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How was your cycle commute?

steeeve said:
I spent the day in Copenhagen recently and also only saw one bike with drophandle bars out of several thousand, not one piece of lycra and no-one going above 15mph (estimated obviously) maybe that also plays a part?
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and before I get shouted at I do wear lycra and go fast (though not normally on my commute)
 
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steeeve said:
I spent the day in Copenhagen recently and also only saw one bike with drophandle bars out of several thousand, not one piece of lycra and no-one going above 15mph (estimated obviously) maybe that also plays a part?
Click to expand...

I don't think so - I think what it is, is that because of the infrastructure, people don't feel the need to go fast, so they don't kit themselves out with the kit that is needed to go fast, instead they go for more practical options.
 
BigTom said:
I don't think so - I think what it is, is that because of the infrastructure, people don't feel the need to go fast, so they don't kit themselves out with the kit that is needed to go fast, instead they go for more practical options.
Click to expand...

So if we had full on separate cycle lanes everywhere you think Londoners would leave the Lycra for the weekend rides in the country and ride slower? Can't say I agree!
 
steeeve said:
So if we had full on separate cycle lanes everywhere you think Londoners would leave the Lycra for the weekend rides in the country and ride slower? Can't say I agree!
Click to expand...

I think that lots of people who don't currently cycle, would start to cycle, and those people would use hybrids and ordinary clothes to do it in. I think existing road bike/lycra cyclists would probably stay doing that but yes, gradually, the culture would probably shift and less and less people would put on lycra for their commute.

Whether people would ride faster or slower will depend on the cycle lanes and how busy they are. If they are wide enough for overtaking then I don't think that top speeds would be affected much, if they aren't then the top speed is governed by the slowest cyclist. At busy times, we'd experience congestion which would slow people down.
The new cyclists would probably not be going fast. OU describes 15mph as trundling, but for me 15mph is a full on pace. There would be lots of kids and older people, lots of less fit or strong people. At the moment all these people are disabled from cycling because our roads are fucking terrifying when you are going at 8-12mph, so if they even start cycling, they don't keep at it.

Bear in mind at the moment, London has something like a 15% modal share of cycling, NL is over 30%, Copenhagen 40%+. That's lots and lots and lots of new cyclists who could/should/would come onto bikes with the right infrastructure, and would vastly outnumber the existing cyclists. It's not so much about changing what existing cyclists do, as introducing new cyclists who are different.
 
BigTom said:
I think that lots of people who don't currently cycle, would start to cycle, and those people would use hybrids and ordinary clothes to do it in. I think existing road bike/lycra cyclists would probably stay doing that but yes, gradually, the culture would probably shift and less and less people would put on lycra for their commute.

Whether people would ride faster or slower will depend on the cycle lanes and how busy they are. If they are wide enough for overtaking then I don't think that top speeds would be affected much, if they aren't then the top speed is governed by the slowest cyclist. At busy times, we'd experience congestion which would slow people down.
The new cyclists would probably not be going fast. OU describes 15mph as trundling, but for me 15mph is a full on pace. There would be lots of kids and older people, lots of less fit or strong people. At the moment all these people are disabled from cycling because our roads are fucking terrifying when you are going at 8-12mph, so if they even start cycling, they don't keep at it.

Bear in mind at the moment, London has something like a 15% modal share of cycling, NL is over 30%, Copenhagen 40%+. That's lots and lots and lots of new cyclists who could/should/would come onto bikes with the right infrastructure, and would vastly outnumber the existing cyclists. It's not so much about changing what existing cyclists do, as introducing new cyclists who are different.
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I agree with you on all the above (though significant overtaking at peak times would be nigh on impossible even in Copenhagen). My partner has just started cycling in due to the royal fuck up that is the escalator repairs at Brixton tube. She's fairly inexperienced and I do find myself worrying that she's made it in OK
 
="steeeve, post: 13704852, member: 57153"]I spent the day in Copenhagen recently and also only saw one bike with drophandle bars out of several thousand, not one piece of lycra and no-one going above 15mph (estimated obviously) maybe that also plays a part?
Click to expand...
Just like it's impossible to look good in hi viz, it's also impossible to look good with drop handebars and impossible to look good in lycra.
 
Onket said:
Just like it's impossible to look good in hi viz, it's also impossible to look good with drop handebars and impossible to look good in lycra.
Click to expand...

Not true.

tile_Eddy_Merckx_history2.jpg
 
steeeve said:
So if we had full on separate cycle lanes everywhere you think Londoners would leave the Lycra for the weekend rides in the country and ride slower? Can't say I agree!
Click to expand...
The last five mins of my commute is in a segregated, two-way cycle lane. Apart from on a Tuesday when I'm in it after 9pm, I always have to go down two gears and pootle along at snail pace. It's horrible actually, and so dangerous wrt pedestrians and boris bikers going the wrong way -- but I guess if they were more widespread people would get used to them. If my whole commute was in one I would ditch the lycra. In fact I'd hate it, although when I was doing the same commute during the day with my kid on the back I really relaxed when we got to the separate lanes. Eta: I think the horrible-ness at rush hour is from being so close to other cyclists. If a car overtook that close you'd be rightfully pissed off.

I love vulpine tops. I'm wearing one right now in fact :thumbs: and I reckon I look great in Lycra :p

Tweed is not practical for cycling. Rain/sweat = smelling like a wet dog.
 
Anyway, my mum took pity on me and sat indoors while I got out on my bike for 20 minutes. I chose the only 20 minutes it snowed, natch. It was bracing.
 
and...

AndersonBerlin87-@PhSpt.jpg


Oakley eyeshades, 650c front wheel, Panasonic skinsuit, Vittoria shoes, no.4 haircut...this pic is so cool it just cracked my screen.
 
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