Bloomin’ Heck – Aldgate to Stratford.. A Cycling Corridor!

That’s my route.. ‘conveniently’ something to do with ‘the Olympic route’.

Pinch me.. surely this is a joke?

This is one of the worst cycling routes in London (unless you nip down a side street)- Illegal vehicles regularly use the bus lanes, you get concrete mixers and 18T lorries down it and it is heavily congested and the pollution sucks despite Low Emission Zone.  Millions of traffic lights get in the way causing extra dangers. I am fed up with the Road Accident signs that line the route!

If they are going to make this a cycling ‘corridor’, it really has to be car free, not a ‘pretend cycling corridor’.

Here is what LCC had on their site:-

TfL and its partners have sent out an invitation to attend a public presentation of plans to regenerate the Aldgate to Stratford route into a thriving ‘High Street’, including a cycle corridor. This follows a public consultation in June and July.

The presentation took place from 6.30–8pm on 29 October, at the Idea Store, 321 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BU.

Those unable to attend the presentation can send your feedback via mail@soundingsoffice.com.

Another second presentation takes place in Newham at the Old Town Hall, Stratford in November.

As an aside, it’s ironic to note that it could be along this same route that Olympic officials envisage being shuttled from the city centre to the games in over 3000 limousines.

Day Time Running Lights no good for Cyclists says ECF

This comes from the European Cycling Federation (www.ecf.com):-

“Brussels, 7 October 2008 – The European Commission decided to introduce Daytime Running Lights (DRL) on all new vehicles from 2011 onwards.

 ”We strongly oppose this initiative because it is not based on conclusive evidence and might even prove harmful to cyclists”, says Annick Roetynck from the European Twowheel Retailers’ Association (ETRA). “To claim that this measure will increase road safety is simply not right. Let alone the paradigm shift it will bring about: vulnerable road users will have to watch out for cars instead of the other way round”, adds Bernhard Ensink from the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF).

EU Vice President Günter Verheugen said that reducing road fatalities by 1,200 – 2,000 lives per year is the main argument to introduce DRL – a system, which makes car lights work in daytime. “But the 2003 TNO study on which the Commission bases the above estimates did not examine the effects of DRL on car drivers’ behaviour toward vulnerable road users. What’s more, the study has no conclusive evidence about the effect of DRL on accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists”, Annick Roetynck explains. Bernhard Ensink adds: “In September 2001, ECF together with FEMA, the European motorcyclists’ association and FEVR, the European federation for road victims, presented to the Commission a position paper, which contained an overview analysis of the scientific evidence available on DRL. That analysis clearly showed that, in spite of well over 50 DRL studies carried out over 30 years, it was impossible to achieve a reliable measurement of the effect of DRL on road safety. The TNO study on which the Commission has based its decision shows exactly the same shortcoming.”
The Commission argues that all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists can detect, recognise and identify vehicles equipped with DRL, better and earlier. “So kids can see the cars, but can the cars see the kids?” asks Bernhard Ensink, citing medical research that too many light sources make non-illuminated objects and persons, such as pedestrians and cyclists, less visible.

Photo ‘Streetmap’ of London

This is a website where you can see Central London in the form of photos and you use arrows to move down the streets.

Some people, perhaps with things to hide, have complained about privacy as people are often recorded and perhaps they can be in compromising situations!

However, from a cyclist point of view it gives us a better idea of what the roads look like, cycle paths, road signs, badly parked vehicles, architecture etc,also shows how filthy the place can be if there is rubbish lying around. It can be a good thing that some of the bad stuff is highlighted!

www.seety.co.uk

Illegally Parked Van Driver gets telling off from Boss

This is a copy email sent to me this afternoon from a company who had a vehicle that was illegally parked on a cycle lane. Velochick reported him with a backed up video!

 

To Velochick

 

cc (name of driver) 

“Please make sure you are parked legally and do not obstruct either pedestrians or cyclist! I have received the following complaint regarding your vehicle this morning”

 

Regards

 

(Boss)

 

++

 

I am going to write back and thank him for letting the driver know (and not become sloppy and complacent!)

Cycling Products ‘Gekko’… Overpackaged?

I bought this yesterday as my light broke again. It is a LED Gekko. The product is tiny and yet the company Knog have decided to package it in plastic and loads of cardboard.

I have contacted them as to their packaging policy today and look forward to hearing from them. We have enough rubbish in this country without this company adding to them! They assume that no cyclist will ever complain.

Their website is www.knog.com.au

Basket bar Camera!

Well, my gadget that’s supposed to velcro my digital camera doesn’t work. The velcro is too short and the plastic bit isn’t at the right angle for my camera.. so I have thrown money down the drain.. still, at least I know it doesn’t work!

Instead, I found an old tie that I found in a cupboard and tied it to the front of my basket. I hope it doesn’t fall off. It looks OK as it doesn’t get in the way of my handlebars. I have just tested it just outside my house and it seems to be fine but will it be ok for longer journeys? I was quite surprised at how good the view of the road was.

I think I am getting somewhere!

Snow in London

Well, I wasn’t in London so I had missed the snow which was a shame.  The only snow in London since 1934 they say. However, I did see the snow clouds forming which was as exciting as it got really! 

Now, I wish I had a camera that could take timelapse clouds… now would be fun to do. Maybe I can do it on my camera… some of the settings I never use, so maybe I don’t need to buy another camera after all.

My hybrid isn’t fit for London yet as I still haven’t sorted out the brakes, will have to do that by Friday.

There’s usually one bike in the bike shop every week I’ve noticed!

‘A’ has a spare cycling shorts, you know the one with the straps, a kind of cycling ‘mankini’. Very nice although as it is a ‘men’s one’, it may have a ‘lunchbox’! I am not sure if they do unisex ones so we will see.

 I haven’t seen Russell Brand on my cycling travels round Leyton since last time. In the paper he was at his home in Hampstead.  Today I heard he has resigned.. what a bloody mess! I can’t believe they went on about this rubbish in Parliament.

How other countries deal with congestion…

So silly ideas such as allowing motorcyclists in bus is silly, look at Vietnam: (from Daily Telegraph) Vietnam bans small-chested motorists

Wonder bras are set to become best-sellers in Vietnam where the country’s communist rulers are set to ban small-chested motorists.

 

“Anyone with a chest under 28 inches will be banned from driving a motorbike – which make up 90% of the traffic in the country, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The idea is to prevent people who are too thin, too short or too sickly from riding a motorbike. Ailments such as enlarged livers or sinusitis will also rule out aspirant motorists.

“The new proposals are very funny, but many Vietnamese people could become the victim of this joke,” said Le Quang Minh, 31, a Hanoi stockbroker.

“Many Vietnamese women have small chests. I have many friends who won’t meet these criteria.”

The average Vietnamese man is 5ft 4ins tall and weighs less than nine stones. The average Vietnamese woman is 5ft 1in tall and weighs about seven stones.

Vietnamese bloggers have been poking fun at the plan, envisioning traffic police with tape measures eagerly pulling over female drivers to measure their chests.

“From now on, padded bras will be best-sellers,” said Bo “

Spotty Cycle Top

I have heard on the grapevine that a polka dot fluorescent top may be coming out. They have to be approved by British standards though. I will be kept updated on this.

Road Testing Helmet Cam

I have a useless Tony Hawks Helmet cam, so useless, I have hardly used  it!  

I took about half an hours worth but only 5 minutes worth was filmed.  It cut off. It appears to only take 5 clips. It is probably broken now as the ‘movie’ thing doesn’t flash and it has a permanent 0 in the screen!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=W3n8_rJb_wU

This is Leyton and you can see how narrow the roads are with the cars parked on the left hand side and the busy traffic on this Sustrans recommended cycle route.

 

Update: It works now as I put yet another set of lithium batteries. So, if it runs low on batteries, it only shows the screen, but doesn’t do anything.

I have been looking at other helmet cams such as Oregen Scientific but I think it is best to chat with other cyclists. Maybe they all have the same kind of problems with these bloody things! I wonder if the expensive one are really any good? They use so much battery power. Maybe it is just easier to have a digital cam I can just put on the handlebars? Then the films would last much longer.

Update: I am going to try and use my digital camera and stick it on the handlebars. I have just bought a handlebar mount online but whether it works is another thing. I will use the Tony Hawks in London but only for the scary rides!