The Guardian's bike blog

couple of stats in here worth telling people insisting on learning to sit in traffic queues rather than biking

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/aug/06/cycling-lessons-driving-licence

It's a logical thing to do and I am surprised it hasn't been done yet, it would be so easy and of no cost to the government or DVLA as the learner driver would have to fund it. The only thing is that drivers would then say people that don't drive can still ride on the roads without any form of training.

Peter Walker doing a piece comparing and contrasting Vulpine with Levi's, you can pretty much figure out what side of the fence he's going to come down on, but what I find eye opening are the pretty virulent and reactionary comments, and the bile and scorn thrown upon the fixie skidder or anyone wearing lycra, it seems that the old japanese proverb of "the nail that sticks out, is hammered down" is alive and well and telling you what you should do in the UK..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/sep/19/levis-vulpine-best-everyday-bike-wear

^ I got as far as 1.45pm on the comments, my eyes are bleeding. There's lots of helmet compulsion stuff.

Peter Walker doing a piece comparing and contrasting Vulpine with Levi's, you can pretty much figure out what side of the fence he's going to come down on, but what I find eye opening are the pretty virulent and reactionary comments, and the bile and scorn thrown upon the fixie skidder or anyone wearing lycra, it seems that the old japanese proverb of "the nail that sticks out, is hammered down" is alive and well and telling you what you should do in the UK..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/sep/19/levis-vulpine-best-everyday-bike-wear

commenters are asking to be trolled. something on the lines that they aren't target market and this is aimed at people who can afford this stuff, like bankers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/oct/04/boris-johnson-cycling-accident-statistics-wrong

This is ostensibly a story about cycling in London but the message is relevant to all, so bear with me. The lesson is this: for all the talk of a cycling boom in the UK, cyclists largely remain a marginalised, fringe group who regularly face unchallenged slurs, falsehoods and generalisations.
It all began in May when London's mayor, Boris Johnson, one of the more famous cyclists in the country, produced the startling statistic that in 62% of accidents in the capital where a cyclist was killed or serious injured this was found to be down to the rider breaking the law. It was questioned by cycling groups and it turned out Johnson was repeating some hearsay he'd been told at a public meeting

Read that yesterday, I'm much more interested in the psychologist? who talks about cyclists being an outgroup, and how there is some other thing going on, which makes the level of dislike, antipathy, towards cyclists so much more acceptable than for other outgroups...

Read his interview which is linked to, makes some very pertinent points..

I like the comment by DEDEDE regarding being a vegetarian:

"I'm a vegetarian too, and I've often seen similarities to how vegetarians and cyclists are viewed and treated, so this is interesting to me. The biggest difference is people often can't tell you're a vegetarian, but once they know, you're fair game."

So true.

Read that yesterday, I'm much more interested in the psychologist? who talks about cyclists being an outgroup, and how there is some other thing going on, which makes the level of dislike, antipathy, towards cyclists so much more acceptable than for other outgroups...

Read his interview which is linked to, makes some very pertinent points..

Vulnerable road users

Without a bile-filled comments section!

Stuck it up on here a week ago to no comment :(

But, throwing a bike into the face of your antagonist is more effective than throwing a carrot.

True, but if he turns round the carrot then has the advantage.

True, you can just leave it there and see who is gonna be the first to sit on it.

Can I have the carrot?

^ Not with your vegetable track record, no.

Stuck it up on here a week ago to no comment :(

That was a good read - ta. Missed that the first time around.

Can I have the carrot?

I heard rumours that carrots are the favourite food of horrid centrists with sight problems who love to sell their ass hole to the fascist pigs. Rumours say that they do this hoping to get power, but I don't believe much to this, I reckon they do dat only because they are jealous blinded watching the happiness of people living in the south, and also afraid, they born like that.

So, I dunno, I guess you can have it, but there are people queuing before you, since the age of mammals… I just realised now… rumours.

I like the comment by DEDEDE regarding being a vegetarian:

"I'm a vegetarian too, and I've often seen similarities to how vegetarians and cyclists are viewed and treated, so this is interesting to me. The biggest difference is people often can't tell you're a vegetarian, but once they know, you're fair game."

So true.
Maybe if vegetarians stopped jumping so many red lights...

I heard rumours that carrots are the favourite food of horrid centrists with sight problems who love to sell their ass hole to the fascist pigs. Rumours say that they do this hoping to get power, but I don't believe much to this, I reckon they do dat only because they are jealous blinded watching the happiness of people living in the south, and also afraid, they born like that.

So, I dunno, I guess you can have it, but there are people queuing before you, since the age of mammals… I just realised now… rumours.

You write like a terrible William S. Burroughs

Oh well, if I or anyone else need it, I can servility apologise.

bump

Not from the blog but quite interesting about a speed awareness course

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/dec/14/drivers-moral-progress-cyclists-speed-awareness

Related to this was the extraordinary lack of remorse or even interest shown by some of the participants. I was sitting next to a man who ran a minicab company and consistently guessed that the speed limits on various classes of roads were anything up to 20mph lower than they actually are. This did not mean that he drove at 20mph below the limit, only that he assumed that he was speeding all the time and everywhere.

One woman arrived late and claimed to have been busted for doing 42mph in a 40 limit. The teacher expressed polite incredulity. She rummaged in her handbag and discovered from the summons papers that it had in fact been 58mph. The discovery didn't seem to embarrass her in the slightest: perhaps 42 was her safe answer to all numerical questions, but I doubt this. She acted as if speeding and lying about it were perfectly normal and socially acceptable.

The only time there was an outbreak of moral outrage was when one of our number confessed that he sometimes rode a bicycle. Cyclists, we rapidly learned, were vile, dangerous outlaws who shot red lights, paid no tax, rode on the pavement and behaved with utter disregard for the safety of anyone else on the road.

While this noise was going on, I had a small epiphany. The cyclists were hated because they are cheats. They are getting away with something that car drivers cannot. Especially in London traffic, the cyclist appears as a figure high above all laws and duns. The motorist is born free, but everywhere he is in queues. The courier burning through a red light, even the quiet law-abiding cyclist like me who only rides very slowly through red lights, demonstrates the freedom that car drivers have traded for comfort.

The resentment of cheats is an interesting emotion. According to evolutionary accounts of morality envy and "spiteful punishment" are absolutely necessary emotions if our more selfless and co-operative instincts are to flourish. The problem of defectors and free riders (and who could ride more freely than a cyclist in London traffic?) is central to game theory. Co-operative strategies can only flourish, and co-operative instincts spread through evolution, so long as no one cheats and gains the benefits of co-operation without the costs.

Not from the blog but quite interesting about a speed awareness course

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/dec/14/drivers-moral-progress-cyclists-speed-awareness

From the article:

'I spent Monday morning at a speed awareness course, whither I had been dispatched for failing to notice a speed camera on the other side of a dual carriageway. It was an interesting opportunity for the examination of the emotional mechanisms underlying moral conduct.'

The offence was not failing to notice the camera, it was actually driving too fast.

Aside from that it is an interesting article.

That bit and how exactly is it supposed to work to be a 'quiet law-abiding cyclist like me who only rides very slowly through red lights'?

"Ok, I did rob that bank, but I did it very slowly!"

*"who could ride more freely than a cyclist in London traffic?"

*Is that supposed to be ironic - sometimes I can't understand the implied tone of text. If it's a serious comment, what the fuck are they talking about? Are they saying cycling in London traffic is the most unrestrained riding you can do, or are they using the verb 'ride' to refer to motorcycles as well, or are they using it to mean 'ride/drive'? I don't get it. Sounds wrong whatever.

*"who could ride more freely than a cyclist in London traffic?"

*Is that supposed to be ironic - sometimes I can't understand the implied tone of text. If it's a serious comment, what the fuck are they talking about? Are they saying cycling in London traffic is the most unrestrained riding you can do, or are they using the verb 'ride' to refer to motorcycles as well, or are they using it to mean 'ride/drive'? I don't get it. Sounds wrong whatever.

They've probably never experienced the unbridled joy of riding around the countryside, where you can please the inner anarchist inside you by imagining lots of traffic lights and sailing through them scot-free.