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RideLondon is a big enough event that, along with thousands of satisfied participants, you’re always going to attract comments suggesting it might not be all that. This self-professed ‘unpopular opinion’ goes further, however, and labels it the “Park Run of active travel”…
Unpopular opinion – #RideLondon is a middle class jamboree that, far from advancing everyday cycling, perpetuates the myth that cyclists are guests on our roads, to be occasionally tolerated, and that cycling is primarily a leisure activity.
It’s the @parkrun of active travel.
— Jon Burke FRSA 🌍 (@jonburkeUK) May 30, 2022
The comment from Jon Burke prompted a (strangely for Twitter) healthy discussion about the event and the RideLondon FreeCycle (a circuit of closed roads in central London on the same day as the sportive aimed at getting kids and families who otherwise might not cycle in the capital the opportunity to do so).
Outspoken active traveller Jeremy Vine disagreed saying he’d “happened upon it” and thought it was “glorious”.
“Happy, not pushy, not even sporty. Good vibes,” he tweeted.
As for Ride London – whether or not it encourages more people to ride for transport overall, it’s still a great event. People who ride for leisure still get the health benefits.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) May 30, 2022
Disagree – training for RideLondon 46 got me fit enough & confident enough on roads to consider using bikes as an everyday transport mode. Fast forward 6 years & we are car-free. And for my mum, Freecycle got her into cycling, as outlined here 👇 https://t.co/WvBiKyOOC7
— Charlotte Baker (@charlie_baker23) May 30, 2022
You haven’t disagreed with my point. Either of them.
— Jon Burke FRSA 🌍 (@jonburkeUK) May 30, 2022
Which has famously had a huge impact on national fitness and obesity levels…🤔
— Jon Burke FRSA 🌍 (@jonburkeUK) May 30, 2022
A few of you got in touch yesterday with your experience of the day…
tigersnapper said: “Seeing John O’Connell’s tweet, I went up to London yesterday with the wife to tootle around on the FreeRide. It was great to see so many people of all ages and abilities on their bikes. I also noticed the team members of the parked up team buses stood clapping those of us chugging along past them which I thought was a real encouragement to keep people riding.”
zeeridesbikes added: “Really great to see the locals cheering us on during RL yesterday. The atmosphere was good and I though it was really well organised. Route was a bit dull and the amount of littering was really disappointing. Other than that I really enjoyed it although won’t be signing up for 2023.”
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