The number of people visiting this blog seems to be on the increase, despite the fact I haven't updated it for quite some time and I haven't cycled to work for more than a month (owing to a chest infection and then a temporary move out of home while half my flat is refurbished). I'm hoping to be back on the bike in a week's time when I finally get to move back home and take my bike out of storage.
In the meantime, if you're a new visitor -- and there seems to be plenty of you judging by my site stats these past few weeks -- do feel free to introduce yourself in the comments. I'm always happy to hear from new readers, especially if you're a newbie cyclist or considering taking it up.
Finally, there was a great article in the June 27 edition of The Independent about the state of cycling in the UK. This bit piqued by interest:
So how dangerous is cycling?
Statistically becoming much less so as more people take to two wheels. Strength in numbers is a principal that cycling enshrines. In 2007 the number of cyclists killed or injured on London's roads was 19 per cent down on 1994 – when the number of journeys by bike was half what it is today. The signs are that motorists are adjusting their behaviour in response to the increase in cycling activity around them, and cyclists are learning the art of survival.
Deaths while cycling always attract publicity, but remain extremely rare when put in the context of the millions of cycle journeys made each year. There were 19 cyclists killed on London's roads in 2006, 15 last year. Most cyclist deaths occur when vehicles – particularly lorries – turn left without the driver realising that there is a cyclist on their inside, with a disproportionate number of women cyclists falling victim. Publicity campaigns have targeted the danger and the fact that the London fatality figure is dropping suggests that the message is getting through.
As cycle campaigners regularly point out, the benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks, and now, it seems, the Government is joining the chorus.
You can read the full article here. [Thanks to Tlatet for the heads up.]
