When I started CycleLove I deliberately avoided covering any of the problems associated with riding a bike in the UK.
I wanted to celebrate the good things about cycling, photograph normal people riding bikes, and maybe… just maybe… encourage a few more folk to consider doing likewise along the way.
There were already plenty of serious websites about serious cycling, and highly articulate websites about road design and improving cycle safety in London.
I didn’t feel qualified to join the debate.
But now as CycleLove approaches its second birthday, cycling is teetering on the brink of entering the mainstream consciousness of Britain, and I feel that it’s time to make a stand so that as many people as possible can enjoy the simple pleasure of riding a bike.
There was live coverage of the UK’s largest ever mass participation cycling event on primetime TV earlier this month. We’ve done not too badly in the Tour de France for a couple of years in a row and even won a few medals at the London 2012 Olympics, matching the incredible gold medal haul on the track in Beijing.
Meanwhile in the press, the Guardian continues to provide constant coverage on its bike blog whilst the Times does a stellar job with its “Cities fit for cycling campaign“. And I nearly fell of my seat earlier in the week when The Sun chimed in with a similar sentiment (not 100% to my liking, but still representing a quantum leap in attitude).
More and more people are taking to two-wheels in the capital, but our Mayor has been slow to act on his promises and continues to send mixed messages.
The hugely expensive “cycle superhighways” he promised have materialised as nothing more than blue paint, and people are dying on them as a result.
Whilst the “cycling revolution” that our politicians have promised isn’t going to happen with the piddling amount of investment in cycling recently announced by David Cameron, cycling has clearly started to move up the political agenda.
There is hope…
Why people on bikes and not “cyclists”?
I originally coined ”people on bikes, not cyclists” as a mantra for CycleLove, and as a reminder that bikes can be integrated into your existing life(style) instead of you being forcibly integrated into the cyclist lifestyle which is punted at certain cycle retail chains.
As I’ve delved deeper into the culture of cycling, I’ve realised that making this distinction is even more important that I first thought.
Here’s why I try to avoid using the “c” word:
→ Cyclists have an image problem
Question: what mental image forms in the mind of your average non-cycling Londoner on hearing the word “cyclists”?
Probably…
Photo © Mark Ames
But, as the Alternative Department for Transport rightly says, it shouldn’t be like this:
“For me, one of the beautiful things about the bike is that you can just unlock it, hop on it, and off you go… all this special gear suggests that riding a bike is an inherently dangerous activity for which you’ll have to spend time getting dressed up for. Using a bike should be an easy transport option for everyone, and if it involves all this extra hassle then people will choose to jump in the car instead, without stopping to don any special safety-wear.”
→ Cyclists need to wear helmets. People on bikes should be free to make up their own mind.
Professional cycling is fast, and crashes happen on a fairly regular basis. So wearing a helmet makes a lot of sense. But for everyone else, riding a bike is not an inherently dangerous activity. No-one should be forced to wear a helmet. In fact it looks as if making helmets compulsory has negative effects in the long run:
“British research suggests life years gained through cycling outweigh years lost in cycling fatalities by a factor of 20:1. A recent study of users of Barcelona’s public bike hire scheme puts this ratio at 77:1″.
What does that mean in plain English? The benefits of riding a bike MASSIVELY outweigh any risks involved.
I’m not taking a side on this argument: it’s clearly a debate that will go on and on. I just hope it remains a decision that each individual can make on their own terms.
→ Referring to people on bikes as “cyclists” reinforces ‘us and them’ mentalities
“Cyclists” are the people that piss off “motorists” and “pedestrians” by jumping red lights and careering around pavements. Cyclists, #bloodycyclists. Taxi drivers hate them, and people in cars think they don’t pay road tax. But ordinary people don’t want to hurt each other. If we took some of the labels off things might get a little easier.
If you want to continue using the c word though, it’s absolutely fine with me.
Having argued the case against it on Twitter on several occasions, I know it’s a word which some people hold dear to their hearts, and I’m not going to try to take it (or the joy of cycling) away from anyone.
Now for a slightly embarrassing admission: I’m only recently become acquainted with the work of the London Cycling Campaign.
Whilst “Love London, Go Dutch” was a great message to spread and spread a lot of cycle love around London, “Space for cycling” rings even truer for me.
I don’t think London should set out to blindly copy cycling infrastructure and policy in the Netherlands (although of course we can learn a huge amount by studying the Dutch approach). London has its own particular set of challenges which Boris Johnson needs to focus on instead of falling back on the old excuses that we don’t have room for Dutch style infrastructure or that hills stop people from cycling.
We need to concentrate on things that can be done, instead of things that can’t.
What is space for cycling?
The July Space for Cycling protest ride in East London
— It’s dedicated space on our roads for bikes, segregated from motorised traffic whenever possible
— It’s a call for cycle-specific traffic lights and 20mph speed limits
— And a call for politicians to lead from the top down, to set more ambitious targets and to take and assign responsibility… you know.. the way politicians are supposed to…
— It’s a chance for your kids to cycle to school in safety, and for cycling to become a normal activity for people of all ages
— It’s the beginning of the end of automatically assigning priority to motorised vehicles at the expense of people on foot or riding bikes
— It’s a recognition of the fact that money spent on cycling infrastructure is investment not expenditure, a way to boost local economies; and a way to save the NHS money
— It’s a way to transform our local streets into friendlier, more human spaces instead of thoroughfares for vehicles
— It’s a call for restrictions on the movements on HGVs
— It’s an end to the killing of people on bikes which is happening with increasing and heart-wrenching frequency on our streets
— And ultimately, it’s something that can benefit everyone living in London, not just people on bikes
How can we make space for cycling happen sooner rather than later?
— Join the Space For Cycling ride on Monday 2nd September (with bonus points if you RSVP on Facebook)
That’s it?
Not quite.
***But this is the first and single most important action (or pedal stroke) you can make this year if you ride a bike in London.***
What else can you do to help?
— Tell your friends about the #space4cycling ride. Then ask them to tell their friends about it.
— Use the sharing icons at the top of this article to spread the word. Click here to post this article to Facebook.
— Ask your MP to attend the cycling debate by writing a letter using this readymade template (do this today)
— Support the London Cycling Campaign
London needs space for cycling. London needs you, and your bike.
See you on Monday evening!