Hovis Freewheel into the history books

Published by Matt Polaine | Filed under Bicycle, Cycling, Events

Yesterday (Sunday 23rd September) The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone hailed the Hovis London Freewheel Day as the largest participation cycle ride the capital has ever seen, and he is already thinking of a bigger event for 2008.

“It has been an incredible success, with more than 38,000 cyclists taking over the capital.” said Liviingstone. “Tens of thousands of cyclists have enjoyed the unique experience of riding past some of Londons’s most famous sights on roads free of other traffic.”

He said the event was a “highly visible” endorsement of the growth of cycling in London, where bicycle use has soared by 83% in seven years. The mayor spoke of a “record investment in training and facilities” to encourage cycling. But he pointed out that although figues show that 40% of Londoner’s have access to a bike, only 5% use one regularly. Jenny Jones, the mayor’s green transport adviser added: ” We will have to think seriously about making it much bigger next year, just to keep up with demand.”

Claire Low, brand manager at Hovis, said “We gave away approximately 30,000 sandwiches. It was a really successful family day out, very good for cycling and for Hovis. We were delighted to be involved.

However one should look at this event and wonder what is going on with the UK’s cultural attitudes to cycling. Both police and judges have little respect for cyclists (Cadden vs. Telford police, Rhyl deaths, CTC Defence Fund etc) and transport budgets for cycle provision rarely exceeds 1% and in many county’s it is less than 0.2%. In places like Denmark 5-15% is common. The majority of motorists’ attitudes to cyclists in the UK is terrifying and I have had three riders killed in my peer group by motorists who just didn’t care. Their fines of 6 points and £600, or less, present the true value of your life if you cycle on the highway in the UK. Proportionate Blame Law in the EU is excluded from the UK.

There is scant reporting of cycling events in the sporting press and television despite the sport  providing the largest single event in the world watched by 2 billion people (TdF), obviously not UK sports editors. The Tour of Britain was barely on the UK media radar and Yorkshire police blocked the race through their county. Can you imagine that happening anywhere in Europe? The police would be fired, lynched, or both. Here, motorists applaud. One would think that with the London roads clear of aggressive drivers, killer trucks without critical mirrors, and van drivers ready to ‘teach a cyclist a lesson’ by spitting on them or forcing them into the railings (oh yes, very common), only a small dribble of ‘lycra louts’ and ‘mad middle-class eco-warriors’ would venture forth on two wheels.

But no. Just shy of 40,000  normal everyday cyclists clutched at the chance to cycle with as much right as all other traffic on the Highway, without the intimidation from drivers, the total lack of protection from the police and courts, and without the screaming and shouting from motorists foaming at them to ‘get outta my way’.

40,000 cyclists. Does this not indicate how totally wrong our transport culture and infrastructure is?

So how should we capitalise on Sunday’s successful Hovis Freewheel? “Cycling among motor traffic, that’s the test for London’s authorities”, says the the London Cycling Campaign. The LCC’s chief executive Koy Thomson recommends this seven-point plan:

1. Free cycle training for all children and adults who want it.
2. Promotion of cycling on prescription, a programme providing advice, training and free bike hire at all GP practices.
3. High-quality cycle parking at every workplace, station, shopping area, as well as new homes.
4. Creation of a mass bike-hire scheme across London zones one and two by 2009.
5. Government legistlation requiring all HGVs to be fitted with full safety mirrors.
6. A 20mph speed limit in plcaes where people live and work.
7. Urgent action to make all road junctions cycle-friendly.