As someone who cycles to work, I was vaguely aware that there were more cyclists around since the bombings on July 7.
Now comes hard evidence to back up those vague impressions. Evans Cycles, Britain's biggest independent bike seller, has seen a huge rise in sales, starting on July 7 itself.
Evans, which has nine shops in central London, sold 400 bikes on July 7, four times its normal daily tally. Since then, Evans has been selling 200 bikes a day in London and has seen an upsurge in people visiting its website.
Even before July 7, Evans, which started as a one-man band in 1921 and now has annual sales of £25m, was enjoying what Bob Hart, the company's marketing manager, described as a "renaissance" in cycling, partly because of the fine summer weather and also of its growing social acceptability.
Then came the bombings and the rush to get on the saddle. Mr Hart says the most popular models are the hybrids, a cross between road racers and mountain bikes, designed for urban use, and the fold-up bikes, with most people are spending between £250 and £500 per bike.
People have not only been buying bikes, they have dragged them out from the bike shed and dusted off the cobwebs. As a result, Evans employees have been working overtime tuning up old bikes as well as selling new ones.
"We're not the only ones riding on this buoyant market, all our competitors have experienced an increase in sales," said Mr Hart.
But cycling in London carries its own risks and irritations. At least once a week, somebody will try to kill you, albeit inadvertently. The would-be killers range from fellow cyclists who come too close when they overtake you, white vans who cut you off or most infuriating of all, pedestrians who walk blithely into the road without looking. You pays your money and you take your choice.
