Has anyone else noticed this...?

TheCloud

I don't know if it's just me, but it seems that since this summer's British cycling success, there are a lot more bike about and peoples' attitudes seemed to have improved a bit towards bikes. I've noticed it most in pubs, two years ago I used to get quizzed about my clothing/bike in every pub I stopped in as it was a bit of a novelty, now no one seems to bat an eyelid at anyone turning up in work/shops/pub etc in full lycra. I've also noticed that the local kids seem to be buying drop bar road bikes as opposed to BMXs and wear team jerseys as the would a Premiership football strip. Got to be a good thing.

aclivity

Yep, mentioned this on another thread - went out for a ride yesterday morning and the cars that went past gave me plenty of room, when I was driving later in the day I saw about 30 - 40 cyclists, and cars seemed to be giving decent amounts of room.

Even in work, people have started talking to me about commuting, serious queries about the Brompton and where is best to buy one, which model to go for etc. The best bit was Friday evening - went out for a bit of a ride after I got home, as I rode past a couple of local youngsters I was expecting the usual mickey take, one of them said "nice bike mate".

The hardest "sell" is cycling through the winter - no-one believes me that I really quite enjoyed it last winter. As I always say, there's no such things as bad weather - just incorrect clothing (alternative version, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just smug people with better clothing and annoying cliches")

Mikey41

Yep, more bikes about (me included) and very few issues with traffic, most leaving plenty of room. Kids seem very keen on it too, I had to go past a local school a few days ago on my route back and had shouts of "Bradley Wiggins" following me from the playground

davis

Thought the general "treatment" from the public was really, really good around the time of the Olympics.

It seems to have worn off slightly now, though I'd say it is still better than say 5 years ago, and generally improving. More people cycling, more people considering it as an actual real-life mode of transport too -- all of this helps.

daxplusplus

Definitely more bikes around. Which is great .. I hardly ever see anyone on my rounds of the cotswolds in the early morning or in the evening on my push bike but defo seeing more when I'm going that little bit quicker on my motorbike.

As for drivers .. well I'd say my experience is that the average\reasonable driver is behaving even more courtesly .. maybe even reaching continental levels of respect for people on two wheels!

Unfortunately there is still a small minority that just keep take the p*** and, hand on heart, I can't really say that I'd noticed that there is less of them around

TheCloud

Unfortunately there is still a small minority that just keep take the p*** and, hand on heart, I can't really say that I'd noticed that there is less of them around [/quote]

Indeed, sadly Audis continue to be popular! My run to work is frequently marred by a tailgating muppet.

nich

No, I find it just as bad as it's ever been to be honest

junglist_matty

In Cambridge there is absolutely no difference at all, there are still hundreds of roadies riding the country roads as there have been all the years I've been riding in the area.

However, I was in London at the weekend and wow, there is a massive difference, there are far too many MAMILs and it should be classed as "public disorder offence", this is not something I want to look at....



In London it seemed every 10th cyclist was a MAMIL, simply put: I don't understand it, if you're wearing any kind of lycra and getting overtaken by ANYONE (even the likes of wiggo) riding a 10 tonne Borris bike then you should be willing to accept all forms of abuse.

il_principe

Well down in That London, there are defo more roadies about. I cut through RP twice during my Sat ride and on the return leg it was heaving with cyclists. Lots of newbie roadies in trainers. Got to be a good thing, although some people's road sense and handling skills could do with sharpening up. Hopefully RP will get so full of cyclists that motorists will stop using it as a rat run. *dreams*

Wonder how many will last the winter.

rjsterry

There was an item on the news confirming this, this morning - quite a marked increase IIRC. Can't find it now of course :roll:

anonymousblackfg

Oddly the Westminster cycle count for this summer is only up 10% though up in some places and down/static in others.

I wonder who else is out there doing annual counts.

TheCloud

You'd think it's something that needs monitoring, especially as cycle paths are some of the only projects for which public money is readily available. My dad's a civil engineer, every major road project he does this days has to incorporate cyclists in a considered way, not just the council deathtrap approach of painting cycle lanes on to the outside of roundabouts. He said that recently there has sometimes been more funding available for the bike lanes (as they come under green developments) than the actual roads themselves, given the amount of people I see using our local lanes I'd say it's money well spent as the roads are pretty dicey.