January 2018 Academic & Specialist Nick Hern

The White Bike Tamara von Werthern

The White Bike
Tamara von Werthern


Millions of people cycle to work every day. And every week, some of them don’t make it home. One Tuesday morning, Isabelle packs her lunch box into her pannier, kisses her young daughter goodbye, and sets off on her bike through Hackney. What happens along the way is at once shocking, inconceivable, and terrifyingly ordinary.

Inspired by the case of Eilidh Cairns, who was killed by a lorry as she cycled to work, The White Bike uses witness statements, personal recollections of family members and years of cycling experience on the streets of London to create a deeply personal portrait of a life cut short too soon.