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Why Don’t People Cycle

Since starting a cycling blog, I fear I may have become a bit of a cycling evangelist. Anyway, out of interest I asked my students and work colleagues why they don’t cycle to school. The distance they travel is about 1.5 miles, some up to 3 miles. The journey is not straightforward as the shortest […]

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Commuting By Bike

Commuting By Bike

I got into cycling through riding long distances with a cycle club. The idea of commuting to school by bike never occurred to me. It would have been about a 9 mile commute into the centre of Bradford and unfortunately cycling didn’t seem very practical. I’m sure my mother would have raised many objections. It […]

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Police On Bikes

In Oxford, I’ve noticed a big increase in the number of police patrolling Oxford on mountain bikes. The police have found that bikes are an excellent way of patrolling busy streets, especially in the evening. Bikes can cover much more ground than a bobby on the beat, but, they also offer greater flexibility than a […]

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Bikes vs Buses

Bikes vs Buses

Two things about Oxford: There are a lot of bicycles There are a lot of buses. Which is Best Form of Transport for Commute Bike vs Bus? Bikes are quicker than buses. To take a bus into town takes me 25 minutes. 7 min walk to bus stop. average of 5 minute wait and 15-20 […]

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Cost Per Mile of Cycling

Cost Per Mile of Cycling

With the price of petrol becoming a real issue, more people are looking for cheaper alternatives. This is a rough estimate at the cost of my cycling. I bought my commuting bike a trek 1000 for £300. This was 4 years ago. In the past 4 years, I have spent about £180 in repairs. This […]

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Cyclox – Local Cycling Campaign

Cyclox – Local Cycling Campaign

Cyclox is a local cycling campaign for Oxford, probably similar to many local cycling campaigns. As a general rule I don’t join any political parties or pressure groups, but, decided to join Cyclox for a few reasons. There leaflet has many good common sense ways to improve cycling in Oxford – better facilities, safer roads, […]

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How To Get More People Cycling

How To Get More People Cycling

I would love to see more people cycling. I sometimes ask non-cyclists what might encourage them to start cycling. These are some of the common issues which might encourage more to give up 4 wheels for 2. 1. Cycle Schemes The Paris cycle scheme has been a good success. With a credit card deposit, commuters […]

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Crazy Cycle Lanes

In Oxfordshire, the council have introduced a lot of traffic calming measures, which invovle narrowing the road. The aim is to make cars slow down and therefore reduce the number of accidents. However, this particular design is a real pain for Cyclists. This is at the bottom of a steep hill running into Horspath, just […]

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Where in the Road Should We Cycle?

A good distance from edge of road Sometimes I am riding between 1 foot and 3 foot from the edge of the road and cars will still beep their horns, presumably because they are irritated a cyclist has slowed them down. The problem is more acute on narrow lanes where being 1-2 foot from edge […]

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Women Cyclists May Risk Death by Obeying Red Lights

It is sometimes possible to make too much of statistics, especially when the sample size is small. However, in the UK, a disproportionate number of cyclists killed are female. One theory for this is that women place themselves in danger by, ironically, obeying red lights. [Women cyclists at risk from obeying red lights] One of […]

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Cycling through Red Lights.

Last Friday, I stood in the middle of Oxford and took many shots of cyclists and the different kinds of people riding bikes. It was quite fascinating. One of the best places to take photos was by the Bodleian library opposite the Kings Arms on broad street. Here there is a crossroads with traffic lights. […]

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