Dying for a bike ride in London??

Despite the different facilities that have been put in place in London for bike riders, the number of fatalities involving cyclists on the road is not decreasing significantly.

Anita Szucs died in a hit-and-run at Enfield

We are only two months into the year and already three cyclists have been killed on London's roads, with all these tragedies occurring in the space of four days, just over a week ago.

What really brought it home was when a colleague of mine told me that one of the victims was a colleague of her Hungarian partner. My colleague said that when her partner returned home from work last Monday week he was numbed and shocked at the news that he would never again see
his colleague and fellow compatriot, Anita Szucs. The 30-year-old newly-wed had been killed by a car in an apparent hit and run incident on 6th February in Edmonton as she cycled home after a completing a late shift.

Anita's death was shortly followed later that day by the death of a Brazilian architect, Karla Roman, aged 32, when she was hit by a coach on the Cycle Superhighway at Whitechapel.

Then in the same week Ben Wales, also aged 32 was crushed to death by a tipper truck at Silvertown, Woolwich on 9th February. It was reported that he was wearing a helmet and high visibility jacket at the time.

Karla Roman killed by a coach on the Cycle Superhighway at Whitechapel

The full details of these accidents are not yet known, but needless to say one death is too many, and with this many accidents it still begs questions about how safe cycling is being made for cyclists in London. It is even more concerning that one of the fatalities occurred on a supposedly segregated cycle lane. This is not a great advert for cycling in London.


Last Saturday a "die-in" and demonstration organised by the Stop Killing Cyclists campaign took place in Trafalgar Square. As well as remembering the three cyclists (and two pedestrians) that were killed last week, activists will demand that the Chancellor of the Exchequer increases its spending on cycling and pedestrian infrastructure  to 10% of the transport budget by 2020. The government's current plan is to spend around £500M on cycling and walking projects over the same period, which will represent less than 1% of the total UK transport budget.

Ben Wales crushed to death at Woolwich

While the new London mayor, Sadiq Khan has pledged to spend £770M on cycling initiatives in London over the next four years, Caspar Hughes, organiser of last Saturday's protest does feels there is still a lot more that can be done.

Hughes said, “The same problems have been repeated for years and although the mayor has increased spending it’s still nowhere near enough." 

British Cycling Policy Advisor (and Olympic Cycling gold medallist), Chris Boardman described the government's level of spending on cyclists of barely £1 per head as "shameful".

Provisional figures recently released by the Department for Transport have shown an increase in the number cycling accidents in Britain. The provisional figures for the number of people killed or seriously injured on bicycles increased by 2% for the period October 2015 to September 2016, compared with the same period the previous year. Furthermore, when the number of killed or seriously injured cyclists for the year to September 2016 was compared with the average figure between 2010 and 2014, this showed a 7% increase (though there was a drop of 4% when looking at all types of cycling accident).

Basically, the number of cycling fatalities and serious accidents in the UK does not seem to be falling. This may be reflected by the fact that more people are being inspired to get out on their bikes but yet the government has not made a proportional increase in investment in cycle safety measures for road users.

Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling may well want to reconsider the invitation from Chris Boardman to accompany him on a bike ride, and see what it really is like to cycle on public roads in the UK. Perhaps that might (only might) make him think more about the safety of cyclists.

My thoughts are with the friends and families of the those killed while out riding their bikes.


Related post
Our dear anti-cycling Minister for Transport

52 Cycling Voices - 4: Carolyn Hewett-Maessen

This week's Cycling Voice comes from Carolyn Hewett-Maessen, who I got to know when she lived in London and was a keen triathlete. She's now living in Colorado (not jealous at all!). However, things haven't quite gone according to plan and she is currently on a determined road to rehabilitation following a nasty accident. I really look forward to seeing Carolyn doing the Maratona dles Dolomites this year.

Carolyn Hewett-Maessen, aged 39

Lives: Breckenridge, Colorado, USA

From: Parkes, New South Wales, Australia

Operations Director for BikePlusTours. Organises and leads bike trips to Europe and the USA 

"I started cycling 15 years ago, when I bought a bicycle from a friend at work who was selling his wife's bike.  I was living in London at the time and figured it would be a much better commute and start to the day than taking the tube.

I used to be a runner and spent seven years on Team Wiggle doing triathlon, but cycling is now my main activity. I do it to get from A to B, when touring with my husband, and of course to keep in shape.

Usually I ride three or four times a week, more if I'm preparing to lead a group trip, in which case I focus on climbing. All of our trips involve climbing! 

At the moment I am getting back into cycling after a serious accident so I just do 10-15 minutes at a time, depending on how I'm feeling that day. 

My accident happened last summer and I have been in rehabilitation since. Unfortunately, I was stepped on by a 2000lb (907kg) horse which broke my hip, my femur and damaged my anterior cruciate ligament. 

I had grown up with horses, so got a part-time job at Breckenbridge Stables. One day last August, while I was in a pen with around 20 horses something in the trees spooked them and they stampeded. I had to have emergency surgery that day and was in intensive care for a week. Now I have a titanium rod in my femur, a screw through my hip, and another one through my knee. I feel fortunate that my leg was my only serious injury, as it could have been a lot worse.

It was also helpful that the hospital I went to performs at least one emergency surgery on legs alone each night from skiing and snowboarding accidents, so they knew what they are doing!  

Rehabilitation has been really tough and frustrating.  You go from being fit and able, to not being capable of showering or going to the loo alone, and being in constant pain. 

Although I am getting better there is still a long list of things I can't do, but a friend gave me some good advice saying I needed to approach recovery like aid stations in a race. Just focus on getting to the next one, which is what I now do. From walking frame and wheel chair, to crutches, to a single crutch, to a walking cane, to only having to use the cane outside. 

I'm pleased to say that this is day five of not using my cane at all, but I am currently in Florida, so the risk of slipping and falling on ice is non-existent! We will see how it goes when I am back home in Breckenbridge at 3000m altitude in the snow! 

The various doctors, surgeons and physios I work with estimate I could be back at full speed by August. I am lucky to have physiotherapists working with me that understand I'm an athlete who is committed to getting back to 100% and is doing the exercises they show me, so they have put me on an 'advanced' program to get me ready to ride the Maratona dles Dolomites cyclosportive in July.

My biggest problem right now is getting my femur to rotate in its hip socket. It's pretty jammed up and doesn't want to move, so I'm on a twice weekly programme where it is stretched, massaged and moved, on top of my daily exercises, to try and get that mobility back. I also do a lot of balance exercises as the nerves in my left leg, which was my injured leg, are all very slow to fire after such a horrific accident

From October last year I was using a recumbent stationary bike for 10-15 minutes at a time. Then I kicked off the new year by using my Verenti road bike on the turbo trainer. I was able to ride for 15-16 minutes with no resistance before I started getting pain, but after playing around with my saddle position I have now twice been able to cycle for 35 minutes. Another aid station to celebrate!

I still get frustrated sometimes. I would normally teach skiing part-time in the winter in Breckenridge, with around 100 days spent on the slopes. But this year I'm not allowed to ski at all. So now when my husband heads out to ski I head to the gym and swim, then do my physiotherapy exercises. 

But I remind myself of how hard it was in the early days. I keep a detailed log of what exercises I'm doing, how I feel and what improvements have been made. I'm very goal driven and competitive so it gives me a boost looking back when my exercise was literally bending my leg a few times, and I was living on a diet of pain killers. I have learnt to celebrate the small victories, which helps keep me positive. 

I love the social aspect of cycling, and have made so many great friends this way, and met some interesting people. I once got to ride with the 1960 cycling champion of Tuscany (Italy) just because he came across me cycling in his area. I really enjoy being able to take our guests on our trips to areas they wouldn't know existed, and experience with them these quiet back roads in the Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites, or the Rocky Mountains - roads that they wouldn't otherwise get to ride. 

As an Australian who has lived in London, Nice, and now Colorado, as well as doing cycling trips all around the world I have seen so many different landscapes. In my opinion, when it comes to road riding, nowhere beats Nice. There are hundreds of beautiful tiny roads and the mountains start right there at the city. There is a reason why so many pros live around there! 

I got tired of the London traffic so I used to take the train out to Princes Risborough or Hitchin to ride from there. I love that cycling has exploded in London, but I found I had to ride earlier and earlier in Regents Park to escape the packs riding there. It stopped feeling safe and I hated that groups would ride three, four or five abreast, holding up traffic!

Colorado has invested a lot of money into its cycle path infrastructure, with another $11 million earmarked for this year. There are fewer roads but everyone cycles here so you rarely hear of road rage against cyclists like you do in other parts of the United States. 

We have added a Colorado tour to our portfolio of trips which takes into account the high altitude, so we slowly acclimatise people, with the queen stage of the trip being Mount Evans, North America's highest paved road. At 4307m it's breathtaking - literally! 

I've had so many great cycling experiences. Riding across Tibet was pretty special, and my solo trip around Italy really hooked me on touring. Three weeks in Tasmania touring from vineyard to vineyard combined my two biggest passions! Last year my husband and I did three weeks cycling across the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. My husband is Dutch so we went from friends and family catching up with everyone which was lovely. This year we have Arizona, Colorado, two trips in Italy, one in the Alps and one in the Dolomites scheduled. 

Not long after I got my first bike I set off on a three month journey cycling around Italy. I love to plan, but there is something so liberating about not knowing where I will be spending the night - car park, soccer field, back yard of a friendly local, abandoned house, a boat - these were some of the places where I bedded down when I couldn't get a camp site. These days our bike tours tend to be at a higher budget so we stay in hotels!

The company that my husband and I own and operate, BikePlusTours was selected to be an official partner of the Maratona dles Dolomites so we have put together a 10-day tour in the region with the race being the grand finale. Riding this will be a target for me. I doubt if I will be able to handle long climbs, particularly as I've never been one to spend much time out of the saddle, so perhaps I will adapt my riding style to give my hip a break (no pun intended!) 

My first road ride will be next month as we have a trip organised to Arizona in April for some early season training. (It's our equivalent of Majorca for the Brits!) There, I will see how I go with the lumps and bumps in the road, and how my balance is.  

I never cycle without my phone. I have been lucky enough to cycle in Tibet, Loas, Australia, Nepal, France, Italy, Austria, Spain, Slovenia, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand and the USA and there have been so many times I saw things I wanted to capture. I love to look back through pictures taken on the road to relive a trip, especially when I am currently only able to cycle in the gym! 

With my phone I find it helpful to play music out of my back pocket if I'm alone and on a tough climb.  (I don't use earphones on the bike.) Lady Gaga has helped me bag a few Strava Queen of the Mountains that way, including climbing up Monte Zoncolan!

At the moment cycling is a goal. If I'm cycling on the road for a decent amount of time it means I'm well on my way to being 100% again. 

Overall, cycling means freedom. There is something special about getting on your bike and exploring the country side, experiencing new cultures, meeting people you wouldn't normally come across. I love it." 

Twitter: @ironcaro
www.bikeplustours.com


Other Cycling Voices
Caroline Martinez

Niusha Doyom

Maria David

Kit review: Stand out in style at night with Monkeysee!

Night-time may be getting slightly shorter, but for many of us it is still dark at going-home time.

So getting yourself seen at night while on the bike is just as important as before.

Monkeysee sent me these jazzy high visibility harnesses to test out. Personally, I find these really useful because it means you can still wear whatever clothing you want - civvies, your favourite jersey or jacket - without having to think about how bright your clothing is. With these type of harnesses you can be seen at night, without sacrificing style.

The harnesses are easy to clip on and clip off, and come in different sizes from small to large. Just carry one in your bag, and clip it on as needed. I chose a zany orange harness with high vis reflective dots on, which I found really stood out in the dark. If orange isn't your bag there are various other colours and designs in the range.

Here are some rough and ready pics taken of me standing on the balcony where I work, but there are some better photos here on the Monkeysee website.

52 Cycling Voices - No.3 Caroline Martinez

This week's cycling voice comes from a Frenchwoman based in Ireland, who has had the cycling bug for the last 11 years and shows no sign of stopping. She just needs a cat-sitter so she can go on that dream trip!

Caroline Martinez, aged 37

Lives: Slane, (Capital of Rock & Roll Ireland), County Meath, Ireland

From: Bordeaux, France

Financial fraud analyst

"I have been cycling for 11 years. Back in 2005 I had just got back to Ireland, after living in Canada for a few years where I had packed on a bit too much weight. 

At that time my scene was live music, guitars and late nights. So I bought a crap bike and started commuting to work to get me moving. 

A few months later I bought a road bike and joined women's introductory rides with Orwell Wheelers, in Dublin. They wanted to get more women cycling and racing in the old Boot Inn local league. Since then I have tried everything in cycling from BMX to Downhill, and my guitar is still sitting in its box. 

In fact I now have a good collection of bikes - a Specialized Amira road bike, Giant Lust mountain bike, Ridley X Fire cyclocross bike, and my trusted fixie, which is still my favourite. I have had it for 10 years and plastered it with millions of stickers. I use it to ride to work, train on it, and I have even taken it with me travelling a few times. Unfortunately I was hit by a car while on it, but luckily it survived. 

I have always done a bit of cycling, particularly since being raised in France, where you cannot escape from the love the country has for the sport. 

When we were kids me, my brother and the neighbours' kids used to wear the red polka dot plastic bags that "Champion" supermarket [sponsors of that jersey] would print during the Tour de France! Or we would cut the bits off the bags and stick them to our T-shirts when riding our bikes.  

Before I started cycling seriously 11 years ago, I thought cycling was a sport of gods. It was almost too good for a little 5 foot nothing (150cm) girl like me. There was no way I could ever do what I saw those super-humans do on TV during the Tour de France! 

Wheel building

I have met so many characters through cycling. It's been such an amazing ride (excuse the pun) I think cycle sport draws certain types of individuals that you would not meet anywhere else. It's like their (or my brain) must be wired differently from ordinary people's!

When I was between jobs, as a way of keeping busy, I got my local bike shop to teach me wheel building, which was quite an experience.

Cycling always manages to suit any mood I'm in. I'm happy: I ride; I'm fed up: I ride; I’m sad: I ride. It’s my alcohol. I can cycle on my own, or with others when I feel like mingling a bit.

My ideal cycle trip would be to ride from my home in Ireland to my home town in the Basque region of France, where my mum lives. I have always wanted to do this and have thought about doing so many times, but I have never had the courage to do it. My excuse is "Who will look after my cat?"

The great thing about cycling is that you can ride at any time of the year, including winter. 

Six years ago when I was doing a lot of road and track racing I purchased a cyclocross bike, for the simple reason that I really hated riding indoors in winter on a turbo trainer. The funny thing is that it eventually drew me away from road and track racing, and now I do road riding just for fun, and I do cyclocross and mountain biking competitively.   

I actually love riding on my own (with Mr Garmin if that counts as someone!), exploring the beautiful Irish countryside around Meath and Louth, my backyard, or further afield in Wicklow ("The garden of Ireland"). I am also happy to go cycling with my partner in crime, David, who got me into mountain biking, or with my buddies Emma and Laura. 

I never ride without my helmet. I have witnessed and have been involved in a few bad crashes on the track, on-road, and off-road, so I am a true believer in helmets. 

Over the last nine years I have been sharing my love for cycling with the world by working as a press officer for two years at the now defunct Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Tour of Ireland, and writing about road, track and cyclocross for the national press in Ireland. 

In 2015 I landed my dream job working for the UCI (the World governing body of cycling, covering the UCI Women's World Cup for their website that season. It felt very special, knowing that what I wrote was being read worldwide! 

Unfortunately, writing about bikes doesn't pay the bills and I had to start focusing on other work commitments. So for the past year, I have not done much writing. But I'm coming back to writing soon, and look forward to being involved in an new exciting project."

Twitter: @Caroline_ie

More Cycling voices

Niusha Doyom

Maria David

A bitter-sweet moment in cycling

Last weekend saw the world's best mudplugger racers converge in Biele, Luxembourg for the World Cyclocross Championships.

In the women's race Sanne Cant won after an epic battle with a now in-form and injury free Marianne Vos. The men's race went as per the bets, with Wout van Aert taking the top of the podium well clear of Mathieu van der Poel, who fell victim to mechanical problems in the challenging conditions.

As with other cycling disciplines Team GB has spent a long time having modest success in major competitions and more so with cyclocross, given that it is not an Olympic sport, so less funding from British Cycling is available.

However, young riders in team GB have begun to make their mark, with Evie Richards who became the under-23 world champion last year, and this year finished in third place.

L-R: Daniel Tullett, Tom Pidcock, Ben Turner (photo: ITV.com)

The real story of this year's World Championships was the men's junior championships in which the podium went to all Team GB riders - Gold to Tom Pidcock, Silver for Daniel Tullett, and Ben Turner rounding out the podium in Bronze position.

This was a wonderful result to see, and real indictment of the hard work and effort put in by the teenagers and their coaches.

Sadly, their achievements proved a bitter-sweet moement as they were still reeling after the death of their fellow training partner and promising cyclocrosser, Charlie Craig. Barely a week before the championships the 15-year old passed away suddenly in his sleep.

Charlie was a well-liked rider who was very talented in mountainbiking as well as cyclocross, and was an apprentice on the Great Britain Cycling Team's Rider Route. He won the cyclocross Under-16 National Trophy Series this season, and took silver at the Under-16 National Cyclocross Championships. The youngster from the Peak District was tipped to follow in the footsteps of older brother, Tom, and father Nick, who has been a huge force in mountainbiking and cyclocross for around 25 years.

Interviewing Nick Craig at 2014 Cyclocross Champs

I interviewed Nick a couple of years ago in Derby at the National Cyclo cross championships when he won the male veterans race. He then went on to compete outside of category the following day in the senior men's (under 40s) championships and came third from a large field that included many men half his age!
Despite his success, Nick was very humble about his achievements.

He did speak very proudly of his two boys who also competed in the National Championships and I could see the proud parent coming out, encouraging them to do their best in their cycle racing.

At the Macc Supacross, held during the Christmas break, I was quite impressed at how Nick, with his sons, rode the 16-mile journey from their home in Hayfield (High Peak), over to Macclesfield and compete (and get a podium place) at the event.

It was such a shock to hear about what has happened to Nick and his family. I feel so sorry, and can only imagine what they must be going through. It must be every parent's nightmare.

Seeing the three teenagers pull off such an achievement of a Team GB 1-2-3 on the global stage at the World Cyclocross Championships was so exciting, but at the same time very emotional. The young lads rode for Charlie, and they couldn't have given a better tribute to their dearly departed training buddy.

I hope that the Craig family are able to take a little comfort from this, though I realise right now they must be swimming in a sea of grief.

Here are the details of Charlie Craig's funeral, taken from Nick Craig's Instagram account

Charlie Craig - Rest in Peace 

Charlie's Funeral will be held on Monday 6th February 2017 at St Mathews Church, Hayfield, High Peak at 2PM. All welcome. Family Flowers only please and donations to be made to Jeremy Unsworth Funeral Services, we are looking at various charities related to sudden death in the young. Dress code casual and colourful, cycling tops and bobble hats welcome for children and big kids X oh cow bells too.

Cycling Poems for Burns Night

Last year Burns Night came and went without another thought and by the time I thought about doing any poetry stuff we were already into February . I said to myself what the heck, and posted some cycling poetry by the poetry hipster, Murray Lachlan Young anyway. This year, I have diarised the event and have even managed to dig out a few verses. Mike Garry, who like Young wrote a poem to celebrate the Tour de France in Yorkshire. It was first recited at a poetry concert called Fear and Loathing in Harrogate, broadcast on the BBC. The evening also featured contributions from other rock'n'roll poets like Phil Jupitus and John Cooper Clarke. I will probably save their poems for Burn Night next year!

Below, there's also a poem by Pablo Neruda, a celebrated Chilean poet who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. Finally, I have included a short ditty that I found on a poetry blog. It's about cycling in October, but I think it's just as relevant in January. Enjoy! And now, time for haggis!

Le Tour De Yorkshire

I saw athletes meet and walk the cobbled streets

Roaming soles were pounding Roman roads

I saw Olympians stand hand in hand

Medal winners standing toe to toe

And Calves did burn on Leyburns hairpin turns

In Glossop the cycling seeds were sown

And not a single frown could be found in any Yorkshire town

And kids are smiling everywhere you go

In East and West Witton the cycling shorts don’t fit them

Big boys in tight tee shirts look daft

But they don’t care if you wanna point and stare

Cos this weekend we’re all game for a laugh

In Constable Burton the locals are certain

They’ve serve the greatest bitter in the land

And they’re probably right cos on Saturday night

Neither man nor woman could stand

I saw one kids face look like he’d just won the race

I saw his gran stood behind him weeping love

His mams eyes were on fire cos his dad’s just retired

To the golden Peloton up above

I saw smiles for miles from a million Yorkshire guys

A million twinkles in the eyes of Yorkshire girls

I saw Sheffield streets where secret lovers meet

Become the centre of the cycling universe

And in Harewood and Ottley I’ve heard Parisians Cockney

Singing Allez allez allez allez go

The tea was sweet and milky

In both Burley and Ilkley

And the tea girls in Bettys know

There’s only one thing better than a yellow sweater

There’s only one thing sweeter than a Yorkshire cup of tea

And that the love your land is like the love of your mam

And that love cannot be beat

Mike Garry (2014)

October biking

Biking is my only Medecine for me 
Fast through the cold wind
I can't even feel my fingers about to fall off
When I bike I'm in the present 
There's no past there's no future
Just keep on biking 
Go fast 
Gliding with the wind

I just wanna bike away

From Hello Poetry.com (2016)

Ode to Bicycles

I was walking
down
a sizzling road:
the sun popped like
a field of blazing maize,
the
earth
was hot,
an infinite circle
with an empty
blue sky overhead.

A few bicycles
passed
me by,
the only
insects
in
that dry
moment of summer,
silent,
swift,
translucent;
they
barely stirred
the air.

Workers and girls
were riding to their
factories,
giving
their eyes
to summer,
their heads to the sky,
sitting on the
hard
beetle backs
of the whirling
bicycles
that whirred
as they rode by
bridges, rosebushes, brambles
and midday.

I thought about evening when
the boys
wash up,
sing, eat, raise
a cup
of wine
in honor
of love
and life,
and waiting
at the door,
the bicycle,
stilled,
because
only moving
does it have a soul,
and fallen there
it isn't
a translucent insect
humming
through summer
but
a cold
skeleton
that will return to
life
only
when it's needed,
when it's light,
that is,
with
the
resurrection
of each day.

Pablo Neruda (1956)

Our dear anti-cycling Minister for Transport!

With the post-Brexit vote government reshuffle following Mrs May becoming Prime Minister we now have Chris Grayling as the Secretary of State for Transport (Minister for Transport).

He's only been in the job since July, but in his short tenure he has managed to offend a lot of people including workers and users of Southern Rail, but also the seven million people who ride bikes in this country by showing his anti-cycling tendencies.

Previous transport ministers like Justine Greening and Philip Hammond at least tried to look like they were interested in improving cycling facilities and made the odd perfunctory speech about being pro-cycling, or were seen riding a bike.


But not dear Chris Grayling. He seems to quite happily make remarks that show more than a passing contempt for cyclists.

Back in December he stated that the London Cycle Superhighways were badly constructed and wet up in a way that cause problems for other road users. By "other road users" he meant motorists!

Then recently, during a Transport Secretary Questions session, in response to a question from a Member of Parliament, he claimed that cyclists do not count as road users!

In the period between him making these two remarks Grayling even doored a cyclist while getting out of his ministerial car, causing him to crash into a lamp post. I guess that was his way of secretly executing his plan to drive these "non-road users" off the road! The footage, which was filmed by another passing cyclist, shows Grayling and his private secretary helping the poor guy, Jaiqi Liu get back on his feet immediately after carrying out the careless act, and Grayling even apologises to the cyclist, checks he's okay and shakes hands with him. All very honorable.

However, note that the Secretary of State did not leave his details so that the cyclist could make a claim for the damage to his bike or any possible injury he suffered. And given that Grayling is also a former Minister for Justice (Lord Chancellor) he should've known how the law works!

Luckily for him, the cyclist involved in the incident decided not to pursued a claim against the Transport Minister.
The irony of this incident is that it took place shortly after a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group in which the Members of Parliament highlighted a need to give cyclists more space on the road!

So our transport secretary is definitely has a lot of back pedalling to do when it comes to his relationship with the cycling community. This does not bode well for the future either, when government is trying to achieve its objective of doubling the amount of cycling journeys made in the UK between now and 2025.

In an attempt to appease matters Chris Boardman, British Cycling's policy advisor and an Olympic cycling champion, invited Grayling to go on a bike ride with him through London so that he could get an understanding of what it really is like for cyclist, and also to show how useful the new Cycle Superhighways are.

In fact, the petition proposing this bicycle ride was rejected by the Department for Transport on the grounds that cycling is not a matter for the department of transport, and that the decision to go on a bicycle ride is a personal decision for the Minister for Transport as an individual and not for the Government or Parliament as a whole.

Given that 54-year old Grayling, who has also been the Shadow Transport Minister, doesn't cycle and hasn't ridden a bike since his student days at Cambridge University it is unlikely that he will accept Chris Boardman's invitation any time soon.  

Thankfully, Transport for London and transport in other towns falls under the jurisdiction of local rather than central government. So plans that are currently in place for cyclists are not in jeopardy. However, moving forward, there could well be troubles ahead since local government receives its funding from central government so reduced budgets could mean that plans to improve cycling facilities for cyclists in this country could soon be stopped in their tracks.

Chris Boardman described the Secretary of State for Transport's recent remarks about cyclists not being road users as "embarrassing".
I just think it's shameful that in this country the government spends less than £1 per head on cycling, where countries like the Netherlands and Denmark the figure is more than £20. I hope Chris Grayling does eventually take up Chris Boardman's invitation to go on a bike ride.