The last two weeks in Denmark

The four of us came over to Denmark a couple of weeks ago now, as I have a very short assignment in Copenhagen for work.

Last week I was actually in Berlin, while the family stayed in Copenhagen, for the Web2.0 Expo as part of IBM’s internal social software enablement program. So after getting used to moving to one country I was off to another with the knowledge that I have also been asked to go to Turkey in three weeks.  For someone that only takes a month off once a year and goes to one country and stays with family it has been quite a lot to take in.

One of the things about going to Web2.0 Expo is that being with a group of people means you have to be “on” for just about all your waking hours, which makes me very tired.  I enjoy a nice bit of quiet time at home. That is not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, it was. I just which I had more stamina to deal with it – or even a couple of hours in the afternoon/evening to chill-out. Meeting all those people that until now had been a handle on Twitter or a 115×115 image on Bluepages was quite something. So great to be around people that are into the samethings as you – and you don’t need to explain what BlueTwit is everytime you open your mouth.

OK, back to Denmark and in the office for one day – then on the same day to another office to meet up with the Denmark HackDay6 peeps in Alleroed.  Turned out we had a great conversation about social media, communications and Denmark with people that I had only met through Twitter and IBM’s internal Facebook-like Beehive.

Denmark is lovely, quiet, chilled and laid back.  Everyone seems friendly, the bread and cakes are lovely.  Children are more than welcome everywhere – unlike London where unless you go to a Chinese restuarant, children are often looked at as a problem.

Only one thing I have to mention, the lifts in train stations.  OMG.  I have never smelt anything like it.  They double as public toilets which never get a clean.  Having a pushchair for our youngest means we have to use the lifts in the stations.  The trains however are fantasticly clean, fast, efficient and regular – I keep expecting to hit crowds, something like you get at Waterloo but it never happens.

As a cyclist it is also great to see proper facilities for them on all trains.  It seems that here at least the trains are organised around the people and nothing else, like shareholders.  They provide transport for everyone, rather than excuses.

Tomorrow back in the N91 office and get ready to organise some training for the local Comms team on social computing. We will also have a meeting with the local social media ambassadors to help drive some of the program at grassroots level. The time is going to go past too fast here.. may be I can stay for another 12 months?

What to do in this rain today though?

I is famous(ish) again

It’s Bike Week in the UK and locally we had a little Bike Fest, well the local council did.  We ended up in the paper talking about how we use our bikes.

You can read the whole article in this pdf.

Also got another call from a different part of Transport for London – this time the people doing the imove campaign and have ended up in their business partner magazine – oh and they gave me a free A-Z.

At work I also started off the IBM team for the London Cycle to Work Challenge that is going on all this month.  So far we have about 21 people signed up and Bedfont have been offering free breakfast to anyone that cycles in.  So far we have done 928 miles.

Cycling at Aldi

Bike Radar have already mentioned this but I have just been to Aldi to pick up some cycling clothes at stupid prices. I’ve missed these sales twice before.

Now Aldi and Lidl have their critics, some say the equipment is “crap.” Of course, Bradley Wiggins is hardly going to pop down to either shop and pick up a pair of shorts, but then again he doesn’t have to. The great thing about these outlets (and Tesco to a lesser extent) is that they make this gear accessible to those that wouldn’t normally go into a bike shop.

I picked up 2 pairs of shorts, 1 top, 2 pairs socks, 3 pairs of gloves for £32 – last year I bought a pair of shorts for £20 in a well known cycling chain store – you work it out and on close inspection between the shorts I got in Aldi and those last year, they look incredibly similar, right down to the coolmax insert and grips on the legs.

Only a couple of months ago I picked up a pair of cycling shoes in Lidl for £14. I cycle a fair bit but didn’t want to spend £40 or £50 on a pair of shoes plus whatever for new pedals. I have to say I’m really pleased with them.

Fine, if you want to stick to your Specialized gear at 4 times the price, good luck to you. For the masses this represents a real bargin and a way to get people back on bikes and out of cars.

Photos arrived

The journalist that came to interview us last week sent us a few photos he took.

Not sure when this will appear in the local newspaper as I just sent back the last change this morning, but may be sometime in April – I think he said he was commissioned to do a series on transport in the Sutton area for SmarterTravelSutton.

Another interview

It is odd how a decision to do something ripples out in time to other events.  When as a family we went to Move it in the Manor and ended up one the cover of Sutton Scene and in The Times.

Today I’m being interviewed again for a newspaper about the Sutton Smarter Travel scheme.  From The Times to the guardian.. well actually this time it is the Sutton Guardian.  Spoke to the guy last week how tried to contact me while I was on holiday. He is also a travel writer so I’ll be asking him if he has any jobs too.  Sounds aright character so looking forward to that after lunch.

I don’t think we shall be going outside for any photos (may be we will) because the wind is blowing like a typhoon out there this morning.

Why do people really hate cyclists?

Matthew Parris has come in for plenty of stick in his article, “What’s smug and deserves to be decapitated?“

” A festive custom we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists.”

Even in jest this is a little harsh considering how often this type of crime has been perpetrated in the UK (see here for a list). This may have been ok for movie stars in old war films escaping from the Nazis but do people really need more encouragement, especially in London, to hurt each other?

Others have already pointed out that this sort of “joke” aimed at people of disability, sexual orientation and race would be illegal, without further proof. In fact it probably is illegal if it could be proved that this article incited someone to do just that.

But why do some people seem to hate anyone on a bike? yes, some do go through red lights. But I have also seen plenty of cars go through red lights. A cyclist is more likely to hurt himself than anyone else – but it doesn’t make it right and I don’t do it.

Is it because some wear lycra? OMG, what a crime. Just like some women wore ponchos a year ago, but I never gave any of them verbal abuse, which I and many others get on the way to and from work each day, which is rich coming from drivers of Nissan’s.

Even in Sutton people shout at you when riding on a cycle path which is next to a regular path – often refusing to move. Also going down a one way street the wrong way, because, listen up drivers, in some cases there are signs that allow cyclists to do just that – don’t blame your ignorance on others.

All road users have a duty of care towards each other – and especially those in front of you. No one owns the road. Sure cycling two abreast is legal but I wouldn’t in London, that is just courtesy. But neither should drivers knock so many single cyclists over or block cycle lanes where we have them. I gave up counting how many times I’ve seen cars cut in, to turn left in front of me and others to save milliseconds from a trip.

It must be that the root cause of this is the frustration that most drivers feel stuck in traffic. I have felt it too, I drive but not as much as I used to. Seeing someone getting where they want to, with less effort, stress, cost and at a predictable rate is frustrating especially if your late or need the loo. The anger can rise when someone glides past, through heavy traffic off into the sucset (or sunrise). I have been in both positions, like so many people who ride to work.

Instead of getting angry, why not get a bike? Most cyclists don’t feel smug – they just made the choice to leave the car at home and avoid overcrowded public transport.

And remember, those are people, not cyclists. They have families, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, brothers and sisters – so try not to kill us.

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Punctures

There is something about inner tubes, they don’t blow for ages then you get two go within hours.

Last night I was checking the pressure when the inner tube gave up around the valve, obviously a place it can wear.  Changed tube at 10:30 last night then checked it again this morning – all fine.

Going down St Helier Way towards Morden – Oh this feels odd, back wheel is swerving all over the place – it was a lump of glass.  Anyway, patched it up in a couple of minutes.  Thankfully it was only cold and not raining.

Stopped off at Evans in Clapham, I have memorised where all the bike shops are on the way to work, and bought another inner.  I’m not expecting this one to last very long, no real reason, just feel it won’t.

In office now and my word it is dull today – well the people in are dull.  Usual people staying at home today by the looks of it, will have to see if others are around to save my sanity.

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St Pancrass (sic) bike parking

This is a great example of how not to set up bike parking at a train station.

Sad to say that most others are little better. Why oh why do local authorities go on about saving the planet, reducing our driving and improving our health by getting out of our cars, walk, cycle or take public transport when rubbish like this is what you get – and at the new Eurotunnel station.

As Andrea at Velorution points out 3 women have been killed by drivers with half km of the station in the last 12 months.

Come on Ken, about time you started to push business into getting with it as far as non-car transport is concerned. The congestion charge is one thing but only the start

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We’re in the Sutton Scene

Ping went to a friends house the other day and saw a copy of our local free magazine, Sutton Scene… we are on the cover!  The picture was taken at this years Move it at the manor event.

It is a shame about Phoebe, she is usually really happy but for whatever reason the photographer managed to take the most miserable picture of her I have ever seen.

There is a larger version of this.. if you dare.

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London Freewheel cycling fun

From l to r: Phoebe, me, Ping

Sunday saw the largest gathering of cyclists on the streets of London in the Hovis Freewheel event.

The weather was great and the crowds came out, about 36,000 – and that was the people that registered. Apart from the many “crossing points” to allow lead footed pedestrians to get to and from Buck’ Palace the route was a lovely ride around London, Phoebe especially liked the loud zone under the bridges, screaming her head off.

The event was supposed to get non-cyclists out and about London but on the whole it looked like mostly regular cyclists had turned up even though just about every rental bike in London had been taken for the day.  I think it showed just how many people do ride already.

The day started in Carshalton where we met with others from the area and were led to the hub on Clapham Common by the London Cycle Campaign marshall, who was probably knocking on 70 years old – he could move.

When we got to Clapham the scene was quite amazing – a field full of people on all sorts of bikes with one or sporting angle wings or wizard costumes. At first they were letting people go 2 at a time every 30 seconds, this proved to be just crazy as the crowd got larger and larger with huge convoys of people arriving from all over.  I wouldn’t be surprised in Clapham was the busiest hub.

The trip down to the central car-free route was quite slow, the sheer weight of numbers around the traffic light congested north side of Clapham was making hard work.  Many car drivers were clearly getting upset.

Once in to town and after many bemused people looking at this stream of cyclists we got on to the main route and headed straight for our free sandwiches (thanks Hovis) and apples (cheers Cape) and then on for the ride.  Now I have riden this route before and sometimes it is quite terrifying along the Embankment opposite South Bank.  Cars whizz through the dual carriageway – today the only worry was from little kids not being able to go in a straight line.

We stopped by the London Eye at one of the free photo spots to have our picture taken and downloaded it today from the site.

I have to say it was a really lovely day, the weather held and the smiles of peoples faces made it all the better.  The cycle home was in stark contrast through busy streets and the usual London madness until we picked up the Wandle Way near Morden.

Looking forward to next year and also Critical Mass.

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