Bikes on the Train or Bus

I was recently on the train and was surprised to see a few people making use of the bike space available on most trains. You can carry your bike on Northern Ireland Railways with the following conditions;

• All bicycles will be carried FREE of charge on trains including the cross-border Enterprise service
• Bicycles will not be permitted on trains prior to 09:30 hours Monday to Friday
• Up to 4 full sized bicycles can be carried at any one time within the designated bicycle area. Space will be allocated on a first come first served basis, in the designated area, and at the discretion of the conductor. There will be NO bicycle reservation system.
• There are NO travel restrictions nor limit to the number of folding bicycles we can carry, provided these are completely folded down.
• Tandems, tricycles, motorcycles, mopeds, motorized cycles and scooters are not permitted on any train.
• Bicycles will not be carried during periods of bus substitution for rail services.
• Bicycle parking shelters are available at any main stations throughout the train network

Bikes can also be carried on Northern Ireland Translink operated bus services subject to the following conditions;

• All bicycles will be carried FREE of charge on buses.
• A maximum of 2 full sized bicycles can be carried at any one time in the luggage boot of Goldline Express Coaches. Space will be allocated on a first come first served basis, and at the discretion of the driver. There will be NO bicycle reservation system.
• Bicycles will not be permitted on buses prior to 09:30 hours Monday to Friday
• There are NO travel restrictions nor limit to the number of folding bicycles we can carry, provided these are completely folded down.
• Tandems, tricycles, motorcycles, mopeds, motorized cycles and scooters are not permitted on any bus.
• Bicycle parking shelters are available at any main stations throughout the bus network.
  
• Bicycles cannot be carried on non-Goldliner coaches and seasonal rambler.

Get on your bike and go further with Translink. It's unfortunate that they can not offer the service during peak hours but some stations offer covered bike shelters, these can be found at;

• Antrim Bus and Rail Station
• Armagh Buscentre
• Bangor Bus and Rail Centre
• Carrickfergus Rail Station
• Central Rail Station
• Coleraine Rail Station
• Europa Buscentre / Great Victoria Street Rail Station
• Holywood Rail Station
• Lisburn Rail Station
• Lurgan Rail Station
• Moira Rail Station
• Newcastle Bus Station

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Halfords Confident Thanks to Strong Bike Sales

Leading car parts and cycle retailer Halford has announced that they are confident of achieving a full-year profit of £94m, despite the sales slow-down. Like for like sales have dropped 1.1% a for the quarter to September. Halfords said it was benefiting as commuters bought more bikes to avoid soaring petrol prices. Their car parts business was also profiting from drivers choosing to save money by maintaining their existing vehicles, rather than buy new ones.

"At times like this when there is pressure on consumers, it is good that a healthy proportion of our sales are needs-driven. If people are not changing their cars for new models they tend to spend more not just on maintenance but on enhancements like satnav or better audio systems. Even the fact that more people are taking holidays in the UK rather than abroad helps because we are the biggest seller of roof boxes in the country."

Nick Wharton, Acting Managing Director, Halfords

Halfords is the UKs leading cycle retailer and sells one in every three bikes in the UK. Based in Redditch in Worcestershire, employing more than 10,500 staff in 455 stores. It specialises in selling car parts, cycles, and outdoor leisure and camping equipment.

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Police on Bikes Net Drugs Haul

If there was ever reason for ensuring more bobbies on bikes, Irish police on a routine bike patrol have netted a drugs haul worth in excess of €200k, about £160k. As a result two individuals are being questioned by Garda in relation to the haul which included 1kg of heroin and a quantity of cannabis resin.

With results like this biking certainly will be a tool for the police for the foreseeable future.

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What the Elle'?

Elle MacPherson was spotted cycling her five year-old son to school on the handlebars of her bike. "Double riding" can be punished by a fine of up to £2,500 in exceptionally dangerous cases. Accordingly (some would agree), she been hammered by most newspapers this week, "What the Elle are you Doing?" from the Daily Mirror.

Jo Stagg, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, was aghast. "It is both illegal and dangerous, a child on the front handlebars could affect the cyclist's ability to see, steer and balance, and we would not advise parents to carry children in this way - ever."

However, Simon Jenkins of the Guardian believes "Elle Macpherson deserves a medal for defying the health and safety gods". A really interesting read, and I am somewhere on the fence, I cycle without a helmet, but mainly in urban areas where I often travel faster than the vehicles, my biggest menace is pedestrians, which often find the need to park illegally, open doors, cross the road or generally be somewhere they shouldn't yet still are. I find that the majority of road users coexist without problem.

I have had two dismounts about 5 years ago when I cycled 4-5 miles a day, both whilst wearing no helmet, but not on the road, a car driver stopped to ask if I was ok on one occassion, they are not all bad you know, I was not injured, but I could have been, there was no pedestrian or car at fault, just me.

For that reason, if an accident is going to happen, it probably inevitably will, thus a helmet will reduce your chances of serious or fatal injury. Without a helmet there is evidence to suggest we ride more carefully, we are more alert and less willing to take risks that we otherwise would, cars may give us a wider berth when overtaking, but the person in the parked car will still open the door without looking, and in the real world you come off worse than the door, or at best, the same as the door. I'd like to think I could come off better (as my bike is chunky), but I can only hope. But is Elle irresponsible? I don't think so, maybe a little naive like myself. Would I do it? No, I wouldn't have the confidence to do it, so she clearly must, which helps, and as Simon Jenkins points out she wont be doing any killer corners at speed.

Im surprised no one pointed out JD's poor choice of footwear for riding a bike.

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The Man Who Cycled the World

The Man Who Cycled the World, was originally on our screens back in March, but the self-filmed documentary following the World record attempt of Mark Beaumont, to circumnavigate the globe on his trusty £2,500 bike was back on our screens this week spread across four nights in a row, don't worry if you missed it, you can watch it again on BBC iPlayer. It's a pretty amazing documentary about a pretty amazing challenge, and it makes me feel guilty about getting in a car for a 10 minute ride. Surely a bike ride to Asia for my next holidays has potential now if I have a three months. If you want to check his diary, visit Pedalling Around.

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This picture has left me speechless, how can we make the UK like this? An almost empty car park and a full bicycle park on a park and ride scheme in China. Beautiful.

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Picture: Nicole Cooke Winning Gold in Road Race

British cycling has now seen two medals, one gold for Nicole Cooke in the women's road race, two days ago and this morning Britain's second silver of the games by Emma Pooley in the women's time trials. An excellent performance by both. Will this collosal achievement captivate people in the UK to get on their bikes and ride, if not for a Gold medal in 2012, but to get to work, any promotion for cycling is a positive step, and surely this must be the gold medal for Cycle England.

Picture: Bush Biking

President Bush was given the gift of a bike this week on his visit to Isreal as part of their 60th Anniversary celebrations. Some could say this was almost a tongue in cheek present, considering the all time high of oil prices at $127 a barrel. His tour of the region has seen him ask for Saudi Arabia to increase oil production by 1m barrels a day, which has it appears been rebuffed (for the second time since January), due to their agreements with OPEC. A $1.4 billion arms deal with the country seems in jepordy as Democrats have revealed they will block, unless the 1m barrels a day increase is aherd to.

Bush is no stranger to two wheels, as he fell off his bike in May 2004, and collided with a British police officer a year later at Gleneagles. It's just a shame that the president sometimes has a four-wheeled SUV following him when he goes for a bike ride.

The Fastest Way to Cross London

With the AA having announced the average speed in Central London having fallen to a meager 10mph, it reminded me of an episode of Top Gear which aired last year, the episode was repeated this week, and is available to view on the iPlayer as of writting.

Many races have been performed before pitting cars, bikes and public transport together in a bid to see which method of transport is the fastest, but the BBC Top Gear team added a boat.

Starting from Kew Gardens, the most westernly point on the North Circular, the team were to travel across London one of the world's busiest cities, to the City Airport. The most easternly point on the North Circular. Of course you will have to watch on BBC iPlayer or YouTube to find out who wins, if you even need to watch.

But here is some screen shots;

Choosing A Bike

I recently bought a bike, and went in blind, purchasing a bike that was on the face of it, pretty. Whilst I am very happy with my purchase, my bike is a beast. I asked Paul Dorn from blog Bike Commuting Tips for his suggestions on selecting a bike.

Just about any bicycle will work for commuting. I've traveled to work on a mountain bike, a road bike, a hybrid, and even a fat-tired cruiser. The important thing is to get a bike you feel comfortable on. Find a reputable bike shop, consult with the sales staff, think about how you might use the bike, how far you'll be going, what you might need to carry, what conditions you'll be riding in, and so on.

My present commuting bike is a hybrid, which I'd recommend for most everyday urban riding needs. In much of the world -- in such countries as Japan, China or Holland -- the bicycle is valued as a utilitarian vehicle. And bikes sold in those countries come equipped with fenders, bells, lights, kick-stands, racks, and, very important, chainguards. In the US the bicycle is generally considered a toy, a recreational device, or as exercise equipment. Something you load on top of your car, like skis or a surfboard, and travel to some remote area to "play." That's why bike shops are filled with mountain bikes. They thrive on selling the "sport" of cycling. Travel they leave to other vehicle retailers, i.e. auto dealerships. This is a big mistake.

Don't buy a mountain bike just because the sales person has lots of them to sell. Mountain bikes are fine for many things, even commuting. However, most people never get near a trail with their mountain bike. Those fat knobby tires may really dig into the dirt on a stretch of fire road. But they add lots of rolling resistance on pavement. (They might suggest that the knobby tires are more "flat resistant." Don't believe it. I can tell you from experience that large glass fragments, nails and pushpins can puncture mountain bike tires too. As you'll see later, flats are really no big deal.)

If you think most of your riding will be done on asphalt streets, then consider a hybrid, touring, or a road bike. They're generally made with larger, easier rolling wheels, with street "slicks" or other tire made for riding on pavement, and offer a longer wheelbase for a more comfortable ride. The bike pictured here, inspired by European commuting bikes, is set up well for everyday travel. If you're considering buying a new bike to begin commuting, here are my suggestions for factors to consider; here are my bicycles, complete with reasons and rationalizations.

Minnesota cyclist John Faughnan has a great article on the advantages of using touring bikes for everyday commuting. Many cyclists also happily enjoy commuting on recumbent and fixed-gear bikes; I don't usually recommend either for new cyclists. But for many people, the comfort and ease of a recumbent or the simplicity of a fixed-gear would be appropriate.

In short, my point is: get the bike that suits you. There's no need to have the latest, the most exciting, the most colorful, the most expensive bike.

The Woman Who Stops Traffic

With road transport being a major contributor to UK CO2 emissions, with approximately 91m tonnes emitted annually, and up 1.3% on 2006. Channel Four last night screened the Woman Who Stops Traffic, one woman named Kris, with her aim of reducing gridlock in the town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, which has one of the highest car ownership rates in the country, through a no car day.

Focusing her efforts on three different local traffic hot spots, the eight local schools, high street and the industrial estate which employs 8000 residents. After a harsh initial response from community leaders and the community itself, a four week campaign to promote the car free day on 01 February, Kris and her supports eagerly watched on to see if the fruits of their labour, council money and the future of Marlow. A shaky start saw large numbers of vehicles at day break, but by morning, the areas around the traffic hot spots were literally no car zones. Reducing traffic by up to 40%, and reducing those pupils that travel to school by car to only 10%.

If you missed the first episode in this new series, why not log on to 4oD, to stream or download the latest channel four television shows. Is this the model for the rest of the country?

The show follows on from Transport for London's latest increase in the congestion charge for cars which exceed emissions of 225g/km (or for cars manufactured before March 2001, an engine size over 3.0 litres). Cars that do not meet the new threshold will be forced to pay a congestion charge of £25. But the types of car that fall into this category include some family favourites, with some larger vehicles such as the Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2, BMW X5 3.0d and Porsche Boxster 2.7 falling into the lower price category.

To find out if your car is over or under check out the government website, VCA Car Fuel Data.

"Some really surprising cars will be caught by the £25 charge. A 2.0-litre petrol Vauxhall Zafira - a family MPV - emits 228g/km of CO2 and will have to pay. And there are plenty of 4x4s and sports cars that will pay the minimum charge of £8."
Dan Stevens, News Editor, Autocar

An alternative to the car is train travel is often seen as a relatively clean way to travel, and rightly so. The carbon emissions produced by train travel are between two to three times less than by road. Currently, rail travel accounts for about 7% of traffic but emits only about 0.2% of the carbon monoxide, 2% of nitrous oxides and 1% of volatile organic compounds produced by the transportation sector. The best electric trains produce less than a third of carbon than diesel trains, and with the efficiency of electricity production improving this too will get better. The trouble is, only 40% of trains in the UK are electric, the lowest proportion in Europe.

I will be reviewing the new more efficient, carbon friendly and shorter Eurostar service to Paris, in May, as I take a short trip to London and Paris (if Eurostar would like to send me free tickets just let me know). For more information on train travel, the Man in Seat Sixty-One can help.

Whilst on the topic of trains, and in more general terms Stagecoach, the firm that operates bus services across the UK, holding a 16% market share, and controls 25% of the rail market, including South West Trains, East Midlands Trains, and a 49% stake in Virgin Trains, the operator of the West Coast Main Line. This week announced "encouraging" like-for-like revenue growth was 14% on train services and up 7% on bus services compared with the same period (fours months from Oct 31).

Sorry for the late updates as I have been very busy at work and ill lately. In positive terms it has made me think about greening my work more as a solution to future unresolved problems. The news over transport emissions in recent weeks has shown that we need to tackle what is a growing dependence on cars, with the main method by local and national government of getting those out of their cars via green taxes, but are these effective methods?.

With ever increasing fuel costs, added tax is certainly pricing lowest income families out of the market, the new £25 congestion charge and higher road taxes will focus on high CO2 emitting vehicles, the majority of which are the highest priced and aimed at the luxury market. The hefty increase will certainly serve as deterant to high emitting cars in London, and should make people think twice about what they buy, as in future the bar will be lowered to include more cars.

I do not live in London, but since Tuesday night I have been transfixed about buying a new bike, as a method of travelling to and from work and general exercise, maybe even for my late night lurks to Tesco. But in a funny way I find myself asking the same questions as aired in the Woman Who Stops Traffic. Where will I lock it up? Will it be safe? Will I be safe? ... I shall update you on my outcome next week when I will confirm my final decisions. Which I hope will be a resounding "get on yer bike". As I am a bike newbie any advice would be welcome, hence I might ask some blogger out there in the field to write an article.

Video: "Biking is Better"

After visiting the LifestyleGreen Show and speaking with the Northern Ireland Cycling Initiative, the largest cycling campaign group in Northern Ireland, I am feeling compelled to act on my previous inclinations to purchase a new bike. I have resisited previously over minor concerns. I will, should I purchase the new bike use it to travel to work and to make late night shopping trips to the supermarket on a regular basis. This will be a small part in reducing the 91m tonnes of CO2 emissions caused by road transport in the UK, and it might make me a little fitter in the process. From research published by Lets Green This City, which I have commented on previously how could I deny myself the thrills and fun of cycling to work which 19% of cyclists say is the best part of their day.

One of my major concerns was bike theft which I have now resolved, with an insurance quote from CycleGuard which is a fraction of that of car insurance premiums.

Would-be cyclists can benefit from a bike to work scheme offering tax savings on bikes purchased by employees through their work for employees via PAYE, who then pay for the bike through monthly contributions for twelve months. The employee can then buy the bike for a nominal retail value. A £400 bike purchased through the scheme could result in savings of upto 33% off the retail value. Whilst I think this scheme is a great way to encourage people on to their bikes, the red tape and complicated system I feel would deter some people even asking their company about implementing the scheme (including myself). More appropriate I feel would be cycles rated Vat free and tax deductible with certain limitations. However the response to this suggestion from the government is outlined below.

"VAT is a broad-based tax on consumer expenditure generally and reliefs from it have always been strictly limited. When the UK joined the European Community in 1973, it meant signing up to the general agreements which covered the application of VAT throughout the EC. Under these and subsequent agreements, signed by successive governments, we are allowed to keep our existing VAT zero rates but not to introduce new ones. This means that we cannot remove VAT from bicycles and other human powered vehicles or their parts and spares.

The Government is taking practical steps to increase levels of cycling, as a means of contributing to many of our key priorities including improving the health of the nation, improving the environment and helping to reduce urban congestion. In 2005, the Department for Transport launched Cycling England, an independent expert body to co-ordinate cycling across the country with a budget of £5m a year for a three-year period to allocate to cycling programmes. This was increased to £10m a year in June 2006 with the additional funding being targeted on funding safe links to school and additional cycle training in schools. Cycling England has a free expert advisory service to support local authorities to help them get the best value out of their expenditure (around £60m in 2006/07) on cycling. £17m (with match funding) is also being invested in six Cycling Demonstration Towns over 3 years, to showcase best practice, and test whether by investing at levels seen in successful European cycling cities we can start to see similar levels of cycling in England."

The above video is from Transport for London, to promote people to get on their bikes, because it's "Better to Bike".

Pedal Power: Borrow a Bike Because its Fast

In the recent annual commuter race by Transport Alternatives, to see whether two, four or many wheels were fastest in New York, of course the bike won. Whilst the study was not statistically proven it this case it was the fastest method of transport from the starting point at a Brooklyn cafe to the finishing point at East 26th Street and First Avenue Manhattan. The 15 minute, 4.13 mile ride was completed by Luci Olewinski, a nursepractitioner who bikes to work regularly. That aside it was also the cheapest, most environmentally friendly and healthiest option.

"I'll be relaxing in the park before my competitors even cross the East River"
Luci Olewinski, Predicting her imminent win before the start of the commuter race

The bike industry in the US has annual sales in excess of $5.8 billion, accounting for new bike sales, parts and maintainance. 2005 was an all time high and this trend is continuing. New York City alone has seen an increase of over 50% in daily cyclists in the last ten years, up to 120 000 from 75 000. According to 2000 Census figures, New Yorkers have the longest average commute in the country, about 45 minutes.

However, the average bicycle commute in New York City only takes 30 minutes. Across the other side of the Atlantic one high street retailer has been trying to enlighten the residents of London to get back on their bikes. Halfords, for one month placed ten bikes at ten locations as part of their Borrow the Bike project. The idea was that people could take the bicycles when needed and ride to their desired location, leaving the bike to be picked up by someone else to continue the usage. The scheme attracted lots of attention and thousands of people went to the dedicated site to leave comments.

“What a great idea – I found one at Euston station. The bike saved me from a packed rush hour tube. I was home in minutes!”
Dawn, London

In Dublin, Ireland, they have also implemented a similar scheme to reduce traffic congestion in the capital city, where an estimated 25 000 people cycle to work every day. The council plans to have 500 bicycles located at 25 points around the city for public use 24 hours a day. The bikes are "virtually vandal proof", will not get a puncture and have no visible cables. For a small fee, you can collect a bike from one of the 25 collection points and with that cycle to your desired location, leaving the bike at another collection point. Each bike will have a micro chip to allow it to be traced should it not be retuned to a designated point. The scheme which should be available to use in three months time is funded by JC Decaux, in exhange they will be allowed to erect a further 120 permanent advertising boards and remove 1800 other boards as part of the overall deal.

"We have to do something about the chronic traffic problems and congestion in the city centre, but I'm a bit concerned that the council isn't operating the scheme independently and is linking up with an advertiser"
Bronwen Maher, Dublin City Councillor, Green Party

Whilst the Dublin scheme is being fully implemented it doesn't offer the full unrestricted and free service that the Halfords short term scheme offered. By restricting the usage to the end user, and with that the additional charge I fear this will deter many from using the scheme. This is where the Halfords scheme excelled. However, the Halfords scheme did have one proble, none of the bikes were returned. The idea was, at the end of the scheme the £160 Carrera Subway bikes would be donated to the charity Bikes4Africa. The bikes would then be distributed to students who face ten mile walks to school.

If you have an old bike which is not being used consider donating it to Bikes4Africa.

"None have yet been returned. We know they are still out there. We have had reports of sightings but nothing specific. We probably won't get them all back."
Halfords, Borrow The Bike

Pedal Power: Bike to Work Day

With today being Bike to Work day I thought it would be nice to show another simple clip from Lets Green This City of someone riding a bicycle. Not only is biking to work environmentally friendly, 19% of those that cycle consider the commute the best part of their day, more than those that drive at 2%. So there really is no better way to start the day than a bike ride to work!

How to Choose the Right Sized Bike for Children?

With biking becoming a popular mode of transport due to environmental and health benefits there has been growing demand for bicycles around the UK. One age group which has always been large sector of bike users are children and choosing the right size bicycle for you child improves comfort and more importantly safety.

Most stores will be more than able and willing to give you advice as to the size requirement. Below is a general guide that most stores will work to.

Always ensure safety equipment is used when riding a bike.

Age of Child	Inside Leg	Height of Child	Frame Size	Wheel Size
3 - 5 Years Old	13.5" - 16"	Under 90 cm	8.5"	12"
4 - 7 Years Old	15" - 17.5"	90 - 115cm	9"	14"
5 - 7 Years Old	17" - 20.5"	105 - 120cm	10"	16"
7 - 11 Years Old	20" - 23"	115 - 140cm	11"	20"
7 - 11 Years Old	21" - 24.5"	115 - 140 cm	12"	20"
11 - 14 Years Old	23" - 26.5"	Over 135cm	13"	24"
11 - 14 Years Old	23.5" - 27"	Over 135cm	14"	24"