Saturday Social – this weeks hits, misses and news from our Instagram feed

Indeed - and before *that* Abellio who had the franchise for Scotrail had bikes ("Bike and Go") at (a few) stations. At the time I didn't understand this, not being cognizant of the Dutch OV Fiets system which presumably this was based on. Unfortunately I don't think many others understood it either. Given the small numbers of people braving Scotland's unfriendly and inconvenient cycling environments it was a case of "too soon for the location". Didn't help that these were unpowered public hire bikes (so robust and heavy * ) and some of the places they were offered are hilly. Plus there's the UK expectation of people cycling on the road accelerating like a motor vehicle and flowing with the traffic. * Ones I tried were something like the Batavus Personal bike with all the trimmings, racks etc. They had been sensibly given them a large number of gears (7) for a hire bike and who knows what you could carry. But even just carrying me they were ponderous.

Yes, clearly it would have been preferable for him never to have ridden a bike and driven everywhere, then he could have ended up an obese, bitter and spiteful specimen stuffing his face with crisps and fizzy pop sitting in front of his keyboard in mummy's basement leaving stupid comments on other people's obituaries. That would have been a much better use of a life.

"The Voi bikes have been much more successful than their predecessor, the Just Eat Cycles run by Serco which ended in 2021." The predecessor to VOI bikes in Edinburgh was not - as your version says - Voi bikes.

Wow. It takes a very miserable person to come to a cycling website, read an obituary of a very sweet, smart, kind man, and think that it's a good opportunity to post some sarcastic drivel, with a smiley no less. I bet your mom is real proud of you. Good luck with your weird little personal vendetta, I guess.

@Dodonline "better off adding capacity to roads" is a well-documented means to increase the volume of traffic overall. If they are built, people drive on them. Take a look at Los Angeles or the US highway system.

@Jitensha Oni I see no misogyny in that abstract. Many communities around the world, particularly those focused on religious faith, demand that women act and dress in what others might see as outdated, unnecessary and restrictive ways. E-bikes might have benefits for such women.

@cooji The attempts I made in infant school at drawing a house were more realistic and convincing than the above image.

@quiff Women in intensely faith-based communities perhaps still have to fulfil "traditional domestic responsibilities" and to dress in more traditionally feminine ways, so cycling is not seen as good for them.

@MaxiMinimalist Ah, the Reform commenter arrives.

This is all welcome but to manage expectations: The road budget will always be bigger, but to a first approximation that's where all the money goes (never mind all the auto advertising and lobbying). Spend per person per year: i think the new money would take England to about £15.8 I think NL spends around 30 euros. That's now, having already transformed their transport (they've recategorised their streets and roads to be monofunctional, they've a nationwide *network* of cycle routes not just a notional one, public transport is very good and integrated with cycling etc.) So what about here previously? Scotland I believe was at £40. London (and Wales now) mid twenties. UK average: was about £10 Most UK places excluding London / Wales: £1