Cyclenation statement

Cyclenation, of which I am Secretary, is the federation of cycle campaign groups in the UK. We have issued a statement regarding some disparaging comments that have been posted about ourselves and our groups on the "Crap Cycling in Waltham Forest" blog. The person who writes this decided in 2010 that segregated cycle lanes were the way forward (they may well be in Waltham Forest  which is certainly an appalling place to cycle in my experience) and has launched a number of attacks via the blog on organisations that he considers promote "vehicular" (i.e. on-road) cycling. In doing so he has made a number of misrepresentations of cyclenation, our groups and the CTC.

Here are his comments on the Portsmouth conference:- 

The conference, hosted by the Portsmouth Cycle Forum and organised in conjunction with CTC, is a chance to learn the secrets of successful cycle campaigning and meet other people who are passionate about creating a cycling culture in the UK.

Successful cycle campaigning? Er, exactly where, precisely? In the sphere of transport Britain is a barbaric and backward car-sick nation. I don’t know of a single town or city in the UK which can be called cycling or walking-friendly (and if you think York or Cambridge are, that exposes the poverty of your ambition; the majority of people in those cities don’t cycle, for good reasons).
Cycling infrastructure in Britain is a sick joke, cycle parking provision is laughable, and the CTC is an ineffectual organisation which declines to face the failure which stares it in the face.

And on Edinburgh:-

Unfortunately not a single U.K. cycling organisation displays any understanding of how the Dutch reversed their car-sickness. If you look at the digest of what was said by Britain’s leading cycle campaign groups at the recent Cyclenation conference in Edinburgh, you will see that for them it remains business as usual – rosy optimism about the future, enthusiasm for initiatives such asPoster with message to drivers – ''give me space", and an institutionalised failure to acknowledge the importance of campaigning for the one piece of infrastructure which will begin to bring about a serious, substantial modal shift across the towns and cities of Britain: bike grids designed according to the Dutch template.

The author of this blog hasn't enabled comments, so there is no direct way to challenge the statements he make..

That's why we felt it necessary to issue the statement that you can find at http://bit.ly/hVnLeZ

We welcome a free and open debate about the best solutions to get more people cycling, more safely, more often in the UK but we do take exception when people disparage the good work our campaign groups are doing, without apparently making any contribution to campaigning other than writing a blog and without giving the organisations he is writing about a right to reply. 

Bike-rail to Norfolk

Was invited to Norfolk for the weekend, so thought I'd try a different way of getting there  - train to Boston in Lincs, then a bike ride over the fens. Was a bit trepitatious as the snow warnings had been issued, but nevertheless packed all my warmest clothes and set off on the 0805 to Nottingham, a clear but very cold morning. Due to carefully co-ordinated trains had about an hour to wait in Nottingham, enough time to buy some supplies and visit the bike shop. Then the Skegness train, with some rowdy student passengers - people getting drunk at 10 in the morning, still I suppose they were getting ready for the weekend. The train meandered down to Boston  - noticed that the bike route signs still hadn't been fixed from the last time I was there, must tell Sustrans. If you take the wrong road you're on the wrong side of the river and there isn't another bridge until you get to the Humber, so be warned!

Got on to NCN1 soon enough and headed into the flatlands. I was grateful that Vernon had had some TLC and was running smoothly. Made it to Fossdyke bridge soon enough and able to use the cycle track to avoid busy bits of the A47. Wound into Holbeach, picked up some lip balm, and carried on on via Sutton Bridge (had lunch here  - thanksgiving chicken, sorry to notice that the hotel has closed, but there are plans for a new marina here so hopefully it will revive.)   To Kings Lynn, making reasonable time but getting a bit worried about how far I could get before it got dark & the snow arrived. Feet were cold, despite thick socks and rubber overshoes. Having got lost in Lynn a couple of times before I now know how to find the Sandringham railway path - follow the ridiculous one way system to the Station  , head for the park and run parallel to the railway, use the level crossing and there it is. That's a great, straight, traffic-free route up to North Lynn & Castle Rising. Next is the Queen's estate at Sandringham with a gorgeous sunset over the Wash and the route follows the coast a mile or two inland, but I veered off it a bit. Saw a strange sight - passed a garden that was covered in snow, although the surrounding fields were bare. Soon there was snow on the side of the road, but none on the road or in the air.

Had a call from my friends who were driving, though,  that there was snow ahead, and by now it was dark, so at Docking I had to decide what to do. A local farmer saw me consulting the map and advised me to head for Fakenham, and then to Sheringham "but you won't make it." and ended with the cheery note "why don't you go back to where you came from"  I responded that Sheffield was quite a long way!"

Took his advice though, and took to the main road for the 10 miles to Fakenham in the dark. A gritting  lorry pulled out in front of me, and soon there was a queue of vehicles behind it. At first I could overtake some of them, but there was black ice on the road and I was starting to slip, so there was nothing for it but to walk in the slush the last couple of miles into the town. I had called my friends and didn't have to wait too long for a ride the rest of the way. I mangled the brake blocks though, dismantling the bike to get it into the car, so thaat needed sorting out - fortunately the car spares shop in Sheringham also sell bike bits.

After a very pleasant day spent touring North Norfolk on the Saturday, cycled through a snowy Norfolk into Norwich  on the Sunday for the train home -



The minor roads were passable though and even the Marriotts Way was usuable:-



Norwich had trashed Ispwich 4-1 so everyone in the Town Centre was in a good mood. There was time for a pint before the 1757 to Nottingham, and time for another one in the Cross Keys before the train back to Sheffield. The gear cable failed on Ecclesall Rd, so I had to push the damn thing up to Greystones Heights! 

Verdict - this is a viable way to get to West Norfolk in a day, but you need to start early and getting into the heart of Norfolk is ambitious.

Route at http://gb.mapometer.com/en/cycling/route_930201.html

Cards anyone?

This is how many tickets it take to get one-self and a bike to Edinburgh and back. Stick or twist? 

Doncaster ridearound

Had a ride-around on the B. of the Doncaster area on Sunday. Trains to London were taking three hours from Sheffield, while from Donnie it was the usual 1:45, so it made sense to run the brother-in-law, visiting from Jakarta, over rather than subject him to the usual Midland Painline.

Doncaster has more than its fair share of Crap Cycle Lanes - here's one:-



Finlandia Travel is a company I won't be booking my trip with.

However, I wanted to go over the viaduct at Conisbrough that is now open, so I headed for the Don Gorge, stopping at the Boat Inn, Sprotborough, open again after having been flooded out in the Great Floods a couple of years back and doing good business.



First view of the viaduct



Pretty stunning views from the viaduct.








The bike route continues and comes out at Warmsworth Halt



View Larger Map

The access barriers consist of these boulders placed across the path, but wide enough to allow trailers etc. through




Nearby off-road motorbikers in the quarries were annoying, but there none on the trail itself.

I continued back up the TPT, following the Doncaster Greenway, coming out in Bentley and then mostly taking to the Lanes until I reached the New Junction Canal at Braithwaite:-



Gliding along the canal  - I was doing the same on the trail

Headed back to town via Barby Dun to a great sunset.




Getting back to Donnie, however,  the crapness of the cycle provision on the main road was apparent. On one road there was a bus lane in the middle of a three-lane road that cyclists could use - what were you supposed to do when a bus came along though, veer off into the fast lane? Then when the lane ended you were stranded on the outside lane of the approach to a massive roundabout system. I also found myself going over Donnie's new high-level road bridge  - spectacular but not the safest thing I have ever done! When off the TPT, signage and continuous provision for cyclists was sadly lacking. Still, it was a great ride, and pleasantly flat for a Sheffielder.

Resilient Places

This report by Demos is worth a read - http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Resilient_places_-_web.pdf

Crap Cycle signs - Cheltenham

This was spotted when cycling around Cheltenham the other day:

I expect the residents of this house were quite surprised  to find that a cycle route ran up their
drive and through their front door! The signage for the route towards Gloucester from the Station was pretty poor, and the route itself isn't much cop either - the Honeybourne Trail, by contrast, is excellent. No doubt Cheltenham Cycle Campaign will want to address this.

Smog!

It being a beautiful morning, and having got up a little earlier than usual, thought I would go for a quick bike ride up Ringinglow Rd before heading for work. boy what a mistake! My first encounter was with the bus that had just powered its way to Greystones Rd, radiating heat and fumes while waiting for the stream of cars to clear from High Storrs Rd. Then there was the traffic jam around Bents Green as kids got delivered to school, and plenty of folk willing to roar off up Ringinglow Rd. Respite came as I turned off ito Whiteley woods, using the bridleway to get to Forge Dam, then up the other side of the valley and back into Bus Smog! The route back in was pretty clear but by the time I got to work I felt like I'd smoked 20 Park Drives. A lovely morning ruined!

Cramp!

First evening ride of the year, and I wake up with a howling pain in my leg at 5 a.m.  - you know the one. Mental note  - drink more water, eat some salty crisps and drink a bit less beer next time!

Birmingham pt II

Got the following response from Graham of Birmingham Push Bikes from my post about cycling in Birmingham:-

Seems you were predominantly following or trying to follow NCN5.  The Birmingham Cycling and Walking Map shows all the 'formal' cycle routes, plus roads 'favoured' by cyclists, canal access points, Rights of Way that permit cycling, et all. There were copies in FoE on Saturday. NCN5  and other NCN routes ARE signed on site but the signs are not always obvious - might be just a 'sticker' wrapped around a lamp column, or gone missing, or hidden by tree growth. Sustrans does have Rangers who look out for such things.

There is indeed "a lot of traffic" here but I am surprised that you saw "no cyclists". Birmingham is a big, busy city and some people have to travel great distances into or around the city at all sorts of times and the overwhelming majority of these journeys are (some would argue have to be) by car. There are rail services but public transport is largely served by the bus and we have no extensive Metro system. Yes, Birmingham does have the lowest percentage of journeys made by bicycle (less than 1%) and it is, historically, 'car city', yet those of us who see the city every day know that there are more cyclists.  A few years ago I could travel for a day or more and never see a cyclist; now I see a cyclist every few minutes, usually. There are numerous cyclists in and around Moseley and 20% of Push Bikes' membership lives there!

"A distinct lack of cycling infrastructure".  Depends where you are cycling. Several traffic light junctions now have ASLs but Bham is a big city with many thousands of traffic lights. I understand that the city council's policy is to provide ASLs at all new traffic light installations and there is evidence that is being done.  Here in Birmingham it takes a long time to change an infrastructure but could only take a few days (I reckon) to train a cyclist to ride with what is already there......

Potholes. There is a direct telephone line to the council for reporting any dangerous pothole. Once reported, the council is obliged to repair it within a tight timescale. The phone number is on the Cycling Map.

"Peering down side roads I thought I might spot the odd 20mph zone but none were to be seen".  There are a few 20 limited roads but none on the routes I use.  From an entirely personal viewpoint that doesn't 'bother' me at all.  Here, 20mph roads are usually engineered by speed humps across the full width of the road, un-bypassed chicanes and pinch points etc. which make MY cycle journey slower and more difficult! In any event, of all my many years of cycling in Birmingham I have never had any issue from the speed of a vehicle - impatience and poor observation maybe, but never speed of itself. I  am usually held up by cars travelling slowly!  Currently I understand that the council has no plans for city-wide 20 limits, although there are localised campaigns in some areas, eg. Moseley.

"Adventurous shared space sections, when you get to the Central Library things become somewhat confusing". Although there are no formal signs, the area Centenary Square, Victoria Square is by 'common accepted practice' 'shared' by cyclists and pedestrians and there are certainly no 'No Cycling' signs! Each should travel with observation and caution.  The Central Library is to be moved to Centenary Square so building works and diversions are now present.

Of course I live here so I do not regard on-road cycling as 'crap' - yes,  there are fewer 'cycling facilities' than some towns have but as an experienced cyclist I ride with attention to positioning and observation, and that is the advice I pass on to anyone who wishes to cycle.  Push Bikes holds annual meetings where cyclists are invited to 'shout at' the council and we make notes of their issues on large maps. These notes are passed to the Cycling Officer for action or replies. Push Bikes also meets the council at the quarterly Cycling Advisory Group. 

I am surprised that you make no mention of cycle lanes ie the lack of them. There are several stretches of lane in the city, and "more cycle lanes" is the most frequent call at the meetings just mentioned. But it was also acknowledged that there would never be a cycle lane along every road and that, in the words of the city's Cycling Officer, "there was no substitute for competent cycling" and I agree with that. Infrastructure changes take many months, usually years but if more adults took National Standard training and were made more aware of positioning etc we could increase the number of cyclists in a few weeks! Training is available and offered to the less-experienced cyclist but the take-up is very low indeed.

Musings about Sustrans

There is still some antipathy towards Sustrans from other major organizations in the world of cycling. A lot of this seems to be aimed towards John Grimshaw, who is one of those charismatic characters that you either love or loath. John stood down as Chief Engineer (or whatever it was he called himself) around two years ago but his legacy seems to live on. The CEO of Sustrans is now a rather unassuming chap called Malcolm.

Talking to people who currently work for Sustrans, there seems to be two camps forming in the organisation – the engineers who want to continue building cycle routes and the newer people who favour ‘soft’ measures – training, and interventions in schools and with women and the like. Further controversy was caused when BikeBelles, a subsidiary organisation specifically targeted at women, organised a petition calling for more off-road cycle routes as a way to get more women cycling. When challenged on this Sustrans pointed out that this was what women they had surveyed said- not ‘the usual suspects’, but via the WI and the like  - and that they were responding to this. Other groups believe that it is driver behaviour that needs to be tackled if we are to get more people cycling. Nevertheless, I am left with a feeling that there is a fair amount of sexism and patronising behaviour around cycle campaigning.

However, talking to other people about Sustrans is a bit like talking to Londoners about the Mayor. If you ask them what they think about Boris they have to preface what they are going to say with a ten-minute rant about Ken, either how great he was or how terrible he was depending on your point of view. Eventually you have to interrupt them and say “but I asked you about Boris!”Likewise, if you ask the old-school cycle campaigners about Sustrans you get a ten-minute rant about Grimshaw and what an autocrat he was.

It’s time people recognised that organisations can change, and recognised the role that all the cycle promotion groups can play in changing the hearts and minds of the UK population and getting them out on their bikes.  

A pootle around Birmingham.

After the last cyclenation board meeting, held at the excellent FOE Warehouse building in Digbeth, Birmingham (a short hop from New St station, and even closer to Moor St) I thought I’d go for a ride around Birmingham. I’ve found in the past that a great way to get to know a place is to try to find the National Cycle Network without a map, as this can often be somewhat obscure!

I’ve come into Birmingham on NCN5 before, so I’ve got a vague idea where it went, and thought if I headed south I’d be able to pick it up and follow the route back up through the City Centre. So I soon found myself on the Ring Road – not a particularly nice place to cycle although I found that the drivers were pretty considerate – but failed to pick it up, so found myself having a bit of a tour around Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook & Moseley. I have to say I found cycling conditions around this part of Brum pretty poor. There was a lot of traffic, a distinct lack of cycling infrastructure such as ASLs, no signage for cyclists & no cyclists! A noticeable feature was poorly installed speed cushions, with practically every one featuring a pothole just where you would want to cycle. Peering down side roads I thought I might spot the odd 20mph zone, but none were to be seen. OK, it was raining a bit, but it was the first day without snow on the ground, so I thought the occasional Brummie might have ventured out.

However, perhaps my mood was affected by the light but persistent spots of rain that had been falling ever since I left the Warehouse. Having taken what looked like a good bet I found myself pointing at the city centre yet again, so I checked the map, turned around and headed for Edgbaston as this looked like another good bet. Climbed up through  Moseley and back down, avoiding small hooded kids who think it’s a good idea to walk out in the road and go ‘boo’ at cyclists, and found myself at the entrance to Cannon Hill Park.

This I recognised as part of Route 5, and in one of those twists of fate, as soon as I turned into the park it stopped raining, the sun came out, and the world seemed like a  nice place again, Ignoring my original plan I took the Rea Valley path south to Bourneville, enjoying the sunshine and dodging the odd pedestrian and dog. Coming out near a derelict factory site (and how sad it is to see so many derelict sites in Brum) I turned around and headed back towards the Centre. All went well until I reached the centre, passing a spot where I could have picked up the NCN first time round, but the signage that would have enabled that wasn’t there, and going through the centre the route was not very clear. Although there were some adventurous shared space sections, when you get to the Central Library things become somewhat confusing.

I had an inkling that I needed to be on the canal, so heading for Brindley Place was the right thing to do, The route follows the canal towpath, nice and straight for a mile or so, until branching out, one route heading for Wolverhampton, and, eventually, the Welsh Borders (must check with Wolves on Wheels how that’s getting on) while route 5 veers to the north. The junction point is readily identifiable, being next to Smethwick Galton Bridge station, with two lines intersecting, and a Thomas Telford bridge spanning the valley, apparently the longest single span bridge when it was built  - a remarkable place. So I climbed out of the canal cutting and found myself crossing the bridge which is now part  of the cycle route, and taking some slightly dodgy paths around a large motorway junction  found myself back on some residential streets before doubling back and getting into Sandwell Country Park. Although by now it was getting dark this did seem like a very pleasant place to cycle, and with decent surfaces underneath and a good light on my Brompton I felt confident to proceed. I did get slightly lost gong through the park, but as this took me past Sandwell Priory and subsequently on a long fast downhill on a minor road I felt this was par for the course. The route negotiates the M6/M5 junction successfully and coming out on the outskirts of Walsall I decided to head for the nearest train station. This turned out to be Tame Bridge Parkway (interesting how many rivers are called Tame, there being one in Manchester of course and I believe there is one in London with a similar name - then there are rivers called Teme, Team & Tamar. Another popular name for rivers is Afon, this being of course the Welsh name for river). A ticket back to New St turned out to be a mere £2 - a very fair price I thought - and I had time to find a decent pub and buy a kebab (sadly I didn't have time for a Balti) before heading home. 

So this was an interesting day's cycling in Birmingham, but I was left wondering, why is the on-road cycling in the city so crap, while the Sustrans routes are memorable and pretty decent? Perhaps someone from Birmingham Push Bikes could explain?


(Please note that in this blog post I am not intending to criticise (or praise) anyone unduly, just reporting honestly what I found)