Letter to the Ass. of Cycle Traders

[mickle]

They've invited submissions from the cycle trade -

The APPCG is calling for evidence from stakeholders for an inquiry entitled: 'Get Britain Cycling.'
The aim of the inquiry is to examine the barriers which are preventing more people from cycling in the UK.
The inquiry is backed by the UK Cycling Alliance, an umbrella group of many of the country's cycling bodies, including the ACT.
As members of the cycling industry, engaging with the public on a daily basis, the ACT believes that cycle retailers can offer insight into the key topics up for discussion, including cycle friendly planning and design, the Olympic legacy, road safety, training, traffic law and enforcement and behaviour change.
In the UK, cycling makes up 2% of all journeys, compared to 27% in the Netherlands and 18% in Denmark. Some European towns have more than 50% of all journeys made by bike - the APPCG want to know why this is the case and how these figures can be improved.
With the help of the cycles industry, the ACT will submit evidence which will help answer the question "How can we get Britain cycling?"
This this is a great opportunity to get the voice of the cycling industry heard in parliament and you can help us to achieve this.
The deadline for the ACT's written submission is the 5th December, so if you would like to help the ACT create a report, please send your thoughts, with specific examples or evidence where possible, to info@theact.org.uk by the end of November.

Sirs,

I want to live in a country where it's not seen as absolute madness for me to allow my children to pedal 1.4 miles to school.

The priority for road planners has always been to maximise motorised traffic flow. It's given us a road network which is toxic for other road users. Hence, the number one reason given by people as the reason they don't cycle is 'danger'. We know that cycling isn't a particularly dangerous activity but - perceived or real - it's a major barrier.

The answer is not to remove cyclists from the roads by installing separate facilities but to remove the danger posed to cyclists (and other vulnerable road users). Rather than wait for an entirely new parallel infrastructure for cyclists (which will cost billions and, therefore, never happen) - as our our roads and junctions are naturally maintained and updated they should be simply be redesigned with priority given to cyclists and pedestrians. An organic and inexpensive way of improving the road environment as we go along. The current trend for reduction of urban speed limits is a welcome change in the right direction.

But ultimately, removing the danger is best achieved via education (of motorists primarily since they pose the danger but also through free cycle training) and more effective policing and stricter enforcement of the laws we already have. We educated about drink-driving and seat belts, so we know it works. A change in the presumption of liability in 'accidents' involving cars and bikes to bring us in line with the rest of Europe would also be welcome.

We already have a perfectly good network of cycle facilities in the UK, it's called 'the road network'. We look at the Dutch and envy them their cycle facilities - but we focus on the wrong thing. It is Dutch societies' general attitude to cycling which we should be trying to emulate - the facilities will follow.

Reducing the danger posed to cyclists should not be about separate facilities, safety helmets and HiViz but about removing the danger. And that will come when society is conscious of the fact that cyclists are entitled to use the roads whilst motorists require qualification and permission.

Let's get back to first principles, get out priorities right and put cyclists and pedestrians first.


Mick Allan

 

[dellzeqq]

shameless 'like' trawling, Mick!

whoops! Bump!

 

[subaqua]

another bump

 

[Drago]

The reasons why more people aren't cycling in the UK are very simple.

Most people are bone idle lazy.

It's erroneously perceived as insurmountably dangerous.

 

[Bigsharn]

The reasons why more people aren't cycling in the UK are very simple.

Most people are bone idle lazy.

It's erroneously perceived as insurmountably dangerous.

It's a tale of two halves though. My boss doesn't bike to work on a morning (in fact, he walks) but walks his bike when he goes home, because he sees the roads as more dangerous. (people in a rush to get home are less attentive etc.)
Then again, where I work most of the staff are students that live less than a mile away, and cycle both ways because walking is "too much effort"

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Locally running clubs are bursting with active members. You can't get near a spinning class unless you book two weeks in advance, my local gym is always rammed, and new private ones are opening in response to demand. So it can't be laziness really.

I think part of the danger thing is risk perception. The odds of getting hurt in an 'accident' with a motor vehicle are minimal, but if the risk triggers then the impact is likely to be catastrophic, and most of the potential cyclists are drivers and they are well aware of how badly people drive....

 

[palinurus]

I doubt it's laziness. Owning and running a car requires a fair bit of work.

I'm pretty lazy, that's one of the reasons I cycle.

 

[theclaud]

shameless 'like' trawling, Mick!

The very idea!

 

[GrasB]

Locally running clubs are bursting with active members. You can't get near a spinning class unless you book two weeks in advance, my local gym is always rammed, and new private ones are opening in response to demand. So it can't be laziness really.

hold up there!

Firstly there are people complaining that cycling clubs have stopped accepting members & not allowing non-members to join club rides unless invited by a member. Thus aren't cycling clubs bursting at the seams?

Secondly DO NOT confuse people wanting to get fit with people who are going to cycle in a utilitarian manner. A lot of gym spinners I know wouldn't ride to work or down the shops because it's too much like hard work. They see cycling as a intense fitness exercise & not something that can be used to actually do something productive with outside gaining & maintaining condition.

I doubt it's laziness. Owning and running a car requires a fair bit of work.

I'm pretty lazy, that's one of the reasons I cycle.

There are various forms of laziness. One type is mental laziness, this means you don't want to deal with the hassle & organisation of dealing with motoring. You however don't have physical laziness & are more than willing to accept a bit of physical work to avoid a bit of hassle.

 

[palinurus]

It's quite hard to start cycling and get around on a bike in many parts of the UK. I become aware of this when escorting novice cyclists, negotiating junctions and roundabouts is tricky- when I'm having to match the speed of a much slower cyclist even I find it pretty difficult. It's not so much the danger as the frequent expressions of impatience, mostly horns, sometimes verbal.

I'm a longstanding and relatively confident cyclist. On those rare occasions when I socialize with my colleagues (this is the rare bit) and the conversation shifts towards cycling (this almost always happens) even I start to consider giving up. It isn't like that in every part of the country or in all workplaces but I reckon it's common enough to dissuade a fair number of people from considering cycling.