Yesterday's bike ride was a sobering affair.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ngham-41637461

About 500 cyclists attended a vigil and "slow ride" to remember a doctor who was killed while cycling in Birmingham only last week.

To cut a long story short Birmingham City council had £24 million to spend on cycling infrastructure 5 years ago. Apart from a few free bikes and somebody painting a few pictograms on the road we have seen none of it and certainly nothing that could perceivably have improved cycling safety.

Cyclists in the city have decided that enough is enough - this is not the first tragedy nor will it be the last if the council continue to do nothing. As a regular cycle commuter in the West Midlands, there are certain roads, most of which are in Birmingham that I dread having to ride down and I have had plenty of near misses.

To cap it all, the Mayor has just announce his intention to provide loan cycles in the city centre - the equivalent of "Boris bikes". So, yet more bikes, nowhere really safe to ride them and still no segregation from ever increasing traffic due to on-going long term road works. Great idea!

If you care about such matters, regardless of whether you are likely to cycle in the city, please sign the petition here:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio...ngham-cyclists

Thanks

Pete