You probably have heard that cycling in London is very dangerous and doing so with end in DEATH! It is nearly impossible to hear anything positive about cycling on radio, telly or while chatting to friends who do not cycle. And every news papers online and even offline you read will have hundred comments regarding how dangerous it is to cycle in London.

I think we all can agree on what I wrote above. Now you say so “where is the proof” show me the podding!! Simple, the Boris bikes.

Eh what?!? you say, run that by me again.

OK, since they got introduced around a year ago, they have become probably the most successful “free” hire scheme in the world. I think there was around 250.000 journeys on them in the first five week. Yes with a bit dead time over the winter, this success just went mad in the spring. Nearly every day I venture into the Boris Bike Zone, I see more and more people on them. It must be hard to find one since I often see empty bike stands around town.

Despite the fact that over 1.6 million Barclays Cycle Hire journeys have been made since the launch of the scheme almost four months ago, we had just 10 reports of users being injured while using the bikes during the first 11 weeks of operation. TfL spokesman, 2010″

There you have it, this is nothing, in simple terms the Boris bikes have made it safe to cycle in London. I can’t find a more up to date numbers, but 1.6 million in the first four months, means many many more over the last year.

Still not with me? Well have a look at who is using these bikes. Foreigners visiting our fine city and use the bikes. People who haven’t been on a bicycle since they where a wee nipper in school. Most of the users I see are not very experienced cyclist, used to cycle with better cycling infrastructure and on the other side of the road.

Therefore it is safe out there, contraire to what what the word is on the grapevine.