Empty...

...I walk by these fairly stylish Bycycle stands regularly on my lunch time strolls and think what a pity that they are not used more...if this was Copenhagen that area would be deep in bikes. I remember exiting Copenhagen Central station last year and I knew it was a big cycling city but I wasn't really prepared for just how big...WOW!

I do appreciate the terrain of Edinburgh is somewhat more hillier than that of Copenhagen...really I do and so do my thighs:-) But certainly more needs to be done to encourage more cycling.

More cycle lanes would be good. I was reading something the other day about Copenhagen. The person being interviewed was making the point that cycling is not aggressive in Denmark...cyclists don't have to fight for their position on the road...they have their own roads that run along side the motorised vehicle lanes.

There's also little Lycra to be seen...that's actually a personal change I made after my visit last year...I very rarely wear cycling gear on my bike now...I mainly use my Bycycle for commuting and I wear office clothes. Taking the Lycra out of cycling does make it a far more leisurely affair.

Indeed the interviewee shared an experience where they had witnessed a woman cycling in Copenhagen in high heels, no hands on the handlebars and applying her make-up...that's a tad too leisurely for me but it makes a point...could you imagine doing that in this country tucked close in to the kerb with a double decker bus bearing down on you...

As a parent who cycles with my children wider & more cycle lanes would be good for them too. We've quite often set out on cycle lanes and they suddenly just stop and there are a few hairy moments until we pick them up again!

Didn't really intend this blip to be a cycle lane rant but there you have it.