The Great Big Misunderstood Bike Blog Roundup

Well, we thought we'd got all the hating out of the way last week but it seems not as the rantings of a driving instructor get Dave McCraw thinking, the Cycling Lawyer sums up why he can stomach lawyer jokes but not anti-cyclist ones and an open letter to cyclist-hating motorists get its very first comment from a, yep, cyclist-hating motorist. Cyclists in the city would like to see more Chris Boardman and less Petronella Wyatt while Cambridge Cyclist continues to taxonomise the haters. And we cyclists aren't much better with Kats Dekker seething over being accused of being not a proper cyclist while the Guardian feels compelled to defend the harmless MAMIL

More seriously, misunderstandings can lead to us treating each other as less than human - with the LCC correcting Transport for London over misleading statements about the cyclist killed near the Olympic park, and what seems like a spate of nasty hit and runs - leaving Deceased Canine wondering if she and the kids should just hide indoors. Even Postman Pat is having more accidents (despite fewer postie bikes) - while one driver in Poole is simply shoving cyclists off their bikes. In Croydon, this time at least it's only a bollard that gets it, just yards from where a cyclist was killed (while some drivers have been reaching new heights). Chester Cycling wonders whether texting while driving will become the new drink driving or just the new speeding - but at least lower speeds have seen accidents drop on Newcastle's roads. The Cycling Lawyer wonders if it's health and safety that keeps his bike off the Eurotunnel shuttle (and if so, how he's still allowed to cycle round the Elephant and Castle) while in California, a victim of a right hook gets the old classic 'I see you ran into a car'.

Coming back from an idyllic family cycling holiday in Bavaria, Dave Horton asks where the children are to ride back in the UK - not to school in Dumfries, at least not at the moment. Freewheeler gets to the heart of the matter on the subject.

Ultimately, of course, it's about the infrastructure - Ipsos Mori asks where all the Scottish cyclists are - this map may help. Kennington People on Bikes tries to cut through Vauxhall's gyratory maze (even though the Nine Elms regeneration falls at the first hurdle) while Cycling Cardiff looks at the magical appearing and disappearing bike lanes in Cardiff. I Love Boris Bikes (that's the name of a blog, not a personal declaration) goes exploring in the Royal Parks and finds them a bit lacking whereas Cycling Info finds himself (easily) pleased by the contrast between New York and York. Bad infrastructure is relative, of course, as Cycling Dutch looks at Eindhoven and what the Dutch consider sub standard - whereas in Portland, the requirement to make its roads conform with national standards could be a step backwards. The Guardian Bike Blog was delighted to discover there is still a lot of cycling in China, albeit not for the fainthearted, whereas elsewhere on the Pacific rim, both Jakarta and New Zealand are beginning to get it.

Back in the UK, we keep on keeping on - with early starts not working at Bow Roundabout, while in Tufton a junction can't be fixed because not enought people have died. TfL considers eye-level lights and have even seconded a Danish expert to work with street planners in London (although it maybe that all they need is a trip to the pound shop and some imagination)

But what if we did actually get people all onto their bikes - won't the economy grind to a halt (you at the back asking 'how would we tell?' see me after class please)? According to Sustrans it's local transport that's key to boosting the economy - probably thanks to all the extra spare cash cyclists have to spend. They get it in the US, with their bike-friendly business districts and they get it in Ireland, building off-road routes to boost tourism - can you help UK policymakers to get it by helping CycleLogistics with their research into shopping by bike? Spare cash or no spare cash, one thing Urban Country won't be buying is an invisible helmet, while it looks like Kent's Bike won't be buying a car either (although maybe a bus?).

So, if only for the sake of the economy, we keep on campaigning, possibly misguidedly. The Cycling Lawyer is writing to his MP while Magnatom (who we learned this week is a 'visualante' just wants to start a conversation. Phil Ward will be pedalling on postbox while Two Wheels Good responds to the West End Commission. Sometimes a one-man campaign gets there in the end, sometimes you end up having to run for Mayor. Perhaps after all we need a drive to work day - or perhaps cars are just too fundamentally uncool these days.

London, as ever, was in the bike blogging news, with the Vole O'Speed and Cyclists in the City pondering the London Assembly meeting, where Richard Tracey failed to impress. Looking back at the Olympics, ibikelondon felt that bikes had their place while drawing rings wondered if they'd overtaken cars. Something to celebrate, perhaps at Let's Go Ride a Bike's first overseas happy hour?

And finally, if all that fear and loathing of the last week is beginning to get to you, we leave you with the question - is this the ultimate in grade separation for cycling ... or is this?