51–60 of 969 posts
When I was in London over a decade ago they already had restrictions on car traffic into certain parts of the city and additional fees to go there. Tax on a new car is 20% and lots of regulations on their characteristics. Large taxes on petrol which is already much more expensive than in the US.
> The 24-hour traffic count was conducted on a wet and windy November day last year. Presumably that means on a nice summers day the numbers are even higher. This is of course countered by the fact the City of London is becoming increasingly hard to navigate in a motor vehicle. There's a proliferation of camera-enforced road closures and turning restrictions which, along with the congestion charge and very high parki…
Somewhat unrelated to the article, but I live in a mid-size EU city and dumped my car for an e-bike a few months ago. Surprisingly, it hasn't been that hard (my GF kept her car, and I have a car-sharing subscription): Pros: - Immediately stopped having insomnia. Better feel overall; - about €300/month in additional disposable income. That's basically a free lunch everyday! - significantly faster if parking is taken i…
We live with 1 child and no car and it's been working fine thus far. You have to be careful about where you live and work though, but I'd say the added quality of life of living car-free (in a car-free city) is all worth it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Get a Peloton with a financing deal, hope either they or the underwriter collapse shortly after. Free bike.
> hope either they or the underwriter collapse shortly after Has this ever worked? Surely the administrator would just sell the debt at a discount (for them, not you).
We are the cyclists, the intermediate stage between humans and pure energy. https://youtu.be/1s0XsulDXtk
Bicycles are the best machine from the industrial revolution. Quiet, healthy, efficient, harmonious with our sensibilities. I think it is precisely these aspirational qualities that is enraging the morlocks in their cars (speaking for US only now, it's better in other countries). A bicycle is a shameful reminder of the virtuous path not taken.
The power loom?
The electrical generator?
The steam engine?
The telegraph?
The bicycle is a "nice to have" latecomer that can only exist in a world which is already somewhat industrialized.
Nice, I wonder if they are back using internal hubs (like old 3 speeds) or derailleurs ? The internal hubs like they used 50+ years ago were a better design for rainy weather than derailleurs. With that said, I can guess most are using single speed. Hopefully not fixed :)
Interestingly, Bromptons[0] using Sturmey Archer internal hubs, and I believe you can buy an upgrade that puts a derailleur on the front, to double the number of gears. [0] https://www.brompton.com
Amazing news! More cyclists (and fewer motorists) on the streets creates a safer, less polluted city environment for everyone.
Whilst I'm overall in favour of promoting cycling as a way of getting around, in preference to motor vehicles, I'm not sure I entirely agree with "safer". I live in Cambridge and have lost count of the number of times I've had to contend with cyclists blowing through pedestrian crossings on a red light (or zebra crossings at any time) when I'm trying to walk over them, or cycling the wrong way down a one-way street -…
I can stand at my local crossing on Old Kent Road and there'll be non-zero cars jumping the red light (often accelerating from a good ways back) or entering the junction without a safe exit blocking the crossing, a bus lane, and another junction (in peak time this will often get into double figures). Multiply that by all the crossings and you'll absolutely dwarf the amount of cyclists doing similar (and in my 20+yrs experience as a pedestrian + cyclist in London, it's not nearly as bad as motor vehicles.)
> It needs to become socially unacceptable to cycle without due care and attention to the safety of others
Let's start with the heavy motor vehicles first, eh.
Nice, I wonder if they are back using internal hubs (like old 3 speeds) or derailleurs ? The internal hubs like they used 50+ years ago were a better design for rainy weather than derailleurs. With that said, I can guess most are using single speed. Hopefully not fixed :)
Overall bike design makes more difference. Dutch bike >> MTB with comfort fittings > regular MTB > racing bike. By "comfort fittings" I mean things like chain guards and mudguards and a suitable saddle.
These days quite a lot will be e-bikes too.
Note that the "City of London" is not the whole of the London built-up area, but just the financial services district, slightly more than one square mile in area. Still, it's a remarkable statistic even then.
Somewhat unrelated to the article, but I live in a mid-size EU city and dumped my car for an e-bike a few months ago. Surprisingly, it hasn't been that hard (my GF kept her car, and I have a car-sharing subscription): Pros: - Immediately stopped having insomnia. Better feel overall; - about €300/month in additional disposable income. That's basically a free lunch everyday! - significantly faster if parking is taken i…
It's interesting you mention that. When I took up cycling to work in Manchester, I started struggling to fall fully asleep because I'd have short pseudo-dreams about the POV of cycling on wet, dark, busy roads & jerk awake, scared that I was falling asleep at the handlebars.