford Street at www.lcc.org.uk/campaigns

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 5

    that cycle theft is given suffi ciently high priority, and that new developments are reacted to faster.

    Increasing secure parking provisionThousands more secure cycle parking spaces need to be built for homes, estates, schools/colleges, workplaces, shops and transport hubs.

    Better education Cyclists must be given sensible information to help them protect their bikes, such as registering the frame number online, buying insurance and using strong locks. They also need tips on how to avoid buying stolen bikes.

    LCC has launched a major theft campaign this spring to coincide with the seasonal increase in stolen bikes and to help tackle the year-on-year rises in the problem. The police, the Mayor, Transport for London, local councils, websites, bike shops, and cyclists themselves are all being engaged in eff orts to reduce the problem.

    A recent survey of London cyclists has shown the desperate need for action, with 80 percent of cyclists reporting having had at least one bike stolen.

    LCCs eight-point Beat the Thief manifesto majors on increased police activity to reduce theft and shrinking the market for stolen bikes.

    WHAT WE WANT:LCC's THEFT MANIFESTO

    Creation of a police anti-theft squadThe capital needs a dedicated police team to tackle cycle theft, engaging in pro-active stings to fi nd persistent off enders and gangs.

    Tougher action against websites selling stolen bikesWebsites need tough rules on ID, and sellers must be made to provide more information on bikes for sale, providing real photos and frame numbers.

    Code of practice for shopsBike shops need to make sure they do not buy second-hand

    bikes without proper checks on seller ID and bike provenance. A new code of practice will enable shops to demonstrate their good standards.

    Tougher action against street marketsWell-known locations for selling stolen bikes must be policed more aggressively to stamp out the market for stolen goods.

    A central repository for recovered bikesThis would make it easier to unite owners with their stolen bikes.

    Stakeholder meetingsCyclists, police and politicians must meet regularly to ensure

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  • Two winners have been selected from entries to the competition for 25,000 worth of cycling services from the LCC-founded Cycling Star Alliance.

    Cancer Research UK, based in Lincolns Inn Fields, employs nearly 2,000 people within Greater London in its fi ght to improve treatments for the deadly disease. The charity plans to increase cycling to ten percent of its staff within a year, a level thats fi ve times the city average.

    The other winner is the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which employs nearly 10,000 people across four sites in London, and is aiming to double

    the number of cycle commuter trips its staff take from six percent to 12 percent.

    The Cycling Star Alliance is a best-of-brand coalition of cycling service providers, including

    Specialized bikes, Cycle Systems Academy and

    cycle trainers. The Alliance aims to

    use its commercial exepertise to promote

    cycling across the capital. Charlotte Simpson

    of Cancer Research UK said: We look forward to working with the Alliance and are positive that through their expertise and the generous resources from the grant, we will be able to increase and better support our cyclists.

    Prize grants for London-based cancer charity and NHS trust

    +++ Get a full listing of local maintenance classes at http://tinyurl.com/LCCmaintenance +++

    NEWS

    Londons Paris-style Cycle Hire scheme is set to arrive on 30 July, two years after LCC convinced all candidates in the mayoral elections to commit to such a project. The scheme will see 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations across Zone 1, with bikes being free for up to 30 minutes

    (after paying a registration fee).LCC will be running rides in

    the Cycle Hire zone, showing quiet routes and quick short-cuts. Navigating unfamiliar streets is likely to be the biggest challenge for the thousands of people new to cycling in central London.

    LCCs campaigns manager

    Tom Bogdanowicz said: "Every-one in the city will have an op-portunity to try cycling and enjoy its benefi ts. The Cycle Hire bikes have every chance of becoming as iconic in London as the red double-decker bus." See page 18 of this issue to see how the bikes measure up.

    6 London Cyclist June-July 2010

    Southwark Cyclists took the lead in remembering three cyclists killed earlier this year in collisions with lorries during the Critical Mass bike ride in March.

    Around 650 riders, including Hackney Cyclists and LCC staff , visited the three locations where the fatalities occurred. The crowd also stopped in protest outside The Shard construction site; a

    lorry from the site was involved in a cyclist's death in nearby Weston Street and local residents have complained about the lorries using such narrow roads.

    Co-ordinator of Southwark Cyclists Barry Mason said: "It was a wonderful, respectful and very moving evening." Check out LCC's video at www.youtube.com/london_cycling.

    Mass tribute to cyclistsPEACEFUL PROTEST: against lorries responsible for cyclists' deaths in London

    W Adam

    Thompson

    Cycle Hire scheme launches on 30 July

    LANDMARK MOMENT: hire bikes will swamp the streets this summer

    Wider paths for cyclists can benefi t parents and businesses, as well as disabled and older cyclists, the leader of the London Disability Cycling Forum told a meeting attended by Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson. Dame Tanni, winner of 11 gold medals as a Paralympic wheelchair racer, was special guest at the Brixton event where the theme was getting disabled people cycling.

    Dame Tanni attends Brixton forum meeting

    The association of UK cycle campaigning groups, Cyclenation (of which LCC is a member), held its spring campaigning conference in Portsmouth last month. The biannual conferences gives cyclists the chance to exchange ideas in pursuit of improving facilities for cyclists around the country. Speakers included Simon Moon and Councillor Lynne Stagg talking on Portsmouths 20mph speed limit.

    First UK city to adopt 20mph hosts Cyclenation

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  • +++ Find a comprehensive archive of London Cyclist news and features at www.lcc.org.uk +++

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 7

    TfL forced to defend 'thin blue line'Transport for London has been put on the defensive as cyclists have criticised the unsegregated 1.5-metre cycle lanes that are the fi rst signs of the Cycle Superhighways. Theres concern the test facilities in Clapham and Tooting wont bring about the Mayors four-fold increase in cycling because cyclists still remain in the vicinity of fast- moving motor vehicles.

    TfL said: Were introducing measures to improve safety along the routes, including cycle lanes, Advanced Stop Lines, realignment of some lanes and junctions, and re-designing crossings. Theres great demand for space on Londons road network and its not always possible to provide separated cycle lanes. Watch our Superhighways video and read TfL's full response at www.lcc.org.uk.

    LCC has helped more than 40 community groups get funding from TfL and the Big Lottery. This years Community Cycling Fund for London was overwhelmed by applications for grants after adverts appeared in the regional press and on LCCs website. The diverse schemes share a pot totalling over 200,000.

    Successful projects include: Changebox in Hounslow, which will be encouraging primary schoolchildren to cycle through the loan of bikes and instructor-escorted bike buses; the Notre Dame Refugee Centre,

    a francophone help group in Westminster, which will be running its fi rst ever bike scheme; and Hackney City Farm which will be persuading local bus users to cycle instead.

    Community cycling offi cer Rosie Tharp said: As the fund administrators, it is LCCs job to help the projects get up and running over the summer. Were all looking forward to another exciting year of building up these community-led grass-roots projects. Find out more about community cycling on page 49.

    LCC and TfL partnership allocates 200,000 to community projects

    Exhibition laments negative eff ect of one-way streetsA recent exhibition by the distinguished architectural expert and artist Peter Murray used a series of drawings to show the prevalence and negative eff ect of one-way streets in London. Held at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery during April it featured 12 graphical depictions of London neighbourhoods, captioned to explain the extent of the uniphilia planners have infl icted on the inhabitants. Murray said: One-way streets in cities refl ect the dominance of the car and the failed go-faster policies of the traffi c engineers. As we begin to realise that walking and cycling should be the dominant forms of private transport, the one-way street should be consigned to the dustbin of history. The exhibition catalogue can be downloaded at www.lcc.org.uk.

    THERE MAY BE TROUBLE AHEAD: early Superhighways work is drawing criticism from commuters, activists and bloggers

    As part of the 'complementary measures for the Cycle Superhighways, TfL is off ering cycle parking, training and maintenance to workplaces located up to one mile from Superhighways 3 (Barking to Tower Hill) and 7 (Merton to Southwark). The packages could be worth up to 5k for eligible companies. While the main target is companies with 50 employees or more, LCC understands that smaller organisations who share a building or courtyard can make a joint application.

    With limited funds available, LCC is encouraging workplaces to register their interest promptly at www.tfl .gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14120.aspx.

    Want 5,000 for workplace cycle parking?

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  • The Metropolitan Police has set up a new website to allow road users to report dangerous behaviour. The site gained exposure recently when LCC member James Hoggarth complained about a van driver who deliberately swerved into his path after a verbal altercation. Hoggarth reported the crime to the RoadSafe website and to the drivers employer; the driver was sacked when video evidence backed up the cyclists version of events.

    A similar site created by Sussex Police has resulted in at least one operation to catch a driver whose repeated bad behaviour was reported by other road users.

    DCI Nick Chalmers, who runs the police reporting site, said: "The scheme allows any member of the community to report their concerns about

    road conditions, road user behaviour or criminality to the police, and each report is dealt with on its own merits. The primary aim of RoadSafe is not prosecuting off enders, but raising awareness of the potential consequences of

    their actions in order to promote road safety."

    LCCs Mike Cavenett said: "This is no substitution for stronger enforcement of laws against speeding or mobile phone use, but it's welcome the police have recognised there are

    too many unreported incidents. Perhaps it could be refi ned to capture accurate data on specifi c off ences like mobile phone use." www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon www.sussex.police.uk/operations/crackdown.asp

    Royal Mail has been heavily criticised for announcing plans to phase out its 24,000 bicycles, replacing them with more vans and mechanised trolleys. The measure is designed to make effi ciency savings by allowing postal workers to make fewer trips back the depot during delivery rounds, although there has been no environmental assessment of the eff ect of adding tens of thousands of extra motor vehicles to the streets.

    Employee safety was also cited by Royal Mail, even though it is well documented by Cycling

    England that the health benefi ts of cycling outweigh the risks by a factor of 20.

    The news comes as stationery supplies giant Offi ce Depot unveiled a new fl eet of cargo bikes to carry out 75 percent of its City deliveries, which were previously all done by van.

    The company distributes around 1,350 cartons of offi ce supplies each day in the London EC postcode; around 900 of these will transfer to cargo bike. A spokesperson said: Pedal power is good for our customers, good for London and good for the planet.

    +++ Get a full listing of local maintenance classes at http://tinyurl.com/LCCmaintenance +++

    NEWS

    8 London Cyclist June-July 2010

    Met launches website for reporting bad driving

    POLICE, CAMERA, ACTION: Met initiative hopes to counter poor behaviour and criminality on our streets

    Car-centric Sydney embraces bikes

    TourismN

    SW

    CHAMPION EFFORT: Olympian Jamie Staff launches new Offi ce Depot fl eet

    Offi ce Depot adopts bikes as Royal Mail abandons them

    Sydney, Australia, is the latest city to embrace cycling as a mode of transport, with plans to build 200km of new cycle lanes, including 55km of segregated tracks.

    Currently, the city centre hasfew facilities for utility cycling, with overall trips at below two percent, many of which fall into the leisure cycling category, and cycle commuting languishing below one percent. Australia has the second-highest levels of obesity in the world, behind the United States.

    The new lanesformpart of the City of Sydney's Cycle Strategy and Action Plan, which aims to double cycling in the city in the next fi ve years, with a view to increasing it to 10 percent of all trips by 2017. Elsewhere, Melbourne is to benefi t from aParis-style cycle hire scheme, which launches in spring 2010. It will feature 50 docking stations and 600 bikes around the city centre.

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  • LettersDIVERSIONARY TACTICSI am not surprised that KSIs are concentrated on busy roads and bus routes (London Cyclist, April-May 2010) and would like to suggest another response: that cyclists are encouraged to use the London Cycle Network (LCN) as alternative routes.

    I am a 66-year-old female who started cycling regularly in London 10 years ago, fi rst to commute and since retirement just to get around. People often ask if I don't fi nd it too dangerous to which my response is that I avoid busy roads and bus routes. This is perfectly possible using the TfL/LCC cycling maps and a little research before setting out. There are great routes parallel to such traffi c horrors as Edgware Road and Walworth Road and ways to get round some of the worst gyratories. Fewer traffi c lights and special cycle crossings are among other bonuses.

    Sadly, many people (cyclists included) are not aware of the LCN or of the maps. Perhaps LCC could promote both and encourage the boroughs to maintain the signage better and pay attention to consistency across borough boundaries. I feel this could make a big diff erence to the success and safety of the new Cycle Hire scheme too.Clarissa Dorner, Westminster

    LOSE THE LORRIESYour reader summed it up perfectly in the last issue there are simply too many HGVs and lorries in our already congested city. Theyre the worst thing to try to drive on our tight, narrow streets anyway and with their numbers set to rise with all the ongoing building works, it seems sadly inevitable that further cyclist deaths will follow. So while I agree that education of these drivers is vital, what will have a more meaningful and immediate impact is to cut their numbers. Cut the number of lorries and lessen the risks to other road users its not rocket science is it?M Summers, Blackheath

    OH LORDY!Lord Adonis demonstrates the lack of joined-up thinking and obsession with 'choice' which has characterised this and previous governments (London Cyclist, April-May 2010). In his response to the question on climate change, he puts his faith in electric and plug-in vehicles,as opposed to suggesting that a reduction of motor vehicles is one way forward. This appears to totally ignore the issue of congestion, which going down the route of environmentally-friendly vehicles will do nothing to alleviate. It is also questionable whether it will help reduce CO2 how will this additional electricity be generated anyway?

    Given that there is an article in the sameissue which clearly demonstrates the link between congestionand risk to cyclists,his interviewgives evidence to the Labour Party's priorities as to where they see cycling as part of a wider transport strategy.

    In addition, his view fails to acknowledge that 'more choice' can become meaningless when there is a limited resource. In this case, either funding or road

    space or both. Although an environmentally-friendlycar may reduce theeff ects of pollution and CO2, it does nothing to increase safety for cyclists or pedestrians.It does nothing to free uplimited road space.One person's choice limits other peoples'choices. It also ignores the fact that some choices have more of a negative impact on a community including social, economic, health, environmental etc than others. Yet little consideration is given to these 'hidden' costs when trying to promote a policy of individual choice.

    Lord Adonis completely ignores the issue of inactivity and health raised in the question. Surely it is a question of how we want to use our public spaces and surely it is the government's role to prioritise and cease this meaningless allusion to 'choice' as the answer to everything.MonicaSaunders, Twickenham

    TING TINGSI have walked, run and cycled more miles on London's canals than I care to count, so I was struck by the image of two

    cyclists on your April-May cover sporting cheery faces as they rode along the Regent's Canal. And then I looked again. No, this isn't another letter about the absence of a helmet, not an issue on the canal, it's about the absence of a visible bell on either bicycle. Did the Two Tings campaign never happen?

    Given that the picture was obviously posed, couldn't someone have found a bell? I know there have been reams of letters in these pages about whether a bell is rude and, yes, an aggressive rider can give an aggressive ting. But when you're walking along a canal it really is unpleasant to have a bike come up behind you with no warning. The thing about a ting is that it can be given and heard 20 metres or so away, alerting walkers. You can't warn verbally (without shouting) until you are really close.

    The coverline said Vote 'Bike: Let's put cycling at the top of the political agenda in May a utopian thought if ever there was one. But while we're thinking about utopias, let's put shared use up there with it.Pete Wrobel, E10

    TWO TINGS: don't forget a bell if you regularly ride on London's canals, unlike last issue's cover models on their borrowed bikes!

    Comment, opinion, rants and raves send yours to [email protected]

    LETTERS

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    10 London Cyclist June-July 2010

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  • BACKWARDS STEPSWhy is TfL removing stretches of cycle lanes on either side of the A4 Great West Road? Naively I thought TfL was creating new cycling facilities, not destroying them. On the north side of the GWR at Adelaide Terrace, Hounslow, more than 100 metres of cycle lane has been taken out and replaced by pavement. The same thing has happened on the south side between Brooke Lane and Ealing Road.

    Access has been made more diffi cult by not having dropped kerbs. So instead of preserving what is almost unique in London unbroken cycle lanes on both sides of a major carriageway TfL is busy destroying this wonderful facility.Timon Day, email

    LONG AND SHORT OF ITI enjoyed your review of baggies in the last issue and am planning to add a pair to my wardrobe. This will please my cycling buddies no end, who all take the proverbial at my love for Lycra.

    You criticise Howies for their high price, perhaps without the knowledge that their environ- mental credentials are impeccable; this is the primary reason that their clothes cost more than many other brands. Also, given that the Sugoi cost only 15 percent less, I'm not sure the Howies stand out as the high cost option. Not everyone cares about the environmental impact of their clothing and neither can all of us aff ord to put our money where our mouth us.

    Nonetheless it's worth thinking about; even cotton has a high impact due to the amount of water required to grow it.

    Thanks for the thought-provoking read.Ben Zass-Bangham, email

    LCC REPLIES: Having tested Howies gear since it was introduced, were certainly aware of its eco background and its a factor for many consumers. But function and performance were our key test criteria and this pair was bettered by others.

    BUDGET BUYS?As a committed cheapskate your product reviews don't cater for me. In the February-March issue you reviewed mid-priced road bikes costing 650 to 1,200. Most people don't spend that much. The panniers you review averaged 200 a pair, while Tesco and Argos sell some for 12 and 20 a pair respectively could you not include them and tell us how durable they are?

    The choice of products feeds an aspirational, consumerist culture from which cycling could be a refreshing alternative. Please can you review mass-market products that a lot of people use and can aff ord?Michael Stuart, Kilburn

    LCC REPLIES: Point taken on the panniers, but to be fair those road bikes would actually be considered low end by many manufacturers, with mid-priced bikes starting at a grand. Also the 400 to 1200 price bracket is actually where the over-

    whelming majority of bikes are sold in the UK. Were covering a spectrum of bikes in our tests, from hybrids and mountain bikes to singlespeeds and folders, across a broad price range to refl ect what people are actually riding see page 40.

    OLD STANDARDSI was interested to read the following letter from the 15 November 1951 issue of Cycling. I think we need to take this kind of stance again if we are going to challenge the undisputed place of the car at the centre of transport planning.

    It states: The rear light as the warning device is gradually eff acing the old-established principle that the duty of the driver... is to look where he is going and be able to pull up safely in the distance he can see ahead. A night-driving standard has developed which assumes that it is proper to speed into blackness if there is no red light showing.

    Having lived abroad in Egypt and Japan the rule don't hit pedestrians or cyclists seems to be the golden rule for motor vehicles. And a similar approach

    here, moving the emphasis away from cyclists complying with ever-changing lighting requirements, would be no bad thing.Liam Simington, email

    CHANGE FOR BETTER?I read with interest the letters in each edition of the very smart new London Cyclist and one in particular made me feel like commenting. I was like Stephen Parry-Jones, using both cycle and motorbike to commute to the City where I worked from 1951 until retirement in 2001 90 percent of my travel was on two wheels. From the late 1990s I noticed the attitudes of cyclists had started to change, becoming more aggressive, but I never had the treatment handed out to Stephen, which is unacceptable.

    The traffi c these days is far heavier than in my time of regular travel up the A13 and along Commercial Road. The motorists drive faster, ignoring any speed limits, and this red light running by cyclists although seemingly accepted is quite wrong, but can no more be stopped by policing than drivers using their mobile phones.

    I still use a bike locally, not much more than 30 miles a week though. But its good to see so much more being done for the cycling world. However I would like it if all of us were not tarred by the same brush. I never run red lights, ride at night without lights, ignore one-way systems, or some of the other things some of todays riders do.Tom Pettengell, email

    If you can't wait for the next issue of London Cyclist magazine, you can fi nd a large archive of this subversive cartoon strip (based in a Wisconsin cycle repair shop) by visiting www.yehudamoon.com

    PANNIER TEST: too rich for some

    Read more online

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 11

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  • With the Cycle Superhighways project drawing more criticism by the day, LCCs chief executive explains why quality engagement works

    Fishing has a lot in common with Cycle Superhighways campaigning: hours and hours of preparation, tons of patience and you think you have a bite, but no. You pulled a little too sharply and you scared the fi sh. For eight long months our local activists have ridden the

    proposed highways, documented the challenges, proposed solutions and alternatives, engaged in consultative processes, lobbied managers, consultants and designers, and spoken directly to the Mayor, his advisors and senior managers. Sometimes we want to publicly let loose like the cycling blogs (see page 7), who are now saying what we have been saying to Transport for London since last September. This would alleviate the frustration, but it risks cutting off all of our communication channels.

    We believe it is important to talk because we believe that if quality rules the Cycle Superhighways will work and will genuinely herald a revolution in cycling in London and beyond. We want every pound spent on the programme to deliver quality solutions for encouraging new cyclists, and our members and activists have worked hard to show what those solutions are.

    When we started engaging we believed that open dialogue and freely given advice would yield results. It may seem a little strange that local volunteers and a relatively small charity like LCC are subsidising TfL, but that is the way the world works. Maybe it is too soon to throw our toys out of the pram, but we are continually assessing whether we are getting the best deal for Londons cyclists. Rest assured that there is not one junction, one section of road, one left-hand swipe, nor one roundabout that we have not assessed for improvement and made our views known.

    Campaignings a continuous processLong ago when I was working on international emergencies and famines, aid agencies used to distribute disgusting tasting high-nutrition biscuits. The thinking was that hungry people are so desperate that they will eat anything. Quite apart from the insult to peoples dignity it didnt work. If you want people to eat you must encourage them to eat. Even for the hungry food must taste good.

    More recently, when helping Sri Lankan people with shelter after the tsunami, a colleague noticed how the pre-fabricated emergency shelters turned into ovens in the sun and people were not using them. Chasing the agencies involved had no eff ect until we invited them to hold their next coordination meeting in one of the shelters similar thinking had prevailed. This is a lesson that the Mayor must learn: quality will attract new cyclists. New cyclists might be

    desperate but they have high standards for what looks and feels safe, otherwise they'd be on the streets now.

    All of this is a good lesson that campaigning is a continuous process. It doesnt end when you get the policy; it doesnt end when you get the budget; it doesnt end when you get the organisation; it doesnt end when you get the pro-cycling politician. It ends when the fat lady rides.

    Learn from Cycling EnglandLondon is not the only interesting cycling city or town in England. Cycling England, the excellent cycle promotion body that we all must hope will survive and grow after the election, has just published a review of their Cycling Demonstration Town programme. Investment in cycling has bucked the national trend of gradual decline and has

    resulted in an average increase in cycling across the six towns of 27 percent between 2005 and 2009.

    The growth rates match London and remember it was the congestion charge that really gave a spur to Londons cycling growth. The really interesting fi nding is that cycling investment pays back at least 3:1 and as high as 6:1 if investments (like rail, bus and road) are sustained over 30 years. That is, for every 1 you put in, you generate 3 or 6 of benefi t. Give any transport planner a return of 3:1 or 6:1 and they would kill you for it.

    The truth is that if you dont see a city, town or borough invest signifi cantly in cycling then you can be sure they are not being careful with their fi nances and are being un-strategic in their policy. In other words cycling investment serves as a very good proxy for cost-eff ective transport policy and planning in this, an age of austerity.

    Alongside new campaigns on theft and parking we will be pushing the economic arguments at a borough level: two- thirds of the potential for cycling growth are those short daily trips to school, shops, local services, and social visits. Our new priority must be to persuade councils to invest in cycling. It is not all about the grand commuter network.

    Two-thirds of potential cycling growth are those short trips to school, shops and the like

    Koy Thomson

    BEST RIDES INLONDON

    OPINION

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 13

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  • Why is it that riding with a friend can make you behave in strange ways? Our regular columnist assesses the pros and cons of taking the lead

    My chum and I were going to a gastropub, its a new one (thank you for asking) on South Lambeth Road and it does the classiest toasties in the south-east of England. Anyway, sorry, thats not the point: he picked me up, and we cycled together. The etiquette of this is incredibly complicated, theres so much you could get wrong, so much that you should never get wrong but unaccountably do because your friend is watching, so much vexed territory. Its really like having sex with someone for the fi rst time, except youre not drunk and its not as much fun as it is on your own.

    So he waved me ahead, on the basis that I knew the way, but it was only fi ve minutes down the road, we both knew the way as well as we knew our own names. He had seized the advantage no, I dont mean he wanted to be in my slipstream so he could go faster. Neither of us is what youd call a competition cyclist. Rather, I just mean, it makes you self-conscious, being in front.

    Small things become magnifi ed You get the yips, and suddenly you cant indicate. So at the very time possibly the only time you dont want to be veering all over the road, not indicating, thats exactly what youre doing. Now it looks like youre trying to kill your friend, and that is your baseline paranoia: with this incompetent cycling, I look like Im deliberately trying to kill my dear friend.

    Upon these foundations, a fairly regular hazard a pothole, a grate takes on pressing importance, and you start to do exaggerated hazard-avoidance, whereas if you were on your own, you would just peg over it and not take any notice. We dont have the same bikes, of course, I have a road bike and he has the Trek hybrid that the whole world (apparently) bought when Ridgebacks suddenly and unaccountably went out of fashion. So there I was, skirting round the most minor hollow, fl ailing my arms about, yodelling Pothole! Pothole hazard!, when he probably couldnt even feel it through his chubby tyres.

    New forms of one-upmanship When we got off and locked up, we were avoiding one anothers eyes. I had the feeling that if wed looked directly at each other, he would have said: You idiot! Youre a danger to yourself and others! And I would have said: What kind of scheming ratbag pretends they dont

    know the way, from Clapham to South Lambeth Road, just to make the other person go in front? We got over this hillock and had lunch fi nished it, were readying to go home then he remembers that this other fella he knows is having lunch in Soho, so why not cycle over there? Were only a quarter of an hour away.

    We pulled out. Hed foxed me into going fi rst again, but now I was a bit drunk so I didnt care. There are quite a few reasons not to cycle while youre drunk, Im sure you can fi nd them on the AA website. Whatever they are, theyre magnifi ed when your friend is cycling behind you. The self-consciousness had transmogrifi ed into showing off . I thought I was cool on my drop handlebars. What did I think this was, wartime France?

    Punching above your weightSuddenly potholes were my adventure playground. I was cycling up Whitehall hoping a minister would walk out in front of me, so I could double show-off by running over their feet (I did this once to Clare Short). We reached our destination exhilarated, but as ever with cycling, this shaded into a slight punchiness, and he immediately had an argument with a guy who wouldnt let us lock up to his railings, while I stood behind looking like a belligerent cycling heavy. Why would anybody ever get into a fi ght like that, in a world where plentiful lampposts exist? Only cycling in pairs gets your blood up like this.

    Imagine what its like to have a tandem...

    It's like having sex with someone for the fi rst time, except you're not drunk and it's not as fun as it is on your own

    Zoe Williams

    BEST RIDES INLONDON

    OPINION

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 15

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

    OPINION

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  • As executive director of RoadPeace, the national road victim charity, our guest columnist insists that the cycling revolution wont happen without civil law reform

    Like many others, RoadPeace fears that the promised cycling revolution will not take place until our civil compensation system has undergone radical reform. Reforms are necessary to make the system fairer by compensating more vulnerable road users for sometimes horrifi c injuries, which will in turn create a culture of safer driving, where all road users are expected to exercise care over those more vulnerable than themselves.

    Some call this driver liability, whereas RoadPeace prefers stricter liability, which shifts the focus away from drivers. All are calling for the burden of proof in collisions involving motor vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists to be reversed. At present, in the event of a car hitting a cyclist or pedestrian, our motor insurance system requires proof that the driver caused the collision before any compensation can be paid to either cyclist or pedestrian for injuries sustained.

    Insurance companies currently rely on the outcome of a police investigation before deciding liability. Yet the Department for Transport estimates that the average cost of police resources spent on a serious injury collision investigation is only 250, and for a slight injury collision its only 60. These amounts do not pay for much police time and so it is the lack of a thorough investigation, rather than the proof of innocence, that often results in the police fi nding no evidence of any crime or culpability.

    Figures dont add up The sad fact is that the cyclist or pedestrian always suff ers worse injuries, so is at a severe disadvantage in reporting events and producing witnesses. Without proper investi-gation or eye-witness evidence, there is frequently no chance for a cyclist or pedestrian to claim compensation. This is why it is much fairer for the default position to be that injured cyclists and pedestrians automatically qualify for compensation, unless its proven they contributed to the crash.

    Stricter liability does not mean that poor road behaviour by the average cyclist or pedestrian would automatically be compensated. For example, pedestrians dashing out from between parked cars or cyclists running red lights could have their compensation severely reduced.

    Stricter liability would also have no eff ect on criminal prosecution: innocent until proven guilty is a basic human right, but it refers to criminal prosecution, not civil compensation. Civil compensation is based on probability and a lesser standard of evidence, and it would be the insurance company that pays out, not the individual driver. However, if youre a driver that repeatedly hurts cyclists or

    pedestrians, your insurance premium will mount. A valuable disincentive has been introduced for driving that causes harm. Such are behaviour changes eff ected.

    Learn from other countries Stricter liability is the norm in much of the world, including western Europe, China, India, Australia and New Zealand, although the practice varies widely. For example, its very rare in France for an injured cyclist or pedestrian to have their compensation reduced. And in France and the Netherlands no matter what a child, an elderly person, or someone with a 20 percent or more disability does, they are always compensated the system recognising that we all have a duty of care towards societys most vulnerable. In the Netherlands able-bodied adults always get at least 50

    percent compensation, whereas in Germany compensation is often reduced greatly if the injured pedestrian or cyclist is proven to have contributed to the collision. However, all have the same starting point, with injured pedestrians and cyclists not having to prove they qualify for compensation.

    Everyone in the UK travels on foot, and so would benefi t from the reform. Cycling would also benefi t massively as drivers instantly became more accountable and, conse-quently, less dangerous. We know that fear of traffi c is the number one obstacle to increased cycling. Another benefi t is that when insurance companies bear more of the costs related to injured pedestrians and cyclists, they will invest in safety improvements for vulnerable road users, as they have already for vehicle occupants, reducing road danger further.

    The cycling revolution requires a change of mindset about the duty of care owed vulnerable road users by drivers, motor vehicle owners and transport system providers. This includes not accepting speeds that pose a serious chance of killing or seriously injuring a pedestrian or putting up with blind spots on HGVs. Progress is being made, but reforming our civil law system has lagged behind. www.roadpeace.org

    The cycling revolution requires change about the duty of care owed vulnerable road users

    Amy Aeron-Thomas

    BEST RIDES INLONDON

    OPINION

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 17

    OPINION

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  • From 30 July, London will join the growing list of cities embracing the principle of public bike hire. The London Cycle Hire scheme will ensure you always have the option to travel around Zone 1 by bike, not only saving you time and money but also benefi tting health and the planet.

    LCC is proud to have lobbied for and supported the scheme from the very beginning, as well as successfully proposing a variety of infrastructure improvements to complement the bikes (see map at www.lcc.org.uk/successes).

    A total of 4.5 million pounds is being spent on introducing two-way cycling on many one-way streets, improved safety and streetscaping,

    In the line of hireand better lighting. For example, cyclists will no longer be ticketed for crossing London Wall to get to Moorfi elds as this obvious route is made cycle-friendly.

    In the West End, contrafl ows in Bailey Street, Bedford Square and Percy Street will provide another east-west link for cyclists avoiding Oxford Street. And Lambeth Road and Lambeth Walk will be made calmer for cyclists by restricting motor vehicle access. In all, 121 complementary measures have been approved, many of which were proposed by LCCs knowledgeable local groups.

    LCC has also presented Transport for London with plans for an integrated Zone 1 BikeGrid (London

    Cyclist, February/March 2010). This would take central London cycling to the next level, using spare road capacity and the West Ends garden squares to create a cost-eff ective, people-centric integrated walking and cycling network.

    Following the French revolutionParis is the best-known of the existing public bike hire schemes, launched in 2007, and now with nearly 25,000 bikes though Frances second city, Lyon, was actually the true pioneer. However, Montreals 'Bixi' scheme is actually the closest to Londons, being run by the same operator Serco.

    Barcelona, Brussels, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Washington

    18 London Cyclist June-July 2010

    This summer will see an additional 6,000 bikes hit London's streets with the launch of the long-awaited Cycle Hire scheme, as Mike Cavenett reports

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  • June-July 2010 London Cyclist 19

    DC and Taipei are just a few of the other cities to take the plunge, with as many as 50 more cities also currently considering similar schemes, including car-centric Los Angeles and Melbourne. Quite simply, public bike hire has come of age.

    It wasnt always this way: the fi rst generation of public bike schemes appeared in the 1960s, in that most progressive of cycling cities, Amsterdam. The 'Witte Fietsen' (white bikes) were standard bikes that were left around the city for anyone to use, with instructions to simply leave them in the street for the next person. It was a disaster, though, with most of them being stolen or dumped in the canals within a few weeks.

    It was another 30 years before that other great cycling city, Copenhagen, dared to revisit the idea. In 1995, the Danes introduced the 'Bycyklen': purpose-designed city bikes that were built to be ultra-rugged and had to be liberated from docking stations by paying a fee. However, there was no membership

    HOW JOURNEYS COMPARE: LONDON COMMUTER CHALLENGEHow does using a hire bike compare to a typical journey across London when you dont have a motor vehicle with you? We chose the symbolic journey from City Hall to the Houses of Parliament, in the hope that our politicians and civil servants will be encouraged to use the hire bikes as much as other Londoners and tourists. We travelled mid-afternoon and assumed just one person travelling alone. The fi gures below are based on recent information on prices, CO2 emissions and energy expenditure for the various modes of transport. Journey times are actual, from door to door.

    Journey: City Hall to Houses of ParliamentMap: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3631908Distance: 2.5 miles (4km)

    DOCKING STATION iPHONE APPhttp://cyclehireapp.com

    The Cycle Hire Scheme doesnt kick off until 30 July, but one developer has already come up with an application for the Apple iPhone to help you fi nd your nearest docking station. The app was created by cyclehireapp.com, working independently of TfL and Serco, and will be given away free. The software uses GPS mapping and a database of locations to point you to your nearest docking station. Its hoped the system will tell you if there are actually bikes there too, though this will depend on TfL publishing the information in real time. Similar applications for other phones such as the BlackBerryare also in the pipeline. Visit the site to take part in beta testing.

    COST TIME CALORIES BURNED

    CO2 EMISSIONS

    WALKING zero 55 mins 250 zero

    CYCLING 0.12-1 15 mins 150 zero

    TUBE 1.80-4 31 mins 50 320g

    TAXI 15 19 mins none 840g

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  • 20 London Cyclist June-July 2010

    CAMPAIGN

    scheme and disappearances were still a major problem.

    Technology was slow to catch up with the idea, though, and it wasnt until 2005 that Lyon introduced its citywide 'Velov' scheme, which was an instant success, and featured all the hallmarks of a modern bike hire set-up: large scale, pre-registration, with rugged bikes and docking stations.

    Planners come on boardCity planners are calling public hire bikes a new form of public transport, attracted to this relatively low-cost means of shifting people away from crowded public transport and motor vehicles that congest, injure and pollute. Politicians too are waking up to this zero-congestion, zero-emissions travel that also improves public health.

    The London Cycle Hire scheme is projected to cost 140 million over six years (much of which is set-up costs), but will create an extra 40,000 bicycle trips per day from its 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations. Plus, theres plenty of evidence that people who experience city cycling via bike hire schemes go on to cycle more often elsewhere. In the context of a 7 billion annual TfL budget, this is money well spent.

    Former mayor Ken Livingstone fi rst proposed the scheme back in 2007 and LCC successfully won assurances from the three main mayoral challengers in the 2008 elections that they would implement the scheme. Mayor Boris Johnson announced the London Cycle Hire scheme in April 2009 and is bringing the project to fruition this summer.

    Pros outweigh the cons The scheme is limited to Zone 1, for now, and Oyster wont be integrated at fi rst, but the positives far outweigh the few negatives. The press has issued dire warnings about vandalism, the lack of helmets, and the risks in having thousands more bikes in Zone 1. Curiously, most of the current evidence supports the strength in numbers theory, that adding more bikes to the mix increases safety for individual cyclists, perhaps because drivers become more aware.

    Whatever the reason, expect fewer collisions per mile cycled. On this occasion, were delighted to agree with the Mayor, that 2010 could well be a glorious summer of cycling. To fi nd out where your nearest docking station is, download a map at www.lcc.org.uk/HireScheme.

    FIRST RIDE: CYCLE HIRE BIKESOverall we liked the bikes, which are suitable for typical 2-3 mile journeys around the mostly fl at expanse of central London. However, their weight (23kg) means theyll be a lot harder going if hills or longer distances are involved. The bikes have features to deter vandalism and improve safety, such as plastic covers for all cables and lights that stay on for two minutes after you stop pedalling. They come with three speeds, an enclosed chain and strong aluminium frame and wheels. A fairly large cockpit might put off smaller riders, though the step-through frame and skirt-guard make riding easy whatever youre wearing. The only adjustment is to the saddle height and the calibrated seatpost makes for a quick fi t. Each bike comes with a bell, kick-stand, but no lock in order to discourage long shopping trips.

    Photos: Mike Cavenett

    4. Drum brakesFront and rear cable-operated drum brakes work like standard stoppers, but the friction unit is built into the oversized hubs, which are more durable and weatherproof than rim brakes.

    5. Carry basket The carry-unit is sturdy, though quite shallow (to discouragepassengers). Apparently, the front LED has been relocated because of feedback saying that it was too easy to obscure.

    6. Docking unitThe triangular docking unit protudes from the front of the fork and hinges upwards when you manoeuvre the bike into a docking station, before locking down with a reassuring clunk.

    2. Calibrated seatpostNumbered notches on the bikes seatpost mean that when you arrive at a docking station, you can adjust the seat to your favoured height and be on your way in a matter of seconds.

    3. Three-speed hub gears When you reach any kind of incline youll be pleased of the twist-shift three-speed hub gears. Top is fi ne on the fl at, but hills and longer distances will likely need the fuller range.

    1. Dynamo-powered lights The front light is a small, three- LED unit; there's also a pair of fl ashing red LEDs on the chainstays. Powered by dynamo, they keep working for two minutes after you stop pedalling.

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  • City-wide campaign Ph

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    A new LCC survey on bike theft has inspired one of 2010s major campaigns. Mike

    CAMPAIGN

    22 London Cyclist June-July 2010

    B ike theft is causing major distress to London cyclists and severely undermining the Mayors attempts to increase cycling in the capital, according to a new LCC survey on the subject. Two thirds of respondents reported that they use their bike less because of the risk of it being stolen.

    Websites are blamed by many for making it too easy for thieves to sell stolen bikes as many as one in six (17 percent) respondents saying theyve seen a bike they recognised as stolen on the internet, with 93 percent of these people naming Gumtree or eBay.

    A disturbingly high 80 percent of London cyclists say theyve had at least one bike stolen, with one in ten people saying four or more. Over 90 percent of people report never having recovered any of their stolen bikes. Five out of six people reported that they felt the police only made a token eff ort to investigate or recover their bike.

    LCCs Beat the Thief campaign

    aims to address an issue that the whole cycling community wants tackled. Bike theft soared by 30 percent in 2009 to a record level (as reported in the last issue of London Cyclist). Responding to the theft crisis, LCC is putting pressure on law enforcement agencies, politicians, civil servants and websites to investigate suspect sales and prioritise anti-theft measures.

    Mayor supports action on theft LCC is not alone in highlighting the problem earlier this year the cycle industry identifi ed theft as a priority for the police and the Mayor. At a meeting of the Islington Cyclists Action Group (the local LCC group), Boris Johnson, who has himself had fi ve bikes stolen, said that sharia law should be used on bicycle thieves

    In a key development LCC is contributing to a London-wide assessment of measures that are needed to address the plague

    of bike theft. Reliable sources

    say that the examination of cycle theft will lead to a series of concrete measures involving the

    police, TfL and stakeholders.

    LCC wants a new police

    taskforce to be assigned specifi cally to

    address cycle theft with a brief to tackle the thieves and

    distribution channels as a priority.Police powers and skills must

    be focused on investigation and disruption of the theft networks and their access to marketplaces, such as websites and street markets. Other organisations such as the industry, councils and LCC can focus on educating cyclists about locking, bike identifi cation and marking while the police prioritise detection and prosecution.

    Among other suggestions being made by LCC is the need for a large warehouse or space where recovered bikes, of which there are many thousands every year, can be stored for a period and

    TIPS TO DETER THIEVESGOOD Lock frame & both wheels to a solid object Use a strong D-lock and/or chain, not skinny cable Two locks (chain/cable and D-lock) slows thieves Always remove lights and other accessories

    BAD Dont leave your bike in a secluded location Dont lock it so your bike can be lifted over a post Dont let your lock touch the ground so it can be

    smashed (thieves use the ground as an 'anvil') Dont leave space inside D-lock for insertion of

    leverage tools

    BEAT THE THIEF VIDEOSouthwark Cyclists' Barry Mason rates your bike locking technique. Do you really measure up? Visit www.lcc.org.uk/theft to fi nd out.

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  • hits the streetsvictims of theft can try to retrieve them. We are also asking for a signifi cant increase in secure cycle parking across London and support for our lobbying to ensure that every public destination provides visitors with full information about the location of the nearest cycle parking facility.

    Getting online in line In a further eff ort to stop bike theft, LCC and others are working on a Code of Practice that shops and internet sites can adopt (eBay, Gumtree and Craigslist are all part of the same company). If websites include a bike frame number fi eld in adverts, for example, and websites ensure that sellers provide traceable phone numbers when they submit ads theyll give buyers more confi dence that they are not buying stolen goods. LCC is currently pursuing eBay and Gumtree with a view to fi nding a solution to this serious problem.

    To help cyclists keep a record of their bike details (needed when reporting thefts) LCC is producing a convenient, pocket-sized tag which also gives advice on eff ective locking technique. These tags are designed to be hung on parked bikes and LCC plans to distribute many thousands of them

    Cavenett explains the issues involved

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 23

    across Greater London if you want to help distribute them during Bike Week, call LCC on 020 7234 9310.

    Check what youre buyingIf you are thinking of buying a used bike, take care that you dont buy stolen: check the sellers ID, ask for the bikes frame number (for example, before bidding on eBay or making an off er on Gumtree), ask where they got the bike and make

    WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT BIKE THEFT

    sure they give you a receipt with their correct name and the bike frame number (your insurer will want to see it).

    Remember that even if a stolen bike is sold two or more times knowingly or unknowingly it still remains the property of the original owner who is entitled to recover it. For the latest details on LCC's theft campaign, please visit www.lcc.org.uk/theft.

    I won't take my bike anywhere if I have to leave it unattended. These days I only ride between home and work. Abdou Hassan

    It is easy to see stolen bikes on Gumtree: same mobile number, selling bikes daily with the same story. Richard Court

    The authorities must actively try to catch bike thieves; maybe by watching a few bikes left with bad locks on them? Paula Gent

    I take an enormously heavy D-lock and chain everywhere. This 6-7kg of metal ruins my light bike though. Pete Hayes

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  • CAMPAIGN

    June-July 2010 June-July 2010 London Cyclist 2525

    Get active: be a VeloteerPotholes, cycle stands, road closures sometimes cycle campaigning is about the very local. And with the recent council elections focusing attention, the Islington Cyclists Action Group (ICAG) decided it was the perfect time to launch its Veloteers scheme.

    The idea behind the scheme is to mobilise the LCC membership in Islington who might not currently be very active. They might not have the time to attend monthly meetings or pore over plans for new traffi c

    A new scheme in Islington is getting more local people involved in cycling issues. Stephen Taylor explains the idea behind 'Veloteers'...

    management proposals across the borough, however, many of them still want to do something to improve cycling in their neighbourhood.

    The plan is to have at least one Veloteer in each ward across the borough. In that way we hope they will be able to directly infl uence local councillors. While Islington Council in general has a good track record in supporting cycling, some individual councillors are less than enthusiastic, especially when it comes to local cycle schemes which might have an impact on car parking. Councillors

    sometimes need to be reminded that some of their own electorate are in favour of the cycle schemes.

    Where it beganWe started planning the Veloteers scheme in 2009, planning to launch sometime before the council elections in May 2010. The fi rst stage of the process was to build interest in the scheme so we began to include items in our newsletter, on our website and via our email group alerting people. This was followed by a mail-out to the LCC membership in Islington

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  • inviting them to the launch event on 13 March. LCC was able to provide names and addresses for this purpose. We also followed up with more emails and online articles.

    The second part of the process was to plan the launch event. At the heart of the event was a bike ride around parts of the borough. The purpose of the ride was to show some of the good features in Islington such as 20mph zones and specifi c schemes which have benefi ted cyclists, like the award-winning scheme on Penton Rise. We also used the ride to highlight schemes which are of less benefi t such as the cycle lanes within the 'dooring zone' on Barnsbury Road. Hopefully we got the Veloteers thinking about what could and couldnt work in their neighbourhood. Afterwards the rest of the event, including refreshments, took place at Olden Gardens, a hidden gem in the shadow of the Emirates Stadium.

    Learning the ropesWe had identifi ed that our Veloteers would need to know whos who in the council with regard to cycling matters and the most eff ective way to infl uence councillors. And we were lucky to secure both a senior council offi cer, who could tell us who to contact in the council, and the lead councillor for the environment to give us the inside line on how to approach

    councillors to the best eff ect. The Veloteers also learned about the campaigns of ICAG and the LCC, especially the LCC manifesto for the local council elections.

    There was plenty of input from the Veloteers as well. We asked them about the issues that concerned them in their areas, posting them on a board. These included a lack of cycle parking, poor road surfaces, cycle accessibility on one-way streets and road closures, and dangerous and inconsiderate driving.

    The Veloteers were sent away with two actions each. First, to ask the candidates in the local elections to pledge to take action on the specifi c concerns raised. Secondly, to adopt one of the many potholes around the borough so that we can monitor how quickly they get fi lled in.

    At the end of the afternoon everyone seemed to leave enthused. Natalie, one of the attendees, commented: It was great to learn about the developments that have already happened, and to get an understanding of what future lobbying could achieve, and how we could continue to get involved.

    Maintaining momentumThe launch event was just the start though. We also planned how to keep the momentum going, including setting up email and Facebook groups

    for the Veloteers to share their successes. Before the event we had considered a few future events, but really wanted the ideas for the next steps to come from the Veloteers themselves. They didn't disappoint: suggestions included 'speed networking' with the new councillors, meetings in their own neighbour-hoods and a big event for Bike Week.

    Quite often people feel they cannot achieve anything they feel isolated and that nothing improves. We hope that the Veloteers will be able to share their experiences with each other about how they are making a diff erence, making changes. If you're interested in local campaigning, contact [email protected] for info about your local group. And why not ask about LCC's next campaigning workshop in June?

    CAMPAIGN

    26 London Cyclist June-July 2010

    LOCAL HEROES: new Veloteers and existing activists discuss what can be done in their area

    FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE: of cycling measures at Goswell Road

    Photos: Tom Bogdanow

    icz

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  • INTERVIEW

    In the last few years Rollapaluza has become a familiar name in cycling circles. LC speaks to the former London couriers behind its continuing success

    Paul Churchill & Caspar Hughes

    INTERVIEW

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  • Is it true that original seed for Rollapaluza was sown about a decade ago?It was November 2000. A courier mate of Caspars Greg Tipper experienced the fi rst courier's roller race in Switzerland in 1999 and he wanted to replicate it in London. Hed done some of the old-school roller races, so he knew how to get hold of the equipment and held the fi rst event in the Horseshoe pub. Then, after two or three of those held on annual basis, the moniker of Rollapaluza came into existence.

    It was several years later, after we'd been doing diff erent things, that I approached Caspar and we both agreed Rollapaluza had great potential, not just as a sport and entertainment but something to take into schools as a fun way of introducing cycling to kids.

    Perfect timing with the cycling boom then?That was totally fortuitous really, we had no idea.

    Wasnt there some involvement with LCC in your early days?They booked us for a couple of high-profi le gigs, the fi rst Freewheel and the Tour Prologue, which certainly helped raise our profi le. We also did similar things with Sustrans and Rapha and it was important to have people endorse us early on.

    Don't people regard roller-racing as an extension of the fi xed-gear scene?Yes, which is probably natural and were both ex-couriers. But we see ourselves more as a cross discipline set-up ours arent fi xie events as such, we get mountain bikers, commuters and all sorts. And we saw a massive lift after the Beijing Olympics, from all types of cyclist, which added to that groundswell.

    When you formally started up three years ago, did it require a massive investment in kit?Yes, it was quiet a risk. But luckily we got a big client very quickly and ran a massive university tour which enabled us to survive for at least one year. This investment allowed us to relax a little and spend a bit more time developing the rigs and developing our own events.

    How many rigs have you got now?Weve got three standardised Rollapaluza rigs and have also refurbished a further three vintage rigs, though we dont use these for

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 29

    farid/bliinkpix.com

    various reasons. All our standard rigs have been modifi ed so that they can use kids bikes for schools events; Condor built us some custom bikes that arent available commercially to use on these rigs.

    Whats been your biggest or most enjoyable event?Chris Hoy on his return from Beijing was very special his fi rst cycling event was at our Rollapaluza at Salford Nocture and thousands turned out to see him and some of the other big stars. Looking out on the sea of faces was incredible. The launch event for our Phillipines franchise was a big deal too; it attracted fi ve national television crews and was hosted by a national radio dj.

    Your National Series and the fi nale got a lot of great pressIt was the culmination of several events around the country and attracted the best riders from all corners of the UK. We wanted it to be an unoffi cial national championship and people treated it like that.

    What's happening with your schools' events?They're particularly satisfying and something were very keen to develop. Basically we try to replicate our night-time events at the schools, with a bit of music and encourage the kids to get involved and cheer the riders on. Weve done a thousand kids in the last month alone.

    All from London?All over the country. At the moment its hard to get in some places and part of the reason were currently recruiting another full-timer is so that we can develop a structured schools' programme. One of the great things is that it is totally inclusive you dont need a bike or helmet, or any special clothing or shoes and its totally safe. Sustrans has helped fund some events as its a great way to introduce new people to cycling.

    Will this lead to a schools league or championship?It will and we hope to roll it out by the end of the year. Were setting up a system where schools will be able to compete against each other up and down the country, both virtually and at proper events thats all part of our growing schools campaign. We have a pilot planned in Tower Hamlets, then hope to launch a London-wide league fi rst before rolling it out nationally.

    Any plans for other quirky events like the Muddy Hell cyclocross on Halloween?Yes, but we cant tell you about them yet. One thing were proud of is that our events are seen as fun, less formal than most traditional cycling events and we want to transfer the fun side of what we do into other cycling disciplines. Thats how Muddy Hell was conceived and we want to do more.

    But the leagues will continue?The National Series and London winter league will still run, but we want to focus on this schools thing. We will also be running two to three teams throughout the whole of June, and through Bike Week, at a variety of events last year we did 31 gigs in 30 days and this year were looking at 50 in a similar time.

    Weve also got a mountain bike rig in development, hopefully with a well-known frame-builder, with lumps and bumps on the rollers to simulate off -roading so that would add even more interest and broaden the appeal.

    A lot of women seem to get involved in your events...Actually its often 30 percent or more. We guess its because its seen as less intimidating than more formal racing and were certainly keen for that to continue.

    And youve started a cycling club?Its got about 150 members now. We just felt some of the guys who were coming to our events might want to race or be part of something thats semi-formal, but more relaxed than regular clubs. Again, interestingly, it has a high proportion of women.

    So what makes a good roller racer? Can you train for it?Everyone has diff erent anatomy so there will always be those who are naturally more capable. But certainly if you can hold a higher cadence and have a smooth technique you have the potential to be a good sporting cyclist. You can train your cadence and we do pass on tips. Though its fair to say that, generally, people whove done lots of endurance work are unlikely to become good Rollapaluza racers. But technique can overcome power which is why we get so many David and Goliath moments. Weve had an 82-year-old guy ride, a man who'd had a double hip replacement, a girl racing her gran, and even a vicar challenging a rabbi its for anyone and everyone.

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  • BEST RIDES INLONDON Dulwich and

    Lambeth Parks

    S outh London was regarded as the rough side of town as far back as Shakespeares day and, sadly, some people including many from north of the river still dont stray far into the area. What theyre missing out on are some lovely parks, beautiful Georgian and modernist architecture, and colourful streets like Rye Lane that rival Marrakech for their vitality.

    This ride is a Southwark Cyclists creation with some Westminster Cyclists input, and features

    Herne Hill stadium, where many Olympic cycling medallists have trained, and Burgess Park where adults and children can take up BMX riding. This ride is adapted from the London Cycling Guide, written by LCCs campaigns manager Tom Bogdanowicz, in association with LCC (see review on page 47). LCC members can get a 30 percent discount on the full price of 10.99 (with free P&P) by entering the code cycle at www.newhollandpublishing.co.uk.

    2

    7

    1HERNE HILL VELODROME

    BROCKWELL PARK

    COURTNEY & CLEAVER SQUARES

    Brockwell Park

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    HERNE HILL

    Brixton

    Lambeth North

    SouthwarkWaterloo

    PIT-STOPS The Prince of Wales, 43 Cleaver Square, SE11 Au Ciel caf, 1a Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 Mimosa, 16 Half Moon

    2 BROCKWELL PARKThis delightful park has everything a cycling family could want: a lido, a convenient caf in the elegant Georgian Brockwell Hall, a few ponds and a relaxed shared-use path around the park perimeter. Throughout the summer there are events and fairs in the park and you will often see the tarmaced area by Brockwell Hall being used to teach children Bikeability skills. There are public toilets by the Hall.

    Exit near the Hall (just before the green hut) and head straight across into Rosendale Road, which then takes you back to Dulwich dont miss the sharp left into Turney Road.

    PLACES OF INTEREST7. COURTNEY AND CLEAVER SQUARES The connection here is Edward, the Prince of Wales, who in 1914 opened the houses in Courtney Square as a home for elderly residents from the Duchy of Cornwall. 8. ADDINGTON SQUARE Located at the west end of Burgess Park, the Squares fl ower garden is spectacular in the spring. 9. DULWICH PARK Small but beautiful, the parks packed with cyclists every weekend because of the London Recumbents hire shop in its centre. The rhododendrons and azaleas explode with colour in season. 10. PECKHAM RYE PARKThe hidden ornamental fl ower garden is well worth a visit. There is also a caf and toilets. 11. RED CROSS GARDENThe Garden was created in 1887 by Octavia Hill, co-founder of the National Trust, as an open space for poor families in the area who had no access to gardens. Hill also set up the fi rst Army Cadets here.

    In the third and final ride from his new book, LCCs Tom Bogdanowicz explores a variety of green spaces between the river and leafy Dulwich

    BEST RIDES

    30 London Cyclist June-July 2010

    1HERNE HILL VELODROMEWell concealed down a track off Burbage Road (look out for the sign), Herne Hill Velodrome was built in the 1890s. It was the cycling venue for Londons Olympics in 1948 and is the only surviving facility from that event. Southwark Cyclists and many others have been pursuing a long-running campaign to keep it open. There are now regular beginners track sessions at the stadium and UK stars like Bradley Wiggins and Nicole Cooke have trained there.

    The fi xed wheel fashion has helped regenerate interest in activity and the classic Good Friday track meeting still draws a large crowd.

    Lane, Dulwich, SE24 Cafs at Brockwell Park, Dulwich Park & Peckham Rye The Cut Bar, Young Vic Theatre, SE1

    MAPDOWNLOAD

    http://tinyurl.com/lcc-ride-

    dulwich-lambeth-parks

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  • 4 RYE LANEThe bustling Rye Lane reveals the delights of multicultural London, with colourful shops off ering products from around the world. Khans Bargain is perhaps the largest corner shop youll ever fi nd (they allow bikes inside). Youll also discover hairdressers galore, assorted fi shmongers, butchers and ubiquitous phone shops as well as almost every variety of fruit, veg and

    RYE LANE4

    5

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    PECKHAM LIBRARY

    PECKHAM RYE

    BURGESS PARK

    ADDINGTON SQUARE

    DULWICH PICTUREGALLERY

    DULWICH PARK

    Dulwich Park

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    Peckham RyePark

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    Forest Hill Road

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    Peckham Road Queens Road

    Nunh

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    Road

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    Old Kent RoadWalw

    orth Road

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    11 RED CROSSGARDEN

    3 DULWICH PICTURE GALLERYThe paintings in the Dulwich Picture Gallery are what remains of a collection assembled in the 18th century by two art dealers (Francis Bourgeois and Noel Desenfans), for the last King of Poland, Stanislaw Poniatowski. The King lost his job (Poland was divided up by Russia, Prussia and Austria in 1795) before receiving the collection and the dealers donated much of it to Dulwich College.

    Sir John Soane, art collector and architect, was asked to design the Gallery and you can see, at the Gallery Road entrance

    to the right, his dome on top of the mausoleum which later served as the model for the familiar red telephone box. One of the paintings in the collection, Rembrandts portrait of Jacob de Gheyn III, is reputedly the most stolen picture in the world.

    FACTFILEDISTANCE 15 milesTIME 3 hoursSTART Waterloo stationGRADIENT Easy, mostly quiet streets with a few junctions to negotiateRAIL STATIONS Waterloo, Denmark Hill, Herne Hill, Elephant & Castle, Peckham Rye, North Dulwich

    6 BURGESS PARK Burgess Park is located atop the fi lled-in remains of Camberwell Wharf, part of the Surrey Canal which once ran from Surrey Quays to Peckham. In the small park you will pass a curious lime kiln and you can go off route to visit Chumleigh Gardens and its almshouses. At one end of the park (near Albany street) you will fi nd the Burgess Park BMX track developed with the help of the ever industrious

    Southwark Cyclists and a popular venue for local children. The project won a London Cycling Award three years ago and has fl ourished ever since.

    tinned product on the planet. Old photos show there was always a queue of buses here, though back then they were horse-drawn.

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 31

    5 PECKHAM LIBRARYAs you cross over from Rye Lane to the old route of the Surrey canal (now a shared use path) you cannot miss the one of the most striking modern buildings in London. Will Alsop (also responsible for the giant Palestra building in Union Street where TfL is based) and Jan Stormer designed the award-winning Peckham Library in 2000. The inverted L building is supported by narrow pillars at the front (an Alsop trademark)

    creating a sheltered piazza. The back of the building features multi-coloured glass windows.

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  • EVENT

    32 London Cyclist June-July 2010

    Dressed to impress for landmark tour

    In just a year, the Tweed Run billed as a metropolitan bicycle ride with a bit of style has gone from a relatively low-key aff air to a magnifi cent, unmissable event for hundreds of cyclists. This time it even attracted people from other countries, all with one thing in mind: to banish Lycra for a day and show off their most dashing attire, their splendid vintage bikes and

    Last month saw the second running of Londons most fashionable and eccentric bike ride, the Tweed Run. Alex Crawford looks back on the day

    raise money for Bikes4Africa.Created by Ted Young-Ing

    (a master tailor in training) for whom tweed is a way of life, and co-organised with ultra-enthusiastic and effi cient Jacqui Shannon, this years event was exemplary and could pave the way for many more un-policed rides of its kind across the capital. It all started when Ted bought himself a pair of plus-fours

    while on holiday in Scotland and "needed an excuse to wear them". So he organised a ride to the pub, then another and then as he says: "Unexpectedly more and more people showed up and it gathered its own momentum. This year really had to outdo last year."

    Which is how we found ourselves gathering at Tate Britain on a beautifully sunny day in early April,

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  • Photos: w

    ww

    .danielbosworth.com

    June-July 2010 London Cyclist 33

    with 400 fellow tweed enthusiasts from as far afi eld as Paris, Germany and Amsterdam. It's amazing to think that these people came to London just to take part in the Tweed Run, it's truly humbling, said Jacqui. Just as astounding was the eff ort and, in many cases, cost that participants were happy to put into their wonderful outfi ts. With a prize for the best dressed, who wouldnt?

    Dressed to impressWhen asked why he thinks people latched on to the idea of dressing up in tweed and cycling around London, Ted says it harks back to the idea of living in this disposable culture. People hanker after an old fashioned sense of tradition and decorum and the Tweed Run is a nice way to reaffi rm traditional values in a modern way. Yes were poking fun in a sense, but also paying tribute to these things and showing they have a place in contemporary life.

    The weather certainly played its

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  • part in creating a brilliant atmosphere a cloudless sky with just a hint of a breeze (you dont want to get too sweaty under all that wool after all) and the 12-mile route was chosen to showcase London.

    It took riders from the splendid Rootstein Hopkins Parade Grounds at the Chelsea College of Art & Design, right over to the City, via some of the citys most prestigious landmarks including Westminster, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park. A stop was made at Geo F. Trumpers in St James for a best moustache competition (won by a woman), before the group headed to Kensington Gardens for a spot of tea from a full china service, some delectable cucumber sand- wiches and to hear a string orchestra.

    After tea the route continued via Mayfair, H Huntsman & Sons in Savile

    Row (for the best outfi ts prizes), Piccadilly, Aldwych, Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges, ending at The Bathhouse in Bishopsgate for a lively after-party. Kicking off with raffl es, lashings of Hendricks gin and homemade cakes, a variety of entertainment followed from Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, Top Shelf Jazz, DJ Tom Kerwin and a team of swing dancers.

    Summer in the city We have a phenomenally beautiful city and its great to cycle in," enthuses Jacqui. "The mixture of quiet and busier roads was chosen on purpose. To really encourage cycling you have to show people that they are capable of riding on all kinds of streets. Ted adds: For us one of the main aims of the day was to also

    EVENT

    34 London Cyclist June-July 2010

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  • if we can improve the ride for 400 that would be my goal. The ride is very special and part of that is the intimacy of the group. Being in central London is key to the event.

    As for money raised for Bikes4Africa, well the totalisers at 1,500 so far, which is enough to send an entire sea container of donated and refurbished bicycles to Gambia. Should anyone wish to contribute further, then spokecards and enamel pin badges are still on sale in the Tweed Run webshop with all proceeds going to the charity.

    show people that you dont have to wear special cycling gear to ride; thats a surprisingly big factor which stands in the way of people getting on their bikes.

    As for highlights, the whole day was speckled with unforgettable moments. From squeezing onto the steps of Tat


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