London comes into its own as cycling city

London’s cyclists may well have an upbeat air today as they cycle to and from work, after the greatest London cyclist of all, Bradley Wiggins, won the Tour de France. He now prepares to battle for further glory at the Olympics. Wiggins, who grew up in Kilburn, is not just a Briton — he is an ornament of the Herne Hill velodrome, whose fellow enthusiasts took huge pride in his historic achievement. As the Mayor says, he is an inspiration to all of us.

The remarkable thing about London is that it has turned over the past decade into a cycling city. The number of cyclists on the roads has more than doubled in the last 12 years; more than half a million journeys a day are made by bike. And the bid to get people to do more has obviously had an enormous boost from the provision of the Boris bikes, which have transformed transport in the capital for visitors as well as locals. In fact, many Olympics visitors may well find that Boris bikes are the quickest and easiest way to navigate the city. London is not an obvious cycling capital, partly because of its scale, compared with cities in the Netherlands or Germany, but we’ve made enormous progress over a decade and the Mayor wants to increase the number still further. Making it safer with the provision of more cycle lanes would, of course, help.

There has been a lot of talk about the sporting legacy of the Olympics but one part of the legacy seems to have been delivered already in terms of an increase in cycling as an activity and a sport, thanks to the Tour de France. If the British team, including Mr Wiggins, wins medals in the sport, that sense that cycling is a normal part of the culture will become more entrenched. London is now a cycling city and we should be proud of it.

Notwithstanding the problems today on several routes to the Olympic Park, including delays on the Jubilee line, the notable thing is that London transport is remarkably well prepared for the Games, at least so far. Heathrow is already coping with the increased numbers of Olympics visitors, many of whom have already arrived. The Olympic lanes on the roads are clearly marked and most people are coming to terms with them. And the Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, who has spent the past year trying to prepare the city for the disruption the Games will cause, can be confident that the message has got across: most people know when to travel and when not to and which routes to avoid. This has been a demanding exercise but it seems, so far, to be bearing fruit. Indeed, many people will be embracing the opportunity of relieving the pressures on public transport further — by working from home.

We need all to play our part, by following advice, helping visitors, and generally presenting London’s best face to the outside world. Right now, there’s a feelgood sense about the Games, helped enormously by the good weather, which shows London in a sunny mood.

It would be good if the unions could share that patriotic sense that this is our moment; the notion that Boris bike workers and TfL information staff may stage a walkout on Friday, the opening day of the Olympics, is preposterous. We need to show off the capital, not see the Games as a chance to advance sectional interests, and union leaders such as Bob Crow should recognise that Londoners, including his own members, want the Games to work. This is a chance for London to win friends and attract business from the rest of the world. That means making sure the Games are welcoming and so is the city. Londoners should make the most of it; we shall bask in the capital’s reflected glory.