Author Archives: aseasyasriding

Why *would* you ride a bike? The UK experience

Posted on June 21, 2011 by aseasyasriding

In my post yesterday on my partner’s first use of a bike in over 20 years, I mentioned how the street she first rode along, Biltstraat, was a busy road, connecting Utrecht’s ring road to the centre of town. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Cycling policy, Horsham, Infrastructure, Road safety, Town planning | 4 Comments

“Why wouldn’t you ride a bike?”

Posted on June 20, 2011 by aseasyasriding

My partner has not ridden a bicycle for over 20 years. The reasons for this are manifold, but in essence, they boil down to the roads she would have to use being too unpleasant to ride on, in combination with … Continue reading →

Posted in Cycling policy, Infrastructure, Road safety, The Netherlands | 14 Comments

Impressions of Paris

Posted on June 19, 2011 by aseasyasriding

I’m recently back from a short trip to Europe – a few days in Paris, and then a longer period in Utrecht (about which more later). Paris has always struck me – at least on a few previous visits – … Continue reading →

Posted in Cycling policy, Infrastructure, London, Road safety, Shared Space, Transport for London, Transport policy | 4 Comments

West Sussex County Council member for Highways and Transport, Lionel Barnard, admits that Sussex roads are lethal for children attempting to cycle to school

Posted on June 19, 2011 by aseasyasriding

Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council Cabinet member for Highways & Transport I wrote recently about the plight of the villagers of Cowfold. West Sussex County Council is proposing to axe the number 86 bus through the village, which would … Continue reading →

Posted in Car dependence, Cyclecraft, Cycling policy, Road safety, West Sussex County Council | Leave a comment

Taxis and congestion

Posted on June 9, 2011 by aseasyasriding

Here are some vehicles causing congestion in central London. Great George Street, queuing to enter Parliament Square. The Mall, queuing to enter Trafalgar Square. I have a couple of questions. Why should these congestion-causing vehicles be exempt from the congestion … Continue reading →

Posted in Car dependence, London, Transport for London, Transport policy | 5 Comments

What the average British bicycle used to look like

Posted on June 8, 2011 by aseasyasriding

My grandmother’s BSA Star Rider. Built like a tank. 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub gear. Mud guards. Dynamo lights. Chain cover. A bicycle that is nearly maintenance-free, that you can just jump on and off, in ordinary clothes. Practical, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Transport for London, are you listening?

Posted on June 6, 2011 by aseasyasriding

An excellent video from the London Cycling Campaign, which shows precisely how hostile Blackfriars is for vulnerable road users, even with the current speed limit set at 20 mph. Transport for London want to raise that speed limit back to … Continue reading →

Posted in London, Road safety, Transport for London | Leave a comment

Cyclist fatalities due to left-turning lorries

Posted on June 5, 2011 by aseasyasriding

Paula Jurek, a 20-year-old student from Poland, was crushed to death by a left-turning lorry at the junction of Camden Road and St Pancras Way on the 5th of April this year. The lorry driver was arrested on suspicion of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dangerous driving, London, Road safety, The judiciary | 6 Comments

The village of Cowfold moves one step closer to total car dependency

Posted on June 4, 2011 by aseasyasriding

Back in the 1960s, the Sussex village of Cowfold was a short distance – a couple of miles – from a railway station that could take its residents south to Shoreham and Brighton, or north to Horsham. That railway station … Continue reading →

Posted in Car dependence, Road safety, Town planning, West Sussex County Council | 3 Comments

Dual carriageways, and how cyclists get hit on them

Posted on June 3, 2011 by aseasyasriding

I wrote in April of the death of William Honour, a 79-year-old cyclist who was killed on a dual carriageway in Surrey after being clipped by two vehicles, and run over by a third. What was apparent from the inquest … Continue reading →

Posted in Dangerous driving, Infrastructure, Road safety, Transport policy | 9 Comments