Cycling Entering The Mainstream...

...at least in London. The front cover of today's Evening Standard is an editorial piece launching a "New Campaign For Safer Cycling". They want:

1 A real cycle network across London
2. Better cycle lanes with proper segregation
3. Enforcement of special advanced stop lines for cyclists
4. HGVs to be fitted with special cyclist safety mirrors
5. Compulsory cyclist awareness training for all bus drivers and new HGV
drivers
6. Cycle-friendly streets: fewer one-way systems which funnel cyclists
into the middle of traffic
7. More cycle parking across London
8. A police crack down on cycle theft
9. Make safe the Thames bridges: some of the most dangerous places for
cyclists
10. Campaign to alert the self-employed that they can claim a 20p a mile
cycling allowance against tax
11. Better cycle-bus-rail coordination: adequate parking at all railway
stations
12. Cycle training for all schoolchildren and any adult who wants it.

All pretty reasonable, I'd say. Most interesting it shows how much cycling has now entered the mainstream, in London at least, and is no longer solely regarded the preserve of right-on-lefty-types (and I speak as a right-on-lefty-type :-)

Interesting/Alarming Article

Today's Time has an article on a bit of research that shows that (apparently) more women are being killed on the roads by lorries turning left, because they are more likely to obey red lights.

My own way to avoid this (without jumping the red), is to *never* have a vehicle alongside you at a junction; lorry, bus or car. Either stop behind the vehicle at the front of the queue, or nudge out in front where the vehicle can see you (if safe to do so, and you're not peeing off the pedestrians crossing the road). Drivers seem spend their lives suddenly deciding to turn left at junctions, so you don't want to get in the way.

Recumbents

I have to admit, I've always wanted to try out a recumbent (one of those bikes you lie down on, rather than sit up on), to see what they're like and see if you really can go a million miles-an-hour on them. The only problem is that I don't know anyone with one.

However this morning I found London Recumbents, a bike hire place in Dulwich Park who hire them out. They also hire "normal" bikes and provide traffic-free park-area to practice on, which I imagine is great for those who are thinking of buying a bike, but haven't ridden one since they were 13.

I'll report once I've given one a try.

Chopper

I saw this bike in Soho Square today. Whereas my Specialized hybrid is a respectable, non-smoking, middle of the road type bike, this bike has a cigarette stuck to it's lip, drinks, gets tattoos and has a rockabilly haircut.