London Cyclist June-July 2009

magazine of the London Cycling Campaign June-July 2009magazine of the London Cycling Campaign June-July 2009

local group news & views Plus Bike Week preview

GET INVOLVED

IN BIKE WEEK p18

best rides in London Women's ride

celebrity interview James Cracknell

product reviews Folding bikes

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3 June-July 2009 London Cyclist

OpinionOO ii ii

There's nothing wrong with being a nutcase

according to LCC's top man — in fact rewriting

the golden rules is defi nitely to be encouraged

M y dearly loved friend Bijay, an Indian human-rights activist, used to tell me: “Aim for the moon and you might just hit the tops of the trees.” I worked with him in

Afghanistan and in tsunami-struck Sri Lanka, and in those tough political environments it was all too easy to lose one’s vision of a better world, adopting inoff ensive measures that wouldn’t alienate governments or big donors.

Earlier in my career, working as a sustainable development advisor with the British delegation at the United Nations, the desire to be accepted by decision-makers and peers had an almost magnetic power to strip you of your values. I used to carry a physical touchstone (a pebble) in my pocket during UN negotiations to remind me that my accountabilities were to the powerless not the powerful.

And ’lo and behold, in the world of cycling I’m learning the unwritten ‘don’t be a nutcase’ rules. Th ese say that nobody listens to a boat-rocker; that cycling organisations have worked long and hard to be accepted at the top table, and now we’re there we don’t want to be caught passing the port the wrong way or belching between courses.

'Guns don’t kill people…'Rule number one (the golden rule) states that one must establish credibility by not being anti-car. Every single smarter-travel cycling presentation I’ve witnessed starts with the speaker saying: “Smarter travel is not anti-car.” I fi nd this statement very strange because our ultimate goals must be to persuade people out of cars and into sustainable modes, and to lower the volume and speed of motorised traffi c. I sense echoes here of the ‘guns don’t kill people, people do’ argument. Can one really be anti-smoking but pro cigarettes?

Even stranger, I was recently at a parliamentary cycling meeting and the representative of a very well-known national sustainable-transport organisation opened with the words: “I have two cars.” Not to be outdone, I trumped this ‘we are serious and you should listen to us’ sentiment with my own: “I have a car, and I’m a member of the AA.” In actual fact, I was taking the mickey out of the cycle campaigner’s and my own desires for credibility.

Rule number two seems to be ‘cure yourself of your

vision and imagination’. Don’t aim for big goals such as changing the rules on driver liability or creating true walking and cycling cities because you’ll only get depressed and pessimistic. Be content with squeezing more cyclists into the gaps between still-expanding lanes of motorised traffi c. At no point should you consider a bike to be an entry point for urban transformation.

Well, I’m very pleased to announce that London Cycling Campaign activists are irredeemably ‘aim for the moon’ people. We’re proud to be part of a London-wide movement of nutcases who want to re-conquer our streets, neighbourhoods and public spaces and make

them truly fi t for play, social interaction and active travel. We believe a determined cycling and walking perspective on transport and planning will literally ‘breathe life into London’. Watch this space for a new campaign with that name.

Magazine makeoverBefore I sign off , I must welcome you to the changes in this latest issue of London Cyclist. Aft er several years, we decided the magazine would benefi t from a bit of a revamp. Th ere are new colours and fonts, and some of the content has also been tweaked: for example, the new ‘Best Ride in London’ series will now run over the centre pages, with a remit to cover any kind of London-wide bike excursion. However, our overriding concern was to make sure our readers still enjoy the best campaigning content, as well as features relevant to London life.

Without the budget for costly agencies, much of the eff ort has been done by LCC volunteers, albeit ones with excellent magazine experience. Our thanks go out to those involved. Look forward to more improvements over the coming months as our new editor adds his own impeccable publishing credentials to the mix.

“I'm pleased to announce that LCC activists are irredeemably 'aim for the moon' people”

Koy ThompsonLCC CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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London Cyclist June-July 20094

LCC’s strategic aims➤ Promote cycling to the people➤ Redesign our streets for cycles➤ Promote cycling to our politicians➤ Make cycling diverse and inclusiveFor more info, visit www.lcc.org.uk/strategy

Member benefi ts➤ Up to 15% off in London bike shops➤ Free third-party insurance cover➤ Exclusive deals on bike theft insurance➤ Free bi-monthly member magazine ➤ Free legal helplineRead more about member benefi ts on p.39

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

Advertising contactMongoose Media: Anthon Linton, 020 7306 0300; [email protected]

Contribute to London CyclistPlease email [email protected] to discuss feature ideas and photography

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

Printed on 100% recycled paper

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 Wyndeham Grange on paper made from 100% de-inked post consumer waste. London Cycling Campaign is a charitable limited company, reg no 1766411; charity no 1115789.

What LCC does…➤ Campaigns for change

➤ Supports our members

➤ Promotes London cycling

2 Newhams Row London SE1 3UZ020 7234 9310www.lcc.org.uk

opinionKoy Thomson What makes 'aim for the moon' people? 3Zoe Williams Celebrates recent bike parking victory 15 Oliver Schick Embracing diversity in London cycling 17James Cracknell OBE Olympic champion talks bikes 50

news & lettersNews Campaign updates and headline-grabbing stories 6Letters Share your bike-related views here 12Photo Competition Start of an exciting new series! 13

featuresBike Week What's happening when & how to get involved 18Technical Essential tips for new riders 20Campaigning Get more people at your workplace cycling 23Best Rides in London 'Birds on Bikes' themed night-ride 26Outward Bound Visit the National Cycle Museum 28Overseas Discover classic riding in northern France 30

reviewsProducts Six folding bikes tested, plus summer gear 32Books From coffee-table compendiums to comic strips 36

membersMembers’ pages All-new section for LCC members 39Local Group News Plus meeting dates and contact info 40Events diary Comprehensive guide to June-July rides 44Workshops Courses to improve your maintenance skills 47Discounts Find the best savings with our new listings 48

BIKE WEEK IS COMING: get involved! 18

JUNE-JULY 2009

contents

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6 London Cyclist June-July 2009

NewsFor more campaign updates, news reports and contact information: www.lcc.org.uk

RESIDENTS OF THE London Borough of Richmond upon Th ames are celebrating winning a £4.5m sustainable transport grant, much of which will be spent on cycling projects. London mayor, Boris Johnson, said: "Th is scheme will help make Richmond an even greener, healthier place for people to live and work."

Smarter Travel Richmond — a joint venture between TfL and Richmond council — is a three-year initiative to help change the way people travel in

the area and there’s already an impressive list of new cycling facilities and projects under-way. Th ese include: 500 new cycle parking spaces, of which 200 have already been installed to launch the programme; two new cycle routes; new cycling facilities and car club bays; cycle training sessions for new or returning cyclists, families, and in every major school and workplace in the borough. On top of this the group is looking at development of travel plans, and the provision of more

information on sustainable transport to residents, schools and businesses in the borough.

Of the initiative, LCC chief executive Koy Th omson said: "We're glad to see measures that target the outer boroughs. We know from research that there's huge, largely untapped, potential for cycling growth in these areas. Th ere's great potential to make them cleaner, greener, healthier, happier places to lives and work. In fact we’d like to see all the other outer London boroughs benefi tting from the same kind of VIP treatment as Richmond!"

Richmond upon Th ames currently has the second highest level of transport-related carbon dioxide emissions in London and 88 percent of its residents fi nd traffi c to be a problem in the borough. Th e borough is hoping to emulate the success achieved in Sutton, where a similar initiative — Sutton Travel Smart — created a 50% increase in cycling in just one year.

IN BRIEF

Spring deal on membershipLCC is running a spring member offer until 29 June, that gives you a great incentive to sign up a friend too and save money in the process. It's part of our challenge to get more cyclists on London roads this year — so if you can recruit a friend to join at the same time as you, we'll give you a 50% discount on one membership. Not only will you both enjoy the great benefi ts of LCC membership (see p.39), but you'll help make our campaigning voice louder.■ To receive your 50% discount, contact our member-ship department on 020 7234 9310. Look out for our summer member offer for families

Success in on the cards

Richmond gets £4.5m cycling boost

FIVE MONTHS INTO the trial of motorbikes in bus lanes, it's now time for cyclists to make their views heard to TfL. Th e trial runs for 18 months, but the offi cial consultation ends on 5 July this year.

Th e British Motorcycle Federation is already urging its members to make their views known to TfL, so let’s ensure that cyclists’ views are also heard in equally high or greater numbers.■ Also let LCC know about any incidents during the trial by going to: www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1252

Have your say on motorbikes in bus lanes

Maps out his transport plans for the capital+++ Find out how to get involved in campaigning at www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?Pageid=14 +++

To celebrate the recent bike parking victory in the House of Lords, LCC produced a series of ‘spoke cards’ and distributed them to cyclists in London. Designed to mimic a typical ‘penalty notice’, the rear of the card explained how LCC quashed a potential law allowing councils to remove bikes from railings and lamp-posts; it also provided handy information about how people could get involved in future campaigning. Thanks to those who donated because of this victory; if you wish to make a donation, visit www.lcc.org.uk and click 'donate'.

GET INVOLVEDTell Transport for London what you think about the motorbikes in bus lanes trial: http://tinyurl.com/TfLconsultation

NEW DAWN: for Richmond's cyclists

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AT A TIME when both the government and London Assembly are backing an expansion of 20mph speed limits in London, a Transport for London report has been uncovered which says such a limit on London's bridges would save lives and money.

Th e report — which remained unpublished until the LCC campaigns team demanded its release — backs LCC's calls for improved safety on these important river crossings. It found that cyclists are 15% more likely to be involved in a collision on one of the 13 central London bridges than on equivalent roads. Th ree-quarters of collisions on bridges involved vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists.

Th e report also states that savings of up to £2 million per year could be made when balancing the price of implement-ing 20mph limits against the cost of casualties. It even specifi cally mentions four bridges — Putney, Vauxhall, Westminster and London Bridge — where there's a "very strong case for the increased safety 20mph brings".

A 20mph limit is already successfully enforced on Tower Bridge for structural reasons with no signifi cant reduction in journey times. And LCC is campaigning for the measure to be rolled out further as it recognises that vulnerable road users such as cyclists are put at greater risk on bridges because of the heavy traffi c and lack of alternative routes.

More 20mph reports…Th e Transport Committee of the London Assembly has recently published a report supporting extended borough-wide trials of 20mph limits, and urging the mayor to increase funding for the measure. It found that in areas of London where 20mph zones have been introduced by boroughs and Transport for London (TfL), there has been a 42 per cent reduction in casualties. Some evidence suggests that the 400 existing 20mph zones — which cover 11 per cent of London’s road network — have also contributed to benefi ts beyond road safety, including improved traffi c fl ow, reduced emissions and encouraging walking and cycling.

Meanwhile, the Department for Transport has launched a consultation on road safety, with 20mph limits being seen as a key measure in reducing deaths on Britain’s roads by a third by 2020. LCC welcomes the increased support and will be sending a detailed response to the DfT's consulta-tion, which ends on 15 July.

LCC has criticised the Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick for yet again failing to implement measures that would ensure all lorries are fi tted with safety mirrors. A recent report on the Department for Transport by the National Audit Offi ce backed

LCC's position, stating that the DfT had failed to do enough to reduce its stated aim of reducing cyclist and pedestrian casualties.

Th e criticism followed two recent cyclist fatalities resulting from crashes with HGVs. In the fi rst incident, Lisa Pontecorvo was

killed while walking across Holloway Road; in the second, Stephen Ferguson was struck by a lorry at traffi c lights in Dulwich. In both cases, vital safety mirrors were found to be missing.

Class 6 mirrors, which are compulsory on new lorries, allow lorry drivers to see the area in front of their cab where there might be pedestrians or cyclists. However, lorries registered before 2007 are currently not compelled to have one of these mirrors fi tted.

LCC criticises Road Safety Minister

New speed limit on London bridges?

Maps out his transport plans for the capital+++ You can now follow LCC on Twitter: visit www.twitter.com and sign up to London_Cycling +++

GET INVOLVEDIf your company uses hauliers or HGVs, check to see they're using the appropriate safety mirrors; if they don’t, lobby!■ www.lcc.org.uk/campaigns

IN BRIEF

Submit a motion to the AGMNow is the time for members to submit motions for LCC's Annual General Meeting, to help decide our future direction. Motions relating to LCC policy should be considered by the Campaigns Committee, as laid down in the AGM Standing Orders (copy available from the offi ce or by download from the website). All motions must be proposed and seconded, and be submitted to the Offi ce Manager at 2 Newhams Row, London SE1 3UZ, by midnight on 3 July 2009.

Call for nominationsfor the boardThere will be fi ve vacancies on the Board in 2009, so start thinking now about whom you wish to nominate to the Board at the AGM on 17 November.From 20th May, you’ll be able to download a nomination form from the website. Completed nominations (nominee, proposer and seconder all need to be LCC members) must be with

the Company Secretary at 2 Newhams, Row, London

SE1 3UZ, by midnight on 3 July 2009.

LCC unveils women-specifi c

websiteFollowing on from the success of ‘Birds on Bikes’ — a ride to celebrate International Women’s Day (see centre pages) — LCC launched a website focused on women cyclists on 27 May.

The dedicated site covers specifi cs to do with female cyclists and their bikes and one of the key elements of the new site is the interview section. LCC has spoken to women of all ages who ride or work with bikes — from world champions, couriers and mechanics to girls, pensioners, commuters and trainers — and want to present cycling as a normal lifestyle choice and sport for women in the hope that it might encourage others to follow suit. If you'd like to be involved with the site, get in touch!MIRROR IMAGE: helps save lives!

TOWER BRIDGE: already has speed curbs

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walkingoway Road; in the

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LCC membethe Compa

NewhamSE1 3UJuly 2

LLLCCwwwwom

wwebsFollowing onof ‘Birds on Bcelebrate Int

43%drop in fatalities and serious injuries in 2007, compared to 1994-98 average

Source:TfL ‘Travel in London’ report

News



News

THANKS TO HARD work by Southwark Cyclists, more than £1.5 million of new funding has been secured for cycle and disability access improvements in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe. Th e windfall will enable a section of the Th ames Path to be opened up for cycling, plus a multitude of bike parking and access measures introduced.

A coalition of Southwark Cyclists and other local action

groups had 15 bids accepted, leveraging new money to improve the neighbourhood.

Barry Mason of Southwark Cyclists said: "Th e victory stems from a lot of detailed work, including excellent partner-ships with Southwark Living Streets, BARGEs, the local disability group and others. Th e bid took the form of precise, realistic, broad-appeal bids — including very robust

internal fi nancial controls that the Council and others trust."

Barry’s even hopeful that some of the unsuccessful bids could come good in the future too. He added: "If anyone wants to know more details as to how

it's done, they should get in touch — be warned, though, there's plenty of work involved."

Southwark gets £1.5 million for cycle improvements

+++ Stay up to date with cycling news in London, go to www.lcc.org.uk and hit the news tab +++

The successful Rotherhithe projects:■ Rotherhithe Tunnel ventilation shaft; Thames Path built around

outside: £200,000■ New lighting for Kings Stairs Gardens: £20,000■ Dropped kerbs etc throughout Rotherhithe peninsula: £250,000■ Cycle parking in Rotherhithe Village/Thames Path through Surrey

Docks Farm: £150,000■ Improved walking/cycling links between Southwark Park south to

Surrey Canal Road: £20,000■ Canada Water cycle parking racks: £10,000■ Descriptive panels along route of Surrey Canal: £20,000 ■ Rotherhithe New Road/Bush Road links: £150,000■ Ramps on Thames Path by Old Salt Quay pub: £10,000■ Improved walking/cycling link from Rotherhithe Old Road into Surrey

Quays shopping centre: £20,000■ Surrey Quays/Lower Road and local schools, more cycle parking:

£100,000

The succesful Bermondsey projects:■ Walking/cycling improvements round Alscot Road & Mandela Way:

£200,000 ■ Thames Path improvements: £250,000■ Stubbs Drive/Bermondsey Bridge project: £100,000■ Bike racks outside Bermondsey tube station: £3,000

THE MAYOR OF London has confi rmed May 2010 as the launch date for the much vaunted London bike-hire scheme. Planning applications for the docking stations have gone to the boroughs and a sponsor for the scheme is currently being sought.

As a pointer to the potential for such a scheme in London, the Parisian Velib is now being extended into the suburbs, adding a further 3,300 bikes and 300 docking stations — this will take the number of hire bikes in the French capital to more than 23,000. London's scheme will initially kick off with 400 docking stations and 6,000 bikes.

Th e Parisian expansion fl ies

in the face of British media reports earlier this year, which appeared to show the Velib programme was under threat from vandalism. However, it has been widely suggested that reports of the Paris scheme's problems were exaggerated as part of the bargaining between the city authorities and the commercial organisation managing the scheme.

LCC communications offi cer Mike Cavenett said: "Countries all over the world, like Toronto, Washington DC and Buenos Aires, are putting in place their own cycle hire schemes. Th ese projects are proven winners, and the negative reporting has been shown to be just a load of hot air."

Bike hire scheme to mirror Paris system

olved.

80kbikes sold by Halfords through the Cycle2Work scheme since 2005Source: Halfords

statement

THAMES PATH: to get re-routed here

COMING YOUR WAY: new Velib-style scheme



News

LCC HAS GIVEN a cautious welcome to the mayor's proposal for a trial allowing cyclists to turn left at red traffi c lights in London. Th e idea would have to be achieved in a way that guaranteed pedestrian priority and safety.

However, LCC views it as one of the many badly-needed measures to make cycling more appealing to the city population, rather than as a solution to the danger of left -turning lorries.

LCC wants London streets designed for cycling, so they allow the greatest choice of direct and convenient routes with mini-mum diversion, creating a city that's truly 'permeable' to cyclists.

If the trial proved successful, LCC would favour introducing a ‘Stop, Give Way and Go’ law, like that already used in Idaho in the USA — there cyclists are allowed to go through red lights aft er stopping and giving way to all other traffi c. Idaho report

no increase in casualties from giving cyclists more freedom. Th is law is also being proposed in other US states such as California and Oregon.

Th is law could be introduced alongside other measures that favour cycling 'permeablity', such as two-way cycling on all streets, cycle bypasses at T-junctions, traffi c light advantages or green waves for cyclists, and the removal of large gyratories.

Stop, give way, then go?

Camden cyclists upgrade route planner

+++ Look out for www.yehudamoon.com comic strips in the next issue of London Cyclist +++

A new route-planning feature has been added to the Camden Cycling Campaign's online mapping system.

The planner uses the new OpenStreetMap-based route-planner, developed and hosted by Cycle Streets. You can plan a route anywhere in Greater London or the UK, though there is currently a limit of 30km on the length of routes. Visitors to the site can use the 'Plan A Route' button at the top of the window on any of the maps linked from the page.

George Coulouris of Camden Cycling Campaign said: "This is a great new feature. We'd like to

thank our Cambridge CC colleagues whose hard work helped make this possible."■ www.camdencyclists.org.uk

IN BRIEF

Report potholesNow's the time for London cyclists to report potholes and other road defects to TfL. Reporting potholes could prevent needless injuries.Use the link below to report damaged roads anywhere in Greater London; Transport for London will pass on your report to the relevant borough.■ To get potholes and other road surfacing fi xed, please complete TfL's online form:http://tinyurl.com/report-potholes

Women’s bike gear hits Topshop

A stylish new women’s cycling specifi c clothing and access-ories company, Cyclodelic, was launched at Topshop’s fl agship store on Oxford Street last month.

The brainchild of London College of Fashion student Amy Fleuriot and textile graduate ex-courier Sarah Buck, Cyclodelic believes that women who cycle don’t have to forfeit fashion over function. With products designed and handmade by the two female cyclists in their East London studio, they offer everything from beautifully handmade capes, bags, satin cycling caps to customised bar tape, colourful mini D-lock holders and jewelled refl ective trouser cuffs. Prices start from £10.■ cyclodelic.wordpress.com

ROUTE MASTERS: Camden's online mapping

GREEN LIGHT: for red light turns



+++ Sign up for LCC's bi-monthly e-newsletter at www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1305 +++

News

‘Cycling on prescription’ expandsA PILOT STUDY instigated by LCC is off ering 'cycling on prescription' to patients with physical and mental health problems in Tower Hamlets.

Fortnightly guided rides take place within the borough for patients who have been pre-scribed the treatment; they also receive training and help procuring and maintaining their bike where necessary. More than 30 patients are now involved in the pilot, which is set to expand over the coming year.

Th e project is a collabora-tion between Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust, Tower Hamlets Wheelers (the local LCC group), LCC, and St Stephen's Health Centre (a GP practice in Bow).

Dr Rachel Bower, one of the participating doctors and a joint architect of the scheme, said: "It's not only weight loss that we're addressing; regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes by half in risk groups. Exercise can also be as eff ective as antide-pressants for treating some types of depression, and can protect against other diseases such as dementia, osteoporosis and some cancers."

Once a GP has assessed that cycling could help a patient's health concern, they fi nd out

NEARLY 50 COMMUNITY cycling groups in London are expected to receive a share of a £200k funding pot, aft er months of hard work from LCC's community cycling team.

Since the funding window opened in December 2008, LCC has processed more than 100 applications for community cycling grants as part of its partnership with Transport for London. Community Cycling Offi cer, Rosie Th arp, said: "We're thrilled with the quality, the range and the sheer number of applications this year. But the hard work doesn't stop now: it's

our job to make sure these projects are a real success, and each one makes an impact on the lives of Londoners in 2009."

Successful bids include:■ Sikh Community Care

Project: establishing an Asian Cycling Club.

■ Redbridge Cycling Campaign 'Movers and Shakers' project: getting councillors and business people out on bikes.

■ Margins Project: running an 'earn a bike' scheme for homeless people.

■ Dysart School in Kingston: purchasing adapted bikes to allow children and young

people with severe learning diffi culties to cycle.

■ BAGRA in Bexley: using cycling to aid recovering drug and alcohol users.

LCC hands out £200k to community projects

GET INVOLVEDFind out how to apply for a grant of up to £5,000 to get your community cycling, and read about other projects. ■ www.lcc.org.uk/community

HIGH VISIBILITY: new projects for '09

LONDON 'S FIRST CITY& Guilds-accredited bike mechanics course, run by the Bike Doctor Academy, starts on 6 July, off ering discounts to the London Cycling Campaign. LCC members, as well as recipients of LCC-administered Community Cycling Fund for London grants, can get up to £75 off the courses, which cost £990 (ex. VAT)

Th e courses are designed for all abilities, from complete beginners to seasoned bike shop staff , giving them a recognised professional qualifi -cation in bike maintenance. Each course involves 10 full days of intensive tuition at the Bike Doctor Academy based in in Shoreditch. Courses can be taken over two weeks or over consecutive weekends.

For more information, visit www.the-bike-doctor.co.uk

Special rate on

mechanics course

for LCC members

50%rise in number of children

cycling to school every

day during 2008 Source: Sustrans

'Bike It' survey

how best to encourage them to cycle. Do they need a bicycle? Do they prefer one-to-one or group rides? What time of the week suits them?

One participant in the scheme said: "I feel 10 years younger aft er starting cycling. I've lost my old gittishness, and am more motivated in

other areas of my life too."LCC campaigns manager

Tom Bogdanowicz added: "We're very proud of this project, and expect the study results to be a resounding endorsement of the benefi ts of cycling on prescription, making for a healthier and happier population."

ON YER BIKE: just the tonic!

NN


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12

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


In the spotlightI don't know about anyone else, but I have been deeply irritated by the current media advertising campaign that is running, with the tagline: 'Lose your licence and you're just a kid again'. (Visit www.lcc.org.uk/news to see the ad). I passed one of these posters the other day on a bus shelter and it really emphasised how backward and arrogant the whole concept is. Eff ectively, it was saying to passing car drivers: car driving equals adulthood. With the implication that you shouldn’t be naughty or you'll have to do what these other losers are doing and use public transport. Th ere is, of course, no need to spell out what it implies about cycling.

Th ere's nothing we can do about the campaign now it's running, but I do think LCC should complain strongly to those responsible for commissioning it and point out the negative impact of its associated message. Am I alone in thinking this or in my reaction to the campaign?Chris Elliott, Redbridge LCC

Ensure you’re insuredA cautionary note regarding bike insurance. I had my bike stolen from my shed in March, but my house insurance did not cover this because I have tenants living with me. I subsequently applied for and received a company loan for a bike lease under the Ride2Work scheme; I ordered my bike from a shop in Docklands and bought accessories including a lock, using the voucher. Insurance is compulsory, as the bike would not become mine until I had repaid the loan, so I arranged this through the shop's website.

Unfortunately, my bike, which was locked to a bike rack on a station platform under CCTV cameras, was stolen. Th e fl exi-lock I was sold was not covered by the Sold Secure scheme, but I had believed that the U-lock that I also used, although two years old, would be covered. Th e shop gave me no advice contradicting this belief and did not check whether

I was fully covered, despite knowing that I was buying the bike under the lease scheme. I am now £600 down, haven't even started repaying the loan, and have no bike.

I know I do not have a leg to stand on (or indeed a bike to fl ing a leg over!), as it is clear now that I should have bought a new lock, but I’m left feeling that I received no advice from the shop assistant and would like everyone else embarking on the same deal to be aware of this stringent requirement.Jill Barrett, by email

Greenwich foot tunnelIn response to the Greenwich Cyclists’ newsletter. As a cyclist who uses the Greenwich Foot Tunnel on a daily basis, I would like to off er the following amendment to the proposed Code of Conduct:1: No cycling in the tunnel at any time (rather than the proposed ‘some of the time’)2: Always walk your bike (rather than their weak recommendation)3: Dismount on all public walkways, not just outside the lift s (rather than in front of the lift s).

I am appalled by the way some cyclists fl out the bylaws and it’s hardly surprising pedestrians are angered by them. Th ere are notices everywhere, stating that cycling is not permitted in the tunnel and yet cyclists arrogantly continue on their selfi sh way, endangering the lives of pedestrians and verbally abusing other cyclists who, they claim, are getting in the way by walking their bikes! I am not alone among cyclist tunnel users, who feel ashamed to be cyclists when confronted with these hooligans — they are spoiling the ‘right to roam’ for the rest of us. Ralph Spencer, by email

Safety from scootersI respond to Andy Hillier's letter where he is disappointed that I called scooter riders ‘delinquents’. Firstly there is absolutely nothing petty about my concerns. My selection of petty to describe scooter riders is wrong — petty is for minor infringements of moral or legal codes. Whereas these people are pure ‘criminal’ judging by recent

scooter behaviour on Putney High Street and Putney Hill.

I owe a fractured shoulder to a scooter. He crossed the white barrier line into a bus lane at right angles, without indicating, so he could pass between a bus and the pavement where cyclists were aiming — a sequence of actions that I believe includes three criminal acts. Th e guy in front made it onto the pavement, but my front wheel got caught in a rut where the tar was missing and did not mount the pavement, so could not escape a collision; I hit the pavement. Th e scooter disobeyed the sign that excludes scooters from bus lanes and left the scene, another criminal act.

So where from here? I will sue the State for damages on account of the scooter's recklessness and the State for endangering my life by allowing scooters and motorbikes to use bus lanes. Next I will ask the police for protection from such reckless riding; it’s surely only a matter of time until a scooter kills a child or older person in this area. I feel it is a duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves.Leigh Wright, Putney

TUNNEL VISION: couldn't be clearer

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13June-July 2009 London Cyclist

Letters

Scratchcard complaintFirstly let's not jump to conclusions which is what I did initially. I’m referring to the ‘scratchcard’ insert in the excellent April/May issue of London Cyclist.

We all know that to survive the LCC has to become more effi cient, some say more commercialised. I certainly agree with the effi ciency, but totally disagree with the insertion of these notorious scratchcards where one calls a premium rate number — oft en at £1.50 a minute — to fi nd an unattainable ‘prize’ with stringent conditions attached, or that is worth less than the telephone call itself. Clearly a blatant con!

I am very annoyed and disillusioned at this and feels it shows a serious lack of judgement. Please can we get some comment from someone at LCC about how this happened and ensure that it doesn’t happen again?Patrick B Rogan, by email

LCC says: "We apologise to our readers for permitting this advertiser to distribute in our magazine. Th e insert was allowed due to an error and processes have been changed to ensure LCC only accepts payment from reputable advertisers in future."

Critical of the MassI have always been a supporter of Critical Mass, being under the impression that its prime purpose was to assert the right of cyclists to use the road without fear of intimidation by vehicle users. I was therefore extremely disappointed to see that someone had organised a CM ride as part of the recent ‘anti-capitalist’ demonstrations.Critical Mass is not helped by being associated with a particular political agenda which has nothing specifi cally to do with cyclists.

Even worse, it was predictable from past experience of ‘Stop the City’ events that there would be a hardcore of violent

protesters out to cause criminal damage and intimidate people who were trying to do a normal day’s work. Th is has again proved to be the case with businesses forced to close, people injured (and one killed) and premises damaged, much to the satisfaction of a media who would have been disappointed if nothing apart from peaceful protest had occured.

I cannot see that it helps the cause of cycling for any cycling campaign group to be associated in any way with such events, especially in London where a very large proportion of regular cyclists are commuters, couriers etc, all dependent on the success of London business.Tony Cottrell, by email

LCC says: "Th e demonstrations at the G20 summit were composed of a disparate group of people with varying aims, but many stated publicly their desire to push environmental issues higher up the politicians' agenda through entirely lawful means.

Th erefore, it's not surprising that Critical Mass associated itself with such a demo. In the BBC's words, most protests were 'overwhelm-ingly peaceful and benign' and LCC supports the right to non-violent political protest."

Focus on cyclingI completely agree with Jeremy Benjamin's letter in your April/May issue. Politics (apart from cycling issues) has no place in a cycling magazine. Th ere are plenty of other magazines devoted to political issues. LC should be inclusive — why should a cyclist necessarily be left -wing anyway? Th ere are plenty of right-of-centre cyclists, Boris Johnson and David Cameron being two obvious examples. So here's a plea to the new editor — ditch the left -wing agenda and focus more on the cycling agenda. Melissa Collett, by email

Two wheels good?A new tribalism seems to have arisen since motorcycles were

PHOTO COMPETITION This issue we’re kicking off our new bi-monthly Photo Competition. We’ll be suggesting a theme each issue and asking you to submit your pictures. What’s more, the image judged to be the best, funniest or most innovative by our panel of experts will win a prize!

To start the series — and to tie in with the latest campaign success — we asked staffers and friends for images on the theme of ‘bike parking’. Why not join in next time? Happy snapping...

Theme for Aug/Sept issue: Bike Week

Our fi rst prize goes to Kay Konop

for this image (above) of hi-tech

cycle parking in Japan. According

to Kay: “The bike is sent

underground and the owner simply

calls it up when needed. This

particular scheme was located just

outside a major train/underground

station and parking is charged on a

monthly basis for commuters.”

Wow, imagine these in London!

COMP RULES: Only digital images will be accepted. Please include your name, location and a small caption about what your photo depicts. Only one submission per member per issue will be considered — so please select your favourite image carefully! The judges’ decision is fi nal. CLOSING DATE FOR AUG/SEPT ISSUE: Monday 29 June. THE PRIZE: Will vary between issues, but Kay wins the LCC T-shirt of her choosing.

WINNERWINNER

The worst bike parking space in the world, by Gegi Bike stands in dedicated road space, from Picasa

(email pictures to: [email protected])



Letters

offi cially allowed in bus lanes on a trial basis — and judging from what happened to me on my ride to work this morning, it seems to have become an excuse for some very aggressive and partisan anti-motorbike behaviour. No doubt some will try and excuse it by claiming that pedal cyclists are the most vulnerable road users; yes they are — and I’m usually one of them — but aft er what happened to me this morning, I don’t think I want to be any longer.

I pulled up behind a bus and a scooter at the traffi c lights in Brixton town centre; another bus was next to me and although there was a big gap between the buses, the scooter (a learner) made no attempt to move up the line of traffi c. Th at was okay and there was plenty of room for me to get round him, but before I could even think of doing so, before I could even start to look or move, I was shoved. Not a nudge or a tap, but a substantial shove by a hand on my right shoulder, from behind. In fact, had I been moving, it would probably have knocked me off balance; luckily I was still stationary with both feet fi rmly on the ground, so didn’t fall. But the pusher — a cyclist — then drew alongside me, and tried to shove his way past.

I nodded him through but he started to shout at me; I was a bit bemused, but I nodded him through again. Th at was when he really fl ipped, calling me all sorts of rather colourful names, swearing and shouting and moving in front of me, halfway up between the buses. I followed, expecting him to move to the front of the traffi c into the ASL box, and that would be that. But he stopped, swivelled round, and berated me from astride his bike and continued when the buses started to move.

He was very aggressive and got right up in my face, grabbed my handlebars, rocked my bike and demanded the keys. As this was going on, the traffi c on either side was moving freely and, while he was entitled to be unconcerned about his own safety, I was increasingly unhappy about mine; yet I couldn’t move because he was blocking me, still shouting and swearing and pulling on my bars. He fi nally let go and started to pedal off — still insulting me

using the ‘C’ and ‘F’ words. Even worse was to follow though, as other cyclists all started on me — calling me a ‘bastard’ and an ‘effi ng’ motorcyclist. Yet no-one had any idea of what had triggered the incident because nothing had! Maybe he’d got out of bed the wrong side or had other issues which he translated into anti-motorbike behaviour, but none of that mattered to any of those cyclists who took it upon themselves to dive in and take his side for no reason other than their own sense of tribalism.

But the irony is that I am also a pedal cyclist; I work for LCC, I used to race, I currently coach cycling, I regularly work for British Cycling and I'm a fully accredited National Standards Bikeability instructor. Yet this morning I was on my motor-bike because, thanks to a car, I have an injury which restricts my ability to cycle very far. But none of that mattered; I was marked out as diff erent and aff orded some pretty rank treatment at the hands of my fellow cyclists. Th e point is that we are all on two wheels, we are all vulnerable and we should be looking out for each other, not behaving badly or fi nding excuses for those who do. Belinda Sinclair, LCC Community Cycling Offi cer

Bus lane bust-upIn his recent comments in the LC April/May issue, Paul Allen unwittingly displays the innate superiority and patronising attitude of many motorcyclists and motorists in his 'reasoned' defence of the lethal opening up of bus lanes to motorcyclists for a trial period. Paragraph by paragraph, may I reply to his points...1: Of course he is happy as a motorcyclist that the bus lane trial is going ahead; it's like being given a free house or free money, with no extra responsibilities or cost entailed.2: How exactly are motor-cyclists 'vulnerable' to cyclists and pedestrians? At worst in a collision between them, the motorcyclists gets a scrape and a dented bike, the cyclist and pedestrian, however, is oft en seriously injured or dead.3a: Th ere is a point in 'tit for tat' arguing here — cyclists lives depend on it.

3b: Of course his life is already safer for being able to use some bus lanes — but it's every cyclist he now passes who is already far unsafer.4: What is so inviolable about the Mayor 'granting' this trial? Th is is also the politician who took away the right to consume alcohol on the Tube, without a direct vote, which indicates how much thought has gone into this particular directive. And why not 'shout loudly' about it? It's called democracy, not acquiescence to bureaucracy.5: What proof does he have that motocyclists are not threats to cyclists? My favourite stopping places at traffi c lights are already being colonised by motorcyclists zipping in just ahead of me as I approach red lights. And I’m sure it won't be long before I’m beeped to get out of the way of what they now see as their favourite spots at lights and other places.

Th e proof is in the pudding, of course. Let Paul Allen walk the walk, not just talk the talk — why not come commuting by bike with me for several days, among motorcyclists and other traffi c? Th en we’ll see if his opinion changes…Terry Leamy, Finchley

Flash in the panI am disappointed to see you reviewing these irritating light accoutrements such as ‘ledals’ (please!) and ‘monkey electrics’.

My cycling commuting experi-ence is already immeasurably degraded since the relaxation of the law on fl ashing lights — and promoting ‘look at me!’ garish accessories does nothing for the enjoyment or mental relaxation of sober-minded cyclists who have to share the roads with the sort of juvenile cyclists who will buy these toys.

I am now constantly distracted from the concerns of the road and the cycling environment when commuting by bike, by the high number of cyclists who now sport these wholly unnecessary fl ashing lights front and rear — sometimes two or three in a bunch over their bikes! Th ey even have them on helmets and packs, pedals and handlebars, all fl ashing brightly and distractingly!

Are we sober-minded cyclists supposed to be able to ignore such circus-like displays? If I wanted twee light displays, I'd move to middle England to be closer to those houses bedaubed in Xmas tree bulbs and reindeers for three months of the year!Anon, by email

MOTORBIKES: a problem in bus and cycle lanes

Danny M

cL@F

lickr

CLASSIFIED ADS■ Brompton, green,

3-speed, 3-4 years

old, £400 recently serviced.

020 8318 2439;

[email protected]



OpinionOO ii ii

Our regular LC columnist celebrates the

recent bike parking success and explains

why it’s good to get involved in campaigning

Being a cyclist is like being a dog-owner or a smoker: even when you give it all up, or your dog dies (heaven forbid), that is still where your loyalty lies. It sounds like a nice, bonding

thing: a wholesome alliance that gives you a sense of place, community, identity. In fact, it mainly just makes me incredibly angry with the House of Lords.

You will remember in the last London Cyclist issue, the matter of bike parking was raised. Not by me, or at least, not in a sensible manner: I was just angry that a chap told me not to lock my bike to some street furniture. But in the wider world, outside my theatre of egocentricity, a Transport for London Bill was almost reaching conclusion, which would have enabled councils to remove bikes, without notice, regardless of how long they’d been locked up and whether or not they looked abandoned.

Worth a shoutSo this month we’re celebrating a triumph — the Bill was not passed, partly because of the evidence of Ralph Smyth, counsel for the LCC. I feel like I want to attach some little sleigh bells to my ankles or something.

Now, this is not the most obvious triumph for pioneering journalism — the real muscle is not the people who shout, it’s the people who organise, and lobby, and get it together to appear before a House of Lords committee. And yet at the same time, cycling is one of the few areas in which the personal and the political coincide for long enough that you can get up a head of steam. Here is the sad truth about my personality — discussing issues of macro-economics, I can get riled, but I cannot get angry. I went to the May Day marches of 2000; I went all the way to Genoa for the G8 summit, and I still wasn’t angry. I was mainly going because I thought it would be a laugh. And it was a laugh, right up until the point that they started tear-gassing us, when we weren’t even doing anything, apart from blowing disposable horns (I will, with the calm of hindsight, admit that that’s quite an annoying noise). So really, my abiding rage about that whole period is not with capitalism, it’s with policemen, of one stripe or another. You can tell me til you’re pink that they are just a function of the injustices of capitalism, but it doesn’t stick, I’m afraid. I can feel viscerally enraged by small, booted Italian men with batons

longer than their angry little legs, but still no more than intellectually critical of the system as a whole.

Biking's more bondingCycling, however, is diff erent, and I think I have to admit that it is bonding — it feels more manageable, more localised than global fi nance. You can track the measures that endanger or inconvenience you — the bendy buses, the parking regulations, the bus lanes — right up to the people who have the conversations in

which those decisions are made. When you hear 'Yesterday in Parliament', and some unelected wig-wearing bigot is extemporising about the time a cycle courier nearly ran them over, you can follow that thread (just about) right up to the policy document that proposes some stupid idea, like cycle licences or number plates. And it makes me livid, not in a barren, petty-minded way, like last week when I got a penalty fare because — in fairness to them — I had not bought a ticket; rather, in a full-blooded, productive way, that makes me think a noise is worth making, and a petition is worth signing, and a pressure group is worth joining. In all these ways, in other words, that sprinkle meaning into my otherwise mainly meaningless life.

It’s asking quite a lot from your bike, of course, to bring a sense of purpose to your entire life, especially if it’s just a regular town-hybrid, you’re not even a weekend racer. But I feel that, with a small amount of input from idiot politicians, my trusty steed can handle it.

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

“It's asking a lot from your bike, of course, to bring a sense of purpose to your entire life...”

Zoe WilliamsCOLUMNIST'S VIEW

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OpinionOO ii ii

With so much bike-related activity in London

now, it's diffi cult to keep up. Hackney Cyclists'

Oliver Schick celebrates this growing diversity

There’s so much happening in cycling in London right now that you could be forgiven for thinking that it's always been like this. Of course diversity is not surprising in such a large, cosmopolitan

city, however what's surprised many people is that such diversity has started to take root in cycling.

Stand on any busy street corner and you’ll see hybrids, fi xed-gears or singlespeeds, roadies, mountain bikes, cargo bikes, maybe even a tandem, recumbent or bike polo player with mallet attached to the top-tube. And it’s not just about your solo commute — all over London groups of friends are getting together to do cycle activities together. Every evening, there are a handful of social occasions that revolve around cycling, whether it's group rides, sports events, pub gatherings and —not to be forgotten in all the fun — campaigning meetings.

Rides like the famous 'Tweed Run', organised by the London Fixed-gear/Singlespeed Forum (LFGSS), are testament to this growth and now attract up to 200 riders. Small businesses connected to cycling also seem to be springing up everywhere — new shops such as Sargent and Co, Tour de Ville and Shop 14, as well as several repair-only businesses like Bike Yard East, are thriving as bigger shops struggle to cope with demand.

London’s burgeoning cycle sports scene has likewise had an injection of vitality. Apart from traditional sports like road racing and time trialling, there are new kids on the block like roller racing, hardcourt bike polo and unicycle hockey. Cycling Club Hackney has started doing grass track racing events, which are easy to enter without preparation and give that fi rst taste of racing.

Back to the future Interestingly, roller racing is an example of a bike activity that was hugely popular in the 1950s and is now enjoying a comeback. It's a move echoed elsewhere; we’re regaining parts of the cycling scene that haven’t existed for decades, hence the vintage bike trend and the re-emergence of small-scale framebuilders. Subtly, slowly, London is beginning to reclaim its cycling heritage. It's beginning to return as an integral aspect of the city's identity and culture.

Th ere is also a growing movement that looks to the Continent for inspiration in its appreciation of ‘urban cycle chic’. Encapsulated in this vision is people wearing the same sort of clothes on bikes that they might wear on public transport or while out walking; it represents a more

'intact' society, in which the average trip length is very short, in which people can live in a local environment that they actually like, so that they're not always yearning to drive out of it to escape.

‘Cross-over’ appeal means that it’s not cycling itself that’s in fashion, it’s diff erent kinds of cycling — in the same way clothes are always needed, it’s just that the particular fashions change. Diversity helps ensure this appeal can be maintained as cycling gets bigger; to keep cycling, as a major cultural asset, fresh and exciting, and continuing to locate it at the heart of our daily business as a society. In London, cycling

needs to truly become part of a Londoner’s identity. Th is is about more than just counting the number of people on bikes; this is about a genuine cultural shift .

It may be possible elsewhere to promote cycling using only utilitarian arguments, but that is never going to work in London. For all its faults, it’s a completely unique place. And other world cities, while diverse and vibrant too, are not experiencing the same degree of growth in cycling as we are.

Th e LCC’s strategic vision is to make London a world-class city through cycling. Diversity has been key to LCC’s work for years, through our many and varied groups and through administering TfL’s Community Cycling Fund for London. We must not forget that this vision has never been achieved before in such a large city. And that’s what makes it so positive and exciting.

“Other world cities are not experiencing the same growth in cycling as London”

Oliver SchickGUEST COLUMNIST

USEFUL WEBSITESwww.londonfgss.comwww.differentspokes.co.ukwww.londoncyclesport.comwww.rollapaluza.com

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Bike Week highlights

Bike Week is London’s biggest mass cycling event. Every year LCC's local groups put on a huge range of entertainment and educational rides and events, all of them open to members and

public. And this year is no diff erent, with more than 100 rides and events expected to sweep across the capital.

Get friends onto two wheelsLCC chief executive Koy Th omson said: “Although for many of us riding a bike is a daily occurrence, it’s worth remembering that for some people it’s a very rare event. Th at's all the more reason to make sure that during Bike

The country’s biggest bike festival comes to town on 13-21 June — so what

will you be doing? Here’s our pick from the hundreds of events on offer

GLAM UP FOR THE EVENING

WHEN? 7pm, Friday 19 June

WHERE? Green Bridge, Mile End Park, Tower

Hamlets, E3 4PLWHAT? Decorate either

your bike, yourself or both in your defi nition of glamour for this fun ride,

with prizes later on www.towerhamlets-

wheelers.org.uk

GRAB FREE BREAKFASTWHEN? Tues 16 JuneWHERE? Junction of City/Goswell Roads and Colebrook Row, Islington, N1WHAT? Hot drinks, pastries and bike checks are free for cycle commuterswww.icag.org.uk

Week, when there’s a host of family and novice-friendly events in your area, you persuade one of your non or rarely cycling friends or colleagues to attend an event.

“It’s only by experiencing the joy of riding a bike that people realise how something that’s healthy, economical and sustainable can also be fun. It sounds too good to be true to most! Find an event near you and take them.”

For a full listing of events in Greater London, which you can search by borough, visit www.lcc.org.uk/rides.

So what will you be doing during Bike Week? Finding new places? Making new friends? Shrinking your carbon footprint? Getting fi t? Perhaps it’ll be all of the above.

LIVE ON THE EDGE

WHEN? 10am-4pm, Sunday 21 June

WHERE? Camden Town Hall, Judd Street,

Camden, WC1H 9JEWHAT? Circumnavigate

the borough, visiting every corner on this fun 22-mile excursion

www.camdencyclists.org.uk

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Bike Week

HAVE FUN WITH THE FAMILYWHEN? 1pm-5pm, Sunday 14 June WHERE? Greenfest, Furnivall Gdns, Hammersmith & Fulham, W6 9DJWHAT? Bring a picnic and make this the best free party of the year. Lots of activities for adults and children.www.greenfest.org.uk

BECOME A BIKE FILM BUFFWHEN? Mon 15 June WHERE? Bermondsey Square Cinema, Southwark, SE1 3UNWHAT? Three hours of bike fi lms in London’s coolest spacewww.southwarkcyclists.org.uk

LEARN ABOUT LONDON

LIVINGWHEN? 10am-4pm,

Saturday 20 JuneWHERE? Ritzy

Cinema, Brixton Oval, Lambeth, SW2 1JG

WHAT? Join this 'best of' architecture

cycle tour, which picks out the fi nest examples of buildings in Lambeth

www.lambethcyclists.org.uk

CYCLE THE SQUARES

WHEN? 10am-5.30pm, Sunday 14 June

WHERE? Outside Marylebone station, Westminster, NW1

WHAT? Cycle to some of London's secret gardens open this week only (£8)

www.westminstercyclists.org.uk

www.bikeweek.org.uk

www.lcc.org.uk/rides

THE LATEST BIKE WEEK NEWS HERE

Photo: Lam

beth Cyclists

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Technical

Check that your tyres are hard — the recommended pressure is written on the side of the tyre. Using a track pump with a gauge will make it easy for you to put in the correct amount of air. Remember riding on hard tyres on the road will improve bike control and increase your speed, as well as minimise the chance of a puncture.

Also ensure that your brakes work well. Roll the bike forward and squeeze the front brake (right-hand brake); the bike should stop sharply. Roll the bike backwards then pull the back brake lever to test the rear brakes. Th ere should be room to put two fi ngers between the brake lever and the handlebar, a good indication that the brakes are tuned correctly. Finally check that your chain is clean,

lightly lubed and that it spins freely when you

turn the pedals. Of course if

in doubt about anything mech-anical, take the bike

to your local shop for advice. And in the long

run, consider signing up for a maintenance course.

With more people taking to two wheels than ever before, David Dansky from Cycle Training UK provides some timely advice for those new to urban cycling

Essential tips for new riders

People are taking to the streets by bike like never before and for a variety of reasons — saving time and

money, getting fi t, having fun or helping to save the planet. And while cycling is not a risky activity, if you haven’t ridden on the road before or are returning aft er a break, sharing London’s busy lanes with thousands of other people in a variety of vehicles may seem a little scary. By following the advice here we hope it will help minimise your fear and build confi dence. You’ll soon be whizzing around town wondering how you managed without a bike for so long!

Get some trainingBooking up for cycle training is probably the quickest and most effi cient way to build up your skills and confi dence. Even experienced riders become more capable and experience fewer negative interactions with other road users aft er training. In fact, results from the 2005 survey ‘Cycle Training Works’ showed that aft er training people felt more confi dent, were prepared to make more

frequent and longer bike trips, plus were more prepared to cycle in poor weather.

Many London boroughs actually off er free or subsidised cycle training for people who live, work or study in that borough — see panel at the end for details.

Check your bikeRegular checks on your bike will go a long way to reducing the risk of mechanical failure. A new bike bought from a traditional bike shop should be pretty hassle-free, but beware too-good-to-be-true online 'bargains' or bikes bought from supermarkets.

Most importantly, ensure that your bike fi ts you and is set up properly; you should feel comfortable when seated on the saddle. As a rough guide for your optimum saddle position, your leg should be almost straight when the pedal is at the lowest point of its rotation (the 6 o’clock position) and you should also be able to reach the ground with the ball of your foot.

Ensure your

bike is kept

roadworthy

BE SAFE: take the space you need

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Technical

know what you intend to do, give them a clear hand signal. If you plan to turn and don’t see anyone when you look around, there is no need to signal. Keeping both hands on the bars is safer than signalling unnecessarily.

Position yourself where you can see and be seen Many cyclists (even experienced riders) consider their default riding position to be near the kerb. Riding in this position takes you out of the line of vision of drivers and also puts you in confl ict with pedestrians stepping from the kerb. While passing parked cars, riding in the car door zone puts you at risk of being hit by a car door opening. So learn to ride a car door’s width away from parked vehicles and a similar distance from the kerb.

Ride in the traffi c stream when

you can match its speed or need to in order to prevent a driver overtaking. Th is ensures that you are visible and prevents drivers passing you when there is not enough room.

Out of misguided fear and deference to drivers, many cyclists need to work to build up the confi dence to ride in front of moving vehicles even when they understand that they are actually safer here where the driver can see them. Cycle training and regular practice goes a long way to addressing this. A driver may well

Control your bike Before riding on the road, check out your control skills in a safe off -road environment. Are you setting off smoothly? Start in a low gear (if you have gears), then move to higher gears as you increase speed, dropping to lower gears as you slow down. Stop with your pedal already in the starting (2 o’clock) position to make moving off again easier.

Also practise emergency tech-niques, learning to shift your body weight back when making an emergency stop. Ride with your fi ngers covering your brakes at all times, ready for quick stopping. Try swerving, left and right, around objects, getting back into your original line as quickly as possible. Keep good control of the bike while looking directly behind you and practise riding one-handed without wobbling. When you are happy that you have mastered the control basics, you are ready for the road.

Communicate with other road users Start by riding on quiet roads, then moving to busier roads where you get more opportunities to communicate with other road users as you gain confi dence. As well as the obvious need to look behind you when you wish to turn or change your position on the road, looking behind regularly is a powerful way of communicating with others on the road. By showing your face to a driver behind, you will attract their attention and ensure that they have seen you; they will also know that you have seen them.

Showing your face also serves to humanise the situation. In many cases drivers give more room to a rider who looks back regularly. Th ey may also pass that rider at slower speeds. Always look behind before signalling. If someone needs to

beep a cyclist in this position, but at least it indicates that the driver has seen them.

Some cycle lanes are positioned where the rider is less visible — such as across the mouth of a junction. You are not obliged to use these green stripes on the road and should position yourself where you can best see and be seen. On approaching traffi c lights it is oft en more risky to reach the front by moving to the left of a traffi c queue (where there may be a feeder cycle lane to the advanced stop box) than by overtaking the queue to the right. It is especially risky moving to the left of lorries, especially if the driver is planning to turn left .

Have fun At the end of the day, riding your bike should be an enjoyable experience. Looking relaxed and riding with a smile on your face as you pass that crowd of commuters waiting at a bus stop is a great way to promote cycling and encourage others to join the fun. Th e more people that ride, the safer it is for all cyclists.

“At the end of the day the more people that ride, the safer it is for all cyclists”

■ www.cycletraining.co.uk This is the best place to get further info on cycle training.

A list of cycle training providers can be found at:■ www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=165 ■ Transport for London's website: www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/9065.aspx

FACTFILE

PROPER CYCLE TRAINING: will improve your skills and confi dence

LOOK BEHIND YOU: learn to communicate with other road users

Photos: courtesy of C

ycle Training UK

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Getting your boss to embrace cycling can be a great idea. What's more, if you are the boss, it can be great move for the company too

Cycling & the workplace

1: Buy yourself a cheap bike and accessoriesHOW? The CYCLE TO WORK scheme. If your employer has signed up to the Cycle To Work scheme, you can buy a bike and cycling equipment (jacket, lock, lights, etc) up to the value of £1000 with superb tax benefi ts. The exact discount depends on your tax situation, but 50% off isn't unusual.

2: Enjoy better facilities at your workplace HOW? Get them to sign up to A NEW WAY TO WORK. Get your company signed up with TfL, and this can mean more cycle stands, new parking sheds and showers for cyclists, free cycle training, along with pool bikes and expenses allowances for cycling to meetings.

3: Cheaper LCC membership & support campaigning HOW? LCC CORPORATE AFFILIATES Staff at companies that have signed up to LCC’s corporate affi liates scheme enjoy discounts on membership, as well as other benefi ts such as cycle training and maintenance sessions. You save money, as well as helping raise essential funds for LCC’s campaigning.

1: Save your business moneyHOW? Cars cost money to run: staff expenses, car park charges, congestion charge, fl eet-management costs. Encouraging staff to walk/cycle/car share/public transport can save your business money.

2: Improve employee retentionHOW? The more options you provide, the more chance you have to please your employees, so better staff retention, which we all know saves money.

3: More productive workersHOW? Studies consistently show that active staff are healthier, making them more productive and likely to take fewer sickies (cyclists on average take one whole day less off sick per year compared with non-cyclists, according to a Dutch study in 2008).

4: Improve your corporate imageHOW? Encouraging cycling ticks corporate social responsibility boxes. Your business can rightly claim it’s helping to reduce congestion, benefi ting local communities, reducing city polluting, combatting global warming and improving public health.

5: Support campaigningHOW? Your company can help support our campaigns to improve the city for cyclists.

What are the benefi ts to cyclists of getting your employer’s support?

What are the benefi ts to businesses of supporting cycling at work?

"Challenge spurred others on to get their bikes out of the shed and to get

tips from the more experienced riders"

campaign

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What does the scheme do?Transport for London’s A New Way To Work scheme provides companies with loads of free information (much of which they would have paid expensive consultants for a few years ago). Companies get a personal travel adviser, with loads of good advice, and the expertise to help you survey your staff (such as online tools) and plan useful measures to encourage cycling, walking, car sharing, bike pooling, and so on.

Do I have to be a manager to contact TfL?No. Any employee, no matter how far down the food chain (and that’s most of us, isn’t it?), can contact TfL.

Can TfL help gather support for cycling?Whether you’re a junior member of staff or a manager, TfL can give you advice on how to get the company behind cycling. This can include providing case studies on similar companies that have benefi tted, or sending along a representative to explain the benefi ts of the scheme in person.

What happens when my company signs up?TfL assigns you a consultant to help create a Workplace Travel Plan (you’d have paid £1000s for this service a few years ago). This surveys staff to fi nd out current travel habits and employees’ preferred means of transport. Surveys (TfL helps you conduct these online) consistently fi nd that more people would cycle if the right facilities existed. Based on the survey results, TfL then helps your company implement change.

Where do I get more information?www.anewwaytowork.org

ContactTransport for London: worktp@tfl .gov.uk

What does the scheme do?It gets you a cheap bike: CTW subsidises employees of participating companies up to 50% off the cost of a new bike and accessories, up to £1000. It’s a salary-sacrifi ce scheme, allowing you to pay for the bike over a number of months with the money taken from your pay.

How do I get my company to sign up?Ask them nicely: it’s not compulsory for fi rms to participate and administering the scheme will inevitably require a small amount of effort from your accounts and management team. Therefore, be prepared to argue for the benefi ts to the company, as well as those to yourself. Getting a group of you to ask together is bound to be more effective than asking alone.

The scheme is not administered directly by the government, rather through third parties. It's worth shopping around to fi nd a scheme that suits you: perhaps you want to support smaller bikes shops.

For the fi ne details on how companies implement the scheme, there's a useful 'open-source' hand-out from London bike shop Velorution (give them a call and ask them to email it), as well as information from the government.

ContactsVelorution, 020 7637 4004; www.velorution.bizGovernment's Cycle To Work Scheme:http://tinyurl.com/cycletoworkLondon

LCC is looking to forge more partnerships with leading companies to encourage the growth of cycling in Greater London. We’re experienced at demonstrating how employers can benefi t from understanding the needs of urban cyclists. We work with existing corporate affi liates to help them achieve cycling targets, and provide them with the latest information on cycling programmes and grants aimed at helping businesses promote sustainable travel to their staff.

Any new partnership will include a membership package in which we can offer affi liate staff 10% off LCC membership, giving them access to all our benefi ts such as free liability insurance, discounts in bike shops, our bi-monthly magazine, access to local groups, events and campaigning news.

Existing corporate affi liates include:BskyB; Metropolitan Police Association; British Broadcasting Association; GlaxoSmithKline.

ContactLucy Cooper, London Cycling Campaign, 020 7234 9310;[email protected]

So how do you get more people at your work cycling?

campaign

1: LCC CORPORATE AFFILIATES SCHEME

2: TfL — A NEW WAY TO WORK

3: CYCLE TO WORK SCHEME

4: WORKPLACE CHALLENGEWORKPLACE CHALLENGE 2008 FACTFILE Participants: over 2500 Londoners

No. of organisations: over 400 Distance cycled collectively: 250,000 miles

WORKPLACE CHALLENGE 2008 FACTFILEParticipants: over 2500 LondonersNo. of organisations: over 400 Distance cycled collectively: 250,000 miles

The London Workplace Cycle Challenge is a fun, free competition to see which London-based organisations can get the most employees cycling during the month of June. It's a proven way of getting employees to motivate each other, so if you'd like to get colleagues at work cycling, or cycling more, then think about getting your organisation to sign up.

Contactwww.tfl .gov.uk/cyclechallenge to register your interest now

i

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Best rides in London

One dark night in March, nearly 200 cyclists mounted their trusty steeds to

celebrate International Women's Day, with the fi rst LCC Women’s Ride

Central London: Women’s

There’s something really special about sharing a favourite ride. It’s a chance t

o discover new sights and see familiar places with a fresh perspective.

We hope you enjoy our fi rst London ride, created by some of the staff at LCC to celebrate International Women’s Day.

From the back of beyondOn Saturday 7th March, over 200 women (and men), dressed in their fi nest and brightest outfi ts, rode the 10-mile route.

Th e ride was designed to be accessible to all, and included many inexperienced cyclists who’d never taken part in an organised ride before. LCC marshals were on hand to make sure everyone had a safe and enjoyable time.

Lucy Cooper, LCC market-ing manager said: “Th e fact is that not enough women cycle in London. Worries about safety and practicalities prevent too many of us taking up this healthy activity.”

“Our ride was designed to remove some of these barriers. And we’ll be organising more in future. Check out our women-specifi c website (www.women-cycling-campaign) for news and advice.”■ For a more detailed map, go to http://tinyurl.com/LCCwomensRide

3 Women’s memorial, Whitehall

This bronze memorial to the Women of WW2, stands next to the Cenotaph in Whitehall, and depicts the uniforms of women in the forces alongside the working clothes of those who worked in factories, hospitals, emergency services and farms.The sculpture by John Mills is a tribute to all seven million women who contributed to the war effort.

1 Covent Garden Hotel,10 Monmouth St

The Elegant Covent Garden Hotel on 10 Monmouth St was formerly a women’s hospital, founded in 1710 and built in 1867. Nowadays it’s an oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden; it might not sell the cheapest cup of coffee in London, but the blueberry muffi ns are to die for.

FACTFILEDistance: 10 mile loopLocation: Central LondonTerrain: urbanGradient: mostly fl atTime: 1.5-2 hours

ST JAMES PARKCHARING CROSS

WESTMINSTER

STRAND

WATERLOO

VICTORIA

4

3

2

1

9

11

14

8

7

6

5

Westminster Bridge

Waterloo Bridge

Th

St M

artin

s Ln

The Mall

Buckingham Gate

Southampton Row

Tavistock Pl

START

FINISH

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Best rides in London

Ride

6 Statue of Boadicea, near Westminster BridgeBoadicea was a queen of the Iceni tribe, in what is now

known as East Anglia. She led an uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.

10 Vera Brittain & Winnifred Holby,

Doughty RdVera Mary Brittain (1893-1970) was an English writer, feminist and pacifi st, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth. Winifred Holtby, (1898-1935) was a writer and journalist. Holtby’s novels included Anderby Wold (1923), The Crowded Street (1924) and The Land of Green Ginger (1927).

11 Persephone bookshop, Lambs Conduit Street Founded in the Spring of 1999 by Nicola Beauman. The name

Persephone was chosen because it has a timeless quality, sounds beautiful, is very obviously feminine and symbolizes new beginnings (and fertility) as well as female creativity. At fi rst it was not realized that Persephone also symbolizes many other aspects of women's lives, for example, less cheerfully, she represents married hell (being raped and imprisoned by her uncle Hades). But mainly she is an image of women's creativity, and that is why the logo, based on a painting on a Greek amphora, shows a woman who is not only reading (the scroll), but also symbolizes domesticity (the goose).Persephone prints mainly neglected fi ction and non-fi ction by women, for women and about women from the twentieth century.

OTHER PLACES TO VISIT2 Statue of Edith Cavell,

Trafalgar Square: Cavell (1865-1915) was

a British World War I nurse and humanitarian. She is celebrated for helping hundreds of Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium.

4 Buckingham Palace & Queen Victoria Memorial:Built by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock in 1911, the Memorial is now a Grade 1 listed building.

7 Waterloo Bridge: Often referred to as the

‘Ladies Bridge’, as it was rebuilt largely by women after being damaged by German bombers in WW2.

8 Theatre Royal:In the 1660s actresses appeared for the fi rst time on the British Stage.

9 Louisa Aldrich-Blake (1865-1925), Tavistock Square memorial:

One of the fi rst women to enter medicine. At the Royal Free Hospital, Aldrich-Blake was the fi rst woman to hold the position of Surgical Registrar and also the fi rst to perform operations for cancer of the cervix.

12 St Bartholomew’s Hospital: Elizabeth Blackwell, the fi rst worman to graduate from medical school,trained here in 1850.

13 Emily Faithfull’s Victoria Press, 83 Farringdon Street:Faithfull championed womens’ rights in the workplace and set up her own printers.

14 Margaret Macdonald statue, Lincoln’s Inn Fields: Noted feminist and socialist who lived nearby

10

12

11

13

4

Theobalds Rd

Holborn

Viaduct

5 Emmeline Pankhurst,Victoria Tower Gdns

Women were granted equal voting rights to men in 1928, shortly after the death of Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) who was a political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement. Although she was widely criticised for her militant tactics, her work is recognised as a crucial element in achieving women's suffrage in Britain.

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UK interest

28

Welsh rare bits

Shell's guide to Mid Wales is cruel about Llandrindod Wells. In the 1966 edition, the author, the late David

Verey, wrote: “Round every corner you expect to see the sea, but there is no sea, only rain.” Don’t be put off by that bleak description. Th e Victorian spa town of Llandod, as it’s known locally, is home to a museum with the best collection of bicycles in the UK.

Th e bicycle is one of the world’s great engineering achievements. Fast, versatile and almost unpolluting, it has evolved remarkably since the 19th century. Th e museum presents almost the whole history under one roof.

Th e nucleus of this collection was developed by the late Tom Norton, a local entrepreneur who was a cycle racer and dealer in Newtown before

There really is only one museum for the bicycle enthusiast — Roger Blackhouse visits the National Cycle Museum in Llandrindod Wells

branching out into car sales. He built Llandrindod’s Automobile Palace as a car showroom in 1919. Norton had a lifetime interest in bicycles, using a Kendrick tricycle to go to work at the age of 83. Other items in the collection came from the former National Cycle Museum at Lincoln, and the collection of the present curator, David Higman.

Out of the 'ordinary'Th e Scot, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, is oft en credited as the inventor of the bicycle. A replica of his 1840 lever-driven machine is in the museum. Unfortunately this was a technological dead end and we have to move to the 1868 invention of the French Michaux Brothers who put pedals on the front wheel to create their 'velocipede'. Th is was much

copied and Llandrindod has an example dating from 1869 made in Bristol.

Th e velocipede was the fi rst really popular bicycle. It was developed for racing but the only gearing possible was by increasing the size of the front wheel. Racing models of the ‘ordinary’ or Penny Farthing had front wheels up to 52-inch diameter; they were the preserve of daring young men. Many still exist and, again, there's several specimens in the collection.

Several technical advances led to improvements. Th e wire tension wheel was light and strong. It was applied to the bicycle by the American Virgil Price as early as 1870. However, the greatest contribution came from a Swiss engineer living in Manchester, Hans Renold, who invented the fi rst roller chain.

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UK interest

In fact many early motorbikes showed their bicycle origins. Some fi rms made motor attachments designed to drive a bicycle front wheel — an example in the museum is the 32cc Cyclemaster which was claimed to do 200 miles per gallon.

Th e museum has many diff erent tricycles too. 'Barrow boys' or tricyclists have a long history and some weird and wonderful machines were made from 1869 in Coventry; one was the rotary tricycle with one large wheel alongside two in-line steering wheels.

Tom Norton’s own Kendrick tricycle of 1937 reversed usual practice with two driven front wheels. Whatever the engineering merits of this arrangement, Tom Norton claimed it kept gout at bay when he rode it to work in his later years. Older readers may remember the 'Stop Me and Buy One' ice cream sellers and there's one of those classic trikes on display.

The collection is rich in other cycling memorabilia, ranging from trophies and a cyclist’s tombstone to lights and advertisements. It all adds up to a fascinating day out in this Victorian town.

Th is chain was a key part of the Safety bicycle invented by James Starley of Coventry. Originally he concentrated on elaborate tricycles aimed at the well-to-do market, but in 1886 he brought out the 'Rover' safety bicycle. Main features were direct steering, sloping forks, rear drive and the diamond frame. It was easy to ride and far safer, sweeping the ordinary out of manufacture within a few years.

Now women could ride easily. Th e bicycle gave women a new freedom, helped by the adoption of 'rational' dress better known in America as 'bloomers' aft er the Mrs Bloomer who fi rst wore them.

Th e diamond frame remains the classic design today and there are dozens of examples in the museum from diff erent materials, including one made of bamboo. In more modern times carbon fi bre has been successfully used for racing bikes. What's surprising is how few truly radical innovations have appeared since the safety bike.

More gradual improvements were made such as the derailleur gear invented by Tulio Campagnolo 1933. But this and other innovations, like the safety bicycle, were oft en resisted by the racing fraternity. Sport did not drive progress in bike design.

Diamonds are foreverOne of the most revolutionary inventors was Mikael Pedersen, a Dane who produced a light frame of radical form. He worked from fi rst principles of scientifi c design and with the help of RA Lister set up the Dursley-Pedersen Cycle Co to make

a luxury model weighing less than 20lbs. With a seat slung like a hammock it was very comfortable. In 1902 Pedersen added to his invention with the fi rst three-speed hub gear, only a year ahead of the better known Sturmey Archer gear.

Pedersen’s use of scientifi c principles to redesign the bicycle was rivalled only by Alex Moulton, who developed his open frame model in the late-1950s. Th ough dismissed by many, including Raleigh’s engineers, it proved as fast as a safety bike. Th e small wheels and innovative rubber suspension gave it a distinctive look and there

were several less successful spin-off s by other manufacturers.

Other bikes were made for appearance rather than hard work. Th e Raleigh ‘Chopper’ was almost unspeakably clumsy, but was hugely popular among teenage boys in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Despite new designs such as recumbents, the basic diamond frame has proved adaptable and durable. Th e British Post Offi ce used thousands of bikes with a distinctive bent top-tube, while folding bikes were made for paratroopers.

■ The Automobile Palace, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, LD1 5DL. Tel: 01597 825531■ Admission: £3.50 adults, £2.50 senior citizens, £1.50 children. ■ Opening: 7 days a week, Mar-Oct. Tues, Thursday & Sun only, 1st Nov to end of Feb.■ www.cyclemuseum.org.uk

FACTFILE

The 'velocipede' was the first really popular bicycle. It was developed for racing

but the only gearing possible was by increasing

the size of the front wheel

“

Article courtesy of Model Engineer magazine

THROUGH THE AGES: from 'Penny Farthings' and 'velocipedes' to recumbents and tourers, there's bikes from every era on display at the museum

”

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Overseas

30

OO

Britt of alright

Think ‘Brittany’ and you’ll doubtless conjure up images of striped jumpers. At a stretch you might even

picture a rugged coastline of Cornish proportions. But further probing probably draws little more than blanks for most Brits. Which is surprising when you consider its location just a short hop from our southern shores; the tourist crowds invariably bypass the region as they dash for heady delights of Paris or the even headier heights of the Alps. What they’re missing out on, however, is an enchanting swathe of historic villages and impressive chateaux, linked by some of the continent’s best-kept cycling secrets.

With its temperate climate and tranquil countryside, the minor roads of this north-west corner of France are quiet with very few cars, and the Bretons are generally well disposed to cyclists. Hardly surprising then that the Tour de France has started here six times and four winners have come from the area, including the mighty Bernard Hinault. Tom Simpson, British racing legend of the 1960s, even launched his continental cycle racing career from the town of St-Brieuc. Th e scenic attractions are many too — from Neolithic standing stones or menhirs (thousands of them), to glorious mansions and fortifi ed towns, a scattering of major cities, sleepy villages and sea-kissed harbours. Many off -road green paths and lanes have been offi cially established through woods and by lakesides, plus there’s 1,300 kilometres of coastal trails.

Jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, Brittany is one of those places that has a genuine ‘big sky’ feeling as you’re never far from the sea. About a third larger than Wales with strong Celtic roots, it is divided into fi ve departments, one being Finistère. Th e north coast off ers gently undulating country lanes that hug sandy coves and low, rocky shorelines, perfect for leisure

There’s bucket (and spade) loads of beautiful riding just over the Channel,

as Mark Mitchell discovers on a long weekend in Brittany

cycling. Recommended destinations include Brignogan-Plages, in an area called the Pays des Abers, littered with granite boulders as big as houses, or Porspoder, in the Pays d’Iroise, where most of the stones are megalithic monuments. Both areas have good cycling infra-structure and bike hire shops

Island life Enticing islands just off the coast also off er great riding and one in particular is the tiny L’Île de Batz. If you only have time for a weekend visit, it makes an ideal break, especially if travelling by ferry from the UK to Roscoff . Th e island lies less than 30 minutes by boat from this northern port, itself an interesting old town. With a population of just 600 people — the size of a small English parish — a circular tour of the island is roughly ten kilometres. Th is may not seem much, but a criss-cross network of quiet lanes lead you to a plant collector’s exotic garden, a

lighthouse, a ruined chapel dating from before the eleventh century, in addition to hidden bistros and restaurants by the dozen. Choose between the fl ats or gentle hills, with breathtaking views throughout, and you’ll understand why the cycling here is regarded so highly.

Aft er a hearty seafood lunch in Roscoff , the group I travelled with joined chattering islanders and excited visitors on this local passenger boat. Th ere are three bike-hire shops on the island and we opted for one on the quayside. With very few motor vehicles on L’Île de Batz, it makes cycling the narrow lanes an even more pleasurable experience; it’s a bit like Cornwall used to be. Th e collector’s garden, a ‘must-see’, was established about a 100 years ago by horticultural enthusiast Georges Delaselle and has several themed areas with plants and trees from all around the world. It really is the perfect place to relax before or aft er sampling some of the local refreshment.

LE TOUR: the cycling world's premier road race has a long association with Brittany

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Overseas

Keep a-Brest of thingsTh ere are only a few large cities in the region, including modern and maritime Brest in the north-west, home of the impressive Océanopolis aquarium and marine theme park. Quimper in the south-west is famous for pottery and its gothic cathedral, while the regional capital Rennes, in the east, boasts a multitude of historic architecture. To the south, Nantes on the Loire river, has something for everyone, with eight dedicated pages in the Michelin guide covering its many attractions. In the countryside, don’t expect vineyards, but there are cycle-friendly features like the Nantes-Brest Canal, one of four main waterways in Brittany. Nearly 320 kilometres long, it includes a wide, unmetalled towpath for easy pedalling, though we’d recommend a minor detour onto nearby country lanes every few kilometres to add more variety and off er the chance to discover picturesque towns and villages along the way.

Th ings don’t disappoint from a culinary perspective either. Being a maritime region, devotees of seafood are particularly well served. Accommodation is plentiful too: modern and traditional hotels, economy chains, B&Bs, rustic buildings converted into comfy guesthouses, plus well-equipped campsites. Aft er all the physical eff ort, you might even want to try a natural course of seawater treatments fi rst developed in the region — Th alassotherapy.

Spend even a short time in Brittany and you’ll quickly realise it’s not just striped pullovers and seagulls. Cyclists are particularly well catered for. Th e governments, both central and local, are working hard to make the region more appealing to two-wheelers and there are numerous websites and guides now available to ensure you get the most out of your stay. Combine that with a strong network of hire shops and cycle touring companies and it’s easy to see why our cross-Channel neighbour is set to move up the hitlist of more discerning travellers.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Fact file

MIXED RIDING: to suit all ages and abilities

FACTFILEHow to get there: There is a good choice of air, sea and rail services for travel to Brittany. If time is crucial, flying is the quickest and several national and regional operators offer direct flights. For example, take a train from London’s Waterloo Station to Southampton Airport and flybe will get you to Brest, all within a few hours. Some of the carriers make big green claims but check if they will take bicycles. ■ www.aerarann.com ■ www.airfrance.com ■ www.flybe.com

Ferries: Roscoff and St Malo may be reached by channel ferries from ports like Dover, Portsmouth, Weymouth and Plymouth. ■ www.brittany-ferries.co.uk ■ www.condorferries.co.uk ■ www.poferries.com

Rail: For Londoners, the Channel Tunnel provides a good rail option and there are services from Paris over to the main cities in Brittany. ■ www.eurostar.com ■ www.raileurope.com

Touring holidays: Cycle touring holidays may be booked from companies providing bikes fully equipped with panniers or camping kit; they will also recommend hotels to stay in. One such enterprise is Breton Bikes, run by an English family. ■ www.bretonbikes.com

Tourist info: The tourist authorities provide excellent websites, guides and advice, well worth looking at or obtaining. The Michelin Green Guide to Brittany is invaluable and a wise investment. ■ www.brittanytour-ism.com ■ www.finisteretourisme.comL’Île de Batz website is also worth checking ■ www.iledebatz.com/home.php

COAST TO COAST: Brittany's shoreline is very similar to Cornwall

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Products

32

Products

As more people turn to cycle commuting, there’s been a resurgence in interest for that perennial favourite – the folder. We look at six current models…

Folding bikes

Dahon is the world’s largest folding bike manufacturer by volume, and the D3 is one of its 16-inch wheel models. There’s also a large choice of 20-inch wheelers, ranging from singlespeed to 18-speed options.

Aimed at the cost-conscious commuter, our D3 came in an eye-catching scarlet, though it’s also available in pink or white. The bike folds using a hinge in the chassis, which is easy to learn and, with a bit of practice, you’ll have it folded in seconds. The resultant package is compact and light enough to carry, making it suitable for busy trains or stairs.

The three-speed hub gears keep maintenance to a minimum, and sensible gearing means you should be comfortable on both the fl at or London’s hills. A rack and mudguards are standard, plus there’s even a convenient kickstand. If you want a little extra comfort, Dahon’s extensive range of bike accessories includes a suspension seatpost.

If you’re on a budget and want a good all-round bike, the Curve D3 should be high on your shortlist. Otherwise, you might fi nd what you’re looking for among the rest of Dahon’s stable.■ Dahon 01727 798345

It says much for the quality and longevity of this London company that the name Brompton is almost synonymous with the words ‘folding bike’. The company's strong identity is helped by the fact that, though every bike is hand-built to order, they all share the same distinctive chassis.

Indeed, the Brompton shape is so ubiquitous that it doesn't attract the envious gazes the Birdy and Airnimal elicit; rather a quiet respect. But then the Brompton design is something of a masterpiece. The steel frame

offers rigidity and strength, and while the 16-inch wheels suggest less stability than larger-wheeled rivals, that simply isn't the case: our M3L showed excellent poise, with zippy manoevrability to boot.

The M-type features Sturmey-Archer's reliable three-speed hub gear and mudguards come as standard.

Brompton also makes two- and six-speed derailleur models, but if you're looking for a superb workhorse which may well last a lifetime, this could be your bike.■ Brompton 020 8232 8484

Dahon Curve D3 £470 www.dahon.com Brompton M3L £600 www.brompton.co.uk

Pinnacle Journey 2.0 £400 www.evanscycles.com

THE JOURNEY 2.0 is part of

Evans Cycles’ own-brand range

and, like the Dahon Curve S3,

it delivers good performance

at a budget price. It’s actually

the least expensive here,

costing a fraction of the most

expensive models.

Riding the bike, you notice

the smooth and even ride from

its 20-inch wheels. Flicking

through the nine-speed cassette

using the thumb-shift gear

changer is a breeze. Steering is

very responsive, and though the

overall feel isn’t up to that of the

bikes at the top end of the

range, it still makes for a

satisfying experience.

Where the Journey 2.0 scores

highly is in its swift fold, and

you’ll quickly master the simple

mechanism based around a

hinged frame. In folded form, the

Pinnacle isn’t the smallest or

lightest around (at 12.5kg), but

it’s still a manageable unit that’s

perfectly acceptable to use on

your commuter train or to stash

in a cupboard.

The excellent package

includes a rack, chainguard

and mudguards, and coming

from one of the UK’s leading

bike retailers means you’ll

always be able to get parts

and servicing easily.

Defi nitely a folding bike to

consider if budget’s tight.

■ Evans Cycles 01293 574905

New LC product editor Matthew Moore will be organising our ongoing reviews schedule. Contact: [email protected]

final032034_product.indd 32final032034_product.indd 32 12/5/09 00:18:1012/5/09 00:18:10


ProductsProducts

NEXT ISSUE

This Cambridge-designed bicycle will fold to a reasonably compact form considering its size and its (near mountain-bike diameter) 24-inch wheels. However, the Joey Sport isn't a super-compact folder in the style of some, so don't expect it to fi t in smaller luggage racks or cupboards. The fold is also slower and demands the removal of the front wheel, though straps mean you can still transport it as a single item.

Yet if you do have a little extra space and time, this is clearly the bike to ride. Large wheels, 11kg weight and crisp Shimano nine-speed transmission make it a beautifully balanced affair. Chrome details and neat graphics mean it's a bit of a head-turner too.

Our bike wasn't equipped with a rack or mudguards, but there's a reasonable range of options if you

spend a bit more. Other options include an eight-speed Shimano Alfi ne hub gear model (£975), which will add some weight, but promises years of hassle-free,

low-maintenance riding.All folding bikes are a

compromise between comfort and compactness to some extent, and Airnimal has chosen its market

position cleverly. If you can handle the Joey Sport's extra bulk, it's a superbly rewarding machine to ride.■ Airnimal 01954 782020

Mezzo is a British company based in East Sussex, with designs by Jon Whyte, the man responsible for dozens of classic mountain bikes. Though British designed, the bikes are actually built in the Far East.

The D10 is the most expensive in Mezzo’s range, and its neat touches are immediately appealing. The dogleg ‘steering column’ is a noticeable departure from other designs, but certainly has no ill effects on the handling. The one-piece aluminium chassis is stiff and, allied to the responsive steering, makes for a comfortable ride despite its 16-inch wheels.

A slick thumb-shifter is mated with a 10-speed

derailleur, which is a Shimano 105 unit of the sort you’d fi nd on decent road bikes. The range is very practical, able to tackle tough hills and put on a good spurt along the fl at.

Learning to fold monocoque bikes can be tricky, but with practice you really will be able to do it ‘quicker than you can tie your shoelaces’ as Mezzo claims. The D10 folds to about the size of an airline hand-luggage bag, and is comfortable to carry at 11kg. It makes this sporty model eminently suitable for train commuting, an idea reinforced by Mezzo’s useful extras including a rear rack-bag and mudguards.■ Mezzo 01424 753566

The ‘Cycle 2 Work’ is a new model in the Birdy range, the cheapest in this brand’s range of premium models, though the most expensive reviewed here. And of all the bikes shown, it's the sporty lines and gloss fi nish of the Birdy that draw the most admiring comments.

The one-piece aluminium frame and 18-inch wheels combine with front and rear suspension (the only bike here with that feature) to give an excellent ride. While some folders require a period of acclimatisation, the Birdy immediately feels natural and balanced, and soaks up bumps and obstacles with ease.

An 8-speed Shimano transmission lets you accelerate swiftly to a fast commuting pace, while a crisp twist-shifter makes for rapid gear changes.

The C2W weighs just 12kg and folding to a compact package is quick once you’ve familiarised yourself with the process; you just need to remember to put the bike in top gear fi rst. Assembling the bike is easy too, and you’ll be able to stash it unobtrusively on a train.

Overall, the Birdy’s attractive design, comfy ride and simple fold make it an attractive product if you have a grand to spend.■ Bikefi x 020 7405 1218

Birdy C2W £999 www.birdybike.comMezzo D10 £845 www.mezzobikes.com

Airnimal Joey Sport £800 www.airnimal.com

We review hybrid and commuter bikes, a couple of new singlespeed designs, plus highlight some more summer gear worth trying.


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Products

Our experts recommend some new products that'll make your summer riding even more fun

Summer gear

Knog’s Valore saddlepacks give you an oval alternative to those black and boxy numbers. It’s big enough at 850ml for bike spares and tools, or to cart around keys, wallet or purse and phone for a luggage-free summer ride.

You can remove it from under your saddle in a few seconds if

you're leaving your bike and reattach in about a minute. We like the rubberised splash-proof underside and refl ective rear light on this well-designed, good-looking pack. Knog also has a smaller 750ml version for a tenner.■ Tel: 01332 274200

Knog Valore £12 www.knog.com.au

New in a dirt-disguising slate blue, Rapha’s ¾-length plus-four Fixed Shorts square the circle of comfortable, practical kit and well designed, immaculately crafted cycling couture. The Fixed Shorts keep the chill off on cold mornings and spirit away sweat as you get going. Pockets are snug and secure, and the padding adds that bit of comfort. Unfortunately, there’s no female equivalent yet, but Rapha plans to launch a women’s range next spring. These shorts aren’t cheap, but they are a class apart.■ Tel: 020 7485 5000

Rapha Fixed Shorts £120 www.rapha.cc

These ultra lightweight packs are designed for fast, outdoor activities — so they’re perfect for summer commuting. The fl exible, ventilated back panels and waist-strap distribute weight so well that you can forget you’re wearing the Talons. You’ll get every day use from features like the nine well-placed pockets on the Talon 22 (pictured), the zip fi nger-loops

that you can open with a gloved hand and the blinker patch for your rear light; while features like the hydration bladder slot mean the Talons step up effortlessly to demanding outdoor use. The larger capacity Talon 33 will even take a full change of clothes or shopping — and it’s no more awkward to commute with or carry. ■ Tel: 01202 413920

Osprey Talon 22/Osprey Talon 33 £60-£70 www.ospreypacks.com

With three sets of glare-reducing, UV sensitive lenses, you can wear the Tifosi Stelvios no matter what the great British summer is doing. The durable frames fi t medium to large heads especially well and

you can adjust the stems from half-way down, and the nosepiece, to fi ne-tune your fi t. If you’re serious about your sunnies, the Stelvios are a cracking buy.■ Tel: 01332 274200

Tifosi Stelvio £49.99 www.tifosiopticsuk.com

Hackney-based Cyclodelic brings some much-needed glamour to cycling clothing and accessories. The narrow and wide-beaded cuffs, with matching or clashing colour smartie snaps, are more fun than cycle clips. And a satin jockey cap brims with insouciant style. A fun, outgoing range that’s now available at Topshop on Oxford Street.■ Tel: 07882 939905

Cyclodelic Cap £29 Cuffs Wide £19Cuffs Narrow £10www.cyclodelic.co.uk

If London is littered with your lost shades, you don’t want to shell out too much every time you need to replace them. Choose from seven colours in the Spectrum range, and get yourself light, comfortable sunglasses with a carry case and cleaning bag. Or two pairs in case you lose one… ■ Tel: 01506 497749

Endura Spectrum£14.99www.endura.co.uk

For advice on buying a folding bike, plus a competition, go to www.londoncyclist.org.uk. There's also a brand new 'product blog' coming in July!



From coffee-table reads to workshop manuals and cartoons, we've reviewed them...

Books

Yehuda Moon & the Kickstand Cyclery, Jan-June 2008 Rick Smith £16.87 www.yehudamoon.com

YEHUDA MOON IS the main character in a comic strip that chronicles life around a bicycle shop in midwest America. The author is a passionate advocate of cycling, and this is evident in the strip’s storylines.

This 66-page paperback is a compilation of six months’ worth of cartoons, which fi rst appeared for

free online. Author Rick Smith is currently taking a break from producing new material daily, but there’s an archive of more than 500 vignettes if you become addicted.

Apart from being beautifully illustrated, the strips offer a pleasing blend of familiarity and surprise: topics such as altercations with

vehicles and bike thieves are touched upon intelligently (though not always in a politically correctly fashion); while other elements – such as an elusive Bike Ninja and a strange religious order who build the store’s frames – provide rather more supernatural entertainment.

All in all, Yehuda Moon's a most

enjoyable and satisfying read, even for those who might not generally thrive on comic strips. Yes, some of the issues are serious, but folk are rarely far from smiling in Rick’s inviting world. (The strip will appear in LC from next issue).Mike Cavenett

might not

London Cyclist JuJunene-J-Jululy y 2020090966

The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles Jan Heine US$50

WHEN I FIRST fl ipped through this

beautiful book of bicycle

photographs I was puzzled and

somewhat disappointed — ‘The

Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles’

included no Hetchins, no Baines,

no Ephgrave, no Gillot, not even a

classic Dursley-Pedersen. As a

collector of 20th-century English

bikes I was stunned at the

omissions until it dawned on me

that all these glorious bikes were

French and it was a book about

French bicycles (with a slightly

confusing title).

My puzzlement then turned to

wonder — how had I missed out

on the wide selection of so many

superb and imaginatively designed

French bicycles? And it wasn’t just

me, but the whole world of

retro-bike fans in general: the

Classic Rendezvous website, the

ultimate vintage-bikie internet-

destination, has only few examples

of the many great bike builders

included in this book.

The immaculate illustrations

show just what we’ve been

missing: there may not have been

a bike maker on every major Paris

street, as there once was in

London, but the bikes built by the

likes of Herse, Faure, Routens,

Marcadier and Caminade are

every bit as mouth-watering to

fanatics as their Brit equivalents.

The French were clearly not as

obsessed as the British with fancy

lugwork, but they more than made

up for it in gleaming chrome

fi nishes, ingenious brakes and

even elliptical chainrings

in-between twin

down-tubes and

seat-tubes; they

even made exotic

customised freight-carrier bikes or

‘porteurs.’ Surprisingly Jacques

Shultz’s Funiculo appears to be

pre-date the Harry Rensch-

designed English classic, the

Paris-Galibier (recently revived by

Condor Cycles), by about 10 years.

Superbly photographed, with a

fascinating history of the

builders, this book is a treasure

trove of French handbuilt bikes of

the golden age.

Tom Bogdanowicz

Sleek dropout and rear derailleur Early front derailleur design

SWEET SINGER:

one of the famed

builder's highly

desirable classics

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June-July 2009 London Cyclist 37

Cyclists, especially cycle-touring cyclists, always like a free meal. What with the credit crunch in full swing and food prices spiralling forever upwards, the builder and me are making new cut-backs in these mend and

make-do times. One step forward is holding back on buying meat — not that Molly (aged 2) and me eat much meat, but the builder, being of a building type, would eat a whole horse if he could. So he is doing his bit for tidying up the environment by scooping up any tasty-looking roadkill of the freshly hit variety; to date rabbit, pheasant and pigeon have featured on the menu. Now when the builder comes home from the workshop, instead of fi nding him carrying a couple of carrier bags full of over-priced and overly-packaged goods, Molly and me are greeted by a ball of feathers or a lump of fl uff .

Molly then trots aft er him to the al-fresco plucking and gutting table, where she and the neighbour’s cat watch him slicing and dicing with a lethal Leatherman knife. Th e cat then gets the unappealing remnants, while the kitchen staff (ie Molly and me) are galvanized into action with our bubbling cauldron hotpot. As a selling feature, Birds Eye proclaim on their packets of frozen peas: ‘From fi eld to freezer in two hours’. We’d like to top that by saying: from roadkill to Rayburn in 47 minutes!

Slippery slope Down UnderI think the slippery slope for all this live and let roadkill occurred when I cycled around New Zealand. At one point the builder came out to meet me and there in the South Island, in the metropolis of Pukekura (population 2), we came across the unsettlingly named Puke Pub which featured the Puke Pub Possum Menu. Th e big seller was the Roadkill of the Day, but also on off er was the ‘Guess that Mess Daily Special’ (‘Possum straight from the highway to you’), 'Headlight Delight Pie' (‘Fresh from the roadside’) or ‘Our daily take-out lunch special served open face — Anything Dead on Bread’.

Cycling around Trafalgar Square the other day I spotted no less than three roadkill pigeons, but I held fast on scooping them in to my panniers as the freezer is already brimming with pigeon pies. Meanwhile, for sake of variation, the builder now has his eye on magpies — which makes me wonder if we were to make a pie out of magpies, would it be a magpie pie or just a mag pie?

In New Zealand, a farmer told me that possums are so unpopular (when alive) that motorists intentionally fl atten them — hence their posthumous moniker ‘squash’ems’. If a motorist in this country wants to rely on roadkill as an alternative to the supermarket shop, some quirk in the law states that if you knock a fl uff y or feathered thing down you can’t pick it up, but the person behind you can. So if you happen to be a cyclist of a kamikaze killer nature, you would

perhaps have to work in tandem with a friend: the front cyclist riding a wide-tyre trike to do the deed, the rider

behind on a Burley trailer’ed sturdy mount to scoop up the goods.

Josie Dew has written seven books about cycling around

the world. For details, see www.josiedew.co.uk

Books

AIMED AT NOVICES, this guide is packed with useful information but is sabotaged by sometimes sloppy and inconsistent layout. It takes the reader on a logical journey beginning with basic tools, progressing to components and how they interact with each other and, refreshingly, when to seek out a bike shop’s professional expertise.

To this end it differs from the glut of guides swamping the market in recent years. Clear black and white photography, complemented by line drawings, run throughout the book which explain the processes. But while

an informative and amusing bedside read, cluttered layout makes tackling repairs in situ more diffi cult.

Bailey and Gates omit some increasingly mainstream component systems such as Shimano/ISIS drivetrains and yet cover others such as cottered cranks which have been largely extinct for many years. Overall it’s actually a great book if you wanted a coffee table reference, but the shelves are heaving with far superior workshop companions. Michael Stenning

Bike Repair & Maintenance for dummies Bailey & Gates £13.99

Josie DewPEDALING REVOLUTION IS a fascinationg insight into the growth of the cycling movement in the USA. Yes, the country that pretty much invented the gas guzzler is fi nally — in some pockets — realising the benefi ts to its cities and citizens of sustainable transport.

Mapes explores the cycling lobby’s growth from a grass-roots movement to one that now has the ear of infl uential city planners such as the mayor of New York, and has helped transform cities like Portland into cycling oases. The re-genesis of the latter, the author’s home city, is given excellent treatment.

The book also covers topics familiar to British readers, analysing recent urban trends like the messenger/fi xed-wheel fashion and the rediscovery of classic-looking Dutch-style bicycles. Other topics relevant to Londoners such as cycling and public health, and getting kids on bikes, are also well informed.

An excellent read, which goes some way to dispel the stereotype that American streets are rammed with Hummers: hey, cycling Stateside can be fun.Lucy Cooper

Pedaling Revolutions: How Cyclists are Changing American Cities Jeff Mapes £13.5013.50

BB kk

IN PURSUIT OF Stardom is the tale of three Englishmen back in the late 1950s — a time widely regarded as cycling’s hey-day — disillusioned by the lack of competitive domestic racing who decided to pack up their troubles and the bikes, buy an ex WWII ambulance and drive over to the continent in search of racing stardom. Hewson conveys their adventures in a truly accessible fashion, his turn of phrase and dry wit is coupled with unfaltering narrative very much of its time, but yet completely relevant now

— I could almost hear my late father narrating.

Frankly while cycling enthusiasts are the obvious audience, to some extent the subject matter is almost irrelevant. These are a series of fascinating encounters told with suffi cient references and occasional, relevant name-dropping — riding with and, occasionally beating, continental heroes of the day to keep racing afi cionados happy — but there’s nothing ‘closed shop’ about it.Michael Stenning

In Pursuit of StardomTony Hewson £12.99

wantsomthingyou

arrating.

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p38.indd 38p38.indd 38 7/5/09 20:37:457/5/09 20:37:45

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIPLCC is a campaigning charity

significantly funded by your

membership. We work to

improve conditions for cyclists

and to promote cycling

throughout London.

INSURANCE & LEGAL:Third-party insuranceIf you cause damage to a

person or their property while

cycling, they may make a claim

against you. As a member of

LCC, you are covered for up

to £5 million. If such an

incident occurs, phone the

LCC office for immediate

advice and assistance.

Free legal adviceIf you need any legal assistance

on cycling-related issues,

please phone the LCC office

and we will put you in touch

with a cyclist-friendly solicitor.

Theft and damage insuranceThe new LCC urban cycling

theft and damage insurance

comes with a benefit unique

to LCC members. If your bike

gets stolen, vandalised or

accidentally damaged, there is

up to £50 ‘getting you home’

cover. Theft insurance costs

about 10% of the value of your

bike. For a quote, see www.

urbancyclinginsurance.co.uk or

call 01514 279 529. Have your

membership number to hand.

INFORMATION & CAMPAIGNING: Local groupsLCC has a local group in every

borough, plus the City of

London. Groups campaign on

local cycling issues, and also

organise events, meetings,

workshops and rides. See

page 40 to find out what your

local group is up to.

MapsLCC, in partnership with

Transport for London (TfL),

has produced free cycle maps

that cover all of London.

These can be ordered by

phoning Transport for London

on 020 7222 1234.

London Cyclist magazineThis magazine is sent to

members every two months.

It is packed with news,

features, cycling tips, product

news and all the latest on our

campaigns. It has been voted

the number one member

benefit.

HOW TO HELP LCC GROW:Spring membership offerCheck out the Promotions &

Offers section at www.lcc.

org.uk/membership. And tell

your friends about us — the

more you can help us build

our membership, the greater

our campaigning voice, plus

more cyclists get to enjoy the

benefits of LCC membership.

Ask a friend or colleague to

call 020 7234 9310 and quote

‘recommend a friend’.

Gift membershipA gift membership to LCC will

enable your friend or relative

to enjoy year-round benefits.

You will also receive a limited

edition LCC T-shirt (while

stocks last) — keep it for

yourself or give it away as part

of the gift. Call 020 7234 9310,

and quote ‘gift membership’.

Volunteer with usMuch of LCC’s work would

not be possible without

volunteers. Much of our

membership, administration

and campaigning work is

carried out by volunteers —

if you have any spare time and

and would like to put it to good

use, phone Matthew on

020 7234 9310. LC also relies

on voluntary contributions

— see www.lcc.org.uk/

londoncyclist

members’pagesOur new section provides everything you need to know

about how to get the most from your LCC membership


MINI CONTENTS40-43 Local Group News

44-45 Events Diary

47 Workshop Listing

48-49 Members’

Discounts

How to join LCCIf you like LC but you are

not a member, why not join

the campaign to receive the

magazine every two months?

Members also receive other

benefits listed on this page.

You can join on 020 7234 9310

or via www.lcc.org.uk/join

final039_members.indd 39final039_members.indd 39 12/5/09 00:14:4212/5/09 00:14:42


BARKING & DAGENHAMwww.stibasa.org.uk

I'VE LONG BEEN familiar with the idea that not making things worse for cyclists is called an ‘improvement’ — but Vicarage Field's meaning of 'improvement' wins the prize for spinning the word so far it's facing the other way! On page 3 of its glossy (and at www.vicaragefi eld.com/scheme.php) they claim: "Dramatic improvements to St Awdry's Walk for pedestrians, cyclists and shoppers [sic]". What are these ‘dramatic improvements’? Well, in the words of the spokesman at the exhibition, “we're going to ask cyclists to dismount”. I pressed him further and he said that segregation of cyclists and pedestrians had been discussed — but that's what we've got currently.

Every shared segregated path I use seems to have pedestrians in the cycle bit; that's not illegal, but I'm not sure why they do it, unless they’re just oblivious. I think shared unsegregated is the way forward, where a path is shared by cyclists and pedestrians. Th e spokesman agreed that many cyclists are considerate but said some are not; true, but these are just the ones who ignore signs telling them not to cycle. I doubt there has been a collision, let alone a serious one, in St Awdry's Walk (known locally as Peto Alley) for many years, if ever. Th e proposal is to have a high-level walkway — at the level of the footway at Station Parade (a bridge over the railway) — but in the scale model at the exhibition the walkway ended with steps at the St Awdry's Road end. Have they looked into a continual slope or series of slopes with level platforms? If they are not going to genuinely improve this route for cyclists then they should leave it alone, not make it worse. In my campaigning to stop cycling from being banned through the town centre pedestrianised area (Blake's Corner where the bandstand was, East Street etc) I have advocated

making/improving alternative routes for cycling, avoiding the very central area. Now is the chance to do this at Vicarage Field.➤ MEETINGS: tbc➤ CONTACT: [email protected] ➤ BLOG: www.stibasa.blogspot.com➤ E-GROUP: http://groups.google.com/group/stibasa2

BEXLEYwww.lcc.org.uk/localgroups

BEXLEY COUNCIL IS trying to encourage more of its staff to cycle and recently held a short weekday ride for staff to a park close to the Sidcup offi ces. At the park there was a Dr Bike session and drinks. Th ough this ride was arranged for Council staff , the organisers welcomed additional cyclists which made it more of an event. I had promised to try to swell the numbers for them and it was great to support the initiative, though it wasn't easy for some to attend as the ride fell at an awkward time. But big thanks to those of you who did manage to turn out for the ride — we hope to do it again. ➤ By the time this issue is out we will have had our Bexley Cyclist ride to the Hoo Peninsula. It’s hoped this ride will be around 33 miles long (mostly fl at) with an option of going on for an extra 6 or so miles for anyone who is feeling more energetic — full report next time.➤ MEETINGS: The next Bexley Cyclist meeting will be on 9 June at the Hurst Road Community Centre, Hurst Road, 7.30-8.30pm.➤ CONTACT: Frances Renton, 01322 441 979; [email protected]. Or Dave Reynolds, 01322 525 481.

BRENTwww.brentcyclists.org.uk

WE HAVE CHANGED our practice to meeting in alternate months on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, always the fi rst in the month — see below.

➤ LB Barnet is trying, very quietly — in the hope that the boroughs that share the road will not notice — to implement regressive changes on the A5, cutting back the bus lanes (which also protect cyclists) near junctions, and generally trying to make the road faster and more hostile to pedestrians and cyclists. Th is is separate from, but possibly related to, the consultation on the planning application for the vast Brent Cross Cricklewood development, the close of which has been set back again. Th e neighbouring boroughs have noticed in this case and Brent, Harrow, Camden and TfL have all objected to the plans.➤ MEETINGS: 7.30pm (preceded by business meeting at 6.30pm) on Tues 2 June and Wed 1 July at Samaritans Centre, 1 Leopold Road, NW10 9LN.➤ CONTACT: Ben Tansley, 07941 050161; [email protected]

CAMDENwww.camdencyclists.org.uk

PLANS FOR BIKE WEEK:➤ Sat 13 June, 1-5 pm: West Hampstead Dr Bike ➤ Sun 14 June: Gentle pace London Parks Ride. Meet 11am at Open Air Th eatre, Inner Circle, Lunch in Holland Park cafe.➤ Weds 17 June, 8-10am: Cyclists' Breakfast, Ossulston Street.➤ Th urs 18 June, 12-2pm: Cycling and Business event in Fitzroy Square. ➤ Sun 21 June: Camden Peripherique ride. Meet 10 am Town Hall, Judd Streeet. ➤ MEETING: 11 July at Primrose Hill Community Association, 29 Hopkinsons Place, (off Fitzroy Rd) London NW1 8TN.➤ CONTACT: Stefano Casalotti, 020 7435 0196; stefano@

lamsam-casalotti.org.uk. Or Jean Dollimore, 020 7485 5896; [email protected] ➤ WEBSITE: You can fi nd more on our website about items mentioned here — or register on our website to receive the monthly e-bulletin.

ENFIELDwww.lccenfi eld.fsnet.co.uk

OUT HERE IN suburbia, things are not quite the same as in inner London; the cycling renaissance that is so evident in other parts of the capital is less visible in Enfi eld. Th e congestion charge zone is miles away, and we are not about to get a cycle-hire scheme or cycling super-highways on our doorsteps any time soon. While our council has started to make the right noises about cycling, deep down they still seem to believe that the car is king. We at Enfi eld Cycling Campaign are constantly reminding them that cycle ownership in Enfi eld is high, and growing. Th at the people of Enfi eld would like to cycle more, given the right conditions. Th at those cyclists they see out there braving Enfi eld's cycle-unfriendly streets are just the tip of the iceberg. Cyclists in Enfi eld seem reluctant to label themselves as ‘activists’. LCC membership has remained around the 100 mark for some time; however, our 'Enfi eldCyclists' email list, open to all, has recently burgeoned to almost 400! Th e will is there.➤ Th is year, during Bike Week, the council is supporting a mass charity cycle ride around the borough organised by Enfi eld Cycling Campaign and the Nightingale Community Hospice

Local Group NewsWelcome to the new Local Group news pages. Find out more at www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups

PACKED PROGRAMME: during Bike Week in Camden

camdencyclists@

Flickr

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Local Group NewsLL ll GG NNLocal Group News

Trust. We're calling it Enfi eld's Big Bike Ride — please help us to make sure it is just that! Th ere are two things that you can do in the run up to Bike Week. Firstly, join the ride on Sunday 14th June, and the picnic in the park aft erwards. Secondly, spread the word about this ride to everybody you know — to friends, to family, at work, at your children's schools. Let's give Enfi eld Council a vision of what Enfi eld's transport future could be like! Our dream is to never again hear an Enfi eld councillor say: "But people in Enfi eld don't want to cycle". For more details visit www.edmontoncyclingclub.fsnet.co.uk/bigbikeride.htm ➤ MEETINGS: fi rst Thursday of every month. Thurs 4 June at 8pm, Winchmore Hill Cricket Club, Firs Lane, Winchmore Hill, N21 3ER. Thurs 2 July at 8pm, King William IV pub (upstairs), 192 Hertford Rd, Edmonton N9 7HH.➤ CONTACT: Richard Reeve, 020 8363 2196, [email protected] ➤ WEBSITE: Please note that our regular rides programme is listed on our sister website: www.edmontoncyclingclub.fsnet.co.uk➤ NEWSLETTER: to join the Enfi eld Cyclists email list, send a blank email to enfi [email protected]

HAMMERSMITH & FULHAMwww.hfcyclists.org.uk

WE ORGANISE THEGreenfest West London and are looking forward to a great day. It’s during Bike Week on Sunday 14 June, 1-5pm, beside the river in Hammersmith. To encourage cycling there will be bike try-outs, particularly bikes with childseats or trailers. And there may be a free draw to win a bike. Basically it’s a chance to meet and become involved with many environmental and community groups. Th ere’s live music, stalls etc, so bring a picnic and help make this the best free party of the year. Th anks in advance to other local groups who are helping out on the day. If you wish to be involved in any way, please get in touch — and spread the word. Check www.greenfest.org.uk for details, and the

links to Facebook.➤ MEETINGS: normally on the fi rst Tuesday of the month. Plus we're expecting to have a great rides programme this summer.➤ CONTACT: John Griffi ths, 020 7371 1290 or 07789 095 748; [email protected]

ISLINGTONwww.icag.org.uk

WE'RE DELIGHTED THAT Andrew Gilligan, recent convert to cycling and Evening Standard journalist, will speak at our AGM on 10 June at the Town Hall. It starts at 7.30pm and he will be talking at 8.30pm, followed by refreshments. Please join us! ➤ Our Cycling Offi cer and local police Safer Neighbour-hood Teams have been working with us on ‘Stop and Advise’ sessions on the Holloway Road. Vehicles stopping in the ASL were warned they shouldn't, as were a far fewer number of cyclists that went through the red light! We were joined by a representative from Living Streets, with whom we hope to campaign for a borough-wide 20mph speed limit and get tackling dangerous driving higher on the police agenda. In the shadow of another cyclist fatality in the borough we also distributed leafl ets about the dangers of left -turn-ing vehicles — we send our sincere condolences to the victim’s family. ➤ MEETINGS: 7.30-9.30pm on second Wednesday of the month (10 June, 8 July, 12 August) at Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD. ➤ CONTACT: Alison Dines, 020 7226 7012; [email protected]

KENSINGTON & CHELSEA www.lcc.org.uk > Local Groups >

Kensington & Chelsea

AS WE GO to press members of K&C and Westminster LCC are planning events for Bike Week in June — look out for events on our website. One of our members is currently looking to set up a bike repair and maintenance workshop; do get in touch if you’re interested

in being involved. ➤ Works relating to the radical re-design of Exhibition Road continue apace; the new arrangements around South Ken tube station should be a lot better for all road users, cyclists included.➤ MEETINGS: Tuesday 9th June (with Westminster LCC group), 7.00pm, Hyde Park bandstand (check their website: www.westminstercyclists.org.uk). Also Monday 6th July, 7.00pm, Café Deco, 62 Gloucester Road, SW7 4QT.➤ CONTACT: Philip Loy 07960 026450; [email protected]

KINGSTONwww.kingstoncycling.org.uk

IS THERE SUCH a thing as a

free launch? We’ve seen the launches of the council’s (RBK) new Climate Change and Sustainable Travel Group and of the Kingston Eco-Op. Expect to see Debra the Zebra and Captain Kingston tackling global environmental meltdown as well as promoting road safety messages very shortly.➤ Kingston Eco-Op are now accepting donations of unwanted bikes for refurbishment and selling-on at low cost to residents on benefi ts. To donate a bike call 020 8942 5500 or refer to www.kingstoneco-op.org.uk➤ In other news, we’ve welcomed visitors from Oldenburg and shown them the highlights of our borough and our cycle network. ➤ We’ve applied for a grant to

The Bromley Go-Ride Project, creating children’s cycling clubs across the borough (brainchild of this LCC group), is progressing: two community cycling clubs for children have begun during this summer term, at Pickhurst Junior School, Hayes (contact Martin Baker, [email protected]) and Alexandra Junior School (Winnie Farquharson, [email protected]), ages 8-14. An after-school club has also begun at The Priory School, Orpington; short courses of cycle instruction are being delivered in several schools in anticipation that these become after-school clubs (Bullers Wood and Beaverwood Secondary Schools; Alexandra, Malcolm and Stewart Fleming Primary Schools). Wanted: volunteer helpers and coaches (training by British Cycling; CRB checks required). Long-term goal: borough-wide access to organised cycling for children, borough-wide cycling events and borough-wide change in car culture.➤ The 2nd annual Bromley Parks and Ride family ride is on 14 June (Bike Week event — see website). Wanted: experienced cyclists to be marshals.➤ MEETINGS: 7.30pm, second Wednesdays at Bromley College, London Rd, Bromley BR1 1PE.➤ CONTACT: Charles Potter, 07951 780869; [email protected])➤ WEBSITE: www.bromleycyclists.org ➤ E-GROUP: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bromleycyclists/

BromleyLOCAL GROUP IN FOCUS

BIG CHEER: Bigfoot Go-Ride Club, Hayes, March 2009



Local Group News

42

provide safety lights and security skewers to replace quick-releases. A response to the Tesco-Tolworth planning application has been submitted. ➤ Bentalls has 600+ new car parking spaces and 12 bike parking racks, but they forgot to provide access to them — they call it progress. Check our website for more news.➤ MEETINGS: 8:30pm on 9 June and 14 July at the Waggon & Horses pub, Surbiton Hill Rd. ➤ CONTACT: Rob James, 020 8546 8865.

LAMBETH www.lambethcyclists.org.uk

LAMBETH CYCLISTS HAVE always been active but now we have two new committee members joining the team, elected at our meeting in April. Th e next two months will see two summer favourites, Bike Week from 13-21 June and the Lambeth Country Show on Sat and Sun 18-19 July. Watch out for those on our website. We also have monthly meetings in Th e Priory Arms in Stockwell (see below); they’re open to all and friendly, with a social party aft erwards! Don’t forget our monthly Architecture Rides either — details on our website.➤ MEETINGS: 3rd Tuesday of the month — 16 June and 21 July, 7.30pm upstairs at The Priory Arms, 83 Lansdowne Way, SW8 2PB.➤ CONTACT: Philip Loy, 020 8677 8624; [email protected]

MERTONwww.mertoncyclists.org.uk

MCC MONTHLY MEETINGShave moved to the All Saints

Centre, All Saints Road, SW19 1BX. Th ey are still at 8pm on the fi rst Th ursday of the month (except August). Th is new venue provides more spacious and more accessible accommodation and has the added benefi t of being just a few yards from possibly the best pub in Merton (Th e Sultan in Norman Road). We thank Jenny for having so warmly hosted MCC meetings for more years than I care to remember in her living room, but it was becoming a bit of a tight squeeze to get in there sometimes!➤ Our 2009 annual meeting will also be at the All Saints Centre, at 8pm on Th ursday 9 July. I am planning (once again) to stand down as borough co-ordinator — it's been 16 years now — so if anyone here feels like takingover the role, please do get in touch.➤ MEETINGS: see above. ➤ CONTACT: Richard Evans, 020 8946 0912; [email protected]

REDBRIDGEwww.redbridgelcc.org.uk

SUCCESS FOR 'MOVERS and Shakers in Redbridge' — leader of the Council, Cllr Prince, has signed up to do cycle training, along with worthies such as Roger Evans (GLA Representative for Redbridge and Havering), Cllr Gary Staight (Chair of the Cycle Liaison Group), Hugh Muir, the Guardian journalist, and even a Peer of the Realm, Lord Victor Adebowale. Th ey will ride in the 'Movers and Shakers Ride' at Redbridge Cycling Centre, Hainault, on Saturday 6 June, from 12.30-2.30pm along

with yet more cycling ‘Movers and Shakers’, such as Lee Scott MP.

Please be there on 6 June to help make the event a success and to cheer everyone on. Bring family and friends and join in the celebration laps once they have had their moment of fame! Th e project and the ride is being recorded on dvd ‘pour encourager les autres’. ➤ Fairlop Country Park has secured £400,000 from the Mayor in the Priority Parks Vote, which selected 10 parks across London for improve-ment of facilities which will include cycleways. Th is will help to provide a badly-needed link in the Fairlop route network. ➤ A section of the Roding Valley Way from the A12 Eastern Avenue to Vista Bridge has been closed for Environment Agency path improvements and will reopen in late summer; unfortunate timing for summer family rides. Th ere’s lots of great summer events, workshops and weekends away listed on our website and in 'Hubbub' — but sadly no short family rides until someone volunteers to organise them! ➤ MEETINGS: no meeting in June. Next meeting on Tuesday 21 July at 8pm, Wanstead House, 21 The Green, E11 (near Wanstead tube); speaker to be announced. Drinks in the bar afterwards. ➤ CONTACT: Gill James, 020 8989 4898; [email protected]. Or Chris Elliott, 020 8989 6285; [email protected]

RICHMONDwww.richmondlcc.co.uk

THE SMARTER TRAVEL launch came and went. First result is new cycle parking which can be seen on www.smarter travelrichmond.org under ‘Cycling’. Lots more promised; work and destination travel plans. RCC want more schemes like the bike buddy scheme (still waiting for the go-ahead on this at the end of April, as this issue went to press).➤ A small group of members went on their fi rst permeability audit of Twickenham town centre, noting places where small changes can have big

diff erences. We hope to visit most of the borough eventually and produce a document library incorporating all current needs and identifying new ones.➤ Our summer events are starting early this year and by the time you read this we will have been at Whitton St Georges Day parade and Richmond May fair. Our Bike Week (13-21 June) events are being planned. We hope that the Smarter Travel team will be arranging something magical. Our Music Tour of the borough will be a highlight and there will be other rides throughout the week. For details of our rides, to take part in the campaign or just to say hello, come to our meetings...➤ MEETINGS: second Monday of each month, 8pm, at The Ship Inn in Richmond.➤ CONTACT: 07976 294626; [email protected]➤ GENERAL BLOG: http://richmondcc.blogspot.com/Rides blog: http://richmondc-crides.blogspot.com/

SOUTHWARKwww.southwarkcyclists.org.uk

TOOLEY STREET, TOWER Bridge, St Katherine's Dock, Wapping Ornamental Canals, Shadwell Basin, Limehouse Narrow Street, Poplar High Street in the shadows of Canary Wharf, under the DLR, over the Lower Lea Crossing, alongside Royal Victoria Dock, Tate & Lyle's Factory Road, London's best free ride on the Woolwich Ferry to the south bank of the Th ames, Woolwich Flood Barrier, watering/dewatering stop at the riverside Anchor and Hope, miles of riverside past Th e Dome, industrial east

How about a new series 'Signs of

Incompetence'? This is an autumnal

view of Hartfi eld Road, Merton signage

— imagine when the tree’s in bloom!LET THE MUSIC PLAY: check out the bands at this year's Greenfest

Photo: H

ugh Morgan



Local Group News

Greenwich, the Royal Naval College, Cutty Sark Gardens, Deptford Creek, inland round Convoys Wharf past the lovely Dog and Bell, and Rotherhithe and back to where we started a couple of hours earlier. Th is is the route on one of our favourite regular rides and one that combines many landmarks in London history. So join us for this typical easy-paced, very smiley ‘aft erworker’ on most Th ursdays all year round —meet 6.30pm at Southwark Needle, south end of London Bridge.➤ Monday 15 June — the new Bermondsey Square Cinema taken over by Southwark Cyclists for 3 hours of bike fi lms.➤ MEETINGS: second Wednesdays, 7pm at The Community Space Bankside, 3Great Guildford Street (Zoar Street corner), London SE1 0TF.➤ CONTACT: Barry Mason, 07905 889 005; [email protected]➤ WEB: We’re on Facebook too.

WALTHAM FORESTwww.wfcycling.org.uk

OUR CENTREPIECE FOR Bike Week 2009 is our ‘Movers & Shakers’ rides — council offi cers and councillors will ride with volunteers to experience cycling in the borough. Email us ([email protected]) if you can ride with us during any day 13-21 June. Or if you can spare a bike to lend to a councillor. Other Bike Week events include a ‘Cyclists Tea’ on Friday 12 June and the Tour de Waltham Forest on

Sunday 14 June. www.wfcycling.org.uk for more details.➤ Away from Bike Week, on the plus side, following our cycle path audit the Council Leader confi rmed a full cycle facility maintenance plan is in the works. And cycle stands are fi nally coming to Walthamstow Village, following a meeting with the Village resident's association and council offi cer. On the minus side, despite objections, Temple Mills Lane will soon be closed to cyclists while the Olympic site is developed — email us if the detour causes problems.➤ MEETINGS: tbc➤ CONTACT: Robert Vaughan, 020 8520 8858; [email protected]

WANDSWORTHwww.wandsworthcyclists.org.uk

TWO GREAT PROJECTS will be taking off this summer, if two of our ever-creative WCC members are successful in their

grant applic-ations to the Community Cycling Fund. We’re keenly supporting the cycle-related ‘Common Vision’ — to be based in the Platform One Gallery on Wandsworth Common station. Do take a look in this friendly gallery for more information if

you’re passing through the station. Th e other project is the wonderfully named ‘Ting-Ting Tooting’, which will off er a whole series of cycling activities through the summer. At time of writing, the outcome of the applications is still unknown, but fi ngers are crossed.➤ Other news: we’re making all sorts of eff orts to put more pressure on Wandsworth Council for their lack of delivery so far on LCN+ routes in the borough. And we can report a very encouraging meeting with Parks Police at our April meeting — we were glad to remind them of our concerns, and they are a great contact for us. But they made it clear that it’s for us to put pressure on policy-makers in Wandsworth Council if we want change — so if you’d like to join the campaign on this, do get in touch.➤ MEETINGS: second Tues of every month (check website for details).➤ CONTACT: Simon Merrett, 020 8789 6639; [email protected]

WESTMINSTERwww.westminstercyclists.org.uk

WE HAVE SEEN plans for a cycle contrafl ow lane along the eastern end of Long Acre. We have been campaigning for many years for this facility, which would open up a route from Leicester Square/Covent Garden through to Lincoln's Inn Fields and Bloomsbury.➤ We have also been discussing with the Royal Parks a number of ways of making cycling safer around Hyde

Park, in particular at Victoria Gate and on the Rotten Row path. Th is currently carries an undesirably high volume of fast-moving cyclists at peak times. ➤ Look out for Westminster's Dr Bike sessions around Hyde Park during Bike Week.➤ MEETING: AGM, Tuesday 9 June at 7pm, ear the bandstand, Serpentine Road, Hyde Park.➤ CONTACT: Colin Wing, 020 7828 1500; [email protected]

CITY CYCLISTS

Website: www.citycyclists.org.uk

CROYDON

Contact: [email protected]

Website: www.croydon-lcc.org.uk

EALING

Contact: David Lomas, 020 8579 0805;

[email protected]).

Website: www.ealingcycling.org.uk

GREENWICH

Contact: Julian Dobson, 07771 692 344.

Website: www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk

HACKNEY

Contact: Trevor Parsons 020 7729 2273;

[email protected]

Website: www.hackney-cyclists.org.uk

HARINGEY

Contact: Adam Coffman ([email protected]).

Website: www.lcc.org.uk/localgroups

HARROW


HAVERING

Contact: Bernie Curtis, 01708 347 226;

[email protected]

HILLINGDON

Contact: Sarah James, 020 8868 2912,

or Steve Ayres, 01895 230 953

HOUNSLOW


LEWISHAM

Contact: Ian or Paul ([email protected]).

Website: www.lewishamcyclists.net

NEWHAM

Contact: Bernie McDonnell, 07947 236 965.


SUTTON

Contact: Chris Parry, 020 8647 3584;

[email protected]

TOWER HAMLETS WHEELERS

Contact: Owen Pearson, 07903 018 970;

[email protected]

Website: www.towerhamletswheelers.org.uk

OTHER GROUP CONTACTS

RICHMOND MEMBERS: in Bedfont earlier this year

Photo: P

aul Luton

SEND YOUR SUBMISSIONS

For the August/September issue, we're after

your stories and pictures from Bike Week —

[email protected]

ON PARADE: Richmond BC Jonathan Rowland greets the mayor at the St George's Day celebrations in Whitton

Photo: N

eil Hutchins



EventsWith Bike Week running from 13-21 June, it’s a busy couple of months ahead…

CARE INTERNATIONAL IS another charity off ering biking enthusiasts the chance to ride from London to Paris for a worthy cause. Starting on 16 July, the event hopes to raise much needed funds for Care’s work in helping 55 million people in nearly 70 countries fi nd routes out of poverty.

Participants will ride through the rolling English

countryside and catch the ferry from Portsmouth to Ouistre-ham, passing quaint vineyards and picturesque villages on the way to Paris. Th is Challenge forms part of the 2009 Care Challenge Series, a set of twelve exciting outdoor events.

To get involved in this cycle challenge, visit www.carechallenge.org.uk/london-2paris or call 020 7934 9470.

Take Care on charity challenge

THE AWARD-WINNING Smithfi eld Nocturne returns on 6 June and LCC will have a stall at this exciting night of street racing.

Organisers Face have now developed an exciting partnership with the City of London and the event will once again provide an innovative mix of racing and entertainment with public and professional racers competing on the 1km circuit around the historic Smithfi eld Market. Th e highlight of the programme will be the

Elite Criterium which will feature the cream of British talent as well as some continental guest riders.

Th e ever-popular folding bike race also returns with suited-and-booted city commuters racing for glory aft er a chaotic Le Mans-style start. Other races in 2009 include the Cycling Weekly Support Race, an Elite Women’s Criterium, a Fixed Wheel longest skid competition and the Citihub Team Challenge.

Added attractions will include Rollapaluza Roller Racing on the main stage, Red Bull DJs and event vehicles, the Rapha stand, other bike exhibitors, as well as BBQs and refreshments from local bars and restaurants.

Th e Smithfi eld Nocturne is free to attend and will take place between 6-10pm. For more information, to enter the races and to purchase hospitality tickets go to www.smithfi eldnocturne.com

IN BRIEF

Evans off-road ridesMore than 300 riders are now regularly signing up for the Evans Cycles off-road rides, held in great locations a short distance from London. Different distances available to suit a variety of fi tness/skill levels. For more details go to: www.evanscycles.com/ride-it/dates-and-locations

Bike polo champsThe European Hardcourt Bicycle Polo Championships are coming to London on 1-2 August. Watch the continent’s best players challenge for the coveted Euro crown; fi nal venue tbc. For details go to: www.ehbpc.org

Yoga for cyclistsRebecca Bogue is running a new ‘Yoga for Cyclists’ class, from 7-8pm, at a new venue in Shoreditch called Move Your Frame (29 New Inn Yard, EC2A 3EY). www.moveyourframe.com/courses/

Smithfi eld Nocturne returns

LISTINGS: RIDES & EVENTS ➤ ➤For the latest rides and events, updated daily, visit www.lcc.org.uk/rides

Tuesday 2 June➤ Hackney Cycle Workshop: 7pm at The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Road, London E9 7PQ. Contact: [email protected] 6 June ➤ Locks, Docks and One Smoking Ferry:11am or 11.30am, John Ball Primary School or Cutty Sark Gardens. Ride suit-able for families, free bike loan for children. Contact: Tom Crispin (020 8318 1004) or [email protected] 7 June ➤ Bread Pudding Ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Easy-paced ride. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875) or [email protected]➤ Thames Marathon: 10am or 10.30am, John Ball Primary School or Cutty Sark Gardens. Cycle for 26 miles, 385 yards away from roads. Contact: Tom Crispin (020 8318 1004).➤ The Chilterns and Maharajah's Well: 10.15am, Richmond Station. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016) or [email protected] 10 June➤ James' Weekly Ride: 10.30am, Interchange Studios, Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QP. Contact: James Brander (020 7267 3585) or [email protected]

Friday 12 June ➤ Royal British Legion Pedal to Paris: Three-day ride. Contact Dan Solley (020 3207 2270) or [email protected] Sat & Sun 13-14 June ➤ Blackheath Bike and Kite Festival (see story above)Sunday 14 June ➤ Greenfest West London: 1pm-5pm, Furnivall Gardens, beside river in Ham-mersmith, W6 9DJ. Riverside party with live music. Contact: John Griffi ths (020 7371 1290) or [email protected]➤ Greenacre Bicycle Rally: 11am, Arts Depot, North Finchley, N12 0GA. Family event, fancy dress, Dr Bike. Contact: Mike Gee (020 8346 5503) or [email protected]➤ Open Garden Squares Weekend Ride:10am, meet outside Marylebone station. Contact: Colin Wing (020 7828 1500) or [email protected]➤ Parks Ride: 11am, Inner Circle outside Open Air Theatre, Regents Park. Easy-paced, family ride. Contact: James Brander (020 7267 3585).Tuesday 16 June ➤ Hackney Cycle Workshop: 7pm at The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Road, London E9 7PQ. Contact: [email protected] 17 June➤ Age Concern and Help the Aged, London to Paris Ride: 8.30am, Croydon Aerodrome Hotel. Five-day challenge.

Contact: Sarah Greene (020 7239 1922) or [email protected]➤ Bike2Town: 7.15am, East Finchley Tube Station forecourt. Barnet Cyclists ride to Kings Cross, for breakfast organised by Camden Cyclists. Contact: John Silvertown (07722 003489) or [email protected]➤ James' Weekly Ride: 10.30 am, Inter-change Studios, Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QP. Contact: James Brander (020 7267 3585).➤ Midweek Ride: 7.30pm, Kingston Market Place, Queen Anne's Statue. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875).Saturday 20 June➤ Newham and 2012 Ride: 10.30am, beneath the 2012 Countdown Clock out-side Stratford Station. Leisurely 18-mile ride. Contact: Bernard McDonnell (07947 236 965)➤ The Surrey Thames: 10.30am, Bushy Park Fountain Car Park. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016).Sunday 21 June➤ Bread Pudding Ride Summer Special:10.30am, Kingston Market Place, Queen Anne's Statue. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875).➤ Camden Peripherique: 10am, Camden Town Hall, Judd St, WC1H 9JE. Annual Bike Week ride round the bound-ary of Camden, 22 miles. Contact: John Chamberlain (020 7485 2685) orEmail: [email protected] 24 June ➤ James' Weekly Ride: 10.30am, Inter-

change Studios, Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QP. Contact: James Brander (020 7267 3585).Saturday 27 June➤ Gatwick Airport ride: 10am or 10.30am, John Ball Primary School or Ladywell Fields. Suitable for young people. Contact: Tom Crispin (020 8318 1004).➤ Maintenance workshop: 11am, Limehouse Town Hall, 646 Commercial Road. Hands-on workshop with Dr Bike. Contact: Owen (07903 018970) or [email protected] 28 June

➤ Thames Path to Erith: 11am or 11.30am, John Ball Primary School or Cutty Sark Gardens. Contact: Tom Crispin (020 8318 1004).Sat & Sun 27-28 June

➤ The Outsider Festival: Rothiemurchus Forest, Scotland. www.outsiderfestival.co.uk Wednesday 1 July

➤ James' Weekly Ride: 10.30am, Inter-change Studios, Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QP. Contact: James Brander (020 7267 3585).Saturday 4 July

➤ Picnic Ride: 10.45am, Islington Town Hall, Upper St. N1 2UD. Contact: Clive Attenborough (020 7263 8165) or [email protected] 5 July

➤ Bookham Common: 10.30am, Twickenham Riverside, by Eel Pie Bridge. 34 miles. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016).

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Events

BREAST CANCER Campaign has two big rides coming up in the next couple of months and they’d love to see more LCC members getting involved.

First up is the Capital to Coast cycle challenge, from London to Hove, on Sunday 28 June; participants can choose between 30- or 60-mile routes, with three

diff erent starting points. Th e second, larger event is the classic London to Paris ride, from 21-24 August, covering 200 miles in just three days.

For more info on these rides, please contact the events team on 020 7749 3700 or email [email protected]

Ride double for breast cancer

Maps out his transport plans for the capital

ON 13-14 JUNE, between 12pm and 7pm, Blackheath will again be hosting its unique Bike and Kite Festival. Sponsored by Transport for London, the event coincides with the start of Bike Week, and promises to be an entertaining weekend for the whole family. Last year the event attracted around 15,000 visitors.

Th is year’s attractions will include: mountain bike stunt

team, MAD; International Kite Fighting displays; guided bike rides; cycling activities for young people including slaloms, slow races and limbo; vintage bikes from the 1800s; plus bike demos and Dr Bike. Th ere will be stalls selling bikes, kites, arts & craft s, food, and a licensed bar.

For all the latest information go to www.lewisham.gov.uk/bikeandkite

Blackheath Bike and Kite Festival

➤ London to Oxford: 7.30am-9.30am, Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, Ealing, Lon-don W5 5EQ. Contact: Bike Events (08454 601342) or [email protected]➤ Ride to Rye: 8.30am, Interchange Studios, Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QP. 100-miler with opt-outs at 25, 50 and 75 miles. Contact: James Brander (020 7267 3585).Tuesday 7 July

➤ Hackney Cycle Workshop: 7pm at The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Road, London E9 7PQ. Contact: [email protected] 10 July

➤ MDM UK London to Paris Bike Ride: 6am, Crystal Palace. Contact: Kaina Ibtiouene (020 7515 7534)Saturday 11 July

➤ Newham and 2012 Ride: 10.30am, beneath the 2012 Countdown Clock outside Stratford Station. Leisurely 18-mile ride. Contact: Bernard McDonnell (07947 236 965)➤ The Waterlink Way: 11am or 11.30am, John Ball Primary School or Ladywell Fields. Suitable for families.Contact: Tom Crispin (020 8318 1004). Sunday 12 July

➤ Bread Pudding Ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875).➤ Cycle Orienteering: 10am or 10.30am, John Ball Primary School or

Cutty Sark Gardens. Contact: Tom Crispin (020 8318 1004).Wednesday 15 July

➤ Midweek Ride: 7.30pm, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875).Saturday 18 July

➤ Ham House, Richmond Park & Teddington Lock: 10.30am, Richmond, Little Green, by library. Choice of different level rides. Contact: Paul Luton (020 8977 4016).Sunday, July 19, 2009

➤ London to Southend: 7.30am-9.15am, Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, London E9 5HT. Contact: Bike Events (08454 601342)Tuesday 21 July

➤ Hackney Cycle Workshop: 7pm at The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Road, London E9 7PQ. Contact: [email protected], July 25, 2009

➤ Maintenance Workshop: 11am, Limehouse Town Hall, 646 Commercial Road. Contact: Owen (07903 018970).Sunday 26 July

➤ Bread Pudding Ride: 10.30am, Kingston Market Place. Contact: John Dunn (020 8397 1875).➤ London to Cambridge: 7.30am-9.15am, Pickett's Lock, off Meridian Way, Enfi eld N9 0AS. Contact: Bike Events (08454 601342)

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p46.indd 46p46.indd 46 5/5/09 23:37:075/5/09 23:37:07

CONTACT DETAILSPRICE & TIMESLOCATION

BOROUGH COURSE COST DATE CONTACT

BEXLEY Roadside repair and maintenance £35 5-6 June, Sidcup Cycle Centre, 020 8300 8113; [email protected] 17-18 July BROMLEY Beginners’ classes: (1) Punctures, cleaning £20, including Call for details Hayes Old Church School, BR2 7BA. and lubrication; (2) Brakes and gears; maintenance Big Foot Bikes, 020 8462 5004; [email protected]

(3) Disc brakes. Bring your own bike pack worth £9 www.bigfootbikes.comCAMDEN Camden Cycling Campaign and Camden £50 two sessions 15 Nov & 13 Dec Velorution, 18 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 8BD; Council beginners’ courses Stefano, 020 7435 0196, [email protected] Work on your own bike £72 (£66 for Saturdays Bikefix, 48 Lamb’s Conduit Street, WC1N 3LJ no knowledge is assumed LCC members) 10.30am-5pm Patrick Field, 020 7249 3779; www.londonschoolofcycling.co.ukEALING Ealing Cycling Campaign runs courses contact contact us Visit www.ealingcycling.org.uk or email [email protected] throughout the yearGREENWICH Greenwich Cyclists run courses all year on: £5 for two hours Tuesday or Armada Centre, Armada Court, 21 McMillan St, Deptford SE8 6PW. (1) Tyres and wheels; (2) brakes and gears Wednesday Julian Dobson, 07771 692344, 020 8463 0801; Bring your bike and any parts you want to fit 7.15-9pm [email protected]; www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk, HACKNEY Hackney Cycling Campaign runs twice Donation 7-9pm Tues The Kings Centre, Frampton Park Baptist Church, Frampton Park Rd monthly two-hour workshops. Tuesdays E9 7PQ. Adam, 07940 121513; Ross, [email protected] Additional volunteers welcome www.hackney-cyclists.org.ukHAMMERSMITH One-day cycle repair and £40, 5% off for 1st Thurs or Emerald Centre, 2 Beadon Road, W6 0DA. & FULHAM maintenance workshops LCC members last Sat of Gordon, 07983 949559; [email protected] every month Jon, 07507 496212ISLINGTON Bicycle maintenance courses On demand 4th Weds of Islington but can travel. Jonathan Edwards, 07946 261165; month [email protected] 2.5-hr, self-help workshop £1 (50p (not Aug/Dec); Sunnyside Gardens, N19. Adrian, 07810 211902. unwaged) 7pm-9.30pmKINGSTON Maintenance and repairs to help keep £26 10am-4pm, North Kingston Centre, Richmond Road, KT2 5PE. bikes in good working order 31 Jan & 7 Mar Kingston Adult Education; [email protected] 1-day Sat course www.kingston.gov.uk/adulteducation, 020 8547 6700 or Rob 020 8546 8865, [email protected]. www.kingstoncycling.org.ukLAMBETH Lambeth Cyclists’ 5 x 2-hr course £55 30 Sept Janet Paske, 07740 457528; [email protected]

Basic maintenance course £60 Call for dates Brixton — Paul Lowe, 020 7733 3070; www.cyclinginstructor.comNEWHAM Workshop for Newham cyclists Donation Sats, 9.30am- New City Primary School, New City Rd, Plaistow, E13 9PR. 12pm term time Liz Bowgett, [email protected] Redbridge Cycling Campaign’s basic £30 From Weds 1 July, Terry, 07795 981529; [email protected] maintenance course: punctures, brakes call for dates or Jim, 07949 883747 [email protected] gears, and so on www.redbridgelcc.org.ukSOUTHWARK Southwark Cyclists’ 4-evening course £48 Tues 6.30-8.30pm On Your Bike, 52-54 Tooley St, SE1 2SZ. includes maintenance, cleaning, punctures, online via Paypal Barry, 07905 889005; [email protected] cables, brakes, trueing wheels www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk SUTTON Basic maintenance, plus free Dr Bike check £10 per head 9.45am-noon Sutton West Centre, Robin Hood Lane, Sutton, SM1 2SD. family discounts 25 Oct Chris Parry, 020 8647 3584; [email protected] Shirley Quemby, 020 8642 3720. www.cyclismsutton.org.ukTOWER HAM Hands-on workshops with Donations Last Sat of month Boxing Club, Limehouse Town Hall, 646 Commercial Rd, E14 7HA. Tower Hamlets Wheelers (except Dec); Owen Pearson, 07903 018970; [email protected] 11am-3pm www.wheelers.org.uk/workshopWAL FOREST Learn to maintain and assemble a bike £3 w. tea/coffee 11am-3pm Sat, Council transport depot, Low Hall Depot, South Access Road, 10am-noon 2nd Walthamstow, E10 7A6. Chris Rigby, 07910 235149 or 07948 060 473; Sat of month [email protected]

Maintenance courses Learn skills and save money...


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BIKE SHOP DISCOUNTSCONTACT DETAILSLOCATION

BOROUGH BIKE SHOP ADDRESS POSTCODE PHONE WEBSITE (www.) BIKES ACCESS. PARTS LABOUR

BARKING & DAG Cycle King 1088-1090 High Rd RM6 4AB 020 8597 6834 cycleking.co.uk 5 15 - -BARNET Bike and Run 125 High Rd N2 8AG 020 8815 1845 bikeandrun.co.uk - 10 10 - Broadway Bikes 250 West Hendon Broadway NW9 6BG 020 8931 3925 broadwaybikes.co.uk 5 10 10 - Central Cycles 64 Ballards Lane N3 2BU 020 8346 2046 centralcycles.co.uk 10 10 10 - Cyclelife 8 Bittacey Hill NW7 1LB 020 8346 5784 cyclelife.com 5 10 10 - Shorter Rochford 27 Barnet Rd N6 2QX 01707 662 332 shorter-rochford.co.uk 10 10 10 - Shorter Rochford 65-67 Woodhouse Rd N12 9ET 020 8445 9182 shorter-rochford.co.uk 10 10 10 - The Cycle Store 201 Woodhouse Rd N12 9AY 020 8368 3001 thecyclestore.co.uk 10 10 - -BRENT Cycle King 173 Hillside NW10 8LL 020 8965 5544 cycleking.co.uk 5 15 - - Sparks 5 Bank Buildings, High St NW10 4LT 020 8838 5858 sparksonline.co.uk 10 10 - -BROMLEY Bigfoot Bikes 50 Hayes St BR2 7LD 020 8462 5004 bigfootbikes.com - 5 10 - Bromley Bike Co. 27 Widmore Rd BR1 1RW 020 8460 4852 bromleybike.com - 5 5 - Luvbikes.com 173 -175 Widmore Rd BR1 3AX 010 8460 0433 luvbikes.com 10 10 - -CAMDEN Action Bikes 23-26 Embankment Pl WC2N 6NN 020 7930 2525 actionbikes.co.uk - 10 - - Bikefi x 48 Lambs Conduit St WC1N 3LJ 020 7405 1218 bikefi x.co.uk - 5 10 - Chamberlaines 75-77 Kentish Town Rd NW1 8NY 020 7485 4488 chamberlianecycles.co.uk 5 10 10 - Condor 51 Grays Inn Rd WC1X 8PP 020 7269 6820 condorcycles.com - 10 10 - Cycle Surgery 3 Procter St WC1V 6DW 020 7269 7070 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - Cycle Surgery 44 Chalk Farm Rd NW1 8AJ 020 7485 1000 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - Cycle Surgery 275 West End Lane NW6 1QS 020 7431 4300 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 178 High Holborn WC1V 7AA 020 7836 5585 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 69 Grays Inn Rd WC1X 8TP 020 7430 1985 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Paul's Custom Cycles 38 Mount Pleasant WC1X 0AP 07960 987 887 paulscustomcycles.co.uk - 10 10 - Simpson’s Cycles 114-116 Malden Rd NW5 4BY 020 7485 1706 simpsoncycles.co.uk 5 10 10 -CITY Bike Hut 3-4 Ave Maria Lane EC4M 7AQ 020 7332 4160 bikehut.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 1 Farringdon St EC4 7LD 020 7248 2349 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 -CROYDON Bikes Plus 429 Brighton Rd CR2 6EU 020 8763 1988 bikeplus.co.uk - 10 10 10 Cycle King 26-40 Brighton Rd CR2 6AA 020 8649 9002 cycleking.co.uk 5 15 - - Evans Cycles 5 London Rd CR0 2RE 020 8667 1423 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 -EALING Evans Cycles 548-550 Chiswick High Rd W4 5RG 0870 060 5489 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Woolsey of Acton 281 Acton Lane W4 5DH 020 89946893 woolseyofacton.co.uk 10 10 - -ENFIELD Top Riders 210 Baker St EN1 3JY 020 8363 8618 topriders-cycles.co.uk - 10 10 -GREENWICH Cycles UK 135 Creek Road SE8 3BU 020 8692 3148 [email protected] 12.5 12.5 12.5 -HACKNEY Bike Yard East 1a Goldsmiths Row E2 8Qa 07949 764 631 bikeyardeast.com - - 5 - Brick Lane Bikes 118 Bethnal Green Rd E2 6DG 020 7033 9053 bricklanebikes.co.uk - 10 10 - London Fields Cycles 281 Mare St E8 1PJ 020 8525 0077 londonfi eldscycles.co.uk - 10 10 - Two Wheels Good 165 Stoke Newington Ch. St N16 OUL 020 7249 2200 twowheelsgood.co.uk - 5 5 -

JUST SHOW YOUR membership card at any of the bike shops on these pages — or quote your membership number online — and you qualify for a discount of up to 15% on bikes, accessories, parts or clothing. Check the listings, ordered by borough, to fi nd out which shops off er you the best discounts in your local area. Otherwise, visit www.lcc.org.uk/membership where you'll fi nd a clickable map to help you hunt down the best savings in your neighbourhood.

LCC member discountsGet a great deal at more than 120 high street and online bike shops

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DiscountsDDii

BIKE SHOP DISCOUNTSCONTACT DETAILSLOCATION

BOROUGH BIKE SHOP ADDRESS POSTCODE PHONE WEBSITE (www.) BIKES ACCESS. PARTS LABOUR

HAM & FULHAM Evans Cycles 240 Watford Way NW4 4UB 0870 142 0108 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 13-15 Jerdan Place SW6 1BE 020 7384 5550 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Mend-a-Bike 19 The Arches, 33 Munster Rd SW6 4ER 020 7371 5867 mend-a-bike.co.uk - 10 10 - SBR Sports 917-919 Fulham Rd SW6 5HU 020 7731 5005 sbrsports.com - 10 10 -HARINGEY Two Wheels Good 143 Crouch Hill N8 9QH 020 8340 4284 twowheelsgood.co.uk - 5 5 -HARROW Cycle King 451-455 Rayners Lane HA5 4ET 020 8868 6262 cycleking.co.uk 5 15 - -HAVERING Chainlink Cycle Centre 140 Hornchurch Rd RM11 1DP 01708 470 007 - 5 10 10 -HILLINGDON Bikewise 61 Swakeleys Rd UB10 8DQ 01895 675376 - 10 10 - -HOUNSLOW Action Bikes 176 Chiswick High Rd W4 1PR 020 8994 1485 actionbikes.co.uk - 5 - - Moores Cycles 3-5 St Johns Rd TW7 6NA 020 8560 7131 moorescycles.co.uk 10 10 - - Wizzbike.com 113-114 High St TW8 8AT 020 8326 2891 wizzbike.com 10 10 - -ISLINGTON Bike Mech Castle Climbing, Green Lanes N4 2HA 07762 270 616 bikemech.co.uk - - - 10 Cycle Surgery 200 Pentonville Rd N1 9EN 020 7713 1312 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - Cycle Surgery 70 Holloway Rd N7 8JG 020 7697 2848 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - Holloway Cycles 290 Holloway Road N7 6NJ 020 7700 6611 - 10 10 10 10 Mosquito Bikes 123 Essex Road N1 2SN 020 7226 8765 mosquito-bikes.co.uk - 10 10 - S&S Cycles 29 Chapel Market N1 9EN 020 7278 1631 mountainbikelondon.co.uk - 10 10 10KEN & CHELSEA Cotswold Outdoor 23-26 Piccadilly W1J ODJ 020 7437 7399 cotswoldoutdoor.com - 15 - - Cyclopedia 262 Kensington High St W8 6ND 020 7603 7626 cyclopediauk.com - 5 - - Cyclesurgery 186 Kensington High St W8 7RG 020 7368 5188 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - Cyclopedia 256 Fulham Road SW10 9EL 020 7351 5776 cyclopediauk.com - 5 - - Evans Cycles 320 Vauxhall Bridge Rd SW1V 1AA 020 7976 6298 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 -KINGSTON Evans Cycles 48 Richmond Rd KT2 5EE 020 8549 2559 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Pitfi eld Cycles 137 Kingston Rd KT3 3NX 020 8949 4632 brightcycles.co.uk 5 5 5 -LAMBETH Brixton Cycles 145 Stockwell Rd SW9 9TN 020 7733 6055 brixtoncycles.co.uk - 10 10 - Evans Cycles 77-81 The Cut SE1 8LL 020 7928 4785 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 111-115 Waterloo Rd SE1 8UL 020 7928 2208 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Herne Hill Bicycles 83 Norwood Rd SE24 9AA 020 8671 6900 - - 5 5 LEWISHAM Compton Cycles 23-25 Catford Hill SE6 4NU 020 8690 0141 comptoncycles.co.uk 10 10 10 - Finches 25-29 Perry Vale SE23 2NE 020 8699 6768 fi nches-ski.com 5 10 10 - The Bike Shop 288-290 Lee High Rd SE13 5PJ 020 8852 6680 bikeshoplewisham.co.uk 10 10 10 -MERTON Action Bikes 221 The Broadway SW19 1SD 020 8540 0313 actionbikes.co.uk - 10 - - Mike’s Bikes 27 Aberconway Rd SM4 5LN 020 8640 1088 - 10 10 10 - Moose Cycles 48 High St SW19 2BY 020 8544 9166 moosecycles.com - 10 10 - Smith Brothers 14 Church Rd SW19 5DL 020 8946 2270 - 10 - - - Triandrun 53 Wimbledon Hill Rd SW19 7QW 020 8971 2065 triandrun.com 5 10 - -RICHMOND Action Bikes 437 Upper Richmond Rd SW14 7PJ 020 8876 5566 actionbikes.co.uk - 10 - - Action Bikes 54-56 Whitton High St TW2 7LT 020 8894 0174 actionbikes.co.uk - 10 - - Cowley Security 146 Colne Rd TW2 6QS 020 8894 1212 - - 10 - - Moores Cycles 214 Kingston Rd TW1 19JF 020 8977 2925 moorescycles.co.uk 10 10 10 10 Moores Cycles 61 London Rd TW1 3SZ 020 8744 0175 moorescycles.co.uk 10 10 10 1

Prologue 232 Upper Richmond Rd SW14 8AG 020 8878 6266 prologuebikes.com 10 10 - -SOUTHWARK Edwardes 221-225 Camberwell Rd SE5 0HG 020 7703 3676 - 10 10 - - Evans Cycles 6 Tooley St SE1 2SY 020 7403 4610 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - London Recumbents Rangers Yard, Dulwich Pk SE21 7BQ 020 8299 6636 londonrecumbents.co.uk - - - - On Your Bike 52-54 Tooley St SE1 2SZ 020 7378 6669 onyourbike.com 10 10 - - ReCycling 110 Elephant Rd SE17 1LB 020 7703 7001 re-cycling.co.uk 10 - - - Robinsons Cycles 172 Jamaica Rd SE16 4RT 020 7237 4679 - 5 10 10 10 Wilsons 32 Peckham High St SE15 5BP 020 7639 1338 - 10 10 10 -TOWER HAM Bicycle Magic 4-6 Greatorex St E1 5NF 020 7375 2993 bicyclemagic.com 5 10 10 - Cotswold Outdoor City St Clements Hse, Leyden St E1 7LL 020 7655 466 cotswoldoutdoor.com - 15 - - CycleSurgery 12-13 Bishops Square E1 6EG 020 7392 8920 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - CycleSurgery Strype St E1 7LQ 020 7375 3088 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 1 Market St E1 6AA 020 7426 0391 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 30 South Collonade E14 5EZ 0870 164 4037 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 5 Cullum St EC3 7JJ 020 7283 6750 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Wharf Cycles 21-23 Westferry Rd E14 8JH - - - 10 - -WALTHAM FOR Bike Shack 621 High Rd E10 6RF 0845 806 2373 cycleshoplondon.com - 10 - - Ditchfi elds 792-794 High Rd E10 6AE 020 8539 2821 ditchfi elds.co.uk 10 10 10 - Heales Cycles 477 Hale End Rd E4 9PT 020 8527 1592 www.healescycles.co.uk 5 10 10 -WANDSWORTH Cycleworx 20-30 Buckhold Rd SW18 4WW 07970 615 171 cycleworx.co.uk 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 167-173 Wandsworth High St SW18 4JB 020 8877 1878 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Evans Cycles 65-79 Clapham High St SW4 7TG 020 7720 4139 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Luciano Cycles 97-99 Battersea Rise SW11 1HW 020 7228 4279 lucianocycles.co.uk 5 10 10 - Psubliminal 17 Balham High Rd SW12 9AJ 020 8772 0707 psubliminal.co.uk - - - 5 Putney Cycles 337 Putney Bridge Rd SW15 2PG 020 8785 3147 putneycycles.com - 10 - - Siecle 789 Wandsworth Rd SW8 3JQ - - - 15 - - South Bank Cycles 194 Wandsworth Rd SW8 2JU 020 7622 3069 waltoncycles.co.uk - 5 - - Stratton Cycles 101 East Hill SW18 2QB 020 8874 1381 - - 10 - -WESTMINSTER Action Bikes Dacre House SW1H 0DJ 020 7799 2233 actionbikes.co.uk - 10 - - Cavendish Cycles 136 New Cavendish St W1W 6YD 020 7631 5060 cavendishcycles.wordpress.com - 10 10 - Cycle Surgery 400 Oxford St W1A 1AR 020 7318 2448 cyclesurgery.com 10 10 10 - Dial-A-Bike 30 Strutton Ground SWIP 2HR 0207 233 4224 dial-a-bike.com 5 10 10 - Evans Cycles 51-52 Rathbone Pl W1T 1JP 020 7580 4107 evanscycles.com 10 10 10 - Velorution 18 Great Titchfi eld St W1W 8BD 020 7637 4004 velorution.biz - 10 10 10KENT Sidcup Cycle Centre 142-146 Station Rd DA15 7AB 020 8300 8113 sidcupcycles.co.uk 0 10 0 0 Crayford Cycles 3 Empire Buildings DA1 4JJ - - 5 5 - -SURREY Corridori 203 Fir Tree Rd, Epsom KT17 3LB 01737 373 227 corridori.co.uk 10 10 - -ONLINE Evans Cycles online Internet bike/parts n/a 01293 574 900 evancycles.com 10 10 10 - Old Bicycle Trading Co Internet parts/servicing n/a 020 8306 0060 oldbiketrader.co.uk - - 10 -MOBILE Bikes R Us Mobile repair n/a 020 8882 8288 bikesruslondon.com - - - 10

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Interview

50

II tt ii

He's won Olympic gold medals and rowed across the Atlantic,

but James Cracknell's no slouch on a bike either

Do you remember your very first time on a bike? Can you tell us about it?I can’t remember how old I was the first time I got on a bike, but I do remember the first time I was allowed to go somewhere on my own and the real sense of freedom I felt. I ditched the stabilisers aged four. Both of my parents taught me to ride.What about your first bike? How old were you and who gave it to you?I’m struggling to remember, but I do remember when I got a racing bike. I’d been riding my normal bike pretending the brakes were drop handlebars — then I had to stop in a hurry and crashed. After that I was bought a racer. Result!What sort of bike do you ride these days?I’ve got a racing bike and a time trial bike, both by Boardman, and a mountain bike.Can you tell us more about your cycling nowadays? Where do you enjoy riding?When I’m just riding around I go to Richmond Park (this is a good training spot too), up and down the towpath along the Thames, or in the park with my family. For a longer ride, I'll head out to Box Hill.Where else in London do you enjoy cycling?

Down the Embankment is a great way to ride along the river, seeing the landmarks and the way it (the river) snakes through London.What’s the best thing about being a cyclist?You can travel a long way very easily, no traffic, no petrol, no parking.Do you consider yourself a good cyclist?Not too bad. I obey traffic lights as drivers will never respect or be patient with us if we disobey the rules while

expecting them to obey them.Any pet hates when it comes to cycling?Rain and a headwind!What’s your idea of a perfect day on two wheels?A mountain climb in the Alps.What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done?In a single day I rode about 300 miles during my challenge for Sport Relief earlier this year. I rode from Calais in France to Tarifa in Spain after rowing the Channel and before swimming to Africa. In total I covered 1,640 miles over 10 days —it was amazing.If you could ride off into the sunset on your bike, where would you ride to?Down through South America.You lend your name to Bike Week — why is this an important event for you?I believe it’s vital to get people — kids and adults — onto bikes, and for them to do so safely. There are so many benefits: health, environmental, no traffic, economical reasons. Bike Week encompasses these beliefs in to a great event, or number of events across the country. There are so many things going on, for all levels, that everyone can get involved. If you hadn’t been a rower, could you have imagined yourself as a competitive cyclist? In my dreams — I’m just not quick enough. I love cycling because it keeps me fit, but for short journeys it’s often also the quickest way to get from A to B, so it keeps my carbon footprint down to a minimum. I do calculate how many miles I’ve built up over the months though — I use the Sports Tracker on my Nokia phone.

“It's vital to get people on bikes, and for them to do so safely... it's why Bike Week's a great event”

James Cracknell OBEMINI INTERVIEW

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Documents

London Cyclist June-July 2009