“We pedalled around my American town, speaking of globalisation, the need for dialogue, living lightly, sharing gifts, the power of art, the gift of fear,” said Tim Holmes. Holmes shared a selfie with Juliana Hirata, who had taken a break from cycling the entire length of the western hemisphere – alone – to have a chat with him.

“We shared the road, our hopes and visions – and now we will share the rest of our lives,” added Holmes, who is from Helena, Montana. “That brief moment of connection opens up a whole universe of possibilities!”

‘That brief moment of connection opens up a whole universe’ ... Juliana Hirata and Tim Holmes, who took up our challenge to have a conversation with a stranger. Photograph: Tim Holmes

Holmes was just one of the people who took part in Guardian Cities’ Cycle Week challenge to strike up a conversation with a fellow cyclist. Discussions ranged from problem motorists, to camaraderie, to that very British tradition: the weather.

Berlin's a great place to ride in, I agreed with a velomobile friend passing through this morning, 1800 km into a ride around 🇩🇪#cycleconvo pic.twitter.com/98BFbgwjDB — Josef Janning (@JJ52) June 13, 2017

The cyclists demanding respect: Guayaquil, Ecuador

In Ecuador, Glenda Yamile Leon Gomez “talked about the respect of motorists to cyclists, a complex issue in Guayaquil, a city where pedestrians and cyclists are not a priority”. Here’s Glenda with two fellow riders:

‘Cyclists are not a priority’ in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Photograph: Glenda Yamile Leon Gomez

The cyclist with a cold: Auckland, New Zealand

Down under – where there is arguably less obsession with the weather than in Britain, if only slightly – the conversations addressed the more challenging aspects of cycling. In Aukland, Jimmy Powers was compelled to strike up a conversation after being covered in the phlegm of a rider in front, who happened to have a cold: “We then went on to discuss how it doesn’t hurt anyone to let them know you are cycling behind them.”



The tack police: Melbourne, Australia

In Melbourne, Jennifer Williams spent time talking not just to fellow cyclists but also runners on the Yarra Boulevard about a specific problem: a “cyclist hater [who] has been spreading tacks [on the road] for years”. If you have any news about this behaviour, please let us know and contact the Melbourne police.

A menace for Melbourne’s cyclists. Photograph: Jimmy Powers

The squeezed commuters: London, UK

In the British capital, conversations revolved around infrastructure. Katy Cooper took the opportunity to have a chat with some officials from Transport for London. They discussed the new barriers TfL has erected on Blackfriars Bridge following the London Bridge attack – hastily constructed safety measures that have been criticised by some for forcing cyclists in to traffic and causing bottlenecks at rush hour.

Got chatting to lovely @TfL guys manning the barricades on Blackfriars Bridge. They do want to hear our ideas! #cycleconvo @london_cycling — Katy Cooper (@healthkaty) June 15, 2017

Other conversations demonstrated that the city may have a way to go before it becomes “bike-friendly”, as the mayor, Sadiq Khan, has promised.

Her daughter witnessed her being taken out on the way to school Darren LeRoy Halford

For example, in Ealing, Darren LeRoy Halford chatted with a stranger about the poor surface of the “token cycle lanes recently installed”, which they agreed is discouraging cyclists. “[We] inevitably moved on to motorist abuse, [and how] her daughter witnessed her being taken out on the way to school – what a thing to see.”

The abused cyclists: Lancashire, UK

Similar problems were echoed in the north of the country, where earlier in the week our North of England editor, Helen Pidd, admitted that despite being the Guardian’s bike reviewer she often chooses to drive instead of cycling, out of fear for her life.

A reader from Lancashire, Stillcycling@60, meanwhile, “shared incidents of abuse from drivers” with a fellow commuter:

“My worst experience, apart from being knocked off at a junction once, was cycling along the B6243. I was one metre from kerb to avoid the potholes. I knew there was a car with learner driver behind, so I pulled over asap. Then the learner pulled up alongside... and [their mother] shouted ‘If you don’t know how to ride a f*****g bike, you shouldn’t be on the road’.”

The pillion toddler: Leeds, UK

In Leeds, a reader shared a more positive chat he had after pulling up next to cyclist with a toddler on the back seat. “I said it was great to see in the UK, and he pointed out how much she loved it – especially the ‘nee-naws’ going past! Then it was back to gritting our teeth and holding our breath as the lights went amber and the engines revved around us.”

The weather chatter: Valencia, Spain



While many of the Brits who got in touch with us recounted conversations about the weather, it was heartening to know that we are not the only people worldwide who fall back on this tried-and-true topic. Djptek (“D”), in Valencia, Spain, shared this zinger of a conversation with a fellow rider (“S”).

S: Are you riding? D: Yeah. S: It’s pretty hot. D: I know, but not as bad as after lunch. (30 degrees+) S: See you.

Further updates as events warrant.

The chatty cyclist: Edinburgh, UK

For some, the challenge wasn’t really a challenge but something they do everyday. In Edinburgh, Kris Wright loves to engage fellow cyclists in conversations at the lights, although he admits that a “40-something bloke I have had some stoney responses from some women”.

Wright recognise that, if unsolicited, “conversation could be seen as invasive, and maybe they are cautious to respond in case they think that there’s hidden intentions so I have to be sensitive” – echoing a debate we also held on the site this week about women feeling harassed on the roads.

However, with the right intentions, he added, “it is lovely to make a brief connections with a fellow cyclist and there’s a few folk that I see often and we’ve continued to chat from day to day.”

The rural commuter: Alan Newman, Wiltshire, UK

One genuinely intriguing report came from a rural commuter in the west of England, who was game for the challenge – but had only wildlife to speak to. “Sometimes I stop and watch a buzzard hunt, sometimes it’s just saying hello to the horses as I ride by,” he said. “Yesterday I stopped for a drink and a breather next to a field of cows. They turned out to be quite friendly.”

The first-time rider: Kim Opszala, Milton Keynes, UK

Last but not least, we’d like to give a special shout out to @CorpLawyerMK, who tweeted to announce that Tuesday of our Cycle Week was the first time she ever cycled to work. “I loved it!”

