'Space for cycling' protest ride 2nd September

and.... who gives a flying fuck if i was a scared, un-confident cyclist? that's kind of the point why we need support for all the others like "me"......

This.
For London to be a cycling city, cycling has to be a realistic proposition for people who haven't got a clue how to ride fast in traffic, confidently and assertively, or who just don't want to. You can't train everyone, but you can provide motor vehicle-free routes for them.

......and the ride is today.... it would be amazing, whatever your views, to show support. Cycling needs to be recogonised as an integral mode of transport in London. Cycle infrastructure should be a major concern when building and designing roads....more bikes, less cars.....

what would be amazing about showing support for something i don't believe in. would you encourage me to go to EDL marches too?

yes, that's exactly what i would encourage you to do. go on an EDL march James. do it.

I'm unsure on the merits of cycle lanes vs riding with traffic, and so on. I doubt LCC can change all that much. But it is a legit organization with the ear of officialdom, so I'll be riding tonight.

LCC is what it is. It has a positive impact on riding in London. So on balance I'll take that even though I'm largely ignorant of the policy details and campaign stuff.

All the talk of cycle training supposes that a safe journey is always down to the skills of the rider, without taking into account fuckwit actions of oblivious drivers. It's all very well for the more experienced riders to have their training, but unless it's built into the National Curriculum, you're not gonna get an overnight population of competent cyclists.

At least give the novices somewhere safer to learn their skillz.

The problem with dedicated cycle lanes or spaces it that they're unlikely to cover someone's entire journey. It ends up with cyclists mixing it on the roads with even less experience of riding in traffic, or with people riding on pavements.

I'd love a utopia where a cities traffic was re-designed around supporting the most vulnerable user. Peds->Cyclists->Cars->Lorries etc.

However that's not going to happen in either the immediate or distant future. Skydancer has it about right for what a realistic solution could be,

My god sky dancer talks some sense on here. Repped. Multiple times if I could.

and.... who gives a flying fuck if i was a scared, un-confident cyclist? that's kind of the point why we need support for all the others like "me"......

Some help from my dude in learning to negotiate traffic, what not to do, and some additional training by Wiggan Will and I am now a much more confident cyclist. I am slower, more aware, more able to ask for the space I deserve. I was you, now I am me. You might be a more confident you, too, with a little additional help in the form of some cycle training, as people have suggested.

And training should be available/required for everyone, cyclist and driver alike. We were required to do cycle training as kids in Florida in the 80s. Granted, it never got updated, and granted I wouldn't ride in Florida as the speeds are too great. But here in London we could possibly have some better cycling if speeds were actually enforced. Who gives a flip if everywhere is 20 mph when there's no enforcement?

All the talk of cycle training supposes that a safe journey is always down to the skills of the rider, without taking into account fuckwit actions of oblivious drivers. It's all very well for the more experienced riders to have their training, but unless it's built into the National Curriculum, you're not gonna get an overnight population of competent cyclists.

At least give the novices somewhere safer to learn their skillz.

Again, better infrastructure (and I don't like the idea of segregated cycle lanes as a) maybe sticking me behind slow, unpredictable, untrained cylists or b) making drivers feel that cyclists are required to use them and therefor even more angered by cyclists they encounter in "their" lanes), required training for all parties and proper enforcement of speed limits and current road laws. For example, the HGV driver on his mobile who quite obviously didn't see me. Why is he allowed to be driving?

I'll be there.

Just got back from 2 weeks touring in Holland and I'm amazed. The Dutch do it so right both in terms of segregated bike lanes and shared space.

I'll be riding home as usual - creating my own space for cycling as I go.

cue fat jokes

Sounds reasonable^
Tried that too. Worked a treat

Anyone off to south beers now?

I was in Brighton the other week and noticed they had those bus lanes that went round the back of the bus stops. Worked fine but it was pissing down with rain so the number of pedestrians was pretty minimal. I can imagine plenty of people getting hit whilst running for a bus.

Worse is the new cycle lane on Royal College St heading up towards Camden Road. So far as I could work out when riding it there is the bus stop on the pavement on the left, the cycle lane in the middle and the bus stand on the right on the road. There were no markings on the cycle lane to suggest that pedestrians may be crossing.

It's pretty new so it may have changed but that was the case a week or two ago.

that stratford bus stop bypass thing is crazy. also saw in person the ridiculous bethnal green road off-road cycle path, which thankfully everyone seems to be ignoring completely.

New bike lane Bethnal Green Road - YouTube

Someone got paid to design and build that load of old squit.

i like the lampost right in the middle of it lol

Luckily cycle paths are the solution to the problem, rather than simply riding on the road.

Ha! I am not fast at all, as anyone who rides with me will attest

I do! It was a bit of a climb though, and not a race ;)

Estimated 5000 last night! Woop!

Estimated 5000 last night! Woop!

Chris Boardman too!

Posted pictures from the ride here

what amazing turn out. hopefully it will highlight that we deserve an safe reliable cycle infrastructure.....

And more action on lorries please.

New bike lane Bethnal Green Road - YouTube

Someone got paid to design and build that load of old squit.

This is funnier than any of the YouTube videos that get on funny-videos-on the-Internet tv programmes. Hilarious bit of urban design.

I'll be riding home as usual - creating my own gravitational anomaly as I go.

cue fat jokes

happy to oblige