Hiatus. Hello Cycling in Liverpool

Well, it's been a while but I'm now in a position to start banging on about bikes again. We've had le tour pass through the North of England, the Giro in Belfast and all sorts of other bits and bobs that I've missed blogging about.
Being based in Liverpool now means I have different roads to ride on and a wholly different situation to ride in.
Incase you didn't know, the Mayor of this city - chap called Jo Anderson - is currently experimenting with abandoning bus lanes.
The experiment - which has lasted a year I think - comes to an end later this month.
The tarffic seems to move around the city just fine but it obviously makes things more difficult for cyclists. Be interesting to see what happend from August.
Liverpool has recently started a hire bike scheme. According to a piece in the Echo yesterday, 3000 joureneys have taken place. The bikes look good but I have only once seen anybody riding them - two lasses at the Pier Head.

Cycling has got a long long way to go in this city...

Liverpool trousers £2.8m of cycling cash

News that Liverpool City Council has trousered £2.8m for a new city centre bike hire scheme should finally increase the level of riders in the city.
Envious glances may be cast down the east lancs from Manchester which, despite its stated desire to become the home of cycling, still has a long way to go.
Perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised that Manchester is claiming cycling as its own, after all the City claims everything from liberal democracy to the computer to be born in the city - it's never that straight forward as you know.
So, how come Manchester has missed out on this pot of cash? Manchester is usually very good at being first in the queue. Well, here's my guess. Mayors.
While Manchester's electorate voted against having a mayor last May, Liverpool just went ahead and got one. That, I reckon, has pushed Liverpool above Manchester in the Whitehall pecking order. Perhaps.

Wiggins adds gloss to Tour of Britain

The organisers of the Tour of Britain must be absolutely cock-a-hoop that Mr Wiggins has agreed to ride this year's event.
It is a huge PR scoop to have the main man of the moment taking part and it's a move which should add some badly needed impetus to the levels of public interest to the event.
I remember watching the Milk Race as a lad on one of its many visits to Liverpool in '87.  There was a huge crowd at the finishing line on the cobbles of William Brown Street to watch local lad Joey McLoughlin win a group sprint against a field which included Stephen Roche.
I'm sure the daily stages were shown on Channel 4 as a highlights package - the race was really in the public eye.
Since then the Tour of Britain has fallen off the radar somewhat and of course ceased to exists for five years at the turn of the 21st century.
Wiggings' inclusion will draw crowds from outside of cycling to roadsides up and down the country - there are many other good riders taking part too, of course.
He's a PR dream at the moment is the sideburned one - his Mr 20 per cent must be getting offers and request left right and centre.
It's a bit of a shame that the route does not include visits to the major centres of population: stage two skirting Manchester and Liverpool in favour of Knutsford and Knowsley Safari Park.  Both wonderful places in their own right but on a Monday afternoon, I'm not sure how successful it'll be in terms of visitors.  I hope I'm wrong and besides, what do I know about organising a major sporting event?