LancsCycleSam
@cyclesam.uk
📤 681
📥 157
📝 937
The poster formerly known as @MCRCycleSam Walking, Cycling, Urbanism.
https://cyclesam.uk/
pinned post!
A short introduction post Formerly known as MCRCycleSam I post about all things walking, cycling, and urbanism. Over the years I've been campaigning for infrastructure to help people get around actively I named the "Sparrow" crossing, always fun to see the name popping up elsewhere in the country!
about 1 year ago
5
46
12
Gritter has just been past for the first time this season (I live on an infrequent bus route) Expecting snow tomorrow!
about 2 hours ago
0
0
0
Continuing the decarbonisation journey, I've found a new induction hob that will be a drop in replacement for our gas hob - even the same size cutout - for £50! That's less than what it'll cost me to get the gas man out to disconnect the old hob!
add a skeleton here at some point
2 days ago
1
5
0
I recently self installed a mini split AC/Heat pump to my house and I'm amazed by the results. I can now renewably heat the living room at over 400% efficiency, which is comparable to gas prices even with daytime electric prices: overnight electric prices beat gas by a factor of 3 or 4.
3 days ago
2
20
3
The media running "income tax rises scrapped" headlines then saying the tax band thresholds will be reduced in the first sentence. That's literally an income tax rise, surely they're not going to get away with that so easily?
3 days ago
0
0
0
Only 6% of purchases on C2W are done by people earning over 100k and only 6% are on bikes over £2k. So what changes do they actually want to make? It'll barely save any money either way, while removing one of the only benefits that workers aren't means tested out of.
add a skeleton here at some point
3 days ago
2
4
2
No trains running today so just a casual 50km back from Manchester to Pendle. Only took 2h30 which I thought was quite good. Thank god for eBikes!
8 days ago
1
14
2
Was nice to see this pleasant cycling Junction in Bury as a respite from the other 50km of car centric roads I rode along today.
8 days ago
2
40
5
Can anyone experienced with North Manchester/East Lancs cycling help me with a rough route from the city centre to Burnley? No trains tomorrow...
9 days ago
5
1
3
My first time using the Deansgate lane. Bloody brilliant. This used to be a 4 lane traffic sewer.
9 days ago
3
21
3
Some photos of the Accessible Nelson scheme going in. Look how much wider the footways are going to be, and the new cycle tracks are taking shape!
9 days ago
0
3
0
This long term masterplan for a gyratory in Burnley seems to take a leaf out of TfL's book to me: closing off one side of a gyratory to cars and making the rest of it two way is textbook TfL.
10 days ago
3
13
4
Interesting that BYD is trying to sell a Wall-E future, where kids doomscroll and sip drinks while they're ferried to school with no awareness of their surroundings, as a SELLING point!
add a skeleton here at some point
10 days ago
1
16
3
Its OK, I didn't want to use the footway anyway...
10 days ago
1
14
2
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Tom Jeffs
10 days ago
Salford Chapel St new cycleways under construction.
@rantyhighwayman.bsky.social
5
41
16
Pleased to see some good progress on the construction of the improved footways and cycle tracks through Nelson, Lancs. I wouldn't say the designs are fully LTN1/20 compliant with lots of locations where the cycle tracks become shared footways, but it'll be the first decent onroad route in E.Lancs.
11 days ago
1
7
1
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
11 days ago
BIG NEWS On 7/12/25, GM sees the biggest change to rail services for 30+ years. A new fairer, simpler fare system will come in across our 96 stations. 🐝 Singles will be half the price of returns 🐝 Tickets will be valid on any operator 🐝 Average fare will fall by 5.6% 1/2
4
258
56
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Reposting this blog post as we're getting on for two months since. Happy to report I'm still using the same phone for my day to day and still loving it. I'd say there have been very few inconveniences overall and well worth the time I've got back.
sa.mtate.me.uk/blog/on-digi...
loading . . .
On Digital Minimalism: Can you live without a smartphone?
https://sa.mtate.me.uk/blog/on-digital-minimalism-can-you-live-without-a-smartphone
6 months ago
1
0
1
One thing I also like recently is "vibe-cycling". I.e just going on a cycle and turning down roads I'm unfamiliar with but I think will lead roughly to the direction I want to go.
add a skeleton here at some point
5 months ago
1
17
6
This sort of thing was always such a missed opportunity in Manchester. Lanes would be closed or whole roads would be shut for YEARS to build a tower. People got used to it, then when the tower is built, the road opens again, back to the old car-centric layout.
add a skeleton here at some point
6 months ago
1
5
0
Reposting this blog post as we're getting on for two months since. Happy to report I'm still using the same phone for my day to day and still loving it. I'd say there have been very few inconveniences overall and well worth the time I've got back.
sa.mtate.me.uk/blog/on-digi...
loading . . .
On Digital Minimalism: Can you live without a smartphone?
https://sa.mtate.me.uk/blog/on-digital-minimalism-can-you-live-without-a-smartphone
6 months ago
1
0
1
A great ride today around Pendle and Burnley. Really can be a lovely part of the world. Got a telling off from these geese though.
6 months ago
0
4
0
The service Lime offers is fantastic although I won't use it these days as it does feel like the bikes are frequently in disrepair (missing saddles, pedals, and phone docks often), and now use cheaper components like tyres and possibly wheels?
add a skeleton here at some point
6 months ago
1
1
0
There really should just be one app, and a standardised parking machine that has a non-diabolical UI and accepts cash and contactless. I have less than zero interest in trying to download a new app and register and add credit card details rather than just putting a pound coin in.
add a skeleton here at some point
6 months ago
1
5
1
No Sparrow Crossing? Boooo Seriously though, a great video, even though most transport nerds in my circles already know all this. Always good to see a video on something you know about because if this is accurate, then all the others on things you don't know about probably are too.
add a skeleton here at some point
6 months ago
1
4
0
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Owler Nook
6 months ago
The Middlewood Way. Now in dangerously poor condition near Hazel Knoll Farm.
3
8
2
The proposed Liverpool-Manchester line makes the Crewe to Ringway link a no brainer. Wonder if that could get tacked on as part of that without the political "controversy" of calling it HS2
6 months ago
0
3
0
On track to be a record
#Solar
Generation day for us today with essentially no cloud cover and relatively cool temperatures keeping efficiency up. Should easily sail past 32kWh generated by sunset: this is about 4x the needs of the house. 6.8kWp array on east/west aspects.
6 months ago
1
5
0
Extremely chuffed to get my first sub-30 minute 5k this weekend! My first parkrun was back in October when I completed it in 42 minutes walk-running (emphasis on the walk part). It's been such a rewarding hobby - despite frequently hating it while actually doing it :D
6 months ago
2
20
0
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
AZB
7 months ago
The fact that the government is dragging its feet on a national pavement parking ban is a disgrace that is causing millions of vulnerable people to risk their lives because drivers are too lazy and selfish to park properly.
10
118
45
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Dom Cycling
8 months ago
Headed down to the Irwell to clear some of that silt that's been left there from the floods at new year. Shifted a reasonable amount, but still lots more to remove. Will have to head down again.
0
12
3
Amazing news. First major junction in Manchester to do this I think?
add a skeleton here at some point
8 months ago
0
2
0
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
On Digital Minimalism: Can you live without a smartphone? New blog post from me exploring a digital minimalism journey. Is there something in it or have I just become an odd luddite?
sa.mtate.me.uk/blog/on-digi...
8 months ago
1
5
3
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Peaks & Puddles 🚲
8 months ago
This just in…! Before, After.
7
41
8
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Stevie Zero
8 months ago
In the uncrowded category of “segregated cycle lanes of Levenshulme” this is currently miles out in n the lead. Looking forward to it being finished. When are we getting more like this 🤷♂️
loading . . .
2
28
5
I recently completed my first 10k race at Heaton Park this weekend. My goal was 75 minutes but I managed 71:33 which I was incredibly pleased with! It's the longest distance I've run continuously since starting running late last year: at that point the 1 min run intervals on C25k were a challenge..
8 months ago
2
7
0
On Digital Minimalism: Can you live without a smartphone? New blog post from me exploring a digital minimalism journey. Is there something in it or have I just become an odd luddite?
sa.mtate.me.uk/blog/on-digi...
8 months ago
1
5
3
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Walk Ride GM
8 months ago
Wonderful to see two of the new Deansgate walking and cycling junctions open today
1
27
9
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Adam Tranter
8 months ago
James May: “Obviously I’ve spent a lot of time over the years writing about cars and making TV about them, and I love cars, but I do think in my bones they don’t really belong in towns.” “It amazes me that people go to the shops a mile away in the car.”
www.standard.co.uk/news/transpo...
loading . . .
Cars don't belong in cities, says Top Gear's James May
TV star has idea for Hammersmith bridge - and calls anti-cycling council ‘tw*ts’
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/driving-london-cars-james-may-london-cycling-campaign-top-gear-b1218513.html
11
534
160
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Jon
8 months ago
Oh no, someone's made some stickers to stick on controlled pedestrian crossing points in an attempt to encourage the council to change the timings.
25
196
53
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
James Stafford
8 months ago
Warburton Bridge now has a proper pavement, rather than a dirt track. Before and after.
1
12
1
One interesting side effect of the demise of landlines and the rise of mobiles is the simultaneous demise of regional numbers. "0161 manny on the map" will be a relic of the past soon. In other news I just activated a VOIP service for a local Burnleh number. Keep traditions alive.
8 months ago
3
1
0
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
SyrinxTemple
8 months ago
Well it's taken best part of three months doing 15 to 30 mins at least once a week, but I have finally cleared the bulk of the mud off the
#Bridgewater
canal towpath (between
#OldTrafford
and
#Deansgate
interchange) after the Jan 1st flood. You're welcome.
2
19
2
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Is a "dumbphone" feasible in 2025? With the distractions of a smartphone I decided to try setting it up as a "dumbphone" for a while. Obviously these days going back to SMS would be limiting so I allowed myself Telegram and Signal. No App Store, no Browser, no Email.
8 months ago
4
3
1
Is a "dumbphone" feasible in 2025? With the distractions of a smartphone I decided to try setting it up as a "dumbphone" for a while. Obviously these days going back to SMS would be limiting so I allowed myself Telegram and Signal. No App Store, no Browser, no Email.
8 months ago
4
3
1
It's pretty insane BlueSky still doesn't offer any form of MFA other than email. Not only is this inconvenient, it's insecure too. They really need to add TOTP and/or FIDO hardware key authentication ASAP.
8 months ago
0
2
0
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Walk Ride GM
8 months ago
Coming soon to a Deansgate near you
2
27
3
As always it's residents who never bothered to get a dropped kerb installed moaning that something legitimately gets placed in the way of their "driveway".
add a skeleton here at some point
8 months ago
1
10
3
reposted by
LancsCycleSam
Bryn Buck 🏳️🌈💛🤍💜🖤
8 months ago
youtu.be/9uSRuIJZ4-A
Only a short one this time round.
loading . . .
AMBER Arrows?! Are these allowed?
YouTube video by Bryn Buck
https://youtu.be/9uSRuIJZ4-A
1
18
4
Nice continuous footway and cycleway with almost Dutch style entry kerbs in Holborn
8 months ago
2
10
1
My average price per kWh imported from the grid last month was 6.5p/kWh. Let no one tell you that "net zero" measures such as home batteries and smart meters aren't the future.
8 months ago
1
2
0
Load more
feeds!
log in
