Labour MP Rob Marris yesterday complained in Parliament about the removal of all-weather bike racks from Star Chamber Court. What took their place? CO2-spewing ministerial cars

Conference celebrates overwhelming success of pilot project for communities to make their localities safer.

One of the ways to train for a big cycling event is to find some good circular rides that you can repeat. This allows for a constant speed, there is no need to keep checking the route and you can easily keep track of progress.

Richmond Park

Richmond Park is easily one of the most popular cycle spots in London. A round trip on the main route is 7 miles long. Assuming an average speed of 15 miles per hour, it would take you 28 minutes to do the full circle. Some of the sections are tougher than others with a few short but challenging hills.

If you wanted to simulate London to Brighton you would have to do 7 and a half laps! However in the great surroundings of Richmond Park that doesn’t sound that bad!

Regent’s Park

The outer circle of Regent’s Park is relatively light on traffic.If you combine this with a lack of traffic lights then you have a great circular route. The surroundings are not quite as green but there is the interesting architecture of the houses that line the park and also the mosque in the north-west corner. You are welcome to visit the mosque just make sure you step in with the right foot and out with the left. Unless I’m mistaken this symbolises bringing in the good and taking out the bad.

Anyway, back to cycling! This circular ride is only 2.8 miles long so it will take someone around 11 minutes to do a full circle. If you wanted to simulate London to Brighton then that would be nearly 19 laps! Better bring some good music with you to keep you entertained! Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, the ride is largely flat.

For a mini-version of the outer circle why not cycle the inner-circle! At just 0.6 miles long you will have to do repeat the ride 88 times! The inner circle is a popular place for cabbies to have a rest and is pretty much traffic free.

Velodrome

Of course it would be impossible to end an article on circular routes in London without a mention of the Velodrome! The only current working one is at Herne Hill. There is also the Olympic one being built in Stratford. Local teams train here and I’m guessing if you are good enough you can join them.

See also:

• 25 of the best London cycle routes
• Quirky London cycle route
• Thames Path to Richmond Park cycle route

Another cyclist has died a collision with an HGV in Hackney.

Another cyclist has died a collision with an HGV in Hackney.

With the news that online cycle retailer Wiggle would be offering test rides for 30 days on selected bikes, I thought it would be a good time to discuss what sort of things you should be looking for.

After all when you buy a new bike it is fairly essential you give it a test ride. Most retailers will happily take your credit card details and then let you ride around for a couple of hours. You should aim to at least use the full two hours as a new bike is an important decision.

1. Size

One of the most important things you should be looking out for is size. Whilst a bike shop is generally good at advising roughly the right frame size it is always best to try it out. What feels right will differ from person to person. If after riding for a couple of hours you are already feeling strain then either an incorrect adjustment has been made or the frame is simply not right for you.

2. Configuration

A test ride is a good time to test out some configuration changes. If you are used to riding with gears then try a single speed bike. If you are used to V-brakes see how you like disc brakes. If you are used to a wide saddle then see if a narrow one will actually feel more comfortable. It is a good time to test things out that may alter your cycling for the better.

3. Saddle

As you will be parking your butt on your saddle for many hours you want it to feel right. A new saddle by default is going to feel a little weird. However, if it really does not suit you then see if you can swap the saddle or try a different bike.

4. Gears

On a new bike the gear shifting should be crisp and quick. A click of the button should mean instant results in the position of the chain. Try to incorporate some hills so you can test out the chain shifting under tough conditions. If there are problems you can ask the bike shop to correct them or try a different bike.

5. Steering

Test out the steering. It should feel smooth and crisp for taking turns and weaving in and out of traffic. If on a new bike you can feel any resistance to the full range of movement or any bumps as you twist the handlebars then this bike is not good.

Overall one of the most important things to aim to do is to ride the bike under your normal conditions. If you normally ride in a suit. Wear a suit. If you normally wear a clown outfit then wear that outfit to your test ride. Also aim to cycle down similar road or off-road conditions. Make full use of your test ride and don’t hesitate to try a different bike if it doesn’t feel quite right.

See also:

• Choosing the right cycling jacket
• Choosing a good bike lock
• Are you guilty of racing other cyclists?

Big news for US online journey planning (and for those who want hill-free bike routes) but Google Maps isn't the only planner. Watch out for a raft of iPhone apps, too.

New cycle safety advertising campaign launches at same time as Londoners are urged to sign up for TfL-funded cycle training through their local borough councils

When I overtake a fellow cyclist I often wonder what they are thinking. Are they thinking “What a jerk showing off?” or “I want to go that fast”.

After averaging some pretty ludicrous distances while researching the London Cycle Routes eBook I have definitely become a much faster cyclist. I typically cycle a couple of gears higher than I use to. It also takes a much tougher hill to slow me down. This, as you can imagine, is a great side benefit of the number of miles I’ve covered on pedal power. You might have noticed similar results after a few weeks of heavy cycling.

So, inevitably I find myself needing to do a lot of overtaking of fellow cyclists. But a small part of me thinks overtaking is a little rude. Perhaps I should hang back and just take it easy. After all I’m not trying to prove anything and I don’t want to make a fellow cyclist feel bad. However, this doesn’t help the situation as I like going fast. In fact I struggle to maintain a slow speed more than I do a normal speed.

This conundrum hit me hard last week when I was cycling back home from Camden. As it’s a short ride I was enjoying giving it some speed. At some point I came across a couple of fellow cyclists. The first was a must overtake as I can’t even cycle that slow. The second however was doing a decent enough speed. So I was stuck in limbo while the two voices in my head battled it out for what to do. (Does voices in my head make me sound crazy? Probably.)

On the other side, when it is me being overtaken I see it as a challenge. I find myself wanting to race up to that person and overtake them again.

What do you think? If you frequently overtake other cyclists do you ever wonder what they are thinking? Or if you enjoy going at a slow speed what do you think when someone overtakes you?

Overall I should probably start focusing more on life’s real problems rather than these silly thoughts!!

The final draft of the mayor's safety plan incorporates many suggestions from LCC.

The final draft of the mayor's safety plan incorporates many suggestions from LCC.

Grants of up to £10,000 available for community groups to promote cycling in their area.

Grants of up to £10,000 available for community groups to promote cycling in their area.

After many hours locked away in a dark, small room with no windows the designers came to me with their new logo design. They carefully unwrapped the cloth that had been placed around the document to conceal it’s top secret identity. The London Cyclist logo was there before my very eyes!

And now here it is before your eyes:

 

It makes me very proud to finally announce the new London Cyclist logo. As you can see it is a work of art. I particularly like the way “cyclist” it spelt. Very creatively. The bike itself is beautiful in its simplicity.

I will now be implementing it throughout the site and using it when sending professional letters to companies. I think it will really say to them: “This is London Cyclist and we don’t mess around”.

The logo cost me just £18,000 which I think is an absolute bargain considering it’s detailed finish.

Okay, that is clearly not the logo. If anyone really likes it you can have it. I’ve not copyrighted it.

New logo say hello to London Cyclists and London Cyclists say hello to the new logo:

There are a few different versions that I’ll be using:

Hope everyone likes it. I think it is simple, effective and clear. (If only I could get my writing to be the same!)

P.S. If you are wondering the “London Saiclist” logo was the work of my friend Mathias who sent me this when I told him I needed a new logo! I’m actually off to visit him in Brazil in a couple of days so things may quieten down on London Cyclist but I do have some great posts scheduled to go out. Also I’ll have my iPhone with me so I’ll be able to keep up with comments and Twitter and let you know about Brazil!

A car driver has been jailed for driving into a cyclist on the road.

Children across London might soon find their schools no longer provide cycle training.

A new document spells out the benefits of cycling in outer London.

LCC campaigners met TfL executives to lobby for the Zone 1 BikeGrid.

LCC's has published its manifesto for the forthcoming borough council and national elections.

Children across London might soon find their schools no longer provide cycle training.