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Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

forbes.com

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Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#631

Post by Pxtl »

Tade0 wrote: post #198
matsemann wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> - might be impossible depending on work or children; The newer style of cargo bikes can for many families replace a car. Have two kids seated in the trunk of the bike and drop them off at kindergarten, then continue biking to work and pick them up on the way home. Those are a bit on the pricier side, though. Still cheap compared to a car, but people often look at them as something "extravagant" or "in addition" to…

> So I think we will see a shift in where people settle, where they will no longer base their lives around owning multiple cars. Not if real estate in cities remains as expensive as it is now. That's one of the main reasons why so many people move out and choose to spend so much time commuting. Cars are just a means to an end, which is not living in a one-bedroom apartment as a family.

There's a middle-ground between suburban sprawl and one-bedroom-apartments in highrises. Dense old-fashioned streetcar suburbs that predate the invention of driveways do a great job of being cyclist and transit friendly despite the fact that every home is a detached SFH.

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#632

Post by mrob »

DoingIsLearning wrote: post #612
uoaei wrote: post #448

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am dismayed but not surprised at just how much money people will spend on e-bikes to avoid exercise. There are literally millions of decent analog bike frames bouncing around in various corners of . Getting one up and running, and strapping a seat to the front and back as you have done, would be about 10% the cost of a new e-bike, and maintenance would be negligible. Plus, you get to eat whatever you want guilt-fre…

Actually this is not accurate and somewhat bad advice. A normal bicycle frame is designed for... normal use. No need for ebikes but child seats should be used on reenforced frames such as what the Dutch call "Moederfiets", you can also use a 'Transportfiets' frame. You are adding an extra 5 Kg to your front steering tube and another 20 kilos to your back cargo loader. That is not what most frames were designed for. S…

Exactly. Weight distribution makes a big difference to how the bike handles. If you put a lot of weight on the back without balancing it with weight at the front you'll lose grip on the front wheel easily, which can be dangerous. Front wheel skids are almost impossible to control.

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#633

Post by pg314 »

bloke_zero wrote: post #404
lock-the-spock wrote: post #372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I own a bike with a big box in the front and parking has absolutely not been an issue for me. In the last six months I rode > 2600km in and around one of the densest European cities and parked in many different places. I have yet to find a place where I cannot park the bike . You can use regular car parking, but you will always find a dead corner, bike rack, big sidewalk, etc where you can leave the bike. And to be c…

Not easy at home in London. Our flat would not allow a cargo bike (1st floor) and there is no where outside to lock it safe and dry. 60,000 people on a 4 year waiting list for on street bike parking: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-cyclists-bike-...

I cannot speak for the safe part, but here in Belgium plenty of people leave their Urban Arrows outside (with a rain cover).

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#634

Post by scott_w »

bartread wrote: post #605
scott_w wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Newcastle and the VAST majority of dangerous road usage I see comes from drivers. Just yesterday I watched a driver pull out of a junction straight into a cyclist because he wanted to rush out instead of checking. When cyclists kill or maim 5 people per day, I’ll be the first calling for regulation. Until that day comes, the focus needs to be on the most dangerous mode of transport: private cars.

I don't disbelieve you but I'll bet you any amount of money that the number of cyclists per capita is far higher in Cambridge than it is in Newcastle. That disparity in itself will change the behaviour of motorists: I'm used to checking every single direction for cyclists before I make a move, even as a pedestrian, because there are just so many of them everywhere. It's also why you see "Think Bike!" signs along rout…

There are more bikes than cars in London and a peruse of Cycling Mikey’s Twitter and YouTube will disabuse you of the notion that this is a numbers thing. It’s a culture issue within the UK that makes sure good infrastructure isn’t provided and cyclist and pedestrian safety isn’t prioritised (either at the infrastructure or day to day driving level).

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#635

Post by xyzzyz »

nomel wrote: post #433
rickydroll wrote: post #376

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So I think we will see a shift in where people settle, where they will no longer base their lives around owning multiple cars. Magical thinking will not make it so. My partner and I moved further away from the city where she works because we wanted to move in together and we can't afford rent or property where either of us used to live. I work from home so most the time my car sits charging the driveway. However, a…

> we can't afford rent or property where either of us used to live. I’ve never seen this not be the case. Are European cities organized differently or something? I’ve never see affordable living within biking distance of a business district, in the US. Prices are usually double.

European cities are much less affordable than US cities. Just look at the data, compare average household income to average rent or purchase price.

It blows my mind that people here put Europe as some kind of affordable walkable alternative. Some places are indeed walkable, but affordability is utterly atrocious by US standard.

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#636

Post by boudin »

djtango wrote: post #496
r00fus wrote: post #487

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Theft is the major reason I haven't invested in a utility e-bike (or use my expensive road bike) to do local shopping. I live in a place with fantastic bike-ability, but don't shop because of theft concerns. Is that different in London?

No bike theft is a huge problem in London

There are more bike hangars now though, but it often just solves half of the problem.

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#637

Post by Zigurd »

Maxburn wrote: post #393

I haven't done my research but from what I've gathered from news over the years hasn't London had very high car tax, tolls, super expensive gas, and just outright closing streets and eliminating parking? So with a big enough stick and very little carrot anything is possible? Is that a win? Aren't we hearing that actual residents really don't like these "15 minute" cities?

We are hearing from trolls and astroturf bots that 15 minute cities are a deep state plot.

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#638

Post by worik »

iams wrote: post #244
worik wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does the London tube have good facilities for carrying bikes?

No. Non folding bikes are not allowed on most tube services in central london. The lines that do allow it don't allow it during rush hour.

So how do all the bikes get into central London?

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#639

Post by worik »

Xylakant wrote: post #589
worik wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a tip for dealing with cyclists: continue your movement as a pedestrian As a pedestrian (I am not wearing headphones) please ring your bell if you are passing me on a shared path. It is very frightening to have a cyclist suddenly appear in your field of vision, from behind, terrifying.

The problem is that a lot of people will jump to a random side if you ring. Another large fraction will yell at you. Something that worked comparatively well for me it so shout “I’ll pass on your (left/right)”

>.... so shout “I’ll pass on your (left/right)”

That will do.

Re: Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London

#640

Post by Tade0 »

ovi256 wrote: post #315
idopmstuff wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, unfortunately it seems very much like we're heading the opposite direction. People largely congregated in cities because of proximity to work, but as remote work increases that's becoming less of a factor. As people try to find cheaper property and more land, they're going to end up in places where bikes are a whole lot less practical.

> bikes are a whole lot less practical I'm sure you meant as daily transportation. As a non-daily, I bike several times per week even if I drive daily. If I had my choice, I'd rather ride horses every day.

That's my plan should the EU ever mandate a 30km/h speed limit in cities.

If I'm gonna move slowly, might as well do it in style.

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