Author: cyclox editor

Sign saying 'Lemond and Fignon' with tiny model cyclists on top

Oxford bike bridges and the Tour de France

By Jonny Ives

The announcement of the route of the next Tour de France does not usually resonate deeply in Oxford. This year, details of the 2024 Tour may ring a few more bells than usual for cyclists using the newly repaired Marston cycle path. Read on to find out why.

Child on a small balance bike, i.e. a bike with no pedals

In praise of balance bikes

By Emily Kerr

An academic study was recently published on how very young children learn to cycle. It found that children who learned on balance bikes can ride a normal bike much earlier than their peers who learned with stabilisers.

Pedestrians crowded on pavement and trying to cross road at corner of Worcester Road, Oxford

A view from the pavement

By Sushila Dhall

Pedestrians are supposed to be at the top of the hierarchy in road-use planning, but is this always the case? Veteran campaigner Sushila Dhall shines a light on some of the issues faced by walkers and wheelchair users.

Cyclists and walkers in road with parked cars but no traffic

LTNs keep our children safe

By Jemima Hunt

East Oxford’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) were introduced in May 2022. For months the UK media seized upon stories of the plastic bollards proving a target for vandals and thieves. Coverage included a Panorama documentary, “Road Wars”, and an article in the The Times, “Low Traffic, Big Bust-Ups”. The plastic bollards were finally replaced with lockable wooden posts in March 2023.

Road with a wooden bollard preventing cars driving through

East Oxford LTNs approved

By Robin Tucker and Alison Hill

On 17 October, the first meeting of Oxfordshire County Council’s newly formed Liberal Democrat and Green Cabinet was faced with one of the most difficult and controversial decisions it will have to make. This was the decision to make the East Oxford Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) permanent.

Small electronic device stuck to window with hand pressing button

Citizens measuring the traffic

By Emily Kerr

I’ve spent a lot of the last 18 months looking at traffic research and information, as my ward of St Mary’s launched low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in May last year. One of my frustrations has been the lack of easy-to-understand traffic data for Oxford. That is all set to change now, with the launch of Telraams.

Night view of Oxford High Street with car and bikes using lights

Time to find your lights

By Jonny Ives

For the huge number of Oxford residents and visitors who regularly ride a bike, the first hint of a chill in the air and shorter evenings mean we need to make sure that we have some lights and that they are working properly.

Large diverse group of cyclists, adults and children, riding down Holywell Street, Oxford

Kidical Mass calls for safe streets for kids

By Alison Hill

On Sunday 24 September you may have encountered a colourful group of kids accompanied by their grownups cycling around the city centre ringing their bells and waving. This cheerful sight was Oxford’s fourth Kidical Mass, and the third this year. Kidical Mass is a marshalled family-friendly ride to give children the opportunity to cycle on the roads of their home city, streets that would normally not be considered safe for them.

Group of adults and children holding placards standing at entrance to side road blocked by a temporary barrier

School Streets: the key to a cycling city

By Brad Baines

This Cycle To School Week (25 to 29 September) it’s time for bolder action to make it safe for kids cycling to school across Oxfordshire. That means more School Streets. By supporting more children (and parents) to change how they get to and from school, we can shift the transport patterns of an entire generation.

Map showing the route of Marston Meadow cycle track

All the best bike paths lead to Marston

By Andy Chivers

If you like riding a bike then the best place to live in Oxford is Marston. Three of the finest cycle paths in the city take you to Marston and all three have Marston in their names