Am I imagining more cyclists?

[donnoirf]

I have cycled to work 4 out of 5 days this week. normally this is 2 out of 5

Not a great distance there & back. But every day I have seen more & more cyclists Normally it is my self & 2 others

However today I have spotted 9 on my outward journey & 8 on my return.
including 2 other electric bikes (2 Izip)

Its great to see so many, hoping this increases & hopfully makes drives more aware of us?


anyone else experiencing this?

 

[nbmk]

In the last 2 days I've seen more electric bikes on my commute than in the previous 2 weeks. Including one person who I came upon riding down a hill and as I got nearer he was riding the same bike!

 

[dmcgoldrick]

dont think you are imagining it. our bike shed has been slowly filling up each day this week as the weather has improved . only one e bike (mine !!!).....but it is a community campus with onsite school so lots of bmx's....

regards

 

[Trex 850]

The price of petrol is definitely helping the increase in sightings, I stopped counting how many bikes I saw on the roads today , almost like a plague !!,,
Didn't see too many of the lyrca clad lot though,most were wearing heavy jackets and scarves- it was freeeeezin !!!

And so far, in just over a month of ebiking, I've only seen 1 other electric bike,,
where are they??

 

[Streethawk]

Yes, our cycle parking at work is full everyday, which it isn't normally even in the height of summer.

 

[jerrysimon]

Try Cambridge in a few more weeks it will be wall to wall bikes

Even at the moment there would be way too many to count on the way to and from work.

Regards

Jerry

 

[donnoirf]

The price of petrol is definitely helping the increase in sightings, I stopped counting how many bikes I saw on the roads today , almost like a plague !!,,
Didn't see too many of the lyrca clad lot though,most were wearing heavy jackets and scarves- it was freeeeezin !!!

And so far, in just over a month of ebiking, I've only seen 1 other electric bike,,
where are they??

definately more!! not so many lycra & more wearing scarves and coats. and a few looking like a turtle on 2 wheels, due to the size of the rucksacks they have

petrol costs & weather has definately been my reason for going into work on 2 wheels instead of 4.

cycling 2-3 days means Im now only filling my tanks every 3 weeks instad of every 2

 

[fishingpaul]

The price of petrol must be playing a major part,now that the weather is improving i will try and use the car much less,are you still riding an electric bike donnoirf ?,i am also in b38 and have an ezee torq ive not seen anything else locally electric bike wise this year.

 

[donnoirf]

The price of petrol must be playing a major part,now that the weather is improving i will try and use the car much less,are you still riding an electric bike donnoirf ?,i am also in b38 and have an ezee torq ive not seen anything else locally electric bike wise this year.

yes still electric! although not using assist all the time,

I have spoted a fair electric bike riders few along sustrans 5, & along rea valley

 

[Jeanette Morgan]

I'm sure we're never get to the gigantic numbers of bikes as they have in China - Richard and I were lucky enough to have had a tour thro' China and it was amazing to see so many bikes, not to mention how much they can carry on two wheels !

 

[jbond]

I used to commute by (mega-)scooter every day into London 10 years ago. I remember there being some cyclists but not exactly a lot. I had to do this a few weeks ago at 5pm and was shocked by just how many cyclists there were. And with that many weaving past each other as well as past the traffic, it all gets pretty scary. Especially when I'm trying to filter through the traffic at 5-10mph faster. Some dangerous generalisations and stereotypes here but you get sit up and beg riders and Barclays rent-a bike riders going relatively slowly next to fitness freaks full of adrenaline. The guys going fast don't do a whole lot of looking and tend to treat the law with disdain. More than once I've seen one bicycle pull out to pass another without any looking or signals just when a taxi is trying to pass them both.

What's slightly weird about all this is that there are more cars and denser traffic, fewer commuting motorcyclists and scooters, fewer dispatch riders but way more cyclists. The overall mix in London is definitely changing. I suspect that there's a significant number of people who bought a baby Vespa to replace the car/public transport commute and have now switched to a bicycle.

 

[Tim]

What's slightly weird about all this is that there are more cars and denser traffic, fewer commuting motorcyclists and scooters, fewer dispatch riders but way more cyclists. The overall mix in London is definitely changing. I suspect that there's a significant number of people who bought a baby Vespa to replace the car/public transport commute and have now switched to a bicycle.

Interesting observations. I've had to drive around London much more than I like to over the past week and the number of cyclists using the blue route south of Elephant & Castle was astonishing - numbers I haven't seen since living in Cambridge five years ago - mainly lycra-clad and smiling, fewer Euro-style city bikes on that route at least. You're right about motorcyclists - they are now the rarest road user, outnumbered many to one by cyclists. Priced out? They have to pay for parking now in Central London, right?

 

[donnoirf]

Yes, our cycle parking at work is full everyday, which it isn't normally even in the height of summer.

Too true! Along with the full bike parks in work places come the over parking and thus potential damage! I'm not sure thing will get as to be like Cambridge or Amsterdam cycle parking! But I do think we could do with a few more bike parking places in working placements and in local town centres.

Just yesterday I had to meet an angry parent due a damaged bike in our over crowded school based bike parking facility

 

[flecc]

You're right about motorcyclists - they are now the rarest road user, outnumbered many to one by cyclists. Priced out? They have to pay for parking now in Central London, right?

I'd be surprised if the charges were enough to stop anyone motorcycling though, since they are just Westminster only and very low compared with around £2400 a year for a 5 day a week commuting motorist:

Motorcycle Permit Costs
1 Day..........£1.00
1 Week........£3.50
1 Month.....£13.50
1 Quarter...£33.50
1 Year.....£100.00

Motorcyclists are rebelling en masse against the charge and in many cases may be parking in various niches of business premises in protest.
.

 

[WALKERMAN]

Yes, I've noticed a lot more cyclists in the last couple of weeks.

I have to use the lift at the Cycle Tunnel and am now regularly asked "Is that electric?"
Two mornings in a row I ended up giving my usual ebike speech before we realised that no one had pressed the lift 'up' button.

 

[jbond]

Motorcyclists are rebelling en masse against the charge and in many cases may be parking in various niches of business premises in protest..

OT: Yup. I'm one of those revolting motorcyclists.