London Cycling Campaign launches ‘Safer Lorries, Safer Cycling’

by | Jan 24, 2013

London Cycling Campaign aims to highlight and bring to action safer cycling conditions for those in the boroughs of London. 

Today, as part of their Safer Lorries Campaign, they’ve launched a hard-hitting video demonstrating the catastrophic affect a collision between a lorry and a cyclist can have.

Highlighting the significantly high incident rate compared to the small number of lorries that make up the traffic on London’s roads, London Cycling Campaign are calling for cyclists (as well as pedestrians and motorcyclists) to write to their local councils to action ‘safer lorries and safer drivers‘.

Actions, already actively used by Transport For London’s lorries, include:

  • Cyclist-awareness training for all lorry drivers
    Training involves lorry drivers riding bicycles on the road so they can better understand the vulnerability of people who cycle. This training is low cost and available all over London.
  • All lorries to have the latest safety equipment
    This means a full set of safety mirrors and sensors/cameras that help the driver be more aware of vulnerable road users near their vehicle. These cost a few hundred pounds per vehicle.

Their map of the London Boroughs also highlights the different standards in cycling safety across London; showing only 2 of the 34 boroughs are currently participating in trying to make a difference.

Of course, not looking to point the finger, LCC also highlight safety considerations to cyclists sharing the road with lorries too.

Do you want to make a difference to cycling safety in your area? Submit your support to your local council through their easy to use form.

Hayley Davies

Hayley Davies

Writer

Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping!
Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk

The London Bike Show 2013

by | Jan 23, 2013

LondonBikeShow

I was delighted to receive two tickets to the London Bike Show last weekend and rather gutted to find out I couldn’t go. As an ex-pro who still cycles every day, my Dad was of course, more than happy to pop along. Here’s Tony’s account of the bike show on Saturday…

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The moment I stepped off the Docklands Light Railway on Saturday morning I knew it was going to be busy.  The snow that had fallen copiously in the London area the previous day meant I had to use public transport although I have never been totally comfortable travelling on a driverless train and leaving everything to a computer.  I had assumed that the weather would keep a lot of people at home but I was so wrong.  The masses propelled me towards the entrance and looking around at my fellow visitors I couldn’t help but notice how well prepared they were for bad weather with a good selection of beanie hats, stout boots and several in what appeared to be rubberised jackets.  All was to become clear.

The queue at the entrance was at least 50 deep but moved quickly. My ticket was snatched away and I found myself inside the ExCeL centre – but oh no, the overhead banner proclaimed  “Welcome to the London Boat Show”!  My inner chimp panicked, how would I retrieve my ticket and get back out? Then I heard someone say “the Bike Show is in the hall at the end”.  Tickets gave access not only to the Bike Show but also to the Boat Show, The Outdoors Show and the Active Travel Show.

It wasn’t yet 11 a.m. but it appeared that the Bike Show was drawing in well over 25% of the visitors and so my slow shuffle down the first isle began.  The sheer volume of people attending in such bad weather is a fine testament to the popularity of cycling, however, on this occasion it did make it difficult to have a chat with stand attendants.

Even though progress was slow, what struck me straight off was the number of stands showing complete road bikes for sale.  Pinarello had the largest stand, right in the centre, displaying a wide range of complete bikes from entry level sportives at around £1,000 to their top end time trial machine coming in at £14,000.  If you can only manage £11,000 then you can pick up a nice little track number.  Boardman was also there in force at the far end, close to the Animal Bike stunt track where Martyn Ashton (four times British Bike Trial Champion) and Blake Samson were performing mind boggling acrobatics and aerial manoeuvres.

I know I’m an oldie, and call me old fashioned if you want but much of the roadie’s off season pleasure used to be gained from reviewing and selecting the various components that were to be built onto the coming season’s new frame.  Now the pressure of volume production versus price directs most of us towards pre-configured complete bikes built around a mass produced monocoque carbon fibre frame, 99% of which are manufactured from one of four or so factories in the far east using carbon fibre spun from one of three Japanese facilities, Toray, Toho Tenax and Mitsubishi Rayon.  Time and time again I asked where the vendor’s frames were produced and got the same answer.  At Canyon Bikes I asked again if their frames were made in China?  “No” the proud German lady proclaimed, I was momentarily excited – perhaps it would be Dusseldorf or Nuremburg, but alas “….ours are manufactured in Tie-van” (she meant Taiwan)!

I could only find three suppliers displaying custom carbon frames.  Sigma Sport were offering a hand built custom carbon frame from the iconic Italian Colnago house using preformed carbon lugs bonded to the tubes.  I was told Signore Colnago strongly believes this is the right way to do it.  You would need £3,000 or more to have one made to measure but I can’t help thinking that these are like giant Airfix kits – preformed pieces glued together and very quick to assemble, although I must admit the multi-stage hand paint process is fabulous.

Le Beau Velo, distributor for the Italian Fondriest brand were offering a bespoke carbon fibre ‘layup’ frame, where the joints are held together with cut-to-fit carbon fibre sheets bonded with epoxy resin rather than preformed lugs.  I was told no UK fabricator does this.  These frames are hand made in Italy and again have a price tag north of £3,000.  Their tubes are constructed from Toray carbon fibre from Japan but they claim the actual manufacturing of the tubes is performed in Italy, presumably by ATR who also supply Colnago and are one of the very few non-Asian manufacturers of monocoque frames.  Equally as strong, stiff and responsive as a carbon monocoque, Le Beau Velo’s typical custom frame customer is a gentleman of a certain standing who can afford something that looks special…that is special, whilst still young enough to ride to its full potential (or most of it anyway),  “a top end racing frame that is seldom used for racing”.

The Extra stand was also displaying carbon lugged frames manufactured by Time.  Time is a French company who obtain a lot of their revenue from contracted carbon fibre work at the Airbus aircraft factory in Toulouse.  This has enabled them to become another of the very few non-Asian manufacturers of carbon fibre weave, although their volume in comparison to the far east manufacturers is very small and the number of frames they produce is also small in comparison.

Independent steel and titanium frame builders were noticeable by their absence and I saw only a handful of non-carbon frames for the serious rider.  There was no Bamboo construction in evidence at all, which is surprising given the ‘green’ momentum these fabulous machines have been getting.  Perhaps the cost of renting a stand at the show is prohibitive to all but the largest suppliers and distributors.

One final note; I happened to be ushered by the masses out of an isle just in front of the Jaguar Performance Theatre as the newly formed professional team sponsored by Madison Genesis was being presented (video below).  First up was Dean Downing followed by 8 or 9 fresh faced professionals all hoping to be part of this year’s UCI Continental team under Roger Hammond’s stewardship.  They also announced that Genesis has been working with Reynolds to develop a new ‘953’ steel-alloy frameset.

Overall, a hugely enjoyable and educational experience, if hampered a little by the sheer volume of visitors.  I stopped on the way back to meet my wife at the newly built Westfield-Stratford shopping mall.  It was empty by comparison!

 

 

 

Hayley Davies

Hayley Davies

Writer

Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping!
Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk

Night Rider

by | Nov 25, 2012

Part way into my 2nd ‘off-season’ as a cyclist and I really don’t want anything to do with the ‘off‘ part of that phrase. Cold-turkey symptoms clearly kicking in with pangs of anxiety attacking on dark Friday evenings at the realisation that the weather is going to be too cold/wet/windy to enjoy a weekend on the bike and that, shock-horror, I actually have to find something else to do for the weekend. Pure panic sets in and in no time I’m worrying that in the space of a month or two I’ll have lost my form that I spent hard work building up throughout the spring and summer months. My muscles are already aching through lack of use. I can’t have that!

So to keep my inner chimp that much happier, I suggest to my club members that given the reasonably warm-ish evenings (once you’ve 5 layers on and spinning a happy 100rpm), the increasing number of high-vis and high-tech lights that are available on the market, and of course not forgetting our well lit cycle paths here in the Netherlands, that we head out for a night-ride.

Now, getting on the bike, in the dark, and completing 50km is not something I would have considered this time last year. And it’s not because I think it’s unsafe (more to come on that), but more because I wasn’t so bike crazy!

To me, the idea of getting out in the dark, only the immediate road ahead visible, seemed like a great exciting adventure. After all, there’s only so much flat land you can look at here before you get bored. At least riding in the dark would require a little more concentration!

It’s probably no surprise however, that the majority of club members responded as if I’d asked them to jump in front of a train. It ‘sounds scary‘, ‘ooh it’s too un-safe‘ or, it would seem, some of them actually know how to participate in an ‘off season’. Luckily however, another fellow English person, maybe as crazy as me, volunteered to pick the route and accompany me. And that there, is key. Identifying our route in advance, we were able to flag any obstacles or parts of the route that may cause an issue.

Getting on the bike last Monday evening, I didn’t really know what to expect. But being well prepared, I enjoyed it much more than I thought. It was a little odd at times cycling through pitch-dark country lanes, not able to even identify the animals in the adjacent field and unsure if the dog barking ferociously at us is locked up, but the whole experience was much easier than I’d thought it to be. The roads were pretty empty, and the cars that did pass us (thanks to a lot of lights between the two of us), did so with great care; some in fact refused to even pass us – imagine that!

I not only enjoyed my night ride, but I managed to get 50km of cycling in during the week, that I didn’t think would be possible without sitting in a gym or bare room staring at a wall or DVD. So, why not mix it up and get out there and try it too?
________

Want to plan a night ride? Here’s my tips on keeping it safe and enjoying it.
1) Plan the route – know your intended distance and pick a route you’re familiar with or know well. Identify in advance any obstacles i.e. blind junctions, corners, road furniture and make sure everyone is aware of the intended route. Maybe plan a couple of ‘get out’ short cuts or train stations that you can easily get to if you need to cut it short. And of course, be extra vigilant in making calls – forget pointing – you need to be vocal about any little thing that could easily cause trouble.

2) Don’t go alone – as tempting as it may be, going out alone isn’t the best idea. The more people, the more visible you are to others and the road to you. Plus, if you happen to get in trouble (try fixing a puncture in the dark!) 2 is better than 1. However, don’t forget that too many bodies can also be a hazard.

3) Be prepared – I’ve already mentioned the dreaded puncture, so bike maintenance is key. But, should things not go your way, make sure you carry a phone with plenty of battery to last the ride, and enough money for that emergency lift home should you need it.

4) Be bright – this goes without saying really, and I hope I don’t have to go into detail. Lights, lights, more lights and reflective clothing. It can be surprisingly dark on the rural roads than you might expect, so a good headlight or even a helmet light is best (those shadows can give you the eebie-jeebies if you’re not careful!)

________

 

What kit did I use?

Lezyne Macro Drive Front Light – this is a very powerful headlight but also has 5 settings you can flick between – so dimmer on the lit roads to full beam on the dark country roads. It lasts between 2.5 – 3 hours, so I supported this with a couple of small LED lights, turning off the headlight when it wasn’t needed. What’s great about this light, is the built in USB for charging.
Lezyne Femto Rear Light – nice and small, I was able to hook this light onto my saddle bag with ease. As it is small, it’s easy to slip it off and into
your pocket when you leave your bike/ no longer need it.
According to my friend – it’s nice and bright!

Hayley Davies

Hayley Davies

Writer

Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping!
Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk

#keepcycling

by | Nov 16, 2012

As we struggle with the shorter, colder days, it’s that much easier to give in to our ‘inner laziness’, wrap up warm on the sofa with a hot cocoa and a blanket for endless hours of trashy movies. We all long to spend hours on the bike, just as we did on those “warm, dry” summer days. But just because it’s dark and cold outside, doesn’t mean to say we shouldn’t enjoy being on the bike any less. After all, bikes are made for riding And that’s which what @keepcycling wants you to do.

#keepcycling’s goal is to help motivate those of you already considering packing the bike away for the winter. And there are plenty of ways you can still enjoy your prized possession. So, here’s some ideas from Cycling Shorts to keep you going this winter. And, if you do get out on the bike, don’t forget to share the winter riding love by posting your photos on twitter with the tag #keepcycling and put yourself on the map.

1) Get back to basics- for many, training in the summer is highly focused – all about ‘getting in the miles’, increasing stamina and endurance. Throughout the winter we have the opportunity to put our training goals on the back burner, or at least have a more relaxed approach. So why not go back to basics? Just enjoy getting out on the bike, be it on your own or with friends and family. Take a different route, try something new, go off road, stop to admire the views and hell, stop for that cake (or 2!), you’ll certainly need the coffee to get you warm again.

2) Stay warm – There are no excuses these days to say ‘it’s too cold’. With some fantastic solutions from some of the best brands out there, there’s got to be a something to help keep you warm. And if not, go with the classic stuffing your jersey with bubble wrap, putting your kit on the radiator the night before, lining yours shoes with tin-foil and plastic bags, and maybe add a little tipple to your water bottle (shhh, no one need know!)

3) Rule #12 – n+1 – We’re always looking for excuses to buy *that* new bike; so why not use the winter as one of them? Try something different – get off road on a cross or mountainbike. By doing something different in the winter, you’ll not only be more motivated to get back to your usual training schedule come spring, but it’ll help keep your fitness at a decent level and use different muscle sets too. Who’s up for some muddy trails?!

4) Feel the burn! – For some, getting out in the cold just isn’t going to happen, more so if you’re not keen on riding in the dark (although there are some fantastic lights out there these days). A turbo trainer or set of rollers are a fantastic solution to getting the time on the bike with a focused effort. If you’re not sure you can handle staring at the wall for 90 minutes at a time, there are some great DVDs on the market designed to motivate and help you gain fitness levels you’d think not possible from riding indoors. If you’d rather work out with others, try a spin class at a local gym. Or, there’s always Google Hangouts!

5) HAVE FUN!

Hayley Davies

Hayley Davies

Writer

Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping!
Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk

Impatience Kills

by | Oct 23, 2012

Dear Cyclists of Amsterdam,

Impatience will kill you.

Yet again on my way to work this morning, I witnessed an impatient cyclist try and skirt around the side of a lorry/HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) at a T-junction. And yes, as a result of their impatience (and stupidity) they were floored as the lorry tried to pull out of the junction.

Now, I appreciate you were brought up on roads made for cyclists, where vehicles respect you and you’re given the freedom to cycle. But sometimes, the roads are also shared by larger vehicles, and quite rightly so. Vehicles that are a lot bigger than you, a lot heavier and need a lot more respect.

Not only do they require more space on the road to maneuver than say, your average car; but visibility to the driver is also limited. They can’t be expected and definitely don’t have a 360 degree view of what’s around them; particularly of traffic coming from behind or down the side.

So, do me, yourself, other road users and the driver of the lorry a favour. Next time you see such a vehicle at a junction (or on the road full stop); please give it the respect it needs, and respect your life. Try and save that extra 30 seconds on your journey and you could be lucky to get back on a bike again at all.

Happy cycling.
Hayley

 

 

 

Hayley Davies

Hayley Davies

Writer

Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping!
Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk

An Open Letter

by | Sep 17, 2012

As soon as Lizzy Armistead crossed the line to take silver in an exciting finish to the Women’s Olympic Road Race (more exciting that the men’s may I add!), she didn’t jump at the opportunity to gush about a life-achievement, but to express the disappointing reality at lack of support in women’s cycling to an international audience. She wasn’t only standing on the podium to collect her medal, but to represent a sport that is very under-valued.

Every week since Lizzy stood-up to sexism, there have been multiple articles across various national media outlets on the topic from others in the sport – both women and men alike. However, one sad reality is that the media that matters, the focused cycling magazines which prize themselves on attracting and supporting amateurs in the sport, haven’t changed their stance at all.

Walk in to your local newsagent (they do still exist right?) and you’ll notice that the covers of the magazines are still adourned with the ‘role-model male cyclist’. You’d be lucky to find a column about Marianne Vos winning the BrainWash Ladies Tour at the beginning of September or tailored training and nutritional advice for women. So, what’s the deal publishers? The girls want to read and be more  involved, and the boys are interested too (who wouldn’t want to see a picture of Lizzy, Emma or Vicky in lycra?!)

And so, I leave you with this – an open letter to Cycling Plus from a passionate reader. Karen posted this letter to Cycling Plus on September 1st after reading a highly sexist article. To date, she hasn’t had a reply and it’s unlikely they’ll respond in print… Seems they’ve lost what used to be a regular subscriber. Read on to find out what’s upset Karen most…
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Dear Cycling Plus

Having been involved in a cycling accident, my husband bought me the September copy of Cycling Plus to read during my enforced immobilisation.

I used to buy your magazine every few months but stopped doing so because I felt that it was geared to male cyclists. However, this month you have excelled yourselves in this respect. My blood pressure started to rise when I read The Hub article on page 32 entitled ‘An old man’s game’ (my emphasis – alarm bells start to ring…). The article bemoans the lack of youngsters in cycling.

Apart from one mention of Victoria Pendleton’s name towards the end, women and girls were ignored, and even specifically excluded, despite the achievements of female cyclists this year. The opening paragraph lists the laurels of GB’s male road cyclists, including Chris Froome’s Olympic bronze, but, unbelievably, no mention of Lizzie Armistead’s well-earned silver medal in the road race.

But the real punch came later. A TT in Teesside is used to illustrate the problem of lack of youngsters; “out of…90 riders, there were only 17 male riders under 40…” (my emphasis). It then accounts for a further 50 –55 older (male?) riders leaving about 20 riders unaccounted for. Presumably these are the female riders. I make that coming on for 20% of the field who are not even deemed worthy of consideration in the statistics. With attitudes like this permeating throughout the cycling community, it is no wonder that women and girls feel like second class cyclists; no wonder that funding is withdrawn from women’s professional cycling; no wonder that Australian pro., Chloe Hosking, felt compelled to call Pat McQuaid “a bit of a dick” for his lack of support for equality in pay!

I accept the fact that there are fewer female than male cyclists, but please, please encourage women in cycling. My experience as a teacher has shown me that male and female pupils work together and respect each other much more than when I was at school – the sexism displayed in your magazine is an anachronism and I suspect that younger male riders are put off by it almost as much as younger female riders.Take a leaf from the climbing and mountaineering press – young, fit and accomplished female climbers feature, in equality with men, in every issue, often being the focus of cover photos and technical articles. Consequently, or co-incidentally, there is no lack of talented girls coming up through the ranks with the lads in climbing walls throughout the country. Respect, recognition and coverage of women and their achievements will only encourage younger people of whichever sex, it doesn’t matter, into our sport.

And think of this, a lot of your male readers may actually like to see photos of young, fit and accomplished female riders in your mag. – may even sell a few more copies…

Yours etc.,

Karen Newman

Hayley Davies

Hayley Davies

Writer

Riding since Feb 2011 Hayley is a 30 year old female who loves adventures. If she’s not on one of her many bikes or in the water on a bodyboard/surfboard, then Hayley is probably out looking for something new to keep the adrenaline pumping!
Website: www.hjdonline.co.uk

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