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Newsletter 18 (June 1998)

Cover image

(The cover picture shows Young Kettle's Yard artists making bike sclupture in the Grafton Centre.)

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Contents:

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National Bike Week: 6-14 June

It's that time of year again, with a Campaign event almost every day in National Bike Week '98.

Children's Art Competition - a painting competition for three age groups: 4-7, 7+, and 11+. Entries can be about anything to do with cycling and must be submitted in A3 or A4 portrait format. The overall winner's picture will be used as the front cover of a future Newsletter and other entries will be displayed in exhibitions around Cambridge during National Bike Week. Winners will receive vouchers that can be exchanged for cycle accessories, and runners-up will receive tee-shirts and mugs. Please submit entries to the campaign address by Saturday 6 June.

Try-a-Bike - Sunday 7 June, 2-4 pm, Market Square, Cambridge. We shall have a variety of bikes for you to come and try out. The range will include familiar commuting bikes, sit-up-and-begs, through to the less common folding bikes and recumbents. We shall also have a variety of trailers and other cycle accessories. Many of the machines will be lent by our own members. We shall supervise anyone trying out the machines and share riding experiences. The aim of the event is to explore the practicality of a wide range of bikes.

Commuter Stall - Cambridge Railway Station 7:30 am-9 am Monday 8 June. We shall put the stall at the station to gather the views of commuting cyclists using the rail network. We'll also be selling magazines, T-shirts and mugs, and publicising our other National Bike Week events.

Picnic - Tuesday 9 June. A very short cycle ride this year will leave Parker's Piece at 6.30 pm and head straight for Grantchester Meadows. Please bring your own contribution to the food and drink.

Free Breakfast - Hobbs' Pavilion, Parker's Piece, 8-9 am, Wednesday 10 June. A very popular event last year with around 200 breakfasts served up free. This is 'Bike to Work Day' and if you can persuade a friend to try cycling, they too can get a free breakfast.

Going Dutch - Thursday 11 June - A multi-media presentation & debate on our trip to Groningen. Plus we'll be announcing the Winners in the Arts competition. 8pm Fisher Hall, Guildhall Place near the Red Cow Pub.

Dr Bike from 10 am till around 3 pm, Saturday 13 June, Market Square, Cambridge. Bring your bike along for a free safety inspection.

During the whole week various attractions around Cambridge will be offering free or reduced entry to anyone arriving by bike. Full details are are on our National Bike Week pages at:

http://www.cam.net.uk/home/100.Thoday/NBW.HTM

Simon Nuttall

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'Can you help?'

We are hosting a lot of events again this National Bike Week and so we would very much appreciate any help you can offer. In particular, we need marshals for the Try-a-Bike event. This event will require a lot of supervision, as well as help with transporting bikes to and from the site. Please get in touch if you can help with this. Also, if you have an unusual bike that you would like to lend to this event, please do get in touch.

If you're not available on Sunday, don't worry: there are plenty of other events you can help with, for example, the Commuter Stall (Monday morning), the Free Breakfast (Wednesday morning) and Dr Bike (Saturday). We need help preparing for events, and clearing up after them, too, so if you can spare any time at all during National Bike Week, we'll be glad to hear from you.

Simon Nuttall

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National Cycling Strategy

Almost two years ago, the National Cycling Strategy (NCS) was launched by the Conservative government.

It starts with an introduction by Steven Norris, then Local Transport Minister:

On any examination of the needs of a sustainable transport policy, it is crystal clear that the bicycle has been underrated and underused in the United Kingdom for many years. This is especially true when one looks at those other European countries where cycle use has been increased and maintained by deliberate action at both local and national level. There is enormous potential to increase the use of cycles in Britain, but it will only be realised if we develop a coherent approach setting out how the status quo can be altered in favour of the bicycle. The National Cycling Strategy outlines how that can be achieved.

Stirring stuff. I think I rather naively sat back at the time and thought 'That's it then; let's see how it's implemented locally - after all, it's national policy now, right?'

Soon after the General Election, concerns began to be aired that the new Government might not support the Strategy after all. However, an excerpt from Hansard (the record of House of Commons Daily Debates) shows this not to be the case after all:

Commons Written Answers (27 October 1997)

Mrs Dunwoody:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the actions taken by his Department since 1 May to increase provision for cyclists and increase cycle use.

Ms Glenda Jackson:

We have given our endorsement to the National Cycling Strategy which aims to quadruple cycle use by 2012. The NCS has a common ownership, having been established by consensus involving a wide range of bodies. I have chaired two meetings of the National Cycling Forum to discuss a range of issues involved in taking the strategy forward. We are now working actively with others to implement it. The Department also provides technical advice to local authority practitioners who play a significant role in developing initiatives at a local level. In July we hosted a regional seminar aimed at traffic engineers and planners to promote the NCS. And in August we published two traffic advisory leaflets outlining results of research on cycle-related issues.

I hope the Integrated Transport White Paper, now due out in June, will strengthen the NCS further - but it will be some time before the paper is converted into law.

As I mentioned last issue (Bikes and Trains), lots of things are happening at a national level, but we, as a Campaign, are concerned at the lack of action locally.

So, to celebrate the Strategy's second birthday, we will devote our June open meeting to the National Cycling Strategy, and a discussion of how it can be implemented locally. As always, the meeting is at the Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane, on Tuesday 2 June, at 7:30 pm for 8:00.

Clare Macrae

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Membership Drive

Membership Graph

At the AGM in October last year, we set ourselves the rather ambitious target of growing from under 400 members to 500, by the October 1998 AGM.

I'm delighted to report that, by 1 May, we had already reached the grand total of 462 members, so we're well and truly on target. (Apologies for the Blue Peter style.)

Since a few people have asked, I should point out that we're not planning any time-limit for issuing £1 vouchers to members who sign up friends and relatives. Don't forget to write your name on their membership forms, though, if you want to claim your voucher(s).

Clare Macrae

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Current schemes

Milton says 'put bikes on the pavement'

When the County Council suggested putting cycle lanes in Milton High Street recently, Milton parish Council responded by saying they didn't want cycle lanes but wanted cyclists to cycle on the pavement instead. Are they car drivers who want to get cyclists out of their way? Or do they genuinely believe that cyclists are better off on the pavement?

If the proposal were for a proper cycle track, then we might have some sympathy with this view. Not that there is likely to be the money for the kind of quality that would be desirable, and if there were, it would surely be better spent on an A14 bridge at Milton. But we are all far too familiar with the inadequate blue-signs-and-nothing-else approach taken in Cambridge City in the past. It looks as though Milton has not learned by Cambridge's experience.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign proposes to object to any proposals which only sign the pavement as dual use. It is not sufficient to say 'people can ignore it if they want,' for two main reasons.

Barton Road

Photo of Barton Road

Work had just started on the construction of the cycle track on Barton Road as we went to press last time. Now it is in full swing, and work there is expected to be completed in mid-June. Traffic signals at Lammas Land may be installed by the time you read this.

As I write, the road has been narrowed and space made for the cycle track for the approach to the new signals, and the tables carrying the track across Grange Road and other side roads are more or less complete. The main track has reached as far as Wolfson College, where it should widen out a little more than the part already constructed.

The last thing to be done will be the top surface, kerb and road markings, but even the temporary surface already constructed is smoother than the original path. If you use it once it is complete, we would like to hear your opinion.

Fulbourn Road

Work on providing a cycle track past Fulbourn Hospital and over the hill into Fulbourn has reached the design stage, and construction seems likely this year. We are assured that the comments we made on the scheme have been passed on to the design consultants, W S Atkins, but it remains to be seen what they details they will come up with. We already know that the general principle is one of building the typical single widened path on one side of the road only.

In the meantime, there has been no progress we are aware of on the proposed link behind the Tesco store at Fulbourn. We are told that the County Council is still hopeful that this can go ahead, but the shop has been open for a year now. The sticking point is that part of the grounds of the hospital near the route is an unmarked cemetery, and this requires much negotiation.

We wrote to the County Council in April 1997 about the Robin Hood junction at the City end of Fulbourn Road. After a year with no response, despite several verbal reminders, I wrote again asking for a reply. I got a reply this time, but it was little more than 'your comments were taken into account at the time' - hard to believe, since nothing whatsoever changed after we saw the plans. The forward stop lines are hard to use because you can't get to them, and for those using the Cherry Hinton Road cycle path, there's nowhere to go at the end. It also suffers from a 'drifting' left turn lane of the type discussed in Left in the Lurch.

Quy Roundabout

Movie stills of Quy Roundabout

The roundabout on the A14 at Quy has been exercising our minds over the last couple of months. We reported last time that a new lane was to give traffic on the slip road from the A14 priority over traffic on the roundabout. It actually took nearly a month after that for the lane to be completely installed, and it is every bit as bad for cyclists as we had feared.

We have been out there on several mornings, taking video footage to show to the Council officers, and have had a site meeting with them. The County's response is that it is too early to judge the scheme, while people are still getting used to it. Certainly drivers are starting to get used to it, and speeds are increasing as they are less hesitant. The number of cyclists using the roundabout seems to have fallen, and a few now use the pathetic new cycle lane, waiting for two streams of traffic at the exit from the roundabout. As we predicted, many ignore it and use the main traffic lanes instead.

Evidence of broken glass on the roundabout shows that there has already been at least one, possibly two collisions since the lane was painted. Fortunately we are not aware of any cyclist casualties so far, but it is a frightening experience to use the junction now. The majority of cyclists who use the alternative route through the tunnel under the A14 are faced with two right turns and a further main road crossing.

McDonald's Drive Through

Some of you may remember that we objected to the planning application for a drive-through McDonald's on Coldham's Lane. We felt this would bring much more traffic to the area, and was designed with car-culture in mind.

Since then McDonald's has taken the application to the Secretary of State because the City Council didn't decide one way or the other in time. They also hedged their bets by submitting a second identical application (not including, we noted carefully, the cycle through facility to which the Evening News gave front page coverage) which the Council promptly turned down. The whole matter will go to a public inquiry in late June, following the backing of the full Council in opposing the development at its meeting in April.

David Earl

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Cycle parking at the station

I mentioned last issue that we were about to meet staff at WAGN to discuss cycle parking at Cambridge station, and Dave Earl and I met Tom Joyner of WAGN. We heard a little about WAGN's three-person Bicycle Working Group, and about plans to install Sheffield racks at quite a few local stations, including extras at Cambridge.

We have since been told to expect a very healthy number of much-needed new racks at Cambridge. Unfortunately I can't quote exact numbers, but I believe they will be installed in the very near future.

In the meantime, we did a quick survey to compare the number of car and bike spaces available. I've read many times that it's possible to fit roughly eight bikes into the space occupied by a single car, but I had never really understood the significance of that statement until I saw these figures.

Cars Cycles
Main area 190 Main area 220
Near station 130 Nearer city 136
Beyond bike bridge 34
Behind Guide Friday 73
Total cars 427         Total bikes 356

Of course, there were many more bikes in unofficial areas. Cyclists who have tried to park at Cambridge station will be aware of the huge area given over to the private motor car, compared to that for cycle parking. This really does highlight the ease with which parking problems can be solved, simply by increasing the amount of cycle parking, thereby encouraging more journeys by bike.

I very much look forward to seeing extra parking in the near future - and hope that we can work with WAGN towards further improvements for cyclists.

Clare Macrae

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Cycle parking subgroup

We've nearly completed our survey of retail cycle parking in Cambridge. I don't think the surveyors were helped very much by the dreadful weather in April - thanks to everyone who has returned forms so far.

We're now in the process of writing up the results, and working towards a report which we can distribute to companies who want to add more cycle parking. For this, we are collecting photos of as wide a range of parking facilities as possible - both good and bad. If you know of anything unusual, or if you know of any local suppliers of Sheffield stands (the upside-down-U ones) or companies who make or supply security cages, I would like to hear from you. Thanks.

Clare Macrae

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Left in the lurch

left-turn lanes and one-way streets

We are about to prepare some new 'position papers' on left-turn-only-lanes, on one-way streets and on advanced stop lines. Here's why.

Over the years, Cambridge has replaced several of its roundabouts with traffic lights. Traffic lights are widely acknowledged to see fewer cyclist casualties than roundabouts. However, many sets of lights have left-turn-only lanes on their approaches. Among many examples are

The last two of these provide a particularly interesting contrast. At East Road, the left turn lane is a very definite left movement for motorists, and to get into the lane, they have to cross a cycle lane taking cyclists going straight on, to the stop line. On the other hand, at Huntingdon Road, the cycle lane ends (it says END) just where the left turn lane diverges. There is a central lane further on, but, like most junctions of this type, and unlike on East Road, the cyclist has to move over to the right, often through heavy, impatient traffic.

In some ways, Cherry Hinton Road is worse than this because there is no cycle lane, and the left and straight-on lanes just drift apart. That leaves the cyclist with a difficult choice. Either you move over early where the road is narrower so the manoeuvre is easier to make, or you leave it until nearer the junction where there is less ground to cover in the more exposed position in the middle of the road.

We spent one rush-hour a couple of weeks ago watching at Murkett's Corner. Though the problem has been there since the lane was painted in 1980 or so, left-turning traffic has increased recently with the restrictions on cars in Bridge Street. A caller at our stall prompted us to follow this up.

East Road: a model of its type
Image as described adjactent

As a result we wrote to the County Council suggesting a similar arrangement to that at East Road, which we regard as a model of its type. This would be cheap to do, and in any case this junction is being reviewed at the moment to consider pedestrian movements. It is to be hoped that traffic in Victoria Road can be addressed too; nevertheless the left-turn-only lane will continue to be a problem for cyclists.

The problem is City-wide, however, so we also have an appointment with the Cycling Liaison Group to discuss this at its July meeting. We will prepare a position paper for that meeting. If you would like to help in that process, please get in touch.

One-way streets

Bateman Street
Image as described adjacent

We will also be considering two other topics at that meeting, and will be preparing position papers on these topics as well. One of these is one-way streets. Many streets in Cambridge that have no-entry signs are not, in fact, one-way. Only just the short section past the sign is one-way, and an island allows cyclists to be formally not included in that restriction. This is an excellent way of adding to cyclists' convenience. While too narrow for cars in both directions, cyclists can easily fit.

There are still quite a few streets that are unnecessarily one-way to all traffic, however. Three example spring particularly to mind:

The islands required to allow two-way cycling, while not exorbitantly expensive, do cost scarce money. More significantly, perhaps, they also require space that isn't always available. St Andrews Street has demonstrated that it is possible to have two-way working in a more informally regulated environment. But perhaps a better example was once at Tennis Court Road, off Lensfield Road, now removed, where the access was made with an island, but painted on the road instead of solid construction.

This seems to be a good compromise between the Dutch style 'except cyclists' exemptions to one way streets, but with no protection at the ends, and the very formal, expensive and space-limited concrete islands we have mostly in Cambridge today. Our aim is to get more of the one-way streets in Cambridge modified so that the one-way restriction applies to motor vehicles only.

The third paper will be on Advanced Stop Lines, which were discussed a little in Newsletter 17. Here we will discuss the arrangement of lights, and also the need for approach lanes.

David Earl

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Bus Priority

Newmarket Road

We have reached a stalemate with the County Council about the new bus priority traffic lights on Newmarket Road, just east of the River Lane junction. You may remember (Newsletter 17) that these don't detect all cycles and make those that are wait 15 seconds, while the cars zoom past on the right. Naturally, cyclists can't see why they should need to wait here, and are universally ignoring the red light. We asked for green filter lights to allow cyclists through at all times.

Newmarket Road, near Coldham's Common (see Letters, too)
Image as described adjacent

Green filters are supposed to be installed on two of the other sets of bus lights - but they haven't arrived from the suppliers yet (and they won't put signs up, despite it being several months now since the red lights were activated). The reason that we can't have a green filter at River Lane, we are told, is that occasionally a cyclist may want to turn right into River Lane, and assume that, because there is a green filter, they have a clear path across the path of the cars in the right-hand lane (even though they can see whether the car lane has a green light). If there were money to purchase land on the left, a proper by-pass for the lights could be constructed, but of course there is no money.

However, the County Council has conceded that the sensors at the River Lane bus signals are faulty. They have also conceded that there is a case for providing a central advisory cycle lane to protect cyclists going straight on along Newmarket Road beyond Coldham's Lane, where much of the traffic wants to turn left. Once again, though, this depends on money. There is to be some cash in the pot shortly, but this has to pay for improving the cyclist's lot along the whole of Newmarket Road and parallel routes, as we reported last time.

Further east, the County has also accepted that a section of cycle lane between Ditton Walk and the railway bridge was erased by mistake, and will be reinstated.

The Council hasn't finished with Newmarket Road as far as bus priority is concerned, yet. We heard recently that they are now considering what more they can do to speed the buses on their way, with particular emphasis on the section between Barnwell Road and Ditton Walk. The sections where bus lanes have been added so far have provided protection for cyclists where there was none before, or have not removed what was already there. However it is hard to see what could be done in this new section without affecting cyclists deeply, so we shall be keeping a close eye on developments here.

Hills Road

Because a new Park and Ride site is being constructed at Babraham Road (at the bottom of the Gog Magog Hills, beyond Addenbrooke's), Hills Road is the next route to be considered for bus priority measures.

Hills Road is also scheduled next for consideration for improving cycle provision. But, just as in Newmarket Road, the County Council is incapable of co-ordinating the two. This is deeply frustrating: major changes to a road could be done so much more effectively when all types of user are considered together, rather than the cycle scheme having to mop up the side effects on cyclists of the changes for buses.

However, at least this time the Council is planning to talk to us about the bus priority proposals on Hills Road at a somewhat earlier stage. Around the time you read this we will be meeting County Council officers. A public consultation exercise is planned for late June.

Market research

Finally, as part of the Park and Ride scheme, the County Council has been conducting market research amongst its users, to provide feedback on the service. How wonderful for the individual car drivers using the service to have their every need taken into account. How sad, therefore, that the same attitude is not taken with cyclists. When was the last time you were surveyed using (or not using!) a newly constructed cycle facility to find out your opinions about it?

David Earl

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Spot the Cycle Lane number 2

For people who dislike riding with lamp posts on their left, this short bypass in Ditton Walk provides an alternative. It was built to go with a road closure, but the road has been re-opened and only the bypass remains. Image as described adjacent

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Maps subgroup

'Where can I cycle?' is a question we are often asked at the stall on Saturdays. We have thought for some time that it might be useful to produce a map showing suggested cycle routes in Cambridge. These would include both official cycle routes and useful back-street routes.

A new subgroup has been formed to consider ideas for producing such a map, and will have had its first meeting by the time you read this. If you have any suggestions, or are interested in getting involved, then please get in touch with me.

Producing a map of our own will take a lot of work, so our first step will to decide whether we want to put a map together ourselves, or whether to persuade somebody else, such as a local council or specialised map-maker, to produce one.

Nigel Deakin

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Bike Review: the BikeE

I bought the BikeE on the same day I decided to get rid of my car. I'd seen it in Encycleopedia and from the photograph it looked just what I needed - a practical and different kind of bike. At my friend's house we surfed the Internet, found the BikeE web site, and watched the 30-second advert as it dribbled through his modem. The advert really only made one point: that on the BikeE your seated position places you looking naturally straight ahead, whereas touring, racing and mountain bikes leave you staring at the headset. We found a dealer in St Neots and tried it out the next day.

Image as described adjacent

The bike has 16" and 20" wheels separated by a single box-section alloy girder, and you sit upright on a thick gel seat. Your legs are almost horizontal and the handlebars, on a long slung-back stem, are in front of you at slightly less than arm's length. Your centre of gravity is lower, and so moving off for the first time is exciting as you get used to the position, twitching at the steering as you get accustomed to balancing the bike. This doesn't take long, and you soon want to pedal faster. The cantilever brakes work well and halt you as sharply as you want. The seat holds you firmly in place, so you have to learn to let the bike do the work on cornering, and brace yourself riding over bumps. My first turn took up more than the width of the road, as I couldn't get used to the feel of the lean. Just take your first few turns slowly and you'll be all right; it really is just the unfamiliarity which makes the turns more interesting. The bike is only about four inches longer than my old shopper.

It's not until after about 10 minutes of riding that you start to relax and sit back in the seat, and this is when you start to enjoy the bike. It's true that you are looking ahead of you and enjoying the view, but it's also difficult to look behind and you look for a mirror. Experience has taught me to lean forward and look back.

The length of the handlebars, and the angle and position of the seat are all adjustable. The latter I found the hardest to get right, so that my legs weren't over-stretched, but so that I was getting the right amount of power out of the bike. My leg muscles too took some getting used to the new position, especially as I now needed the bike for every journey around town.

Drive to the rear wheel is by a very long chain. When the bike was new, part of this chain was covered by a plastic pipe held in place by a piece of Velcro. This was great for preventing oily trouser syndrome but after the Velcro worked loose for the umpteenth time and the pipe snarled around the sprocket in a busy street with loads of onlookers I decided it had to go. Since removing it my chain hasn't come off once but I'm back to tucking the trousers in the socks.

For no extra effort I seem to be going about 10% faster than other bikes. I put this down to reduced wind resistance, and the fact that I'm always pushing against the back of the seat, never riding the pedals. The seated position puts you at roughly the same height as motorists in their cars and BikeE claim this makes it safer.

Best of all - this bike is great fun. It's so much of a head turner that you can't help going along with a grin. 'Nice bike, mate,' 'I want one,' 'Cool,' and 'Hey Keith, look at that bike!' have all been overheard from excited pedestrians. Even motorists toot encouragement and wind the window down to drool. One feels that this bike is welcome on the road.

Simon Nuttall

BikeE: price £725 for 7-gear version, available in black, orange and purple
Contact: D.TEK, 01353 648177, fax 01353 648777.

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Three New Magazines

ByCycle

ByCycle is aimed at committed cyclists - and it hits that target very effectively. This magazine is packed with news and views about cycling in the UK.

Well worth a read - and you can get a subscription flyer from the Cycling Campaign Saturday stall. The pre-publication offer has been extended unti lthe end of June for Cycling Campaign members.

64 pages, £14.95 for 6 issues; subs phone 01482 880399

On Your Bike

On Your Bike, in contrast to ByCycle, is aimed squarely at 'NEW and BORN AGAIN cyclists'. It's jargon-free, and it doesn't assume you have to be covered in Lycra to be worth talking to.

It's packed with hints and tips for people thinking about getting out on a bike, shattering many myths. But there's a lot more to this magazine that will interest regular cyclists too.

If you know someone who's thinking of starting cycling, I strongly recommend you get them a copy. In fact, because it's such a useful source of info, we've bought some copies to sell on the Campaign market stall, so look out for it there!

160 pages, £2.75; phone 0191 213 2058

Recumbent UK

Recumbent UK is the most specialised of the three, all about - well - recumbents - which the On Your Bike Glossary defines as 'human-powered-vehicles where you sit reclining in a "bucket" seat'. I knew that - but I had no idea there was such a variety. It is co-edited by local cyclist Richard Loke, and we hope to be hearing more about recumbents from Richard in a future issue of this newsletter, as there definitely seems to be a bit of a caucus of Campaign members with recumbents. I found my copy of Recumbent UK in Ben Hayward's. I believe they are the only Cambridge stockists at the moment.

54 pages, £2.50; phone 01454 613497

Clare Macrae

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An Economic Case for Better Cycleways

part 2 of Jim Chisholm's supercycleway article

This article shows how better cycleways may be justified using conventional cost-benefit analysis. It first defines some simple principles and then uses more complex arguments to expand these ideas. The article results from ideas about a 'No Cycling' day in Cambridge, and from work done by Dr Martin Mogridge on the effects of public transport investment. It makes no attempt to include benefits due to better health or pollution reduction. Newsletter 17 described a low cost network of such cycleways in Cambridge, which could form the basis of a supercycleway.

How congestion happens

When vehicles travel along a link or through a junction, delays may occur. In general these delays will be small until the 'capacity' of the link or junction is reached, then they will rise very rapidly and queues will result (see graph below). Capacity is reduced in dark or wet conditions, so queues are often longer on wet days and in the winter.

When a road network is operating close to capacity, a small change in traffic causes a large change in delays.
Image as described adjacent

When there are queues, the actions of individuals can increase the delays to ALL following vehicles. For example: if at 08:00 a single driver stalls at a junction and has difficulty restarting, resulting in a delay to him of 30 seconds, this will also delay all subsequent drivers an additional 30 seconds, until the queue ceases to exist. If the queue exists until 09:00, and 1 200 people (include often forgotten bus passengers!) pass in that time, the total extra delay caused to others would be TEN HOURS. Similar effects would occur if say 6 to 10 new car journeys were made passing at 08:00.

A measure of the 'elbow' effect of the flow delay curve is that vehicle traffic in the 'peak' hour over half term declines by only some 10% (see table) and yet that is sufficient to remove almost all queues in Cambridge over these weeks.

Vehicles 08:00 - 09:00 A1309 Trumpington, south of Cambridge (average two way flow) (data from Cambridgeshire County Council automatic traffic counters weeks beginning 17 and 24 Feb 1998).
half-term week term-time week % change
2012 2219 10%

Marginal cost and social cost

When individuals make a journey choice they choose a route and mode of transport (walk, bike, bus, etc.) which they perceive as having the lowest cost. Early traffic models assumed that these costs were just the sum of 'cost of time' and 'perceived cost of travel' (petrol, fares, etc.). Now it is realised that many other factors need to be included. Safety, reliability of arrival time, waiting and convenience all have value to individuals, and these will be included in the traveller's cost. Especially for car trips, this normally means the driver's marginal cost, and no account is taken of the fixed costs. You can do a large number of bus, train and taxi trips and even hire a car a good few times before the cost equals the tax, insurance, depreciation, and loss of interest on capital that is required to keep a car for a year.

Generalised cost is the total cost to society of the trip. With public transport, the more users, the lower the generalised cost, but with cars the reverse is normally true. Car costs need to include a component for preventing old ladies crossing the road, preventing young children walking to school, and the pollution they cause, as well as delays. The most important point is that, in congested conditions, motorists do not pay the costs they impose on society, especially when buses are held up by queues of cars. The motorist's marginal cost may be a only tiny fraction of the costs imposed on others.

Cost-benefit analysis

Cost-benefit analysis has been used for many years by the Department of Transport to justify the construction of new roads, although some of the method is now out of favour. The costs are those involved in constructing the road and the benefits those resulting from a saving in journey time for those travelling on and near the new road. If the benefits exceed the costs, discounted over a number of years, the road was seen as worthwhile. Currently, rules prevent most public transport investments being justified on cost-benefit grounds alone. Instead, they must be 'commercial' although some 'non-user' benefits may be included.

A paradox

In London, researchers using models and real data discovered that, in urban areas, a paradox existed because of the above rules. They discovered that

This was because the improvements in public transport can tempt enough motorists to desert their cars that they free up more road capacity than if the same money were spent directly on the roads.

A Cambridge parallel?

At busy times, the cost of using public transport is less than the cost of using a car. The difference is far greater if the generalised or social cost of car use is revealed.
Image as described adjacent

Some years ago I realised that most motorists saw cyclists as a hindrance to their progress and considered that a reduction in cyclists would speed up traffic. I considered the reverse to be true, as the one alternative for most cyclists is a car. To friends I proposed a 'No Cycling' day to prove my point, but (fortunately) no one took me seriously. The idea was to demonstrate to motorists that if all the cyclists who had cars used their cars to travel to work, congestion would be much increased. The logical extension of this argument is that if more motorists with cycles cycled to work, congestion would be much decreased. This suggests to me the hypothesis that

How to quantify the case

Cambridge County Council has a traffic model called SATURN (Simulation and Assignment of Traffic in Urban Road Networks) produced by the Institute of Traffic Studies at the University of Leeds. When the correct data are loaded it can give good estimates of traffic flows and delays in Cambridge and its environs. It has in the past been used to predict the effect of road closures or new roads. My suggestion is that an assumption should be made that a proportion of cyclists desert their cycles and take to cars. Using this data, the model should be able to estimate the extra cost to the community of these decisions. This is a theoretical 'No Cycling Day'. It should also be possible to calculate the effect of more motorists deserting their cars for cycles. These figures should make it possible to work out how much could be spent on cycleways to achieve say a significant increase in cyclists and still be positive in terms of cost-benefit.

A measure of the order of benefits available can be calculated from data in the Cambridge County Council's Traffic Monitoring Report. Some 50 000 people travel into Cambridge at each peak on some 200 days per year and are each delayed by some 20 minutes. If time is valued at £6 per hour we have 'available' benefits of some £20 million per year. As has been shown above, unlocking say 70% of this would not require many people to switch from car to alternative modes.

There are difficulties

Firstly, how many motorists would cycle if improved cycleways were provided? The 1991 census showed that 66% of commuting journeys in Britain were less than five miles. Personal evidence suggests that a fair number of these under-5-mile trips could be captured, especially if the routes were as good as those in the Netherlands. There you can cycle two abreast and talk to a friend without the hazards of traffic fumes and erratic pedestrians.

Secondly there is a lack of good evidence of the actual journeys cyclists make. In 1987, an O&D (origin and destination) survey was done of a sample of cars crossing a cordon around Cambridge. Cyclists were not included, even though Cambridge is renowned world-wide for its cyclists. Although more recent observations in Cambridge have included volumes of cyclists, as far as I am aware there have been no O&D surveys. This makes SATURN's predictions less certain.

Existing cycleways

My daily journey from a 'necklace' village to the centre of Cambridge is about 5 miles. Although there are cycle lanes (either white-lined or dual-use footways) for a significant part of the way, there are still difficulties:

I believe that this is typical and that similar problems exist on most journeys where the choice is between cycle and car. Routes of this low standard do little to encourage people to cycle. But

Conclusions

If these ideas were explained to the general public, I believe motorists, in particular, would be more sympathetic to expenditure on cycleways. Now that the Government has committed itself to increasing cycle use and reducing car use, we have the opportunity to test such ideas both in theory and practice. When Cambridgeshire County Council is spending more money on strengthening bridges for 40-tonne lorries than on cycle and pedestrian schemes it is clearly time to redirect resources.

These arguments apply equally well to public transport investment, for instance in bus lanes, new bus routes or the St Ives railway line.

Jim Chisholm

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Queen Edith's Way - cycle count

Just before Cambridge Cycling Campaign was formed, the footpaths alongside Queen Edith's Way, in the south of the City, and one of the paths on Cherry Hinton Road west of Walpole Road were designated 'dual-use'. In other words, cyclists could legally ride on them. A commitment was made that the change would be reviewed after three years, and that time is up. We reviewed it too, by carrying out our second cycle survey there on 1 May.

The change was made simply by putting blue signs all along the footway, and by dropping the kerbs at the side roads to be flush with the road. There was no attempt to construct a proper cycling surface, consider the side road crossings (of which there are twelve), or make room for pedestrians and cyclists to share. No consideration was made as to what cyclists would do confronted with the junctions at either end where the cyclist is expected to rejoin the road. And the path runs right alongside the hedge-line, with hundreds of driveways opening directly onto it. In fact it demonstrates perfectly almost everything we think is wrong with shared-use. If the Cycling Campaign had been formed when this was proposed, the chances are we would have opposed it.

Who used the footway
Pedestrians 57%, Child Cyclists 29%, Adult Cyclists 14%

The position is a bit more complicated now. Netherhall School is right in the middle of Queen Edith's Way and students there do make use of the footway. For them (or perhaps their parents) this is a solution, but for the many pedestrians using the street, it is a problem especially at school times. The children also use the footways in the neighbouring streets, which aren't designated specially - also one of the common side effects of shared-use. However, given the level of use, it is much more difficult to say 'take it out' after three years than it is to say 'don't put it in' in the first place.

For these reasons, we thought it was time to get out our pencils again and see what the situation actually was like in Queen Edith's Way. A dozen members worked a rota from 7 am to 7 pm recording numbers of bikes and pedestrians, on each footway and also using the road. The day was rather wet, so we suspect the absolute numbers were well down from most days, but it was the ratios which were more of interest to us.

There were 661 pedestrians, 490 bikes on the footways and 307 on the road. Therefore a bit more than 60% of cyclists used the footways. However of those using the road, only 82 were children while 334 of those on the footway were. So about 80% of the children were using the footway, but 60% of the adults were using the road (I also guess that the absolute number of adults was lower because of the weather than the number of children).

Where the cyclists rode
Children on footway 42%, Children on rod 10%, Adults on footway 20%, Adults on road 28%

At the same time, Amanda Taylor, a ward councillor for the area and also a Cycling Campaign member, has been inviting local comments to input to the review. She has received more than 60, mostly very critical of the shared-use, where pedestrians say they are intimidated by the cyclists. This also comes as no surprise to us.

Of course, there is no money to do something more positive either, or any prospect of any through existing funding channels. One possibility is that more funding might become available some time through Safe Routes To School projects, which the Government is very keen to support (or so it says in its recent guidance to local authorities applying for funds). Another is to prioritise the area for traffic calming.

What are the alternatives? Since intimidation from traffic is the main problem, speed reduction and more space for bikes would seem to be obvious answers. Traffic calming and street architecture should therefore definitely be on the agenda, here as everywhere. The junction with Mowbray Road (which is a medium sized roundabout, but with very awkward visibility) needs to be addressed to make it cycle friendly, and the junction with Long Road is not ideal. It is inconvenient when cyclists are stuck in a long line of traffic queuing at the lights. As noted elsewhere, the Robin Hood junction at the eastern end is also in need of further attention.

David Earl

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Letters

Barton Road bad

I am writing to you about the new cycle-way being built along Barton Road out of Cambridge.

I believe it is still in the wrong place, being too close to the garden hedges, so that when cars come out they will be across it before the driver is able to see whether or not there is a cyclist on the path. This means that, when you are cycling on it, you can never be confident that you will not be suddenly confronted by a car coming out from the houses, and therefore cannot travel as fast as you want to.

It takes all the pleasure out of cycling if we have to be constantly fearful of being knocked down, and journeys take longer than they should because we cannot build up to full speed. Last year I sustained a bad injury when I had to swerve violently to avoid being knocked down by a van coming out of the University Farm on Barton Road and tore my biceps tendon in the process. I am still suffering after many sessions of physiotherapy.

I think the use of humps and dotted lines for cyclists across side roads is positively dangerous. It gives a false impression that cyclists have right of way when they do not, whilst even if they did many motorists clearly do not think so and appear to treat them with complete contempt. I have seen several very near misses, particularly at the crossing of the slip road onto the M11 coming out of Barton towards Cambridge. What makes it even more dangerous is that cars do not always signal that they are likely to turn across our path.

As far as I am concerned, apart from the ability to pass another cyclist or pedestrian without going on the grass, the new cycle-way is no improvement over the old. What should have been done is to leave the old path for pedestrians and construct a new cycle-way much nearer the road so that we could be sure that a car coming out of the houses would see us in time to stop. Similarly if we do not have right of way at cross roads there should not be humps and lines which appear to give us priority and encourage a false sense of security, particularly in children.

Cheryl Moseley, Barton

Where did the lane go?

Could you bring these observations to the attention of the Council?

If you turn left onto Newmarket Road from the path across Coldham's Common (almost opposite Ditton Walk) there is now no cycle lane until the bus lane starts on the railway bridge. If you cycle along the footway (I'm not sure if it is officially joint use here) you have to go as far as Herbert Robinson's before there is a dropped kerb, well beyond the start of the bus and cycle lane. As the Coldham's Common path is a well used cycle route can we please either have a cycle lane up to the bus lane or a dropped kerb where the bus lane starts?

I also have a more general observation on Pelican Crossings. 30 seconds may not sound long, but if you are waiting to cross an empty road it is enough to try your patience! I'm afraid I cross when the road is clear, often to look back at cars who have had to stop at a red light when no one is using the crossing. This isn't conducive to driver respect of such crossings. The crossing on Chesterton Road has always been slow to react (I've written to the Council about it a couple of times over the years without any effect). Recently I've noticed several other crossings have become slow to react, including the one from Fair Street to Midsummer Common, which used to react with commendable promptness even when there was quite heavy traffic flow. Can you press the council to check that all the Pelican Crossings are responding promptly to pedestrian/cyclist demand? I have a suspicion that many have reverted to some default delay of 30 seconds.

Patrick Schicker

Dave Earl notes:

We have already been in touch with the County Council about the removal of this lane from Newmarket Road and after a couple of exchanges of letters I'm delighted to say that the Council has now agreed to reinstate the missing piece of lane. Score one for the Cycling Campaign! (The pavement's not shared-use on the Coldham's Common side, by the way).

We've also raised the crossings issue from time to time - I know it's one that frustrates many of you. The response we usually get is 'it's faulty, it shouldn't do that'. The crossing of Coldham's Lane at Cromwell Road consistently makes you wait 20 seconds and has done for years, despite our protestations, and people inevitably do just what you describe. We know that the Fair Street crossing is indeed faulty - it is supposed to pick up bikes on a microwave sensor without you having to push the button, but it has never really worked since it was put in, and the sensor has now been removed altogether.

Having said that, if a cyclist or pedestrian has used the crossing within the minute or so previously, there will often be a delay (though we challenge the conventional thinking that says motorists should get this automatic priority). Also, certain lights (such as those at Gonville Place on the south side of Parker's Piece) are linked with others (in this case the signals at Hills Road) so they change in with the sequence. We'll keep on bugging the Council about this one at any suitable opportunity.

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National Cycle Campaigning Conference, Edinburgh - a report

Twice a year, cycle campaigners from all over Britain get together to compare experiences and discuss the latest developments in cycling. This May the National Cycling Campaigning Conference was held over a long weekend in Edinburgh, and was hosted by Spokes, the local campaign there. Three members of the Cambridge campaign went along.

The focus of the conference was the forthcoming Government White Paper on Transport, which is due in June and which is the subject of much eager anticipation. We heard a captivating presentation by local councillor David Begg, who besides being a professor in Aberdeen and chairman of the transport committee of the City of Edinburgh Council is also one of John Prescott's 'wise men', advising him on what to put in the White Paper. The conference chairman described him as a potential future minister of transport in the Scottish parliament, and we soon found out why: in a style which can only be described as evangelical he explained how the White Paper would be every bit as radical as we had hoped and that transport in Britain would never be the same again.

David Begg's talk was followed by one by Don Mathew, cycle campaigning adviser to the CTC. Don's task was to speculate about what would be in the white paper, but as he was standing a few feet away from David Begg who really did know what would be in it, but couldn't officially tell us, we were treated to the hilarious sight of Don working through his list of what might be in the white paper, with David Begg nodding vigorously in confirmation at each item.

Don also warned that the White paper will cause an absolute outcry from the road lobby and that it is essential that campaign groups such as ours take part in the national debate that will follow it and give the White Paper as much support as possible. The Cambridge Cycling campaign is standing by!

Although the signals about the White Paper are encouraging, we also heard an interesting and probably timely intervention by CTC Chairman Tom Lamb, who warned that although cycling was very important to us, there was a danger that it would get overlooked by the government and 'squeezed' between support for buses on the one hand and for pedestrians on the other.

The conference also had a number of workshop sessions, including one on 'How Spokes Runs a Cycle Campaign' which was keenly attended by our co-ordinator. There was also a useful session on 'Cycle Map Making for Local Groups', which gave us information that our maps subgroup will find useful back in Cambridge.

An essential part of any visit to a cycle campaigning conference is the opportunity to cycle round the host city and discover what conditions there are like for cyclists. Edinburgh has a good number of cycle facilities, mostly consisting of cycle lanes with advance stop lines at junctions. We also saw a few routes across parks with cycle crossings over main roads. There was also a number of off-road cycle paths constructed along former railway lines. One of these went through a tunnel over a quarter of a mile long.

There were things to criticise. Many streets in the centre, for example, are cobbled, forcing cyclists to ride along the gully at the edge of the road. However, what struck me most about cycling in Edinburgh (apart from the hills) was that when cycle facilities were provided they were of a high standard. Cycle lanes were always at least 1.5 m wide (wider than many in Cambridge) and were always surfaced in red (in contrast to Cambridge, where red surfacing is used only rarely). Nowhere did I see cyclists expected to share a pavement with pedestrians. And cycle paths across parks were far wider than any such paths in Cambridge. In comparison, provision for cyclists in Cambridge, though widespread, seemed somewhat low in quality.

The next national cycle campaigning conference is in the autumn in London.

Nigel Deakin

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Home Zones - reclaiming residential streets

We found Home Zones in evidence on our trip to Groningen last year
Image as described adjacent

The Dutch brought in the idea of the Woonerf decades ago. These specially designated streets change the whole feel of an area by a combination of design, construction and legislative framework. Cycle and transport campaigners have raised the idea here periodically, but now a serious initiative to recover residential streets from their present car-dominated state is being promoted by the Children's Play Council, part of the national Children's Bureau. They have called them Home Zones. They take traffic calming a whole stage further, beyond toy-town layouts such as Cherry Hinton High Street, to a complete change of street architecture that, while still allowing for cars, de-emphasises them. The concept places value on the street as a place for people, enhancing quality of life, safety and environmental sustainability. They fit well into ideas for safe routes for schools.

Changes in legislation would be needed. Some moves have been made recently on 20 mph zones (we have yet to find out the details), but putting responsibility for safety firmly on the driver is beyond this. Helen Brinton, MP for Peterborough, has been promoting a 10-minute rule bill through Parliament (though it looks as if something went wrong on March 6 when it should have been debated in the House).

The Children's Play Council has produced an excellent booklet on the subject in conjunction with Transport 2000, the Child Accident Prevention Trust, and Sustrans. They also seek expressions of support and have a form for the purpose, both for organisations and individuals. We have signed up for the Cycling Campaign, and we can make copies for you if you would like one. You can contact CPC on phone 0171 843 6016 for a booklet, e-mail cpc@ncb.org.uk or find the booklet on the net at www.ncb.org.uk/cpc.htm.

Key features of home zones

David Earl

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Road safety initiatives

I recently met Simon Cripwell and Helen Hill, Road Safety Officers for Cambridgeshire County Council, to hear about the work they're doing.

The 'Safer Cycling Scheme' teaches 10-year-olds the basics of cycling - how to turn, overtake parked vehicles, and so on. Each course lasts five hours, usually one hour a day for five successive days. There is always a shortage of instructors, so if you know of anyone who is interested in being trained to train school children to cycle, phone the number below. This is the time of year when courses are being run, so phone soon to find out the dates of local courses.

To back up the 'Safer Cycling Scheme', a multimedia CD called 'BikeIT' has been produced, and supplied to schools around the County. It's aimed at 10-14-year-olds, and is available for purchase.

A large part of the department's annual budget goes on the October 'Cyclists Beware - Beware Cyclists' advertising campaign. Last year's campaign was a bit of a landmark, as it began with a Cambridge Evening News headline 'Cycle surely and you'll cycle safely - Experts say assertive riding can cut the accident toll'.

There are also driver training and drink-driving campaigns, and the 'Make the Commitment' Campaign. This encourages car drivers to sign a form, stating 'I confirm that I am "making the Commitment to Kill my Speed."' So far, over 35 000 Cambridgeshire motorists have signed up. The aim is to make speeding as socially unacceptable as drink-driving now is. If you drive a car, why not phone for more information?

For information on any of these schemes, phone 01223 717385. (Since our meeting, Helen Hill has left the County Council, but we will continue to keep in touch with Simon.)

Clare Macrae

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Consultations

As predicted in Newsletter 17, the County Council asked us in April (among 50 or so others) to make comments on the Transport Policies and Programmes bid to the Government for funds for 1999-2000. This was the first time they have formally consulted on this very important document.

At about the same time, the Government Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions asked what people thought about reducing the blood alcohol limit for drivers from 80 mg per 100 ml to 50 mg per 100 ml, amongst other measures to further combat drink driving.

In a separate consultation, they also asked whether it should be compulsory for new bikes to be supplied with bells and lights.

The TPP

We told the County Council that they should concentrate more on the National Cycling Strategy. We also said that we have many reservations about the way rural cycleways are dealt with, and that the cycle planning process should involve more focus, in particular on safe routes to school, commuter routes and Sustrans routes, these all benefiting the largest number of cyclists. We supported many aspects of the Council's policy, especially the Cambridge Package Bid addressing the City, but said that much of the best work for cyclists came out of the accident remedial budget rather than the money specifically set aside for cycling.

We said that we wanted to see increased action on speeding and speed limits, and that speed reduction measures like traffic calming and Home Zones should be a priority.

We gave a long list of places where junctions are a problem: the ring road, for example, is a barrier because of the roundabouts sprinkled liberally along it. We also looked at solutions other than physical changes to the road environment: adult cycle training, for example, and further emphasis on the Travel for Work scheme incorporating Cycle Friendly Employers.

Some of our comments were recycled from last year, when we submitted a paper uninvited. In reviewing those comments we noticed a number of things that had been done from last year's wish list. But it is an agonisingly slow process. We've stuck to our guns, though, on the importance of quality on cycle provision, despite the expense. We also asked for a little money from each year to be set aside to remedy some of the minor irritations for cyclists.

You can read our full response in PDF on the Cycling Campaign Web site.

Drink driving

We supported the principle of reducing the limit. However, the Government discussion paper made it clear that drink driving is no longer the major cause of casualties that it once was, accounting for less than 15% of road deaths.

Reduction to 50 mg per 100 ml would, they estimated, save 50 lives a year (and perhaps 250 seriously and 1200 slightly injured people). If you're one of those 50, it's 100% of your life, but in statistical terms, this is relatively few. Therefore, we said that we would like to see much more emphasis put on enforcement in general, and speeding in particular. This, we felt, could not only have a bigger effect, but would also deal with some of the drink drivers in the process.

The Government also asked whether penalties should be less for those caught with between 50 mg and 80 mg per 100 ml. We said no: make the penalty for 50 mg the same as it is for 80 mg at present. However, we said that it is also important to deal with offences more quickly, so that people guilty of drink driving are no longer allowed to drive for months before coming to trial.

You can read our full response in PDF on the Cycling Campaign Web site.

Bells and Lights

Sadly we missed on this one. It took so long to find out who was doing the consulting that the deadline had passed. Sorry, folks, sadly we can't do everything!

The position we would have taken, agreed at April's Campaign meeting, was that we would support the compulsory fitting of bells and lights on new bikes, but only if it was fitting, and not supply. In other words, I could bring the lights from my old bike or purchase new lights of my choice, and not be required to take the ones the shop or manufacturer preferred.

The Government seemed to be taking the line that bells should be fitted at the point of sale, but that the fitting of lights would be governed by a code of practice instead.

David Earl

Philip Lund's solution to the nuisance of long dangly pannier straps: attach crocodile clips, 13p each from Tandy.
Image as decribed adjacent

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Anatomy of a Speed Hump

Sleeping policemen, rumble strips, speed bumps, call them what you will, they can at the same time make life both easier and harder for cyclists. Easier because they slow down motor vehicles (in theory), and harder because they inconvenience cyclists. And that's because they're largely the wrong shape for a cyclist's thin, large-diameter wheels. Occasionally one might want to slow cyclists down too, but usually this is a side-effect, and cars are slowed only to speeds significantly higher than cyclists would be travelling anyway.

But there's speed humps and speed humps - and there's some that aren't humps at all. And of course humps aren't the only way of slowing down traffic.

Cyclists' safety depends on slower traffic. Sadly, the majority of motorists can't be trusted to limit their speed - they even admit to it. In a survey last year, 70% of motorists admitted breaking speed limits, and government research bears this out with a very similar urban figure. So in residential streets, they need to be forced to slow down. At 20 mph, reaction time gives more chance to avoid a collision and, if a collision does happen, 5% of pedestrians and cyclists die. At 40 mph, 85% die in a collision. Slower speeds are crucial.

Where are the best speed humps in Cambridge? In my opinion they are in Ridgeon's builders yard, off Cromwell Road. These are high enough to be effective in keeping speeds down, they are perfectly constructed, unlike many on public roads, but most importantly they are 'sinusoidal'. This means that in profile you meet them on a rising curve, not at an angle. As well as being much more comfortable for cyclists, this also makes them quieter when cars meet them - an important consideration of acceptability to residents. So why aren't they used elsewhere? Obvious really - the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions construction standards only recently permitted this design, and don't encourage its use.

The more familiar 'slice off a circle' profile is exacerbated in Romsey by the uncomfortable (imitation) setts. The smooth tarmac versions in Stretten Avenue, Ditton Fields and many other places are slightly better.

Then there are so-called 'speed tables', where an extended hump has a flat top. These are often used across junctions. They've been placed at minor cross-roads, for example at Rock Road and Stretten Avenue; and on the cycle track at Milton Road, and are shortly to be put in on Barton Road to carry the track across side roads. They are also used in traffic calming, for example in Cherry Hinton High Street and outside Morley School in Blinco Grove.

On the whole I quite like these, perhaps because they are sited typically where you need to slow down on a bike too. But they typically have a straight slope up, and if this is badly constructed, as those at Blinco Grove were originally (they have recently been repaired), can be extremely uncomfortable.

A relatively rare feature in Cambridge is the 'speed cushion'. This is like a small speed table, but it does not extend right across the road. They're wide enough to catch cars, but leave a big enough channel so that cyclists can avoid the hump completely. Only Arbury Road in Cambridge has these to my knowledge.

Image as described adjacent
in Ridgeon's off Cromwell Road		 Image as described adjacent
a Romsey Town hump
  
Image as described adjacent
speed table in Stretten Avenue		 Image as described adjacent
speed table in Blinco Grove
  
Image as described adjacent
a rare speed cushion in Arbury Road		 Image as described adjacent
a speed hump in Ditton Walk

So the message to the engineers is simple - use speed humps that reach their target, without the cycle-unfriendly joints between road and hump. Unfortunately, this discomfort can sometimes mean cyclists use busier roads in preference, possibly putting themselves at greater risk.

David Earl

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Bike '98 show review

This was a very lively and thumping exhibition, totally dominated by Mountain Biking, BMX and some racing bikes. The style of selling was full on, loud and very sporty. I was alarmed to see some front forks suspended in hangman's nooses.

I was looking for cycling alternatives, and it was a bit disappointing from this point of view. Bike Culture was there with a collection of members' bikes, some recumbent, including a front-wheel-drive Flexo and a penny-farthing on sale for a bag of sand (whoops - sorry that's MTB talk), I mean £1000. They even had some trailers, but they weren't selling them, they were just there as curiosities.

I had a go on the sports and fitness stand, completing 1 km in 85.6 seconds, that's 26.3 mph, and I had an average power output of 426W, I think. That was with a 14 speed Rohloff hub gear system, which seems to work really well. After that my legs were complaining. The Alex Moulton stand had some shiny chrome plated suspension bikes which were a dream to sit on. What a shame there was nowhere to try riding them at the exhibition. (Apparently there was a place that some bikes could be ridden, but there was a long queue.) I told the salesman that his bikes looked 'highly nickable', but apparently they're not because it's difficult to unload them, whereas it's easy to sell an MTB on.

Reise und Müller had some lovely suspended folding bikes, and more soberly some practical commuter bikes with 7-speed hubs sold complete with dynamo, lights and rack. There were some electric bikes too, but the ones I saw were so heavy that you wouldn't want to pedal them. Some of the electric bikes don't require a helmet, but one bike I saw was assisted by a 49 cc engine and required tax, MOT and registration plate. It was quite light, and apparently would chug along happily at 25 mph. I wanted to buy a Go-Ped - a folding motorised scooter - which looked so much fun that, yes, it is banned from the streets.

On the trailer front, there was only one guy selling them. His was a very smart and strong foldable metal box that weighed 33 lb but could carry 10 times that. It really looked like a gardening accessory that could be attached to a bike, and was pricey at £350 (show special). Its only attachment was to the saddle, and left me worried that a device that could carry three bags of cement could easily throw you into the middle of the road.

I saw only one stand selling cycle parking lockers. Bright plastic interlocking units, each capable of taking one bike, and going for around £400 each, mostly sold to local authorities and supermarkets so far.

I came out laden with several kilos of re-cyclable blurb, including four magazines and many catalogues. The show was at the NEC, 17-19 April 1998. It's easy to get there by train, but, if you want to go next year, take your own food as it's very expensive there. My sister (who is an off-road MTB rider), summed up the show as '£8.50 to get into a bike shop!'

Simon Nuttall

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Child trailer review

When we moved back to Cambridge, we decided that we preferred a child trailer to a child seat. A short search of magazines showed that D.Tek in Little Thetford (run by Kevin Dunseath) claimed to have the best range of child trailers in the UK, so we decided to visit them. We spent a happy four hours being shown what sorts of trailers were available, and talking about the pros and cons of the various models. We decided in the end on the Burley D'Lite, mainly led by our need to be able to fold it for storage (no longer so necessary in our new house with a garage).

On the whole, the trailer has been a Good Thing. Michael appears to quite like it, and happily points to Daddy's Bike and Michael's Trailer. Some of the children at the nursery are clearly fascinated by it, and I quite often hear pedestrians say things like 'Hey, there's a kid in there.'

The main snag is that the trailer is too wide to fit through many of the obstacles that the council places at strategic points along cycle-paths. In particular, most posts with 'ears' are too narrow (for example, the only useful access to Midsummer Common is the cattle grids).

The bike's handling isn't affected as much as I might have expected. Michael's weight is noticeable when he's in it, and the trailer does act as a drag when cycling into the wind. On the other hand, it's a surprise how skittish the bike seems when it isn't attached!

Other road users (cars in particular) do seem to give us quite a wide berth. Interestingly, when I'm cycling without the trailer, I've become more assertive about taking the road space I need.

About the trailer

Trailers versus child seats

Fortrailers:

Against trailers (for child seats)

Buying or renting a trailer

Our main piece of advice on buying a trailer is to make sure that you (and your child) try it out first. It's also a good idea to try out at least two different trailers.

Most of the main Cambridge bike dealers sell a child trailer of some sort - I know Ben Hayward's sell Trek (and can talk sensibly about them), Howes have some sort of trailer up by the ceiling, and Mike's Bikes have a Burley D'Lite in their rental shop, as well as a Burley and something else in their main showroom. However, we definitely recommend going to a specialist dealer in the first instance.

Locally we recommend D.Tek. They normally have 14 to 20 different models of child trailer in stock, with costs from £170 (second hand) to £600 (rather expensive!). They also rent, and when selling a trailer you can treat the first month as rental. Do note that Kevin does not necessarily keep normal shop hours, so phone first. The shop is obvious once you've seen it (across from the church).

Tibs and Michael

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Cycling Campaign Mugs

Our Saturday stall now sports a new collectors' item - our very own Campaign mugs, at the bargain price of £5. Thanks to Frances of Talking T's for producing a great design.

Clare Macrae

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Small ads

Please note: that the adverts below may now be out of date. Please note also you can now submit adverts for the small ads section of the newsletter online.

Free to members of the Campaign, on cycling subjects. 10p per word for non-members or for non-cycling subjects. For free ads, please be as brief as if you were paying for them.

Cycles for sale: Gents Peugeot, sports with 'aerodynamic' tubing, 5 gears. Ladies Falcon, 21" sports with 5 gears. Raleigh Pioneer, ladies, nearly new, lots of gears. Gents Raleigh, 21" - sturdy with derailleur gears. Edwards shopper - suit persons of almost any size. All in excellent condition. Contact H Morris for more details and prices phone (01954) 782730

Wanted: 23" touring bike - up to £450 for a good enough machine. Michael Frearson phone 302760 e-mail m.frearson@unl.ac.uk

Newsletter editor seeks assistants: a cartoonist and a sub-editor might make this Newsletter even better. phone 882378

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About the Campaign

Please note: the most up-to-date general information about the Campaign is always in the about the Campaign section of the website.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign was set up in 1995 to voice the concerns of cyclists. We are not a cycling club but an organisation campaigning for the rights of cyclists, promoting cycling in and around Cambridge and lobbying for more and better facilities.

Membership is open to all who support these aims. It includes subscription to this newsletter, published every two months, and a discount at a number of Cambridge cycle shops.

Come to our regular stall on Saturdays outside the Guildhall. This is the public face of the campaign and volunteers are always welcome to help. And don't forget our meetings, on the first Tuesday of each month, 7.30 for 8.00 pm at the Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge.

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Elected Officers

Please note: the most up-to-date Committee list is always in the Committee list section of the website.

Treasurer - Simon Nuttall phone 773699

Co-ordinator - Clare Macrae phone 336024

Membership Secretary
Liaison Officer
Press Officer - David Earl phone 690718

Stall Officer - Paula Watson phone 323057

Newsletter Editor - Mark Irving phone 882378

Officer Without Portfolio - Nigel Deakin phone 311073

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Contacting the Campaign

Please note: the most up-to-date contact details for the Campaign are always in the contacts section of the website, which includes an online feedback form.

In particular, note that our fax number is now separate from the phone number.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign
PO Box 204
Cambridge CB4 3FN

Telephone David Earl phone 690718

Web http://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/camcycle

E-mail e-mail contact@camcycle.org.uk

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Campaign Diary

Please note: the most up-to-date version of the diary of events is always in the events section of the website.

All CTC local rides meet next to the Hobson's Conduit memorial on Brookside, near Lensfield Road.

June

Tue 2 7:30pm Monthly Meeting 'Promoting the National Cycling Strategy.' Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane
Wed 3
7:30 pm
Addenbrooke's Corridor subgroup meeting. 35 Ainsworth Street.
Thur 4
8:00 am
National Bike Week planning meeting, at Le Favori on Hills Road

June 6 - 14 is National Bike Week (see article)

Sun 7
2-4 pm
Try A Bike event -try out practical bikes and trailers in the Market Square
Sun 7
9 am
CTC Invitation Ride going to Great Sampford and Ashdon Museum for lunch
Sun 7
2:20 pm
CTC Invitation Ride - going to tea (at 5 pm) at the Bell in Balsham.
Mon 8
7:30
Commuter Stall at Cambridge station.
Tue 9
6:30 pm
Birthday Picnic - a short ride straight to Grantchester Meadows - and a picnic. Bring something to share. Starts at Parker's Piece.
Wed 10
8 am to 9 am
Free Cyclists' Breakfast - arrive by bike to claim your free breakfast! Generously provided by Hobbs Pavilion Restaurant - and supported by Cambridgeshire County Council's TravelWise scheme.
Thur 11

Evening event - to be confirmed
Thur 11
7 pm
CTC Invitation Ride - Easy Riders run to Wandlebury Country Park - bring a picnic!
Sat 13
9 am - 3 pm
Dr Bike free cycle health checks - in the Market Square.
13 - 21
Green Transport Week
Walking, bikes, buses - and greenish cars. Co-ordinated by the ETA. Includes UK National Car-Free Day on June 16 phone (01932) 828882
Sun 14
2 pm
Leisurely Ride, meeting at Brookside.
Sun 14
8, 9 & 10 am
CTC 100 Mile Ride, finishing with tea at 5 pm at the Cross Keys in Caxton.
Mon 15
8:30 pm
Pub social. We'll be at the Zebra on Maid's Causeway.
Sat 20
all night
Summer Solstice Bike Ride - a long ride, followed by breakfast watching the sun rise.
Sun 21
10:30 am
The Moulton Bicycle Club 'Cambridge 50' ride, leaving from Windmill School, Fulbourn. Other cyclists are welcome. phone (01954) 230673
Wed 24
8:30 am
Newsletter 18 Editorial Review Meeting, at Tatties
Sun 28
2 pm
Leisurely Ride, meeting at Brookside, near Lensfield Road.

July

Sun 5
9-9:30 am
The Heritage Bike Ride, starts in Long Melford. 25 or 50 hilly miles in aid of Action Research. Entry fee £8 phone (01728) 603076
Tue 7
7:30 pm
Monthly Meeting, Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane
Fri 10

Newsletter 19 deadline
Sun 12
2 pm
Leisurely Ride, meeting at Brookside, near Lensfield Road.
18 - 25

Bike Culture Weekend in York - Guided rides, talks, demos bike trials - phone (01904) 412200
Mon 20
8:30 pm
Pub social. We'll be at the Zebra on Maid's Causeway.
22 - 26

Tandemania - Swallow Tandems' weekend celebration (near Oswestry) phone (01691) 780050
Fri 24
7:30 pm
Newsletter stuffing, at 8 Thirleby Close - volunteers welcomed!
Sun 26
2 pm
Leisurely Ride, meeting at Brookside, near Lensfield Road.
Sun 26

The London to Cambridge Bike Ride, 60 miles in aid of WWF. For information phone (01483) 426269, or contact Clare to join the Cycling Campaign riders!
Wed 29 - Mon 3

Cyclefest 98 - Britain's biggest alternative cycling festival - in Lancaster. For details, contact: John Bradshaw, J.Bradshaw@ucsm.ac.uk, phone (01524) 384474. Information packs available from Lancaster tourist office phone (01524) 32878

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Discounts

Please note: the most up-to-date list of shops offering discounts to members of the Campaign is always on the membership discounts page of the website.

Discounts are available for members at

Ben Hayward Cycles
69, Trumpington Street
Cambridge
phone 352294 		Ben Hayward Cycles
Laundress Lane
Cambridge
phone 301118
Bishop's Cycles
51 Station Road
Histon
phone 518855 		Chris's Bikes
Mobile Bicycle Service
phone 276004 or
mobile 0468 075307
Cycle-Logical
171 Mill Road
Cambridge
phone 576545 		D.TEK
Little Thetford
Near Ely
Cambs. CB6 1BR
phone 01353 648177
Geoff's Bike Hire
65, Devonshire Road
Cambridge
phone 365629 		Howes Cycles
104, Regent Street
Cambridge
phone 350350
Kingsway Cycles
8 City Road
Cambridge
phone 355852 		King Street Cycles
82 King Street
Cambridge
phone 367275
Mike's Bikes
26-28 Mill Road
Cambridge
phone 312591 		University Cycles
9 Victoria Avenue
Cambridge
phone 355517

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Cycling Campaign Subgroups

Please note: the most up-to-date list of subgroups are can be found in the subgroups section of the website.

phone  Telephone number e-mail  e-mail address

Arbury Camp - Studying Sainsbury's plans for development. Contact Clare phone  336024 e-mail  macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk

Cycle Enumeration - Analysing cycle journeys in Cambridge. Contact Dave Earl phone 690718 e-mail  david@frankieandshadow.com

Cycle Parking - Working to improve cycle parking provision throughout Cambridge. Contact Clare phone  336024 e-mail  macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk

Hills Road Corridor - Studying the route to Addenbrooke's. Dave Earl phone 690718 e-mail  david@frankieandshadow.com

Maps - Should we produce a map for Cambridge cyclists? Contact Nigel Deakin phone 311073 e-mail  npd@dial.pipex.com

National Bike Week '98 - Planning events for June 1998. Contact Simon Nuttall phone  773699 e-mail  radar@scientia.com

Newsletter - Co-ordinating this, the Campaign's newsletter. Contact the Editor, Mark Irving phone 882378 e-mail  irving@home.cam.net.uk

Road Danger Reduction Charter - Working to get the RoadPeace charter adopted locally. Contact Slim phone 363434

Science Park Access - looking at plans to widen Milton Road. Contact Clare phone  336024 e-mail  macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk

Shared Use Paths - drafting our policy Contact Dave Earl phone 690718 e-mail  david@frankieandshadow.com

West Cambridge - Studying the University's plans for development. Contact Dave Earl phone 690718 e-mail  david@frankieandshadow.com

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Other organisations - contacts

Please note: the most up-to-date list of organisations is in the local links section of the website.

Cambridge City Council phone 457000

Cambridge Friends of the Earth
St Michael's Church Hall, Trinity Street, Cambridge CB2 1SU
phone 517509 e-mail  camfoe@home.cam.net.uk

Cambridgeshire County Council phone 717111
(Road Safety phone 717385)

Cycle-Friendly Employers scheme
Teresa Broadstock, Travel For Work Advisor
Cambridge and Huntingdon Health Authority
Hillview, Fulbourn Hospital
Cambridge CB1 5EF
phone 475131

Cyclists' Touring Club, Cambridge District Association
Sue Taylor, Secretary phone 563414

South Cambridgeshire District Council phone 443000

Sustrans - Nigel Brigham
The Environment & Energy Centre, 33a Westgate
Peterborough PE1 1PZ
phone (01733) 319981 fax (01733) 346902

Transport 2000 Cambridgeshire and West Suffolk
Simon Norton, Co-ordinator phone312654 e-mail simon@emu.pmms.cam.ac.uk