If you support segregated cycling infrastructure in Hackney

It probably is much safer, but it's a damn sight less comfortable and laughable to suggest a group of under 10's should do it as a matter of course.

jv

@cyclelove good thread I agree about cycle lanes. You only have to visit somewhere with good cycling infrastructure to see what a difference it makes for making cycling inclusive with grannies going to do their shopping and kids going to school.

Cycle training is not any kind of alternative. I'd like to know if the usual line of its safer riding in the centre of the lane is a real evidence based policy or just someone's theory.

I'd like to see more work done in the north of the borough of Hackney, green lanes is pretty horrible to cycle on and it would benice to link Finsbury and Clissold parks for cyclists.>

"Cycle training is not any kind of alternative."

Have you ever bothered to do the course? If not, then you have no frame of reference. You're like child that wonders in halfway through a movie and....
Your comment is incredibly ignorant. Most of the children I work with are better riders by the end of the course than the overwhelming majority of adults I see on the commute into school. Most of the woes I see from said adults would be cured by doing the free course but sadly their egos will not allow them to do it. There's a weird mindset with cycling that makes people think they should already be able to do it and if they can't shame and embarrassment stops them from getting further help. [its as simple as riding a bike...]

I worked with two mothers with young children that were in a bit of a jam: They didn't drive and public transport wasn't amazing where they lived. They had bikes but found Jamaica Rd to be a problem. We did the course and they 'got it'. They understood their rights & responsibilities, how to best to use Rotherhithe roundabout, decision making of when the "magic paint" is of help to hinderance and in turn dealt with 2 notorious left hooks (st James' Rd/Abbey St junctions) and learned about the psychology of sharing the roads. They are now regular cyclists with their kids everywhere. Please do not write off the whole field before you have any kind of a clue about what it is about.

" I'd like to know if the usual line of its safer riding in the centre of the lane is a real evidence based policy or just someone's theory."

Maybe fat Dave from the pub made such a postulation....But it is a crude and inaccurate distillation of the principle of bikeability. Heres a scenario:

You're riding down a narrow residential street with parked cars. First thing is to stay out of the way of potential opening car doors. This may leave you in the middle of the road- by default- but you are simply staying out of the door zone.

You turn into a much wider road, again with parked cars. Again, you stay out of the way of opening car doors. However the road is wide enough for vehicles to overtake you safely. Who in their right mind would suggest belligerently sitting in the middle of the road? This is an important distinction to make. You only need to stay away from the car door opening zone to be safe but I've heard many use the lazy description you used.

The only time 'riding in the middle of the road' would/should be suggested would be roadworks narrowing the lane to strictly the width of one vehicle. Then you DO NOT want to invite a chancer to think they can squeeze by, likewise through traffic islands...All of the bikeability kids understand this. The majority of adults do not.

It strikes me that most grown ups want to be able to ride in a bubble where they do not have to think or interact with fellow road users, where they can listen to tunes, read sms and tweet on the move rather than understand the dynamic nature of our roads. If you really want to tackle to low uptake you need to understand most of what hold folks back is psychological and is based on hearsay, media sensationalist headlines and precious little facts. More end up in A&E from gardening mishaps...yet no ban on secateurs. I imagine fashion is a large part of it. Funny hats and neon yellow. More people seen riding in their everyday garms would help. Better media portrayal i.e. people like Erin O'conner regularly pictured on her bike (not just the Tweed run). Alongside this for Boris to publicly push the bikeability courses.