In his 2017 book Velotopia, Steven Fleming describes his perfect cycling town. No ring roads or dual carriageways. In fact, no cars. Fleets of “taxi-carts” or “pedi-cabs” service its streets. No bigger than 15km across (so everywhere’s less than 30 minutes’ ride away). No cycle lanes; every inch is cycle-able.
Anyway, back to reality. You might spy Velotopia in parts of Denmark or the Netherlands, but in the UK it’s still Motopia – for now. A decade ago, the government began its Cycle City and Towns programme (flagship members Blackpool, Bristol, Cambridge, Chester, Colchester, Leighton Linslade, Shrewsbury, Southend, Southport, Stoke, York and Woking remain some of the UK’s more bike-friendly), and then came Bradley Wiggins and the Mamils.
British Cycling lists towns and cities stretching from Plymouth to Edinburgh as best for cycle commuting; but for sheer numbers Cambridge is way ahead: 52% of its citizens cycle at least once a week, 31% five times; next is Oxford, at 33.5% and 12.6%; then York, at 27% and 10.6%. Nowhere else comes close – yet. So many places are investing in infrastructure – Cardiff is pledging to eject half its commuters from their cars by 2021; Manchester’s bike tsar Chris Boardman is calling for a £1.5bn fund to encourage walking and cycling – that Velotopia might not be so unreachable after all.
