# Victory! We've reached the Promised Land!



## dellzeqq (6 May 2009)

This morning I accompanied The Babe to work. We left home at about ten past seven, and got to Clapham North a few minutes after. We then branched right for Kennington and then left up toward Westminster Bridge. We turned in to Kennington Road at about 7.30.

Last year I was struck by the number of cyclists on the commute, and thought that cycles outnumbered private cars. This morning the number of cyclists going up Kennington Road was extraordinary. I'd say that there were fifteen of us waiting at the red light at Kennington Cross, and maybe six cars. But, then again, that might have been a one-off, an early morning blip.

Having seen the love of my life to her office, I rode home at a gentle pace from Islington. I'd have reached the middle of Kennington Lane at about 8.15. And, coming the other way - well, it looked like a club run. I stopped. Counted 33 cyclists in one bunch, released by the green light at Kennington Cross. And not one private car. Not one.

Forty years I've cycled in London. Forty years. It's like the Promised Land. I considered getting off the bike and kneeling in prayer. God Bless the Bicycle, and All Who Ride!


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## Tompy (6 May 2009)

Now we just have to wait for the rest of the country to catch up.


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## Davidc (6 May 2009)

Sounds wonderful. Roll on the day when there are enough bikes on the road to leave no room for cars!

One of the reasons I got a job out of London and never returned - 35 years ago - was that cycling to work was so unpleasant. (Public transport was even worse). Saw very few other commuting cyclists then.

Any photos?


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## dellzeqq (6 May 2009)

Davidc said:


> Any photos?



sadly not. Your correspondent was too slack-jawed with amazement, and too busy counting bikes to do the obvious thing. Apologies. But I will be going that way tomorrow....


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## User482 (6 May 2009)

Councils in London very probably measure the number of cycling trips in their area - might be worth contacting them to see which way their numbers are going.


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## yenrod (6 May 2009)

Riding in a bunch is great !


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## dellzeqq (6 May 2009)

the odd thing is that all the roads that these swarms of cyclists choose to ride on are the ones that the DfT say are too busy, and are avoided by LCN+. Whoops!


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## CotterPin (6 May 2009)

Last summer we (ICAG - the LCC in Islington) did a cycle count at Old Street Roundabout. Between 5.30pm and 6.30pm we counted 600 cyclists!!!! (http://www.icag.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=202) How many more that might be this summer???


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## dellzeqq (6 May 2009)

(Kennington Lane corrected to Kennington Road - I've only lived in South London for about 35 years - the 105 people I'm leading to Brighton in the dark on Friday night should be very afraid......)

Cotter-Pin - 600 in an hour is a fantastic number. I've cycled round the Old Street roundabout a lot, and, while it's busy I'd never have thought that it would be that many.


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## dan_bo (6 May 2009)

I was driving in Dulwich in April and was astounded at the number of cyclists. Fanchuffingtastic. Same in the center (Euston) as well.


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## jonesy (6 May 2009)

dellzeqq said:


> the odd thing is that all the roads that these swarms of cyclists choose to ride on are the ones that the DfT say are too busy, and are avoided by LCN+. Whoops!



That's because they've been told that the best way to encourage cycling is to build gravelly paths in the middle of nowhere!


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## srw (6 May 2009)

dellzeqq said:


> the odd thing is that all the roads that these swarms of cyclists choose to ride on are the ones that the DfT say are too busy, and are avoided by LCN+. Whoops!



Come up to Bloomsbury and you'll see that the roads the swarms of cyclists choose to ride on are _also_ the ones that have had nice shiny separated cycle lanes built on thm!


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## dellzeqq (6 May 2009)

srw said:


> Come up to Bloomsbury and you'll see that the roads the swarms of cyclists choose to ride on are _also_ the ones that have had nice shiny separated cycle lanes built on thm!


garn! They don't let us into Bloomsbury! There's a sign on the door saying 'piss off back sarfoftheriver, pikeys!'


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## Abitrary (6 May 2009)

I was cycling (out of necessity) through finsbury park, holloway and camden the other other day and was completely shocked at the amount of cyclists. Everyone has got nice bikes now suddenly as well!!!


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## dellzeqq (7 May 2009)

...going to have to wait a day for the pics - the LOML is tubing it today.


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## Origamist (7 May 2009)

Wait till June/July and there are even more on the road - it's an epidemic, I tell you. 

Last year the most cyclists I counted at Oval Tube was 40 - swarming in and around the ASL reservoir at 8.20ish. If I can count fast enough I reckon 50 will be topped! 

A few of these cycle counters would be great:


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## Danny (9 May 2009)

dellzeqq said:


> I'd say that there were fifteen of us waiting at the red light at Kennington Cross


We really have reached the promissed land if 15 London cyclists all stopped for a red light


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## dellzeqq (9 May 2009)

Danny said:


> We really have reached the promissed land if 15 London cyclists all stopped for a red light


they did and they do. And it's worth saying, because we run the risk of believing what others say about us, rather than rely on our own observations. I'm not saying you'd get the same result in Islington, and I certainly wouldn't put money on it, but the cyclists coming up from southwest London are a pretty law-abiding lot.

I went out on Friday with the intention of taking pics. It rained, and the number of cyclists diminished by over 50% - which is reasonable. Every ride should pay its own way....


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## User482 (11 May 2009)

I stayed with friends in London this weekend, and was struck by the sheer number of cyclists about - leisure, serious & utility. So Dell, you may well be right. If only they could end this tedious obsession with fixies...


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## dellzeqq (11 May 2009)

User482 said:


> I stayed with friends in London this weekend, and was struck by the sheer number of cyclists about - leisure, serious & utility. So Dell, you may well be right. If only they could end this tedious obsession with fixies...



can I ask whereabouts you were? It's generally reckoned that the southwest quadrant is bicycle central.

No snaps today. At hospital being told to give up cycling....


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## User482 (12 May 2009)

dellzeqq said:


> can I ask whereabouts you were? It's generally reckoned that the southwest quadrant is bicycle central.
> 
> No snaps today. At hospital being told to give up cycling....



Honor Oak Park, but as I was driving from Bristol, I had to go right across London. Loads of cyclists through Camberwell and the Oval, and a fair few along Embankment.

What happened at the hospital?


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## dellzeqq (12 May 2009)

Bits of me are wearing out. Mainly bits in contact with the saddle.

Came back down Kennington Road today, but fewer cyclists by far. Many more than you would have seen ten years ago, but I think the sun makes a big difference.


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## srw (12 May 2009)

It was the wind today. It is a very sharp and bitingly cold easterly - cold enough that I had two long-sleeved layers and long trousers, and almost wished I hadn't worn my fingerless mitts. Central London was also noticeably quieter of cyclists.


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## User482 (12 May 2009)

dellzeqq said:


> Bits of me are wearing out. Mainly bits in contact with the saddle.
> 
> Came back down Kennington Road today, but fewer cyclists by far. Many more than you would have seen ten years ago, but I think the sun makes a big difference.



I'm sorry I asked! Hope you can get it sorted out...

Yes, it was sunny when I was passing through. Whilst I accept that has an effect, there still seemed to be noticeably more cyclists than we have in Bristol. And given that Bristol has relatively high cycling rates, that's impressive.


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## dellzeqq (12 May 2009)

srw said:


> It was the wind today. It is a very sharp and bitingly cold easterly - cold enough that I had two long-sleeved layers and long trousers, and almost wished I hadn't worn my fingerless mitts. Central London was also noticeably quieter of cyclists.


you're right. The Babe was blown about all over the place on Blackfriars Bridge.


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## User169 (14 May 2009)

I was in London last weekend. I too was struck by the number of cyclists out and about, but more by the numbers sans botsmuts (definitely an "improvement" in this regard). 

This new bike shop in Highbury looks nice.


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## dellzeqq (18 May 2009)

not great pics, and definitely nowhere near as many cyclists as a week ago, but it gives some idea...


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## Origamist (2 Jun 2009)

This morning, (8.30ish) at the junction of Kennington Road and Kennigton Park Road there were 3 blokes counting traffic. I asked them if they were keeping track of cyclists, surprisingly they said "yes". Intrigued, I asked them how many had passed them going NE along Kennington Park Road in the last 15 mins. They guy said well over 200.


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## dellzeqq (2 Jun 2009)

Origamist said:


> This morning, (8.30ish) at the junction of Kennington Road and Kennigton Park Road there were 3 blokes counting traffic. I asked them if they were keeping track of cyclists, surprisingly they said "yes". Intrigued, I asked them how many had passed them going NE along Kennington Park Road in the last 15 mins. They guy said well over 200.


What! I'm going to be doing that next week. (Strokes chin and reflects) - perhaps there's no need. 

I'd have been going south at that time. I went north at about 7.20 and there were zillions of cyclists.


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## User482 (2 Jun 2009)

Origamist said:


> This morning, (8.30ish) at the junction of Kennington Road and Kennigton Park Road there were 3 blokes counting traffic. I asked them if they were keeping track of cyclists, surprisingly they said "yes". Intrigued, I asked them how many had passed them going NE along Kennington Park Road in the last 15 mins. They guy said well over 200.



Yes, councils do measure cycle traffic. I've seen them doing counts in Bristol a few times now.


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## Origamist (2 Jun 2009)

User482 said:


> Yes, councils do measure cycle traffic. I've seen them doing counts in Bristol a few times now.



I always make a point of asking if they are counting cyclists, normally they say "no", motorised vehicles only - so it was a nice change. 

I think the guys were bored, that's why they were so fortchcoming.


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## User482 (2 Jun 2009)

Origamist said:


> I always make a point of asking if they are counting cyclists, normally they say "no", motorised vehicles only - so it was a nice change.
> 
> I think the guys were bored, that's why they were so fortchcoming.



They do them separately here - the sample point is the end of a cycle/ pedestrian footbridge, so they won't get too many cars!


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## dellzeqq (2 Jun 2009)

Origamist and User482 have, I think, hit upon something. Counting motor vehicles and bikes seperately may be a think of the past.


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