Oxford cyclists win again

[Colin Blackburn]

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

[Ewoud Dronkert]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 12:17:51 +0100, Colin Blackburn wrote:
> Cyclists win rush-hour challenge

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

[Robert Bruce]

mae > wedi ysgrifennu:

> 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.

[Colin Blackburn]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 12:30:11 +0100, Robert Bruce
> wrote:

> mae > wedi ysgrifennu:
>
>> 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.

> 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

[James Hodson]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 12:30:11 +0100, "Robert Bruce"
> wrote:

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

"Penitentiary", innit?

James Jr

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

James Hodson wrote:

>> 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

[James Hodson]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 13:20:58 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
> wrote:

>James Hodson wrote:
>
>>> They'll be mis-spelling "gaol" next...
>> "Penitentiary", innit?
>
>"Jug", shirley?

House of correction, missus.

James 111 (just thought about grandfather)

[Nick Kew]

In article >,
"Colin Blackburn" > writes:

> 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

[Will H]

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

========
"Robert Bruce" > wrote in
message ...
> mae > wedi ysgrifennu:
>
> > 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.
>
>

[Colin Blackburn]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 14:01:21 +0100, Nick Kew >
wrote:

> In article >,
> "Colin Blackburn" > writes:
>
>> 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

[Mark South]

"James Hodson" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 13:20:58 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
> > wrote:
>
> >James Hodson wrote:
> >
> >>> 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

[James Hodson]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 17:39:20 +0200, "Mark South"
> wrote:


>> 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

[Jeremy Parker]

"Robert Bruce" >
wrote in message ...
> mae > wedi ysgrifennu:
>
> > 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

[snip]

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

Jeremy Parker

[Mark South]

"James Hodson" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 17:39:20 +0200, "Mark South"
> > wrote:
>
> >> 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

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

Jeremy Parker wrote:

> 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

[Richard Stamper]

"Colin Blackburn" > writes:

> On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 14:01:21 +0100, Nick Kew >
> wrote:
>
> > In article >, "Colin Blackburn"
> > > writes:
> >
> >> 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

[Colin Blackburn]

On 17 Jun 2004 10:31:56 +0100, Richard Stamper
> wrote:

> <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

[Jeremy Parker]

"Just zis Guy, you know?" > wrote in
message ...
> Jeremy Parker wrote:
>
> > 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

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

[Dave Kahn]

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:02:34 +0100, "Jeremy Parker"
> wrote:

>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

[Daniel Barlow]

"Jeremy Parker" > writes:

> 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 ****ing teenagers out of trouble?



-dan

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

[Andrew Chadwick]

On 2004-06-16 11:43 +0000, Colin Blackburn wrote:
> On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 12:30:11 +0100, Robert Bruce
> wrote:

>> 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.

From the Cyclox press release I received, cut and pasted:

# CYCLOX (the Cycling Campaign for Oxford), OxPA (Oxford Pedestrians'
# Association) and OxFoE (Oxford Friends of the Earth) did a COMMUTER
# CHALLENGE from the Bingo Hall on the corner of Cowley and Magdalen Roads
# to Oxford railway station at 8.15 a.m. today.

Copies might be available to pedants who feel the need and ask nicely.
No, I'm not a member and had nothing to do with the challenge.

My eyebrows raise at "did a commuter challenge", but "challenged one
another and a couple of other guys to ..." sounds unwieldy.

--
Andrew Chadwick
You never hear a Cricket crowd chanting "who's the ******* in the hat?"