• A RECENT letter to the editor left me with a sense of regret and the urge to tell your correspondent about our “clean-ups” and perhaps urge other cyclists who use these fantastic hangars to keep them neat and tidy, (Bike hangars are now being neglected, February 28).

Having seen bike hangars in Swiss Cottage and Kentish Town and thought them to be an excellent idea, with valued help from a friend and neighbour, we set about what turned out to be quite a lengthy process of requesting these great secure hangars in our road.

Therefore we duly contacted Cyclehoop and Camden Council. The process included “mail-shotting” residents in adjacent roads and a notice being published in your newspaper inviting comments and or possible objections, all of which appear to have been carefully considered.

We were delighted, and even somewhat surprised, when two hangars, not one, were installed. Having this secure space means that I no longer need to carry my bike up several flights of stairs and store it in a small flat.

Bikes chained to lamp-posts are constantly vandalised, wheels removed, seats taken and or the entire bike stolen for parts – or even, we now learn, other errant uses such as stealing from pedestrians etc.

Having successfully completed the process my fellow cyclists and I who occupy “our” hangars have made many new friends as, each time we use them, we seem to be stopped by at least one person asking how to secure a space or a hangar in their road.

They all appear delighted with them although I fully appreciate that perhaps if they were not then they may not be stopping to speak to us.

I have been very struck by the efficiency of Cyclehoop but I understand they do not have an extensive staff or team of repairers for maintenance which is a shame.

Perhaps there is room for improvement here and the opportunity for apprentices or volunteers to become involved. As a result of the above we do our best to maintain our hangar units and I encourage my fellow users to do so.

I most especially regularly try to clean inside and out of leaves which as your correspondent rightly pointed out unfortunately do blow underneath.

Perhaps this could be encouraged by the cyclists using the Mornington Crescent hangars as I believe it would be a great shame to “lose the faith” in these excellent and “coveted” units.

Camden is not always the best authority but I feel this initiative really should be applauded.

A CYCLIST
Belsize Park
Name and address supplied