Let’s talk about Lime bikes – yes, those green bikes that are cluttering up the pavements in cities like London, Nottingham and Manchester. Even Dame Joan Collins is fed up. Just last weekend, the 92-year-old actress took to Instagram to call out the ‘loutish’ behaviour of Lime bike users by sharing a photo of herself standing in front of dozens of seemingly abandoned e-bikes blocking the footpath.
Then there are the not-so-silly safety concerns. London hospitals have seen a surge in people being admitted to A&E with what orthopedic surgeons are calling ‘Lime bike leg’, or broken legs caused by the hire e-bike, which weighs over 30kg, landing on the rider during a fall. And it’s not just riders who are sustaining injuries – nearly everyone I know has had a run-in with a Lime bike.
There are, at peak times, over 2,800 e-bikes roaming around the streets of London per hour. The blocked pathways and safety hazards represent a serious problem, especially as Limes become one of the fastest-growing ways of getting around the capital. That said, I believe there’s a more pressing issue that needs to be addressed first, and that’s the fact that many Brits don’t know how to ride Lime bikes (or normal bikes).
No, I’m not talking about knowing how to use the brakes and pedals. (Although, don’t even get me started on the number of cyclists in London who don’t know how to use their bell. Just ring it! It’s not that hard.) Riding a bike is more than steering and pedalling. It’s about being aware of your environment – cars, pedestrians, other cyclists – and following traffic laws. And I hate to say it but that’s where most British cyclists fall short.
The reason I’m confident in making this statement is because I grew up in Belgium, a country that is known for its well-developed network of cycle lines and so-called ‘cycling highways’. As a child I rode my pink bike almost everywhere – to school, my best friend’s house, tennis lessons – because it was quicker than getting the bus. Today, as an adult who lives in London and commutes into the office on the bus five days a week, I envy my friends in cities like Antwerp who can bike to work safely.
‘Safely’ being the key word. In theory, I could cycle to work but I’ve deemed it far too dangerous, even if I’d wear a helmet and opt for a route with one of the few cycle lanes. The lack of a real cycling culture – and more alarmingly, the apparent disregard for the Highway Code – makes me wary of other road users. If I extend my right arm to indicate a right turn – will the person behind me even know what I’m trying to signal?
In contrast, cyclists in Belgium need to follow strict rules that are enforced. Once, as a teenager, I was stopped by the police while cycling across a junction clock-wise (rather than counter-clockwise) and they threatened to send me to mandatory cycle training if I ever did it again (I didn’t). A few other offences that Brits probably wouldn’t think about twice but would earn you a fine in my homeland include using your phone while cycling, riding a bike without a functioning bell and giving your friend a backie.
Now that I’ve done my research, I know there are legal consequences for cyclists in the UK too. As I assumed, they are expected to follow the same rules as those driving a motor vehicle, meaning they must obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals, they must give way at zebra crossings and they must not cycle on a pavement (just to list a few common offences). Those who don’t can be fined, or even face more serious penalties, begging the question: why do so many cyclists in London insist on running a red light?
I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve had to swerve for bikes so I don’t get hit while crossing the road. As I see it, there are only two possible explanations for this kind of unhinged behaviour: either British cyclists don’t know the rules of biking, which means they are unfit to ride bikes, or they don’t care to follow the rules. To be honest, I don’t know which is worse so I’d suggest taking their (Lime) bikes away until they’ve learned how to get on the road without endangering pedestrians.
