Biker Hack reviews...

Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie

By Andrew P Sykes
Amazon: £8.99 paperback / £1.99 Kindle edition (at time of writing) 

Before going further, may I make a "little" rant about online reviews? (Yes, I'm fully aware of the irony, thank you.)
A common criticism I've found in many is "the author can't spell / it's full of typographical mistakes". 
A furious condemnation then follows that concludes with "it's just not good enough! I paid £X.99 for this!"
The highest standards of professional literacy do not come cheap. And trust me, I know. As a trained journalist, my job is to read other people's written work and correct any mistakes (this is called subbing). Newspapers and magazines, both regional and national publications, are stripping out this tier of their respective workforces as an "unnecessary" expense. 
To me it seems a little rich to castigate a self-published author, working no doubt as a one-man operation, for a few typos in their book when the corporate world is increasingly disinterested in paying for people to provide this service in a professional setting. 
I only mention this to put things into the bigger perspective. Such mistakes are here to stay - and I promise you they are only going to get worse in the professional media industry - so, get over it. Rant over. 
Getting back to the review, by the way, are there typos in Crossing Europe On A Bike Called Reggie? Yes, a few. Do they detract from it? Absolutely not. 
What's important is the account of one man's idle fancy (he was sitting on a sofa watching an Olympic bike race, after all) that is turned into a reality: to cycle from Berkshire to Brindisi. 
For me, the warm and entertaining narrative perfectly depicts the highs and lows that come from completing a seemingly impossible task. 
The premise is simple and effective. A "fat, middle-aged" teacher decides on a whim to turn his lifelong cycling habit into a continental summer holiday. With the minimum of planning, he settles on a route following the Eurovelo 5, which as with all things bureaucratic is more notional in places than an actual reality. Despite the ups (the Alps) and downs (emergency repairs), it all comes right in the end for our narrator and his steed, Reggie the bike.
If you're expecting a technical guide offering a mapped step-by-step route, forget it. There's nothing like that. Think more a memoir of one man's journey into the relative unknown. 
There are some truly heart-warming moments where the kindness of strangers helps to remind us that there are good people still left in the world. 
This book captures that genuine sense of contentment that comes from the simple, physical act of cycling - to get out there, away from it all.
If you're looking for some gentle inspiration to fuel your bike-curious dreams, then reading Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie might just be what you're looking for.

Biker Hack's Savvy Cycle Route Number 2

The smart way to cycle from Southend-on-sea to Leigh-on-sea

Welcome to my Savvy Cycle Route Number 2! 
This is the companion journey to Biker Hack's Savvy Cycle Route Number 1. So why the two routes? Well, thanks to the wonders of one-way road systems, it's not possible to simply reverse the steps detailed in Savvy Cycle Route Number 1 to go from Southend to Leigh. 
However, it only takes a few amendments for someone in the know, such as myself, to guide you without deliberately going the wrong way down one-way streets – and there is no need for decent cyclists to do that. 
There are two starting points for this route: one is at the southern end of Southend High Street and the other is at the northern end – both should be marked by green pins on the map below. 
By the way, I've created this map using Google's My Maps. I'd love to know what you think of it! If you have the time, please let me know via the contact form on this page, or the comment at the bottom of this blog. Ready to roll? Well, let's going then! 

Leaving Southend (south): Stage 1a 

The starting point for this urban bike ride, using quiet, traffic-lite backstreets, is in Southend High Street, near the entrance to the Royals shopping centre. Hopefully, you've enjoyed a coffee in the nearby Utopia coffee shop – well worth a visit! The High Street is pedestrianised. No matter how tempting it looks, please, please don't cycle on the High Street. Elderly pedestrians have been hit by speeding cyclists and killed in the past – so just don't do it! Head away from the entrance to the Royals and next to Tomassi's cafe is the pedestrian entrance to Royal Mews. Within a few metres, a road appears. It's time to ride!

Head straight on, passing between the nice mews properties on your left and (Alexandra Street) car park. The road bears to the right (you have the right of way over the traffic from you're left) before reaching a T-junction with Alexandra Street. Turn left here and head straight on.

There is a gentle uphill slope to the road here. After you pass the Alex pub on your left, a painted cycle lane appears literally in the middle of the road. On your right is bowling green and further along your should hear the sound (and perhaps feel the spray) from the fountain in Prittlewell Gardens. 

Stage 1a: The junction with Runwell Terrace, Southend

Stay alert as the road surface here is pretty rubbish, and so is the cycle lane! It is marked out to suddenly give way at the junction with Runwell Terrace (on your right) so cars can helpfully cut you up as they turn left! It's normally very quiet and no problem, but the wise cyclist keeps a look out for cars at this point. You have been warned. 

After turning right into the tree-lined Runwell Terrace, which incidentally has a contra-flow cycle lane in the opposite direction, the road bends to the left into Cambridge Road. Take the very next right into Milton Place (which has another contra-flow cycle lane). At the T-junction, you technically need to turn left then immediate right at this staggered junction. 

You're crossing a busy road where most traffic, including buses, go in and out of the town centre. Again, there is a cycle lane on the left as you cross the bridge, which you should stick to as you will turn left opposite the Cliff pub. Now you are in Hamlet Road, keep straight on over a couple of speed humps to the junction with Avenue Road. 

Leaving Southend (north): Stage 1b

If you're coming from the northern end of Southend High Street, you'll need a different route to reach this point. 

Starting from just outside the post office in Southend High Street, walk your cycle into Queen's Road, heading past the cycle racks. Once you're on the road proper, get pedalling! 

You will reach a T-junction with a road (Elmer Avenue) stretching from your left and winding in front of you before weaving off to your right. Turn left into Elmer Avenue and head straight on, passing the town's (crypitcally-titled) Forum library on your left. The route you want bears to your right as the road name changes to Gordon Place. 

Keep straight on until the next T-junction and turn left into Ashburnham Road. There shouldn't be any traffic coming from your right (the opposite direction is a one-way street heading away from you at this point). Carry on to the next T-junction and turn right into Hamlet Road. Head  straight on, pass the Cliff pub on your right, until the next T-junction with Avenue Road. 

Avenue Road to Chalkwell Park: Stage 2

After turning into Avenue Road, the route veers off to the left. Heading past an old church, it very quickly reaches another fork in the road. This time take the right fork and follow the road, which bends gently to your right. This section is usually very quiet, but the road surface can be quite patchy in places, especially at the next turning. 

When you reach a crossroads, turn left into Avenue Terrace. There are usually cars parked on both sides of this short two-way street, so stay alert as you cycle over the very patchy surface and a speed hump. When you reach the next T-junction (Avenue Baptist church is on your right), turn right into into Milton Road, which can be busy at times. Take the very next left into St Helen's Road. 

St Helen's Road is a two-way street just at this junction. Once past the car park to the Catholic Church on your left, it becomes one-way. Head straight on. You will reach a give way junction with Preston Road on your left. I've never come across any traffic here, so you can quickly carry straight on into the last two-way section of St Helen's Road. There is a speed table as you approach the next T-junction where you need to turn right into Hamlet Court Road. This street can be quite busy as there are plenty of shops and it's one of the few roads that crosses the c2c railway line further to the south. 

Take the very next left into the nice, flat Anerley Road. Sometimes, cars seem to zip along here, but there are far fewer of them than you would encounter in the heavy traffic a few hundred metres to the north in London Road. 

At the end of Anerley, turn left into Valkyrie Road opposite a redundant church. In Savvy Cycle Route Number 1, I suggested using Finchley Road. Doing that on the return trip can leave you with an awkward right-turn into a busier road. So, this time, I'd head past Finchley and turn right at Genesta Road. There are usually plenty of cars coming uphill from the south of you and turning left into Genesta, so take care! 

Stage 2: The wonderful Imperial Avenue, Westcliff

Keep straight on, passing three side roads on your left, until you reach a wide crossroads. Crowstone St George's United Reformed Church will be opposite on your left. You need to turn right at this junction, which is one of the busier sections, so take it easy. 

Once in Crowstone Road, it heads uphill slightly and the road surface gets rather scrapy again. Keep straight on and take the next left into Imperial Avenue. The road surface is good, nice and wide, and probably the flatest section of the whole route. It's a real pleasure to pedal along here, so enjoy! 

Chalkwell Park to Leigh Road: Stage 3

Stage 3: The entrance to Chalkwell Park's car park

Imperial Avenue ends in a T-junction with Chalkwell Avenue. Despite being a busy main road, it is usually quite easy to cross into the car park of Chalkwell Park. Take it steady here because in fine weather there can be a lot of pedestrians, dog walkers, and cars. Keep straight on until the car park opens out, which is where you need to bear right. Just when it feels as if you looping round to leave, you should see a path in front of you running around the far side of a nature garden and next to a playing field. 

Can you cycle here? Well, in all the time I've cycled through here, I've never had a problem because I slow down to walking pace and go very carefully. If a pet owner's dog bounds up to me (and they do) I'm ready to stop immediately. So make sure you're going at a speed that shows respect for those walking around you. Also, the route through the park is a little patchy in places and there some rather vicious speed bumps. All of which add up to three good reasons for taking it easy here. It's not a racetrack!

Head up the path (there is usally a bollard in the middle of it to deter cars), which bends around to your left. In front of you, on the left, is a circular flowerbed outside a large house in the middle of the park. Go around the flowerbed and bear right, keeping the skatepark on your right. 

As you cycle away from the house, the path narrows under the enormous branches of a wonderful tree at this point, so keep it nice and slow. You should see what is the back of a cricket pavilion in front of you. Follow the path straight on behind the pavilion. You will dip down and pass an algae-covered pool (sorry, wildlife pond). This section is quite rough due to lots of ruts and leaf mulch in the winter. It then heads uphil and this is where to look out for those nasty speed bumps as you pass the fenced-off cricket pitch on your right. Follow the road until you reach the exit from the park at what is the very end of Old Leigh Road. Stay alert as cars will be turning down here from Leigh Road, which is where this route is heading. A little caution on the exit from the park will help you get up to the give way markings where you need to turn left into Leigh Road. 

Leigh Road to central Leigh: Stage 4a

Carry on along Leigh Road, which is the main bus route into central Leigh. You will go over a speed table quickly followed by a a hairpin turn on your left, which is the preferred route for cars between Westcliff and Leigh. Follow the road as it bends to the right just before a zebra crossing, which incorporates another speed table. Head straight on. 

Leigh Road feels narrower from this point on as more cars hunt out parking spaces and pedestrians try to cross the road at what always feels the worst possible place. It's decision time when you eventually reach Our Lady of Lourdes & St Joseph's Church, which has a bright-blue clockface on its tower. If you want to avoid the main shopping parade of Leigh (and the associated traffic mayhem that can accompany this at peak times), your turn-off is coming up very soon.

As you draw level with Our Lady of Lourdes, the shops peter out on your left and large blocks of flats begin to appear. As you pass the church, just before a zebra crossing, there is a road with no-entry signs. You want the next right after the crossing into unhelpfully-named Chalkwell Park Drive – it's nowhere near Chalkwell Park! 

Head straight on to the next junction and turn left into Pall Mall. There are speed bumps along this road – which slow down the cars nicely – and there is much less traffic than in the Broadway. Head all the way along to the next T-junction, which incorporates a speed table, and turn left into Elm Road. A triangular pedestrian island with zebra crossings on each side heralds you're arrival in central Leigh. If all this cycling has left you feeling hot and tired, you should be just outside my favourite ice cream parlour, Poco Gelato. 

But what if you didn't turn off and cycle down Pall Mall? Well, backtracking slightly, continue along Leigh Road. It bends sharply to the left and passes what was the Grand pub (all boarded up and looking very forlorn at the time I wrote this). You'll pick up a speed as you head downhill where the road bends sharply to the right into the Broadway, Leigh's prime shopping area.

Keep your wits about you as it can get very busy with lots of pedestrians crossing and plenty of cars. Keep straight on along here until you're at St Clement's Church. If you stop just after the zebra crossing outside the church, you will find some handy cycle racks to leave your bike before you sample an ice cream, or perhaps a more substantial lunch and cracking coffee at my favourite Leigh cafe, Barlow and Fields. 

Well done if you managed to follow my directions. As I said, this is a route I cycle all the time to reach the heart of Leigh as is bypasses almost all of the main car-clogged routes and it is practically flat apart from occasional inclines. 

I'd love to know what you think about this route. So please feel free to post a comment below or get in touch via the contact form at the top of this blog. 

The Great Highway Divide

Has anyone got a solution for crossing this car canyon?

Queensway underpass: Great for cars, rubbish for everyone else

I know, I know - long time, no write. Well, I've been busy living and breathing. But, finally, it's blogging time! 
In my defence, I have been out there, cycling the quiet backstreets of Southend, looking for my next Savvy Cycle Route. 
Savvy what? Well, to discover my favourite traffic-lite route between Leigh-on-sea to Southend-on-sea just click here. At the moment, it only offers directions one way, but I am working on the return route - Number 2 - honest! 
Today's blog has actually been inspired by my plans for Savvy Cycle Route Number 3. I've just finished checking it out and I'm happy to share it with the world. 
But before I do, there's one little issue that is worthy of a blog: no-go roads. Let me explain.  
I cycle. A lot. It is my primary transport. And it keeps me fit. (To see past blogs on the benefits of turning a commute into your daily gym routine, click here and here.) 
So I like to think I'm pretty road savvy. But even I find some roads so darn brutal that they become hard to navigate. They can literally turn into a barrier for anyone riding a bike, crushing any clever little route you might be planning to use. One such road in Southend is Queensway. 
For a town that won a stack of EU cash not so long ago to improve it's cycling reputation, this road is a disgrace. It carves its way through the very heart of Southend, splitting the town in two. To get from one side to the other takes nerves of steel. 
The main section of Queensway that worries me most runs from Southend Victoria Rail Station down to the seafront. Outside the station it's wide and very busy, but it is navigable if you keep your wits about you. The problem is this bit of the road is at the end of big funnel that focuses all of the traffic from the A127 into Queensway, and Queensway feeds it towards...a giant car park and the seafront. Of course, this is perfect if you're popping down to Southend for a bit of sun, sand and seaside fun. 
After the station, it quickly turns into an underpass - which is great for the cars - but not for anything made out of flesh and blood, like pedestrians and cyclists. As I hope my photo goes to show, this ugly gash casts a terrible blot on the landscape. 
And thanks to the underpass, there is a huge roundabout above it. Naturally, there is no pavement access around the roundabout - far too dangerous! Pedestrians are expected to use a segregated underpass which snakes down into this vile chasm. Of course, being independent thinkers, many pedestrians don't use the underpass at all, preferring instead to literally run the gauntlet of walking to the town centre on the road with the cars. (If you don't believe me, look it up on Google Street Map!) This is especially so at night. Let's be honest, who wants to descend into a dim underworld full of dark nooks and crannies? Not a single Southend councillor I bet! Or either of our town's MPs. 
Cyclists, of course, are road users and should stick to the surface. But even I find this roundabout pretty alarming - and that is putting it mildly. The cars hurtle around it confident that they have complete command of their surroundings. And they do: it's been built for cars, and and loved by cars. However, this no-go road doesn't stop there. 

Dedicated crossing: The joint pedestrian-bike crossing in Queensway

Queensway now crawls out of its grave and carries on as a nice dual carriageway, right down to the next roundabout, firmly slicing any routes across it in two. Yes, there are pedestrian crossings - and, yes, they are cycle friendly. But even the council has been stumped by this monstrosity. It's solution has been to encourage cyclists to stick to the "shared" pavements. Something I'm not a fan of. (If you want to know why riding on pavements is so damn confusing, click here.)
To be blunt, it is an eyesore and one of the worst barriers to pedestrians and cyclists. 
Unfortunately, this is the legacy we have to live with in Southend, and a lot of Britain, thanks to our car-fixated forefathers. 
The solution? Well, it's not going to get ripped up, is it? 
I'm loathed to admit, but the everyday answer is I just avoid crossing the town at this point - which is a pain as it is usually the most direct route, and the least undulating, from where I live to the east of Southend. 
And that brings me back to my Savvy Cycle Route Number 3. After much soul-searching, I've finally found a neat direct route that I'm happy with. Sadly, it's a cheat - the only underpass that cuts across Queensway quickly and neatly. 
It would be great if the powers that be could create some clean and safe way for cyclists to bridge this barrier. Until then, this underpass is the best solution I can find. 
And where is it? Well, that'll will be the subject of my Savvy Cycle Route Number 3! 

Give your wellbeing a lift by cycling to work

Driving really does stunt your concentration levels

Hurray for researchers at the University of East Anglia and the University of York!
They've found ditching your car for the journey to work and cycling instead gives your sense of wellbeing a well deserved boost. 
Commuters who indulge in an active journey to work can concentrate more easily and feel under less strain than those trapped in their little boxes on wheels, according to the study carried out at Norwich Medical School and the Centre for Health Economics.
Even using public transport gives people a better psychological lift than carving your way through nose-to-bumper tailbacks in a car. 
Good news indeed. 
So, presumably we can all wake up tomorrow and discover a fantastic network of traffic-free cycle lanes for the happy commuters created overnight by our benevolent Government? Hmm. Dream on!

Even the likes of former Olympic gold medalist and British Cycling's policy adviser Chris Boardman can't seem to shame the Government into action, despite his best efforts before the transport select committee earlier this year. 

So why with such irrefutable evidence about the benefits of cycling is the Government not doing more?

Well, this study holds one tiny clue.

Choices: The transport methods used by commuters

The research was based on data from nearly 18,000 adults. From this group, they found 73% went to work by car and 3% cycled for their commute. The rest walked or used public transport. And there's the rub: 73% v 3%. 
With politicians chasing majorities lately like their very livelihoods depended upon it, it's perhaps no wonder facilities for cyclists are few and far between. 

Just imagine what the M1 would look like if it was a typical cycle path. It's total length would be four miles, even though on paper it connects London with Leeds. The rest would be just what ever backroads and byways happened to be knocking around in the general vicinity painted a nice shade of motorway blue - which of course would disappear on certain stretches for no logical reason. There would only be one junction with some minor B-road nowhere near London or Leeds. And as for places to stop and leave your vehicle securely! Well, you get my drift. 
A motorway like that could never be allowed to exist by whichever Government was in charge because those 73% of drivers would vote for anyone else who promised to deliver a better option.  
So what do we do? 
Tempting though it is to fall back on cynicism and wail "we're all doomed", the answer has got be: do not give up. 
OK, there's a mountain to climb. (Frankly, it's more like a cliff face with several overhanging roofs!) But that's the challenge. The groundswell will only come once the 73% is woken from its slumber to the advantages of cycling as a real alternative to the daily commute. All we cyclists can do is bang on and on about it, praising the lifestyle benefits, the pleasures and, dare I say this, the sense of freedom. 
Then maybe that 73%-3% split might begin to even out a little. Now there's something that would be worth celebrating.

Resources 

Click here to watch the BBC's video report on the UEA's study 

Click here to read the UEA's press release about the study 

Or, if you are very brave, click here and read the study. Be warned, this is technical and not for the faint-hearted 

Meet the man who inspired me to cycle again

Go to the gym or cycle in the great outdoors - you decide 

A long time ago in a company far, far away, I once had the privilege of interviewing one of the founders of the cycling charity, Sustrans.
John Grimshaw is the man responsible for opening my eyes to the benefits of pedal power.
For those who want to know more about Sustrans (which has plenty of supporters and critics), check out its website - www.sustrans.org.uk 

Or see www.johngrimshawassociates.co.uk for more information about the man himself.
When I interviewed John, he immediately impressed upon me his passion for bikes.
I remember him lamenting about those poor individuals, sweating it out in a gym twice a week when they could just cycle to work and get fit. Instead of devoting a special time and place to exercise, they could turn their commute into a gym class.
As well as incorporating physical exertion into their daily routine, it would also free up three or four hours a week to do something more interesting instead. And let's be honest, there are plenty of things more interesting than pounding a treadmill.
When I started my very first job out of university, I signed up to the motor transport dream like everyone else - despite many happy hours riding a Raleigh Wayfarer around Cambridge where I studied English literature. 
I'd been getting around for years on a motorbike when I met John at Sustrans' head office in Bristol. 
So it really is thanks to him and his enthusiasm that I gave up petrol-powered transport for a Brompton - the world's finest folding bicycle (in my humble opinion!) - and I've never looked back.
My obsession with seeking out quiet routes for getting around Southend-on-sea has been inspired by the work of Sustrans - and the cycle maps produced by Transport for London. Ah, the hours spent looking at the "quieter roads" highlighted in yellow on TfL's maps! 

But what is a quiet cycle route? 
Well, more on that next time hopefully. Until then, keep those wheels turning.