City cyclists just need to calm down.
When I moved into the city 7 years ago, I sacrificed my car and have tried to cycle locally as much as possible. My commute is approximately 10 minutes across media city, so an easy win for someone who spent years sitting in traffic or working long hours to not sit in it. I cycle to Mum's every Sunday (about 8 miles) and my husband and I enjoy longer rides, weather permitting, at the weekend.
So, with all this experience I am very aware of the cycle lanes and the tremendous effort and finance Manchester council are spending to persuade more of us to use the car less. However, Manchester cycle lanes can be intimidating. If you imagine cyclists in the city what do you see? A slender unit bent over handle bars, wearing head to toe Lycra, with a go faster helmet and clip on trainers, travelling at the kind of speed that might award him a yellow jersey when he gets to work. I know!
My recent trip to Italy has shown me another way. Cycling is more popular in Italy I think, but it's popular with everybody, all ages, all sizes. The people there choose bikes to commute and do daily chores. I saw people carrying bread in front baskets, waving hello to friends passing, elderly people who can barely walk cycling to a pharmacy. All of them, ride slowly in summer clothes, with no helmet and open sandals. They use clearly marked pathways, networked, and connected. They have right of way across junctions and the drivers are patient and smiley. Imagine that!
So what are we doing wrong in Manchester?
There is a big push to convert Manchester's motorists into cyclists and the council are pulling all the stops to improve cycle lanes, offer bikes for hire, tax incentives for the ride to work scheme, and I'm a massive fan, I am. However, take a more recent addition on Trafford road, as an example and we start to see the first issue: micro managing. The planners here have clearly assumed that the cyclist left their brain on the back seat of the car and require all the road markings expected of a learner driver at every junction. There's no need. Honestly, give way signs, telling me to look left or right, roundabouts, really no need. What's more, the end of the budget is clearly defined by the end of the cycling lane, which is particularly inconvenient for Trafford road as the end of the cycling lane coincides with arguably, the most dangerous and confusing roundabout in the country, and a death trap for cyclists. (Personally I use the pavement)
This happens a lot. Lovely new cycling lanes that exist in isolation are not going to encourage cyclists. We need to connect them. There is a fantastic network of national cycle routes all clearly identified by blue signs criss-crossing the country. It's fantastic and we need to apply the same organised signage to the local pathways.
But then there's another problem, which I believe is key to the success of the schemes in Manchester. Speed.
I'm as guilty as anyone, my husband says I'm like a bullet and I'm trying very hard to slow down. As my commute is merely 10mins (or 15 if I slowdown) I am trying to enjoy a relaxed ride. I wear my work clothes. I don't use a helmet and I stick to cycle paths, yet still I often have to pace up and own outside the entrance to cool off before I go in to work. What's wrong with me? Well if everyone else is pushing forward, I fall into the same habit. And I have felt the irritation of faster cyclists trying to pass me in the cycle lane.
It's a numbers game. If everyone else wears Lycra and sports clothes than it becomes the accepted norm. In Italy the 'norm' is to not wear Lycra. We just need more role models and a little help from the council marketing team to normalise commuter cycling as a viable option rather then a race for life.