Author: laura
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Is cycle training for me?
Who is cycle training for? The simple answer is that it’s for everyone. By which I mean that pretty much anybody who rides a bike, or would like to ride a bike, will gain something from a lesson with a qualified cycling instructor. It’s for the kids though isn’t it? Many people’s standard conception of…
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London mayoral election-where does cycling fit in?
On May 5th Londoners will vote to decide their next mayor. Polls suggest that the most important issue for voters is housing, but the issue that is arguably of most direct relevance to Londoner’s day to day lives is transport. Whilst the candidates will be in broad agreement that London needs more affordable housing, even…
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Transforming cities through cycling
Radical changes to the way we move around big cities can be brought about quickly and inexpensively. This is the somewhat startling message of a new book, Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution, by Janette Sadik-Khan who served as New York’s transport commissioner from 2007-2013. During that time she oversaw historic changes to the City’s…
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Beat the bike thieves
Ever experienced that sinking feeling as you approach the empty rack where you left your bike chained up? It’s every cyclist’s nightmare. And with some estimates putting the number of bike thefts in London at 70,000 per year, it’s worth taking some simple steps to dramatically reduce your chances of being part of that statistic.…
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Sorry: I didn’t see you…
It may not seem a likely sight – a group of seasoned truckers taking to the road on bikes with an instructor – but it’s a growing phenomenon. In 2003, the EU passed the DCPC (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence) Directive. This requires all professional urban LGV and PCV drivers to complete training designed to…
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Thinking of becoming a cycling instructor?
Some observations from a Cycle Confident instructor… “I really think this will be life-changing for me” This comment was the verdict of a trainee at the end of a recent 1-2-1 cycling lesson. During the session we had planned and ridden her commute, a journey she had, until then, made by public transport. Cycle training…
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The Cycle Confident tent is coming to Cycle Revolution at the Design Museum
Some inventions change the course of society, the internet perhaps being the most obvious these days. But right up there with the best of them would have to be the humble bicycle. Invented by Karl Drais in 1817, the basic form of the bicycle has remained more or less unchanged since the addition of pneumatic…
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Are London cyclists really six times healthier?
A recent press release from Brunel University contained the startling claim that London cyclists are 6 times healthier than those who use other means of transport for their commute. Unsurprisingly such an eye-catching claim generated plenty of press coverage as the story was picked up by the Evening Standard among others. The most obvious question…
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Gearing up for the winter commute
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” – Alfred Wainwright The vagaries of the British weather can throw up surprises for cycle commuters at any time of the year, but it is the cold, dark winter days that will provide the greatest test of riders’ resolve. With winter feeling like it finally…
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There’s safety in numbers and the numbers are growing
When I first started commuting by bike in London fifteen years ago, it seemed a fairly lonely pursuit, with fellow cyclists few and far between. Nowadays if you travel on a busy route into the capital you’re likely to find yourself in a peloton several dozen strong, packed into the advanced stop box at traffic…