By Summer 2011 two new Cycle Superhighways will be crossing through London. I wanted to see how they were coming along so I posed the question on Twitter..

• @suspectpackage cs8, painted the road blue a bit, wouldn’t call it progress though, just back from Holland http://yfrog.com/h87rnvrsj
• @ianbar33 CS8 getting on but surface not good between Vaux Bridge and Chelsea Bridge as I now have the blue over my frame and top!! Not happy
• @angus_fx there’s been blue paint on Battersea High St for a couple of months now. Don’t know if that counts as "progress" )
• @rokav enjoyed a cycle along a largely-complete section of CS8 on Grosvenor Road on Sunday

Armed with the knowledge there would at least be a few strips of blue paint to checkout (so exciting!) I went along with my camera to investigate.

“Oh no, we’ve run out of blue paint. Where’s the nearest B&Q?”

The above picture shows the previously dilapidated green cycle route. The new blue route is now located on the road. Not really an improvement. If anything a beginner cyclist, which is exactly who we need to encourage, would probably feel much safer on the previous route. Hopefully, if the planners have any sense, which we know they rarely do when it comes to cycling provision, they will build a barrier to keep cars out of the cycle lane.

This picture above is far more encouraging. A nice big wide blue lane that has plenty of room for cyclists to overtake. Full points for this part of Cycle Superhighway 8 go to TfL!

Unfortunately, the final picture was less encouraging. When I was asked what I thought about the motorbikes in the bus lanes trial I would of given a more favourable answer if motorbikes hadn’t translated the trial as permission to ride in all cycle lanes too.

I recognise it’s a little harsh to critique Cycle Superhighway 8 even before it’s finished so I’ll be revisiting when it is officially finished.

Note: Nicole is meant to be posting on Tuesday but she’s very busy at the moment with work so you are stuck with me!

See also:

• Is there anything super about the cycle superhighways?
• Two very different visions of the cycle superhighways
• Cycle superhighways latest let-down

Cast your mind back to the first day you started cycling in the city. Don’t worry this isn’t a therapy class where I now start to ask you “how did it make you feel?”. I’d charge for that kind of service and you’d probably want to demand your money back. If you started cycling 50 years ago or even just 3 months ago I’m sure you’ve learnt a lot. Whether that be through observing (Read: stalking) other cyclists, bugging your impatient local bike shop or reading incredible cycling blogs (such as London Cyclist). Or perhaps it was through making errors. The day your bike was stolen or the day you bumped into that parked BMW and made off before anyone realised (perhaps that’s just me? Let’s move on..)

Once your romance with cycling has begun you’ll want to learn more about it. That’s because you know the more you discover the more enjoyment you can get out of it. Whether that be going on your first big 70 mile ride, turning your commute into a workout or learning the speed benefits of being clipped into the pedals. You either still have a lot to discover or you’re well on your way to becoming a competitor in my cycle blogging niche!

To help you get the most out of your cycling, next Tuesday (in 7 days), I’ll be releasing a downloadable 30 page guide to cycling in London. The guide will have a ton of information for the early days of cycling, such as how to buy a bike and also more advanced discussion around things like pedal straps and tricks you won’t learn at a cycle training class. It is a culmination of everything I’ve learnt since wobbling around on a heavy mountain bike together with answers to a lot of the questions I commonly receive.

How much will it cost? I’m releasing it for free as a big thank you to everyone who joined the newsletter and helped London Cyclist reach 1000 subscribers. The only condition is you have to be subscribed to the newsletter. If you haven’t joined already then you can quickly join by entering your name and email below:

During the next 7 days building up to the big launch I’ll be releasing little snippets of content from the guide. I’m pretty excited about bringing this guide together as it’s something as a cyclist I wish someone had given me. I know that it will solve a lot of frustrations people have as well as giveaway some of the secrets you only learn after you’ve been cycling for a while.

I’m also open to suggestions for any more topics to include in the guide. If you think of something you’d like to see included then leave a comment below..

Image via sunnyUK on Flickr

Boris Johnson was on top form as he arrived by bike looking tired and tieless. He told us that along his 35 minute journey from Islington to Clapham Common it was him versus a boy racer and he only narrowly won thanks to the superhighways. An entertaining story although a quick check on the map confirms the majority of the route is not covered by a superhighway.

Speeches were given and many laughs were received from the gathered members of the press. Boris went on to explain that the blue of the superhighways was meant to represent freedom and be an international sign of how serious London is about cycling. He finished his speech by stressing the importance of London competing against other cities in order to receive investment. By growing cycling he hopes to prove that London has what it takes.

We were also given some figures about the superhighways. The money will fund 5,000 new parking spaces for bikes, over 17,000 hours of cycle training and 3,000 hours of cycle maintenance classes. Boris also told us that any rumours that the cycle superhighways would be less than 1.5 metres in length at certain points were not true.

Everyone seemed rather wooed by the speeches and was happy to walk away thinking how good us cyclists have it. This is highly arguable but you can’t help but agree that the visible nature of the superhighways is a positive thing.

When the opportunity came along to grab some questions with Boris I knew he was not really going to answer anything. However, it was worth trying anyway. I wanted to find out about his vision for the cycle superhighways compared to the reality. What I really wanted to know is how someone can look at the superhighways and think to themselves “yes, this truly is a superhighway, this will be great for new cyclists”. Boris simply said that of course his initial vision would not be possible due to the big range of stakeholders. However, he would like to see the blue tarmac all throughout London.

I also asked about the reductions in cycle lanes along certain points. He told me that of course there would be some problems at the start. What about the policing of the cycle superhighways? A lot of people on Twitter wanted to know what would be done to keep vehicles out of the lanes. He quoted the TfL research that suggests the visual nature of the lanes will be enough to help drivers recognise the sheer volume of cyclists passing through and thus they will stay out of the lane.

Our interview was cut short by a cyclist riding on the pavement. Boris approached him and shouted “why did we build the superhighways if you’re not going to use them?” I’m sure we could give him a number of reasons.

There are many questions still to ask – the congestion zone extension scrap, how fast the cycle hire scheme will be rolled out to wider London, prohibition of trucks at peak times and why London doesn’t have more bike boulevards.

They will have to wait for another time. However, there was one final question I wanted to ask. I managed to grab Kulveen Ranger, the Mayors Transport Advisor, who is pro-cycling. I asked him if he’d heard of the idea before of privatising car parking in-order to capture the true cost of parking. It was an interesting idea I’ve not heard before suggested to me by Paul Battley. It caught Kulveen unaware and he wasn’t able to answer. This is definitely an idea worth exploring more and I’ll see if I can chase him up on it.

Whilst I didn’t get to ask Boris all the questions I wanted, especially “who does your hair?”, it was an interesting launch and its good to see the first stage of one of the big cycling projects finally delivered. Now on to the Cycle Hire Scheme.

Thanks to my fellow cycling blogger Rob Ainsley for the picture. Also make sure you read his take on the launch.

See also:

• Cycle hire application for your iPhone
• Are people for or against the cycle hire scheme?
• Is there anything super about the cycle superhighways?
• Two visions for the cycle superhighways

Vincent was kind enough to send me some pictures of the Cycle Superhighways along Narrow Street leading to Canary Wharf. This route has long been one I believe TfL need to really focus on. This is due to the lack of good cycling routes leading to Canary Wharf where so many people work.

The first two routes were due for completion in May 2010. We are now in June and 31 days from now, on the 19th of July, the two superhighways will officially be open.

Of course the criticism has been pouring in with plenty of videos appearing on YouTube such as this one:

My main concern with the superhighways is how much they will actually improve safety and provide a more enjoyable ride. If London cyclists are still having to go around drivers in the cycle lane then not a lot has changed.

I’m also concerned that the superhighways will signal to people that cyclists require a special lane in order to be safe. I strongly believe this is not the case. If you take cycle training then you learn that using a narrow cycle lane is more dangerous than staying in the middle of the road. Research into cycle lanes suggests that only very wide cycle lanes provide extra safety for the rider.

I’m due to ride one of the superhighways with TfL on July 1st. I definitely want to forward any of your concerns to them so please do let me know your thoughts.

Have you tried one of the cycle superhighways? If so, what did you think?

See also:

• Two visions for London’s cycle superhighways
• What the 12 cycle superhighways will mean for London Cyclists
• Cycle Superhighways latest letdown
• Barclays cycle hire

Other “Comment Fridays”:

• What do you wear to cycle into work?
• What’s in your bag?

The spots on the map above show the locations of all the London Cycle Hire cycle stands. This is according to the data that has been released by TfL. The map has been put together by the guys behind the Cycle Hire App.

When I first looked at the map a little tear rolled down my eye. As I wiped it away I realised my dreams of cycling back from Camden after a quick drink were shattered. I live just outside the bubble of blue dots in Swiss Cottage.

I’m sure many of you will have had the same opinion when you looked at the map. Perhaps without the dramatic tear. The coverage of the cycle hire is very central. It will serve mainly just for short hops. Therefore for a cyclist such as myself I can’t see it being much use.

Of course depending on the success of the scheme it will no doubt be expanded to a larger surrounding area. For now the central coverage is very impressive. However, around the train stations where commuters may be wanting to switch to bikes for the remainder of their journey there is a shortage of bikes. For example take a popular terminal such as Kings Cross. Outside here there are just 22 bikes. With another 23 if you walk a little further. The impact therefore on people’s travel arrangements will be fairly limited.

Can you see yourself using the cycle hire scheme?

See also:

• What the cycle hire scheme will look like

Richmond Park

Richmond Park is easily one of the most popular cycle spots in London. A round trip on the main route is 7 miles long. Assuming an average speed of 15 miles per hour, it would take you 28 minutes to do the full circle. Some of the sections are tougher than others with a few short but challenging hills.

If you wanted to simulate London to Brighton you would have to do 7 and a half laps! However in the great surroundings of Richmond Park that doesn’t sound that bad!

Regent’s Park

The outer circle of Regent’s Park is relatively light on traffic.If you combine this with a lack of traffic lights then you have a great circular route. The surroundings are not quite as green but there is the interesting architecture of the houses that line the park and also the mosque in the north-west corner. You are welcome to visit the mosque just make sure you step in with the right foot and out with the left. Unless I’m mistaken this symbolises bringing in the good and taking out the bad.

Anyway, back to cycling! This circular ride is only 2.8 miles long so it will take someone around 11 minutes to do a full circle. If you wanted to simulate London to Brighton then that would be nearly 19 laps! Better bring some good music with you to keep you entertained! Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, the ride is largely flat.

For a mini-version of the outer circle why not cycle the inner-circle! At just 0.6 miles long you will have to do repeat the ride 88 times! The inner circle is a popular place for cabbies to have a rest and is pretty much traffic free.

Velodrome

Of course it would be impossible to end an article on circular routes in London without a mention of the Velodrome! The only current working one is at Herne Hill. There is also the Olympic one being built in Stratford. Local teams train here and I’m guessing if you are good enough you can join them.

See also:

• 25 of the best London cycle routes
• Quirky London cycle route
• Thames Path to Richmond Park cycle route

And now here it is before your eyes:

It makes me very proud to finally announce the new London Cyclist logo. As you can see it is a work of art. I particularly like the way “cyclist” it spelt. Very creatively. The bike itself is beautiful in its simplicity.

I will now be implementing it throughout the site and using it when sending professional letters to companies. I think it will really say to them: “This is London Cyclist and we don’t mess around”.

The logo cost me just £18,000 which I think is an absolute bargain considering it’s detailed finish.

Okay, that is clearly not the logo. If anyone really likes it you can have it. I’ve not copyrighted it.

New logo say hello to London Cyclists and London Cyclists say hello to the new logo:

There are a few different versions that I’ll be using:

Hope everyone likes it. I think it is simple, effective and clear. (If only I could get my writing to be the same!)

P.S. If you are wondering the “London Saiclist” logo was the work of my friend Mathias who sent me this when I told him I needed a new logo! I’m actually off to visit him in Brazil in a couple of days so things may quieten down on London Cyclist but I do have some great posts scheduled to go out. Also I’ll have my iPhone with me so I’ll be able to keep up with comments and Twitter and let you know about Brazil!

Rentable bikes will be available 24 hours a day from 400 locations around London. You can even borrow one for 30 minutes for completely free.

The critics will argue how the money would have been better spent elsewhere. They could say that it would be better spent on dedicated cycle lanes. They could also argue that the scheme fails to provide bikes where they are most needed. Near busy rail stations.

The people for the cycle hire scheme will argue this gives Londoners a great alternative way to get around London. They may talk about how it will encourage more people to become full time cyclists and ease some of the congestion on other modes of transport.

Is this just another great publicity stunt by mayor Boris or a really positive change for transportation in London? What do you think?

Note: If you can’t see the poll above then please visit the blog

I posted it because I wanted to see if everyone could guess correctly where it is. The picture is from Richmond Park and not a single person guessed incorrectly. I shouldn’t really have been surprised because Richmond Park is a firm favourite amongst London cyclists. If you haven’t discovered it yet then make a plan to go see it next weekend.

It doesn’t take someone long to work out why Richmond Park is a huge hit. Big open spaces, fantastic views, enough hills to make it interesting but at the same time not too challenging. You even get to see Rudolf running around with all his buddies. The park is definitely a rare treat in London where you are more likely to find yourself behind a white van chugging fumes than next to a deer.

My reason for going there today, aside from pure cycling enjoyment, is that it is one of the routes featured in Cycling Britain. A book I will be reviewing fully tomorrow.

I started in Swiss Cottage and did the long journey to Hammersmith Bridge and took the Thames Path. The Thames Path itself is a fantastic cycling route. At least if you don’t mind getting muddy.

From there I made my way down to Richmond Park. There are plenty of different cycling routes to do in Richmond Park but as I was testing out the Cycling Britain book I followed their instructions.

Map your trip with EveryTrail

The route is good for both road bike cyclists and for mountain bikers. Mountain bikers will probably enjoy taking a slightly more off road route. As I did with my Hybrid bike.

If you get bored of cycling around Richmond Park then you can also head towards Twickenham and then down towards Bushy Park. This route follows the Thames and is also very pleasant.

The full route is a decent challenge, especially if you have already cycled a long way to reach the starting point. At 22.5 miles it should take around 3 – 4 hours according to Cycling Britain.

Keep an eye out for my review of Cycling Britain tomorrow and hope some of you enjoy trying out this route as much as I did today. Now just have to clean the bike and repair the puncture!

Equally interesting (if not more):

• Find London Cycle Routes
• Cycling from Birmingham to London
• Free bicycle maintenance eBook available to download now

Nobody likes to be boxed into a category. But I’m going to do it anyway. See if you can spot which category you fall into. In category one is the “my wife is leaving me and keeping our cat Munch because I do nothing but go cycling”. In category two is “Spiders have made their house on my bike because I never use it”. In between those two is category three. This is “I wish I could cycle more often but I’m too busy with really really important life changing, mind blowing things such as using Twitter”.

I tend to fall into category three. Which got me thinking about how I could squeeze more cycling out of my day. After all the new years resolution for many will be to cover a certain number of miles per year. So personally for the next 21 days (which is apparently how long it takes to change a habit) I’ll aim to do a certain number of hours of cycling every day. Luckily I’ve found this cool website that let’s you track what habits you want to change and sends you an email daily asking if you achieved your target. I’m also trying to restrict myself to a maximum of one episode of the Wire per day which I’m now on the third day of failing!

Here are some things I’m trying and you too could try to squeeze more cycling into your week..

Stop making excuses

“Oh its raining”, “Oh its snowing”, “Oh its dark”, “Oh I’ve got swine flu” just won’t cut it anymore. After having cycled home from Covent Garden around 11.30pm yesterday I think that any time is good for cycling. If anything cycling around at 11pm is a good idea because the roads are more empty. Just keep away from drunk pedestrians.

Make it easier to jump on your bike

To cycle more often I need to setup everything for the bike to be good to go. This means that I know when I want to go cycling I’ll be out the door in less than 5 minutes without wasting 10 minutes looking for my cycling gloves. It has happened to me.

Create time

I don’t mean invent a machine that can pause time so you can go cycling more often. I mean cutting out the things that are using too much of your time. Maybe that is replying to emails, twittering etc. Also start thinking outside of the normal hours you would consider good for cycling.

Set mini goals

Just like when trying to cycle up a big hill setting mini-goals is a great way to motivate yourself. You could start with one hour a day and move that up to more as you achieve it.

Love exploring

I can’t get enough of cycling around London on new streets I’ve never seen before. There is simply so much to see and so much to take in and that is what makes me want to cycle more often.

When I don’t go cycling I definitely miss it. It gives me time to clear my head, enjoy London and improve my fitness. What sort of tips do you guys have for squeezing in that bit of extra cycling?

See also:

• 59 of you are already subscribed to the blog newsletter. Join it here! 
• 5 good new years resolutions for a cyclist
• Pictures that will make you want to grab your bike and see where it takes you