Early transport dilemma

Brother Alan helps me sort out my new TT bike in the garden before I whisk him off to Wimbledon for a game of tennis with his friend Bjorn
The innovative triple disc for extra stability as I had not yet mastered the solo, I do not seem to have sorted out my aero position but I think having to carry Alan in the tipper was potentially cramping my style



Alan very soon moved on to four wheels as the mountain bike had not yet been invented with a limited edition open top Freddie Grubb, note a biscuit in each hand in anticipation of the mobile phone and satnav

I fought the Law, and the law won

Brov'er Alan was caught and fined for riding on the pavement on his daily commute to work the other week, he just shrugged his shoulders and said "I was breaking the law, it was a fair cop" I on the other hand was a bit annoyed that he didn't put up more of an argument. Cyclists caught in this manner are soft targets for the Police who like nothing better than getting a quick and easy tick to say they did a bit of effective policing while we all know that in most cases cyclists are the injured party because the Police fail to clamp down on proper abuses of the law where road safety is concerned
Then on Sunday there was an article by James Daley in the Independents Cyclo-therapy column covering the same topic, If you are only armed with a bit of information on the subject then it's possible to have a good reason for being where you are and breaking the law!

Cyclo-therapy - Saturday, 17 January 2009

A few weeks ago, after I wrote in this column that I was prone to jumping a red light or two, I received an e-mail from a reader demanding that I turn myself into the police. Although I naturally wrestled long and hard with my conscience before deciding to ignore my correspondent's advice, karma soon came to get me.

Having been back on my bike for no more than 15 minutes after a two-week holiday in the United States, I ended up being handed my first cycling ticket – a £30 fine for riding on the pavement.

I have to say that I felt rather unlucky. As it happens, I rarely ride on the pavement. But in this instance, I hopped up for no more than 10 seconds after being squeezed off the road by an aggressive driver. Sadly, this very stretch of pavement happened to be just the place where two young coppers were spending their morning ambushing cyclists.

By the time I saw them, I was already back in the road. But alas; I'd already been spotted, and was ushered to pull over.

I think even the policeman who fined me knew that ticketing cyclists was a waste of his time, so he was very nice to me (not nearly as sanctimonious as most of the people who write me e-mails in reaction to this column).

And so, perhaps because he was so friendly, or perhaps because it was my first day back from holiday, I didn't even bother trying to argue – even after I noticed that his colleague was letting a pretty female cyclist go on her way without a fine.

However, once I got into the office, I remembered that I had a very good case for appeal.

You see, while riding on the pavement is technically illegal, the Home Office was careful to issue guidance about how and when cyclists should actually be penalised for doing so. And in a letter written back in 1999, Home Office minister Paul Boateng said the following: "The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so." In other words, it was not designed to fine people like me.

So I'll be taking Mr Boateng's letter down to court in a few weeks, in the hope of overturning my fine. Hardly worth the time for a £30 fine. But it's a matter of principle.

j.daley@independent.co.uk

On the situation of cycles being a threat to other pavement users ( a much quoted reason for cycles not being on the pavement)
The statistics show that cycling on the pavement, whilst it might be annoying, is not very hazardous to pedestrians. (These are the figures for pedestrian casualties for 2003, the latest I have available. They haven't changed much but overall road casualties have been going down)

V01 Pedestrian injured in collision with pedal cycle: 2 (Yes, TWO)

V02 Pedestrian injured in collision with 2 or 3 wheeled motor vehicle: 19

V03 Pedestrian injured in collision with car, pickup truck or van: 290

V04 Pedestrian injured in collision with heavy transport vehicle or bus: 109

Source: National Statistics Office.

Winter Tanners

In a break from the routine of club runs, Mariana, Maggie and Lin did the annual Winter Tanners walk on Sunday. In previous years M&M have run this event, a 20 mile loop over the North Downs starting and finishing at Leatherhead. A shortage of training meant that wasn't going to happen this year so it was a walk instead. Sunday saw the weather warm up for the first time in weeks, and the girls set off at 7.30 to ensure a daylight finish. The event directions took them down to Burford Bridge, then a loop via Headley Common, up onto Ranmore and back to Leatherhead for a 3pm finish. Aching legs and a good effort all round.

More than could be said for the A group who broke the record for shortest club run the previous day. Unable to bear the sub-zero temperatures and freezing fog at Cobham, this big bunch of softies rode the 5 miles to my house to give me a hard time for not showing up, then went home. Apparently they made up for it the next day with a 95 miler!

A couple of unrelated pictures to remind everyone of decent weather.

Café chat

We were chatting in the café on Tuesday and it turned out that some people had never seen this picture. anyway, it's Dudley at the top of the climb to Valle de Mossa. Gary had passed him on the climb and then waited to award him the blob card ;)

tuesday mtb ride

My first ride on the bike since returning from Christmas and New Year in Ibiza,and it's a bit cold!! Me and Roger set off to meet Gary, Cliff, Bob, and the Brothers at Westcott. It's pretty icy on the roads and so by the time we get there we've missed them. Once we get off road it's great the trails are bone dry, and those covered with snow have excellent grip. The riding is almost like summer in places, there is no mud at all and the trails are faster than they've been for ages.

We rode up over Leith Hill to the Tower in beautiful sun shine under a brilliant blue sky, then across to Pitch Hill to the view point. We didn't stop, my bike computer still read minus 2 degrees centigrade! We took in all of the twisty singletrack that Holmbury has to offer, it was so dry we could take any line,though some of the roots were a little bit tricky as the snow smoothed everything out. From here we rode through Peaslake, down Ponds Lane which is normally pretty unrideable until it dries out in the summer. Then down the excellent sandy singletrack into Shere for for tea and toast at the Mucky Duck. Where.....we met the others tucking into lunch. After a protracted gossip session, we rode back over the downs via Juniper Hill bridleway just off the first bend on Coombe Bottom. The ride across the north downs way was pretty was nice and steady, the only mishap was by Eric who somehow slipped and careered across the trail putting Gary into the ditch!

3rd January 2009

The club met at a very cold Betchworth for the first clubrun of 2009.
Here are some of the A group on their ride down to Camelia Botnar.