Last week I was invited to appear on World Business Daily on the BBC World Service to talk about why Mobike had failed in Manchester. Having recently blogged on the demise of the Chinese bike-sharing scheme here, I was happy to...
Banging on about bikes
On not commuting by bike
Well folks, since my epic whinge last week I haven’t been commuting by bike and to be honest haven’t overly missed it. Basically I crossed the line from being battle-hardened to being shell-shocked and at the moment I just can’t face...
September 18, 2018
On whether cycling is worth it at all
Folks, tonight I feel closer to quitting the whole cycling lark than I’ve ever been. This week, still only four days old, I’ve had so many depressing, worrying, dangerous incidents that it’s sapped what little joy I’ve managed to muster since...
September 13, 2018
On Mobike’s Manchester demise
In June 2017 Chinese bike-sharing company Mobike selected Manchester and Salford as the first location in Europe to trial its app-driven dockless-bike scheme. Much fanfare surrounded the launch, both in the UK and the Far East, and it was of course...
September 9, 2018
On inclusivity in cycling, privilege and knowing when to shut up and listen
Cycle campaigners are fond of the maxim: “build it and they will come“, i.e. if you create a safe environment for people to cycle in, then people will, of their own volition, change habits and start cycling. But is it really...
August 31, 2018
On making the case for bikes in an era of @Briggscampaign and potential dangerous cycling laws
Introduction Ever since my non-appearance on TV last weekend I’ve been wondering how well I would have coped under that much pressure – the actual interviewee Laura Laker performed valiantly considering she was under fire from three sides (widower Matt Briggs...
August 17, 2018
On whether an offence of “causing death by careless or dangerous cycling” would make the slightest difference
Yesterday, Saturday 11 August, I received a call out of the blue from a BBC journalist asking me whether, in my capacity as a cycle campaigner, I’d be willing to appear on breakfast TV to discuss a cycling-related news story that...
August 12, 2018
On identity and the lunacy of Brexit
I start to write this on the return leg of a short break in Hamburg. Three lovely days were spent in this mighty maritime city, but the experience was tinged by an overwhelming sense of melancholy due to the thought that,...
July 24, 2018
On Beelines: Greater Manchester’s bold vision for walking and cycling
Introduction Regular readers of this blog will be aware that things have been afoot (and a-bike-wheel) for a while here in Greater Manchester. To recap briefly: May 2017: Andy Burnham elected Mayor of Greater Manchester July 2017: Burnham appoints Chris Boardman...
July 3, 2018
On the Tour de Manc: Greater Manchester’s pre-eminent cyclosportive
What is it? The Tour de Manc is a challenging cyclosportive born and bred in Greater Manchester, taking in some of the region’s most stunning (and fearsome) terrain with a host of local touches and a wonderfully friendly, home-grown vibe. Launched...
May 7, 2018
