Thank you, London cyclists.

On Friday night over 600 cyclists took part in a special Critical Mass in London to mark the spot where three of London's cyclist have been killed in collisions with HGVs so far this year.

Last week a group of London's cycling bloggers made a shout out for action on the issue of HGVs killing cyclists; the Bike Show, Real Cycling, Velo Loves the City and myself all called for cyclists to come to Critical Mass to make a big, loud start on the cycling community turning up the heat on this issue and to let it be known that the 'Lorry Ban' or London Lorry Control Scheme to give it it's proper name is actually endangering cyclists.  TBag from Brain Farts for a Bike Tart asked why if Dublin had banned peak-hour HGVs, London hadn't?  Meanwhile the Velorution bike shop blog asked if this would be the largest Critical Mass yet.

The turn out at the Mass was a fantastic start: seeing so many cyclists on London's roads is always an inspiring site.  People holding up the traffic took the time to explain to drivers that the ride was visiting the three crash sites and there were only a few occassions of aggressive drivers not prepared to wait for a few minutes as the Mass rolled past.  Many more were supportive; the people in the pubs at the crash sites came out and applauded the cyclists as they rolled on.  Visiting the sites of the collisions themselves was very moving and really brought the issue home for me.

But this is of course just the start on this issue; over the new next few months, as spring turns into summer and more and more cyclists join us on the roads, we'll be letting you know what YOU can do to help change the very legislation that is encouraging lorry drivers to rush during the morning peak.  Thanks for helping us to make a start, keep yourself safe whilst cycling on roads with large trucks and lorries, and here's to working towards a change for the good of all of London's cyclists in the future!

y o u b i k e l o n d o n; Richard from Elephant & Castle

Introducing a new feature here on the blog - Y O U B I K E L O N D O N - short interviews with the everyday and ordinary cyclists of London - new interviewees will be posted every Friday showing the views of the people who are getting around on two wheels.  Our first interviewee, Richard, is seen here on the Hallowe'en Critical Mass (thus why he has a Pumpkin in his hand - I don't think it's standard cycling gear!)

Name: 

Richard

Age:

27

Where do you live?

Elephant & Castle
What do you ride?
Giant in black (it used to be purple but I resprayed it), with red tape drop-down handlebars

How often do you ride?

Every day

Helmet or no helmet?

Helmet

What's your primary reason for cycling?

To save money - it's amazing how much you save in Tube and bus fares

Least favourite aspect of cycling?

Rain.

Most favourite aspect of cycling?

The rush of going fast

What advice would you give to an aspiring cyclist thinking of cycling in London for the first time?

Start on the quiet roads and work your way up - if you're European don't be afraid but remember to cycle on the right side of the road!  Build up your confidence and remember it's usually faster than the bus or the Tube.

What did Skyride achieve?

This is a video I put together of the Mayor of London's Skyride which took place back on Sunday 20th September and was the final in a series of mass participation bike rides across the UK throughout the summer.  Put on between British Cycling, the Mayor's office and Sky Broadcasting it attracted some 65000 participants to it's 15km course which is a huge number of cyclists.

Driven by a considerably larger budget than previous similar annual events (formerly 'FreeWheel') and with publicity on Sky television, in the London papers and with leaflets handed out at tube stations in the run up to the event, I think it's fair to say that the event attracted a good cross-section of Londoners, with many families taking their children along on their bikes to experience cycling in central London without the perceived risk of other road users - a Critical Mass for the chattering classes if you like!

Reviewing the pictures and making the video I've been reflecting on how much I enjoyed the day (personal highlights were meeting Sir Chris Hoy, and better still - Sponge Bob Square Pants!) - but one thing has been bugging me - why can't cycling be like this in London eery day?  By that, I don't mean that automobiles should be banned (although there are certainly a lot of areas in central London where they should be) but why isn't there this density of riders every day?

I think the fear of danger associated with cycling plays a big deal in this - there were a lot of Mums and Dads on the ride; the very people who've had it put to them that they are safer in their cars than they are cycling or walking to get where they want to be - the more they get in their cars, the less safe it is in the road.  But of course we all know that statistically you are safer on the road on a bike than in a car, and that the more who cycle the safer it becomes.  I'm not sure how sucesful events like Skyride are in helping to migrate people from cars to bicycles, but hopefully - simply through sheer volume of numbers - it can help to portray cycling as being something everyday and ordinary, which is definately a good start.