google@woodall.me.uk wrote:
> On Jun 26, 1:02 pm, John B <s...@johnband.org> wrote:
>> Last year, the National Road Traffic Survey recorded its first drop in
>> car use since it began its annual study.
>>
>> But the "two rails good, four wheels bad" theory might not necessarily
>> hold for those who have suffered rising prices and disruption on
>> mainline services.
>>
>> [end quote]
>>
> Yes. I saw that. This stood out particularly:
>
> "People who wouldn't previously have considered buying a bike realise
> it now makes financial sense, particularly at the cheaper end of
> bikes.
>
> People really, really, really need to be dissuaded from buying bikes
> at the cheaper end. They will be heavy, hard work to ride, and
> generally put people off cycling after one attempt. Some of that could
> be fixed by fitting high pressure slick tyres - but how many people
> are going to spend an extra 30 quid putting new tyres onto a bike that
> cost them 99 quid? But the weight is still there - and if you haven't
> cycled for years the first hill[1] is going to hurt regardless until
> you've been cycling for several weeks but the difference between a 99
> bike and a 299 bike may well be that the first time you go up that
> hill you actually make it to the top without getting off and pushing
> with the more expensive bike.
>
> [1] I'm referring to the sorts of hills that regular cyclists just
> consider to be a bit more work than cycling on the flat. If your
> commute takes you across the pennines then it's going to be extremely
> unlikely that any bike will get you over without getting of and
> pushing unless you're already a fairly fit cyclist.
>
> It would be far better if Evans were instead encouraging people to go
> back to their employer and get them to do the cycle to work scheme.
> That way they will effectively get an extra 30% on their budget for
> nothing (more if they are a HRT payer) and will be able to include
> other essential things like lightweight waterproofs. (Actually this is
> a place where cycle clothes manufacturers let things down. Lightweight
> waterproof over trousers and lightweight waterproofs to wear over
> normal shoes just don't seem to exist - the overshoes in particular
> should be like latex gloves - 10p each and throw away after one use -
> because anything robust enough not to get torn will be unnecessarily
> heavy. They need to squeeze down into a tiny package that can live in
> the corner of a bag until the next rain.)
>
> IMO other "must haves" for the serious cycle commuter would be things
> like hub dynamo lighting. You can manage with just battery lights but
> you have to be meticulous in checking your batteries regularly -
> especially in the summer months where suddenly you get caught late at
> work and find yourself riding home in the dark.
>
> Tim.
All correct, apart from the bit about lights. I use battery lights and
rechargeable batteries bought from Aldi, £2.99 for 4. I use them for
several days and then recharge them and always have a spare set in my
bum bag. Never had a light go out on me yet.
I started cycling again on something cheap and nasty, just to see if I
would stick it. Less than 500 miles later - maybe as little as a half
that - the entire rear wheel was a write off. Now I have a much better
bike and the experience of cycling has been transformed.
However, we are a long, long way off cycling being an alternative to
commuting for many people. The perception of most people - and they
aren't far wrong - is that the roads are dangerous. Not enough is being
doing to change this. The government have spent millions on creating a
network of cycle paths and it is a wonderful thing, but don't let anyone
tell you that they are suitable for commuting or, in many cases, for
novice cyclists. I did a section of the Trans Pennine Trail from
Stockport to Hyde the other day and it was awful, forcing me to walk for
a stretch of it and nearly coming off a couple of times. Going the other
direction from my house towards Broadbottom is even worse. Massive
puddles cross one section, so deep that it would be impossible to see
large stones that would stop you dead at low speed and force you to
stand on the ground, but also so deep that your feet actually went into
the water as you peddled! And this on a section that the maps show as
well surfaced!!!!
Then add to that the fact that only a tiny proportion of companies offer
proper changing facilities for cyclists at work. We are a long way off a
cycling revolution in this country.
Brian.
BBC: Is this the new age of the train? 
