SIR: Mr Gagg (Letters, October 8) gives us an insight into his fantasy world where many (?), people will give up driving their motor cars into the city and take to cycling and walking. A world he describes where, somehow, the narrow, uphill roads such as St James’s Lane, Romsey Road and Stockbridge Road will all have cycle lanes as well as accommodating cars and buses

It is a pity that he didn’t read my letter more carefully. I certainly did not call “all cycling anti-social behaviour”. Despite his assertions, I didn’t even mention greenhouse gas emissions, let alone “blame somebody else” for theirs. Indeed, my letter was not about pollution, let alone climate change.

My main points were about present reality, and a likely future, whereby cycling is and always will be a minority interest. I gave several reasons why that is the case. I drew attention to the way cycling has many adverse consequences on narrow, feeder roads into this small city. These points were simply not addressed by Mr Gagg, who chose to ignore them. My view is that cycling is a perfectly legitimate activity on quiet, side roads and country lanes.

It is quite insulting to suggest that I am dishonestly “destroying our life on Earth”, as alleged. How did I get such power! Irrelevant as it is to my main points about the efficient use of narrow road space, he doesn’t know me, doesn’t know whether I drive in Winchester (I rarely do), whether I need an electric bike, let alone my views on a climate emergency. Modestly, I didn’t suggest cyclists “choose” to hold up traffic, but merely reported from observations that they often do so, and that this should be given more thought by local councils when planning movement strategies within and into the city.

Dr Les Burwood,

Sleepers’ Delle Gardens,

Winchester