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Oxford cyclists win again

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01 / Original postOxford cyclists win againColin Blackburn · 16 Jun 2004 02 / This pagePosts 1–20Page 1 of 2 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #21Andrew Chadwick · 21 Jun 2004

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UK and Europe
Published
16 June 2004
Last activity
21 June 2004
Original author
Colin Blackburn
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21
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  1. Original post
    Colin Blackburn
    Archived post
    #1

    From:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/3810337.stm

    """
    Cyclists win rush-hour challenge

    Cyclists have proved the fastest rush-hour commuters in a city centre
    challenge between walkers, drivers, cyclists, a bus and a wheelchair.

    Everyone taking part was timed from Cowley Road to Oxford train station.

    All four cyclists won the challenge, finishing in 10 or 11 minutes, while
    a unicyclist and a motorised wheelchair user came joint second in 20
    minutes.

    Bus users took 21 minutes, while two car drivers took 26 and 34 minutes -
    just ahead of the walkers.

    Those taking part set off at 0815 BST on Tuesday.

    The Cycling Campaign for Oxford, or Cyclox, who organised the event, said
    the results mirrored last year's challenge along Oxford's Botley Road.

    They hope to repeat the 2.2-mile Cowley Road route next year to see
    whether £1m of safety improvements has any effect on the results.

    James Styring, Cyclox co-ordinator and organiser of today's event, said:
    "Yet again, on a different cross-city route, the bike is quicker than any
    other form of transport at peak commuting times."
    """

    The accompanying photo is not of a Cowley Road cyclist.

    Colin

    Report
  2. Ewoud Dronkert
    Archived post
    #2
    Colin Blackburn said:

    Cyclists win rush-hour challenge

    Ah damn, I was expecting a Boat Race revenge event.

    Report
  3. Robert Bruce
    Archived post
    #3

    mae <[email hidden]> wedi ysgrifennu:

    Quoted message said:

    Everyone taking part was timed from Cowley Road to Oxford train
    station.

    I was taught at school thirty [cough] years ago that "train station" is a
    vulgar Americanism and that "railway station" is the correct term. I note
    that the BBC is continuing its project of dumbing down to the level of BSkyB
    by employing journalists who are unaware of this. They'll be mis-spelling
    "gaol" next...

    --
    Rob

    Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may contribute
    and benefit.

    Report
  4. Colin Blackburn
    Archived post
    #4
    Robert Bruce said:

    mae <[email hidden]> wedi ysgrifennu:

    Quoted message said:

    Everyone taking part was timed from Cowley Road to Oxford train
    station.

    I was taught at school thirty [cough] years ago that "train station" is a
    vulgar Americanism and that "railway station" is the correct term.

    Of course an American educated at a similar time and in a similar place
    would also consider it vulgar since (their) correct term is railroad
    station.

    Quoted message said:

    I note
    that the BBC is continuing its project of dumbing down to the level of
    BSkyB
    by employing journalists who are unaware of this.

    I suspect a Cyclox press release uses the term. online BBC stories are
    little more than pasted in press releases. They have to fill the space
    somehow.

    Colin

    Report
  5. James Hodson
    Archived post
    #5
    Robert Bruce said:

    They'll be mis-spelling "gaol" next...

    "Penitentiary", innit?

    James Jr

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  6. Just zis Guy, you know?
    Archived post
    #6
    James Hodson said:
    Quoted message said:

    They'll be mis-spelling "gaol" next...


    "Penitentiary", innit?

    "Jug", shirley?
    --
    Guy
    --
    May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
    http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

    Report
  7. James Hodson
    Archived post
    #7
    you know? said:
    James Hodson said:
    Quoted message said:

    They'll be mis-spelling "gaol" next...


    "Penitentiary", innit?

    "Jug", shirley?

    House of correction, missus.

    James 111 (just thought about grandfather)

    Report
  8. Nick Kew
    Archived post
    #8

    In article <[email hidden]>,

    Colin Blackburn said:

    Cyclists win rush-hour challenge

    No surprise there.

    But a unicyclist and a wheelchair beating the other modes: that's
    impressive. Good thing I finished my coffee before usenetting.

    LOL!

    --
    Nick Kew

    Report
  9. Will H
    Archived post
    #9

    pedant! Have you ever considered appearing on a Radio 4 quiz panel?

    ========
    "Robert Bruce" <[email hidden]> wrote in
    message news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    mae <[email hidden]> wedi ysgrifennu:

    Quoted message said:

    Everyone taking part was timed from Cowley Road to Oxford train
    station.

    I was taught at school thirty [cough] years ago that "train station" is a
    vulgar Americanism and that "railway station" is the correct term. I note
    that the BBC is continuing its project of dumbing down to the level of


    BSkyB

    Quoted message said:

    by employing journalists who are unaware of this. They'll be mis-spelling
    "gaol" next...

    --
    Rob

    Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may contribute
    and benefit.

    Report
  10. Colin Blackburn
    Archived post
    #10

    On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 14:01:21 +0100, Nick Kew <[email hidden]>

    Quoted message said:

    In article <[email hidden]>,

    Colin Blackburn said:

    Cyclists win rush-hour challenge

    No surprise there.

    But a unicyclist and a wheelchair beating the other modes: that's
    impressive.

    No real surprise for that route. Cars and buses have to take a longer
    route around the very centre of town, in fact the cars have to take a very
    long tortuous route (good!). Peds and wheelchairs can take a very direct
    route. Cyclists can be fairly direct---they can't go the wrong way down a
    bus only one-way street unlike the peds and wheelchairs. Addinto that the
    general congestion on Cowley Road and near the railway station and it's no
    contest really. My guess is that the walker went the wrong way or were a
    slow walker.

    Colin

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  11. Mark South
    Archived post
    #11

    "James Hodson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    you know? said:
    James Hodson said:

    > They'll be mis-spelling "gaol" next...
    "Penitentiary", innit?

    "Jug", shirley?

    House of correction, missus.

    ITYM "Mistress" !?
    --
    "A kilt opens up new possibilities."
    - Gary D. Schwartz in rec.backcountry

    Report
  12. James Hodson
    Archived post
    #12
    Mark South said:
    Quoted message said:

    House of correction, missus.

    ITYM "Mistress" !?

    Mark

    As I said to you a while ago, I've only visited the airport in Geveva.
    I have no knowledge of its seedier areas!

    James

    Report
  13. Jeremy Parker
    Archived post
    #13

    "Robert Bruce" <[email hidden]>
    wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    mae <[email hidden]> wedi ysgrifennu:

    Quoted message said:

    Everyone taking part was timed from Cowley Road to Oxford train
    station.

    I was taught at school thirty [cough] years ago that "train


    station" is a

    Quoted message said:

    vulgar Americanism

    [snip]

    Which reminds me, has anyone else seen John Forester's paper on why
    American bike education is like American sex education?

    Jeremy Parker

    Report
  14. Mark South
    Archived post
    #14

    "James Hodson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    Mark South said:
    Quoted message said:

    House of correction, missus.

    ITYM "Mistress" !?

    As I said to you a while ago, I've only visited the airport in Geveva.
    I have no knowledge of its seedier areas!

    Just ask the taxi to take you to Bataclan or L'Aigle d'Or. They are the sharp
    clubs to visit. Well so I'm told, of course.

    This being ultraclean Switzerland, the clubs are of course located in highly
    respectable areas.
    --
    "You need to declare a jihad on your own ignorant ass."
    - Ed Dolan in alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent

    Report
  15. Just zis Guy, you know?
    Archived post
    #15
    Jeremy Parker said:

    Which reminds me, has anyone else seen John Forester's paper on why
    American bike education is like American sex education?

    No. Got a link?

    --
    Guy
    --
    May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
    http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

    Report
  16. Richard Stamper
    Archived post
    #16
    Colin Blackburn said:

    On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 14:01:21 +0100, Nick Kew <[email hidden]>

    Quoted message said:

    In article <[email hidden]>, "Colin Blackburn"

    Quoted message said:

    Cyclists win rush-hour challenge

    No surprise there.

    But a unicyclist and a wheelchair beating the other modes: that's
    impressive.

    No real surprise for that route. Cars and buses have to take a longer
    route around the very centre of town, in fact the cars have to take a
    very long tortuous route (good!). Peds and wheelchairs can take a very
    direct route. Cyclists can be fairly direct---they can't go the wrong way
    down a bus only one-way street unlike the peds and wheelchairs.

    <underappreciated_fact_of_no_interest_to_those_not_cycling_in_Oxford>

    Cyclists *can* go along Queen Street against the motorised flow before 9am
    and after 6pm, so at the time of the challenge (8:15am) cyclists could have
    taken the most direct possible route.

    </underappreciated_fact_of_no_interest_to_those_not_cycling_in_Oxford>

    --
    Richard Stamper

    Report
  17. Colin Blackburn
    Archived post
    #17
    Richard Stamper said:

    <underappreciated_fact_of_no_interest_to_those_not_cycling_in_Oxford>

    Cyclists *can* go along Queen Street against the motorised flow before
    9am
    and after 6pm, so at the time of the challenge (8:15am) cyclists could
    have
    taken the most direct possible route.

    </underappreciated_fact_of_no_interest_to_those_not_cycling_in_Oxford>

    I didn't know that. I knew of some of the other time restricted streets,
    Cornmarket for instance. My excuse for ignorance is that in my four years
    living in Oxford it was never part of a route I needed to do.

    Colin

    Report
  18. Jeremy Parker
    Archived post
    #18

    "Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in
    message news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    Jeremy Parker said:

    Which reminds me, has anyone else seen John Forester's paper on


    why

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    American bike education is like American sex education?

    No. Got a link?

    --
    Guy

    Alas no. Even he doesn't seem to have a copy of his own paper any
    more. It turns out, though, that there are all sorts of similarities
    between bike education and sex education.

    - actually, there is a notable lack of bike/sex education. In
    reality most people just pick up misinformation in the gutter, from
    their friends

    - the motive for the education certainly isn't that you do more of
    it, and have more fun doing it. Rather it's to avoid you having an
    unfortunate accident, especially on school premises, thereby bringing
    the name of the school into disrepute. Ideally the result of the
    education will be that you take up the activity as late as possible,
    do as little as possible, and do it as far away from the school as
    possible.

    - the teacher always seems to know less about the subject than the
    kids

    The wisdom of the newsgroup could probably add a few more
    similarities.

    Actually, John Forester wrote his paper a long time ago. There
    wasn't so much emphasis on wearing the correct protective equipment
    in those days. Don't get muddled. It's cycling where you wear the
    helmet.

    Jeremy Parker

    Report
  19. Dave Kahn
    Archived post
    #19
    Jeremy Parker said:

    Actually, John Forester wrote his paper a long time ago. There
    wasn't so much emphasis on wearing the correct protective equipment
    in those days. Don't get muddled. It's cycling where you wear the
    helmet.

    In the other activity the protective equipment is worn /on/ the
    helmet.

    --
    Dave...

    Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

    Report
  20. Daniel Barlow
    Archived post
    #20
    Jeremy Parker said:

    Which reminds me, has anyone else seen John Forester's paper on why
    American bike education is like American sex education?

    [page break for those who may be offended by strong language]

    It makes claims to fill an important need but is really just a gesture
    to keep the [censored] teenagers out of trouble?

    -dan

    --
    "please make sure that the person is your friend before you confirm"

    Report

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