4 ms·

Given the location I'm guessing there was very little change of elevation.

ozim 3y ago
Everyone is praising bikes and as example they give NL or Amsterdam. It just never is Norway or Switzerland. If you have flat land and mild winters, mild summers, sure you are going to get load of cycling, making infra is no brainer.
- drivers99 3y ago
  Ah the old "we're not Amsterdam" excuse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIcwzqRlZ68 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIcwzqRlZ68 "Are Dutch Cities Really that Different? Debunking Cycling Myths"
- kitkat_new 3y ago
  also the mild winters excuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU and the flat excuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWnreLG_cvc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWnreLG_cvc
- _dain_ 3y ago
  >It just never is Norway or Switzerland. What's the cycling modal share in your city, and is it higher than Oslo's? https://ecf.com/news-and-events/news/city-oslo-joins-cities-regions-cyclists-network https://ecf.com/news-and-events/news/city-oslo-joins-cities-... >With a modal share of 7% (2018), Oslo’s bicycle strategy has a modal share target for cycling of 16% by 2025. Furthermore, Oslo has seen a ten-fold increase in the annual construction of bicycle infrastructure, from 1.5 km/year to over 15 km/year, with an updated mandate to build 100 km for the period 2020-2023. >Oslo has a strong focus on road maintenance, which complemented by winter cycling campaigns, has drastically contributed to higher numbers of winter cyclists. A priority network of bike lanes was established for high-level winter maintenance, which in its first three years of operation has resulted in an 78% increase in cycling traffic during the winter months. It turns out that when you consider "how will people cycle in the winter" as a problem to be solved, rather than simply an excuse for doing nothing, you can dramatically improve your city. Amazingly, when you treat cycling as a first class citizen in the transportation network, and keep the cycle lanes in proper condition rather than abandoning them to the elements the second things get tough, people will use them year round even in cold climates. And while they did this, they cut pedestrian and cyclist fatalities down to zero. Any city can do this, if it actually tries.
fanf2 3y ago
Cambridge itself varies from a little less than 10m above sea level to a little more than 20m above sea level. I think the highest point of Diziet’s rides was probably Royston, getting on for 100m above sea level. Lowest point probably near Soham, a few metres below sea level. Not Soham itself: the fenland towns are slightly evevated, enough that they flood less than the surrounding area. Fun fact: in Cambridge city centre there are several streets called things like Market Hill and Senate House Hill. They are called “hills” because they used to be about 0.5m higher than other nearby streets. The difference is most visible on Benet St where there are steps from the road (gradually raised over the centuries) down to the churchyard around the tower, which is the oldest building in Cambridge, about 1000 years old.
- PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago
  Second fun fact: the Gog Magog hills outside Cambridge are the highest point between there and some insane distance to the NE. How can this be, you ask incredulously? It's almost entirely open water between those two locations, other than incredibly flat land as you cross eastern England and ditto before reaching wherever the next spot that is above 300'.
  - KaiserPro 3y ago
    Little port, which is one of the stations on the railway further on, was literally that. also some more reference: https://www.greatfen.org.uk/about-great-fen/heritage/brief-history-great-fen https://www.greatfen.org.uk/about-great-fen/heritage/brief-h...
  - fanf2 3y ago
    If you head northeast from the Gog Magog hills you will stay over land. The longest you can go in that direction without exceeding 75m elevation is I think about 200km, going just to the east of Peterborough and Lincoln, over the Humber to a liitle place north of Market Weighton called Londesborough, roughly halfway between York and Hull. East of Lincoln there's a long valley that's very nicely aligned so that our line can slip between the Lincoln Edge and the Lincolnshire wolds.

ozim 3y ago

Everyone is praising bikes and as example they give NL or Amsterdam. It just never is Norway or Switzerland. If you have flat land and mild winters, mild summers, sure you are going to get load of cycling, making infra is no brainer.

drivers99 3y ago
Ah the old "we're not Amsterdam" excuse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIcwzqRlZ68 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIcwzqRlZ68 "Are Dutch Cities Really that Different? Debunking Cycling Myths"
kitkat_new 3y ago
also the mild winters excuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU and the flat excuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWnreLG_cvc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWnreLG_cvc
_dain_ 3y ago
>It just never is Norway or Switzerland. What's the cycling modal share in your city, and is it higher than Oslo's? https://ecf.com/news-and-events/news/city-oslo-joins-cities-regions-cyclists-network https://ecf.com/news-and-events/news/city-oslo-joins-cities-... >With a modal share of 7% (2018), Oslo’s bicycle strategy has a modal share target for cycling of 16% by 2025. Furthermore, Oslo has seen a ten-fold increase in the annual construction of bicycle infrastructure, from 1.5 km/year to over 15 km/year, with an updated mandate to build 100 km for the period 2020-2023. >Oslo has a strong focus on road maintenance, which complemented by winter cycling campaigns, has drastically contributed to higher numbers of winter cyclists. A priority network of bike lanes was established for high-level winter maintenance, which in its first three years of operation has resulted in an 78% increase in cycling traffic during the winter months. It turns out that when you consider "how will people cycle in the winter" as a problem to be solved, rather than simply an excuse for doing nothing, you can dramatically improve your city. Amazingly, when you treat cycling as a first class citizen in the transportation network, and keep the cycle lanes in proper condition rather than abandoning them to the elements the second things get tough, people will use them year round even in cold climates. And while they did this, they cut pedestrian and cyclist fatalities down to zero. Any city can do this, if it actually tries.

fanf2 3y ago

Cambridge itself varies from a little less than 10m above sea level to a little more than 20m above sea level. I think the highest point of Diziet’s rides was probably Royston, getting on for 100m above sea level. Lowest point probably near Soham, a few metres below sea level. Not Soham itself: the fenland towns are slightly evevated, enough that they flood less than the surrounding area. Fun fact: in Cambridge city centre there are several streets called things like Market Hill and Senate House Hill. They are called “hills” because they used to be about 0.5m higher than other nearby streets. The difference is most visible on Benet St where there are steps from the road (gradually raised over the centuries) down to the churchyard around the tower, which is the oldest building in Cambridge, about 1000 years old.

PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago
Second fun fact: the Gog Magog hills outside Cambridge are the highest point between there and some insane distance to the NE. How can this be, you ask incredulously? It's almost entirely open water between those two locations, other than incredibly flat land as you cross eastern England and ditto before reaching wherever the next spot that is above 300'.
- KaiserPro 3y ago
  Little port, which is one of the stations on the railway further on, was literally that. also some more reference: https://www.greatfen.org.uk/about-great-fen/heritage/brief-history-great-fen https://www.greatfen.org.uk/about-great-fen/heritage/brief-h...
- fanf2 3y ago
  If you head northeast from the Gog Magog hills you will stay over land. The longest you can go in that direction without exceeding 75m elevation is I think about 200km, going just to the east of Peterborough and Lincoln, over the Humber to a liitle place north of Market Weighton called Londesborough, roughly halfway between York and Hull. East of Lincoln there's a long valley that's very nicely aligned so that our line can slip between the Lincoln Edge and the Lincolnshire wolds.