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# slef-reflections on Cycling
* Charity Rides
* Cycle Forum
* News
* Highway Code
* Flax Bourton Greenway
* Weston-super-Mare
* Racing
* Redways
* Tour de France
* [Cycling in 2006](../2006/cycwalks)
* * *
## Racing
I watch cycle races. I don't often take part, except for charity rides.
I find out which cycle races are happening through
[cyclingfans](http://www.cyclingfans.com/) and
[cyclingnews](http://www.cyclingnews.com/) and then follow them by [satellite
tv](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2007/satellite) or [live web
coverage](http://live.cyclingnews.com/) which I'll describe below, as I find
it.
### Vuelta a España
2007-09-01 (Permalink): [Eurosport](http://www.eurosport.com/) are
broadcasting the [Vuelta a España](http://www.lavuelta.com/) at [19
east](http://en.kingofsat.net/detail-eurosport.php) from today with commentary
in English (analogue only) and German. Scheduled times:-
Sat 01.09.2007
16:30-17:30 CET
Sun 02.09.2007
16:00-17:30 CET
Mon 03.09.2007 to Thu 06.09.2007
16:30-17:30 CET
Fri 07.09.2007 to Mon 10.09.2007
16:00-17:30 CET
Tue 11.09.2007
no show (MTB at 08:45)
Wed 12.09.2007
16:00-17:30 CET
Thu 13.09.2007
01:00-01:30 and 15:45-17:30 CET
Fri 14.09.2007 and Sat 15.09.2007
16:00-17:30 CET
[TVEi](http://www.rtve.es/FRONT_PROGRAMAS?go=111b735a516af85c434ac767f82084febab4c327bc2b44a18dbab4b238fd3abde6ab16490c16bc1ae90a1672c8464835d7ba22083bddf8fbaba346a98156add4e74b45740008a10f)
are broadcasting at 13 and 19 east. Scheduled times:-
Sat 01.09.2007
16:40-18:00 CET
Sun 02.09.2007
16:40-18:30 CET
Mon 03.09.2007
16:35-18:00 CET
Tue 04.09.2007 to Sun 09.09.2007
16:40-18:00 CET
I'll post more times next week.
I'd bet on a strong showing from Caisse d'Epargne after a relatively quiet
TdF. Who would you tip?
If you've not got your satellite set yet, some [Lidl](http://www.lidl.co.uk/)
specials are still available and most [Maplin](http://www.maplin.co.uk/)
branches have sets. Finding the broadcasts at 19 east is pretty easy in the
UK. See my [asteFAQ](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2006/astefaq) for hints and
links. I've still not fixed my dish up properly, yet it gets most 19 east
transmissions.
* Comment on this
### Hamburg Classic
2007-08-19 (Permalink): [NDR](http://www.ndr.de/tv/) are broadcasting the
[Hamburg Classic](http://www.vattenfall-cyclassics.de/elite/) in DVB (digital)
and PAL (analogue) at [19
east](http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?question=ndr&standard=All) at 11-14 GMT
today, while [ARD](http://tour.ard.de/) at [19 east and 13
east](http://en.kingofsat.net/detail-ard.php) overlaps from 12.30-15.00 GMT,
presumably including the closing stages. Notably, this race has excluded Tour
de France winner Contador, apparently as well as everyone else even
**mentioned** in connection with the Fuentes affair.
Yesterday's last stages of the Burgos and the Deutschland-Tour seemed
surprisingly unsurprising, with Juan Mauricio Soler and Jens Voigt kept their
respective leads.
* Comment on this
### Vuelta a Burgos
2007-08-16 (Permalink): [Eurosport](http://www.eurosport.com/) are
broadcasting the [Vuelta a
Burgos](http://www.vueltaburgos.com/2007/index.html) at [19
east](http://en.kingofsat.net/detail-eurosport.php) until Saturday. This can
be an interesting race for seeing how well the ProTour teams are recovering
from the Tour de France, ready for the Vuelta a España. Barloworld's TdF
revelation Juan Mauricio Soler has a 17-second lead into tomorrow's individual
time trial.
[The 69th Volta a Portugal](http://www.volta-portugal.com/) finished yesterday
with an ~50-minute individual time trial that saw the lead change hands and
Xavier Tondo of LA/MSS take the General Classification by a little under a
minute. RTP's coverage was strangely subdued. It seemed like they only had
cameras around the finish line, not on motorbikes following the riders. The
bad weather may have caused that, though.
Meanwhile, [the Deutschland-Tour 2007](http://www.deutschland-tour.de/) is
broadcast to Europe until Saturday [on
ARD](http://tour.ard.de/dtour/ueberuns/programmhinweise/) at [19 east and 13
east.](http://en.kingofsat.net/detail-ard.php) Gerald Ciolek of T-Mobile won
his second stage in a row today, while CSC's ever-popular Jens Voigt remains
in yellow. Individual time trial there too tomorrow. ARD's coverage has been
very swish so far this year. Widescreen with informative graphics, although
the commentary is still a bit subdued for my taste. Overall, it's a shame
there's not more airtime given to it.
* Comment on this
### Deutschland-Tour and Volta a Portugal
2007-08-11 (Permalink): [The Deutschland-Tour 2007](http://www.deutschland-
tour.de/) is broadcast to Europe until next Saturday [on
ARD](http://tour.ard.de/dtour/ueberuns/programmhinweise/) at [19 east and 13
east.](http://en.kingofsat.net/detail-ard.php) After a wet start,
[Gerolsteiner's](http://www.gerolsteiner.de/) [Robert
Förster](http://www.gerolsteiner.de/index.php?id=913&newsid=3430&backto=147&cHash=699993ba39)
is leading them into today's team time trial, but it's only the second stage.
[The 69th Volta a Portugal](http://www.volta-portugal.com/) is broadcast
worldwide until next Wednesday [on RTP Internacional and RTP
Africa](http://programas.rtp.pt/EPG/tv/epg-dia.php?canal=5) at [all sorts of
satellite positions.](http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/Portugal.html) Candido
Barbosa of [Liberty Seguros](http://www.libertyseguros.es/) (yet another
[cooperative cycling
sponsor](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2007/cycling#cooptdf) ) leads, but the
advantage is small.
* Comment on this
## Tour de France
### Bradley Wiggins Should Have Stayed in Race, According to UCI President
2007-07-26 (Permalink): OK, this is probably my last Tour post for a while...
back to business, software and the village after this, but I heard this on the
radio over breakfast and I can't see much about it online.
One of the most disappointing things for English Tour fans about [Moreni's
failed dope test [tdfblog]](http://www.tdfblog.com/2007/07/lequipe-
moreni-.html) is the departure of his [Cofidis](http://www.equipe-
cofidis.com/) team-mate Bradley Wiggins from the race, days before the last
(and most Wiggins-winnable) of the individual time trials.
In an interview this morning on [BBC Radio 4's
Today](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/) Programme at about 07:45 (in case
you can Listen Again to it), there was the question:
> "We've had whole teams withdrawing. It's not just the two who test positive.
It's the sense that those are the tip of an iceberg, isn't it? The whole team
pulls out and you don't really know how many others in that team are affected
by the same behaviour."
and [UCI](http://www.uci.ch/) president Pat McQuaid answered:
> "Well, I mean, the fact that the whole team pulled out is something which
the UCI is quite annoyed about, in actual fact, and it was that the organisers
asked the teams to pull out. It wasn't the fact that the teams pulled out of
their own accord. The organisers said to them, as a result of the positive,
that they got the one person and they said they want the whole team out of it.
**That actually goes against the rules and it shouldn't have happened.** Erm,
so, from that point of view, you can't put anything on the other riders. You
can't say that the other riders are up to anything just because they're not in
the race. They were asked by the organisers to get out."
The interview continues to point out how there's much more testing in cycling
now than ever before, and more than in any other sport (remember, Puerto
implicated footballers and others too), but it's interesting how the whole-
team-out approach is criticised for removing the other riders on a team from
the race testing!
Anyway, by the UCI president's reasoning, Bradley Wiggins should still be
racing. Well done to UCI and the tour for catching Moreni and almost-well-done
to Moreni for admitting it, but boo Cofidis for pulling the whole team out!
ben commented:
> "You seem to have forgotten that cycling is a team sport. If one of the team
are using drugs then the other team members are presumably gaining an unfair
advantage from riding with them. If they are not, then what is the point of
teams in the first place?"
I think it's unlikely most team members got any advantage from riding with
dopey cyclists like Moreni or Vinokourov, don't you? Vinokourov was clearly
the team leader and his team-mates were put to work for him, even if it harmed
their chances of victory. Most memorably, Klöden dropped back to help leader
Vino try to catch the pack.
Moreni's a trickier question. I didn't see much of Cofidis this year apart
from the individual escapes and time trials. Did he work for the team or his
leader much?
I can see an argument for kicking out the team leader if a teammate dopes, but
not the whole team. Let the "headless" teams continue: it would make the later
stages more exciting (because riders on those teams would have nothing other
than stage wins to race for), it would mean more dope tests for the rest of
the team and it would serve as a reminder, on TV every day, whose dopey riders
got caught.
* Comment on this
### The Dopey Tour de France
2007-07-26 (Permalink): After my [comments about the TV audience
figures,](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2007/satellite#audiencetdf) [Ismael
Valladolid Torres](http://lamediahostia.blogspot.com/) commented:
> "Audience in Spain will keep on raising while Contador keeps playing such a
big race!"
I hope that's still the case after the recent revelations. The evidence
suggests that [Vinokourov had someone else's blood
[tdfblog]](http://www.tdfblog.com/2007/07/jesus-christ-im.html) and [Cofidis's
Moreni was using something like a nutsack patch
[tdfblog]](http://www.tdfblog.com/2007/07/lequipe-moreni-.html) while
[Rabobank have fired race leader Rasmussen for telling them he was in Mexico
when he was in Italty [tdfblog]](http://www.tdfblog.com/2007/07/stage-17-to-
sta.html) so it looks like this year's race is still really unpredictable as
the dopes are caught and kicked out.
Maybe my hopes for a Valverde (now 6th, 10:18 back) win still stand a
chance... (My "serious" prediction, Klöden, left with Vino.)
### The Cooperative Tour de France
2007-07-17 (Permalink): Did you know that the cooperative movement has a
strong presence in le Tour? Road cycling is a good sport to show off teamwork
and cooperation, because no-one can win a three-week tour on their own.
The following [Tour de France
teams](http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/LIVE/fr/800/equipes_presentation.html)
seem to have cooperatives as their main sponsors:
* [Credit Agricole](http://www.au-veloclubdeparis.fr/) \- 3rd in [Global 300](http://www.global300.coop/), currently 12th in the tour
* [Rabobank](http://www.rabobank.nl/wielrennen), 11. in Global 300, 1. in tour
* [Caisse d'Epargne](http://www.cyclisme-caisse-epargne.fr/), 14. in Global 300, 2. in tour
* [Milram](http://www.team-milram.com/) (part of Nordmilch), 78. in Global 300, 19. in tour
* [AG2R](http://www.ag2r-cyclisme.com/), not in the Global 300 but a member of France's AGMUT, 9. in tour
Top-placed cooperative rider is Rabobank's Michael Rasmussen, the General
Classification leader! He's also currently King of the Mountains (polka dot
jersey) and Most Aggressive Rider (red numbers).
We've already seen C.A's Thor Hushovd win a stage, while Milram's Erik Zabel
has led the points classification and now lurks in second in that contest for
the green jersey. Both Caisse d'Epargne's Alejandro Valverde and Rabobank's
Denis Menchov should have a chance of the overall win - or can Michael
Rasmussen keep it despite the time trials to come?
### Tour de France in London
2007-07-10 (Permalink): I'm back from watching the Tour de France stages in
London (actually, I was back yesterday, but was straight out the door to
[CoopSW](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2007/business#coopsw) \- more on that
soon).
It was pretty damn amazing, with far more than the expected 200,000 spectators
on the Saturday alone. We started in Green Park, but it just got silly there -
couldn't see a damn thing - so we plodded through to Hyde Park and stood about
10 rows back on the top of a bank where we could see both the course and a big
screen. Excellent contest, but Kloeden and Cancellara were disturbingly fast.
After a thoroughly surreal overnight stay in a hotel in Canning Town (yes,
surreal: I'm sat there eating breakfast and a giant stick figure goes past the
window at 30mph - it was damn Champion supermarkets caravan float), I went and
stood on the roadside near km0 in Greenwich.
Again, an amazing turnout. Every available vantage point was occupied. As well
as being between 4 and 6 deep at the barriers, people were hanging from nearby
railings, perching on top of stone pillars - and it seems that London bus
shelters will support at least 8 people on the roof. I then took the DLR and
Jubilee line back to Hyde Park, saw a bit on the big screen and caught the
train home.
I took tons of photographs, but used the film camera, so I'll wait for them to
return from the developers. I'll [watch the rest of the race on
TV.](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2007/satellite#tdf)
* * *
## Weston-super-Mare
### The Bicycology Bikeride 2007
2007-07-18 (Permalink): It seems to be carefully avoiding Weston (scared of
[The Kaiser
Chiefs](http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/t4/microsites/O/onthebeach/)
perhaps), but [The Bicycology Bikeride
2007](http://www.bicycology.org.uk/future_events/2007_summer_tour.htm) will
call at Bristol this weekend and Yeovil on Tuesday, before finishing in Exeter
next weekend.
### BBC = Bristol's Bad Cycleways
2007-07-04: Bristol is my nearest big city. Its council is told by government
to cooperate with ours, but I'm not sure that's a good idea for cycle
facilities. They build some good on-road stuff, but some of their other stuff
seems just plain insane.
Now rider md451, who brought us [a video of a ride along the Coronation Road
shared-use farcility,](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od3HYf4_GwM) has posted
[a picture of Bristol's "densest white paint in one cycleway" award-
winner.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/md451/710459166/in/photostream/)
Incredible.
### Roadworks
[Weston Mercury: Town centre
havoc](http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/content/twm/news/story.aspx?brand=Westonmercury&category=news&tBrand=westonmercury&tCategory=znews&itemid=WeED03%20Jan%202007%2016%3A04%3A51%3A060)
reports that [Wales and West Utilities will be digging
up](http://www.wwutilities.co.uk/PR_Gas_Safety_Work_30_Nov_2006_Weston_Super_Mare.asp?GroupKeyPos=03,03)
Orchard Street followed by Alexandra Parade, Regent Street, Walliscote Road,
High Street and Knightstone Road over 16 weeks from 8 January, and also
> "Three months worth of work to remove the central reservation and add a
filter lane to Herluin Way is also due to start on the same day [...]
>
> Uphill Road South in Uphill is closing on January 9 for six weeks as [Wessex
Water](http://www.wessexwater.co.uk/) repairs the highway's sewer. [...]
>
> Winters Lane in Redhill is shutting for two months while a new sewer is put
in."
Pipe works seldom seem to take up the full width of the road and the Herluin
Way cycle track only crosses Herluin Way at a few points. Will these roads be
kept open for cycling? They should be.
All of these seem to be starting just before next week's [Cycle
Forum](http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Transport/Travel/Cycling/cycleforum.htm)
(7pm Wednesday 10 January at Worle Campus, [press
release](http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Transport/news-20061228-callingallcyclists.htm)
). Interesting new year present.
### Jam-Busting June
While I was away, [Jam-Busting June](http://www.jambustingjune.com/) started.
It's one of the biggest commuter challenge events in England. I took part in
[King's Lynn's event](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2006/cycwalks#bikeweek)
last year, but this one has a prize draw too, so go for it if you're in the
WsM area. Things are already in good shape here, as you can see from the
hotspots in both WsM and Bristol on [this Census-based
map.](http://www.reurbanisierung.de/share_bike_ward_uk.png)
The North Somerset Cycling Officer writes:
> "There are also the commuter cycle rides into Weston-super-Mare starting
tomorrow with the cyclists breakfast organised for Wednesday the 20th - you
can arrive at the Victorian Café by your own route if you prefer. The rides
will be:
>
> * Wednesday, June 6 - meet at The Campus - 8am.
> * Wednesday, June 13 - meet at Worle Railway Station - 8am.
> * Wednesday, June 20 - meet at Ebdon Cemetery - 7.30am (to the seafront
for a free breakfast - cyclists can also make their own way to the café).
> * Wednesday, June 27 - meet at Weston General Hospital - 8am."
>
Maybe see you there. [Their homepage](http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/cycling)
also has a preview of the new Strawberry Line leaflet and the 2007 route map
will be up in due course.
* Start of this section
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* * *
## News
I used to live in Norfolk, so [Norwich Evening News: Was top cyclist killed by
driver asleep at the
wheel?](http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=enonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED03%20Jan%202007%2009%3A34%3A53%3A220)
(Updates: [EDP: Death crash trial hears of "most viable
explanation"](http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED04%20Jan%202007%2021%3A10%3A56%3A550)
and [EDP: Driver guilty of causing cyclist's
death](http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED05%20Jan%202007%2016%3A24%3A33%3A457)
) and [Norwich Evening News: Cyclist hit by bus on
A47](http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=enonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED03%20Jan%202007%2009%3A40%3A23%3A533)
are rather worrying.
Update: [EDP24 \- Dangerous driver in cyclist death
jailed](http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED29%20Jan%202007%2011%3A54%3A36%3A807)
and [BBC NEWS | England | Norfolk | Tired motorist jailed over
death](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/6309949.stm)
#### Merseyside Cyclist Killed
Cycle shop owner and long-time club rider Mel Vasey was knocked down and
killed by a car while on a club ride. [Report from
icLiverpool](http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0200sport/0800othersports/tm_headline
=popular-club-cyclist-killed-in-horror-
collision&method=full&objectid=18471603&siteid=50061-name_page.html)
The comment about the road being dangerous **because of** a lack of cycle
track sounds like a misquote or misunderstanding. The road is dangerous
because car drivers aren't driving within their ability. Adding a cycle track
won't change the road: if the driver really was blinded by low sun and driving
beyond their ability, they could easily have strayed into a cycle track. Also,
roadside cycle tracks are often kept to a damned sight worse standard than the
roads (often 18mph top unladen speed on wide tyres \- less if you're carrying
or on road tyres) so end up being no safer in total.
* Start of this section
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* * *
## Flax Bourton Greenway: Warning: May contain nuts
I saw the Flax Bourton greenway consultation (available on
)
includes a railway bridge with what looks like a maximum-radius corner on one
side, but a tight corner emerging from behind a fence on the other. I wonder
whether there's any reason for that, because it looks dangerous to me.
Check Sustrans plans carefully. On one hand, they've got the money and
planning authority respect to get dumb stuff built, but on the other hand,
they've got the money and respect to get good stuff built. Use 'em.
* Start of this section
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* * *
## Cycle Forum
### April Cycle Forum
Thursday 26 April 2007 (7pm - 9pm), The Campus, Locking Castle, Weston-super-
Mare.
[(Map)](http://uk.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=51.3526&lon=-2.9147&scale=10000&icon=x)
Topics to include:
The Joint Local Transport Plan: How the forum may maintain pressure to
implement cycling benefits in the plan?
Appointment of new chair for the meetings
Diversion of the Avon Cycleway onto the old NCN33 to Portishead
New Local Rural Routes to be sign posted
Date of next meeting: Thursday 28 June 2007 @7pm, The Campus - WSM
[Cycle Forum
homepage](http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Transport/Travel/Cycling/cycleforum.htm)
* Start of this section
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* * *
## Highway Code and Cycling
Steve Kinsella wrote:
> "Your right to ride on the road is in jeopardy. The revised Highway Code
says cyclists should "use cycle facilities where possible". [...] The
implications of this are bad. First, we will suffer more abuse and
intimidating driving.
>
> Secondly cyclists will be disobeying the Highway Code when they assess that
a cycle lane or path is dangerous and act accordingly.
>
> Thirdly, if a cyclist is involved in an accident and tries to claim damages,
the insurance companies are likely to argue that the rider contributed to the
accident by not using the cycle facility.
>
> The Highway Code has been laid before parliament. It will automatically be
approved possibly by 20 May unless it is referred to a House of Commons
Committee which cannot amend it and can only recommend the whole document be
rejected. [...]
>
> There is [a petition on the government
website.](http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes/)
>
> One can be sceptical about the value of these petitions but the publicity is
valuable as can be seen from [this Sunday Times article of 7
May.](http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/features/article1746923.ece)
>
> It is interesting to note that 35 MPs objected to the original revised
wording. Unfortunately, the replacement wording is worse.
>
> 11,000 objections were received to the previous wording. There are 70, 000
in the CTC alone who should now be objecting.
>
> If this Highway Code is approved by government cyclists will effectively
lose the right to ride on the road where there are alternative routes or
adjacent facilities.
>
> Please [register your name on the
petition](http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes/) and persuade others to do
the same."
(via [nscycle](http://www.nscycle.org.uk/) )
More developments on cycling and the Highway Code: There was [a written answer
in parliament](http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-05-08a.135682.h)
about the Highway Code which completely avoided the question - cyclists are
voting 'no' to its 'Does this answer the above question?' poll. I have.
[bikeuser wrote about the Highway Code with excerpts and links to
me](http://bikeuser.flurble.org/wordpress/?p=23) and also linked [Eleanor
Blair - More Highway Code](http://lnr.livejournal.com/543940.html) which
mentions [the Early Day Motion in
parliament](http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33216&SESSION=885)
with a suggestion that you [write to your MP and ask them to sign
it.](http://www.writetothem.com/)
In a comment, Anonymous asked:
> "I agree with you that cyclists should have the right to decide that a
cycling road seems too hazardous. However, other than that, any reason why
cyclists **should** get to use roads when cycle paths exist?"
Yes. The most important reason is that most cycle paths are built to a very
low standard (design speed of 18mph on an unladen hybrid bike) which is
unsuitable for commercial carriers and even ordinary road bicycles (what I
used to call racers). [Even national government suggests to use the
road](http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2004/ltnwc/annexdcodeofconductnoticefor1688)
if you want to exceed the design parameters of cycle paths.
> "As a general rule, if you want to cycle quickly, say in excess of 18 mph/30
kph, then you should be riding on the road."
Also, cycle paths usually get the lowest priority of all highways at every
junction (contrary to national guidance) and are hopelessly badly signposted.
Would you choose a bumpy-road that gives way at every piddling side road when
you have the choice of a flat, smooth A road? I doubt it - that's the basic
form of traffic calming in bypassed villages like
[Blisworth.](http://uk.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=52.1732&lon=-0.9391&scale=100000&icon=x)
There are some cycle tracks I use, but even those are so badly signed, it's
taken me weeks to figure them out - and I've been visiting family in this area
for years!
For example, I don't enjoy riding on the exposed Somerset Avenue dual
carriageway and the adjacent purpose-built shared-use path is segregated, with
few junctions or pedestrians, but consider [the junction complex at West
Wick](http://uk.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=51.3526&lon=-2.9107&scale=5000&icon=x)
(the aerial picture shows the cycle path, but the roads on the bottom right
have changed). It's faster to use the underpasses, cross Churchlands Way into
Yew Tree Drive and then use the Summer Lane underpass to reach North Worle,
but which way do the cycle route signs send you? Yep, round to the left,
across four sets of traffic lights where the cyclists get the lowest priority
(and a 'Cyclists Dismount' sign for good measure) and then along a path that
level-crosses an estate road completely blind (under construction in the
aerial pic, above the roundabout). Oh, and the cycle route map's wrong for
that area, just to make it even more confusing.
Because of the bad signposts and maps, it's also very difficult to report any
problems with cycle paths and tracks to the highways maintenance team. Cycle
paths often don't have names and I've sometimes had reports come back with
"there is no fault" when it turns out they've looked at the nearby road, not
the cycleway.
Forcing cyclists to use cycle paths will probably always be the wrong choice,
but there's a lot of improvements needed before you can expect many cyclists
to use them by choice. Doing so now would be like directing all cars onto
unsigned B-roads instead of motorways that exist for the same journey, just
because vans and lorries have a bigger need for the motorways. I like having
B-roads available for journeys which would be much longer otherwise, but I
wouldn't want to be forced off the motorways just because they exist. Even if
you're a car driver, [write to your MP](http://www.writetothem.com/) and
object to directing classes of traffic off of roads that are safer than
alternatives. Else, if you tolerate this...
The bigger question is "why is so much money spent on the cycling equivalent
of B-roads?" and I don't know the answer to that. We would do much better to
widen roads to add cycle lanes (or allow safe in-lane overtaking by cars),
instead of widening the adjacent paths and painting them as shared use.
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## Charity Rides
### Leukemia Research Bikeathon
![\[start photo\]](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2007/start0140.jpg) On Sunday
20 May, I rode in the [Leukemia Research Weston-super-Mare
Bikeathon](http://www.lrf.org.uk/en/1/funbikarosouweswes.html) which ["has so
far raised in excess of £120,000 for the
charity."](http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=147472&contentPK=17340127&folderPk=84808)
I finished the course of about 23 miles in a bit over 2 hours. That was
slightly slower than I expected, but I hadn't anticipated the batched mass
start (20 riders set off every 30s or so) and the relatively slow speed of the
large group ride to the first hill where the short course filtered off. I
wasn't the fastest or the slowest by a long way.
The first hill, [Bleadon
Hill,](http://uk.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=51.3172&lon=-2.9628&scale=25000&icon=x)
was new to me and it was a bit of a pain. It was rideable, unlike the hill
nearest me, but it continued upwards at a challenging gradient for a **long**
time. I'd estimate it's about 4km and mostly over 5% \- I'll not be riding it
again in a hurry. [The view from the
top](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2007/levels0143.jpg) was almost worth it
(even if it didn't photograph well, looking almost south at 11am) but then you
remember that you've just ridden up there from sea level and everything aches.
Getting down from that hill was also fun. The descent was through Canada
Coombe, which looks about 10% down for about 1km and it's a narrow uneven road
with loose gravel washed onto the road. Then it was a fairly direct link north
to Locking and Worle, a flattish loop from the crematorium to Ebdon, Bourton,
Icelton and Wick St Lawrence (which felt good, like I could ride it forever \-
it's amazing how easy a well-tuned bicycle feels) and back to town via Sand
Bay and Kewstoke.
![\[photo\]](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2007/mjrend149.jpg) The picture is
of me outside the pavillion at Clarence Park, just after finishing. The pack
contained repair kit, water, food, rain gear and extra top, none of which was
needed. I didn't pack sun block or insect-repellent, which would have helped
(although thankfully not vital)!
Thanks to everyone who sponsored me. If you still want to contribute, please
put it in the comments form with an email address, and/or [email me
directly](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html).
I'm rather surprised to find that Liz RADFORD comments:
> "As my first year as organiser of this ride, I would like to thank you and
everyone who came out for us. It was a great day and looks like we raised over
£10,000! As Leukemia is the most common form of cancer in Childen I get a bit
over-enthusiastic sometimes when I see so many people joining in doing so much
good and prehaps see the event through rose tinted specs. I hope you enjoyed
it and the legs are better now, the hill is a real challenge. One question for
you. Was it something you enjoyed enough to do again or do you think a flat
route along the front Sand Bay and Wick would serve us better at bringing
riders back each year? Your comments appreciated. Liz X
>
> Also check out www.UKeventphotos.com"
£10k. That's a great result!
I think I'd do it again and I think the initial hill has its uses - it's a bit
of an unusual challenge and strings the field out. I didn't have any
congestion problems until the first checkpoint after we merged with the short
route. If you're looking for changes, I'd put that Somerset Avenue checkpoint
somewhere with more space and reroute a quieter way around Worle, maybe up
Walford Avenue with the split to the Ebdon loop at Riverbank.
UKeventphotos.com only shows me the first page of the gallery - clicking "Next
results" dumps me back at the search front page. I think they need to learn
how to make accessible web sites ([my work](http://www.ttllp.co.uk/) offers
advice...). I'm glad I took my own camera and I'm sorry if their bad web site
limits the amount LRF gets from photographs.
[liz radford](http://www.lrf.org.uk) commented:
> "Thanks for the advice, your comments on the route match those of a couple
of others so I think we will go ahead and make those changes but keep the hill
of pain!
>
> I will ride the revised route this weekend to give it a go."
While you're out there... I heard some comments that Windwhistle Lane on the
short route wasn't very easy to follow, but I suspect that's more a problem
with the council's (lack of) signs than a bad route.
I didn't find the black-and-white bikeathon signs easy to spot on the
faster/busier stretches. The pink and the yellow(?) ones were usually easily
noticeable. I wonder whether the first black-and-white signs were at Worle
Moor Gate - I went so wrong there that I rode up to the marshals at Summer
Lane/Diamond Batch from behind!
> "On the photo web site, you can get access to a total of about 700 pictures
but it's not immediately obvious how. Mind you I can't criticise - the
site is even less user friendly. We have photos on it
of local people getting out there and doing great things to raise money but
you try and find them its like wandering the catacombs. We need our own simple
West-country site! Have a look and comment if you want, an experts critic is
well overdue."
Well, the LRF site isn't bad - it needs to sort out its colours and contrast,
and the text alternatives to images seem to be nonsense like asterisks, but I
think I can actually access all of the pages without trouble. If you'd like a
westcountry site, [contact me at work](http://www.ttllp.co.uk/webdev.html) and
I'll offer a deal.
> "Anyway back to photos. Get onto the one page of photos it will let you see
and then click "refine search." This will take you to the menu as follows...
Start Childrens Race Bleadon Hill Finish 1 Finish 2 Finish 3 Finish 4"
I can see more photos that way, but still only the first 8 from each category.
Thanks once more for organising a great event Liz! I've noticed that my page
is attracting some search results for bikeathon - is anyone else who rode this
event reading? Care to comment on it? (If you're reading this at swik.net or a
similar irresponsible republisher, click "Read more" to get the real comments
form.)
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## The Redways: a few bad apples?
There are 1988 http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/redway.html and 1989 papers
http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/2decades.html by Cyclecraft Author John
Franklin http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/ about poor accident records of the
Milton Keynes Redways http://www.mkweb.co.uk/cycling/ which are often cited by
cyclists as showing why cycle facilities are dangerous or "farcilities". But I
grew up riding the Redways and I think the closest I came to seeing a Redway-
caused injury was when we accidentally rode onto an under-construction stretch
by mistake and met a road roller. I journeyed to work all the way along the
north-west edge when I was employed in that area one summer. (The cross-city
Redway I used was fairly quiet on the journey to work around 0700 but quite
busy on the return - looked like "school run" traffic.) I lived three miles
from the MK boundary for a decade and so I've had some time to think about
this. I consider condemning the Milton Keynes Redways as dangerous farcilities
is simplistic and misguided. Here's why: Milton Keynes was one of the first
English cities to have cycle routes designed in from day one. This means that
there are cycle tracks of types and in spaces that we hadn't seen before.
Where else did you get a network of both low-friction surface high-speed cycle
routes with sweeping bends and grade-seperated junctions and connecting routes
to every estate? How many places have that added since? Almost nowhere. Milton
Keynes is a massive cycle track experiment. As Franklin notes, that experiment
didn't go completely to plan and the "secondary grid" of Redways between
district centres simply isn't there. Nevertheless, there are things that work
amazingly well, but there are others which are now obviously stupid, like not
protecting the sight lines at juctions of the connecting routes and putting
late-80s estate routes alongside feeder roads, where they have more frequent
and busier level junctions. I think some of the London data also suggests that
the non-separated junctions are the most dangerous places, which suggests that
Milton Keynes is not a cycle track promoter's perfect design in the first
place. The unique Redway network was built in several phases. To be fair, I
can't recommend the original network for anything other than low-speed
connecting use, but the addition of the straighter cross-city routes (the
"cross-city Redways" mentioned in the 1998 paper and my introduction) to the
original plan early last decade improved matters immensely. Although the
different types are mentioned in the introductions, this difference seems
entirely ignored by the accident data, which is my main complaint against the
papers. There's no way of comparing like with like, as far as I can tell. You
can split the accident data for NSL grid roads from the link roads and estate
roads, but you can't split the long-distance Redways from the local estate
Redways. Based on my years cycling around the city, I expect that the
difference between grid Redways and grid roads is pretty small and that local
Redways are *far* worse than local roads, but I can't prove or disprove that
from his data. None of the studies I've seen differentiate between
construction phases or route types, which is like only having combined
accident figures for the Fosse Way and the M5. My second complaint is that I
don't trust the use estimates in these papers. I noticed cycle counters
(sensor loops cut into in the path, attached to a grey cabinet with solar
panel) scattered around King's Lynn, but I don't remember any in Milton
Keynes. Milton Keynes Redways and Leisure Routes: An Information Sheet
http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/redway.html includes phrases like 'It is
evident from casual observation...' while noting the combination of this with
other data suggests a 'paradox' - maybe there's no paradox and the casual
observation is simply incorrect? The main source of cycle use data seems to be
surveys rather than counters. A survey with 120 responses has quite some
potential for error estimating a city of 200,000 people. An "accident rate"
equals "accidents per use", so an incorrect use estimate can make a very big
difference, especially if use is still sadly small. As the author says, he has
no accurate usage figures for the Redways. A survey is included in the
references, so I find it surprising that no usage information is quoted from
that survey. Perhaps it would help to explain the figures in some way
unwelcoming to the general tone of the piece? Cyclist preferences seem to be
taken from one cycle user group screenline count, rather than a cordon census
or survey, which I also found surprising. Even with the above problems, this
seems to be the best that could have been done at the time. I think we need to
push for better cyclist data, so we can see what the problems actually are and
whether any of the conflicting theories can be supported properly. Personally,
I'd do it by comparing like with like. Safety audits and accident data for
equivalent routes should show which is safer. I quite expect the totality of
cycle tracks in an area to be less safe per user unit distance than the
totality of roads in an area - there are some real stinker cycle tracks out
there, in most towns, often built by non-biking local authority design
consultants, and corrections for bad cycle tracks are not done as quickly as
corrections for bad roads. The breakdown of causes of accident in Franklin's
papers is interesting. The vast majority of accidents are caused by inadequate
design, probably as a result of travelling at high speeds along the local
routes which weren't really designed for speed. Some suggest occasional
bridges as the best solution, but in my experience that has all the
disadvantages of a dedicated network (more so in the case of litter and
debris) plus a steep incline, but none of the benefits. That's something we
could learn from the Redways - how to maintain and how not to maintain cycle
tracks. Another thing we could maybe learn is the importance of enforcement.
Enforcement of traffic rules on the Redways used to be nigh on non-existant
and those are education and enforcement problems, so it's roughly what I'd
expect. At one point, there was some confusion which laws applied: Highway
Code or local footway bylaws. We could also learn about ownership and
promotion. Responsible cycling *and* responsible cycleway use (for example, it
only takes a few seconds to move debris off the main track) are essential to
its success. After MKDC stopped issuing the redway maps and code for free
(1992, I think), there was a noticeable decline. So, while the MK Redway
network isn't perfect, it's a long way ahead of the facilities offered in most
cities. We should learn from any successes and failures we can as we add cycle
route networks across the country, using roads, lanes and tracks as
appropriate. It is foolish to condemn all car-free tracks because a big
experiment wasn't 100% right first time, especially as the Franklin papers
don't give enough detail to see what went wrong - for all we know, it's the
sorts of mistakes that are at least as possible on the roads, like bad
junction design.
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