The legal cycling route

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A new block was recently built between Cottington Street and Othello Close - a near direct straight line to Chester Way from Kennington Tube. This kind of development provides perfect opportunities to encourage cycling over car use through providing a legitimate route. As the photos show the opportunity wasn't taken advantage of, unsurprisingly resulting in naughty people cycling on the pavement. (Probably the same people who would illegally cycle the wrong way on Chester Way).

We might never have seen this

The local youth cycling group, Pedal Power Kennington, had a really pleasant after-school ride today. We meandered along the embankment, along Belvedere Road and nipped up by the National Theatre to ride slowly and considerately along the river bank to Gabriel's Wharf.

Of course, if the landowners have their way this would be BANNED and we'd have stayed on the horrible motor-traffic choked road all the way instead.

We'd never have chanced upon the head appearing from the sand, and we'd never have had a stone throwing contest (what reckless vandals we are!).

The devil is in the detail

Good cycle stands and parking spaces dedicated exclusively to car club members. Positive green measures from Camden, in Boundary Road NW8. Unfortunately a lack of attention to detail renders one side of a stand and one side of a signpost useless for cycle parking.

Unprotective railings

Cycling with my trailer on Sunday into Steedman Street on the cycle by-pass around Elephant & Castle, I couldn't decide whether to try and weave in the pedestrian's space or try to get through the gap into any oncoming traffic.

I think it's safe to conclude that these temporary railings are a hazard and an obstruction to cyclists while of no benefit and potentially a hazard to pedestrians.

Little steps to fewer lorries

Cutting out one-use items like take-away coffee cups and disposable cutlery means fewer lorries fouling our streets as well as less landfill.

I dropped into the Scandinavian Kitchen (61 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 7PP) a few weeks ago for a good take-away coffee in a Keep Cup for about £4.

The dishwasher suitable Keep Cup fits in a pocket in one of my panniers so it's always with me and I can cycle my take-away coffee off to drink it elsewhere (with an elastic band to ensure the lid stays on the cup over cobbles or pot-holes). I've had no coffee place refuse to serve me coffee in the cup and several have given me a discount (enough to offset the cost of the original purchase).

Visit this blog for further ways to a less disposable lifestyle.

B&Q and Halfords committed to indifference

"In 2007, B&Q committed to becoming a one-planet business.

At B&Q we're committed to making a difference.

We're proud to say that being the biggest and most successful home improvement retailer in the UK doesn't mean we have to compromise on our ethical and environmental standards."


B&Q is the DIY bodger's second-home so it's no surprise that their provision of cycle parking outside their Old Kent Road branch is a right old bodge. They provide no cycle parking so cyclists have to compromise by attaching their bikes to the racks that people bounce their trolleys in and out of.

Needless to say this one-planet lurving company has spent loads of money on carefully marked out car parking spaces.

It may be that B&Q expect people on bikes to use the cycle parking several hundred feet away that their neighbour's, Halfords, provide their customers. What B&Q is to home bodgers, Halfords is to car and bike bodgers. So it's no surprise that their cycle parking is so close to their wall as to render it unusable.

The Halfords' employee I asked knew it was unusable. He explained that the cycle parking had to be moved too close to the wall because the pavement had to be narrowed to install disabled car parking bays.
That's quite an achievement, disabling one lot of parking to enable another lot of disabled parking.

Very secure cycle parking

This bike with two serious chain locks has been left unmolested outside the Gilmore (Police) Section House on Renfrew Road for about two years. It seems like a perfect location to leave a bike securely.

Given that the tyres have now been flat for over a year and the chain is totally rusted it's apparent that it's no longer wanted by the original owner - thus rendering the location unavailable to others. I wonder if the council ever remove dumped bikes?

Almost opposite the section house is the Jamyang Buddhist Centre and lots of Buddhists seem to cycle here. Needless to say there's on-street car parking, but there's no on-street cycle parking.