The Great Big Sideburns-sporting Yellow-Jersey'd Bike Blog Roundup

Ahem. As the rest of the country suddenly discovers the joy of cycling, it seemed as if nation's army of bike bloggers were a bit busy to be their normal prolific selves. Still, maybe this is the start of a real revolution? The Guardian agrees (as do Pedal on Parliament).

With the Tour over - and more cycling successes, we hope, in the offing for the Olympics, Brad, Cavendish et al. will have to get there first - which may be easier said than done. They may end up pedalling there (not on a bike though, that would be silly). At least Bristol Traffic is a fan of London's new Zil lanes while the Vole O'Speed laments that we didn't even get our greenwash. And if you don't live in London, don't worry - you don't need an Olympics to screw up your cycle routes, a garden festival will do. Perhaps the best thing would be for cyclists to organise their own festival instead.

Cycling eyes will be on London well after the Olympics is over as 50 of its most dangerous junctions are to be overhauled. But will they end up any better? You'd hope they'd be designed along these principles but so far our record isn't great as these comparisons of London and Copenhagen's Cycling Superhighways or just their public spaces don't flatter our capital. And that's even before we start comparing it to Amsterdam or a real Dutch superhighway. Even Germany is forging ahead. It looks as though Vienna has some problems of its own, (while Chad in Amsterdam reveals the dark heart of the Dutch cycling culture: its bicycle concentration camps...) but though Momentum Magazine might be asking who's got the best plan for city bikers North America or Europe we don't think the UK is really a contender. Certainly that's what Luv2Cycle discovers when she finds the difference between a cycle path and a 'cycle route'. Perhaps if they let Pedestrianise London have a go? Still, at least we're not trying to walk to the shops in Southern California.

Perhaps what we need is some political leadership (or at least politicians who cycle regularly or are prepared to bribe themselves to do so) - or perhaps what we need are some strong binding targets, although the Scottish government is already missing its own ones - Magnatom is unimpressed. Luv2Cycle sorts out some truths from some falsehoods on what the UK needs while Jan Gehl points out slowing down will make us all wealthier. Either way, Newcastle Cycling try to nudge their council in the right direction while the People's Front of Richmond goes to the the cycling liaison group and despairs.

Setting aside our politicians, who wants proper cycling infrastructure? everyone, basically. Cycling Dumfries wishes the government would follow doctors' orders. Living Streets wonder if they are the cure for our obesity epidemic while the Times thinks regular Ciclovias might do the trick. That's as long as the inextricable connection between coffee, cake and cycling doesn't undo all the good work

With a Bournemouth cycling campaigner still fighting for his life and the family of a cyclist killed in London last week urging Boris do more safety is never far away from our minds. The Guardian explains why the casualty statistics don't tell the whole story and Magnatom wonders if his helmet camera is part of the problem. One approach may be educating cyclists - or making the streets safer, one parking spot at a time. Perhaps it will take the fire brigade - or even putting New York's personal injury attorneys out of a job. Or perhaps it will take something more serious than that, like the government signing up to the cyclesafe campaign. Oh. Well, back to hi vis and taking the lane then (caution: even the url of that ling is sweary)

Around the country, Magnatom is sick of hearing about Edinburgh (and not just because he's a weegie) - he might be glad to know that Cycling Info found the Athens of the North distinctly ordinary. Portsmouth tells its cyclists to behave while Cycle Training Wales responds to the Welsh Government's white paper on Active Travel. In Coventry, a bike lane doesn't do much good on a fast busy road, and in Belfast they can't see them for parked cars (isnt' that what bike lanes are for?)- while danger is being designed in, not designed out - and where there are safe separated paths they're too popular for their own good. And back in the capital, just as the rest of London starts to take cycling seriously, the City of London starts backpedalling

As the new Cargobike Federation meets in Cambridge, Portland wonders if it should follow suit. One business travelling by bike feels a bit third world, while Cyclestuff remembers his days fulfilling the last mile by bike, aka doing the paper round.

With summer's uncertain weather finally beginning to relent (except for viewers in Scotland), Sharp Edge would like a bike version of the ice cream calculator, and some temporary summer parking goes in in Dublin. Bikeyface considers the kit she really needs (or would like to have). The biter is finally bit (we wonder what that's done to the stats on scofflaw cyclists). And in a turnup for the books, Dave '42 bikes' Warnock chooses a bike for life while, half a world away, a single bike transforms a girl's life.

We told you they were important... see you next week.

Comments

You'll be relieved to know that Jason Falconer is doing well in hospital.

He's been transferred back to Poole Hospital and has posted from there on the LFGSS forum. I think he's planning to escape this week.

That's really good news too. Hope he makes his getaway!

AKA TownMouse