first mate

On your final paragraph, I don't doubt it. There are aggressive car drivers and they are a menace to all road users, including pedestrians. I have not yet looked at the research around hi-vis but I am confused why reflective anklets and the like are 'worth the investment' presumably because they make the cyclist more visible but hi-vis jackets don't? I then wonder why construction workers on roads, police, horse riders on the road, all wear hi-vis are they all mistaken that hi-vis jackets make them more visible?

Yes, well a lot of the above infractions also occur in daylight...just in case you had not noticed;)

No, they think there goes some kind of e-bike, I just don't believe they think there goes a motorbike or moped.

I actually think you are missing the point. It might be termed an inconvenient truth, but it possibly suits many of those riding the illegal bikes to choose not to understand the difference, and it does feel like a grey area, this allows them then to do things that pedal cyclists currently get away with, like cycling on pavements and pedestrian only places, running red lights, cycling through LTNs and areas blocked to other motorised vehicles. It is a growing problem and currently is not really being policed. I don't think the suggestion of dedicated e-bike lanes will solve this; as ever, people break the rules because they can and it suits them so to do.

A further issue is that that distinction between legal and illegal e-bikes and where they can go, seems to be clear only in the minds of a few. Over here we are seeing daily incursion of all types of cycle user (whether legal or illegal) into pedestrian only areas, increasing perception of and eventually actual risk. That is the big challenge.

Ermm and the many videos of cycle rush-hour that can be found online demonstrating the issues that some Amsterdam residents are concerned about...plus others who have visited and have a different experience from yours.

Plenty of videos out there, taken over this summer, showing cycling rush hour in Amsterdam-paints a rather different picture. Anyhow, anyone who has been to Amsterdam recently knows what it is like, it really isn't a matter of debate.

Give it a rest Earl, this is beginning to sound like your solo pursuit of personal one-upmanship.

That is true, but that short burst of intense noise can cause life-changing, long-term damage and consequences for pets and their owners. A quick internet search shows there is a developing craze for as-loud-as-possible fireworks- the emphasis is on how much of a bang they make, not on the visual aspect. What is it that people love so much about this and why do they think it is okay to impose it on everyone else? I am appalled that the government clearly have no intention of doing a thing about it. Our allegedly 'green' council should probably take a closer look. If we start having fireworks going off every night for 6 months of the year, that is going to have a variety of environmental impacts.

If I was hearing the same thing it sounded more like a 62 gun salute. A monotonous but extremely loud bang, bang, bang. Whatever type of firework was used it seems to have been chosen for maximum noise. Intrusive and anti social. Maybe take it to your local councillor. We are now at a stage that fireworks have been let off multiple times a week since September, sometimes well after 11pm. It is out of control.

Are the coaches in some way licensed by the council and paying to park there? What on earth was he on about?

I just thought it would be useful to remind everyone how this thread started. The OP made a very valid point. But instead of looking at why maybe more cyclists are taking risks by not having lights and in addition choosing not to increase their visibility with hi-viz, some posters separated out the points in the statement, dismissing the no lights issue ('illegal so no discussion necessary') and instead highlighted and focused solely on the hi-viz clothing aspect, some also choosing to mock to undermine, thereby deflecting from the original statement which made sense to many of us; as one poster put it- just common sense.

@Earl Aelfheah who said about Rockets "He has no interest in improving the experience of people walking or cycling". That is a singularly arrogant statement. Are you a mind reader now?

But this is an inaccurate statement. Anyone really familiar with Amsterdam and who has seen it change over the years knows tourism issues are not "occasional" but a serious issue and Dutch friends tell me it puts them off visiting the city. Growth of e-bikes and the various 'illegal' variations is a further major problem. All this is relatively new by the way. For those who want to turn London into a cycling city like Amsterdam, we should remind ourselves of the completely different topography. Amsterdam is flat, very flat. London has many very steep hills; East Dulwich is surrounded by them. Isn't it surprising then how much of a 'blight' various types of powered bikes are proving to be, even in Amsterdam? Given the much heralded benefits of pedal cycling in the world's cycling capital, with an ideal landscape for cycling and the infrastructure to support it, why do so many turn to the powered variety, I wonder? If its already a problem over there we can only wonder what will happen over here.

Some of you need to remove your rose-tinted specs. Amsterdam most certainly has issues with tourism and in summer parts of it are awful. Tourists and cycling do not seem to mix. Fat bikes and souped up e-bikes are another issue and NL is looking at a ban. Please don't resort to the usual tactic of bleating on how these are motorbikes and nothing to do with cycling. If there is a problem over there you can bet your life it'll transfer over here, as soon as the e-bike revolution truly takes hold - courtesy of people like Cllr McAsh. The cycling 'movement' is already normalising incursion of motorised vehicles into what used to be pedestrian only areas. Apparently one issue that has developed over there is of assaults on young women in local parks by boys on motorised bikes.