Because I am:
a planner
an international urban researcher
a lifelong cyclist
someone who recently returned from time in Japan
the owner of a poorly maintained blog
reflecting on the points above,
I will make a few notes on my observations on cycling in Japan.
I was there for a holiday, like a proper holiday. No research, no meetings, no homework, no obligations. Just for fun and leisure and exploration, well I'm sure you know what a holiday is. The only things I aimed to achieve, specifically, while there were: to spend a day or more exploring Tokyo by bike; and find some super cool unknown top quality cocktail bar in a tower somewhere that's not in any guidebooks and serves sublime cocktails. I technically 'failed' on both those counts, but I did get to explore plenty of Tokyo on foot and subway, and if I were you, shouldn't worry about me not getting to sample enough cocktails in trendy bars, as in Takayama I had one of the top 5bar experiences of my life (a list for another time).
In my ventures around and about I was picking out little bits of cycle infrastructure or culture or activity that caught my eye. Mindful that I am just a passing tourist, and without having really got to chat with many locals, or planners, these really are just some pictures for prosperity, memories of my adventures in Japan and impressions of cycling in cities there.
On the first day, suffering with jet lag, or more, riding the elation & floatiness of jet-lag in a new and exciting city we took a walk from our air BnB in Shibuya up to Tomigaya, and into Yoyogi Park. The first cycling infrastructure of note was a nice little leisure circuit in the park, which lifted my spirits, even without a bike. Although only in so much as it's nice to have a nice place to cycle safely round in a sunny park in winter time when you're a nipper on wheels, or uneasy grown-up. Oh and the sun helped too.
No bicycles parking
Wondering round Harajuku and Sendagaya that afternoon I was just soaking the city in. But noticed that there did seem to be plenty of bikes about, with parking solutions for apartment blocks. The bikes I notice were mostly quite functional, practical models, with slightly smaller wheels than I'm used to that can happily be parked up on a stand outside the block, or shops, rather than an array of swish mean machines.
Even though I was up with the larks (hmmm, not sure there were any larks, well of course there were larks, it was a holiday after all. I'm not a natural, or trained ornithologist, but I was up early because of the time difference ...) I didn't really notice any rush hour hordes of cycle commuters battling with traffic to get to work in the morning. There isn't a whole load of infrastructure to speak of, I saw a fair bit of shared space, and generally bikes are treated closer to a pedestrian on wheels than to a vehicle.
By and large my impression was that cycling isn't fetishised or marginalised, for those that want to use it it is a handy practical way to get around. There is plentiful, but oversubscribed parking in the kinds of places you would need to park your bike like near stations or shopping centers. Most the people I noticed cycling were older, so away from the image there is in London of cycling being predominately young men caning it into work and back.
On our trip out of Tokyo there was a nifty little bike share scheme in Kanazawa, but due to snow and a very limited time in the city I didn't get a bike, though it was as straight forward as having a credit card and a few simple details to get access to a bike on a similar fare structure as the London cycle hire scheme.
Of course there were a few of the cool fixies flying about and I saw a few roadies out on a Sunday, but their kit wasn't all that streamlined, even if it was January it wasn't super cold. However, the prospect of trying to escape the city on a bike seems even more of a task there than London. I bemoan my hour or two on the saddle before I breach the M25 and am making it towards countryside, but in a city where it takes over an hour on the bullet train to get out of the city, there must be little chance except to the most hardened rider to cycle to 'the country'.
Taking in the whole experience of Japan for the first, amazing, time was a bit much, and I found the whole trip very exhilarating and eye-opening. The positive feelings about the country, like the food, drink, hospitality, seamless transportation. oh, and the fact that I was on holiday and free to enjoy it all as a goggle eyed, beer filled tourist with too many cameras and no research base, meant that I saw all the good and none of the bad. In terms of cycling, as with other aspects of infrastructure, I'm sure there is lots that could be done better, especially in Tokyo. But when you have such an effective metro and public transportation system (from my experience) then why bother? The 'culture' of cycling seems to be that it's there if you want it. Nothing flash, no need to really try too hard. But then this was one of the best aspects from my point of view, there wasn't a fight or any flash about riding, it is reasonably incorporated into the urban fabric, in a city that, in movement terms seems to work pretty well from a casual observers POV.
I for one would love the chance, and lets hope I can one day, to go back and ride around, maybe meet a few people involved in planning and cycling get a better idea of the wider scene and cycling cultures there. Overall I'm giving it a big thumbs up on the Hockman cycling cities experiences, even though I didn't cycle there. But there's a lot more to say about broader urbanisation and city making and the general experience of Japan more widely, so let me sit with those ideas for a while and I'll get back to ya.
Who? Me? Cycling across a country with a motley collection of built environment professionals investigating cycling culture, infrastructure and planning and architectural observations? Again? Yes actually.
Again, inspired by the 1000 miles travelled is as good as 1000 books read adage, and the idea that if interested in planning and cities the best way to learn about them is to visit them, preferably by bike, I signed up to the Academy of UrbanismYoung UrbanistsWindmills & Wheels expedition.
I see this as a kind of continuation, or addendum to the P2P adventure, but much shorter, much closer, and unsurprisingly, much more inviting an environment for a cyclists than cycling across the states.
We arrived in Hook of Holland from Harwich on Friday morning, and set off for some breakfast and coffee. Nine of us from different areas of expertise, planners, surveyors, engineers, public, private, academic, a pretty broad range with different travel and cycling experience all round. Some having cycled little more than pootling around a park and some, a little more than that, but all interested in experiencing the cycling mecca of the lowlands.
We easily navigated our way along the shipping canal, flanked by wind turbines and industry, following the bike paths into Rotterdam, where we had a quick geek out at the new central station parking facilities and enjoyed the gastronomic delights of the Rotterdam Markethaal. Yum, Stroop Waffles (not sure is that's the spelling, but damn they were good).
We cycled past the cubus houses, and glimpsed parts of Rotterdam and I reflected on my previous trip there in 2010 and longed to have more time to hang out, but I always do. Even a few short days later the route I forget, but the navigation was a breeze, we cycled on into Gouda through some very pleasant rural towns and villages, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the country. Riding on a variety of tracks, roads and cycleways. All well signed and as easy as could be to follow. One of the stand out factors of the trip emerged that first few hours in that with the variety of landscapes and architecture we were passing all the different urban predilections were becoming evident from the Young Urbanists; stopping for a picture of some drainage, or a dam, or a church, or some houses and infrastructure, it's a very nice melting pot to travel with like minded, but not exactly minded people with similar professional, and personal interests, which I think was even more evident with the variety of opportunities to indulge those various predilections.
After lunch in Gouda (not quite enough cheese for my liking) we headed on to Utrecht, again a pretty seamless ride into the centre of a major urban centre. We were met by Anita Dirix & Frank van der Zanden who gave a great insight to the redevelopment of Utrecht Central station and surrounds. We started off down in the new cycle parking facility. As with any construction in the pre-existing urban fabric there were lots of battles and negotiations and cajoling to get such a prime facility into the space. It's kind of heartening to hear that the fight is tough even in an environment where cycling has such a modal share, but the difference is this got built, and is already well over capacity. It is a bit of a trial run in some ways, with the issue of how to get it to pay still outstanding, but very impressive nevertheless. We were then given an enlightening, and entertaining (for self confessed planning geeks) look into the way it fits into the wider regeneration efforts, which linked into a little of the history of Utrecht and how it is attracting and dealing with rapid growth.
After our tour we headed down to our very well appointed hotel a little out of town. It was a shame to be heading out of town on a Friday night. But we had a wonderful fish dinner, and a few of us headed to sample the local nightlife (being a backie up to the closest pub and a few fine ales). It was quite evident that there is a lot of pride in Utrecht. Apparently this is a growing thing, it seems to be a city not so much emerging form the shadow of its larger, higher profile neighbours, but becoming more self assured in its history, central strategic location and other many assets (one of which I notice is that Utrecht remains in a steady third place in the 2015 Copenhagenize Index).
On Saturday morning we made our way into Central Utrecht to meet Herbert Tiemens & daughter who very kindly gave up their Saturday morning to give us a tour of the city, anchored in cycling, but also tracing the wider development of the city from Roman times through to now and the future. Herbert is a planner for the province of Utrecht and his enthusiasm and understanding of the city shone through.
After the tour, ending up on the roof of one of the University buildings in a temporary garden cafe we then collected baggage from the hotel and made our way to a lunch stop at Fort aan de Klop. I was very sleepy at this point, but we engaged in some traditional bitterballen and other such Dutch delicacies. fighting through the post-lunch lull we saddled up and headed off down the canal.
Again, we had a smooth ride in fair weather up towards Amsterdam. Taking in canals and windmills, open fields and well kempt towns and villages, courteous drivers and the other pleasant occurrences of a Saturday afternoon cycling through the Netherlands countryside.
There was an ice cream stop for beer, and the journey continued. Throughout the whole trip the pace was very gentle, being overtaken by businessmen, couples holding hands, parents laden by multiple offspring, old gents chatting away and cheeky schoolboys. People were just going about their journeys around us and we kept dawdling the kilometres by, edging closer and closer to Amsterdam with a pace suitable to the challenge and surroundings.
There was more quite inspiring Infrastructure to enjoy in the bridges approaching Amsterdam. We arrived at the hostel around 6ish, or maybe later, as the sun was sinking over the horizon. With time to freshen up and head into the city.
No time to take in all the legendary delights of Amsterdam, this is the Academy of Urbanism, not Academy of 'erb-anism! (I thank you *bows*). We were up an' attem early on Sunday after a hostel breakfast (I'm a big fan of those sweet sprinkles things the Dutch have introduced me to). We were off to meet Pete Jordan, an american who moved to Amsterdam in 2002 who gave a history of the City of Bikes. We started our tour outside Central Station, where he started to point out that there wasn't really an interest locally in tracing the history of how Amsterdam, and indeed the Netherlands generally came to be so defined by bikes. Bikes are seen as a utility, so why would there be an interest in a tool like a vacuum cleaner, beyond the odd obsessive maybe.
We cycled as a group around the centre of Amsterdam, tracing different parts of the history of the evolution of Amsterdam as a true cycling city, the impact of wars, economics, trams, political wangling, radical protest and urban planning, all posited around Pete's personal discovery of the city and history of cycling as an interested and passionate outsider, someone coming from cosmopolitan San Francisco who initially couldn't comprehend the level of bike integration. It is a great way to understand the city as an outsider form someone who arrived as such and follow the story along. I was taken enough to grab a copy of his book, City of Bikes, to add to my ever increasing library of urban cycling literature, there may be more inspiration in there yet.
Unfortunately as the tour was ending the weather took a turn for the worse. I took refuge in the Rijksmuseum having read an article the day before leaving about it winning an award as the best museum in Europe. I hung out in surrounded by stunning Dutch art and many tourists, and at points with the kind of droopy eyelids I get after a long day of being a tourist in a packed museum taking in too much at once. The rain curtailed my hoped for exploration of this new city, new to me at least. I rolled around for a while before settling for my second underwhelming kebab of the journey after having seen such a magnificent example in Rotterdam and passing it by. Then I went and caught up with Simon at a cool little bar with live Jazz and good beer. Sheltering from the rain, coulda stayed there all night, but we made our way back for a brilliant Indonesian meal near the hostel as a group and back for a night not as early as it should have been before another 9am depart.
Our Monday mission was only to make it back to Hook of Holland for our 10pm ferry. A journey of some 85km with a weary contingent after a packed itinerary all weekend, with headwinds promised it seemed a little unnecessary and I kept carping on about investigating the truly multi-modal nature of Dutch public transport by slinging my bike on a train and meeting the gang back at the ferry. This isn't how teamwork works however, and I'm sure I can sample the fine train system of the Netherlands sometime soon.
As it happens, funnily enough, the ride was smooth and gentle with no noticeable adversity at all beyond the requisite group faff factor. The route was clear and George's guidance, as it had been all through the trip was impeccable. It helps that the routes are very forgiving, and any minor route error is swiftly corrected at the next turn, but it is an incredibly relaxing and freeing experience being able to follow your compatriots through a foreign land in such a care free manner, distanced from the road traffic so that any grouping to assess the route can be done safely, barely even eliciting a tut from passing bikers whose path is briefly blocked.
There was a mild headwind, but nothing to severely impinge the day. We made good progress with a few brief stops, tracing the routes of canals and waterways stopping for a lovely lunch break overlooking a boating lake. The afternoon rolled by leaving enough time for a celebratory Heineken, and some Dutch delicacies from the local supermarket before embarking to return to London, work and maybe a few days out of the saddle.
So in summary then:
Order & architecture
Symmetry
The influence of water on the landscape and need for planning
Wind power all over
Good sized windows
Self build - variety and order at the same time
Smartphones - WhatsApp, Google Maps & internet make these kind of trips almost too easy
'normal' cycling - no tribes, no fetishisation Gutted we didn't go to Delft
I don't think any of my broader findings are revelatory in anyway. As I've heard mentioned so many times; planners and politicians from the UK are taking trips, study visits and jollies to the Netherlands and other successfully planned cities and regions around northern Europe, return enthused and enlightened, but then there is a massive gap between this new knowledge and understanding how to implement it.
Overall from what I saw and the visits we paid, in terms of cycling, there were a number of factors that contributed, not least of these being strong political will. Of course the geography is a big contributing factor, the fact that the country has to be so well planned around just keeping it's land above water. Cycling infrastructure has been an integral part of any new development, particularly in the last 40 years, means that it isn't an option not to include it which creates the sense of connectivity.
The Comfort is spot on, paths are smooth and clear. Even with members of the group who are trepidatious cycling in a city (London specifically, so fair enough) the comfort of the ride all along was spot on. I didn't spot a single pot hole, and the drains are kept off the cycle way! what a revelation, compared to my swervey ride to work avoiding bumps lumps, drains and cracks. Apart from the long hours in the saddle taking their toll as they would, the day to day riding conditions were very comfortable. This is even more evident in the way that facilities are improving, such as the cycle parking improvements at rail stations and other significant interchanges.
Consistency is also very strong, signage, surfaces, routes and intersections are very good indeed. Certainly not perfect, and as ever there is room for improvement, but taking into account the whole ride, which would have been in the region of 300km around, there was never a point when we felt that we should be somewhere else or in unfamiliar territory. There is variety between cities and rural, but as expected. A few parkland paths on the way to the ferry were a little lumpy, but these were in very rural places. The countryside roads were as consistently smooth and easy to navigate as the segregated cycleways in the modern urban developments.
Connectivity, again, is notably superior to almost anything I've previously experienced, certainly in terms of long distance riding on clearly signposted routes. It made navigation very forgiving indeed, in that a group of strangers in a strange land could tootle around from one city to the next and not once find ourselves in a dead end, motorway slipway, canal lock or grimy crack den. From end to end each trip was a dream, and so void of adversity I don't think the trip can be referred to as an adventure, rather an enlightening, relaxing study trip.
Culture is the thing I probably dig the most. It makes me realise I need to revisit my draft post on the fetishisation of cycling, expand the current form into more of a rigorous essay. But it is so evident that the cycling culture isn't even a culture. cycling is just a way to get around. Efficiently, smoothly, almost effortlessly, I'd take it over a ride on the Northern line at rush hour any day. There is no armour, no high viz, no clipless pedals and lycra, no leggings so worn that knickers are clearly visible through them in the morning sun, no decathalon jackets or aggressive strava jockeys, no cycling culture. Saying that, there clearly are the cycling sub-cultures of weekend warriors and a few hipster fixies about. But by and large a bike is a tool to get you there, and it mixes into whatever your style is, some people look effortlessly cool, some look effortfully cool, most look like regular people going about their day, and a few look like scruffy sods going about their day. That cycling in the Netherlands is so ubiquitous means that you aren't defined by your means of transport. Undoubtedly there are still passionate advocates and people fighting to improve facilities and infrastructure within the many battles for space in the urban fabric, but a certain amount of the fighting is weighted in your favour when just using the term 'cyclist' doesn't ellicit the type of hackle raising response so often seen in the letters pages of the Standard.
It was interesting riding as part of a group again. Unlike with P2P, our apartness was more from clearly being tourists, with some high viz and cycling specific clothing it was clear we weren't from round 'ere. But being on a bike isn't a novelty like in the States. We didn't have waitresses cooing at our cool accents or insane adventure, more an understated Dutch pride that these brits are coming over to check out their cool country.
I am still a little in the dark about the Cash situation. It seems that funding will be
apportioned
more to cycling as it has such a big modal share. But, as always there are battles. We heard of the battle to get funding for the swanky station parking in Utrecht, and coming in at 2,200 euro a space (i think that was the figure) there will be someone trying to do a decent cost benefit analysis on that. Pete Jordan told of how the funding for cycling advocacy groups from the city has been slashed, in relation to the spiralling costs of a new, long delayed metro system, it seems almost spiteful to cut the funding for advocacy of a huge group of commuters, when the value they add seems to have been well established. You will still need to fight for funding, whatever it is you're doing 'in the public good'.
Interestingly enough the Copenhaganize index of bicycle friendly cities was released the day we got back, with Amsterdam at #2 & Utrecht at #3. Another excuse for me to try and get back to Copenhagen again, and Strasbourg, Malmo, Berlin, Eindhoven...etc etc. And I can't say I disagree with the analysis of Amsterdam, even in my short trip, there is a feel that being where they are, they could go further in making new steps to improving the bikability of the city. But it is still a dream compared to anything in London. We'll see, maybe these roadworks over Vauxhall Bridge will be a first step in the right direction, but there are so many more steps.
Right, that's too much prattling on. A great, enlightening trip, my only gripes would be, as always, it would be great to have had an extra day or 20 in the cities exploring, better weather, and more central accommodation. That said, as with my findings of general planning and cycling infrastructure, finding points to improve in the trip seems churlish when everything works so well.
Step Up 3,2,1: 71 stories, 6.1km run from Westminster to the City, through the centre of London:
Portland House, Victoria – the first vertical dash to the 27th floor, followed by a 2.4km run to Trafalgar Square and tower number two
5 Strand, Charing Cross – only eight floors to climb this time, with West End views at the top to help you get ready for the final push
20 Fenchurch Street, the City – this is the big one. After a 3.7km run, you’ll be climbing up 36 floors.
I don't think I've run that far since the 90's.
I arrived at Portland House around 10 am, working my way around the ongoing planned chaos of regeneration at Victoria. I worked next door to Portland house for a while, passing the building frequently, and just the word 'Portland' links back to my last fundraising charity adventure. So for these reasons and others this seemed like a good starting point for my next mini-adventure.
"Portland House is no masterpiece, but it has got a spark, it is a real live idea of a building, where the dead fish all around it are just so many square feet of lettable office space to exist in loveless apathy until the time comes for their demolition." Ian Nairn, Nairn's London (1966)
And that reference to the ongoing change in the area still stands. Milling about outside, watching people stretching and warming up, waiting for my younger sister, Lara who suggested getting me into this event, I couldn't help feel I was in a little over my head. Regretting that last beer last night and wondering how I could sufficiently stretch to avoid any sort of mischief.
Participants were being set off in groups of 10 or so. As we step up to the first flight the timers were set. The first four or five stories I flew up, but pretty quickly that tired, and taking two steps at a time, in a slightly slower manner was enough to keep me ascending steadily. I neglected to time myself on the various sections, but that first building wasn't so bad, enough to break a sweat and get properly warmed up. Once we got back down we headed off down Victoria Street, around Parliament Square to Whitehall and on to The Strand. I tread these streets often now, but I still love the iconography and significance of the buildings and streets. My overriding thought though was that I was super stunned that I managed to run the whole way.
Then the eight flights of No 5 The Strand. Again, I attempted to sprint up, but with some pretty foul language just trudged up the last half. A quick pic of the view, then off down to Embankment.
Not many pictures of this part. Sweating heavily and stomping like an elephant. Just past Waterloo Bridge I had to slow to a walk for a bit, my shins were killing me and needed to ease off a bit. I was stunned I'd run that far, and don't think I'd have been able without the motivation of not being out run by my little sister. Anyway we walked on for a bit until Blackfriars bridge and then a bit more jogging on to our final peak.
The famed walkie talkie was gradually looming, and as we turned the corner up Botolph Lane there was quite a lot of swearing about the last part of the challenge.
Can't say it wasn't a slog going up, and a bit monotonous, and the hand rails were much needed, but we did it, with a little more foul language. Met at the top with water and towels and sweets and stretching. And a text to say I'd made it in under an hour. Though I had set no target, that it was pleasing to me not to just stagger over the 1 hour mark.
Then there was some celebratory bubbly and taking in the views.
According to the chip timer I came in 69th with a time of 57.07. I'd like to say I could have been much quicker if I'd not been hanging around for Lara, but I can't imagine my timing would have been any quicker without her, especially as I'd have likley walked the vast majority of the route rather than run.
I did have a big diatribe to write about the necessity for these kind of charity events and the rise of charity fatigue. But quite frankly I'm a little too fatigued for that right now, so lets talk about it over a beer some time. or maybe on a gentle jog around the park.
Another of the themes for this is that stair wells should be much more intrinsic to the set up of a building. I appreciate it's very rarely that people will choose to climb 30 odd floors to their desk. But while training at work I notice the preference of most people to take the lift, even a floor or two. Designing more movement into peoples lives in simple ways could start with making stairs the first choice. Again, I understand a bit of the functionality of stairwells being at the core of the building and fire regulations, blah, blah. But on a building like 20 Fenchurch St surely they could be a little bit more inspiring steps than all bland concrete?
And on the Walkie Talkie, I've not been a fan of it going up, and interestingly it was given permission by the Secretary of State and I really should dig out the decision letter to see the reasons for that. Since signing up for this I was looking forward to be able to assess the slightly controversial 'Sky Garden' for myself. It reminds me of the movie silent running a little. And nice as the views are, it is a little stark, and the restaurant up top just seems boxy and incongruous. As a 'punter' I'm glad to have visited but think there are many other spots around the city, many of which you can of course see from the top of the 'talkie, that stand above this space as pleasurable London experiences.
Overall though I have grown slightly fonder of the building on the skyline. And why not, it's there to stay, like it or lump it! But eating lunch in Victoria Tower Gardens, or glimpses cycling round Vauxhall gyratory have pushed me closer to appreciating it, if not exactly liking. And of course now I can point to that and say "I climbed all the way up there, I did, and helped raise some money for a jolly good cause in the process." Which is nice.
The year of P2P is almost out, but there has been a recent flurry of activity. Apart from me trying to organise all the pictures I've printed there was a reunion at the NLA last week, bringing all the riders (almost) together with sponsors and supporters to catch up, and share the research and stories from the road.
The relevance of the research and the significance of the ride has also prompted a reinvigorated effort form the team, and Peter in particular in how further deaths from dangerous cycling conditions can be avoided. So today Peter, as part of the Mayor's design council has presented a refreshed report to Boris.
The last couple of pages summarise the key updates beyond a smoother look and feel from the previous version.
As I'm here it's worth mentioning a slightly lighter side of the P2P adventure that Tom, Bob & Grant have all published Blurb books with some outstanding pictures and memories from the road.
And if you're really interested in wider transportation and city connectivity issues I can recommend this UN Habitat report, which has been my recent commute home read.
Now I have no intention of shuffling off any time soon, but my head is swimming with so many thoughts of danger and death.
Firstly, I don't want to be seen as making light of any of the tragic deaths as of late, it just late night ramblings.
Secondly, I don't want to be "Cyclist, 34, from London" try being a bit more imaginative than just adding me to a list of stats and being a reason to crow about your issues - not that there'd be any other choice of description in the fast paced world of news coverage
Thirdly, I didn't run a red light or undertake a moving truck, I had lights and more than likely some sort of high vis, I am a confident and very experienced cyclist, but also scared enough not to take on a moving (or stationary vehicle) one on one.
Tomorrow morning I'll be cycling to work, this is my 4th week in a temporary job, one that is (hopefully) the first step on a long and influential career in shaping towns and cityscapes for the better. The last 3 weeks I've been communing: train, tube, train which takes about and hour and a quarter door to door if all my connections are smooth and not too many people get in my way walking from platform to platform. I think in my first real experience of London public transport commuting I've gotten pretty good at knowing the right door to get on to deliver me to the appropriate exit point to avoid crowds as much as possible, but there's still always others slowing my stride from one mode to another.
The commuting was fun and exciting for the first week or so, buoyed along by my elation at finally being employed. But the only reason I was on public transport was because a few weeks ago some numbnuts pulled out in front of me on Brixton Road, I T-boned the car, leapt onto the bonnet and swore along the lines of "Look where the fuck you're going, DICKHEAD" He just hadn't seen me, on a clear day on a clear road and I was doing no speed at all. Which in itself probably helped me avoid injury, but I was so pumped with adrenalin my cursory bike check failed to notice the huge crack in the steel frame top tube and I scampered off without exchanging details, who's the dickhead now?
So now I have collected my refurbished bike (at unfortunately high expense to myself) and am looking forward to getting back in the saddle. My fitness has ebbed significantly I'm felling sluggish, like a wet sponge, and I'm pretty sure public transport is making me sick, or maybe that's the change in weather.
The climate since I was last cycling has changed. Not just with the changing clocks and northerly winds, but the amount of deaths and danger regarding cyclists in London, and the wider UK is quite frankly overwhelming. I admit I'm over exposed, though the outputs from the P2P research have slowed significantly with other priorities taking hold in my conciousness, I'm still very tuned into the blog-o-twittersphere. There are so many opinions and accounts and suggestions, I am still at a loss as to what needs to be done.
Whatever the politics, or infrastructure arguments, or vehicular cycling arguments, or obey the rules arguments or enhanced training arguments, it still stands that after almost 3 decades of regular riding, solo cycling all over the world, riding in groups across America or Tibet, I'm being kept awake by the fear of falling under a truck. And when I say 'falling under', i mean being crushed needlessly. I'm an individualist, people need to take more responsibility for themselves, but I'm also of the opinion that the fabric of London, and many other places need to be more human scale...
Even a car that runs on angels’ sighs & never crashes, would still encourage urban sprawl, bad land use (esp parking) & make its owner fat
— RTPI (@RTPIPlanners) November 15, 2013
My instant reaction to the outcries in the last week has been a bit non-plussed, as with all the other major issues that worry me in the world (beyond my own pursuit of a fulfilling career and settled home life) I feel slightly overwhelmed by my ineffectualness in being able to make a change. Sign petitions, make recommendations, demonstrate, legislate, don't procrastinate!
Though my fear now is a late night worst case scenario, the reality is that my route will not be fun, trawling through greater London traffic, battling with busses and potholes. Sucking up all kinds of fumes, urgh. We really do need to collectively do something about it, which is another reason for me to go to work, learn the machinations of the planning world and make that difference, my biggest problem with all that, is that ASAP is not AS enough!
Oh and if by some stupidly freeaky and truly tragic turn of events I do cark it, Sorry. Please can the statue be somewhere nice and prominent and representing me doing a one handed wheelie cowboy style (how sad that I never learnt to wheelie).
If you're doing anything in my name, do it better that I would yeah,
Ladies, I'm so sorry we didn't have more time together ;)
Gents, it's been a pleasure.
And I think this and this should be the start of the playlist,
Goodnight x
Right, this final all-in-one summary post is taking far too long. There are so many interesting, distracting things out there on the internet already what's the need for another story about someone cycling across a continent. It may get there at some point, and It's nice returning to look at my pictures and stories. But in the mean time this is here as a kind of index to all my P2P posts, which kind of have enough narrative in themselves.
Main focus is to have a printable book with pictures and stuff for me by Christmas, and hopefully there'll be other adventures along the way, and maybe time to squeeze another anecdote or two out of the portion of 2013 I spent cycling across America with my good P2P buddies.
Montevideo to Hutchinson with mayors and sushi... how cosmopolitan, Minneapolis (A frikkin CITY, with beer and baseball) Minnesota to Wisconsin crossing more state lines and more hello's and goodbye's Le Crosse to Richland Centre where we got to the first motel/hotel with a bar in, that was a happy sight after unleashing everything I had on the ride in, and then the lovely compliments about my hair at the bar, hahaha. Research starts ramping up as we head Through Madison, WI and onto Madison, Milwaukee & Racine (apart from the Johnson Wax factory Racine was a hole and one of my true lows of the trip, which of course was also to do with other much more serious thoughts).
Racine to Chicago arrival to Chicago blues festival and Chicago Rest Day like Buller. More team changes, new members join, old member leave (not meant in an age way!).
Into Indiana, it's getting hotter in the mid-west, and more populous and as we look at maps and recount the journey so far to strangers we're gaining more attention Lafayette to Columbus, IN with architecture and air con.
From Indiana to Ohio, and skipping across the rust belt into Pennsylvania. Breezewood to Harrisburg, getting closer to home and trying to put it all in perspective Harrisburg to Philly, the land of Rocky & Hoagies, both of which have been nicknames for me one way or another over the years.
New Jersey with the harshest welcome to a state and the massive jumble of emotions as we ride into New York and I complete my coast to coast journey from Astoria to Coney Island.
I kinda miss motels after hating them so much towards the end of the trip. Not as much as I miss my bike since some dickhead pulled out in front of me cracking the frame! On Brixton road! I cycle 4,000 miles across America and my sturdy steel framed Surly gives way less than 3 miles from my front door!
I've also been compiling an endless thank you list to my co-riders, sponsors, family, friends, home support team and the many generous hosts all along the route. I'm so very grateful, and thankful to have such good memories all along the way.
After returning we released our first research output. and there was a bit more reflection, but that's pretty much it for now, well at least as a little bookmarker for all the stories in one handy compendium.
If you are reading this for any reason whatsoever, and decide to delve deeper and read the story in depth would love to hear any feedback (and I will try and adjust some of the grammar if and when I re-visit the actual stories in time, but it was all very on the hoof, so my apologies).
OK, I can't leave without a few pictures, here's 5 of my personal favourites.
