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There is no need to restrict motor vehicle access that much, but motor vehicle permeability. There is still plenty of access needed, e.g. for deliveries. In fact, it is good if access is maintained but pointless local journeys are strongly discouraged by careful management of permeability.

Thank you Oliver for that concise definition of exactly what i meant... :-) You are, as ever, the voice of reason.

So it's a coincidence that you all sound rabidly anti-motorist then?

Or is that the natural position of any right thinking cyclist?

"Cyclist" and "Motorist" are both meaningless terms. Personally, I am not anti-motorist as this would involve a good degree of self loathing. Without reciting my life story, suffice to say that I have a great deal of experience with "motors" of many sorts and own a big fat family car which I enjoy hauling my big fat family around in from time to time.

I am "Pro Londoner" though... That's why I am revolted by the way we have transformed the built environment to favour motorised transport. It could all be so much better. Working to improve our enviroment doesn't imply being anti anything.

Yes yes, but we still have a rather "Moral Majority" gestalt opinion do we not?

Whilst we may argue about bar tape colour and shun people for mixing Shimano and Campag we tend to agree on things like "a blanket 20mph speed limit is good" without actually giving it any thought.

Knee jerk response, as we see it as punishing the car whilst not affecting us- a real case of I'm alright Jack and sod the others.

I'm a little shocked... Damit homework fail.

A great deal of though has been expended on this topic. As far as I am aware the average speed of a car in London is well below 20mph. I am told that this is mainly due to to sheer volume of traffic and the effect of drivers speeding between delays. Rushing to the next tailback is part of the problem as it just grows the tailback faster then it can be relieved. Restricting speed actually will decrease journey times, madly enough, as it would smooth flow. Hitting 40 mph between stationary delays is the current status quo.

A 20mph limit would be far from being "I'm alright Jack and sod the others"... quite the opposite in fact.

There is a major issue of air quality associated with speeding too... a bugbear of mine.

How would you fit workable cycle lanes in Soho, for example?

You don't... You do what they do in ancient city centers all over the world. Massivly restrict motor vehicle access on some roads and instantly create a usable network.

In preparation for the esteemed Tweed Run, I am trying to locate a pair of long socks to complement the splendid Harris Tweed plus fours that I now am proud to call my own. Can anyone point me toward a supplier who can accomodate with a pair of Argyle/Pringle patterned knee length socks. I have scoured golf shops and a number of "Scottish" outlets but to no avail. Sadly I cannot afford the fine offerings from Rapha.

This is great. Don't miss out on a rare chance to sit in front of cabbies shepherding 500 cyclists past them. Excellent test of your charm and tact. Fun too!

Very true! I'v marshalled several big London rides and it really is good fun. I would be there in a shot if I wasn't on the ride itself

You can share something you don't own, like my colleagues sweeties that she's left in her draw.

Well, at least that isn't being a pussy.....

Trainee: This bike is hurting my private part
Instructor: Ok, I'll drop the saddle nose a bit.
5 mins later
Trainee: It's still hurting my private part
Instructor: Ok, I'll drop the saddle a bit too
5 mins later
Trainee: No, it still really hurts
Instructor: I'm not sure what else I can do for you
Trainee: Nothing, I got circumcised the other day...

There is a nice rail of plus fours at around £35 in the vintage shop downstairs at Stables Market in Camden.... Jackets at £40 odd. If that helps anyone?

I hope all you car-haters can overcome the joy of seeing pick-ups get trashed, to appreciate the connection to cyclist positioning.

This make me think about cycle lanes and junctions. If the numptys don't care that a MASSIVE tram is comming, what hope of them not turning infront of a cyclist.

But seriously,

Telling people what not to do or what not to be, doesn't tell them what they should be doing. "Don't be a dick" almost implies that one is a dick already. "Take the lane you pussy!", is probably a bit wrong too... ;-)

You need a positive call to action for your pithy phrase. I tell trainees that they need to be respected and that the best way to get respect from the world is to give some out. If you are treating others well it's reasonable to demand good behavior too, that's a form of self respect. Aknowledgement(?) of others demands that they do the same for you I think.

So how about something like, "Give respect, expect respect". That feels akward verbally but the idea is there.

Going back to bed now....

Don't be a dansky, don't be a schick.

Oh dear...

Long-established forum method is to put up made-up links and wait for people to click on them.

Why not make a project about great examples of people on bikes and people in cars getting along?

I think that's probably done a lot more rarely.

Well i'v been had then....

as to people on bikes and people in cars getting along, that is the short film I am working on right now. ;-)

might register that address actually. unless you want it for your "art"* project.

No that one is all yours... enjoy

www.anyoneontwowheelsisacunt.com

That's more like it... Link is dead tho.

Sounds a bit poncey. think I'll give it a miss

It's gonna be extremely poncey... what would the point be otherwise?

I already have all the normal stuff.. Daily mail etc. had hoped for something less obvious.

An appeal for assistance:

I'm putting together an "art" project and need examples of online abuse of cyclists. These could come from blog posts, comments or forums. Here's a mild example from my "archive":

"Sharon says stop generalising but I'm not generalising I am being very specific when I say I REALLY HATE CYCLISTS AND I WISH THEY WOULD ALL GO AWAY!!! They only get away with what they do cos they can ride off quick. If you bhaved like a lot of them do on foot or in stuck traffic you would get punch ups and road rage and that's a fact.

- D Woodstock, London, 18/02/2009 16:02"

I have a fair few already but would welcome any gems you lovely people may come across in your travels. The more mental/offensive the better. To be of use to me they MUST be from web forums/blogs that are in the public domain and signed by their authors in a real name. Please post the link to the site rather then just the text as I need the reference too.

I will use these to produce an installation later this year which I will flag up on this thread when it is ready. The theme is bigotry and I would love to invite you all.

Yours in gratitude,

L

Doing a 121 with a secondary school student near Old St. The trainee was 14 and rides from Angel daily. As we got to Old St. roundabout the lights were just going red. I'm like, "OK, check behind and stop in the center of the lane". This young gun decides he can't be bothered to wait and just blatently jumps the light. There's traffic moving on the roundabout and I'm not happy to just let him go it alone, so I hair off after him in my bright orange "Cycle Training" tabard. To all the world it must have looked like I was showing him how to jump red lights.... sigh. Disaproving looks from a Taxi etc. A stern word was had once I got him to the curb. Turns out he always jumps the lights there as he finds it safer/easier than the standing start with the rest of the traffic. I held the party line but he did have a point.

TFL *will *be pleased....

Does this neatly sumise the Pussy/Cock dialectic? I'm so relieved.

I have no idea what almost all of this post means.

Fo' shizzle! But don't worry, you'll get over it. ;-)

Spread the love ... seems to have touched a chord.

YouTube - Roberta Flack / Donny Hathaway - Where Is The Love - 1972

dancing in my socks

YouTube - Dawg E Slaughter - Spread the Love - Trinidad Soca Music

TfL's actions here are to be applauded in that they are not trying to impose anything but to get relevant bodies in London round a table to come up with recommendations

Ok fair enough... Like I said, the coffee was strong.

There are clearly some progressive voices somewhere within tfl. However they are not the only voices and as an organisation they have built some really bad stuff as you point out. I'm sure you have seen the proposal for Blackfriars? Shockingly poor for cycling and totally at odds with what we teach. Don't get me started on what they are doing to Henley's Corner..... Also, since Boris fried the LIP process, they no longer have any say in what the bouroughs build or don't build or what standard to use. TFL runs the TLRN(?) roads and er... that's it. There is no one that I am aware of, who could set a cycling policy for London even if there was the will to do it.

I can think of only two positions to show a cyclist in publications. Middle of the lane or to the left. There is only one choise as the left option is tantamount to encouraging dangerous riding. Interestingly, the road is absent from most (all?) of the "Catch up with the Bike" imagery. So they kind of dodged this issue.

The pithy phrase needs to be aplicable to all road users. No one should be behaving like a cock/pussy. Sometime it drives me nuts when a driver hangs off my tail and hasn't got the guts/skills to pass me cleanly when they can.

We ALL need to be considerate to each other. So how about, "Spread the love"?