Cycling CO2 Emissions

Alert: Breaking News

Some of you will have heard about or even read the Daily Mail's latest cycling related article. It is frankly quite worrying. Worrying that so many people choose to buy this absolute crap. Still one comment on the online article really made me sit up and take notice. 

Did you know cyclists are a source of global warming? Apparently a "...sweaty deep breathing cyclist is proven to give out more CO2 than a modern and efficient small car...". Good Lord! All those fossil fuels we must be using up while not actually consuming much more than food, water and oxygen. How can this be? Maybe it is the chain lubricant and rubber for the tyres? I would love to know because the science is really beyond me. Can anyone explain?

Anyway, thank you Andy McNathan of Belfast for making us all aware of this. (Full comment below)

Bikes are a scourge. They should pay compulsory road tax, 3rd party insurance and require an annual test to check on the condition of brakes etc. The cyclists should be forced to take a proficiency test including the full Highway Code and should face large fines for failing to wear hi-lux clothing, helmets and displaying proper lights at all times. They should also be compelled to display a number plate so that they can be caught for the many crimes they commit. Frankly, given that a sweaty deep breathing cyclist is proven to give out more CO2 than a modern and efficient small car, bikes should be banned altogether.

- Andy McNathan, Belfast

15 cm From Death! - update

After my recent brush with death, I decided to contact the company and see what response I would get rather than report the matter to the police/HSE, at least in the first instance. I suggested the incident could be used positively to highlight how vulnerable cyclists are compared to HGVs and so improve driver training. I had a few return emails and the assurance they would discuss incident at a senior level and get back to me. They have now got back to me and I am not satisfied.

They tell me:

...our drivers undertake thorough training, their performance is regularly assessed and they must adhere to company policy and procedures. We invest time and money in our workforce to ensure the highest standards.

We have completed a detailed interview with our driver. He confirms that he tried to make every effort to leave as much of a wide berth as possible to go round you on this very busy A road. Our driver is a cyclist and motorcyclist himself and appreciates the difficulties you both sometimes face...

So, they already have great training standards, the driver went out of his way to avoid me and the road is to blame. That's all OK then. I'll see what the police and HSE have to say on the matter.

Back On The Bike

My girl, AKA The Golden Child, was doing really well on her balance bike last year and I had plans to wean her off the stabilizers and have her pedalling on two wheels as well. No such luck. One fall as she came to a stop and found a pedal in the way of putting a foot down put paid to any such fatherly ambition. She then lost interest in the bicycle and would rather scoot everywhere.

Wanting to encourage but not push too much I resolved to leave cycling to Summer 2011 but a weekend trip to CenterParcs was too good an opportunity to miss. I can now report the bicycle is a favourite means of transport again. Now when do I ditch the stabilizers? 

Having fun at CenterParcs

Facility Of The Month - February 2011

A new feature to Middle Age Cyclist - The Facility Of The Month. This award is given to the most thoughtful, innovative, eye catching, progressive or amusing facility found that month by me.

This month Bury town centre is the lucky recipient under the heading of Innovation. It won for its groundbreaking, modern design feature of having absolutely no painted markings at all. This not only saves money but encourages cyclists and pedestrians to be more aware of each other by its forced 'total share' ethos. Well done Bury.

Summer Cycle Tour

Well, I have decided on my Summer Cycle Tour destination. Not for me any transcontinental crossing, multi border hopping, bicycle assembling, phrasebook requiring trip. No. I'm going to keep it simple, low carbon and cheap. I'm going to Wales (maybe I will need a phrasebook then?).

The plan is to get a train from Manchester to somewhere in south Wales, probably Cardiff, and then cycle very generally north, camping each night at wherever is convenient and attractive. No final destination and no set route, so unlike on the Pennine Cycleway, this will be a journey where each day will see me making a choice of which way and how far to go, influenced by; weather, craic, legs, bike, camping, culture, kit, alcohol, hills, people, clothing and many other factors i'm sure. However, as I do like having something tangible to aim for rather than just 'North', I am also going to visit a few of the 48 Welsh BCQ checkpoints along the way. Some days I might manage four or even five and on others I might struggle to get one. I won't give myself a target to achieve as I intend them to add colour, history and variation to my journey rather than force me on each day. As the trip nears the end I will head for a town with a reasonable rail connection and make a return home to normal family life.

As I said. Simple, low carbon and cheap. And I still get to see a foreign land very much unknown to me. Brilliant eh?

View BCQ Wales in a larger map