Something is happening on the streets of London. Where did all the bicycles come from?
I’ve been cycling to work, on-and-off, for a couple of years now, and I’ve never seen so many bikes on the road.
This morning, stopped at a junction, I counted more than a dozen comrades-in-saddles. When the lights changed and we pushed off, en masse, we filled the entire width of the carriageway.
It almost felt like a protest – a Critical Mass without whistles. No more cowering in the gutters - we owned the road - but only for a few seconds. A moment later our party thinned and, sadly, the cars reclaimed the streets.
I’ve experienced several of these spontaneous critical masses now, and they seem to be getting more frequent. It made me wonder where all this is heading. We’ve seen an 83% increase in cycling on London’s roads since 2000, and I don’t see any sign that things are slowing down.
How has this come about? We were lucky to have, in Ken Livingstone, a true champion of two wheels for eight years. I'm still gutted Ken's super-highways are now unlikely to see the light of day, choked at birth by the worst kind of dumb blond.
More recently, we've had a bit of sunshine - that always helps a few more hop on their bikes. Nothing beats the feeling of wind in your helmet.
And then there's the tube. The tube in summer was the trigger for my switch to the saddle in 2006. I couldn’t bear it any longer.
Nowadays I have a sneaking admiration for those who still take the Escalator of Doom down to the bowels of the city every day for a sweat-soaked hour of hell. And then do it again on the way home.
It always surprises me when transport bosses boast about squeezing more people onto the tube than ever before. Apparently it already carries more passengers than the entire national rail network. Does it really need any more?
But all this is good news for the capital’s 'cycling community'. The worse the trains, the more appealing the pedals. And the more people who bike, the less likely they are to die. Figures show London’s cycling boom was accompanied by a 31% fall in the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured. It’s safety in numbers.
What happens next? Will the approaching cold, dark autumn and the inevitable English rain snuff out this foetal cycling revolution?
Or will the movement continue to grow, inching towards some kind of unstoppable tipping point? I do hope it's the latter.
Wednesday 30 July 2008
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7 comments:
So, a, do you cycle in the rain, then? Or are you fairweather cyclists only to be seen during sunny weather?
you lot are a blight on society.
all high and mighty about your green credentials but really you are granny killers in waiting.
i'm not a granny but i was nearly killed in the park by one of your brethren on tuesday. and, to rub salt in the wound, they shouted abuse at me instead of apologising.
ban the bike i say.
You've noticed a lot because it's the warmest week of the year. That peloton of grey hybrids will largely disappear by October. OK, that may be a bit harsh but I'm sure you get my point.
You're right though. Contrary to a lot of bile spat across cycling forums, London is a great city for cycling. By and large, drivers expect to encounter cyclists and have equipped themselves with the necessary skills to deal with them. That's why the exceptions stand out so much - you get some selfish, angry and simply incompetent drivers (TFL minicab Blue sticker of death, anyone?)
There are also some atrocious cyclists out there. But try going somewhere like Lagos and cycle commuting there....
PS Don't ride up the left side of lorries at lights. Ever.
Smashing piece of generalisation by ohlordy there. Well done.
"Nah, I don't watch films. I watched one once. It was sh*t."
Mug.
well you all blindly buy in to the guardianista law of bike is best if you want but don't come crying to me when you are in bits.
doctors call you organ donors. suckers.
feet are the future
@ ohlordy - So do you want to ban the bike or just let those who wish to cycle just get on with it?
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