As a 10-year City cycling veteran, I've noticed a big rise in the number of pedal-power commuters this year. Too bad cycling smarts haven't kept pace.

Mayor Ken has confirmed that cycle trips have climbed to 480,000 a day and he plans to spend £36 million this year on bike lanes, safety training and advertising. That's £1 million for every one of Ken's 36 Council taxpayers who will be killed or seriously injured on their bikes just this month according to Transport for London.
 
The London Cycling Campaign wants Ken to spend money on educating motorists, particularly lorry drivers, whose vehicles are involved in half of London's cycling fatalities. Cycling in London has synergies with the tobacco industry where there is a constant need for entry-level punters to replace the fallen.
 
Sorry, did we turn over two pages at once? Educate motorists? Could we not offer some helpful hints for the new cyclist? Here's a start:

• Try riding without your iPod so you can hear what's going on behind you
• Don't bother with extravagant hand signals, especially if you haven't bothered to look behind you
• Don't antagonise other road-users by ignoring red lights
• Drivers may be on a mission to slaughter you but please don't take it out on pedestrians
• Don't even contemplate moving up the inside of a bendy bus or lorry at the lights

The Mayor sees the Tour de France as an opportunity to promote cycling in London but I feel he may be missing a chance to make it safer by raising awareness of the hazards we face every day. Why should highly-paid athletes need the route closed to other traffic?
 
All Ken would need is a handful of black cabs, buses and white vans ... and perhaps a few pedestrians prepared to jump off the pavement without looking. Competitors who survive these hazards might enjoy being abused by the crew of a passing scaffolding lorry. They'd need their drugs then.

Here Is The Writer : John Kirk

John Kirk works at Precise Media where he monitors newswires and business internet sites. He previously worked in the wine trade and has lived in southwest London for 18 years. John grew up in Bristol and is in his fifth decade as a Bristol City fan. After a long and undistinguished career as a club cricketer he has recently taken up golf, reasoning that his lack of foot movement will be an asset. John is also interested in City churches and pubs.

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