Lets Talk: cycling: Emily Thornberry MP made a short film for Channel Four on the joys and benefits of cycling in the city.

Cyclists win police court battle: "London's cyclists have won a legal contest against the police who wanted to make a monthly bike event unlawful."

My weird cycle lane website gets a mention in Pikle - Brighton Cross - 31 - Of cycling and lanes (long and weird), of bowling (mixed), and a rainbow of huts - a fascinating piece of psychogeography, a walk east to west through Brighton and Hove.

City gridlocked after bike ride: "Hundreds of motorists were stuck for hours in traffic as the annual London to Brighton Bike Ride once again left roads gridlocked ... Roads were plunged into chaos, renewing calls for a park-and-ride scheme and complaints that rail companies would not take bikes on trains during the event." Well, what did they expect? Bring back the slam-door trains!

Website for Les Cyclistes.

Cyclists bare all for greener living: an account from The Argus of the World Naked Bike Ride in Brighton last Saturday.

And another from Mock Duck: World Naked Bike Ride

Another great set of photos of the World Naked Bike Ride 2006 in Brighton.

Brighton Naked Bike Ride

Brighton Naked Bike Ride
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

The Brighton leg of the World Naked Bike Ride set off from The Level around 10.15am after much body painting and disguising of 'naughty and rude bits' under the supervision of a handful of police bobbies (far fewer than on the average Critical Mass). It was a scorcher of a morning and about 160 people cycled down to the seafront, west to Hove, through the North Laine, into Kemp Town and finally to the nudist beach where they could get dressed again. Some were off to London for the rally in the Big City. More photos on Flickr tho none of the ride itself cos I was too busy videoing it.

York Hill

York Hill
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Hoorah for the council for legalising my short cut from Town to home via Preston Circus with this short but sweet contra-flow cycle lane. But there was a missed opportunity on Cheapside where they've made a cycle lane go with the one-way traffic instead of creating another contra-flow. And on London Road more cycling obstacles have been appearing - see the main Weird Cycle Lanes website for more.

Les Cyclistes

Les Cyclistes
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Les Cyclistes, devised by David Furnham, is a play of two halves: Danny Schlesinger opens with an amiable Jacques Tati-type mime based around his Brompton with a flat front tyre, improvising with all the weird and wonderful tools that come with a puncture-repair kit! Then Simon Hedger, dressed as a hard-core cyclist takes over and does a Reg-type monotonous monologue about his Audax exploits as he brews a cup of tea in the cyclists' kitchen. There's quite a bit of Clarion interest - first thing he does is shout Boots! to the audience (I replied Spurs! which identifies me as a Clarionnette). Great entertainment - and it's all free - on Hove Lawns by the Peace statue. There's also several films on the go, in the marquee and in the Citroen van next door, including hilarious archive Pathe footage and the company's own film Allez, Allez, Alllez. There's also an interactive bike taking you on a dicey ride around some suburban streets. It's on until 18 June (not Mondays) from 10am until 6pm. Shame the sunshine is proving to be a bigger draw!

the cool hunter - BIKE PARKING: I think this makes the point!

Riders cover up 'rude bits': "Cyclists planning to take part in a naked bike ride will cover up their modesty with fig leaves after being warned they could be arrested if they expose any 'rude bits'. Up to 100 people are expected to strip on Saturday for a World Naked Bike Ride through the streets of Brighton and Hove."

Cyclist in bike ride court battle: "A cyclist has launched a High Court challenge against police claims that a long-running monthly cycle ride through London is unlawful."

Cyclists strip for a naked protest: "Nude cyclists will be riding through Brighton and Hove as the city hosts its first World Naked Bike Ride. Brighton and Hove will be among 40 cities around the world joining the June event, which will also be a celebration of the human body. Wearing just a pair of flip-flops and a cycle helmet, Nick Sayers, 33, from Hove, was part of the 250-strong protest in London last year."

U-turn on cycle parking spaces: "A victory has been won by cyclists who were told they were not welcome at Brighton's £14 million eco-friendly Jubilee Library. Dozens of cyclists felt snubbed when managers of the land on which the library was built made it clear their vision for the area 'does not include bike racks'. But in a surprise turnaround, cyclists will now get 42 cycle parking spaces. They say this will be a major boost not only to the library but to the whole area as cyclists would be encouraged to visit." Last time I looked, there were no racks on Jubilee Street and I presume the 22 new ones will be with the others by the swimming pool.

BBC NEWS: Crazy cycle lanes: some great citizen witness photos on the BBC website

No cycle parking?

jubilee_racks2
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

And then there were none! Where have the Sheffield cycle racks outside Brighton's Jubilee Library gone?

Where is the cycle parking?

jubilee_racks1
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Only one left! Where have the Sheffield cycle racks outside Brighton's Jubilee Library gone?

Dr Bike

dr_bike
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Dr Bike, alias Ian Davey, does a free postcoding and Dr Bike session outside Brighton Town Hall

Library racks

Library racks
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

On Saturday, I noticed that the cycle rack with missing Sheffields at the Jubilee library now had barriers round them, which provided a bit more to chain bikes to, but why? One theory is that someone is stealing the nuts and hence these types of rack have to be replaced...

Daft cycle paths at nuttycyclist.co.uk: lots of nutty cycle lanes here!

Missing Sheffields

Missing Sheffields
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Cycle parking outside Brighton's new Jubilee Library has just been halved! Three Sheffield stands have been removed... Well, they were a bit close together! Maybe too many cyclists were using the library?

How about a ::Ride of Silence:: in Brighton?

Mock Duck - mockduck saves the world, again: some positive ideas about Brighton's cycle lanes.

Brighton & Hove City Council - cycling conference: "The 'Cycling and the Urban Realm' conference to be held at Hove Town Hall, launches the three year 'cycling demonstration town' project, awarded to Brighton & Hove last autumn. The project will attract £3 million of funding over three years." Council press release for the conference held on Friday 27 January.

no_cycling

no_cycling
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Make your mind up! Presumably it was NO CYCLES at first than someone had a change of heart and allowed them in - but not being ridden!

ebay_cyclelane

Ebay cyclelane
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Not one of mine! This is the cycle lane in Cornwall for sale on Ebay! There were no takers at a starting price of 99p. See below for description.

Better by bike

bike1
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Yes, we know it is! This story is about the Cycling and Urban Realm conference at Hove Town Hall, and about the £3million Brighton has received as Cycling Demonstration Town. I do so hope it won't be frittered away in red tape and beaurocracy - and jollies for council officials to visit Denmark!

Meanwhile, on the last friday of January (and every month) about 60 brave souls plus a handful of cycle bobbies and a CCTV van (to prevent multiple rotations of roundabouts) cycled around Brighton's snowy roads in the latest Critical Mass, taking a small detour through the railway station to see if we could get our bikes onto rush hour trains. Not possible I'm afraid!

eBay.co.uk: Cycle Lane (item 7213485137 end time 28-Jan-06 11:54:08 GMT): this link won't be here for ever so I'll rescue the photo and text!

http://static.flickr.com/15/92098960_b21805fc20_o.jpg

This auction is for an extremely useful cycle lane. Developed by Cornwall County Council at a cost of £123,014 grab yourself a bargain with no reserve starting at 99p.

Practicalities

At 12.32 metres in length, any cyclist, however fit, will never be able to gain sufficient speed to incur a serious accident. In pre-consumer trials I did try a standing fall and grazed my elbow.

Can be used for cycle lane training. Indicate left, pull into cycle lane, brake, check that nothing is coming, pull out and continue. Use it with your children to ensure correct cycle lane entry and exit technique.

I am currently working on a scheme to create a fold up version that could be slotted into panniers; this I think could prove very especially useful in city centres where taxis have no respect for cyclists. Pedestrians may be frustrated.

I am open to any other suggestions.

A forum will be set up at Cornwall County Council to assess strategic environmental benefit contingencies. A raft of cycle lane policy pre-implementation documents will be forwarded to the home office and a purple paper delivered to the offices of DEFRA for personal perusal by John Prescott to cross reference with his current transport initiative.

History

This lane was designed by a health and safety committee working to exacting European regulations. The committee presented proposals for a draught consultation exercise in October 1987, this was reviewed and a 20th scale model produced by a team of experts flown in from Seattle. On approval of the planning committee representatives from friends of the earth decided that the tar content of the bitumen element of the surface might introduce fatigue in the localities hump back toad population and so recommended the use of a synthetic compound subsequently imported from Nicaragua.

Councillor Imap Eddling added 'we here at CCC spare no expense looking after the safety of our environmentally aware commuters'.

Any funds raised will be donated to MENCAP

Please check out other useful devices on this site.

Bikes on Trains - For rail users that can no longer take their bikes on trains: another bikes on trains website.

Cyclists try to put a spoke in rush-hour train ban: "Dozens of cyclists staged a protest to mark the first day of a bicycle ban on trains. Southern trains is turning away bikes to create more space on its overcrowded rush-hour trains between London and Brighton."

Cyclists unite to protest bike ban: "Cyclist Richard Bates, a Mid-Sussex district councillor, has called for decommissioned carriages to be brought back into service as bike wagons, which could also be used for special events such as the London to Brighton Ride."

Cycle Train Commuter Group: The sole reason for providing this site is to co-ordinate efforts to try and get Southern to rethink their cycle carrying policies on peak time trains running from the South Coast to London Victoria.

Just added an interesting photo sequence to The weird cycle lanes of Brighton of how the markings on a new cycle lane by the Jubilee Library are made.

Rail bosses to enforce ban on bicycles: "Under the regulations, which have been in force for a year but have not been enforced until now, people with bikes will not be able to board trains at peak times between 7am and 10am and 4pm and 7pm."

Dangerous things about cycle lanes: a wiki.

London Road Station

London Road Station
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

The newly refurbished Italianate London Road got the Station of the Year award jointly with Ely, and Brighton & Hove Council was Highly commended in the Best Local Government Contribution category (West Sussex Country Council took the prize) at the ATOC National Cycle-Rail Awards in London on Tuesday 7 November 2005. Which is a bit odd, cos despite the 8 Sheffield stands outside, you can't get from one platform to the other without having to negotiate lots of steps over the (new) footbridge or under the (old) subway.

UK Indymedia - Amazing turnout on "banned" critical mass: photos and discussion on the most recent London critical mass.

100 cyclists ride out in protest over cars: missed this month's Critical Mass, but it looked like a good turn out! Next month...

Letter: Fine those who block bike lanes: Becky Reynolds writes: "Cyclists should be allowed to cycle downhill along St James's Street, towards the city centre - the logical route for most people with a bike who live east of the city. Cyclists shouldn't be expected to take devious routes away from shops and other facilities just because the road has been designated as a bus route in the opposite direction. If Brighton and Hove City Council wants to encourage cycling (and it has just received the promise of a grant from the Department for Transport to do so), one-way streets should be made two-way so cyclists don't come into conflict with vehicles."

Department for Transport - Press Notice: Six towns in England will share in nearly £17 million to promote cycling Transport Minister Derek Twigg announced today.

The new Cycling Demonstration Towns will lead the way in encouraging local people to use pedal power. The funds will be used to make the environment more cyclist friendly, offering safety training and promotion to encourage take up.

Under the scheme, the towns will receive a total of £8.4 million Government funding over three years and this investment will be matched by the local authority.

The new Cycling Demonstration Towns are: Brighton, Darlington, Derby, Exeter, Lancaster and Aylesbury.

In the Argus

In the Argus
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

On the day Brighton has become one of the new Cycling Demonstration Towns, with £500,000 a year for three years to boost local cycling, The Argus covers a story about people cyling the wrong way down St James's Street in Kemp Town and the police handing out 30 quid spot fines (when they can catch them!). I love the comment that: 'Some rogue cyclists spotted during the blitz were pedalling so fast that police patrolling on foot could not catch them'.

Ready for action

Ready for action
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Bike bobbies stand by in case of trouble on the cycle lanes at the Labour Party Conference

Labour Party conference

Labour Party conference
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

The Labour Party Conference is in town (begins tomorrow) and there's a ring of steel around the Grand, Metropole and Brighton Centre. Apparently any cycles found parked nearby will be blown up! I went down the seafront to take some snaps and was 'stopped' but not searched) and given a ticket by the Bill for taking a snap (on Flickr) of the bridge between the Metropole and Grand!

edinburgh9

edinburgh9
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Can this really be an official cycle rack outside the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh? Very tasteful!

Jubilee Library cycle parking facilities

library1
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Do cyclists borrow books, or maybe DVDs? Of course they do, so where are the cycle parking facilities at our new award-winning library? We're not really supposed to chain to the railings!

A great site that uses Google maps to be able to plan and measure a route. This one is from my street to Carat's cafe and back!

City cycling: a new online mag for, you guessed it, city cycling!

Lots of bike-related stuff at the London degree shows: esp. the MA part of the Central Sant Martins industrial desin show. This is the website:CSM MAID 2005 -- it's a bit tricksy, but navigate to Diego Bello and his lockable bike stand, and Suchada Supantamart's NagaBike. Over at the RCA, there was an electric bike from Max Wehebrink (which doesn't appear to be on his website) called FiftyFifty.

Letter: Let bikes roam: "The present laws are divisive and are the cause of the friction between the two factions. At the stroke of a pen, the authorities could give cyclists the option of either using the wider road if they wish, or the pavements and promenades." Interesting point! Cycles seem to exist ina no-man's land between roads (the domain of the motorist) and pavements (the domain of the pedestrian).

Letter: Bike cycos: "Reluctantly, I was in Brighton recently and saw something which pleased me: A cyclist get clipped by a van." The Argus seems to be full of these nasty anti-cycling letters these days.

Letter: Five bike points: "To condemn all cyclists on the behaviour of a small minority is akin to saying all motorists force me off the road, cut me up, knock me off my bike, park on cycle lanes and pollute the very air I breathe," says Mike Smith.

Letter: Come and join us: "I was disappointed with Mike Ward's article. Normally, he writes a lot of sense (being an Albion fan) but I'm afraid this wasn't funny and reinforces prejudices some people have about cyclists," writes Howie Blanks.

Letter: If cyclists are bad, car drivers are much worse: "In response to Mike Ward's rant about cyclists, 'Psychopaths on cycle paths' (The Argus, April 12), he needs to relax a bit, take a holiday, do something he enjoys for a day," says Bob Courtney.

Letter: Brighton needs a safe network of cycle lanes: 'Networks of streets could be identified and blocked halfway along to prevent through-traffic but allow room for cycles to pass.' says Robin Clark of Patcham.

Ride a bike: a letter from Becky Reynolds.

Letter: Cycle wardens?: "The summer months ahead are to be dreaded as cyclists appear everywhere."

Letter: Hell in Brighton: "cyclists behaving bizarrely and, indeed, very dangerously" and women with tattoos! Whatever next?

Jerry writes: I've been cycling for over 20 years and spent four of those years messengering in Boston and San Francisco. My worst nightmare is being 'doored'. I've been doing a sticker campaign for a few years around San Francisco and am planning to bring car door safety awareness to the world. The site is still under construction, eventually I will have spots where people can post their experiences and share photos of injuries caused by cardoors....I like what your doing with your site and thought you might be interested!

Cheers from one side of the globe to the other...ride safe!

Here is the site: Your Cardoor is A Deathtrap.

I nearly got doored this morning on the London Road -- by a bin lorry (garbage truck)! I was overtaking it, then got hemmed in by another truck and was about to get squashed!!! -- but it only moved forward a couple of yards -- then the door opened! Fred

Changed the Blogger template and added an RSS feed, thanks to the rather wonderful FeedBurner.

Added Guest photos page 9, containing snaps from

Cycle link could be a bridge too far: Save Braypool South bridge!

Letter: Would-be cyclists put off by road dangers: from Ian Bullock

First published in the Argus on Monday 20 December 2004:

Letter: Would-be cyclists put off by road dangers

Adam Trimingham's piece (The Argus, December 15) is spot on. There are many problems with cycle lanes in Brighton and Hove as well as elsewhere.

Here are three examples:

1. The stretch behind the King Alfred in Hove, with all those little roads coming out on to the seafront, is positively dangerous. Also, the 90-degree turn coming east into the road down to the car park is difficult to negotiate even at minimal speed without hurting yourself on one or other of the metal posts.

2. Some of the old East Sussex cycle lanes which have been left in place are just a joke and one at least is potentially lethal. Coming into town along the A23 at the southern end of Preston Park, you're supposed to realise you need to cross over and then take the signposted route round the houses and eventually to Preston Circus. But there is a bit of old cycle lane left on the corner going up towards Ditchling Rise which - if you spotted it and misguidedly tried to use it - would leave you on the fast-lane side of the one-way traffic heading up towards Beaconsfield Road.

3. A major problem with Lewes Road - especially the notorious Coombe Terrace stretch and the new provision between Elm Grove and the gyratory - is routine parking in the cycle lanes on double-yellow lines. There seems to be zero enforcement of the parking restrictions.

Many people who have taken up cycling in recent years are genuinely scared of being on a busy road.

For them, not being able to use the cycle lanes properly because of parked vehicles is not just an irritation the way it is for me - it is a positive deterrent and must be even more so to those many folk who would like to use a bike but never quite pluck up the courage.

As for the "young outlaws" Adam mentions, they don't impress me.

I can remember the Forties and Fifties when half the police force seemed to be deployed catching cyclists riding without lights and cycling on the pavement, or jumping red lights.

So I can't see much derring-do in doing these things at a time when the constabulary are far too busy.

As long as you don't ride on the seafront, the chances of having to sprint like the late Reg Harris to avoid arrest are about the same as winning the lottery jackpot.

-Ian Bullock, Brighton

Rail ban mars London-Brighton ride - outrageous!

First published in the Argus on Friday 28 May 2004:
Letter: Let councillors ride in death trap cycle lanes

I was interested to see the letters from Dave Duggan and Councillor Craig Turton (Letters, May 21).

Coun Turton assures us that the council is committed to encouraging alternative transport but isn't it time he opened his eyes to the fact the reason people don't use the cycle tracks is that they are death traps?

Any serious cyclist can tell Coun Turton where the most dangerous places to cycle are - the metre of road nearest the kerb has the steepest camber and all the drains.

A pavement full of meandering and inattentive pedestrians with dogs and children running around is obviously not safe to cycle on.

The metre of road next to parked cars has obvious dangers from motorists throwing car doors open and people stepping out between cars.

So where has the council put cycle lanes? The ones in Preston Road are nearest the kerb. The one along the seafront, where Dave Duggan has had accidents in the past, is on a pavement which many people want to use for a quiet stroll.

A few years ago I witnessed an accident in Church Road outside Hove Library, when a motorist flung his door open and knocked a cyclist off. She had been cycling right next to the parked cars, where the cycle lane is now.

The overriding design consideration has obviously been "we can't take too much road away from car drivers can we." But isn't it time the people who design cycle tracks actually gave some serious thought to making them safe for cyclists?

Many of those we have at the present are barely as wide as a pair of handlebars so a large vehicle travelling close to the cycle track is likely to strike the side of any cyclist using it. They have limited signage to warn pedestrians or motorists that they should keep out. There is nothing to stop motorists from parking across them and they seem to start and finish without any consideration as to where cyclists should go next. In fact most of them are far more dangerous than just cycling on the road and dicing with the cars.

So, before Coun Turton and his colleagues on the environment committee spend any more of our money on narrow strips of red tarmac, they should get some bikes and try out some of these death tracks themselves. If they survive the experience, they may be better qualified to pontificate about safety and alternative transport.

-Ian James, Portslade

The Observer: Scandal of our deadly cycle lanes: "The dangerous road layout that has claimed one life in London is now being promoted across the country as a model of good design"

Greenfield Avenue cycle lane - a weird one from Stourbridge.

Share our promenade
First published on Friday 21 May 2004:

Letter: Share our promenade
I hope the police community safety officers play fair and politely remind pedestrians that the cycle lanes are for cyclists.

After all, they have the lion's share of the promenade as it is and can walk three or four abreast, chatting to each other.

On the cycle lane there is just enough room for two cyclists to pass going in opposite directions.

-Lis Cole, Hove"

Fine pedestrians as well
First published on Friday 21 May 2004:

Letter: Fine pedestrians as well
If police have time to fine cyclists for not using the cycle lanes, why not fine pedestrians using the cycling lane?

The cycle lane is there so pedestrians don't get hurt.

-Omar Anabtawi, Hove."

Cycling on the prom is expensive: First published in the Argus on Friday 21 May 2004:

Letter: Cycling on the prom is expensive
The silly season is truly here early this year. In the past two years I have had two serious accidents while cycling on the seafront.

On the first occasion an Australian tourist ran across the road and straight into me and my bike. It took another passer-by to untangle her from the spokes and �65 for me to get my bike working again.

The second occasion a woman pushed her trendy pram straight at me, catching my chain and necessitating a new set of gears.

Where was I cycling? On the council-provided cycle lane between the piers, of course.

Ask any regular cyclist what experience they have of this dreaded lane and they will tell you it is safer to cycle on the broader stretch of seafront prom than risk the oblivious and often aggressive attitude of pedestrians who dominate the cycle lane.

Next time I'm approached when cycling 'illegally', I will not pay a fine but will present Brighton and Hove City Council with the accumulated costs incurred by me for cycling in designated cycle lanes where pedestrians are not warned of the existence of the cycle lane, nor challenged when they flout it in their thousands every day in the summer.

It is safer to cycle on the prom. There is room to predict and react to those around you.

-Dave Dugan, Kemp Town"

Enjoyment for all: "
First published in the Argus on Friday 21 May 2004:

Letter: Enjoyment for all
I agree with Mr John Lemonius (Letters, May 14) that one of the nicest pastimes this time of year is to cycle along the seafront - and there is a perfectly good cycle lane on which to do it.

The problems come when cyclists speed along the promenade endangering people out for a stroll. It is clearly signposted so there should be no doubt cycling there is illegal.

The council and the police must ensure our seafront is safe for everyone who wants to use it. Indeed, it is local residents who asked the council and police to take this action.

Would Mr Lemonius rather see The Argus reporting a serious pedestrian injury due to a speeding cyclist or that we are taking steps to prevent potential conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists?

I can also assure Mr Lemonius that this Council is committed to encouraging alternative forms of transport to the car.

We are creating more cycle lanes, safer crossing points and junctions for cyclists and pedestrians and improving public transport through our local partnerships.

Our promenade is entering its busiest period for visitors. Not taking action to discourage illegal cycling would increase the chances of an accident.

As a City that attracts thousands of visitors to our seafront, we would like everyone to enjoy their summer on the beach whether they walk or cycle.

-Councillor Craig Turton, Deputy chairman, environment committee"

Letter: Mon dieu:
First published on Friday 14 May 2004:

Letter: Mon dieu

I disagree with the Police fining cyclists riding 'two or three abreast at 30mph' along the promenade.

If they can attain such speeds they shouldn't be penalised, they should be encouraged to enter the Tour De France.

-Jo Burt, Southwick

Letter: Police should stop wasting time targeting cyclists

First published on Friday 14 May 2004:

Letter: Police should stop wasting time targeting cyclists

Have the police really got nothing better to do?

I thought we were supposed to be encouraging people to get out of their cars and get some exercise.

What could be nicer than cycling along the seafront amidst the roller bladers, joggers and walkers?

I was in Munich last month and was amazed and delighted by the number of people on bikes - all shapes and ages - and happily mixing with other park users without the need to single them out.

Coincidentally there didn't appear to be much traffic in the centre of Munich either.

Will the police be issuing fines to the pedestrians who amble aimlessly into the cycle lanes?

Or what about wobbling roller bladers careering from one side of the prom to the other?

Sure - have a stern word with cyclists who 'ride two or three abreast at 30mph' (are they maybe being confused with bikes that have engines?), but please don't do any more to discourage people from getting out of their cars and on to healthier and more environmentally friendly modes of transport.

-John Lemonius, Steyning, www.totallyspoked.com

Did Martians Land On The The Bristol To Bath Cycle Path? and other cycling jokes.

This presumably refers to the ultra-wide Hove esplanade?

Bike-lane rebels cop �30 tickets: First published in The Argus on Monday 10 May 2004:

Bike-lane rebels cop �30 tickets
by Huw Borland

Cyclists riding illegally were given �30 on the spot fines during a police operation on Brighton and Hove seafront.

Police Community Safety Officers on bikes yesterday issued tickets which have to be paid within 28 days.

PSCOs Ben Mitchell and Nick Packham issued a fine within minutes of starting their patrol, when a cyclist refused to leave the promenade.

Mr Mitchell said: 'The fines are a little unexpected for people and they say they did not know the rules but there are enough signs.

'We just explain that they have to use the cycle lane. If we see them do it a second or a third time, we use strict penalties.

'People do go along here at ridiculous speed. When they ride two or three abreast at 30mph, it's simply dangerous.

'We're trying to make the promenade safer for everyone.'

The cycling ban on the promenade was introduced to prevent accidents and make walkers feel safer.

But pedestrian and father-of-two Matt Taylor, 39, of Brighton, was annoyed.

He said: 'I think �30 is too extreme. The promenade is a lovely place to ride a bicycle.

'As long as they take due care, it's a shame to take it away from cyclists. The council put a cycle lane by the road when there is enough room on the promenade.

'Everyone likes to jog or roller-blade along here but you cannot ride. Having the cycle lane by the road is encouraging people to break the rules.'

Cyclist Albino Monteiro, 38, of Hove, said people who disobeyed the rules should be penalised and felt it was important to keep walkers and bikes apart.

He said: 'If cyclists have been told once and they do not do as they are told, they deserve a fine.

'The cycle lane has been made for us so we should use it. Cyclists should respect the laws. That's how you stop people getting hurt.'

Mr Mitchell said random police patrols to enforce the cycling ban could be expected throughout the summer."

This adds chapter and verse to the statement made on 2 April by Mr Valentine: Worthing Cycle Campaign - Newsletter: "On 28th July 1995 a visiting lady, Mrs Beet, was knocked over by a speeding cyclist while walking on the Promenade near the Pavilion Theatre. She suffered head injuries and featured on the front page of the Worthing Herald. Following this accident the Borough Council decided to close the cycle lane to review the situation."

There has been a lot of talk about making cycle helmets compulsory. Sounds logical? But this site argues the case against.

I had to get up at the crack of dawn this morning to talk on BBC Southern Counties radio -- Worthing has opened a stretch of cycle lane on the prom. I know nothing about Worthing, so I said I thought all this pedestrians versus cyclists versus motorists antagonism was all about territory! To create cycle lanes, the planners have to steal a bit of land from an existing pavement, annoying the walkers, or from an existing road, annoying the motorists! I also mentioned the old chestnut about drivers thinking they own the road because they pay 'road tax', when in fact it's motor vehicle licence/excise duty, based on the environmental impact the vehicle has on the roads and air. On this basis, cyclists should get a rebate!

Strange advertising video featuring cyclists watching stupid car: oneintwelve

Stuart Field writes:
Bicycle queen buried with royal pump (sorry, pomp)

'If you go to Google News (http://news.google.com) and
search for 'bicycle queen' you get the above headline.
Incidentally the Dutch for "pump" is actually "pomp"
("bicycle pump" is "fietspomp").'

'Some comments on one or two other pictures:
Your picture of the mystery foreign bike path with the
arrow pointing into the bollards is almost certainly
somewhere in Belgium (judging by the appearance of the
locomotive, houses and cycle path itself).'

'Since the picture of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam was
taken, there has been a protest against the closure of
that bicycle path under the arches of the museum. The
museum is being restored, so the path is closed for
the time being. After restoration the path will reopen
but will be narrower, with a "glass corridor" for
cyclists to go through.'

Added some new photos of the resurfaced seafront cycle lane, and moved the other front page pix to other sections, including a new section on 'Dead bikes'.

Plymouth is pothole city, according to CTC, Devon District.

Email received:
Dear Mr. Pipes,

I would appreciate your comments concerning the persistent problem of cyclist illegally riding on the pavement in Brighton. This problem is particularly bad along Queens Road, Air Street and the entire length of the seafront from King Alfreds to Madeira Drive (and beyond).

I have been scarred for life by a cyclist who collided with me when I was walking my dog along Brighton seafront. At the material time I was walking along the lower promenade between the piers. My Grandmother (some months before her death) refused a trip in her wheelchair along Hove seafront due to the real risk of injury by illegal cyclists. I am aware of many other victims of illegal cyclists. A week ago my right shoulder was sprained courtesy of a local cyclist. The cyclist threatened to assault me again if he saw me near his seafront. On weekends and evening cyclists illegal cyclists pass by at speeds in excess of 20mph every 3 � 5 seconds according to my own survey. Many cyclists ride �hands free� whilst talking on their mobile telephones.

As a cyclist I cannot understand the mentality of cyclists who flout the law. Some cyclists may claim that the roads are too dangerous. This does not bare rational analysis; cycling on the pavement exposes vulnerable pedestrians to an unnecessary risk of injury with no prospect of remedy (either by compensation or punishment of the offender) in the event of an accident. At the very least any responsible cyclist must have a competent knowledge of the Highway Code, wear a helmet and equip his / her bicycle with legal lights and reflectors.

I agree with the comments regarding the cycle lanes. A local councillor has suggested that the cycle lanes along the seafront are a mistake and have merely encouraged cyclists to stray and enter the lower promenade. Worthing Council abolished seafront cycle lanes following the death of an elderly woman in 2001 as a result of a collision with a cyclist. Brighton & Hove City Council are partly responsible for failing to provide adequate signs along the seafront. Nevertheless, I have sent a cd packed with photos of cyclists riding over the �no cycling� sign on Hove seafront near the Meeting House Caf� to Sussex Police for eventual use by the Crown Prosecution Service.

I believe that the problem may be mitigated by a combination of tactics including on the spot fines for illegal cyclists, the issuing of Cautions, confiscation of bicycles and public education. The Police can make use of the seafront CCTV system to monitor this problem. I wonder what happened to the National Cycling Proficiency Test scheme (which I passed in 1984)?

In the near future I will be meeting David Lepper MP to discuss the above with reference to the Councils proposals to invoke the Crime & Disorder Act 2001 against illegal cyclist.

I am very impressed by your website and content.

Kind Regards

Martyn Valentine

My reply:
thanks -- my beef is that the cycle lanes in Brighton and Hove are a retro-fit compromise, and don't join up (hence the temptation to stay on the pavement until the next stretch, rather than constantly dismounting and remounting). In Holland and elsewhere they would be separated from the road, and the pavement! I do however find the 'no cycling' along Hove esplanade very restrictive -- it is very wide and there is plenty of room for cyclists, wheelchair users, skateboarders, roller skaters and pedestrians walking their dogs to co-exist peacefully -- but that is my personal view. I do not condone breaking the law or jumping red lights, but the road system could be a lot more cyclist-friendly, especially with contra-flows along one-way streets -- which would remove the need to use the pavement. Accidents do happen, but think yourself lucky you weren't hit by a car -- the consequences could have been far more serious -- if more people used bikes, they would be a lot healthier and there would be less threat to public safety and the environment!

Perhaps you might like to join Bricycles (of which I am a member but do not represent) and help lobby the council for better cycle lane provision and cyclist training?
http://www.bricycles.org.uk/

cheers

fred

Why cyclists won't stop: a paper by Chris Juden, CTC's Technical Officer -- a link from...

Cycle Path Design The quality of cycle path design varies-- a few examples of both the good and the 'iffy'.

Trains ban for charity cycles -- madness!

Jason Patient Photography -- nice image of geese on a cyclelane! ...from this fine site: Bike Reader

Roy Spilsbury writes: Cycle access to proms is an issue up here and we have made significant progress in gaining access along much of the North Wales coast, although there are still battles to be�won.���
�
Bearing in mind your own seaside aspect, you might be interested in a webpage we have just uploaded onto �the CTC Cymru North Wales site concerning the town of Penmaenmawr www.conwyctc.fsnet.co.uk.
�
I keep in touch with your own site and notice a wintry shot along the Colwyn Bay prom which even our locals haven't seen !
�
Regards and good luck with your crusade.

Paul Rea, Chairman of CycleLincs writes:
Hi there,
Earlier this year I wrote:

I thought you might like the latest cycle lane to appear in Lincoln.
It's on Sincil Bank, near the football ground.
For some time CycleLincs, the Lincoln Cycle Campaign Group,
have been trying to get the County Council to put in a cycle route to the hospital.
Perhaps this is their solution!
�
Thanks for putting it on your site.
The good news is that it has now been improved and so the cycle lane no longer goes into the fence, but feeds into a chicane.��Perhaps your site has persuasive powers! I'd like to thank you for giving us stardom, but would be grateful if you would take it off your site as it is no longer weird.��
Thanks again.
All the best

Stephane for PlaceOVelo writes:
Thanks for the link.
I had seen the page with Bruges pictures. For your information, Belgium is
divided into three parts, for bicyclers : the North /flemish part with a not
so bad level of layout, then Brussels with a intermediate level and the
south / Wallonie with a no existent systems. So Bruge is one of the good
area in Belgium...

Infrastructure -- are cycle lanes safe? link referenced in article by Patrick James in the latest Bricycles newsletter (October-December 2003)

Andrew Battye writes: As a connoisseur of weird cycle lanes (see my Edinburgh collection at Edinburgh cycling) I enjoy visiting your pages.

A couple of your guest photos are interesting -- the ones of the A6036 between Bradford and Halifax. The caption suggests Calderdale are great for implementing the cycle lane on their side of the boundary, whilst Bradford are bad for not continuing it.

The truth is rather different -- the Calderdale side is much, much worse for cycling. The cycle lane directs cyclists to ride in the 'door zone' right next to parked cars, and also directs them to ride in a very vulnerable position at a side-road. Worse, however, is the treatment of a roundabout -- the cycle-lane runs right up the roundabout, suggesting that cyclists should remain at the kerbside regardless of which direction they wish take at the roundabout. On the circulatory carriageway itself, cycle lanes direct cyclists to ride right at the edge -- outside of the field of view of a typical driver wanting to enter the roundabout.

Added a photo from Ian Walker of a very short 'lane' in Wells to Guest page 8

Stuart Filed writes:

The 'cycling horrors of Brussels' can be seen (in
French) at this website.

One is outside the British Embassy, where they've
widened the pavement and added bollards to stop people
parking directly outside.

Other examples include things you will be familiar
with such as impossible contraflow bike paths, signs
in the middle of the path, sharp zigzags etc. However
Brussels has a particular problem: granite setts.

On the Brussels website, they claim that it is
impossible to cycle in Bruges because of the granite
setts on the old streets. However, lost of people do
-it's hard but possible. The small square ones are no
problem - it's the bigger oblong ones that are the
potential killers, especially when wet.

(See the picture underneaththe text "Rue Borgval ?
place St Gery": the top half shows the
"cyclist-friendly" small square ones, and the bottom
half the killer oblong ones.)

I seem to remember seeing similar granite setts in
Brighton but can't remember where.

In one street in Bruges they've put a strip of red
asphalt on top of the granite setts to help cyclists
-I've never seen this anywhere else.

But, it seems things may be improving a little in
Brussels. In the "Rue de la Loi" (also called
"Wetstraat"), a nightmarishly busy one-way street near
the European Commission in Brussels, is being reduced
from 5 lanes to 4 lanes and cycle paths are being
added on both sides. They will be built into the
pavement, but using different colour bricks so that
it's clear that they are cycle paths.

Added more guest photos � pictures of Belgium from Stuart Field (of Utrecht, Netherlands) � and from an anonymous correspondent of the A6036 between Bradford and Halifax.

Roddy Redrock writes: we have a cycle lane in the wilds of Talgarth in Wales, over all it is about a mile long. Transfers you off one often busy B road, you have to cross a main trunk road then travel alongside another busy B road to nowhere in particular. All part of this so called Sustrans network. It is a hazard to ride on as it is covered in part by sticky red mud in the wet winter weather as the mud washes onto it out of the fields and often covered with hedge trimmings and thorns around late summer. Safer to cycle the road.

Added some more guest pix from Ralph Smyth on Guest pix page 7

Tim Malburn replies: I am just some bloke (I'll use Brit English) who saw Fred's site and sent a few examples in that to me looked better than the weird or dangerous stuff in many parts of the UK. Although I have to say York is good by our standards.
�
Most of the photo's I've sent in of the Netherlands, and some in France are probably as good as there are, but I'm always keen to see better.
�
The contraflow bike lane on a road is not ideal, complete segregation and motor vehicles giving way to the bikes (Netherlands and Belgium) is. The one I took in France, well there was not a car in sight, a different situation in Minneapolis I see.
�
I am back in the NL tomorrow only for a couple of days and I'd say they and the Belgians have got it pretty good, always room for improvement though.
�
Alan already knows that when we bought a new bike for my son when he was 8 and a half in the NL, he and I, were quite happy for him to cycle the new, first time on it bike, back to our friends house through the town centre. We were only happy to do this because of the absolute segregation, or vehicles having to give way at any intersections. I would not have contemplated the same in our home town in the UK.
�
Basically we have nothing here, although Worcs County Council say they are commited to improving cycling numbers and sustainability, so there are some places even where they have a bit wrong. Like the French contraflow bike lane, mostly the rest of the French stuff was a lot better that the one white line painted by the side of the road that is driven and parked on in my area, and that is where there is something! We have a couple of segregated bike lanes, in fact there is a new one, lovely separate bike lane on a wide road, when it comes to a narrow road bridge it ends and you have to fight with the lorries which can only just fit on the the bridge�if one comes from each direction at the same time! I must get a photo of that one.
�
The time delay you mention on your US photo's, the Dutch method is a bike crossing, with a loop-in separate from the road bike path, when you pass over the loop, if you coast by the time that you are at the road that you want to cross the traffic has been stopped and you have a green light, ace! In tight town centre is Belgium and NL, the law is bikes have priority, full stop. It is like being royalty on�a bike!
�
So let's keep at these people at we may get something sensible, I love to drive and fly, but cycling is the best for of short (under 10km) distance and urban transport. I love being in the NL and B, because it is just plain nice and fun to be out on a bike.

PS The UK is getting as litigeous as the US, the idiot that you refer to, I would hope that would get laughed out of court here. But if you can suggest ways to litigate against my council to get them to do something to a worldclass standard to encourage cyclist, please do!

Added two new weird photos from Ralph of City Cyclists -- now up to page 7 of guest photos!

From John S. Allen: I fume with rage and laughter over your Weird Cycle Lanes pages. The British authorities are even more wacko than most in the USA. There may be an explanation for this in that the British legal system does not provide as much recourse as the US system -- see a discussion of this about halfway through the paper at

www.bikexprt.com/witness/wilson.htm

which is not a paper about cycle lanes but does discuss the legal systems.

But we have our wacko cycle lanes in the USA too, consider this page which I have just posted on my website::

www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/minneapolis/hennepin.htm

and also

www.bikexprt.com/massfacil/cambridge/freshpond/sidepath.htm

I do suggest, however that one example which you appear to give as a good one,

www.geocities.com/fredpipes/cyclelanes/images/guest_tim_0001.jpg

is a poor one. Placing a two-way cycle lane adjacent to a two-way roadway is bonkers for several reasons, see

www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/twoway.htm

Feel free to use my photos on your guest pages! I need to link to you.

But also, have you ever read either of John Forester's books, Bicycle Transportation or Effective Cycling? These explain the *theory* of traffic movement for cyclists and provide a basis for analysis of some of the designs which look good to the uninformed but which experienced cyclists know to be deadly.

I do intend to provide a link to your pages. I have noted that while the design of bicycle facilities in Germany is improving, those countries which have recently decided to "do something" for bicycling, notably the UK and France, have determined to make all the old mistakes over again, and worse.

Whoa, it just struck me -- when I saw the photo of the burning West Pier -- your Brighton is the Brighton of Graham Greene's fine novel, Brighton Rock which I read some eons ago. Well, minus the West Pier.

Added a picture from Paul Rea, Chairman of CycleLincs, The Lincoln Cycle Campaign Group, showing the latest cycle lane to appear in Lincoln. It's on Sincil Bank, near the football ground.�� For some time CycleLincs, the Lincoln Cycle Campaign Group, have been trying to get the County Council to put in a cycle route to the hospital. Perhaps this is their solution!