London Cycling Campaign

[martint235]

Ok so I'm a cyclist. I live in London. The LCC should appeal to me. So what is it about them that makes my cynicism bone twitch so much. Whenever I receive an email from them my first instinct is to think "If I do what you're asking, what's in it for you?" because I've started to think of them as pretty much like any other political organisation: in it for what they can get rather than to represent members/London cyclists.

Then there's the occasions on other aspects of the t'interweb where they seem to advocate law breaking (riding the wrong way down one way streets, riding across pedestrianised areas etc) just because it's inconvenient for them.

Am I being too cynical or do other people have good evidence of the good they have done representing your average London cyclist?

 

[martint235]

D'oh!

 

[stowie]

I belong to the LCC, and have found that the local group is pretty responsive and tries its best in the teeth of some fairly intransigent local government. I need to belong to an organisation since I want third part insurance and at the time CTC was so busy fighting about whether it should be a charity or something that they completely put me off them.

They are not a political organisation and have stated aims which I know are contrary to the thoughts of some parts of the cycling community. As far as their aims go, I am lukewarm to some, don't like others and some I think are a good idea. I guess the same as any organisation that encompasses a very wide spectrum of people.

I think one of the issues is that, when they have a victory, it isn't really well known that they had involvement. And when the council ignores their suggestions and puts in something daft they tend to get blamed for not stopping it. I cannot imagine it can be too easy.

edit : typo missed the highlighed not which kind of changed the whole meaning of the sentence.
edit2 : put the a and not around the wrong way. I really need to have a lie down.

 

[ttcycle]

If I remember correctly, LCC is a charity and thus cannot have political affiliations. However, it is a campaigning organisation with a strict remit.

I'm not a member of LCC as I strongly feel having been involved in cycle campaigning professionally and in a voluntary sense that the Go Dutch infrastructure idea is misguided for London as it really doesn't tackle some key issues to riding. Strongly support their campaigning for cyclists but a lot I disagree with.

 

[ttcycle]

I have cancelled my membership because I think the Go Dutch campaign is misguided.

Absolutely, it doesn't look at road sharing across all modalities, especially the problem of long term cultural and attitude change and to be fair it's setting campaigners up to fail. London roads are not all suitable for segregation nor should it really be the case. What we have in the Netherlands is also a majority population that have or do cycle and treat other road users with respect). Despite what is happening in the capital over the last few weeks, it is a fantastic city to cycle in. There are just some large issues that need to be tackled rather than ignored but of course I know many of you on here are a learned bunch when it comes to all things two wheeled.

 

[ianrauk]

Another one who let his membership slide because of the Go Dutch rubbish.

 

[albion]

http://lcc.org.uk/pages/first-100-days
Apart from 'not making the car driver king' I myself can't quite see other reasons a few would dislike..

"4. Bogus statistics - UPDATED 28/9/12

Sadly, there are still politicians and sections of the media that attack the reputation of cyclists as a group and – more often than not – these attacks are based on incorrect information. It was distressing to hear the Mayor, supposedly a champion of cyclists, give these people ammunition by quoting a bogus statistic at Mayor’s Questions in the London Assembly.
On Wednesday 23 May 2012, Johnson said 62% of cyclists who suffered death or serious injury in London did so as a result of violating traffic law."

Well I see good old Boris is quite consistent !

 

[snorri]

it is a fantastic city to cycle in.

In which ways do you consider it to be fantastic? Compared with ??

 

[dellzeqq]

In which ways do you consider it to be fantastic? Compared with ??

Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and especially Manchester. Then again, wildly better than Barcelona, Paris and Brussels

(later edit) Inverness

 

[ttcycle]

In which ways do you consider it to be fantastic? Compared with ??

My home town of Birmingham and the surrounding areas are not great, Basingstoke was prettty poor, some surrey towns are OK but the facilities can be none existent.

 

[snorri]

(later edit) Inverness

I liked that afterthought, as they say around here, Yir some guy.

I suppose it's difficult to compare cities with such vastly differing populations, but I've never considered cycling in London to be particularly pleasant. On visits there I've never used a Boris bike, preferring to get around on foot.
When I posed the question I was thinking more of mainland European cities rather than UK, and certainly agree regarding Paris and would add Prague and some Polish cities, but feel many Euro cities provide a more pleasant cycling experience.
Perhaps my view is influenced by arrivals in London on the sleeper at Euston, exiting the station and making my way towards Euston Road to be confronted by the masses there in the morning rush hour, the word fantastic has never passed my lips.

 

[martint235]

Cycling in London is ok. Sometimes it can be iffy (rush hour on the way into Croydon), sometimes unbelievably delightful (Westminster Bridge on a crisp day at dawn). I've only cycled into Manchester once and it wasn't even close to iffy, it was unpleasant.

 

[stowie]

I notice you didn't put the rest of the quote - particularly the part where LCC says:

Too late by that time though. The initial figure had been widely quoted in the press, the revision wasn't.