Victory! We've reached the Promised Land!

[dellzeqq]

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!

 

[Tompy]

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

 

[Davidc]

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?

 

[dellzeqq]

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....

 

[User482]

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.

 

[yenrod]

Riding in a bunch is great !

 

[dellzeqq]

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!

 

[CotterPin]

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???

 

[dellzeqq]

(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.

 

[dan_bo]

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

 

[jonesy]

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!

 

[srw]

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!

 

[dellzeqq]

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!'

 

[Abitrary]

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!!!

 

[dellzeqq]

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