Yorkshire cycling website
The Hedge-blog has news and opinion on all sorts of matters cycling-related.
12th April 2019
In the town centre this afternoon, I saw a near miss by the War Memorial. A driver turning from West Park into James Street was within a few centimetres of knocking down a man crossing the road. The driver stopped just in time.
He shouted angrily out of the window of his pick-up truck, 'This is 3 tonnes, you know.' He also said he hadn't even been doing 30mph.
I believe we have allowed ourselves to get things quite wrong in this area. If you have bought and are driving a 3-tonne vehicle in a busy town centre, is that your responsibility, or is it up to everyone else to accommodate you?
Further, a lot of us don't seem to understand that speed limits are only limits, not targets. You drive to the conditions, not to the speed limit. 30mph is inappropriate in a crowded shopping area.
Unfortunately, the British mindset appears to be that it is up to victims not to be run over, not up to drivers to refrain from running people over. When you're crossing the road, how often does someone drive right at you, to make you scurry out of the way? And would threatening someone with any weapon other than a car be deemed acceptable? We need to think afresh.
The justice system - police, CPS, and courts - are hugely reluctant to punish acts of violence if they are committed with a vehicle. Totally different standards apply to the driving of a vehicle, as compared to the operation of any other dangerous machinery.
Put simply, I suggest that drivers should take responsibility for the danger they cause with their vehicles. Where they have priority, that is not a licence to crush a human being.
27th February 2019
It's not the first time Bournemouth's passing distance signs have been in the news. Last time, it was because someone had stuck Ainsley Harriott's head on the cyclists on the signs. This time, Alan Partridge is the face of the campaign.
The serious point is that signs asking drivers to leave at least a metre and a half when overtaking a person on a bike are possible. I didn't know that before the Ainsley Harriott story.
I am under no illusions that such signs would be a silver bullet, but there are places where I'd like to see them - places where road design combines with drivers' impatience and lack of awareness to produce frightening close passes time and again. I've written about such signs, and contacted the DfT to suggest them. The DfT dismissed the idea, without mentioning that signs like these are already possible.
So come on Harrogate, come on North Yorkshire, let's take whatever steps are necessary, and get some of these signs put up. Add in some police enforcement against close passes, and we might start to make a difference.
16th February 2019
A study of admissions to an LA hospital shows that there is no difference in head injury rates of bike riders wearing helmets, and those without.
Read about helmets don't reduce head injuries - study.
14th January 2019
The Belgian/Flemish Word of the Year 2018 is 'moordstrookje'. Find out what it means and why it's controversial.
Read about the Belgian word of the year.
11th October 2018
Hornbeam Park
You've heard of drink driving, you've watched as everybody steers their cars while distracted by their phone, but what about toothbrush driving - is it acceptable?
Read about toothbrush driving.
3rd October 2018
I've enjoyed reading the diaries of John Dickinson, from Timble (1844 to 1912). He lived through the introduction of motor cars in Yorkshire, and commented on their pros and cons - comments which still resonate today.
Read about pros and cons of cars.
18th September 2018
Martin Weeks' cycling experiences in Scandinavia this summer, with his thoughts on what's good, the ideas we could borrow, and photos of some of the bike routes.
Read about Scandinavian cycling experiences.
29th August 2018
Definitely not a thorough assessment, but a couple of points about a bit of the Leeds Bradford cycle superhighway, after I crossed it the other day.
Read about the Leeds Bradford cycle superhighway.
31st July 2018
Official opening of new cycle & pedestrian passageway, Seville, February 2018, by Junta de Andalucia, Licence CC BY-SA 2.0
How bike lanes were built in Seville, Spain, is not a new story, but it's worth reading because of what it says about how quickly you can have a complete network of quality cycle infrastructure.
Read about building Seville's bike network.
28th July 2018
Toyota are promoting their Aygo car on the basis of the text message conversations you can have when you're driving. Why are they building distracted driving into their designs, with, in effect, a mobile phone screen just above the gear stick? And is a video portraying distracted driving an acceptable advert?
Read about the Toyota Aygo ad for distracted driving.
7th June 2018
Anna van der Breggen, by youkeys, Licence CC BY 2.0
I set out for a long ride after overnight rain. The first soft, sinking feeling came only 6 miles in, and I got another puncture before the roads started to dry. This got me thinking, why are punctures more likely in wet conditions, and how can you prevent them?
Read about punctures in the wet.
25th May 2018
Chris
Froome, by denismenchov08,
Licence
CC BY-SA 2.0
There's been an awful lot of comment on Chris Froome's Salbutamol case, almost certainly too much. Cycling journalists ask hard questions of Froome, but give the UCI a free ride about the leak of the confidential process. For below the line commenters, everything is evidence of cheating - good and bad performances alike.
Read about the Froome Salbutamol case.
11th May 2018
Chris Froome, by Jaguar MENA, Flickr, Licence CC BY 2.0
We're being treated to a daily Giro d'Italia podcast from BBC BeSpoke, for the duration of the race. It's hosted by Tom Fordyce, and the regular guest is Jeremy Whittle, and the duo form a sort of Lady Macbeth & Macbeth partnership, plotting to bring down Chris Froome.
Read about BBC BeSpoke Giro d'Italia.
20th September 2017
Bike lanes in the Netherlands are designed with thought and intelligence to create a joined-up, easily usable network. I took a few photos of cycle infrastructure in Zandvoort, and I've added some comments about the intention of the planners. In the UK, we should pay particular attention to the way they give bike routes continuity, instead of making them give way to every side street.
Read about inspiration from Dutch cycle infrastructure.
3rd July 2017
An otherwise delightful Sunday morning bike ride was blighted by the sight of too many fresh animal carcasses, the creatures killed by speeding cars. Could we change the law, or change our driving culture, and save our wildlife? Read about save our wildlife - don't drive so fast.
November 2016
I visited London on a work trip in November, and it was the opportunity to test out the North-South Cycle Superhighway (CS6). My impressions are necessarily superficial - those of a two-journey Big Smoke bicyclist, not a local. Read my 5 thoughts on CS6, and the experience of cycling in London.
28th September 2016
Andrew Jones MP opening a road, by Highways England, Flickr, Licence CC BY 2.0
An open letter to Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough, and minister in the DfT with responsibility for cycling. Two months in, and we have a 'head in hands' moment. Anyone who rides a bike and has seen your crass and offensive 'cyclists hang back' video will be dismayed. It's unclear about the story it's telling, makes a joke out of violence, gives highly dubious advice, encourages bullying of vulnerable road users, and alienates cyclists instead of persuading them. Read an open letter to Andrew Jones, cycling minister.
25th July 2016
'Oh my God, this is the best place ever,' I overheard on the
Nidderdale Greenway. 'I really want to come down here with my
camera.' There is something special about the view from the Nidd
Viaduct, and the fact that a younger generation appreciates it too
is encouraging. Read about overheard
on
the Nidderdale Greenway.
20th July 2016
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far. It was more than
30 degrees celcius in North Yorkshire, which can't be right. I went
for a bike ride, thinking I'd get a breeze, and everything would be
fine. I did get a breeze, but the abnormally hot weather made a
difference in various ways. Read my 5
thoughts on riding in hot weather.
10th July 2016
I was out for a Sunday morning ride, and when passing a dog-walker,
apparently in a civilised and amicable fashion, he growled 'gerra
bell' at me, even though I had a bell and I'd used it. What lessons
can be learned from this encounter (or are there no useful
conclusions which can be drawn)? Read about gerra
bell - an encounter on the Nidderdale Greenway.
The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain published draft design
principles for mass cycling last month. They suggest categorising
roads as 'through', 'distributor', or 'access', and providing for
cycling according to the road category. Read more about the Cycling
Embassy
of Great Britain's design principles...
Reports on cycling in the UK, including national policy and
government actions, and significant developments locally in
different parts of the country. Read the UK
cycling news.
