The Bugle | Blast 411
Friday 8th November 2019
Infrastructure Edition
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"A bad day on a mountain bike always beats a good day in the office" - Mike Brcic
BICYCLIST OF THE WEEK
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Russ Mantle, from Aldershot started recording his riding in 1952. At 82 he has just clocked his millionth. Way to go though - he is hoping for two million before reaching 100. Read his incredible story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-50335757
And watch him finish it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/embed/p07t8xp6/50335757
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While Russ was riding a sensible 'racer' in 1952 - this is what cool American dudes aspired to. The 1952 Columbia Classic Bicycle. Amazingly a guy found a brand new one in an unopened box when clearing out a garge recently. Dunno whether it's still available but here is thread on it: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1181255-1952-columbia-classic-bicycle-still-new-box.html
Mind you while the bars are beautifully clutter-free - a pssing policeperson might enquire about the braking facilities...
BODGE OF THE WEEK
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Those of you that didn't followup on the link last week will have mised this. Making the Columbia street legal can be done in style for those of us fully uncorked wine drinkers.
Just bonkers!
ANERLEY AGM TIME
Secretary Fran writes:
A reminder to everyone that the AGM is on the 24th of November at 4:30pm in the usual venue (South London Harriers Club, 194 Brighton Rd, Coulsdon CR5 2NF),.
Try to get there early so that we can start on time. We are hoping that due to the other regular meetings we have had this year, this one will be fairly quick. With that in mind, if you have any Items that you would like to be put on the agenda, please email me by Wednesday 20th November at 5pm with AGM 2019 as your title (reply to this email if you don't know Fran's).
Once again, please do not use any other forms of social media to communicate said items since this gets unnecessarily confusing and I'm likely to miss points.
Looking forward to seeing you all.
ANOTHER CYCLIST DIES THIS WEEK
In Catford on the South Circ at 6;30 am in the morning. Hit by a lorry - no surprises there.
I have no idea of the particular circumstances except it is at a spot designed to kill. A pedestrian was seriously injured only two days earlier.
The busy road narrows, the hump of a bridge, multiple bus stops, multiple junctions followed by another narrow bridge. There is a cycle lane but no protection - perhaps the worst of all worlds.
So what to do? Building seperate cycle infrastructure takes time and money. Election promises are just that - good intentions evaporate overnight.
There is one interim solution a couple of us experienced recently on the A10 road out of London to Cambridge. A road much like the A23.
The A23 cycle lanes are beyond a joke - interrupted by official parking, the rest subject to illegal parking and to be swerved into by motor traffic if it gives a millisecond advantage. These lanes are little more than a waste of paint.
Not on the A10. They have used what is known in the traffic engineer's phrasebook as 'Light Segregation'. They take ordinary painted cycle lanes (ensuring they are actually wide enough to cycle along) and place 'hedgehogs' as a barrier to keep the cyclist safe. Perhaps best described as raised cat's eyes - this stop vehicles both straying into the lane and stops parking on the lane. This is what they look like:
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Very cheap and very fast to lay. It doesn't sacrifice any road width and can be quickly and easily adjusted. Combined with sensible and sensitive routeing around bus-stops with advance green lights it might not make riding the A10 a joy - but a much safer and faster one for cyclists.
If only Croydon/TfL could be persuaded to bring the idea south ...
DEATH ON THE A23/M23
One of last Sunday's rides was chasing the Veteran Cars to Brighton. You may have read that there was a tragic collision between a veteran car that had strayed onto the M23 at the Hooley Junction.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/wooden-car-crash-lorry-death-m23-surrey-hooley-a9183796.html
That's an alarming junction for cyclists who mostly ignore the 'cycletrack' forcing you to cross the the fast slip road as traffic swerves left (often not realising you have to turn to keep on the main road until very late). Instead it's best to go early into the right hand lane and grip tight in case any other traffic wants to do that too.
Otherwise you are likely tto get trapped by left forking traffic. I wonder if that is what happened to the 82 year old who lost his life. Forced into the killing zone.
The A23 is the only flat way out of South London for cyclists could not be designed to be more anti-cyclist if they tried. Northbound is just as bad as multilane traffic is squeezed.
Can you imagine the Duch putting up with that? So why should we?
RIDE REPORTS
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Sunday 3rd November: The steady crew were up bright and early to chase the old crocks to Brighton, oh and some old cars, tricycles and bicycles too: https://anerleybc.org/sunday-chase-3rd-november-2019
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Tuesday 5th November: The steady crew did Knockholt, Pratt's Bottom and Downe but were mercifully not Faraged: https://anerleybc.org/tuesday-steady-5th-november-2019/
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UPCOMING RIDES
Saturday 9th November: No Ride. Overnight frost, single figure day temperatures and rain forecast. Head to the Gym instead.
Sunday 10th November: 10:00 Shurguard/501 Brighton Road:
Speedy: Rememberence Day Spitfire watching at the lookout cafe Biggin Hill with a visit to the museum. Mark Hancock to lead.
Steady: Tom & Julia lead to Denbies
Relaxed: Des following the Steadies to Denbies
Tuesday 12th November: Shurguard/501 Brighton Road. Ride to Biggin Hill, Airport cafe
09:30 Early Leader: Tim S
10:00 Steady Leader: Peter R
10:00 Relaxed Leader: John D
Thursday 14th November Speedy: Meet Shurguard at 10:00 am.
Destination: tba
NB All to be treated as training rides for the Downhill Freewheel on Sunday 24th!
FINALLY - ONLY 46 SHOPPING DAYS TO CHRISTMAS
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Manchester Council was particularly keen to ensure that cyclists were fully included within all aspects of cultural life in the city. Accordingly a proportion of last year's Christmas decoration budget was earmarked for cycle facilities. (Warrington Cycle Camapaign Facility of the Month)
Yep, it will certainly stop motor vehicles abusing the cycle lane ...
Happy Cycling
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