The Sport Relief Super Cycle

The Sport Relief Super Cycle; The One Show presenter Adrian Chiles and Alan Shearer are cycling from Newcastle to London - via West Brom! - over two days.

DOTHETEST

DOTHETEST: test your awareness with this video!

Lancaster IndyClarion

A .Mac Web Gallery of Clarion/ Walter Crane artwork

Blast Theory | Rider Spoke

Blast Theory | Rider Spoke: there's an event in the Brighton Festival called Rider Spoke, where you are fitted out in a helmet, handlebar mounted video and headset and have to do things! Thurs 8 - Sunday 11 May, free, but you have to book in advance (doesn't say where!)

Another pointless cycle lane

Another pointless cycle lane on Flickr - Photo Sharing!: a bit like the jug handle on the Level - I suppose it's to help you cross the road - presumably there's another bit of cycle lane over there?

Melita's Flickr photo

I have deep admiration for whoever did this: Melita's photo on Flickr has become a phenomenon with thousands of hits.

Cycling fury at beheading 'joke'

BBC NEWS | Wales | North East Wales | Cycling fury at beheading joke:
In his column on 27 December, Matthew Parris wrote: "A festive custom we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists".

Under the headline "What's smug and deserves to be decapitated?" he wrote of cyclists' "brutish disregard for all other road users".

He also said that "the lynching of a cyclist by a mob of mothers with pushchairs would be a joy to witness".

Windrider Bicycle Clip

Gijs Bakker designed these fab Windrider Bicycle Clips.

Film Of British Cycling Club Outing (1955) (Resonance)

Film Of British Cycling Club Outing (1955) (Resonance): great 1955 film of a cyclists' excusion to Rugby. How things have changed!

Crap Cycle Lanes

Amazingly, there are no Brighton cycle lanes included in the book by WarringtonCycleCampaign.co.uk!

Bike sex man placed on probation

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Bike sex man placed on probation: how on earth can this be true!

Crap Cycle Lanes

Looks like Eye Books have brought out a book called 'Crap Cycle Lanes' - wonder if I get a mention?

Vote for moi!

You have until Wednesday 14 November to vote for my Clarion website in the SCIP Brighton Web Awards. If you're stuck for who else to vote for, Myf Nixon's Draw Anyway website (which deserves Best in show, in my opinion) and David O'Connor's Cavalaire Hotel website are both worthy contenders, done by friends of mine. It was way back in 2002 that I won a T-shirt in the same awards for my Weird Cycle Lanes website!!

Cycle Route From Sussex To Paris (from The Argus)

Cycle Route From Sussex To Paris (from The Argus)

Cycle Route From Sussex To Paris (from The Argus)

Cycle Route From Sussex To Paris (from The Argus)

Bridge Restoration To Start

Bridge Restoration To Start (from The Argus): the Shoreham Tollbridge has been saved!

Cycle lanes...

Cycle lanes...: I've been eco-blogged by Nigel!

A saint in the saddle?

BBC NEWS | Magazine | A saint in the saddle?: "Some of them think they own the roads - roads that we motorists pay for through our road tax." That old chestnut!

Cyclists Cause Accidents! Make Cyclists Pay Road Tax & Insurance - Women, Non PC Rants & Hard Core Opinion - MrCrip

Cyclists Cause Accidents! Make Cyclists Pay Road Tax & Insurance - Women, Non PC Rants & Hard Core Opinion - MrCrip: hilarious rant -- this is a troll, right?

Jury reaches cycle deaths verdict

BBC NEWS | Wales | North East Wales | Jury reaches cycle deaths verdict: very sad story!

Brussels - World Naked Bike

Brussels - World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) - Wiki information site: some great posters here.

Adam Trimingham on the London to Brighton bike ride

Adam Trimingham on the London to Brighton bike ride.

CycleHero

CycleHero: spot Nick Sayers in the final crowd shot!

Rail Firms Bike Ban Causes Traffic Chaos (from The Argus): predictable story, tho a slightly different spin this year! Instead of the bikes causing the chaos, it's the train companies... Horrah!

Free wheeling | Travel and transport | Guardian Unlimited Environment

Free wheeling: Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South and Finsbury, busts 10 persistent myths about this easy, green and healthy way to get on the move.

World Naked Bike Ride

World Naked Bike Ride: more photos.

The Argus Brighton Hove & Sussex news sport jobs and local information

Cyclists demand action over rail firm's bike ban: Argus article on the cycling ban on the day of the London to Brighton ride.

Worldometers - real time world statistics

Worldometers - real time world statistics: find out how many bicycles were produced this year!

bliss: world naked bike ride 2007

bliss: world naked bike ride 2007: another write up of the WNBR.

Brave Cyclists Get Naked To Promote Greener Transport (from The Argus)

Brave Cyclists Get Naked To Promote Greener Transport (from The Argus): coverage of the World Naked Bike Ride which took place in Brighton last Saturday

Now Naked Cyclists Can Protest In City Without Fear Of Arrest (from The Argus)

Now Naked Cyclists Can Protest In City Without Fear Of Arrest (from The Argus); photo of Nick Sayers and Tamsin in the buff!

Crap Cycle Lanes of Croydon

Crap Cycle Lanes of Croydon: an excellent blog-style website on 'the 45 miles of substandard cycle facilities in Croydon.'

Transport Project Will Cut Journey Times (from The Argus)

Transport Project Will Cut Journey Times (from The Argus): new bus service (sorry, rapid transit system) will include cycle racks.

What is this? on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

What on earth is this? on Flickr: Clive Andrews' snap of an Advanced Stop Line on West Street. Priceless!

Cycling: We take a spin round Brighton, Cardiff and Leeds: my website gets a mention in this Grauniad article!

stickered

stickered
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Last Friday I went for lunch at Wagamama and locked my bike against a lamp post on a corner opposite. When I came out, I found my saddle had been stickered with a colour-coordinated message that read: 'Pavements are for pedestrians'. I'm aware that parked bikes can be a hazard to blind people, but have never come across pedestrian vigilantes before -- do they also sticker cars parked on pavements? It finally washed off in today's rain!

LiveLeak.com - Bicycle lift in Norway

Bicycle lift in Norway: wow! Imagine one of these up Southover Street or Albion Hill!

Brighton Journey Planner

Journey On is Brighton's new Journey Planner: looks good but some of its suggested routes are a little eccentric, involving steep hills! Obviously designed to get you fit and lose weight!

Bicycle Music | Bike Music -- Our list of songs & bands: yes, a list of bicycle-related tunes.

Jewson unloads

Jewson unloads
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

The new [New England Quarter] station site's system of roadways is fully cycle-laned, and they do make excellent loading bays!

Could Manchester bollards be a solution to Brighton's traffic problem?

North Street Quadrant

North Street Quadrant
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

This is the North Street Quadrant, bone of contention with Bricycles and the council. It was once a road and nifty short cut for cyclists to Queens Road, now blocked off by 'the developers' (not the council!).

3 Million Cycling Fund Wasted On Goody Bags (from The Argus): my letter to the Argus.

When Brighton and Hove City Council was given £3 million to spend on developing a cycling demonstration town, I prayed it wouldn't all be frittered away on audits, consultants, feasibility studies and fact-finding missions.

However, it has found new and ingenious ways of spending money in the name of improving and encouraging urban cycling in west Brighton and Hove.

Instead of handing out goody bags to the people of Portslade (Council wasting £3m cycle fund', The Argus, December 7), it could have made a start on joining up the existing fragmented cycle routes.

Advertisement continued...

In contrast, the council has been busy making it even more difficult to get from A to B by bicycle in Brighton, not only closing off the North Street Quadrant to cyclists, a safe and convenient short cut by the Clock Tower, but also installing "tank traps" made from rows of granite cobbles to knobble the unwary cyclist along what is designated a blue "official cycle route" according to the Council's latest cycle map.

Elder Place and Providence Place, parallel to London Road, once a quiet route from Preston Circus to North Laine, has become an obstacle course more suited to mountain bikes.

The council seems more intent on scoring brownie points and winning spurious awards over other demonstration towns than giving ordinary citizens practical help to abandon their gas guzzlers and get on their bikes.

Alan (Fred) Pipes, Gerard Street, Brighton
12:32pm today

Council Wasting 3m Cycle Fund (from The Argus): Ian Davey and Tony Green put the boot in!

Cycle lane parking

Cycle lane parking
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

The contra-flow cycle lane on York Hill makes an ideal place to park! On my way back I spotted a van and 2 cars on there but couldn't be bothered photographing them! Parking on contra-flows is particularly dangerous because the cyclist has to pull out to face oncoming traffic.

New Road

New Road
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

New Road is Brighton's Euro-style experiment of getting cars, taxis, cycles and pedestrians sharing the same space, with no road markings or signs. I hope they don't leave that fearsome step up onto the new blocks!

Cobblers

cobbles2
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Rows of cobbles designed to knobble the unwary cyclist seem to be springing up all over the place. On Providence Place, just by St Barts church, our council has laid these cobbles. What are they for? They clearly don't calm cars, but are a hazard to cyclists using this as a quiet route from Preston Circus to the North Laine. Ironically, because of the road camber, the middle section where the cars go is relatively lower! They are also to be found on Ann Street.

Flickr: Portland Bike Lane Stencils

Bicycle Ballet

Bicycle Ballet
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Car free day! Shame nobody told the motorists. Those two drivers who crashed head-on outside the Phoenix gallery would have been a lot safer on bikes! I spotted the mayhem as I was on my way to watch the Bicycle Ballet, which was actually quite entertaining (apart from the smelly coloured smoke!) from my high-level vantage point. It was pissing down earlier on, but the sun came out just in time. Spotted Nick Sayers amongst the 'dancers' - with clothes on!

Critical Mass cuts crime

Critical Mass cuts crime
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Have you ever wondered where the coppers are when you need one? One concerned citizen couldn't believe his luck when he spotted this month's critical mass accompanied by its usual huge number of cycle bobbies and their van. He'd just witnessed a couple of dodgy looking geezers half-inch a bag from a marquee in Brunswick Square. Immediately six of our cycle bobbies sped off on their Smith and Wesson police bikes in pursuit. As we looped back onto the seafront we saw the alleged thieves helping the police with their enquiries. Tip to would be criminals – avoid Brighton seafront on the last Friday of each month between 6.30pm and 8pm.

YouTube - World Naked Bike Ride Brighton: my 3 minute video of the Brighton naked bike ride!

BBC - Radio 4 - The Fall and Rise of the Bicycle: Mark Stephen discovers the importance of the bicycle as a global barometer of social, economic and environmental change.

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!