I have to wonder whether The Times is anti-cycling. You may have heard about the results of tests by The British Heart Foundation’s cardiology researcher Dr David Newby which say that traffic pollution is as dangerous as passive smoking.

• The Times
• BHF
• The Telegraph (has helpful tips on safe cycling at the bottom)

The Times said:

There is no dispute in principle about the health benefits of cycling — it improves the circulation, keeps weight down and boosts overall fitness — yet the new research indicates that they could be outweighed by the polluted conditions of a busy road.

Yet the BHF website says:

The BHF stresses that the research is not bad news for cyclists in cities. For most cyclists, the benefits to their heart health from regular exercise far outweighs risk from pollution, which has yet to be directly proven.

You may have seen cyclists in cities wearing anti-pollution masks, I’d like to know the BHF’s opinion on their effectiveness. Respro make anti-pollution masks for cyclists which they sell on their website. One specifically for city commuters imaginatively named “City Mask” costs £24.99 or £27.99 for a high-visibility reflective one.

[The City Mask] Filters Out Hydrocarbons including Benzene & Pyrene, Nitrogen Oxides, Sulphur Dioxide, Lead Oxide and Black Smoke, PM 10′S including Pollen Dust and Building Dust.

The Times’ article also says:

Diesel exhaust includes nanoparticles of carbon and a range of metals. The particulates are so tiny that experts say it is pointless for cyclists to wear masks, because the mesh cannot be fine enough to block them.

A response to this statement can be found on bikebiz.co.uk along with an attack on the conclusions of the BHF’s research here.

Today I rather daftly uncompressed and archive of an old version of this site over the top, destroying alot of the work I’ve done recently. Luckily as I new where I was heading I managed to get all the CSS back in place within a short time, also helped by the fact that much of the layout is a modified blogger.com theme.

A few elements has been overwritten such as the title image, which you may notice is now a bench, which, should you be in Lincoln ever you can find on the aptly named Steep Hill. You can find the full photo here. Thanks again to Lisa who allowed me to exploit her graphics skills once again to do the nice header picture.

I won’t do that again in a hurry.

Government figures out today reveal in the last year that the number of worrying statistics has risen sharply by an unprecedented 36.3% in 12 months.

A worrying statistic is one that is deemed to concern the majority of the British public. Recent examples of worrying statistics include the 18.4% increase in alcohol related deaths, the revelation that 64% of 999 calls in Llanidloes are not responded to within 8 minutes and the statistics showing that in the last four years deaths from the NHS superbug MRSAâ„¢.

Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone said: “These figures are deeply worrying.

“The government must put in place stricter measures against worrying statistics.”

The concerns over the increase in worrying statistics heightened when it was realised that the increase itself represents a worrying statistic, suggesting that figures could spiral out of control in coming years.

Todays news is rather worrying if you can make the connection.

Firstly, Ronnie Biggs, the Great Train Robber (not that great as he got caught) and long time deathlist candidate has MRSA and is being held at Belmarsh Prison.

Secondly, 10 ‘Threats to National Security’ have been locked up in Belmarsh Prison. Including Abu Qatada. I don’t know the identities of the other 9 yet.

When you hold these two pieces of news next to each other the intention is clear, they are using Ronnie Biggs to infect the 10 ‘Threats to National Security’ the deadly superbug MRSA. In return for his part in the scheme Biggs may be given his freedom.

Sources:-

• ‘Threats to UK security’ detained (BBC News)
• Release appeal as Biggs has MRSA (BBC News)

Last night I added one of those fancy cyle computers to my bike to record my speed, distance travelled, time on the road and so on. I now know the somewhat fascinating fact that from my house it is 0.96 miles from my house to work, which I managed in 3 minutes 20 seconds. I travelled at an average speed of 17.4 mph. My top speed was about 26mph.

I reckon I could improve on that somewhat depending on the traffic. Today I wasn’t actually held up by traffic much. However a red Nissan Micra driven by a lady who either doesn’t like bikes enough to want to cause cyclists fatal injury or is blind. Either way she doesn’t deserve to be on the road. As I was cycling down Lincoln’s Greetwell Road towards Outer Circle Road the traffic a few cars in front of me slowed as a car stopped to turn into Lincolnshire County Hospital. The driver of the Nissan Micra was alongside for a time me as she re-accelerated as she did so she moved closer and closer to the kerb leaving me less and less space in which to cycle. Luckily she finished overtaking me before I was knocked off my bike I may have also braked in order to save myself breaking bones should I have fallen off.

So if you are a female driver of a dark red Nissan Micra who was driving down Greetwell Road just before 9am today, you are either psychotic, a moron or need to have an eye test. I don’t think you are fit to be on the road. If anything like this happens again I’m going to put the number plate of the car on here.