Sir, Someone seems to think that cyclists are second-class citizens and do not have the right to ride on Tarmac. All along the river, south of the city where the rowing occurs, they put rough stony tracks whereas nowadays with Tarmac that can let rainwater through, it should be possible to Tarmac the towpaths. When you consider all the rowing coaches and others who cycle along there, it would be much kinder and better in the long term to put Tarmac down. Another example of this thinking, runs along beside the University Parks. For some strange reason it is OK to have pedestrians walking along a Tarmac path, but the poor cyclists have to make do with a rough track (usually with pedestrians walking along it!).

Juliet Blackburn, Oxford