Is cycling becoming acceptable in Britain?

[knbarter]

It seems that more and more people commute by bike: http://iitm.be/ccyclists . Is cycling becoming socially accepted or even a mark of distinction?

[237SJ]

Cycling is OK on country roads where there is a lot of room but they`re a pain in the butt round here. I cycle too so I`m not anti-cycling but I try to keep off the roads as much as possible and just go along tow-paths or through the park. We`re not like Holland and other places. We haven`t got the room for them in an urban environment. If I get caught behind one, there isn`t the room to go around them unless there`s nothing coming in the opposite direction. When I finally get around them, they catch up with me later when I`m in traffic and then we have the same scenario all over again. With people like Boris and Cameron encouraging people to cycle, there`s going to be a huge increase in accidents in the future.

[naomi24]

I do think more people are cycling now – but I also think a lot of them take liberties. Those I see, in London in particular, don’t appear to think the rules of the road apply to them. So dangerous!

Actually, I saw something rather extraordinary in Kensington a little while back. A woman on a bike which had a large wooden box on wheels attached to the front of it. In the box sat a little girl, aged about four. No harness, no safety straps – nothing to protect her at all. I couldn’t believe this stupid mother was getting away with it – but she cycled happily past police, so she clearly was.

[emmie]

the worse one i saw was a dad with three little kids on the bike, one on the handlebars, one on the bar between him and the handlebars, and one on the back, honestly you couldn't make this up, what a loon. He was on the road by the way, but i think the term jaw dropping really came into it's own that day.

[Old_Geezer]

Bobbies on the beat doing their job would help remind folk how they should behave.