Barcelona and 'bicing'

I'm just back from two hot weeks in Barcelona - and no, I didn't do any cycling while I was there. No need, for a start - excellent public transport, mostly air-conditioned. And no opportunity. But I did look at people cycling and found that Barceloneses do cycle, a lot. In common with much of the continent, they do it without the parafernalia we take to in the UK - they do it in their swimwear and flipflops. Also, they tend to prefer the pavement to the roads, except where there are dedicated bike lanes.

Now, much is being said these days about clever bike rental schemes in cities. I've seen such things in Paris and Stockholm, but can I say that in Barcelona the bikes rented by bicing.com were trully everywhere, ridden by all sorts of people. The design of these bikes is not fancy, space-age grey steel stuff, but it does the job very well - and you know, I actually like the red n' white combination. The photo shows a bloke booking a bike while talking on the phone. The website (in Spanish and Catalan) is very good - you can for instance check live bike availability and stuff. Note that, as they explain, their target market is not the tourists, but the locals - you have to join and pay a monthly fee, which includes some 'free' time, after which you start paying as you go. It aims to complement the public transport system - or, as they put it, it is part of the system!

Oriental rickshaws

I wish I'd had my camera with me.

This morning, as I got to the junction of Portland St and Princess St, my eye was caught by two yellow rickshaws, gleaming new in the morning sun and neatly parked outside a building that had been under renovation for a while. Well, both rickshaws belong to a new boutique hotel, the Ying Sang Oriental.

The hotel isn't open yet, and I wonder what role the rickshaws will play. Will they be part of a gimmick, to cycle aimlessly around town so people hear about yet another hotel, after so many have sprung up in the last 10 years? Will they ferry guests to restaurants, shops and other attractions in the city centre? Can they carry me and my luggage to Piccadilly?

Watch, as they say, this space. Let us.

More reasons...

Work on the new Whitefield Morrison's is now very advanced - and this week the road works around it seem to have been completed. It's not too bad - on the main road, Southbound towards the city centre, a new left-turn lane has been added - that'll be something to watch out for, as the cycle lane now sits between two lanes of traffic.

Of course, the proof of the pudding will be when the shop opens and the traffic these roadworks are a preparation for reveals itself in its full glory.

Everyone who ever doubts that there is sense in cycling to work should have a look at this piece of research by fellow Bury cyclist and blogger:

http://holmesinho.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!D65843A01B2C9DB7!945.entry

and then give it a go - why not?

A motorcade

Yesterday I heard the siren of an emergency vehicle. Because I was going down a bus lane on Bury New Rd and the 'normal' lane was jammed with cars, I assumed (correctly) that the emergency people would need to go down my lane - so, I stopped and stood on the side.

It was not one vehicle, but a whole host of them: six motorbike outriders, three police Zafiras and, in the middle, a little black car with someone presumably important inside (now idea who).

The funny thing was, one of the outriders got to where I was, ahead of the others, and stopped, then stared at me. Then it clicked: my stopping and waiting, which I thought a good and sensible civic deed, in the eyes of this chap had turned me into a threat - perhaps he thought my water bottle may conceal some explosives or something? Anyway, it all lasted mere seconds, as the motorcade sped up past me and lost themselves into the distance.

'Critical' commuting...

Today is the last Friday of the month... it's 'Critical Commute' - cyclists gather at choice locations around the city at 8am, then converge on to a central spot (usually Albert Square - Peace Gardens today as there's a market on in the square) by 8.30.

I turned up fashionably late (not entirely my fault) to find that only one other fellow was there - an old hand, let us say, on these rides. So the two of us cycled into town, to meet a handful of other cyclists. I can't help thinking that the impact of the whole activity is negligible. Even the far more successful 'special' critical commute last 18 June (during Bike Week), which gathered larger numbers and had sponsors with tents offering coffee and free bike tagging and water bottles was, relatively speaking, small beer.

Now, considering how much time others spend promoting cycling and campaigning for it, I do not mind at all joining in these rides and trying to get more visibility. I do it in part to make a minute, microscopic contribution to the cause, but also for networking purposes - to get to know other cyclists, pick up a few tips, let off steam with people who understand you, etc. Today though - save for the chap from Prestwich - all the sociable bods with whom I usually end up chatting seemed to be absent, and the group seemed to be made up of the usual 'core' lot of hardened 'campaign' veterans. I'm sure it is not their intention, but I always feel a bit of an 'us and them' atmosphere when they arrive from Chorlton or other South-Manchester locations.

As for the 'campaigning' claim, I have to wonder. Surely 'campaigning' is about taking a target group of people from awareness to persuasion - and yet much of what I hear (in the GMCC discussion list, in their newsletter, at rides like today's) is hollier-than-thou preaching.

Again, I'm very conscious of the fact I do not devote the time to engaging with the campaign - and so I can hardly fault those who do, if like today I feel excluded from their number!

3 years later, part II - big tent cycling...

I joined the additional 'Critical Commute' today - additional to the ones held every last Friday of the month that is, and part of the Bike Week celebrations.

I just made it - had to drop the car for MOT and service, so had said I would not make it, but did. It was the largest 'Prestwich' group I'd ever seen - 11 souls in total. We ended up not at Albert Sq, but the Peace Gardens, where we were treated to cycling freebies, free coffee and healthy breakfast, free bike security tagging by the Police and other good stuff.

On the other hand, while this is great as positive re-inforcement for existing cyclists, I wonder if this is the best way to promote cycling among non-cyclists. Drivers and pedestrians will just have seen a bunch of cyclists in unusually large numbers, brightly dressed in the rain, dithering at cross-roads and traffic lights over whether to keep together at all costs (eg by jumping lights) or split the group and then wait for the tail to catch up. The freebies, the gathering, the camaraderie of being with other cyclists will be entirely lost on them.

3 years later...

Three years ago (14 Jun 05, to be precise) I cycled to work for the first time. As I explained in one of my early postings here, it all started with work offering a cooked breakfast to all cyclists.

There's been ups and there's been downs, but mostly I have enjoyed it thoroughly, and hope to continuing doing so for years to come.

Manchester congestion charge?

The intentions are good, but the approach is misguided. The road most affected by congestion is the M60 - but this is as much because of traffic trying to get around Manchester as it is due to traffic trying to get into it. The congestion charge as proposed will actually exacerbate this.

Also, like most British cities outside London, Mcr is too 'flat' and scattered to make public transport cost-effective and sustainable. Cities need to be more densely populated: time to give up the gardens!

As for cycling... it surely is part of the solution. Part - not the whole solution. Integrated public transport holds more of the answer - particularly when it is cycle-friendly too.

The fraternity

You see them catching up with the gossip while waiting at traffic lights. You see them labouring up the street, constantly standing on the pedals. I've even seen them having an espresso on the go, sitting outside Katsouris on a nice summer afternoon, cycling mittens and a cap still on - but no helmet, oh no, absolutely no helmet.

Sadly, I've also seen one of them laying on the road, paramedics tending to him and wheeling the stretcher out of the ambulance, as the habit of jumping red lights finally seemed to have caught up with one of their number.

You've guessed it: bicycle couriers, that's wha'm talkin'ab'ouhp.

They always look so friendly - but hey, only to each other. The rest of us, the bikommuters and hybrid lovers, the lycra-clad performance cyclists, the BMX brigade, belong to the lower rungs of the cycling world. They, in their 3/4 trousers, riding fixed-gear bikes with funny handlebars, live by a code of their own. Let's face it - they don't cycle to work, they work on the cycle! They earn their living out if cycling, and that must surely focus their minds. As one of them says in a forum, the good thing is that you get to ride your bike all day. The bad thing is ... the same thing!

On my tail

Today, for a couple of miles, I had this chap hot on my heels. Perhaps I should be grateful, as in my keenness to keep good distance my performance was above my average (I'm sure). Why, though, could he not overtake me like everyone else? I gave him plenty of chances, but he didn't take them. He followed me all the way from Cheetham Hill to Prestwich - only when we hit a bit of a slope did he overtake and raced ahead.

Genius

A particularly clumsy radiocab driver turns into Princess St and pulls up just outside the Princess Hotel, completely oblivious to this bearded, pony-tailed cyclist on a sort of racing, sort of courier bike. Cyclist barely avoids certain death. Then he bellows, from the depths of his anger and fury, what must pass as the ultimate, complete insult amongst the folk he hangs around with: "Einstein!!!".

Coast to Coast

So, we did it! 140 miles, 3 days, hard work but lots of fun. We were blessed with good weather most of the time. We did drive to Carlisle in the end - in hindsight it might have been better not to, or perhaps we should have worked out parking more carefully, as it took us a while to find some - but once we did, finding the railway station and getting a train to Whitehaven was straighforward enough. It wasn't very busy, so the guard was happy to let four bikes in, rather than the theoretical two.

Friday night tea at Whitehaven's Weatherspoon's, washed down with London Pride (3pts) - it wasn't that bad then. The B&B in Whitehaven shall remain unnamed, as I don't feel like recommending it. The landlady was friendly enough, bless her, and breakfast was good old traditional stuff - though she did make us porridge on request. It was the little things - the unwashed tea cups in the room, so-so toilets... perhaps we just didn't like Whitehaven.

At breakfast we met two other 'lads' - they were doing the C2C in two days! True enough, later on we found them at the starting point and they took our pictures - the traditional 'dipping the wheel' C2C shots. We sort of rode together for a while out of Whitehaven, then they pressed on - fitter than us by a long chalk. It was a very smooth ride until we got to a place called High Lorton. Then a long, hard climb began and that set the tone for the following day and a half - if the road goes up, it will go down, and viceversa. We reached Keswick for lunch - a couple of diabolical sandwiches from the Co-op - and then pressed on to Penrith, where we got at about 6.30pm. Along the way, I had an encounter with some llamas - these ones being taken for a walk by some people who clearly held them in high regard (while in Peru they are despised as unsociable and inedible animals).

Penrith was good. We stayed at the Fellfoot Independent Hostel - and found it very good. No TV, but a very friendly welcome and relaxed atmosphere, with people who understood what we were doing. Lavish, healthy, no-fry-ups breakfast - too much of it, perhaps? - and bags of good advice on where to eat and drink in the town, and how to get out of Penrith while avoiding the initial big climb of the standard C2C route. Recommended

Day 2, then, started with a slight detour, then we went on to Little Salkeld Watermill where we had a cup of tea, organic and all. The weather by then was very hot, and the climbs got longer and more difficult, culminating by lunch-time at the Hartside Cafe - the highest cafe in England (1903ft). Lunch at such scenic location made us think, foolishly, that the worst was behind us. In fact, hours of climbs and descends through what I by then had nicknamed 'dead rabbit country' awaited us - Garrigill, Nenthead, Allenheads, and finally, Rookhope and the eponymous Rookhope Inn. This was very good in its own style - a very traditional inn, with en-suite, good food and good beer - and even some very intimate live music by what seemed to be three generations of a family, grandad playing the concertina, mum the Bodhrán, dad the guitar and daughter guitar, ukelele and beautiful voice. Ah, and the family dog keeping us company, especially Ian who seemed to get on well with the little beast.

Sadly, because it was Monday, the inn were short of staff so we had to skip the cooked breakfast we had been looking forward to (they gave us a generous discount in compensation). We ate a couple of nutrigrain bars and set off, fully expecting the great weather of the previous two days to continue. Oh shock, oh horror. As we started climbing the Rookhope Incline (a mile-long uphill path, the list big climb of the whole C2C route) we realised it was very foggy and much cooler than previously. The incline, in those conditions, proved diabolical and we were getting very cold.

Luckily, just as our morale was about to decline, we stumbled upon the Parkhead Station. I wonder if it would have made a better stop, in hindsight, than Rookhope - if only because then one ends day 2 on a (literal) high, then day 3 is all downhill. In the event, it proved to have excellent coffee and bacon & sausage barms, a real life-saver in the circumstances, and friendly staff with Sustrans connections. They assured us the views there are great - as it was, you could only see 15 feet ahead - we just sped away towards the coast.

We decided that, for efficiency, we'd end up in Sunderland rather than Newcastle - the latter is fine if you are being picked up at the end point by the sea, but we had to take a train to Carlisle and it made more sense to reach the sea in Sunderland then train via Newcastle. In the end, we didn't quite touch the sea - yes, there was no 'wheel dipping' ceremony in the North Sea shores, but it is the getting there that counts and we were pressed for time, OK?.

Main lessons from the whole experience:

1. Train more! We did the right kind of training, but nowhere near enough of it.

2. Look after your bike - my bike behaved well but that overhaul less than 2 weeks before setting off revealed plenty of teething troubles - and could have been worse

3. Pack light. No, really: pack light! Ian and I managed to jettison fully half of all our stuff at the end of day 1, which we offloaded on a friend of Ian's who lives near Penrith - this despite the fact

I had carefully compiled a packing list that I deemed to include only 'essential' items (I've also written a 'calculator' to assess time needed for the ride, based on parameters).

People at work have asked me if I feel alright after doing this. I tell you: I feel great! and I would do it all again tomorrow if I could. It was worth every minute.

The Bill

What a weekend this bank holiday weekend was!. The main 'mission' was to help my father-in-law put together a garden shed for us - one that will allow us to store up to five full-size bikes - enough for all of us in the future, a future that has already begun as my two eldest already need bigger bikes.

Sunday I took the morning though to go with Ian to fetch his bike and have a long 'pre-C2C' ride, which we did and it was a delight, despite of the miserable day. We also used to opportunity to finalise details of the ride - we set off for Whitehaven this Friday, all being well...

... all being well. Monday started with the discovery that my little Vauxhall Corsa, the run-arounder, had been stolen from in front of our house. It ended with my youngest one being sick and poorly (she still is, and I'm looking after her today) and the car being found, with two bent doors and a smashed ignition and steering lock - damage of the sort that wouldn't matter in a new car with fully comp insurance, but when you have a 1992 Corsa, valued (optimistically) at £300 and insure for 3rd party, Fire and Theft only... so now we are waiting with bated breath to see whether the insurers will write the car off (bonkers!). A Scene of Crime Officer is taking fingerprints on the car, outside my house, as we speak.

All this has an impact on my planned C2C ride - I do hope my daughter will recover in time for me to be comfortable leaving my wife to it; and the original plan of me driving both Ian and I to Carlisle to drop the car before continuing on train to Whitehaven may have to change. It may be we do it all by train - perhaps as it should be...

Sponsor me....

Why not do something that's good for you and make into something good for others? That, I suppose, is the idea behind the 'sponsorship' culture, and I am now a part of it. For my forthcoming C2C bike ride, I have set up a page at http://www.justgiving.com/jsolis in order to support ... Supporting Kids in Peru (SKIP).

So, if you call yourself my friend or my acquantaince or have, by error or chance, stumbled upon these pages, don't just go away empty handed, go empty your pockets as well - it is for a good cause.

Arse of bicyle maintenance part II: born-again bike

I had planned it carefully, or so I thought: two weeks before the Coast to Coast, I would take my 20-month old bike to its birthplace (the Biking Factory Shop in Prestwich) to have its maker put it through a complete and thorough service - a refit, an overhaul - ready for the big weekend. I even rang the shop to check what time they opened (and noticed it wasn't the usual gentleman who answered, but thought "what the heck!").

Alas, it was not to be. Said gentleman was not in, but a kind but hapless-looking stranger who explained that the shop owner and chief bike mechanic was in hospital (nothing too serious, I hope) and no repairs or maintenance could take place for two weeks or so.

So, plan B then. I took the bike to the Bicycle Boutique - they had helped me recently with something, for free - and I've used them before. I went through my list - full service, handlebar 'grips' (dunno what they're called - the 'horns' useful for comfort in long rides), spares for the journey, etc.

The chap rang me later - the bill was a staggering £126.50!!! I said yes, after consulting with HQ. It is exactly as much as I paid for the bike, less than two years ago! But... why waste a good frame, plus don't have time to find another bike, plus loyalty, etc etc. Not the best month to suffer this waking bill, but there we go - after all, it is my daily form of transport so I must offset it against what I'd pay in, say, petrol, or tram fares.

Coast to Coast? It'd better be good...

2nd (and possibly last?) training ride before the C2C

Ian and I went for our 2nd (and possibly last?) training ride before the C2C: Unsworth-Heaton Park-Birch-Heywood-Edenfield-Bury-Unsworth. 28 miles approx. Wet day, but very good cycling: must write a bit more about it. Tried a shortcut Ian remembered from his younger days. I foolishly agreed - it got from bad to worse, a cobblestoned downhill mudtrack, knocked a few months off my aluminium-framed hybrid's lifespan.

Less than three weeks till the big weekend...

Antwerp

I was in Antwerp for the day earlier this week - family reasons, long and sad story that I shan't explain here. It was interesting to notice though both how widespread cycling is as a form of transport over there... and how different the cycling culture is to ours in the UK. I have not been to the Netherlands (really) but I imagine it must be similar over there.

First of all, in Antwerp lots of people -lots- cycle. Bikes are everywhere, either chained to lamposts or simply propped up against them. Second, the 'system' bears them in mind - roads, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings all seem to have made provisions for the folk in two wheels. Third, cycling there seems just a part of life, not the self-conscious 'cause' we seem to make it in the UK. Most bicycles are of the sort designed for comfort and ease of use, and most people ride them without any special clothing - and positively no helmets. Panniers? Yes. Gears? Yes. Lycra pants and special pedals or shoes? Nope. Rather, men in suits, lasses in high-heels, riding upright, no rush, on bikes not built for speed. I sometimes wonder if in the UK, while we are a diverse lot for sure, the 'competitive' end of the spectrum has pulled us all into a mindset where we all hope to exert ourselves, to perform to some degree, favouring an approach that regards cycling as a sport, a self-contained activity. We don't just 'cycle to work' - we use the journey to work as an opportunity to cycle - or even, to train, ie to improve our performance, perhaps with some arbitrary challenge (the C2C ride?) in mind.

Which is all very well of course - but which we should bear in mind when we moan about how marginalised cycling is in the UK, and look towards 'Europe' (esp. Northern Europe) with envy. If we want to make cycling mainstream we have to separate bicycle-based sports from cycling as a mere form of transport - something routine and boring that everybody can do.

Incidentally, I visited Stockholm last July. Thinking about it now, I get the sense - perhaps wrongly - that cycling over there is sort of half-way between the 'continental' and 'uk' styles, ie I saw as many 'urban' cyclists on 'comfort' bikes as I saw hybrid bikes and chaps in lycra pants. And the odd helmet.

Lagging behind

Last Sunday, going up to Holcombe, a considerably older chap overtook me going uphill. Yesterday, cyclist after cyclist overtook me going up towards Bury from Manchester. Today, another cyclist overtook me going downhill towards Manchester.

Do I detect a pattern here?

'Power' training

Made a dash to Holcombe Brook this morning, on my own. Felt OK - no easier than a month ago when I did it with friend Ian. Coast to Coast promises to be hard! But we are increasingly committed - have booked accommodation this week!

jorge

Easter gap

Back on the bike for 2nd consecutive day, after two very irregular weeks due to the Easter break. Worried about major road layout changes in Heaton Park opposite St Monica's High School - now it's becoming clear they are creating new lanes to direct turning traffic early on and ease congestion - car congestion, that is.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no rabid anti-car or anti-motorist jockey per se, but I fear once more poor Johnny Cyclist has been conveniently forgotten. All shall be revealed in due course.

Thank you, Bicycle Boutique (Manchester)

This isn't an advert - just a sincere thank you to Manchester Bicycle Boutique who, this lunchtime, helped me out with one of those small but annoying problems. I had lost one of the screws supporting my rack and mudguard. They replaced it, there and then, at no cost to me!

I have used them a lot in the last year and a half - ever since I heard about them. For me, working in the city centre, their location just off Oxford Road is ideal. If you want value for money, try them. Ring first though - their opening hours are a bit peculiar - I imagine they fit their main clientele, ie students.

They have a website.... or a URL in any case - with email address in it: http://www.bicycleboutiquemcr.co.uk/

I have a phone number for them: 07985 426803

Yesterday, mate Ian and I finally begun our preparations for the Coast to Coast. That's the good news. We cycled from home to Bury, then on to Holcombe Brook (and Peel Tower) via Summerseat, and then straight back home.

I reckon we covered 18 miles in 2.30 hours including 15' rest at Peel Tower. This chap I've met the last couple of 'Critical Commute' days, who lives in Holcombe and cycles there and back every day (28 miles total) has my admiration. It is no walk in the park!

Going up hill was damned hard - the path to Peel Tower from the road, I had to do mostly on foot, as I found the wet soil and gravel just too much.

I got a few learning points out of the excursion:

• Trousers: for comfort, I am going to have to yield to lycra... men in tights, here I come...


• Top: ditto. For city cycling it is OK to wrap up warm as I do, but for the open road I need to keep light


• Sun glasses: would be nice

I'm afraid Ian has the edge in terms of performance, both up hill and down. Apart from that, we should be OK to do the Coast to Coast, if we keep training. We'll see.

I gave chase

At the junction of Trinity Way and Great Ducie St aka the A56 I stopped at the traffic lights. Another cyclist - let us say an upmarket 'chav-biker' - didn't. He narrowly squeezed past me and went on. I don't always do this, but this time it pissed me off enough to chase and overtake. On the next stretch he tried to get ahead on the inside, eventhough we could both see a parked car meant he had to go wide - so in the end he had to get in line behind me. At the next traffic light (we are now on Deansgate - where Harvey-Nichols is) I delayed him for as long as I could, but - and I always knew this would happen - in the end I had to stop for the red light, while he wouldn't. My shouting that he should stop at the red light only got a grin - sort of facial equivalent of the two fingers. Could have been worse - other chav-bikers have been known to swear at me!

To this one, and to all of them, here is my simple wish: may you all end up as chewing gum spat into the urinals of hell.

Winter defeated

Winter is beating a retreat. Yes, a month still to go until it is officially Spring, but one can see the hopeful signs in the little things: the days are longer and, even when it is frosty in the morning; it gets warmer more quickly - so that by the time I get to work I feel overdressed, the gloves too thick, my jumper one layer too many.

Also, the birds sing at dawn again - many of them, which means they are back - which means the cycle of life begins again. A cliche, I know, but a truthful one.

To get the washing done in them old days...

My father-in-law once told me how he, as a young apprentice living in Rugby, used to travel back home on weekends - to see his mother and get the washing done! - by cycle.

I know times have changed and traffic in the 1950s can't have been as bad as today's, but the 100+ mile journey he undertook from Rugby to Lincolnshire would be demanding by today's standards, let alone the days of fixed-gear bikes with no special equipment. And he did it back and forth in a weekend - set off on Friday night, back on Sunday.

Maybe I ought to try it one day.

Another fox in the night

OK, this post is not about cycling, nor is it about Manchester. Over a year ago I reported sighting of a fox cub coming out of Heaton Park. Well, tonight I am in London and had - unwisely perhaps - arranged to meet a friend in St James Park at 7pm. It was dark and foggy, especially once one left behind the main roads and their street lights. What looked like a large cat jumped down from a shed just a few metres in front of me, then proceeded to examine the contents of a rubbish bin. On closer examination, the 'cat' turned out to be an adult fox - who did not look at all concerned about my presence there (more than I can say about my feelings, finding myself in the middle of a park, alone in the foggy evening).

Eventually I found my friend and we went for a drink and a meal. Incidentally, my friend cycles from wherever he leaves in his dormitory town to the station, then arrives to Waterloo and cycles to work (near St James Park). He does so on a Brompton fold-up bike - a beautiful little thing which I would like to try some time.

The curious incident of the silly driver in the night

Last Wedsnesday night, a girl in a little car tried to do the 'overtake and turn left' maneouvre on me the other night. To give her due credit, she did take some care and perhaps this was her undoing. First thing I knew, this small car is slowly overtaking on my right. Very slowly. The driver - this young woman - looking at me with that 'shall I/shan't I?' face. In fact, she is so focused on looking at me, as the corner approaches fast and I am getting ready to brake (hope for the best, prepare for the worst) that she fails to notice that traffic in front of her has come to a complete stop... and ... crash!

Luckily, because she was going so slowly, I don't think much damage was sustained - wounded pride and angry words levelled at her, I suspect - but there were three big lads in her car so I reckon she had her 'insurance' there (and am glad it wasn't me ending stamped against her windscreen and then having to contend with her small army).

Let this be a lesson to us all...

Sheldon Brown, for ever more

It isn't often that you become a regular visitor to someone else's web pages, and get to feel that you know the person - that you have a connection, unilateral and unintended perhaps. So it is with real sadness that I hear Sheldon Brown, true cyclists' guru, source of useful advice on all things cycling and writer of warm and life-affirming web postings has passed away.

I can't hope to ever become the source of vast knowledge so aptly and willingly communicated to novices like myself, but I reckon, twenty years from now, if I am cycling as I hope, I will remember Sheldon Brown's website and the inspiration I drew from it in these initial years.

Stanway Rd

Stanway Rd, in Whitefield (or is it Besses O'Th'Barn?) is a special place in my getting-back-home routine. It marks the start of the 'home run' - I've left all main roads behind, there are no more traffic lights and I know that, all being well, I'm 7' away from my house.

It is also a bit of an unusual road. Most of it belongs squarely to the architectural school of standard 20th century red-brick British Conformism, mostly in the shape of semi-detached, 2 and 1/2 bedroom houses - and very nice some of them are too. But there is a whole row of unusual homes, perhaps built in the late 80s or early 90s, which I'd describe as postmodern - they play with some elements of the traditional home, and so there is brick and roof tiles - trendy and almost green, but tiles nonetheless. And yet they try so hard to be innovative - the sleeping quarters apparently are on the ground floor, the living quarters apparently upstairs. The end of the row is a house where they've extended the ground floor and built a conservatory on top, in effect extending the (1st floor) living room and creating a sort of mini-mansion. Whether this kind of design works is another matter. Would I want to have to lug all food shopping up a flight of stairs just so as to feel 'different'? Perhaps not - so, conformism has its good side too?

The road is shaped like a banana, curved gently. I tend to coast on fifth gear until I reach the bend, then it flattens and I have to start pedalling again. When I reach the end I have to be careful - Hazel Rd does get busy some evenings, and it can be difficult to stop properly to avoid it!.

Stanway Rd has something civilised and genteel about it - that's just as well, for as I turn onto Hazel Rd and Ribble Drive the landscape changes a bit - welcome to the 'estate' and chav territory, complete with 1960s pub-cum-'tapas bar' (Enrique's).

O clouds, unfold!

It makes such a difference. The week before last I managed to do all five days on my bike. Last week, by contrast, I only managed Monday and Friday. Stop for a few days and it all has to start again - the subtle slopes and climbs demand a very conscious effort. Do five days in a row and on the last day you'll be eating miles, taking little hills on your stride.

At least the days are growing longer. I look forward to tomorrow, Monday - only one expected disruption on Thursday, otherwise a full week on the saddle. And must start training for my planned Coast to Coast. Trying longer rides, building up distance until I can manage 30 miles in one effort.

Be under no illusions...

At last Friday's little conflab of cyclists in Albert Square ('Critical Commute') an experienced cyclist I met answered my question about the Coast to Coast: "be under no illusions"...

Oh dear. My mate Ian and I better up the tempo of our preparations - at the moment we are going about it with the alacrity of snails on loose sands. Meanwhile, I've developed serious doubts about the suitability of my bike - the Tourismo 24 hybrid. On a rainy and very windy night last week, I was forced to use my front gears (whatever the technical name is) and I got the chain badly derrailed - it has happened before. I'm worried about a bike that can't tap into its full range of gears if I'm going to have to contend with very hilly sections.

Should I buy a road bike? I need to decide. Soon. I've been thinking about a proper touring bike - some people argue they are the ultimate all rounders, the thing to have if you cover any seizable distance. We'll see...

Zynchronicity

There are nights when 'it' just works. 'It' being... everything! All the traffic lights are green, the wind blows in your direction, the cock-up fairy seems to be on holiday and the bicycle just purrs along nicely, steady on the wet tarmac, the rain having stopped just as you leave work for your nightly commute. Cars make way for you and before you know it you are home. And then you take your son to see Bury FC beat Norwich and get through to round 4 of the FA Cup!

One of those nights. Tonight.

Preparations have begun...

Fellow school parent and friend Ian and myself met yesterday to coordinate details of our proposed Coast to Coast bike ride - we plan to do it in May 08; we also discussed two or three training one-day rides, logistics, maintenance tuition etc.

We'll see - we are both enthusiastic about it, and our wives are suspiciously supportive.

The wind that shakes the barley...

Boy, was it windy this morning! Going into Manchester is meant to be the easy journey - downhill most of the way. The wind however was blowing in a straight South to North line - and it was strong.

It took me 55' to do what normally would take me no more than 45'. The return home, up the hill to Bury, seemed easy by comparison - and took less time.

comment on Matthew Parris' article of 27 Dec

Dear Mr Solis,

Thank you for taking the time to write to me about Matthew Parris's article (My Week, December 7). As someone who regularly rides to work and who likes to go on cycling holidays, I shared your alarm, initially fearing that Matthew had it infor me too. But I think it was immediately clear that he wasexaggerating for effect - and for a good cause: cyclists, as much as anyone else, must share his determination to protect the natural worldfrom litter and pollution.

I have received many similar e-mails and take note of the heartfelt indignation. You may also have seen the piece that ran in the paper onMonday in defence of the cyclist. While I admire the passion of the cycling lobby and myself one of their number, I think we do ourselves no favours when we lose our sense of humour and I hope that you, like me, will continue to enjoy Matthew Parris's excellent writing. That said, two wheels good etc. Yours, James Harding

-----Original Message-----From: Jorge Solis V. [mailto:jorge.solis@ntlworld.com] Sent: 30 December 2007 01:08To: Times CommentCc: Harding, JamesSubject: Comment on M Parris' article "The smug who deservedecapitation"

Dear Sir / Madam,

I'd like to comment on Matthew Parris' article of 27 Dec, "What's smugand deserves to be decapitated?"(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article3097464.ece)and would be grateful if you could pass the comment on to Mr Parris. I am disappointed at the gross generalisations he makes - I cycle to work every day and know that neither myself nor scores of other regular cyclists I know exhibit the behaviours he so carelessly attributes to all of us. Mr Parris' fundamental mistake is to attribute moral traits to forms of transport (cycling, driving, walking, jogging) rather than to individuals. Not all cyclists are the reckless thugs he depicts - just as not all pedestrians (or indeed drivers) are shining examples of highway-side virtue. Indeed, most cyclists are also pedestrian and motorists!.

Good old Matthew is fighting the wrong battle - he'd do better to directhis anger against bad road users, and in support of responsible, considerate ones - whatever the form of transport employed. He would also do well to acknowledge that, in the UK today, when it comes to road design and 'systems' (how traffic lights work, the location, layout and length of bike lanes), cars and pedestrians are taken into consideration far more than cyclists are. An apology from Mr Parris would be quite in order

Jorge Solis

Back on the saddle...

For one reason or another, I've cycled very little in the last two weeks. My body quickly regains the fat cycling helps me lose - because I eat so much, after my initial loss of weight two years ago I now barely manage to keep balance at 92-93kg - still far from my 'ideal' weight of 80kg. This is unlikely to change.

Work events, shopping evenings, primary school nativity play, high school Xmas concert... all these things have conspired to make me drive more, cycle less. Meanwhile, my mate Ian and I are still planning to do the 'Coast to Coast' but haven't yet put any actual training towards it. Yes, he spoke to a female colleague who - at 44 - has done it in 3 days. Bum! I was hoping we would do it in 4, but now pride is at stake. And I bought a dvd which turn out to be an amateurish account of a CTC bike ride by 4 kids from I-dunno-where.

Zen and the arse of bicycle maintenance

I hope those who took part in today's 'Critical Commute' had a great time. I couldn't join, and the reason was simple: through lack of maintenance and pure neglect, I have worn my tyres out (particularly the rear one) and yesterday I seem to have reached tipping point - got not one but two punctures.

The first one got me on the way in, as I neared Manchester Cathedral. I changed the tube as quick as I could and very carefully went over the tyre, inside and out, looking for bits of glass, nails and such like. It was then I realised that my tyre, which looks perky on the sides, is actually far more worn out than I expected. In fact, it is a miracle it hasn't been getting punctures more often!. There are lots of cracks and cuts and bits of glass embedded into the rubber - I took as many out as I could with my little knife.

In the evening I got to Chetham Hill (ah, my favourite neighbourhood) before I noticed something was amiss. Yes, another puncture. I had another new inner tube but was loth to put it only to see it punctured by some embedded piece of glass I'd failed to detect (in daylight - what chance in the dark?).

I contacted 'Solis HQ' to see if a rescue mission could be mounted, but sadly, 'Support Team' was busy feeding the troops, so I had to examine other options. I could leave the bike chained against a post, take the bus home then come collect it. Too risky, I thought, so I opted for the 'pump and ride' option. It took me six stops to reach home, and twice as much time as it normally would.

So, new tyres are 'go'. I intend to give the bike a wash (turning it over made me realise how filthy it's got!) and, as we are at it, take it for a full service, ready for the winter.
And maybe then I won't miss the January Critical Commute - don't hold your breath though.

Charity begins at home...

Charity begins at home...
Look not the straw in your neighbours eye...
Pot calling the kettle black...

How can cyclists in all forums, discussion lists and blogs I see rant on and on about motorists and pedestrians, while hardly ever mentioning those other cyclists who routinely jump red lights or show crass inconsiderate behaviour towards everybody else - including other cyclists?

Yesterday, in heavy traffic going along Deansgate, in the rain, when pedestrians are at their most distracted, buriend under their umbrellas, a chap cycled between me and the kerb, at full speed in so narrow a space that he actually brushed against my rainmac - any movement from me and we would both have ended on the tarmac. Then he proceeded at the same speed, jumping on and off the pavement, through the red light (Deansgate and John Dalton St).

He was perhaps the worst I've seen for a while, but not the only one by any means. Within a minute there was another chap, who also went through the red light. I don't mean he cautiously slowed down and seeing the road clear slowly pressed on. I mean someone who just went through the light without any perceptible slowing down. I'm not too worried about him hitting a car - he'd come worse off and would only have himself to blame. I'm talking about the fact that this is a busy pedestrian crossing, at peak time, when people are rushing to work.

The last Friday of last month I left work late and, due to an errand, had to go past the central library in St Peter's Sq. Then I realised there was a whole bunch of -mostly young- cyclists. 'Ah' - it clicked - 'critical mass'. Naively, I expected, if not a cheer from the group, some sort of mutual respect between comrades-at-arms, despite the age gap. Instead, despite my carrying more flashing lights than a blooming Xmas tree, I got some of these people carelessly stroll on my path, then stare at me rudely as if they were about to swear.

I work in the city centre and incidents like the ones described above are all too common - going counterflow is just par for the course. Yes, some of these are hooded youths in black tracksuits, or Chinese students or Polish workmen in their building-site gear. But not all, not by any means. Many are fully kitted, 'proper' cyclists (OK, some wear black skateboarding helmets) with reflective gear, lights and the works.

Does this matter? Yes it does - how can anyone hope to promote cycling if our image is dictated by people who show little consideration to others, hold other road users in contempt or disregard for the rules of the road? Yes, the highway code isn't perfect and we all know how close the latest edition was to including nonsense about the use of so-called cycle lanes. But elementary things like traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and the flow of traffic need to be respected.

Change for the worse...

The junction of Cheetham Hill Rd and Trinity Way has just become a lot more difficult for cyclists travelling north on Cheetham Hill Rd. They have built a traffic island where before there were just markings on the road. In the past, it was easy for me to change lane by simply positioning myself in the queue of traffic turning left into Trinity Way, then just 'cheat' by carrying on north on Cheetham Hill Rd.

Now I can't do that. I have to position myself on the lane going straight on, much earlier and in greater traffic. This has coincided with the end of British Summer Time - so it has to be done in the dark (mind you, with more lights than a Xmas tree I wonder if I'm not more visible now than in daylight).

My point is that, once again, changes on road layout have been introduced with not a thought for the needs of cyclists. Now I'm forced to often ride in between queues of slow moving traffic, including many heavy-goods vehicles. Or I have to dismount and use the pedestrian crossing.

Beirut

Time spent in Beirut: 72 hours. Bicycles spotted: 4 - yes, total. Here, cycling is not a sport but the resort of the deserving poor - those who through hard work have managed to rustle up a mountain bike to go to their jobs as cleaners or security guards.

The traffic does not really lend itself to cycling. Or walking, for the matter. Or indeed driving - it is that kind of traffic that knows no rules and owes no consideration to anyone. But there again, among the plush office blocks and apartments there is the odd civil-war block of flats, still standing, in some cases still inhabitted, riddled with bullet holes and sorrounded - like in Manchester not too many years ago - by a bomb-site, an open-air car park where once a building of some sort stood.

Darkness comes so quickly

I can never get used to this: darkness does not come gradually - one week it's an October indian summer, sunny evenings in mild weather, the sky blue and red for long enough so I can make it home without the bike lamps on. And today, dark from the onset - and this is before the clocks change this weekend!

I don't know if it was the darkness, but it was a bit more eventful a journey than it would normally be. First, I had to stop at a chemist, and my route on from there took me past Manchester's Central Library just as a group of cyclists was congregating for the monthly 'critical mass' bike ride. I thought "great, a bunch of fellow cyclists to cheer me on". Far from it - one of them actually did a 'pedestrian' on me and just stepped across my path as if I didn't have lights on, reflective vest, the works. This time I didn't fall off my bike, but I certainly had to stop in a hurry. Did he care? Did he heck! He looked at me with the contempt youngsters believe to be the cool reaction to their own stupidity, and turned his back on me. Call me prickly, but a bit of courtesy would not have been amiss.

On the road, I had a car overtake me and turn left - luckily it happened to be the way I was going, but I hadn't signalled, so I could have been going straight across in which case I'd have ended under the wheels. And on Bury Old Road I had a big 4x4 screech and beep right beside me, all of a sudden - not at me, but because another car had failed to get out of their way quickly enough.

The truth is, while I am as determined as ever to cycle every day if possible - and I still thoroughly enjoy doing it - my fall just over a month ago has shaken me a bit. Perhaps I was naive before: I knew people had acccidents, but they didn't happen to me, I was sooo careful and sensible... alas, it ain't that simple now, is it?

After a few drinks following a school disco...

Last night was the school's Halloween Disco - long awaited because us dads had agreed to let the wives take the kids home while we went on (2nd year in a row) into Bury for a few beers.

After those few beers one of the group, who has started cycling 10 of his 26 miles to work, reminded me that we had (jokingly, I thought) agreed to do a major cycle ride - eg the Coast to Coast. But he's been on the website and all, so I was challenged last night to make good on my word. 'Yeah, summer', I said. 'No: spring' came the reply.

So, we better start preparing - body, mind, soul and bloody bike...

New rear wheel

Spokes. I had been losing spokes at a rate of 1 every 6 weeks (average). The first time I took the bike to the shop I bought it from, in Prestwich. Trouble is, it's not really the most convenient thing for me as it is 1/3 of the way to work. So I started taking the bike to the Bicycle Boutique, a little workshop-cum-shop near the University, very popular with students etc (they themselves have expanded recently, taking over a bigger workshop next door).

Anyway, last time they told me they could no longer guarantee they'd be able to true the wheel. Also, I was unhappy at breaking spokes as a matter of routine. So this week I left the bike with them on Tuesday, had a couple of busy days where I needed to drive, and yesterday I picked up my bike, fitted now with a brand new rear wheel (it set me back £30).

I hope this will solve the problem. I really can't think of anything I'm doing that prompts spokes to snap, so my money is, alas, on poor quality in the first place (I did by a cheaper bike!). Not that £30 can be buying me top notch either. Let's wait and see

Through cloud and sunshine

Look at you, through morning fog and mist
Look at you, emerging from a cloud
Reflective vest, red warning lights and proud
Lycra-clad goddess who makes morning mist lift

It's different in London

I spent a couple of days in London last week. One evening I managed to spend some time around St James' park, the Mall, Birdcage Walk and all those. Of course we know London is bigger and all that - but really, there's a lot more cyclists on the road as a proportion of total traffic. And in numbers there seems to be variety - both in terms of the type of cyclists - from lycra boys to skirt-clad girls with a handbag slung in a rear basket (can't think of a better way to attract a thieve!). This includes its share of nutters - like the one wearing a horse-riding helmet! There is also great variety in the bikes they ride, from fold-ups (lots of fold-ups) to racers to hybrids to fancy European models made for gently going up and down roads in a flat-ish city.

On the minus side, London cyclists and bikommuters are - on the road - like all Londoners: impatient and unforgiving. True, it is not easy to go through central London, what with all those pesky pedestrians - UK and foreign, and of the latter there's a lot more in London than in Manchester - getting constantly in the way, jumping red lights etc. But one feels that, just like motorists rev the engine at the traffic light, cyclists also have that 'killer instinct'. Perhaps it is because many of them are converted motorists who can't afford the congestion charge?

3rd party insurance

After my recent nasty-ish fall I have become more cautious in many respects. Not overtly, but it's all about the little things, the going a bit more slowly, trusting pedestrians even less, perhaps ringing that bell a bit more often and with more energy. And I have been thinking about 3rd party insurance. I mean, let's face it: what IF I hadn't manage to avoid the bloody woman whose stupid recklessness caused my fall? She could have been injured - and then, who would pay for the damage, in blood and treasure, but yours truly? And then you hear the horror stories of motorists with good lawyers managing to turn the table on you?

I had the good sense of emailing GMCC's yahoo group - the response was immediate and the overwhelming recommendation from the bunch of people who responded was... join CTC. So I have! Membership includes insurance, and anything else I may get on top will be a bonus.

Gadgets

I have been thinking about some gadgets cyclists or bikommuters like myself could use, and others that would help with that intractable problem - sustainable transport. Here goes:

- Mask: yes, there already are masks to combat the effects of pollution (enthusiasts of such masks will tell me that my lungs are heavy with the detritus of carbon combustion from bus diesel engines and the like). But what I am talking about here is a mask that will help condense the moisture in the atmosphere (amply abundant in Manchester except on sunny and dry days, either in a hot summer or a very cold winter - both rare). This would help rehidration without the need to carry your own supply.

- Exercise bike: no, not the stationary kind. Instead, this will be a bike that is powered not just by foot pedals, but by the arms - so it provides all round exercise. Not an entirely new concept: the other day I saw a wheelcher for a person that could only move one arm. It was operated by a single lever which was used both to steer and to power the vehicle.

- Generator: you've seen the cycling trainers - rollers to turn your bike into a stationary one so you can improve your technique, get some quick practice at home etc. Why not extend the concept and use this effort to generate electricity? Power your electric shower for instance - either take it in turn with your partner / flatmate to power each other's hot showers, or perhaps more daringly, create a shower where you pedal for hot water!

- Modular car: OK, not a cycling gadget, but if it helps with traffic, pollution etc why not. This wold involve a small two-seater (think 'Smart') which could attach seamlessly (by retracting rear wheels, collapsing the hatch door at the back etc) to another, to make it into a four seater. And why stop at two cars - attach three or four and presto, you've got a people carrier!. It will be easier when fuell cell engines become the norm.

Rainfall and fall 2.0

A week ago I made my way home in an hurry. It was raining. I followed my usual route. It was about 17.30 and I got to Cheetham Hill. I was going down the road towards the traffic lights next to the New Robin Hood Hotel, there happened to be little traffic and so I allowed myself to gather speed.

At the bottom of the road, waiting for the traffic lights (I thought) were two women, one of them talking on her mobile. This one turned and (I thought) looked me in the eye. I thought "Ok, she's got me", as I continued down to make the green light. And then, all of a sudden, the women stepped on the road, right in my path. My reaction was purely instinctive: I applied the breaks. In the rain, with the momentum, the bike skided.

Next thing I know, I'm laying on the road, on my right side, right arm outstretched over my head, at the feet of these wretched two women who glanced at me as if I was some sort of worm or slug, and then walked on. I did consider chasing after them, and worse - I shouted at them instead, not obscenities but the tone was clear enough. It was then that I realised something hurt, and that I was a bit out of puff.

Still, I had to get home to make tea for the family (long story - Wedsnesdays are really hectic) so I soldiered on. I was angry though, and had a very sore shoulder and side. Took some painkillers, but the following day I went to A&E, where they told me nothing is broken, just sprained (they took x-rays of my shoulder, but not of the ribs). A week on, I still feel uncomfortable. I cycled today for the first time since the fall, and it was fine - but writing, typing, or just laying down on my side still hurt a bit.

Thinking about it, while I blame these pedestrians for the accident, I do realise I did let my guard down for a moment, ie I allowed myself to gather speed down hill when I know the area to be full of shops and bus stops and therefore full of pedestrians who are often less than careful. A few months ago a colleague from work suffered a similar accident in the very same spot - outside the Robin Hood Hotel. In her case, she ended up with her foot in a cast for 7 weeks, so I can count myself lucky.

Mountain bikers

No, I'm not a mountain biker - but I did go camping to the Lakes recently. On my walks I came across a group of keen bikers doing a descent that, on foot, required some concentration - loose earth and slate chips that could turn slippery at no notice. Why anyone would want to up the risk factor hundredfold by launching themselves down the slope on two wheels is beyond me.

Halfway down there was a little stream. Of the 8 or so bikers, half stopped at that point and stepped across, bicycle on shoulder. The other 4 performed a spectacular jump - it looked great, but I would hate to see one of those stunts go wrong.

The last mile (and a half)

My daily cyclommute is 7 miles and on the way down into town it takes me on average 45'. That said, the first 5.5 miles take 30' - 35'. If I set off at 9am from Whitefield, I pass Manchester Cathedral at 9.30am. Where do the other 15' go?

The answer is: city centre traffic design. Yes, I am a bit of a zealot when it comes to traffic lights - I may sometimes join pedestrians when the little green man lights up, but otherwise I never go through red lights. The problem is that, once you reach the Cathedral, traffic lights multiply like rabbits on all main roads leading anywhere. This is compounded by the one-way system. I can't help but think that this is all design with the car in mind, with some provisions to appease pedestrians by providing them crossing points at frequent intervals (in the understanding that, at busy times, they will ignore all lights and just cross when and where they want to), and cyclists just do not feature in these calculations.

I have tried de-touring to side-streets. I have actually measured myself against other cyclists whom I knew were going to the same destination and stuck to the main roads, so I can say that side roads may give you the impression of saving you time, but in effect they make no difference at all - not with any consistency, at least. You see, it all hinges on how the gods of traffic lights look upon you: some mornings they show you nothing but green, other times they conspire to slow your progress to a miserable crawl. The former usually happens in sunny weather, the latter tends to coincide with rain (at least in my memories).

I could, of course, join the legion of cyclists that to their shame simply ignore traffic lights and treat busy crossings as challenges to their balance skills and hand-foot-eye coordination. But I just don't want to - the moral ground, once you get to it, is a very comforting place and I'd like to remain there and feel entitled to be sanctimonious when I want to.

More seriously - and I never thought I'd hear myself say this - the solution... is revolution: pedestrianise more of Manchester, off-set by a park-and-ride scheme (perhaps building on the successful and free Metroshuttle) and thus create the conditions for a network of pedestrian and cycling avenues into the heart of the city.

You may say I'm a dreamer...

Route companions

Today I want to talk about my route companions. Fellow cyclists who I see frequently on my way, familiar yet at the same time perfect strangers. There the grumpy fellow who shoots past me, morning and evening, in his trusty old bike and weathered high-vis jacket, no helmet, short red hair and no respect for any of the niceties of the road - like stopping for red lights and such like. Then there is the almost-elderly gentleman who, most annoyingly, always overtakes me when I'm going up the slope, at high speed as if it was down hill he was going. His bike is immaculate and old fashioned, as is all else about him. Not overly friendly, at least he does not appear grumpy - and like me, he wears a helmet.

Cyclists dismount

There you have it: the sign that gives the lie to any claims the powers that be may make about how they consider cyclists in their policies, as proper users of the road etc.

You never see signs asking drivers to alight and push, or pedestrians to crouch down or crawl on the floor. But for some reason, if you were on a 'segregated' bike lane (the real sort, off the road) and it reached a traffic light or intersection, then ... cyclists dismount!. It is the lazy solution. They should know that cyclists will not dismount because it is never practical and seldom necessary.

Family bike ride in Tatton Park

When I arrived to the UK to settle down, back in 1998, Tatton Park is one of the first places of interest around Manchester to which we became sort-of-regular visitors. Then we had only one daughter, aged 2 at the time, and I had’t ridden a bike for many years. The possibility of renting bikes and a child trailer and going round the estate was considered several times - but it was always too late, too expensive, or we were with friends, relatives etc who weren’t up for it. Eventually the family grew and the idea of a bike ride around Tatton Park ceased to be practical altogether.

That is, until now. We have been gearing ourselves this year to hit the paths of the famous Cheshire estately home. Because our bike carrier can only hold 3 bikes – there’s 5 of us – we bought a cheap fold-up bike. We have also acquired, from friends and at a nominal price, a trailer bike for my littlest one, whose tiny bike with little wheels would be no good for this. These two things we planned to carry in the back of our Focus estate.

Back from our summer travels, a couple of weeks ago I prepared the bikes for the projected ride. Nothing much – a bit of cleaning, pumping some tyres out, replacing an inner tube in the brand new fold up bike, and of course installing and testing the trailer bike with attachements etc.

Alas, while the Saturday of these preparations was gloriously sunny, the Sunday when we planned to go we got terrible weather – rain, wind, dark clouds, the lot. The following Sunday was not much better, so again we cancelled. The following day, however, was decent enough, and I was to be in charge of the kids (as you do when summer holidays strke). So, my wife went to work, I loaded bikes and kids into the car, and off we went.

So, how did it go? On the plus side, we all enjoyed it, traffic didn’t seem a problem and I could sort of relax about children, road safety, etc. On the minus side, the trailer bike’s attachment doesn’t quite fit my bike and I’m going to have some more work to somehow adapt it – it works fine on a straight line, but a sharp bend will make the arm pivot around my seat post in a way it is not meant to, which results in the trailer bike tilting dangerously. As for Tatton Park, I wish there was more clarity as to where you can or can’t ride your bike. At the moment, it seems as if in theory the whole of the grounds is fair game for bikers – but so it is for horse riders, and I don’t think cycling down a narrow, quiet path in the woods and suddenly running into a group of riders would be that great, for either party. Some kissing gates are clearly pedestrian-only, which leaves you no option but to ride over the cattle grid on the bike – possible, but a little bit unnerving if you have do it with a trailer bike on tow, and then ask your children (esp. the one aged 6) to do it in their small bikes.

One way systems in their collective wisdom

O One Way Systems, in your collective wisdom

You have forgotten the demands of cycling

while catering mostly for pedestrians ambling

and trying to keep motorcars off their kingdom

After two weeks away

I took to my bike today after two weeks away. Changes along the route? Only a few. The saddest is the disappearance of the Church Inn, a 19th century pub that stood opposite Whitefield tram station. True, the pub had been boarded up for months, since it was sold off as part of Morrison's purchase of the old Brand Centre and surrounding land. But at least the building with its red brick and victorian lines stood in place when I left fifteen days ago. Now it is no more - a white building-site barrier stands in its place (Roma's current building will, I assume, be next).

Apart from that, not much. A railings fence has been crashed into in Lower Broughton. A new ostentatious Bentley (WA SIM) is being driven around, circunspectly enough not to provoke my anger or dislike. There were very few cyclists today, despite the good weather (c'mon, people!).

Stockholm cycles

I've just spent the last two weeks in Sweden - mostly in a small town in the North called Kramfors, where my sister lives. And the last couple of days in Stockholm. The fact is, they seem to cycle a lot, at least in this mild summer weather. Much more than in the UK, and in a more relaxed way. Fewer people wearing helmets. Less pannier bags and more open baskets. Less lycra and more everyday clothes, less toe-clips with fancy magnetic shoes, and more sandals, flipflops and that latest fashion, 'crocs'.

And few, very few bikes are locked - I'm very impressed. For some reason it seems to be the older bikes get locked up - for their sentimental value? - while perfectly decent hybrids or town bikes just get left on a kick-stand. I saw this in Kramfors and thought 'it figures'. Kramfors is after all a very small, somewhat sleepy town in an area which is, one could say, under-populated. But Stockholm is, by any measure, a thriving European city. And yet, and yet, one sees many bikes are not locked.

Cycle paths are, by and large, trully 'segregated' and not like our British ones, where green paint is expected to do the job. But they are no panacea and here too I have seen many that defy common sense, eg that are right in the way of car doors opening, or could too easily attract absent-minded pedestrians (or children) as they are segregated from car traffic, yes, but they are almost indistinguishable from the pavement. The extreme example of this is those cycle paths on the very many bridges that criss-cross the old town and sorrounding islands: their pavements overwhelmed by tourists who spill over quite naturally onto the cycle paths, utterly defeating the object of having them in the first place, and forcing cyclists onto the road to mingle with motor traffic.

But who cares: cycling clearly is thriving here.

Shopping in a hurry...

So, school is out. And we are going on holiday. And we are having a big family reunion - my parents from Peru, my sister from Spain, all of us converging on my sister who lives in deepest and darkest Sweden. And who turned 40 recently. And I have to buy her a present. Things busy at work, time is short, all that.

So, reluctantly, I decide to use the bike, in full civvy clothes, for a lunchtime dash to the Arts n' Crafts place - sorry, the Craft and Design Centre, I'll have you know!. This is the ideal place if you want to tell someone, with a pressie, just how much you care (ie more than the usual £10) but don't want to get something big or heavy because it's going in the suitcase (so, no set of crockery from Ikea then).

I then discover how soiled one's clothes can get when one doesn't keep the bike spotless - and when said bike isn't designed to protect one's clothes. I mean, how is a chap to keep his trousers clean in the sodding rain anyway?

Anyway, getting there was easy - just followed Whitworth St, then towards Picc. Gardens, then Northen Quarter and presto!. But getting back - and I should know better, but getting back just showed me why some cyclists in the city centre just give up on the rules. It's not just that the one-way system is messy, but it makes no provision for cyclists at all. It's the same reason why once I cycle past the Cathedral into Deansgate my average speeds drops to that of a snail on medication. Too many traffic lights but no alternate route for the bikes.

It's just wrong. There are enough back streets that are no good to cars but could support bicycle traffic.

What would you do?

Yesterday (Fri 6 Jul 07) I was riding past the good old Robin Hood Hotel when I saw this woman, perhaps in her 50s, crawiling out of a kebab shop, face covered in blood and babbling incoherently. A group of Asian men looked on from inside the shop.

Was she beaten up and thrown out of the shop? Did she fall and hit herself? Was she drunk and pestering or stealing? Did she attack someone, who retaliated?

Should I have stopped? I rode on. I'll never know what happened.

Rainfall and fall

I fell off the bike yesterday. It must have been hilarious to watch. It's to do with being new to toe-clips. Yes, you can see it coming: stop at the traffic lights - put left foot down first. Then sway to the right... right foot should come down but gets stuck in the strap of the toe-clip... by then your sway has reached the point of no return and know the fall is inevitable.

I landed on my knee and elbow, both of which I grazed. It was tipping down. I got up, slowly. Two motorists took an interest - the one in front of me opened his door and shouted 'yawright mate?'. The one behind actually got off the car and came to help - I assured him I was OK, and with wounded pride feigned indifference to my bleeding knee and bruised elbow, and continued my journey ... for half a mile or so, then stopped to lick my wounds and check I hadn't broken anything.

I should have been more grateful to my would-be benefactors. You see, not all motorists are evil cyclist-killers.

Highway code changes, part II

Unprompted (never did follow up initial rejection with him) my MP (D Chaytor, Bury North) has recently written with this:

"
Dear Mr Solis,

I am writing with reference to our previous correspondence regarding your concerns over changes to the Highway Code with regard to cycle lanes.

I have received a letter from Stephen Ladyman MP, Minister of State in the Department for Transport regarding this matter, a copy of which is attached for your information. I hope this information will help to relieve your concerns on the issue.

Thank you for contacting me on this matter. If you would like to discuss the matter in more detail I would be happy to meet you at one of my regular advice surgeries in either Bury or Ramsbottom. If you would find this helpful please contact my assistant in Bury on 0161 764 2023 to arrange an appointment.

Yours sincerely,

David Chaytor MP"

The files Mr Chaytor attached show that someone, somewhere, has seen sense - perhaps the online petition and other types of soft pressure have had an effect:


Department for
Transport
Andrew Colski
Vulnerable Road Users Branch
Road User Safety Division
Department for Transport
Zone 2/13
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London SWIP 4DR

Tel: 020 7944 2057
Fax: 020 7944 9618
E-Mail: andrew.colski@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Web site: www.dft.gov.uk

Our Ref: RSS26/1/2

31 MAY2007







FURTHER CHANGES TO DRAFT RULES 61 AND 63 OF THE PROPOSED REVISED HIGHWAY CODE

Background

In February 2006 we issued a draft of proposed revisions to the Highway Code for public consultation, which closed on 15 May 2006. Over 4,000 people offered a total of almost 27,000 comments.

Taking account of these comments, a new draft version of the Highway Code was laid before Parliament on 28 March 2007. A large number of responses to the consultation concerned the rules on cycling and more than 40 amendments were made to these and other rules to take account of comments from cyclists. However, since the Code was laid before Parliament, further representations have been made by cyclists who remain concerned that the revised text of rules 61 and 63 on cycle facilities and cycle lanes is insufficiently clear.

Proposed change

Having considered these further representations carefully, we believe that there is merit in amending and expanding rules 61 and 63, so as to remove any possible doubt about their meaning. We are therefore now proposing to include revised versions of rules 61 and 63. We have discussed these changes informally with CTC, the cyclists’ organisation. The proposed revised versions are as follows:­
61 Cycle Facilities. Use cycle routes, advanced stop lines, cycle boxes and toucan crossings unless at the time it is unsafe to do so. Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

63 Cycle Lanes. These are marked by a white line (which may be broken) along the carriageway (see Rule 140). When using a cycle lane, keep within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check before pulling out that it is safe to do so and signal your intention clearly to other road users. Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

These changes make clearer the position regarding the advice in the Code on the use of cycle facilities and cycle lanes. The purpose of the Code is to help cyclists and all other road users to use the roads as safely as possible. It does so in two ways. It explains the law and it provides advice and guidance on safe behaviour in areas not covered by legislation.

Rules 61 and 63 are part of the advice and guidance and do not set out legal requirements, which, as explained in the Introduction to the Code, are indicated by the words MUST or MUST NOT. The revised wording for rules 61 and 63 makes it clearer that use of cycle facilities and cycle lanes is not compulsory and that these rules do not introduce any legal requirements.

Cycle facilities and cycle lanes are provided to help cyclists. Cyclists are entitled to use their experience and judgment in deciding when to use cycle facilities and cycle lanes. The proposed changes also make this clearer.

No tolls...

Everybody loves a nutter. Here's a lovable example of a whole bunch of them. Or perhaps we should be scared at their rough-pub-type extremism dressed as common sense:


http://www.notolls.org.uk/index.htm

Of course they have got some points right... but I just can't stomach their blanket opposition to anything that involves motorists sharing the road on an equal footing with anybody else (pedestrians and cyclists, for instance).

"Paths, pavements, bridleways and cycle lanes are provided free. Trains, trams and some buses are heavily subsidised by the taxpayer" - so, they conclude, why should motorists pay taxes to drive?. Why indeed - and let's remember, I am a motorist, a pedestrian and a cyclist, all in one.

Reflexes, reactions

I was coming up Cheetham Hill from Manchester, on Bury Old Rd, the long stretch after The Fort and before Broughton. The road there seems to plateau after going up hill for a mile or so, and one gathers speed quickly before coming to the next slope. Right in the middle there's a pedestrian crossing at the traffic light. I won't mention the number of times that light has gone red when the pedestrians in question had already crossed. We've all done it, it's life, etc.

But this time, there were pedestrians who seemed to be waiting for the light to change. Motor traffic had come to a standstill... but I was doing fine, had my eye on the traffic light (my motorist bad habits linger on) and did not slow down. Then, all of a sudden, the woman who had been waiting for the lights to change, decided that if cars weren't moving she could just jump on to the road.

Then I made my near-fatal mistake: I yelled. No swearwords or angry words, just an instinctive cry of anger and panic. The woman's reaction was to turn her face towards me, open her eyes in frightened disbelief... and then she takes a step back. Which put her right on my path. Now I really had to slam on the breaks - front first, as my spiritual guru Sheldon Brown suggests.



To my credit - having through lack of foresight contributed to this incident - I managed to stop without either hitting the pedestrian or going over the handlebars. The woman was very apologetic. I wish I had had enough breath left to be polite and tell her not to worry. The irony is that, if I'd not yelled, she would have walked on, like ships in the night oblivious to me - and I probably wouldn't have had to stop in such a hurry. So there's a learning point then...

David Chaytor's response...

Below is a response from my MP about changes to the Highway code. It appears to me to be equating lines on green paint on busy roads to 'segregated bicycle lanes' of the kind one sees in Belgium or the Netherlands?

=====================

Dear Mr Solis,

Thank you for your email about the current consultation on the Highway Code. I agree with you completely with regard to the importance of promoting cycling for many reasons, including public health and the environment.

The present government has done more to encourage an increase in cycling, through a wide range of policies, than any British Government in living memory. A key part of this policy has been to build a large number of cycle lanes in most towns and cities as part of the process of building a national network of safe cycling routes. The purpose of this network, which has been constructed following pressure over many years from cyclists' organisations, is to segregate wherever possible cyclists from vehicles for the benefit of cyclists and in the interests of road safety.

It would be quite illogical now to reverse this policy. This does not mean, however, that cyclists are to be prevented from riding on the main highway. It simply means that fifty years' experience of traffic management in Britain , and elsewhere in Europe , has proved conclusively that one of the most effective ways of increasing the number of cyclists on the road is to build separate cycle lanes linked together in cycle routes.

Consequently, I am afraid that I do not feel it appropriate to make any representations opposing the presumption that cyclists should use the designated cycle lanes wherever possible. However, you may wish to respond directly to the current consultation if you still feel that you wish to make the case against the proposed text of the new Highway Code.

Thank you for writing to me on this matter. Please let me know if you would like to discuss this, or any other aspect of cycling policy, in more detail and I would be very happy to meet you at one of my regular advice surgeries in Bury or Ramsbottom.

Yours sincerely

David Chaytor

The new highway code

Letter to my MP:

Dear Mr Chaytor,

I understand that a new Highway Code is about to be approved, containing changes that undermine the standing of cyclists on the road and therefore compromise our safety. I am refering particularly to Rule 63 (http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Documents/consult/Responses/Highway_Code_Draft.pdf) which states that cyclists should use cycle lanes 'wherever possible'. Many such facilities are of poor standard, badly designed or just plain dangerous. Cyclists should not be forced to use such facilities against their better judgment. In short, cyclists should be allowed to use the road. A similar situation applies to the use of roundabouts.
This was debated a year ago (Handsard: 9 May 2006 : Column 24WH), when your colleague Mark Lazarowicz said that "It is important not effectively to encourage the idea that cyclists should be corralled into a small, often badly-maintained section at the edge of the road, and that they should not be entitled to use the rest of the road, like other road users, if they consider it appropriate to do so".

Surely there are many reasons - public health, the environment - why cycling should be promoted, rather than undermined?

Yours sincerely, etc

Red, amber, green: how difficult can it be?

Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists alike, a culture seems to be developing in the city centre, one that places disproportionate value in the pitiful gains that come from going through a traffic light that has 'just' changed to red. A sort of collective reasoning along the lines of 'red is the new amber' seems to have taken hold.

The various junctions along Princess St are examples of this.

Perhaps part of the problem is 'structural' - in other countries, turning times at junctions are regulated explicitly by the traffic lights - with filters for all directions. Here the position is 'it is OK if the road is clear', which is great until people begin to make 'selfish' choices, ie abusing the system.

The day before yesterday I got confrontational. I saw the light change and quick off the mark I advanced. A car coming from Portland St on my right, having seen the light change (green for me, red for him) but wanting to turn into Princess St., decided to carry on regardless - as if I didn't exist. I gesticulated wildly to signal that I wasn't stopping... eventually he gave up and stopped awkardly, past the line, at half-turn (phew!). I felt slightly foolish afterwards - my self-preservation instinct re-asserting itself, belatedly - but also somewhat satisfied to have achieved such a petty victory.

Each day, its battle...