How do you find dedicated bike paths in London?

You can make where you want to go on your bike in London safe for you by joining London Cycling Campaign (LCC).

If you sign up for LCC newsletter, they will keep you up to date with the best rides, events and all matters regarding cycling there.

If you are not staying there on a long term basis, you can write to “The London Cycling Projects” to ask if they have a list of dedicated bike paths in London.

cyclingprojects@lcc.org.uk

Tel: 020 7234 9310

Meantime, you can download this “Making Space for Cycling: A guide for new developments and street renewals” and learn what you can do with your local council, to make roads you are cycling on safe for you. Found it at Making Space for Cycling.

Is it reasonable for a person who usually bikes short distances recreationally to sign up for a 20 mile bike for charity?

If it is for charity, why not? Unless you are very competitive, there is no rule to say that you must finish the 20 mile course. You can always stop half way if you feel that it is too much for you.



The most important thing is to have fun and feel good that you are doing something good.

Just make sure that the bicycle you will be cycling on is of the right fit for you. Even if you do not plan to ride to win, it is best that you learn how to prepare for it and to build up your stamina for the long distance ride.

You will find some of the information I shared in the following articles useful.

What are some good rules of thumb for starting out long-distance biking?
How can you ride a bicycle without getting tired?
Which is the best bicycle for long distance ride?
How many miles should I bicycle per day on a world tour?

Do you think riding a bike should not be allowed where there is no bike lane?

Cycling started, from the beginning of invention, the world over, without bicycle lanes.

While there is concern that lack of lanes make cycling unsafe on roads, there are also issues with safety even when they are in place because there is no protection for cyclists if behaviour of car drivers and other road users do not change.

No Surprise: Study Finds Sharrows Don't Make Streets Safer

Based on this Infographic, posted on Forbes, it is obvious that there are less road fatalities reported for cyclists in a country when there are more people are involved in cycling.


So, the best way to initiate cycling in your own country is to start a movement, whereby, a group of cyclists make a commitment to make cycling safe with the support of their government so that cycling-specific infrastructure should be part of the development and proper guidelines for all road users are reinforced by the relevant government agencies.

If you would like to work on that, I have shared many useful links in the following write up on, "How can public transportation be integrated for urban cycling?”

Following are links to bike movements that you can emulate to increase participation:
About CicLAvia
Midnight Ridazz Bicycle Ride
List of rides from The Critical Mass - Cycling as a Political Statement

Finding ways to integrate cycling with public transport

The first thing to do is to make it safe for cyclists to use public roads. So, cycling-specific infrastructure, such as, bicycle lanes should be part of the development by government agencies.



Since it is not possible to go long distances on a bicycle, cyclists will consider utilising public transport part of the way.



Would you be comfortable parking your bicycle in an open space environment like this?



If bicycles are not allowed to be brought up public transport during peak period, there must be allocated parking spaces that have been enhanced to prevent theft and the elements of nature that could damage bicycles.

Once these issues are looked into, there are many ways to integrate cycling with public transport. The good thing is that you do not have to crack your head for answers.

If you google "public transport and cycling", you will find many reports and studies made on integrating cycling with public transport. Reading them will inspire you to discover ways to adopt some of the ideas for your own country.

These are some I found by searching "public transport and cycling":

Integrating cycling with public transport

Public transport and cycling: living apart or together?

Another way to find more of such reports is to google “intermodality bicycle”. These are links I found through that search.

Cycling and Intermodality

Bikeways and intermodality between bicycles and public transport 

What are the most bicycle-friendly countries?

Here is a list of "75 Most Bike Friendly Cities In The World".  Read it to discover why each city was chosen as being bicycle friendly in their country.

You can also check out the top 20 cities, listed by COPENHAGENIZE DESIGN COMPANY, a design consultancy based in Copenhagen. They also provide information on what changes can be made for improvement.