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?