Sky Rides - help spread the word

Due to a last minute change in circumstances, my wife and I were able to participate yesterday in our nearest Sky Ride (Hull). Both of us really enjoyed the experience which gave a taster of what everyday cycling could, should, and will be like when cyclists and the 1000s of potential would-be cyclists who are put off because of being forced to ride amongst busy motor traffic, persuade our politicians to develop Dutch-style infrastructure and facilities. Even the lycra-clad CTC (irony) and fast racing boys and girls, who seemed to be the majority at the event, appeared to enjoy the experience of riding  (a bit too quickly at times) through the segregated narrow streets of the Old Town. The Sky and British Cycling stalls were very much focussed on cycling as a sport and not as an everyday form of transport, never mind developing high quality infrastructure.

There were two downsides to the day.

Firstly, my wife is a new cyclist, not used to riding very far, and not very confident amongst traffic. We planned to make the ten mile or so journey to Hull by train. I had been told the day before by the helpful man in the ticket office at the station that space for bikes was at the discretion of the guard and it isn’t possible to pre-book bikes on the train. So, we turned up the station the next day, along with a number of other people also planning to Sky Ride, and were told by the guard there was space on the train for just one bike, and told we could have pre-booked, but the train is “only allowed to carry two bikes by law”. Sigh. This shows how integrated our "integrated transport sytem" really is.

Second, I cycled on the road again today, back among the heavy traffic and everything that goes along with that. What a contrast to yesterday. Sigh. Please send me some postcards, both for next year's Sky ride and to distribute before then.