Summer of Cycling is
also summer of love between bike organisations
This summer could be a
breakthrough for the cycling world, not least because it has
seen an outbreak of co-operation - Monday 9 January 2012
A
couple cycling in Bewl, Kent. Photograph: British
Tourist Authority
The world of
organisational
cycling is famously
fractious, riven with splits, some of them with
amazingly ancient roots. Trying to get bicycle
organisations to agree on something, on anything, is
like herding proverbial cats.
Which makes a meeting last November
all the more amazing: twenty three cycle organisations
agreed on something. In 2012, these organisations
will go into a digital huddle to promote the
Summer of Cycling.
Details for exactly what this promotion will entail are
still being worked out, but to get such a consensus is
big news. And, unlike previous attempts at joint
promotions, all the major organisations were present.
Among those present were executives
from British Cycling, CTC, Sustrans, London Cycling
Campaign, Cycling Scotland, the Bicycle Association,
Bike Week, Transport for London, the Association of
Cycle Traders, Halfords, the Tour of Britain and
Cyclenation. Chairing the meeting was Julian Huppert,
Liberal Democrat MP and co-chair of the
All Party Parliamentary Cycling
Group, a cross-party bunch of bicycling MPs
and peers.
The group has no axe to grind, it's
neutral. It could therefore bang heads together – gently
– to call for the meeting to discuss a joint promotion
for the Olympic year. What was anticipated to be a
heated meeting, with cycling factions splitting along
the usual party lines, turned out to being a session of
nodding heads. Instead of objections, there were offers
of help, and from all quarters.
It helped that the promotion won't
be location-based: Cycling Scotland could flag-wave for
the Summer of Cycling just as easily as Transport for
London could for the Olympics. The promotion is cheap,
it requires the organisations to submit their events to
a database and then link to this central database via
their own websites. Link farming, but for a good cause.
By linking together, cycling
becomes bigger and stronger. This would pique the
interest of ministers, said Huppert. He added it would
also be a good hook for the media. With sport cycling
expected to do well at the Olympics – with a potential
gold medal winner at the Games' opening event, Mark
Cavendish in the road race – 2012 could be the year when
cycling goes "top of mind", said Huppert.
Phillip Darnton, executive director
of the Bicycle Association, agreed:
"2012 ought to be year we sell
more bikes than ever before. It ought to be the year
more kids get cycle trained than ever before. More
children should be cycling to school than ever
before. And after the Olympics, more people than
ever before should be lining the roads to watch the
Tour of Britain."
The execs from the wide variety of
cycling groups agreed to agree that the Summer of
Cycling had great potential, and importantly, didn't
conflict with any existing or planned promotions.
In March,
Sustrans' Big Pedalwill aim to get children in 1,000 schools
cycling for one million bike-to-school miles. This would
be the curtain-raiser for the Summer of Cycling, with
summer being a loose term.
The idea that most galvanised the
meeting was the +1 concept: those taking part in events
would be encouraged to bring one other person along. A
proselytising pledge campaign could get new people to
try cycling to work for the first time, or riding the
wooden banks of a velodrome for the first time, or
taking part in a long-distance challenge ride for the
first time.
New System Uses Radar to
Detect Bicyclists at Intersections
Friday January 6, 2012
Intersections in Pleasanton, California,
have been outfitted with radar that not only detect bicycle
traffic to trigger green lights, but differentiate between
bicycles and cars.
The devices, called Intersectors, have been
installed at eight intersections across the city alongside bike
lane and pavement projects. They use a combination of microwave
and presence sensors to detect a vehicle, and offer enough
precision to determine whether a vehicle has two, four or more
wheels. Because it can detect what kind of vehicle is about to
cross, it will adjust signal timing accordingly (as seen in the
video).
“To the city of Pleasanton, this is the
best of both worlds — providing additional green timing and
green extension timing only when bicycles are present, while
utilizing more efficient traffic signal timing more appropriate
for vehicle traffic the remaining times,” Pleasanton’s senior
transportation engineer Joshua Pack told the Intelligent
Transportation Society of America.
ITS America liked the new intersections so
much that they recognized the city’s bike detection project with
a Smart Solution Spotlight award.
If existing intersections feature any
accommodations for cyclists, it’s usually in the form of an
induction coil beneath pavement and sometimes a digital camera
trained on a certain spot. Colloquially known as a “bike box,”
it’s usually marked with an icon or “wait here for green” sign,
like the one shown above.
Normally, the induction coil detects a
vehicle and triggers a light when it senses metal.
Unfortunately, the latest, lightest bikes have very little metal
in them and therefore cyclists can end up stranded or choose to
run a light. Even when they work, a bike box usually triggers
the same green cycle that a car would use.
Intersectors, which cost between $4,000 and
$5,000 each, can be installed without digging up pavement and
are relatively easily retrofitted to existing intersections.
They’re unaffected by inclement weather. If the pilot project in
Pleasanton is a success, the city’s traffic office expects
similar detectors to appear at bike-friendly intersections
across the country.
One article and a couple of other links, just
confirming the resurgence in cycling is not only good for the environment
and your health ..
It is good for pain relief and education as well ..
How cycling set
deprived Indian girls on a life-long journey
One simple initiative in Bihar state not only solved an
everyday problem for schoolgirls, but also expanded their
horizons - 24th November 2011
More than 870,000
schoolgirls have benefited from the bike subsidies. In
Bihar, one of
India's poorest and most populous states,
half of the women and a quarter of the men are
illiterate, and about 90% of its 104 million inhabitants
live in rural areas. Life here is particularly difficult
for girls, and one of the greatest hindrances to their
development is the simple journey to school. For many,
the trip is long, expensive and dangerous. But
here, in rural Bihar, we recently saw that a two-wheeled
solution to the problem has been found.
Three years ago the state's
new chief minister Nitish Kumar adopted a "gender
agenda" and set about redressing his state's endemic
gender imbalances in an attempt to boost development in
one of India's most backward states. His vision was to
bring a sense of independence and purpose to his state's
young women, and the flagship initiative of this agenda
is the
Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojna,
a project that gives schoolgirls 2,000 rupees (about
£25) to purchase a bicycle.
The project's results so far
have been extremely promising: in those three years in
Bihar alone, 871,000 schoolgirls have taken to the
saddle as a result of the scheme. The number of girls
dropping out of school has fallen and the number of
girls enrolling has risen from 160,000 in 2006-2007 to
490,000 now.
Girls like Pinki Kumari
(15), a student from the high school in Desari,
previously had 14km round trip each day. When she got
back home, she would have to help her mother with daily
chores. "At the end of the day, it became tiring and
attending school became a ritual. I hardly got any time
to study," Pinki said. Her father, Anil Sharma, a local
electrician, had wanted her to get married early. He had
to give up the plan in the face of his daughter's
determination to study after she got a free bicycle from
the government. Pinki now reaches school in 15 minutes,
and is full of hope for her and her family's future.
The school we recently
visited in the Bihar village of Bumbuar, where we were
encircled by a fleet of ambitious young girls on bikes,
was also full of success stories, and since the scheme
began, regular school attendance among girls has shot up
to 90%.
In these girls' families,
and for the rest of Bihar's rural poor, bicycles used to
be reserved either for parents in their daily life, or
for older brothers. But now, as many of Bumbuar's girls
are attending school more regularly, not only is their
knowledge of academic subjects improving, but their
hunger for knowledge and a professional future is also
increasing. One keen young cyclist we met echoed
the opinion and aspirations of many of her schoolmates,
saying: "Every morning I look forward to going to
school. When I'm older I want to go to university." This
leap in the village girls' education and aspirations
represents a quantum leap from their parents' era: just
four of the 70 schoolgirls we met have mothers who made
it to the tenth grade.
And on a wider scale, Bihar
is not alone in this initiative. In at least four other
Indian states, from Punjab to Tamil Nadu, Kumar's vision
is becoming a shared reality. Kumar succinctly
sums up the initiative's aim and all it stands for:
"Nothing gives me a greater sense of fulfilment of a
work well done than seeing a procession of school-bound,
bicycle-riding girls. It is a statement for social
forward movement, of social equality and of social
empowerment."
In the west we give reasons
like fun, the sociable aspect, health, pain relief
because of the endorphins it produces, cost and of
course the environment as good reasons for cycling - yet
in India it is a lifeline to education. Personally I
love it and feel 'good for the girls., may they all
achieve their dreams'!
Together with some of the
awards that All Ability and Inclusive Cycling in the UK
have been nominated for or won in the past 12 months, it
just goes to prove that it is of benefit not to just
those capable of riding on 2 wheels but to those who for
a long time, may well have thought that cycling was not
an option at all. Check out some of these links
which only serve to further confirm that cycling is
beneficial to anyone and EVERYONE without exception!
Cornwall Sports Partnership Awards 2011
A celebration of achievement and recognition of
sport's unsung heros
Saturday 12th November 2011
Cycleability would like to congratulate Mark
Stevens, their Student Rep. who won
the Young Leader of the Year
award.
Mark was not only nominated and short-listed for
the Young Leader of the Year award but went on to win the category outright
and rightly so, even if we are slightly biased!
The Award Ceremony was held at the Atlantic
Hotel in Newquay last night. Acting as MC on behalf of the Cornwall
Sports Partnership was Neil Caddy, Pirate FM's Drivetime presenter.
Guest speakers included Phil de Glanville who works with Sport England and
is a former England Rugby Union International capped 38 times and Mark
Lewarne, a triathlete and former International Surf Lifesaver.
A double amputee Mark still lives life to the
full and is involved with surfing, wheelchair basketball and Cycleability.
Having studied at Truro College for the past two years, he is now in his
first year at Worcester University studying for his Sport Development and
Coaching degree and enjoying every moment. One
never hears him complaining, only getting involved and leading by example.
This is a truly inspirational young man who will go far and Cycleability is
proud to have him on the committee as their student representative.
Mark was also asked to close the proceedings,
which he did by thanking everyone who had worked so hard and made the night
both thoroughly enjoyable and very special, particularly the Cornwall Sports
Partnership staff.
What can be achieved by cycling ..
The bicycle – empowering Indian women
Rajiv Desai - 13th October
2011
Despite
India’s relative economic
strength and growing financial clout, much of the
country’s basic infrastructure remains
under-developed. In some states, illiteracy levels
remain high, especially among women. India, many
agree, is still a male-dominated society.
A programme being run by
one Indian state is attempting to alter the social
status quo – and is doing so through the use of the
bicycle.
Since 2007, Bihar state
in the north-east of India has been running a
bicycle scheme for girls that subsidies the cost of
a bike to encourage them to stay in full time
education. The Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojna
programme, as the scheme is called, is the
brainchild of Nitesh Kumar, the Chief Minister of
Bihar.
The Cycle Yojna
programme enables girls of a certain age to get to
school and, consequently, continue to receive
education past the point where many previously would
have dropped out.
In India, girls,
particularly those from poor rural areas, do not
continue their education beyond the primary or
middle schools. The literacy rate for women in Bihar
is one of the worst in India and has been as low as
33% in recent years.
There are a number of
reasons why girls drop out of school, whether it is
at primary school/middle school or later.
Culturally speaking, Indian girls, and more so ones
from poorer families, are not actively pushed to
have an education. They are often earmarked by their
families for marriage early or in some cases sent
out to work to earn money for the family. Transport
costs are a heavy burden for large poor families,
while some families believe it is unsafe for girls
to travel long distances alone on public transport.
Under the Cycle Yojna
programme, a girl can apply for a grant of Rs 2,000
(€30) to buy a bike, once she has passed the Indian
Class 8 grade exams at a state government accredited
school. They must also have had an 80% attendance
record at Class 8 level to get the grant. An
additional Rs 700 (€10) grant is also made available
to girls to buy a school uniform. The money is given
to the student directly to avoid any possibility of
corruption. Typically, a brand name ladies’ bike in
India retails from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000. A tender by
one company to supply all the bikes for the Bihar
scheme was put at RS 1,840 per bike.
The Class 9 and Class 10
grade in India is equivalent to 15 to 16 year-olds
going through the GCSE syllabus in the UK. These
qualifications determine whether students can
proceed to higher secondary education which, in
turn, prepares them for university. The scheme
focuses on girls at this level and not before as the
educational attainment already achieved and
commitment showed by attendance means these girls
are more likely to have parental support in
progressing into further education or finding
clerical jobs.
There was some
apprehension that giving the cash directly to the
students could see the money being pocketed by
parents, but survey figures found that in nine out
of 10 cases, the money had indeed been used to buy a
bike.
In total, Bihar state
has awarded grants that have led to the purchase of
871,000 bikes in the first three years of the
scheme.
The drop-out rates for
girls at Class 9 or Class 10 level in Bihar have
dropped from 2.5m per year to 1m a year. In the
first full year of the Cycle Yojna in 2007, the
scheme resulted in a 170,000 rise in attendance for
Girls at Class 9 grade. The overall figure by 2010
rose to 500,000 more school girls attending Class 9
since the scheme started.
Bihar is now starting to
extend the scheme to include boys. The success of
the scheme has not gone unnoticed in other parts of
India – the state of West Bengal has started a
similar project.
Bihar’s state government
is rightly proud that it has been able to keep more
girls within the educational system for longer,
which points towards an even brighter future for
India and India’s young people.
That the humble bicycle
can play such a pivotal role in a nation’s
development, economic and social achievements should
not be overlooked. Far from simply transport,
bicycles can become powerful instruments for radical
social change.
Desk jockeys can now ride while they
work
by Carlton Reid - October 12th 2011
Itchy legs? Got to keep pedalling?
Fancy riding *at* work not just *to* work? Here's the desk of your
dreams...
Sit
in front of a screen all day? You don't get enough exercise. Static
bicycle trainers offer an excellent work-out but it can be
mind-numbingly boring riding hard, but going nowhere.
How about if you
could train while you worked, pedalled while you composed emails? Or
kept yor pins spinning while you cold-called in your telesales job?
In the future, getting a heavy-breathing phone call could be just
from somebody with a Kickstand desk.
The idea for the desk
came from
software writer Dan Young of
Cleveland, Ohio. He started Kickstand Furniture to market and sell
his 'cycling desk'.
He said: "Many days
I've been tied to my desk, looking for any break where I could cut
out for an hour or so to get on my bike and ride. The problem was,
the time wasn't there. On the weekends, when I did have a chance to
get out for a few hours, I felt slow and sluggish. This wasn't
good."
So, he combined a
bike trainer and a tall desk.
I didn't just
want a flat surface to put my laptop on, I wanted a real piece
of furniture that looks good and can be used every day."
The Kickstand
desk has bicycle credentials. It's made by
Fast Boy Cycles, a custom bike
builder which started life making wooden mudguards. Engineered
with two-inch square steel tubing legs in a variety of frame
finishes, the 150x75cm desk comes with a choice of either
recycled maple or tempered glass surfaces.
"The desk is the
first of a line of new furniture products designed to bring
cycling into the workplace," said Young.
There's a
disclaimer on the
Kickstand website: "It is your
responsibility to check with your health care professional to
make sure you’re in good enough health to pedal all day at your
desk."
Kickstand's
kicker? It costs $2500.
VICE CHANCELLOR'S
ENTERPRISE AWARDS 2011 19th September
2011
Plymouth University started
out as a School of Navigation in 1862 and the year 2012
marks our 150th anniversary. This heritage is our
foundation and we continue to grow and develop. Today we
are a leading university, with a world class reputation
– a university very much on the ascendancy.
The 150th Anniversary launch at the Vice-Chancellor's Enterprise Awards 2011 marked the beginning of a year of varied and engaging activities enabling us to celebrate an exciting new era. The Awards Evening came part way through the America's Cup in Plymouth. Hosting the event demonstrates the power of working in partnership., city and university together, securing this magnificent global experience and putting Plymouth on a par with other international city hosts such as San Francisco, San Diego and Cascais, Portugal. It celebrates the shared culture of enterprise and 'spirit of discovery'.
The event hosted in the graduation marquee on Plymouth Hoe, was held on Thursday 15th September. In the Vice Chancellor's Welcome to the event, Professor Purcell said that 'the Enterprise Awards have become firmly established as a showcase event in the South West to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution and achievements of our staff, students, community and business partners - it has become an integral part of the University's role as an enterprise university and evidences enterprise action.'
Prof. Purcell added "At the beginning of the month it was announced that we (Plymouth University) have been shortlisted for 'Entrepreneurial University of the Year 2011' by Times Higher Education. This demonstrates our national and indeed, international reach and impact."
'This year our award categories reflect the key words people associate with us, and that forms the essence of our new brand: Pioneering, Spirited, Connected and Expert. These combine with the key strategic themes of Employability and Internationalisation to form the six award categories. However the standards are so very high which made judging exceptionally difficult in deciding the winners.'
'Our commitment to enterprise at Plymouth builds upon our heritage and we continue to grow and develop our reputation for scholarly endeavour. We are academic pioneers, undertaking world class research to tackle the grand challenges of our day, transforming lives through education and building an inclusive and sustainable enterprise culture - one that nurtures and supports the wealth of talent within the university and those partnered with us.'
The Nomination:
Wendy's
sponsor Kassie Foran said that "I have been in contact with Wendy
throughout her studies at Truro & Penwith College. Wendy
is a very enthusiastic 3rd year student on the BSc
Sports Performance & Coaching, motivated by her
enthusiasm for cycling, and building up confidence, road
safety, and opportunities for everyone to have the
chance to enjoy a sport which she obviously loves so
much.
Wendy is committed to
cycling instruction and road safety, and encouraging
others to enjoy cycling safely. She combines her passion
and her education; her degree offers an opportunity to
further develop her coaching skills, subject knowledge,
and her employability in general. She is passionate
about making cycling accessible to all. Wendy promotes
cycle training for all ages (from 5 yrs old to clients
in their 70s) as well as working with local businesses,
colleges, schools, charities, and individuals to promote
the health and sustainability benefits of cycling.
That is in addition to raising awareness and confidence
plus the safety benefits of learning to cycle
proficiently.
This past year in
particular, Wendy has founded the Cornish Cycleability
group, a group promoting access and confidence-building
for people with disabilities. This club has been founded
and launched in a very efficient and professional
manner, is now run by a committee, and has successfully
received funding awards. Wendy and the Cycleability team
have already won the Truro & Penwith College Dragons Den
Competition for 'an innovating and enterprising idea' in
March 2011."
Top 3 Achievements:
1.
Bringing Bikeability into Cornwall - Wendy has worked
tirelessly to establish, and then promote Bikeability in
Cornwall. She was involved in the national pilot of
Bikeability, and identified that other than the initial
Instructor training, there was very little extra support
for children & adults with learning difficulties or
mental health issues. Wendy decided to study her degree
in Sports Performance & Coaching to try and improve the
service offered to those with special needs.
2. Launching Cyleability -
Cycleability is a new cycling club for people with
physical or mental difficulties which was launched in
March 2011. The launch was a huge success with 250
participants, and special appearances from Vin Cox, Guinness
World Record for circumnavigating the world on a
bicycle, having taken the title from Mark Beaumont by 31
days in August 2012. Wendy
organised 30 special cycles for everyone to try out,
including hand cycles, tandems and recumbents and two
more similar events since, involving different target
audiences at different locations to raise awareness of
the flexibility and possibilities of cycling for those
who believe it simply is not an option for them. Dr Gary Brickley, coach to Darren Kenny - 6x Gold Paralympian
joined them at Truro College and subsequently gave a
talk on being a Paralympic Coach.
Cycleability now has a
committee, are putting together another fun day in May
2011 aiming to raise sufficient funds to purchase their
own special bikes, and they plan to run a disabled
cycling session every 2 weeks. Qualified volunteer
instructors will bring a range of specialist cycles so
individuals will be able to try out different machines
and build up confidence, in a fun, safe, and educational
environment.
3. Working in partnership
with Cycle Experience and the CTC. Wendy’s enthusiasm
and passion is contagious! A further 14 people have been
trained up as National Standard (Cycling) Instructors, 6
of whom are Truro College FdSc Sports students, she
herself having trained as a National Standard Instructor
Trainer and a British Cycling Go-Ride and Track Coach."
29th July 2011
With the forthcoming demise of the
Schools Sports Partnerships, to try and preserve the relatively new
Bikeability training,
for which there is four more years of confirmed funding, Road Safety
and Cycle Training has become involved with
West Country Cycle Training,
representing Cornwall although currently a Schools Sport Network
will be replacing the existing 4 SSPs .. However Devon has not been
so fortunate and cooperatives have been formed to bid for the
contract to continue delivering Bikeability training through the
schools, one of which is West Country Cycle Training.
Furthermore four Senior NSIQs from the
South West have formally trained as NSITs or National Standard
Instructor Trainers with the CTC, to ensure that there will always
be sufficient instructors to keep the momentum going with two more
from Devon also hoping to do so. Please have faith in us, we want
to do what is right for our children. Another NSIQ from Pendle
also trained with the SW group, having learned of the course through
friendships with other British Cycling coaches involved. Kirsti Grayson from
GoVelo is also a British Cycling
Recreation Education Tutor and Assessor assuring the quality and
longevity of training in the north as well.
So if you are heading north towards the
Peak District during the summer holidays and would like to do some
cycling but don't know how to go about it, how about contacting
Kirsti at
GoVelo as a starting point?
CycleAbility is taking place at Siblyback Lake
Thursday 21st July 2011 - COURTESY OF THE
cornish guardian
AFTER
A successful launch, the third event organised by CycleAbility takes place
at Siblyback Lake Country Park, near Liskeard, on Saturday. CycleAbility's
aim is to be Cornwall's mobile disabled cycling club. Volunteers, parents,
families, and carers will be encouraged to take part in the sessions so it
will be a cycling club for everybody.
Based in Truro, CycleAbility provides an inclusive cycling framework for all
abilities.
There will be regular cycle sessions, and rides across the county to give
as many people as possible the chance to get involved.
The average cost of a specialist cycle is about £3,000, a target which can
be achieved by a business, villages, clubs, or even the local pub.
The aim of CycleAbility is simple – to give disabled people the opportunity
to experience an activity that most take for granted.
A
trip to the beach usually sounds like… well, a day at the beach. For
139 injured U.S. veterans and their supporters it will likely mean
much more. These American heroes are heading to France, where
they’ll get to bicycle in historic World War II sites as part of the
first ever Ride 2 Recovery Normandy Challenge, presented by United
Healthcare.
“Our goal at Ride 2 Recovery is to
provide our injured veterans with the opportunity to spend a week on
a cycle, challenging themselves both physically and mentally,” said
John Wordin, president of Ride 2 Recovery. “Having Air Compassion
for Veterans and American Airlines provide transportation for them
removes one more barrier as we are introduced to the famous battle
and landing sites of our World War II heroes with local historians.”
The riders arrive at Paris Charles de
Gaulle airport this week and are travelling to Caen, where their
tour will begin. During the six-day, 240-mile ride, participants
will cycle Normandy for a first-hand history lesson that will
highlight the landing sites, battlefields and museums of D-Day. The
group will be joined by five injured veterans from the French armed
forces. The Ride 2 Recovery Normandy Challenge cyclists, including
veterans using hand cycles, recumbents, tandems and traditional road
bikes, will have overnight stops in Carentan, Cherbourg, St. Lo,
Lisieux and Paris. In Lisieux, the Ride 2 Recovery cyclists will be
at the finish line of the Tour de France Stage 6.
CycleAbility's Go-Ride registration has been processed and
we now have our Club Membership Number which you too, can now join.
The message from British Cycling read ..
"Thank you for getting involved in the Go-Ride programme and expanding
the opportunities available to young people in the south west."
In celebration of our becoming a registered
GoRide Club, we are holding another event for people who are mentally or
physically challenged and their carers and families on Saturday 23rd July
2011 . To join CycleAbility yourself, download the application form by
clicking here .. Our club name is CycleAbility and the current club
membership no. is 870535.
Originally this had been planned to be held in Cardingham Woods,
however the Forestry Commission have since advised us they 'rarely grant
permission for large events during school holidays due to the risk of
conflict between forest users.' Thus it will now be held at
Siblyback Lake Country Park instead .. all other details remain the same.
To find out more about
Siblyback Lake,
it's
location
and
facilities please click
here.
Once again Quest 88 will be supplying the
specialised bikes although this time they will be more suited to off road activities
whilst still being all inclusive. We are also hoping to have barbecues
in picnic area near the car park as well. Lady George and her family are also hoping to
join us. PLEASE NOTE HOWEVER, there are NO bike hire
facilities at Siblyback, therefore please be sure to bring your own bikes if
you also wish to cycle rather than walk!
June 8th 2011
With the
forthcoming demise of the Schools Sports Partnerships, to try
and preserve the relatively new
Bikeability training, for which
there is four more years of confirmed funding, Road
Safety and Cycle Training has become involved with
West Country Cycle Training,
representing Cornwall .. Furthermore two of us are about to
formerly train as NSITs or National Standard Instructor Trainers
to ensure that there will always be sufficient instructors to
keep the momentum going, one from Devon and one from Cornwall.
Please have faith in us, we want to do what is right for our
children.
Cycling project given major boost by late Bank
governor
Wednesday 25th May 2011 - COURTESY OF THE
cornish guardian
A CYCLING group with hopes of getting disabled
people across the county out and about on two wheels is asking business for
sponsorship – and has won some major initial support.
Before his death Lord George – the former governor of the Bank of England
who lived at St Tudy, near Bodmin – made a statement urging business owners
to help finance the "wonderful" project, then called Wheels for Life, and
his family have now allowed its posthumous publication.
Lord George said in October 2008: "I remember when the Secretary of State
for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, visited the Sir James Smith
School in Camelford.
"He specifically referred to the provision of sport outside of schools that
must benefit the community as a whole, including those with disabilities.
"The Wheels for All centre is a wonderful way of addressing that objective
and so I wholeheartedly support the project.
"I hope that the commercial sector in Cornwall will feel able to contribute
to the funding of these specialised bikes."
Cycleability will need the equipment to develop its fledgling work with
disabled people, and some bicycles may be available at discount prices.
Specialist manufacturers Quest 88 can sometimes offer ex-demonstration bikes
at reduced cost. Martin Griffiths, from the company, was keen to emphasise
how long the bicycles last.
He said: "The bikes represent mobility for life.
"We have always made bikes for children with cerebral palsy and we import a
range of bikes from Germany."
Anyone interested in sponsoring a bike for Cycleability can speak to Mr
Griffiths or his colleague Rob Henshaw by calling 0844 8008886 – the number
is charged at the local rate.
Businesses can expect to have a sticker made up with their name for display
on the bicycle and they will be given photographs of group members using
their sponsored bike.
Wendy Creed, of Cycleability, said: "You get the feelgood factor and you get
good PR."
Mrs Creed and Mr Griffiths agreed that a tandem or companion tricycle might
be the most useful and versatile vehicle to sponsor, as carers or members of
the family can use them together with the disabled person while he or she
builds up confidence.
Firms are encouraged to sponsor bikes which get
disabled moving
Thursday 19th May 2011 - COURTESY OF THE WEST BRITON
A CYCLING group with hopes of getting disabled
people across the county on to two wheels is asking businesses for
sponsorship – and has won some initial support.
Some months before his death in April 2009 St Tudy resident Lord George,
former Governor of the Bank of England, made a statement urging
business-owners to help fund Cycleability's "wonderful" Wheels For Life
project, as it was then known, and his appeal has now been published.
In October 2008 he said: "I remember when the Secretary of State for
Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, visited the Sir James Smith's
School in Camelford and specifically referred to the provision of sport
outside of schools that must benefit the community as a whole, including
those with disabilities. Wheels For All is a wonderful way of addressing
that objective and I wholeheartedly support the project.
"I hope the commercial sector in Cornwall will feel able to contribute to
the funding of these specialised bikes."
Cycleability will need the equipment to develop its work with disabled
people, and some bicycles may be available at discount prices; specialist
manufacturer Quest 88 sometimes offers ex-demonstration bikes at reduced
cost.
The firm's Martin Griffiths emphasised how long the well-made bicycles
lasted. "The bikes represent mobility for life," he said. "We've always made
bikes for children with cerebral palsy and we import a range of bikes from
Germany."
Businesses can expect to have a sticker made up with their name for display
on the bicycle and they will be given photographs of group members using
their sponsored bike, to be displayed in their offices. Wendy Creed from
Cycleability said: "You get the feel-good factor and you get good PR."
She suggested that a tandem or companion tricycle might be the most useful
and versatile vehicle to sponsor, as carers or different members of the
family could use such a machine together with the disabled person while he
or she built up their confidence.
Anyone interested in sponsoring a bike for the Cycleability cause can speak
to Mr Griffiths or Rob Henshaw by calling 0844 8008886; the number is
charged at local rate.
RSCT is
launching Kernow's Adult Cycle Challenge for Bike Week:
Tailor made novice programmes available
Gathering momentum and increasing fitness levels ...
21st May 2011
Would you like to go from being a pedestrian to a
cyclist in less than an hour? Have you ever
wanted to learn to ride or have not done so for a few years but would like
to return to it?
How do you do this., check out http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/Kernow_Adult_Cycling_Challenge and get in touch. We will come to you so that you can develop your skills locally if there is somewhere nearby that we can use which is relatively traffic free.
If it is what you really want, then you will achieve it!! Well now is your chance with Bike Week approaching. Get in touch with RSCT via email to arrange a tailor made session for yourself. If you are suitably determined and would like to learn, you will be surprised to what extent the world becomes your oyster!
The catch? There is none although a donation instead of a fee, to support Cycleability, Cornwall's mobile All Ability Cycling Club would be appreciated. Are you a carer for someone who has some form of disability and would benefit from Cycleability and would like to join in perhaps as we will be encouraging family styled events and outings?
Be inspired by others who have gone before you .. we do it your way and at your speed and if you don't have a bike, one can always be provided. Click here to take a look at the novices who have gone before you and all found themselves cycling in less than an hour., something which none of them thought possible before they gave it a go and pleasantly surprised themselves.
a year of nominations:
RSCT's Principal Instructor and founder
of CycleAbility has been nominated for the Vice-Chancellor's
Enterprise Awards 2011, celebrating
enterprise excellence in the University, Plymouth and the region. This
year's prestigious Award ceremony will take place on Thursday 15
September 2011 in the graduation marquee overlooking The Hoe.
"These Enterprise Awards have become firmly established as an annual
showcase event in Plymouth to recognise and celebrate the
outstanding contribution and achievements of our staff, students,
community and business partners towards establishing Plymouth as the
enterprise University. This exceptional innovation and creativity
underpins the foundations upon which we continue to build for the
future of our University, the city and South West region"
Professor Wendy Purcell Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
In addition, Guinness World Record
Holder Vin Cox, who holds the record for circumnavigating the world
on a bicycle and arriving back at Greenwich Observatory in August
2010 to take the title from Mark Beaumont by 31 days, has also
nominated Wendy as an Olympic Torch Bearer for the Olympic Torch
Relay. There will be 8000 torch bearers carrying the torch for
70 days between 19th May and 27th July 2012 around the UK. The
Olympic Torch Relay will help shine a light on the whole of the UK –
from dynamic urban areas to places of outstanding natural beauty.
Evening celebrations will be held in
towns and cities to show off the best of the local area, bringing
people together to mark the Olympic Flame's arrival, spreading the
excitement of London 2012. Lit in Greece, the Olympic Flame
will arrive in the UK on 18 May 2012. Representing peace,
unity and friendship, the Flame will be carried by 8,000
inspirational Torchbearers during the Olympic Torch Relay. As it
makes its way across the UK on a 70-day journey it will bring the
excitement of the Games to everyone.
Wendy says "Whether I am selected to
carry the torch or having been informed that I am a finalist for my
category for the VC awards, win or loose, to have been nominated at
all for either, I consider it to have been an honour."
It's Proven: All Inclusive Cycling ROCKS!!
All Inclusive Cycling receives 4 awards at the
CTC annual AGM and Awards Dinner
Saturday 14th May 2011
L-R Kevin with the regional award, Kevin with
Magnus Bäckstedt receiving the Arthur Moss Award and Kevin with Caroline and
their joint awards
Last night at the CTC annual dinner following
their AGM, Magnus Bäckstedt, the former Swedish cycling athlete presented
the awards at the Portland and Weymouth Sailing Academy on
Osprey Quay - the same location that will host the 2012 sailing Olympic
event and perhaps appropriately, was designed by the same company who
designed the new London Velodrome.
Together with an award to the Stowheath Cycle
Club which supports residents with mental health issues, Caroline Waugh from
Sheffield got a 'Highly Commended' for her fantastic work in the wake of her
own recovery due to an accident in 1998 which left her comatosed for 4
months but now uses a recumbent bike as her main source of transport,
working with various voluntary groups in the Sheffield area and as a Health
Champion. Amputee Kevin Hickman from Oxfordshire, took both Volunteer of the Year 2010
SE and overall CTC Volunteer of the Year 2010 which also meant that he won
the Arthur Moss Medallion which appropriately was made from Portland stone
and presented to Kevin on the Portland Peninsula.
All this is on the back of another successful
taster day at Truro College on 5th May when the Paralympic Cycling Coach, Dr
Gary Brickley came down and as well as joining in himself, also gave a brief
talk about his work encouraging the young sports students and demonstrating
what can be achieved. And although we cannot say too much just yet,
Cycleability has also been nominated for another award which goes to show
that All Ability Cycling really does rock!
Cycleability's next planned foray will be a
fundraiser when Quest 88 are able to come down again using a local all
weather athletics track, the idea being that the special needs schools all
within 25 miles of Truro, get a 2 hour slot and bring cyclists to
participate. They get themselves sponsored for whatever distances they cover
and the monies got into the pot so we can apply for Sports Match as the kind
of bikes we are aiming to purchase are not cheap by any stretch of the
imagination. We would also give them certificates for the funds/distances
they cover and perhaps add a fun element to it working out how far they
collectively, have cycled from Lands’ End towards John O’Groats.
All Ability Cycling is without doubt, the next
big thing!
Good-bye, Cycling
England
by Carlton Reid.,
1st April 2011
Today is the
last day for Cycling England, the org that cost the same to
run per year as building 5 metres of motorway
(and no, unfortunately this is NOT an April Fool)
Cycling
England was established in 2005 as an independent body to
get "more people cycling, more safely, more often." It
steered through the Bikeability training scheme for children
(300,000 are trained each year), and created the Cycling
Demonstration Towns to show that English conurbations would
take to cycling if the right pro-bicycle measures were put
in place.
Bikeability
will continue to be run thanks to funding from the
Department for Transport. The Coalition Government
however, scrapped an organisation with just three full-time
staff. The cost saving? £385,000 per year, or about the cost
of building five metres of motorway. (Not miles, metres).
Click on
'Bear of Very Little Brain learns
about Coal-ishuns & Quango-things',
a requiem to Cycling England, written in the style of Winnie
the Poo by an anonymous industry leader.
There's more
comment on the end of Cycling England
here.
To see the tributes to Phillip Darnton and his
tireless work
click here. Already
there are over 10 pages of tributes with Cornwall's
contribution on pg. 8 - this was set up as a gift to Phillip
as Cycling England's Chairman, to
mark the end of Cycling England, contributions were gathered
from as many people as possible to pass on to Phillip in the
form of a book. It was not easy to mark Phillip’s
tireless work for cycling, but it struck us that what
Phillip values more than anything was working with other
people. So they could think of no more appropriate way to
show everyone's collective appreciation for everything he
has done for cycling over the years than to compile personal
messages from all those whose paths have crossed with
Phillip’s.
Introducing
the Breeze Women's Network from British Cycling
Introducing the Breeze Women's Network
from British Cycling
29th March 2011
The Breeze network
is British Cycling’s and
Sport England’s new national network of bike rides led by
women – for women. We want it to be easy for all women to
get involved in bike rides. We have spoken to hundreds of
women; we know that many more women of all ages would get on
a bike if there was a local group of women to go with and
some friendly support along the way. Breeze is friendly,
fun, local and social. It’s very informal – it will grow in
different areas, in different ways. The Breeze network will
be shaped by the women involved – that’s what makes it
unique.
We’re
supporting hundreds of women to become local
Breeze
champions and help thousands of women to have fun
on a bike. We hope you can help us change cycling for women.
We will train and support over 1000 champions across the
Country over the next three years. Champions don’t need to
be expert cyclists – just enthusiastic and comfortable on a
bike and able to commit to supporting the network.
We will
be providing Breeze champions with free national governing
body training, kit and ongoing support by investing lottery
funding from Sport England. In return we really hope you
will help us make the Breeze network a huge success and help
change the future of cycling for women. We are looking for
champions to provide women with some straightforward
information, promote the Breeze network and deliver around
14 rides a year in your local area (only one ride a month,
with a few extra in the summer). All the Breeze clothing and
kit is yours to keep as a volunteer who is actively
supporting the Breeze network. Plus there will be plenty of
support and tips from the Breeze team.
Breeze
champions will help other women to enjoy the fun, fresh air
and freedom offered by bikes rides. The success and growth
of the Breeze network will be down to amazing women like you
supporting the Breeze network.
As long
as you feel comfortable on a bike, confident enough to lead
a small group of women and have the drive and enthusiasm to
succeed as a Breeze Champion this is the only experience you
need.
We are
very excited to be rolling out the first round of Ride
Leader training courses, which provides all the training you
need to become a Breeze champion. Attached is further
information on the course and an application form.
We have
now organised the first of our training courses and these
are as follows:-
Saturday 16th April 2011 Dubrovnik
Hotel, Bradford
Saturday 16th April 2011 St Margaret’s
Pastures Sport Centre, Leicester
Sunday 17th April 2011 St Martin’s
Garden Primary School, Bath
Saturday 30th April 2011 Witton Park, Blackburn
(Preston Champions Wanted)
Saturday 7th May 2011 Colmore Junior
School, Birmingham
Sunday 8th May 2011 Milton Keynes
– Venue TBC
Places on these courses are limited and allocated on a first
come, first served basis. Therefore to request an
application form or if
you have questions about the Breeze network then please do
not hesitate to get in touch by emailing
breeze@britishcycling.org.uk.
If you have any specific enquiries about the Ride Leader
training course then please contact us via
recreation@britishcycling.org.uk.
Cycleability's very first award
Monday 28th March 2011
Touring Jamaica on one wheel
Published: Sunday |
March 27, 2011
ONE WHEEL, ONE PEOPLE, ONE JAMAICA
After successfully becoming the first
person to circumnavigate the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius on a
unicycle, Christo Coetzer is now turning his attention to the
Carribean Island of Jamaica.
Starting at 56 Hope Road on 28 March 2011 Christo will attempt to
become the first person in History to circumnavigate the Carribean
Island of Jamaica on one wheel. Jamaica has 1, 022km (635 miles) of
coastline which he will attempt to cover in 15 riding days resulting
in an average distance of 60km per day on his 36” Kris Holm
Unicycle.
Christo has an unbridled passion for adventure, paradise, the people
of Africa and reggae music, in particular the works of the legendary
Robert Nesta Marley. It was Bob Marley who inspired Christo to
choose Jamaica as his next adventure destination and visiting
Jamaica has been his life long dream.
.
His dream is to create ‘One love, one heart, one destiny, peace and
love to all mankind’. He concurs with Bob when he says ‘I am a child
of life’. Through the One Wheel, One People, One Jamaica project he
wants to establish existing as well as create new social bonds
between the people of Africa, Jamaica and Europe. As an African with
European roots he wants to carry the message of freedom, hope, love
and reconciliation which was newly founded in South Africa further
into the world and he feels that Jamaica will be the ideal place to
do this.
This adventure provides a unique opportunity to tourism bodies such
as the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Jamaica Cycling Federation and
the Jamaican South African Friendship Association (JASAFA) to market
and promote the island as a sought after cycling and adventure
destination. This project further lends itself to the marketing of
various South African and Jamaican corporations.
The entire adventure will be documented and all footage and photos
will then be used in the making of the One Wheel, One People, One
Jamaica DVD. Christo further plans to write a book on his adventure
expedition around Jamaica. By writing this book he will attempt to
make people aware of the power that lies in their dreams - that with
the courage to follow a dream one can inspire others to do the same
resulting in a better and brighter future for all.
“Let’s get together and feel alright ..
Brian
Bonitto • Special Assignment Editor
LONG before
setting foot on Jamaican soil on Wednesday
last, South African Christo Coetzer was
deeply influenced by reggae king Bob Marley
and the infectious beat of the music.
So, it came as no surprise that Coetzer's
latest project would be launched at Marley's
Hope Road museum in Kingston. The
24-year-old unicyclist from Melo Park,
Pretoria, plans to make a record - of sorts.
Starting tomorrow, he intends to be the
first person to circumnavigate Jamaica on a
unicycle.
"Listening to
Bob Marley's music was the inspiration for
me to come to Jamaica," he said. "I was
introduced to the music by my dad, who used
to listen to Marley when he was much
younger. I have the Legend CD and just can't
get enough of it."
In January
last year, Coetzer made history by becoming
the first person to circumnavigate the
Indian Ocean island of Mauritius on a
unicycle. And, for his Jamaican tour, he has
trained hard so he can do as well. In
addition to pull ups, push-ups and stretch
exercises, he went on a special training
programme.
Training
programme
"I contacted
Kris Holm - the leading unicyclist in the
world - and he suggested a training
programme which consisted of a five-day
training week," said Coetzer. He explained
that this consists of three days intensive
work, followed by a day's rest, then two
more training days, and a day's rest. He
said his unicycle can reach a top speed of
35 kilometres per hour and while on a tour,
he budgets for a 15-day journey.
"A unicycle
is quite difficult to ride. It is very
technical, especially off-roads, since you
have to balance and there is nothing to hold
on to," he said.
Firebrand
reggae artiste Peter Tosh - a founding
member of the group, the Wailers, of which
Bob Marley sang lead vocals - a was an avid
unicyclist. So it was a natural fit for
Coetzer to begin his tour of Jamaica from
the Bob Marley Museum at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
He will then head east to St Thomas and onto
Portland. From Portland, the unicyclist
intends to ride to St Ann, then to St James,
Westmoreland, St Elizabeth and back to
Kingston. Coetzer's father, Theo, will be
driving in tow throughout the journey.
"We're doing
this without sponsorship. Our trip was made
possible through donations from friends and
personal funds. So, we would welcome offers
from sponsors in Jamaica," he said. "At
present, we have made no arrangement for
accommodation. So, if any kind Jamaican
would offer to put us up for the evening in
each parish, we would be grateful," he
continued.
Lover of
Jamaican culture
Apart from
being a fan of Bob Marley's music, the
unicyclist says he also listens to Marley's
offspring and dancehall artiste Shaggy and
he is a great admirer of Usain Bolt.
"While we're
here, we would love to meet Usain Bolt - the
fastest man on earth - and also to have some
jerk chicken and ackee and saltfish," he
said. "And, throughout the trip, we would
love to meet as many Jamaicans as possible
and experience the culture of the island."
"On
Wednesday, I visited Collie Smith Drive to
watch a football match with Boys Town and
Humble Lions," he said proudly. At the end
of the trip, Coetzer plans to chronicle his
experience in a book titled 'One Wheel, One
People, One Jamaica'. "We want to inspire
people of all nations to follow their
dreams," he added.
Announcing the next ..
As a result of the constitutional
meeting, we now have a committee to work with the mentors allocated
to us by SportEd, the Cornwall Sports Partnership and British
Cycling as we are to become a
Disabled Go Ride Club ..
The Committee consists of:
*
Indicates that the person elect, also has some form of disability
such as ataxia, arthritis, dyspraxia or in one case, is a double
amputee only you would never know it per se!
These
are all issues that we are looking at in terms of what the club
stands for:
The most important thing now is to get
the fundraising rolling .. this is a link to a YouTube Video of
Wheels for Wellbeing, which was set
up in London in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength.
This is a classic example of what we would also like to achieve ..
Another link that you might find interesting is the Inclusive
Cycling Forum, inspiring even so check out the 'People'
page! The ICF also has an
fb page.
Shown right, Darren Kenny, Rik Waddon
and Sarah Storey are living proof of what is possible given the
opportunity!
Cycleability's Constitutional Meeting Thursday 17th March
THE CORNWALL Disabled Cycling Club will meet tonight to elect a
committee and is inviting people with disabilities, and their
carers, to come along and get involved. Cycleability was
launched on March 5 in Newquay and will initially be based in Truro,
say organisers, while they “get it up and running”.
Cycling instructor Wendy Creed said after years of wishing disabled
people were not always excluded, she hoped to get a grant to set up
ten disabled cycling centres in Cornwall within five years. “I
just refuse to accept the lack of cycling facilities for disabled
people,” she said. This will be all part of the 5 year
business plan that the two mentors from SportEd. will help us to
work through to ensure the club is sustainable.
As well as expanding to new centres, Cycleability coaches and
mechanics will bring modified bicycles to rides organised across the
county. People are still needed to become coaches, youth
representatives, fundraisers and co-ordinators. “Without a
committee this project cannot move forward or apply for funding so
everyone, without exception, is invited to attend,” she said. “If
you feel that you can offer your services, please let us know.”
The meeting to elect a committee will take place at 7pm in the
Gannel Building at Truro College.
A
message from the Cycleability Team ..
17th March 09.01hrs
What more could we have asked for on
March 5th? Thank you everyone .. to our colleagues from across the
SW who came down from afar afield as Devon and everyone in Cornwall
who decided to come and give us a go .. there really was something
for everyone with no exceptions! Hopefully if there is one thing
you have taken away, it is memories of people totally unable to help
themselves with the most enormous smiles on their faces as the
realisation dawned that hold on a second, oh yes they can cycle!
Who said they couldn't?
As one person put it "It
was a huge eye opener for me into the vast range of equipment that
is available to enable all to enjoy the sport which we love so
much." But to move it forward we need your help to set up a
committee so that we conform to Clubmark Guidelines so can be
affilicated as a British Cycling's Go Ride Club and can apply for
funding in our own right, as an individual legally cannot do so on
their own, in case funds are misappropriated because there is no-one
to check what they are doing. Click here
for the .pdf version of the presentation
that will be used ..
What a cracker of a day it was though ..
with Lady Mary and Lady George playing on a tricycle tandem, Vin
Cox** who bless him, helped save the day also playing to the bikes
with us and give or take about 250 others who came to play as well,
all of whom knew several others that would like to come and join us
next time around ..
Gary Brickley sadly couldn't make it due
to circumstances beyond his control but has suggested coming down in
the next couple of months or so with Darren Kenny OBE, 6x
Paralympian Gold medalist instead - hopefully to give a talk as well
as play on the bikes if we can co-ordinate it with them coming down
again for another Cornwall Sports Partnership event early May ..
(tentatively Thursday May 5th subject to Gary and Darren
being free that day (Quest 88 and Invacare have already got it in
their diaries though but pencil it in anyway!!)
A special thanks to Jo and Em taking all
those pix and then Chrissie, Terry and Emily taking more for the
Newquay Voice, West Brition/Cornish Guardian and the Western Morning
News as well .. WAY TO GO!! Shame the Beeb and ITV didn’t get to us
but with a skeleton crew at the weekend - perhaps next time given
the reports that should end up in the various papers!!
It just goes to prove that this is not a
flash in the pan, there really is a need for an all ability club so
from here we have the constitutional meeting on Thursday 17th March
at 7pm in the Gannel Building at Truro College to set up a committee
to take it forward .. bring it on is all I can say!
The Cycleability Team
** For those who know the name but can’t
quite place Vin, he is the person who took the Guinness World Record
holder for circumnavigating the world on a bike from Mark Beaumont
last August (by about 31 days or thereabouts) and what most people
do not realise, is that he is also a fully qualified National
Standard (Cycling) Instructor!!
New bike club's opportunities
for disabled Saturday,
March 12, 2011, 09:59
A new cycling
club has been launched to encourage people with disabilities to
get on their bikes. The club, managed by Cycleability the
mobile cycling club, will use bicycles specially designed for
the disabled.
In an effort to promote
inclusiveness, and to increase quality of life, bicycles have
been designed that cater to the needs of the deaf, the blind,
the autistic and those with wide manner of learning
difficulties.
The launch was led by Lady Mary
Holborow and Lady Vanessa George who rode a Draisin Duo tricycle
tandem. More than 200 people attended the event at at the
Newquay Sports Centre, which
gave disabled children and adults the opportunity to try out the
bicycles the club will have.
"I never imagined there could be
anything like this," said an overwhelmed Jude Ekins, who has
been approached to stand as head coach for Cycleability.
For more information about
Cycleability and upcoming events you can visit
www.cycleability.org.uk
Kieran Hamond from Penwithick,
gets a ride from world record holding round-the-world cyclist
Vin Cox at the Cycleability launch
Picture: Emily Whitfield-Wicks
Grass Track's Growing in the South West Posted: 11th March 2011 |
Source: British Cycling
Four
months on from the Inter Regional Track Championships and the first
ever Regional Youth Team from the South West, the enthusiasm is
still as strong with several riders now accredited to race the
Newport Track League and more working towards it.
To capitalise on this enthusiasm, Regional Events Officer Andy
Parker has planned a series of grass track events that will give
regional riders an understanding of how to track race and the skills
needed with the hope that they will then go on to become accredited
and make regular trips to Newport, Bournemouth (& beyond!).
The ‘track league' will incorporate races for all youth categories
and will run on an omnium style format meaning that points are
awarded for the position that a rider finishes in i.e. 1st = 1pt,
2nd = 2pts etc etc. The winner overall is the rider with the least
amount of points. The league will be 4 meetings, 2 being endurance
based events (points, devil, pursuit etc.) and the last 2 being
Sprint events (keirin, flying 200m & match sprinting). So that the
riders have the knowledge of the skills required to do such events,
Andy has worked closely with Regional Talent Development Coach; Ric
Jamieson who will run 2 pre league coaching sessions for all riders
and club coaches. The intention being that the coaches then go away
and run similar sessions to further train their riders.
Ric says; "Andy approached me after a grass track RSR that along
with John Scripps I ran back in the summer, at the end of that day
we had them racing madison on the grass. This is a great opportunity
for all those budding Vicki Pendletons'* or Chris Hoys to learn & to
race track events as they would do in a velodrome, the only real
difference is that they will not have the benefit of ‘free speed'
from the banking. This should further bolster the amount of track
riders in the south West so that it will continue to be able to be
represented at Inter Regional Track Championships along with riders
moving up to race events like the National Championships.".
The league have access to twenty track bikes that can be loaned out
for the events. Riders are advised to attend the coaching sessions
and a bike will be allocated to them. Don't forget to bring your own
pedals though!
U12's are recommended to use MTB's to start with.
Coaching Dates: 6th and 27th April at 1830
Race Dates: 8th and 22nd June, 6th and 12th July at 1830
Cost per session: £5
For further information regarding the series, please contact Andy
Parker via email at:
andyparker@britishcycling.org.uk or by phone 07940 302 224
*Victoria Pendleton's first
competitive event was a grass track race.
Everyone in the saddle with the new
cycle scheme Chrissie Laming: Wednesday
March 9th 2011
Cycle success, lots of people tried out the bikes including someone
with visual impairment, another with arthritis and a double amputee.
A new scheme that aims to open up
cycling to everyone was launched in Newquay on Saturday.
Cycleability, cycling for everyone with absolutely no exceptions,
was attended by 250 people at Newquay Sports Centre and Newquay
Tretherras School.
Lady Mary Holborow and Lady Vanessa
George led the way by trying out the Draisin Duo tricycle tandem.
Vin Cox, the new Guinness World Record holder for circumnavigating
the world on a bicycle, rode a Twister side by side tandem.
David Piper,
who is attempting to cycle around the world albeit at a considerably
more leisurely pace than his old friend Vin, gave rides to people
who were not able to pedal for themselves on the Duet wheelchair
bike.
Lord Lieutenant Lady Mary said: "It is
very impressive and lovely to see so many happy people of all ages.
Cornwall is a wonderful county and I’m so pleased that it will lead
the region in providing a cycling facility that directly addresses
issues of equality and diversity. Our motto is for 'One and All' and
this is a perfect example of that noble aspiration being put into
action.”
The Cycleability team has asked anyone
who is interested in being involved and on the committee, to attend
the inaugural meeting on Thursday March 17tj at 7pm in Room 108 of
the Gannel Building at Truro College.
It's a whole new world
for the disabled with Cycleability
Wednesday, March 09, 2011, 09:00
THE WORLD
record holder for cycling around the globe was one of the
guests at the launch of Cycleability – a new bike club for
disabled people.
Vin Cox joined his friend and companion on part of his GWR
attempt, David Piper and some 250 others at Newquay Sports
Centre on St Piran's Day (Saturday). They could then
be seen trying out some of the hi-tech bikes on the tennis
courts at Newquay Tretherras School.
Lady Mary Holborow and Lady Vanessa George, who helped
launch the event, even showed off their skills on a tandem.
Lady Mary Holborow added: "Well done – it was very
impressive and lovely to see so many happy people of all
ages."
One of the potential coaches to work with Cycleability when
time permits, said: "Wow, the bikes are awesome. I never imagined
there could be anything like this."
Cycleability has been established by Steve Hillman, Disability
Sports Officer at the Cornwall Sports Partnership, and GoRide Coach
and Bikeability Instructor Wendy Creed, to enable everyone to have
access to cycling.
Mr Hillman said: "Although it's still early days, our aim is
to provide an inclusive cycling framework for all abilities.
There will be regular cycle rides all across the county to
give as many people as possible the chance to get involved,
plus we will also be setting up a fixed base for the club."
The club is looking for volunteers to fill a number of roles
including coaches, youth representatives, a welfare officer,
treasurer, fundraising officer and press secretary.
It's a whole new world for
disabled with Cycleability Wednesday, March 09, 2011, 09:00
THE WORLD record holder for
cycling around the globe was one of the guests at the launch of Cycleability – a
new bike club for disabled people. Vin Cox was joined his friend David
Piper (who cycled part of the US leg with him) and some 250 others at Newquay
Sports Centre on St Piran's Day. They could then be seen trying out some
of the hi-tech bikes on the tennis courts at Newquay Tretherras School.
Lady Mary Holborow and Lady Vanessa George, who helped launch the event, even
showed off their skills on a tandem. Lady Holborow added: "Well done – it was
very impressive and lovely to see so many happy people of all ages."
Another comment made was: "Wow, the bikes are awesome. I never imagined there
could be anything like this."
Cycleability
has been established by Steve Hillman, disability sports officer at the Cornwall
Sports Partnership, and GoRide Coach and Bikeability Instructor Wendy Creed, to
enable everyone to have access to cycling.
Mr Hillman said: "Although it's
still early days, our aim is to provide an inclusive cycling framework for all
abilities. There will be regular cycle rides all across the county to give as
many people as possible the chance to get involved, plus we will also be setting
up a fixed base for the club."
The club is looking for volunteers to fill a number of roles including coaches,
youth representatives, a welfare officer, treasurer, fundraising officer and
press secretary. For more information, e-mail disabledcycling@cycleability.org.uk
or call 01872 323344.
Launch of Cycleability: Cornwall’s
Mobile Disabled Cycling Club
Cycleability aims to give disabled
people the opportunity to experience an activity that most take for
granted.
by Andrew Ashbridge .. to be published in the next
edition of Discover
After much hard work CYCLEABILITY was launched at
Newquay Sports centre on March 5th. This was a huge
success, but it identified a great need for these facilities in
Cornwall.
The day started with an introduction by Lady Mary
Holborow and a short presentation. Then Lady Mary Holborow and Lady
Vanessa George led the way to the tennis courts at Newquay
Tretherras School, where they started the try outs on a Draisin Duo
tricycle tandem.
Approximately 30 cycles waited in the tennis court.
Including handcycles, tandems, recumbents , go-carts, and even power
assisted cycles. If because of a disability you had never cycled,
thought your cycling days were over, or lost confidence, the smiles
all round proved there was something for everybody.
The cycles used on the day were kindly loaned by
specialist cycle manufactures. Hopefully in the near future
Cycleability will have raised sufficient funds to purchase machines
for Cornwall.
Eventually Cycleability aim to run a disabled cycling
session around the area every 2 weeks, with qualified volunteer
instructors and a range of specialist cycles. Disabled groups will
be able to try out different machines and build up confidence, in a
fun, safe, and educational environment.
Everybody knows the benefits of cycling. These are
often greater for the disabled as they can increase independence,
help improve confidence, co-ordination, flexability, health, and
importantly improve their quality of life. Even some medical
professionals accept regular cycling can be beneficial.
Who knows perhaps hidden Paralympic talent in
Cornwall is just waiting to be discovered.
The launch was only the start. If you want more
information visit the Cycleability website at
www.cycleability.org.uk
St Piran’s Day
launch of Cycleability,
Cycling for Everyone with
absolutely NO exceptions.
From R-L: Vin Cox, GWR holder for
circumnavigating the world on a bicycle, Lady Mary Holborow, Lady
Vanessa George and Wendy Creed
After
the briefing, Lady Mary Holborow and Lady Vanessa George led the way
to the tennis courts at Newquay Tretherras School, where they
started the try outs on a Draisin Duo tricycle tandem. Lady Mary
rode in front with Lady George cycling behind. Thankfully
the weather was kind to us so we had a lot of interest.
Vin Cox, the new
Guinness World Record Holder for circumnavigating the world on a
bicycle in 2010, could also be seen riding a Twister side by side
tandem with some of the attendees whilst his close friend and
companion across France and in the US David Piper, also joined in
cycling on the Duet wheelchair bike, giving rides to those who were
not able to pedal for themselves. These were all supplied by
Quest 88’s All Ability Cycling Team together with many, many more
including hand cranks, recumbent and upright trikes and go-karts.
Jude Ekins who has
been approached to stand as Head Coach for Cycleability said 'Wow,
they (the bikes) are AWESOME, I never imagined there could be
anything like this'. Other comments that were made included one by
Lady Mary who sent an email saying 'Well done – it was very
impressive and lovely to see so many happy people of all ages!'
It is estimated
that approximately 200-250 people attended the event, including
counsellors, physiotherapists, carers, adults and children alike and
all with some form of problem which would usually preclude them form
participating in a cycling event. As realisation dawned that
yes they could join in, their smiles just got bigger and bigger!
Amazingly one of the attendees
not only happened to be someone who now has a prosthetic leg but
previously served along side Dr Brickley in Her Majesty's Royal
Navy.
During the briefing, the team asked anyone who is interested
in being involved and on the committee, to attend the meeting on Thursday 17th
March in Room 108 of the Gannel Building at Truro College. This is to
be a Constitutional Meeting to elect a committee and is backed by both
SportEd and British Cycling. The officers that it is hoped to elect, under
the
Clubmark rules must include:
Anyone
who would like any further information, please email
disabledcycling@cycleability.org.uk for a more detailed job description
or click on the link above,
although it must be emphasised these are all voluntary positions.
The next event being
planned will be in approximately two months' time, when Dr Gary
Brickley, Senior Lecturer at Brighton University and Paralympic
Cycling Coach is hoping to come down with Darren Kenny OBE, 6 x
Paralympic Gold Medallist to give a talk and work with the cyclists
again. However the probability is that Truro College will host
the next event due to it's facilities including a lecture theatre
for the discussion with Dr Brickley and Darren Kenny.
The Cycleability
Team including Steve Hillman, Cornwall Sports Partnership Disable
Development Officer, would like to thank everyone who participated
and to all their friends and colleagues who came from as far away as
Exeter, to help ensure the smooth running of the event. And an even
bigger vote of thanks goes to Quest 88 who came down from Shrewsbury
and Invacare from South Wales to provide the bikes used.
GREAT
BRITAIN'S Paralympic cycling coach is making the trip to Newquay
this weekend to launch a new bike club for disabled people in
Cornwall. Dr Gary Brickley, who is also a senior sports
lecturer at the University of Brighton, hopes to join Lady Mary
Holborow to officially open the Cycleability group at Newquay Sports
Centre on Saturday, March 5.
GoRide instructor Wendy Creed told the Cornish Guardian: "Every one
is welcome and there will quite literally be something for
everyone." She said that there would be a range of all-ability
cycles, sports wheelchairs, recumbent bikes and go-karts for people
to try out. The event runs from 11am until 3pm.
Also the first constitutional meeting
to set up a committee will take place on Thursday, March 17, at 7pm,
in Room 108 of the Gannel Building at Truro College. All are welcome
to attend.
Meanwhile below please see a quote
received from Dr Brickley on the subject of disabled cycling
benefits and facilities:
"In
coaching I have always adopted an athlete centred humanist approach.
I feel that my role as a coach is not just about the technical and
physiological but it is also about ensuring each individual gets the
best out of themselves. I therefore see numerous advantages
psychologically for cycling for those with disabilities;
Confidence
Improved self esteem
Mobility
Equality
Independence
Teamwork – tandem
Anxiety – good and bad
I am concerned that some disabled individuals are being denied the
health benefits of cycling due to lack of access, etc. Schemes such
as the Cycleability one that Cornwall is leading create numerous
psychological benefits and these benefits can also enhance the
quality of life for everyone that interacts with the cyclist, the
benefits are therefore huge."
BRITISH
CYCLING coming on board THE
NEW DISABLED CYCLING CLUB 01 March 2011
The first constitutional meeting has
been set up for Thursday 17th March 2011 at 7pm in R108 of the Gannel
Building at Truro College.
The meeting is to formally present the club to those wishing to support it
and set up a committee to ensure it's sustainability. Everyone
interested in the project, both carers and disabled are very welcome.
SportEd Regional Manager who
is supporting the project had this to say after talking with Chris Yates,
British Cycling Regional Manager for the SW .. "Chris and I had a really
good chat today about the project, and he is going to come to the first club
meeting on 17th March, to help create the Cycleability club committee, etc."
"Chris will be emailing
through the templates for role descriptions that we will be using for the
club. They are BCF Clubmark templates, and will form part of the
accreditation process that the club will go through as part of their
development. I can confirm that BCF (British Cycling Federation) and
SportEd. are very much behind this project, and will be working together to
support the initiative.".
Cycleability has been established by
Disability Sports Officer at the Cornwall Sports Partnership, Steve Hillman,
and Bikeability Instructor/GoRide Coach, Wendy Creed, ensuring anyone
and everyone who wishes to, has access to cycling; it will be
Cornwall’s very own mobile disabled cycling club.
Steve Hillman, from the Cornwall Sports
Partnership, comments: “Although it’s still very early days, our aim for Cycleability is to provide an inclusive cycling framework for all abilities.
There will be regular cycle rides taking place all across the county to give
as many people as possible the chance to get involved, plus we will also be
setting up a fixed base for the club.
Wendy Creed, the original
driving force behind the project said "SportEd are working closely with us
to help us with the business planning etc. to ensure the club's
sustainability. The fact that British Cycling are also committed is
brilliant, I'd like to think we might be setting a precedent with the first
GoRide Disabled Cycling Club although I can't be sure!"
For further details please contact Steve Hillman at the Cornwall Sports
Partnership on 01872 323344 or Wendy Creed on 07762 493662..
The countdown is on for the new Cornish disabled cycling club 24
February 2011
We are now less than 10 days
away from the launch on
Saturday 5 March, when Cycleability will be riding into action at Newquay Sports Centre from 11am until 3pm
and we hope that we will see you there! To date we have put it out to
all the local radio stations and indeed, thanks to Gwen Willoboughy of
Source FM in Falmouth, a 30 minute interview went out on Wednesday, 23rd
Februrary 2011. We are also hoping for both live radio and the TV
cameras turn up on the day so that people can understand what it is
that we are trying to achieve by seeing the bikes for themselves.
Amongst the guests supporting the event
will be Lady Mary Holborow - Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Lady Vanessa
George, Dr Gary Brickley – Senior Sports lecturer at the University of
Brighton and Paralympic cycling coach and Vin Cox, a local Nat. Standards
Instructor and the current Guinness World Record holder for circumnavigating
the world in 163 days, having taken the title from Mark Beaumont.
Unfortunately Major Phil Packer who is founder
of the British Inspiration Trust, which itself was recently launched now has
a diary on the back of it that prevents him from being able to attend but he
has sent his good wishes for a successful event. Other notes
containing good wishes for a successful day have been received from various
key figures within Cornwall and beyond in addition to that of Major Packer
include Kevin Lavery and Alec Robertson, both of Cornwall Council, the Prime
Minister, the Rt. Hon. David Cameron who himself, had a disabled son and
Lord Taylor of Gossmore.
At the event there will be a range of all ability cycles, sports wheelchairs and go-karts for attendees to try out, which have been supplied by
Quest 88 (All Ability Cycling),
Invacare (UK Distributors for TopEnd
competitive recumbents) and
ICE (Inspired Cycle Engineering) from Falmouth.
These will include paralympic models and leisure bikes and there will
literally be something for everyone without exception.
The official launch will
take place at 11am in the Newquay Sports Centre, followed up by cycling try
outs of over 20 different specialist bikes on the tennis courts of Newquay
Tretherras although this will be strictly controlled as these are not every
day bikes and each one has a price tag to reflect that! If it is wet
on the day, then the bike try outs will take place in the Sports Hall at the
Sports Centre, where hot snacks and tea and coffee will also be available to
purchase.
Cycleability has been established by
Disability Sports Officer at the Cornwall Sports Partnership, Steve Hillman,
and Bikeability Instructor/GoRide Coach, Wendy Creed, to enable anyone
and everyone, without exception, to have access to cycling; it will be
Cornwall’s very own mobile disabled cycling club. Steve Hillman, from the Cornwall Sports
Partnership, comments: “Although it’s still very early days, our aim for
Cycleability is to provide an inclusive cycling framework for all abilities.
There will be regular cycle rides taking place all across the county to give
as many people as possible the chance to get involved, plus we will also be
setting up a fixed base for the club.
“The launch event in Newquay is open to
anyone and we would love for people to join us to find out just what
Cycleability is all about! Our VIPs will be with us throughout the event to
chat to attendees and share their own inspirational stories.”
Wendy Creed, the original driving force
behind the project said "At last we are getting it off the ground. It
is long overdue and will facilitate both residents and visitors to the
county. We have also just signed a contract with SportEd. for us to have
the necessary support to ensure it's sustainability. Indeed, they will
be fronting the Constitutional meeting on Thursday 17th March at 7pm at
Truro College in the Gannel Building, to set up a committee."
There is no need to book on to the event,
but for further details please contact Steve Hillman at the Cornwall Sports
Partnership on 01872 323344 or Wendy Creed on 07762 493662 as Steve is
currently on annual leave.
Cornwall now has
it’s first Bikeability (National Standard) Assistant Cycling
Instructor with a further eight National Standard Instructors who
qualified over the weekend
Bikeability is alive and well with
another four years funding recently announced but the bursary which
has contributed to
the costs of training up instructors, is to be withdrawn from April
as part of the funding cuts. 16.02.11
The courses were held at the new
Trelander and St. Clements Community Hall just down the road from Truro Rugby Club
and Penair School. Martin Burrows from Torbay was the Lead
National Standard Instructor Trainer (NSIT) with Wendy Creed who
lives locally supporting him as a trainee, hoping to do her formal
training course in the spring, at which point she will also then
gain her NSIT registration.
The course(s) were run over two
weekends, the first weekend at the end of January included Helen
Truscott, who qualified as Cornwall’s first National Standard
Assistant (Cycling) Instructor and will work in tandem with a fully
qualified National Standard Instructor. Unfortunately Helen who
works as a Teaching Assistant at Whitemoor Primary School, was
unable to attend the second weekend as she was already booked onto
another training course however there will be the opportunity for
her to progress from NSAI to NSI at some point in the future, which
she is hoping to do.
The newly qualified instructors include Chris Opie, an elite cyclist with the Pendragon Cycle Team, Fiona Telfer Brunton, a British Cycling Road and Time Trial Coach with One and All and has just set up her own coaching business, F1 Coaching, Felicia Sheingold of ActivateHealth, Jude Ekins, who is a British Cycling MTB coach with One and AllCycling Club, Harriet Trubshaw and Tom Christensen who are both 3rd year students at Truro College doing their BSc Sports Performance and Coaching. Also qualifying this weekend was Alyn Curtis, a Teaching Assistant at Newquay Juniors and Marcus Noon, who is involved withVocation UK.
If people think they know Jude Edkin's name but not as a cyclist per se it could because of his family business, Cornish Cuisine based in Penryn. On the edge of the River Fal, Cornish Cuisine has been happily smoking away for over 25 years. Jude is currently designing a chiller trailer to pull behind his bike, so as to keep their products nice and cool whilst delivering them to their clients as come the summer, in his own words "cycling is so much quicker!" However as a parent, he also considers having access to training so all the family can cycle safely on road, to be an important factor. Bikeability of course, has no age limit but is open to everyone and anyone from novices to experienced road racers.
For Felicia Sheingold, it is a little bit closer to realising disabled cycling in Cornwall as to become a ride leader with Cycleability, being a National Standard Instructor is the first step. Felicia works with people who are recovering from strokes in her work as a personal trainer with ActivateHealth but is also a mum, which is the other reason she has trained as an instructor as Bikeability is not offered at her son's school in Truro.
Wendy Creed, who works in partnership with Cycle Experience and is a trainee National Standard (Cycling) Instructor Trainer herself, said “We
were exceptionally lucky with the weather to put it mildly. As
for the trainees, they were a wonderful eclectic group to work with,
with a broad range of experience to enhance cycle training in Cornwall.
I learned a lot as well. For example we had one trainee who
was a little nervous about the Level 3 aspect but we had paired up
them up very carefully and deliberately, so that they
could share their experiences. The person who had more
experience as a cycling coach in another discipline likened the
tactics that needed to be employed to the principals of sailing.
Their partner for this particular excise is themselves a qualified
RYA Instructor, so it helped them to understand the need to assert
themselves rather than allowing themselves to be intimidated by the traffic
which given the nature of Tregolls Road and Morlaix Avenue, can
happen."
Wendy continues "It is a real shame that we are going to loose the bursary as there is still so much unharnessed talent down here. But there was no bursary when I trained in 2005 so I had to fund my own training then as it was not available until a good 18 months later around the time of the Bikeability 'gearing up' period. All that means though, is that futuristically any new trainees will have to do the same and fund it themselves. However if enough people wanted to train between now and the end of March, another course could be run so they too could avail themselves of the bursary!”
IAM responds
to campaign for European legislation on improving blind
spots
Following
the campaign for a new European law to improve HGV safety,
the Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) has called on
cyclists to use common sense around HGVs.
Team GB
cyclist Rebecca Romero backed the campaign to get MEPs to
consider a
written declaration on HGV safety, which proposed that
new trucks should be fitted with the latest blind spot
equipment to improve the safety of cyclists. Around 400
people are killed every year as a result of HGV blind spots,
with cyclists among the most at risk groups.
Duncan
Pickering, IAM cycling development manager, said: “While any
move to improve the safety of cyclists on our roads is a
good thing, it is important that we don’t forget that
cyclists also have a big part to play in their own safety.
“Prevention
is better than cure, and cyclists should never pull up on
the nearside of larger vehicles such as HGVs, especially
when the larger vehicle is likely to turn left. These
vehicles have different turning paths to cars, and the
cyclist could quickly find themselves running out of space.
"We also
advise cyclists to position themselves at least a metre from
the kerb when moving, to improve their visibility to other
road users, and to give more space to avoid drain covers and
potholes.”
London 2012 dates for
road, mountain bike, BMX and track cycling revealed
by
Jonathon Harker
14.02.2011 10.50hrs
Full
Olympic schedule unveiled one month before tickets go on
sale to the public
The London
Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic
Games (LOCOG) has published the full sports competition
schedule for the London 2012 Olympic Games this morning.
Track events
will take place at the Velodrome in the Olympic Park from
August 2nd to 7th, while the BMX events will take place on
August 8th, 9th and 10th, also at the Olympic Park.
The Mountain
Bike events will run over two days from August 11th to 12th
at Hadleigh Farm in Essex, while the Road events will run
from July 28th to August 1st.
6.6 million
tickets to the events will go on sale to the public from
March 15th to April 26th 2011.
"Publishing the
Olympic sports competition schedule means that everyone –
athletes, coaches, spectators, broadcasters and everybody
who wants to be part of London 2012 can now start planning
their Games," said LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe.
"The Olympic
Games is the greatest show on earth, and the schedule shows
the vast choice of sporting events on offer for the public
to go and see. The world’s greatest athletes in every one of
the 26 Olympic sports are now honing their preparation to a
specific point of time on a specific date in July and August
2012.
"Families up and
down the country can now plan their summer of 2012. The
schedule showcases brilliant and exciting sport every single
day, over 19 days, with 302 medals on offer. Our message to
the public is clear – the superstars of twenty six world
sports are coming to the UK and you have the chance to say
'I was there'."
Next month Lady
Mary Holborow and well-known veteran Major Phil Packer (as yet still
to confirm) will be
launching an exciting new disabled cycling club for Cornwall.
On Saturday 5 March,
Cycleability will be riding into action with a launch event at
Newquay Sports Centre from 11am until 3pm. Amongst the guests
supporting the event will be Lady Mary Holborow - Lord Lieutenant of
Cornwall, Lady Vanessa George - the Late Lord George's widow, Dr
Gary Brickley – Senior Sports lecturer at the University of Brighton
and Paralympic cycling coach and Major Phil Packer who is founder of
the British Inspiration Trust.
At the event there will be a range of all ability cycles, sports wheelchairs and go-karts for attendees to try out, which have been supplied by
Quest 88 (All Ability Cycling),
Invacare (UK Distributors for
TopEnd competitive recumbents) and
ICE (Inspired Cycle Engineering) from Falmouth.
Cycleability has
been established by Disability Sports Officer at the Cornwall Sports
Partnership, Steve Hillman, and Bikeability Instructor/GoRide Coach, Wendy Creed, to enable anyone and everyone, without
exception, to have access to cycling; it will be Cornwall’s very own
mobile disabled cycling club.
Steve Hillman, from
the Cornwall Sports Partnership, comments: “Although it’s still very
early days, our aim for Cycleability is to provide an inclusive
cycling framework for all abilities. There will be regular cycle
rides taking place all across the county to give as many people as
possible the chance to get involved, plus we will also be setting up
a fixed base for the club.
“The launch event in
Newquay is open to anyone and we would love for people to join us to
find out just what Cycleability is all about! Our VIPs will be with
us throughout the event to chat to attendees and share their own
inspirational stories.”
Wendy Creed, the
original driving force behind the project said "At last we are
getting it off the ground. It is long overdue and will
facilitate both residents and visitors to the county. We have
also just signed a contract with SportEd. for us to have the necessary
support to ensure it's sustainability."
There is no need to
book on to the event, but for further details please contact Steve
Hillman at the Cornwall Sports Partnership on 01872 323344.
The Big Pedal 2011 02.02.2011
The
Big Pedal
(powered by
Sustrans
and funded by the
Bike Hub) is a FREE national cycle-to-school race taking
place 7 – 25 March this year.
The
Youth Sports Trust is kindly supporting this event by offering
to help us promote The Big Pedal race through School Sport
Partnerships (SSPs).
With fantastic prizes for pupils and schools (not to mention the
health benefits), we kindly ask you to help promote The Big Pedal
by forwarding the attached email (entitled 'The Big Pedal
2011 Invite') to schools in your area. We’d also love it if you’d
promote the race through any other channels available to you. There
may well be a
Sustrans Bike It officer
promoting the race to their schools in your region – find your
closest officer on
Where’s Bike It?
FREE
event, FREE resources
This free event is open to ALL schools in the UK. Its unique format
encourages cycling, in a race spanning three weeks. There are
15 'time-trial' stages over 15 school days, with schools competing
against each other to become the UK’s best cycling school.
Registered schools will be sent a giant wall map to chart progress.
Detailed race info and school resources such as posters will be
downloadable from the website. Children who have recently completed
Bikeability training will immediately be able to put their
knowledge to use and develop their cycling skills further.
REGISTRATION
and PRIZES from
Team M.A.D,
Cyclepods,
Land Rover bicycles and more
Schools can register to do the whole three-week challenge or one of
five special daily stages. They’ll log their daily journeys on The
Big Pedal website, and the more cyclists that ride; the
quicker the school completes each stage. The
Big Pedal has been developed by Sustrans from its Virtual Bike Race
in 2010, which encouraged over 280,000 cycle journeys to school.
This is an excellent way to promote active travel and to introduce
children to cycling.
Recovering and Rediscovering
Cycling after 20 Years by Graeme Willgress
25.01.2011
Graeme Willgress is 51 years old,
with a lifelong passion for the outdoors. A Teacher by
profession, with a Sports Science degree, and is the sole
perpetrator of this years 4000+ mile
Round Britain-Ride2Recovery.
This is his journey to begin to overcome serious mental health
problems. Returning to cycling after 20 years, Graeme is
building a new life around this rediscovered passion for
cycling, travelling, writing and life. Follow Graeme as he
prepares for his first expedition at
www.graemewillgress.com
and
Facebook Round BritainRide2Recovery
After
almost twenty years I’ve started cycling again. Why such a
big gap? What has changed in that time?
Well, many things
happen in life. When I got to seventeen, all the usual stuff
began. Girls, climbing, beer, driving, houses, marriage,
children and a career all followed in succession. That
wasn’t what really stopped me though.
In
the 1980′s and 90′s, Southampton, on the South Coast of the UK,
was a City, and a City that was growing fast–with a housing boom
of mammoth proportions.
Infrastructure, outside of motorways, could hardly
cope with the new level of traffic.
Car drivers
didn’t like cyclist (some things never change), especially as we
cyclists were quicker getting from A to B in the rush hour.
There were no cycle lanes to speak of, and I found myself on the
blunt end of at least two cars, and a caravan that the driver
forgot he was towing! Add to that, that off-road riding was
nearly impossible in the wet due to the clay soils.
I was
disillusioned to say the least. It was easier to forget cycling
and go windsurfing and paragliding, so I did.
Contrast that to
last year. I was cycling into the heart of Bristol, a major UK
city–and a cycling city too. I was heading for North Wales and
got off route. The map I was using had an information box smack
over where I was!
So, without a
map, I headed in what I thought
was the right direction. Big mistake? The road was narrow,
steep, bendy and very, very busy. I switched to ‘red alert’
mode. The cars approaching me slowed, took their time, driving
wide past me. I couldn’t believe it. No horn honks or rude
gestures. What was going on?
Further along, I
saw a cycle sign saying ‘…Greenway’. I turned onto it, just
wanting to escape the road. For several miles, I followed the
tarmac cycle route, through forests, parks, valleys, residential
estates, and popped out in the middle of Bristol by a big
signpost offering a choice of further routes to a variety of
places.
This
type of riding didn’t exist when I was previously cycling. I
felt like a First-Class citizen, not a Second-Class one.
I headed to the
center of Bristol, popping out right in the middle by the old
dockland area. I hadn’t had to think about cars at all, and was
surrounded by cafes of every type. It felt really, really good.
Where have these
routes come from and why? A charity called
Sustrans (sustainable
transport) set out 15 years ago to build a
National Cycle Network. So far, they have built
12000 miles of Network, of which over 4000 miles are traffic
free, the rest being routed on quiet lanes and residential
areas.
They actively
encourage cycling to schools and commuting, by creating links
from housing areas to train stations, schools, bus stations etc.
This, they say, gives us the choice over whether to get the car
out or not, and given this choice, many choose not to drive.
Most new major projects now include provision for cyclists with
cycle specific bridges, lanes, even roundabouts.
I
was amazed you can buy a bike that enables you to ride to the
station, fold it and walk on to the train or bus. On arrival at
your destination you can unfold it, and ride the cycle-ways to
work ( certainly in London and other UK cities). If you’re lucky
you can then fold it and walk up to the office where it lives by
your desk whilst you take a shower. You can even catch the train
and, in London, pick up a ‘Boris
Bike’, a bike-share scheme.
What then
prompted my return to cycling after so long? Frankly, it was
poor mental health. I’ve had many bumps and knocks from the
extreme sports I used to do. I’ve also suffered a lot of trauma.
Deaths and accidents abound in flying and climbing, and one of
these left me with a crushed spinal vertebrae.
Time healed these
physical injuries, but not the mental health. A series of
depression-based illnesses over my adult life came to a head
when I suffered a major breakdown nearly six years ago. I could
write reams about this, but this is not the place. During this
time, I learned to slow down (having no other choice). Gone was
the teaching career, house, partner, money, decent car etc. Gone
also were both my parents and my sister.
It took several
years to even begin to settle, let alone build a new life, but
it did happen, slowly. My big sports motorbike was traded for a
Harley, and then my Harley was traded for a bicycle!
My damaged knee
had two operations to mend it and I was mobile again. As I began
to get less tired, I exercised more and began to ride. I bought
one of the aforementioned Dahon road bikes and began to cycle.
My self esteem was boosted as was my physical and mental
well-being.
I
could ride somewhere knowing I could catch a bus back again if I
felt rubbish. I could ride on
traffic-free trails without the
worry of cars, and I could talk to whoever I wished and build
social relationships again. A new world of acceptance and
infrastructure for cyclists helped make this possible.
More importantly,
on these routes, cafes had sprung up all over the place making
it easy to stop and refresh, look at the scenery etc. Cycling
has come in from the cold and is no longer the preserve of a few
die-hards as it was perhaps previously perceived
As people’s lives
become more sedentary, health professionals are pushing for
governments to
encourage active lifestyles.
Cycling is part of this. It is fun, healthy and can be enjoyed
by anybody. Other organizations support cycling in the UK, the
CTC (Cyclist
Touring Club, which is the oldest) and Cycle Britain
to name a couple.
The introduction
of many long distance routes and day trails as well as Mountain
Bike Parks have brought many people, and a lot business, into
the South West where I live. This is essential in a work-starved
area of rural England. Cyclists have big appetites and all need
somewhere to stop overnight, as well as take on the occasional
repair.
I’ve
seen old cyclists, families, cyclists with considerable
disabilities, horse riders, walkers etc, all enjoying my local
Sustrans Trail. I now work as a volunteer for Sustrans and my
ride this year will rely on many routes on their National Cycle
Network. I’m so impressed I will be raising funds for them
during the ride, which I will write more about in a future
article.
This is how far
we have come in just twenty years. As more and more people begin
to consider the changes we need to make to help this beautiful
planet, the easier it will become to herald cycling in as a
great way to travel, commute and spend our leisure time.
I for one, are
excited to see many bike shops doing well. You can buy so many
different types of cycles now. It’s almost too much choice,
Touring, Mountain Biking, Expedition, Folding, Road, Race, Audax,
Sportif, but to name a few. Perhaps we have “never had it so
good.” We still have a long way to go in my opinion, but I like
to think it will get even better.
Extracts from a press release from the DfT on the Bikeability website
Posted on January 19, 2011
News
£11m
awarded to local authorities and School Sports Partnerships to
boost Bikeability offer
Government grants for Bikeability
totalling £11m have been awarded by the Department for Transport
(DfT) to over 100 local authorities and to School Sport
Partnerships across England to help them boost their cycle
training offer in the coming year. The funds available will fund
over 275,000 additional Bikeability Level 2 places in 2011/2012
– enabling Bikeability to be offered in even more areas than
before. Funding will also be available for the next 3 years and
details of how Bikeability will be funded and delivered in the
future will be announced after a DfT review into Bikeability
during 2011.
The DfT will also continue to
support the running of the Bikeability scheme and the National
Standard for Cycle Training that underpins it.
However, given the financial
circumstances there is also a need to significantly reduce costs
and increase efficiency. As part of this, the current
instructor bursary grants will not be extended beyond 31 March
2011, when most other existing arrangements under the Cycling
England programme cease. The Department is no longer able to
support the cost of administering the grant, or justify the
subsidising new trainers at a time when overall capacity is
healthy. To offset the ending of bursaries after March 2011 the
grants awarded to local authorities for Bikeability training can
also in future be used to fund the cost of training new national
standard instructors or assistant instructors. Where any of the
grant is used in this way the delivery target of child training
places is not reduced. DfT expects the recipients of the bursary
to deliver an equivalent number of free cycle training places
based on the £40.00 awarded per training place. Local
authorities can also use their grant to make funds available to
train new instructors or assistant instructors to Instructor
Training Organisations or to individuals not employed directly
by the authority. It will be for individual authorities in
conjunction with the trainer or training company awarded the
grant to then account for the trade off in free training places
either within the authority’s delivery programme or elsewhere.
This ongoing commitment to fund
Bikeability over 4 years will hopefully give individuals and
organisations the confidence to invest in training themselves.
You can read the details of
today’s announcement, along with more about the Local
Sustainable Transport Fund, by
clicking here and going to the Department for Transport’s
press release.
'Awesome':
club cyclists test the Velodrome. It will be the first
Olympic Park venue to open next month
Fastest track
ever, say cyclists after test run at Olympic Velodrome
Matthew
Beard, Sports News Correspondent
7 Jan 2011
The first cyclists to test the
£100million Olympic velodrome have declared it the fastest
track ever. A dozen club riders battled it out at speeds of
up to 75kmh in the Olympic Park as the 250-metre circuit was
put to the test. The Standard gained exclusive access
as inspectors from the international cycling federation
scrutinised the superfast track.
The velodrome
builders, British firm ISG, were on tenterhooks until both
the riders and technical experts gave their emphatic
approval. As part of the simulation, a public address system
played classical music and racers competed under the full
Olympic lighting, enhanced to pick out the action in fine
detail for high definition television. Certification
was the final hurdle before the velodrome becomes the first
Olympic Park venue to be opened next month.
Emily Kay,
15, who was among the riders from the Halesowen Cycling Club
chosen to test the track, described the experience as
"awesome". She added: "We just kept going faster and
you could hardly get me off it. We often compete at the
Manchester velodrome (built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games)
but this seems even faster."
The
London track has been
designed by the world's foremost velodrome builder,
Australian Ron Webb. Mr Webb beamed with pride as he
watched the test and then declared that he was retiring
after completing this, his 53rd velodrome. The former
professional cyclist also created the Olympic circuits for
Seoul, Athens and Sydney. He said: "We had an advantage
because this building is bigger than most velodromes. It was
just a matter of making a few tweaks to make it even faster.
Records will be broken in 2012 but that will have more to do
with the fitness of the athletes and the occasion than my
track."
Some of the
world's best riders will compete in London in a World Cup
event next February which Team GB bosses hope will be a
prelude to a bumper medal haul for Britain at the Games.
Star names will include Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton
and Bradley Wiggins.
A team of 26
carpenters used 56 kilometres of surface timber fixed into
place with more than 300,000 nails to build the track in
eight weeks. The track is made of Siberian pine
because the trees are known for being straight and tall,
making them suitable for the lengths of timber required to
shape the track.
The Olympic
cycling complex comprises the indoor track and 6,000 seats
surrounded by a 360-degree public concourse. In legacy mode
there will be a café, changing rooms, cycle workshop and
storage for more than 300 bikes. There will also be a bike
hire outlet for families to use the new cycling facilities,
and the venue will be linked to cycle routes across London.
Olympic
Delivery Authority project manager Richard Arnold said: "It
was great to see cyclists in the velodrome for the first
time. "Achieving the cycling federation's sign-off for
the delivery of the track is an important milestone and
gives everyone on site a huge boost as we approach the final
stages of construction."
Tickets for
the velodrome, which go on sale in March, range from £20 for
the heats to £325 for the finals. The steel tower in the
Olympic Park will earn £10 million a year as a tourist
attraction, it was claimed today.
Games legacy
chiefs made the bold prediction as they began the search for
a company to run the 114-metre tower, which will cost £22
million and is officially-named the ArcelorMittal Orbit.
Firms have three weeks to bid for the 10-year contract.
Cycling Campaign Set to Get
80,000 Women Active
Sport England
Funds New National Women's Cycling Network
Posted: 6th January 2011
A new project
that will get 80,000 women back on a bike - or riding for
the first time -was unveiled today after Sport England
awarded British Cycling £992,159 of National Lottery
funding.
The National
Women's Cycling Network will help women of all ages and
ability to organise fun, recreational group bike rides for
other women in their local area. Over the next three years,
1,000 female cycling champions will be trained to become
ride leaders, equipped with the information and know-how to
organise group rides on local routes - planned and mapped by
them. The programme will draw inspiration from the success
of Britain's top women elite cyclists and will aim to reach
women in every local authority in England. Its long-term aim
will be to encourage 20,000 women to cycle at least once a
week.
It's one of
20 projects backed as part of Sport England's £10 million
Active Women campaign to tackle the gender gap in sport. It
aims to encourage women with children and those from
disadvantaged communities to play more sport as part of the
drive to deliver a mass participation legacy from London
2012.
Last month
(Dec 2010), new Sport England figures revealed the size of
the gender gap in sport. At present, one in eight (2.761
million) women regularly play sport in England. Whilst this
has increased significantly in the past five years, it still
trails behind men's participation, with one in five (4.176
million) taking part. Sport England figures also show that
women from disadvantaged communities play even less sport,
with fewer than one in 10 taking part. Over the past two
years, the number of women cycling once a week has decreased
despite an overall increase in cycling participation.
The National
Women's Cycling Network will be delivered by British
Cycling, the national governing body for cycling. Ian Drake,
British Cycling's Chief Executive, said:
"We are
delighted that Sport England has awarded us funding to roll
out this ambitious project designed to get more women on
their bikes. We have had significant success in increasing
participation in cycling through Sky Ride, developed with
our principal partner BSkyB, and we will take our experience
in this area to launch a bespoke programme for women that
will be delivered by women. Our female athletes are the best
in the world and we want to use that as an inspiration to
attract thousands more women to our sport."
Jennie Price,
Sport England's Chief Executive, said:
"For many
women with children or those managing a tight budget, sport
- and time to themselves - can slip down the list of
priorities. The projects we're funding today have asked
local women what is preventing them from getting involved
and what sports interest them, before coming up with an
offer that is appealing and accessible."
Today's
announcement was welcomed by the Minister for Sport and the
Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP and Gail Emms - one of Britain's
greatest ever badminton players, who won World Championship
Gold and Olympic Silver medals.
Hugh
Robertson said:
"We have many
fantastic female athletes in this country, but not enough
women participating at sport's grassroots. More needs to be
done to encourage women to participate in sport,
particularly those from disadvantaged communities. The £10
million being invested by Sport England will give women the
chance to try out new sports as part of a dedicated
programme and hopefully keep them in sport in the future."
Gail, who
became a mum nine months ago with the arrival of Harry,
said:
"As a new
mum, I know only too well how difficult it can be to make
time for yourself and to get out there and play sport. The
projects receiving investment from Sport England today will
make a big difference because they've really thought through
the challenges women face in becoming regular sports
participants.
Extracts from a letter sent out to all NSIs who have Bikeabiltiy Accreditation or
Bikeability Accredited Organisations such as a Schools Sports Partnership or County Council
Bikeability Research Released 06.01.2011
Dear Bikeability Scheme Organiser,
In spring 2010 the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned Ipsos MORI to carry out a research study into the impact and perceptions of cycle training, with a specific focus on Bikeability. The research has now been made public, and we are sure that you will read the encouraging results with great interest. A summary of the research, together with a link to the full report, can be found athttp://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/cycling/bikeabilitytraining/.
The research shows that Bikeability schemes enjoy a very high degree of customer satisfaction (98% of parents surveyed said they were satisfied with the Bikeability scheme, of which 76% were very satisfied), and we would like to thank you and your staff for the considerable contribution that you make towards getting more children cycling safely – and for making it fun, too!
We anticipate that you will be eager to share these results and use the report to generate local publicity and support for Bikeability. Please note however that if you would like to use or interpret the data in any way other than that which appears in the official press releases, summaries or full research report it is important that you seek assistance from the Bikeability support team first. This is a requirement that Ipsos MORI place on all their research, and in this research it is particularly important because some data sets are not directly comparable.
We
hope that such positive findings help you to continue to deliver the
highest quality of training in the coming months.
Kind regards,
The Bikeability Support Team
Copyright
(C) 2010 Cycling England All rights reserved.
Positive
results revealed in IAM report
Road safety news: 06.01.11
A
33% drop in fatalities since 2008 for drivers in the 16-19
year old bracket is one of the key findings in a new report
published by the IAM. The report, ‘Younger and older
road users’, also reveals that fatalities for drivers in
their 70s and aged 80 and above have fallen by 25%, and 22%
respectively. The report also identifies the greatest
risks faced by young and elderly road users.
Neil Greig, IAM director of policy and research, said:
“While these reductions are really positive, we must
continue to support these drivers, who are among the most
vulnerable on our roads. The fatality rate continues to be
highest for 16-19-year olds, followed by the over 80s, but
for very different reasons.
“The greatest risk to the oldest age group is as a
pedestrian. In comparison, younger people are much more at
risk as a driver or as a passenger in a car driven by a
young driver. “The greatest risk to pedestrians is car
drivers under 30 who are involved in more than a third of
pedestrian fatalities.”
The IAM says that during their teens and twenties, the risk
of young drivers being killed halves every five years as
they gain more driving experience.
Mr Greig continued: “This lends weight to the IAM’s call for
post-test training to be made compulsory in a form similar
to that of the system in countries like Austria, where
reductions of up to 30% in young male driver fatalities has
been achieved.”
Between
20 and 50 years of age, the rate of deaths declines for all
road users except for motorcyclists.
Mr Gregg added: “Young male drivers continue to be the most
high-risk group, and are more than twice as likely to be
involved in a fatal or serious injury crash as young female
drivers. “A renewed focus on young drivers, which provides
them with opportunities to gain further experience in a
controlled and safe environment, is of utmost importance.”
For more information contact the IAM press office on 020
8996 9777.
Bikeability scheme may
be saved despite funding cuts
Popularity of government
training scheme for young cyclists key to its survival
despite abolition of quango that runs it
Cycling for the Bikeability test at Queens Mead primary
school in Braunstone, Leicestershire. Photograph: David
Sillitoe for the Guardian
The government's flagship
training scheme for young cyclists is hugely popular with
both children and parents, according to a study, boosting
the chances that it will survive funding cuts despite the
abolition of the quango which currently runs it.
A total of 98% of parents
said they were happy with the
Bikeability scheme, launched three years ago as a
replacement for the defunct
cycling proficiency test, according to an Ipsos/Mori
poll carried out for the Department for Transport (DfT).
Three quarters said they were "very satisfied" with the
training. Among children who had used the scheme it gained
96% approval.
Cycling England will
disappear in March next year, with Bikeability – designed to
guarantee consistently good training throughout the country
– coming under direct DfT control.
The survey boosts the chances
that Bikeability will survive beyond the end of the current
parliament, after which its guaranteed funding ends.
"This sounds very positive,"
said Chris Peck, policy coordinator for the national
cyclists' organisation,
the CTC.
"It's a programme which has been very successful and I hope
it can continue beyond 2014."
Bikeability comes in three
stages – the first two, aimed mainly at older primary school
children, build from basic skills to short road journeys
while the third, intended mainly for teenagers, introduces
more complex traffic safety. Although children are the main
recipients, adults can also take the scheme.
The study found that 92% of
parents whose children took Bikeability courses believed it
had improved their road safety, with a similar proportion of
children agreeing. Half of children who had undertaken the
training said they had cycled in the past week, against
fewer than a third of those who had not taken the course.
While funding for the scheme
is not guaranteed beyond 2014 the Junior Transport Minister,
Norman Baker, said the study was positive. "The good news is
that Bikeability is highly regarded by the people who use
it," he said. "The key message is that it's getting a big
vote of confidence, particularly from children, and that's
important."
New York lawmakers to vote on making cycle safety training compulsory for new drivers
By Tony_Farrelly - 1st January 2011
New York
Learner drivers to 'Get on their bikes'?
New York cyclists could soon be sharing the roads with better drivers if a new piece of legislation is passed by the State Senate in January 2011. Bill 8587 calls for learner drivers to undergo compulsory cycle training to make cycling safer. CTC strongly supports this idea for the UK too.
Also on road.cc
Cycle safety instruction for new drivers could become mandatory in New York if a bill currently working its way through the state senate becomes law in January – something that is sure to lead to renewed calls for a similar reform to UK driver education.
New York's Bill 8487 would add a unit of bicycle safety instruction to New York's mandatory pre-licensing driver education course and is designed to make drivers aware of the dangers facing cyclists on the state's roads, and in particular those of New York city.
The bill was introduced by State Senator Eric Adams following the death of 23 year old art student, Jasmine Herron, who was killed when she was knocked from her bike by an opening car door in September.
“The menace of serious injury or death from accidents between bikes and motor vehicles is a reality that every cyclist faces, but it is imperative that we take every feasible action to increase bicycle safety,” Senator Adams said in a press statement announcing the bill.
The senator has said that bicycle groups would be consulted about the content of the cycle safety program for drivers - presumably if the bill is passed.
New York City, like London has seen a massive rise in the number of cyclists on its streets in recent years - both cities have "cycling" mayors and both have transport departments that seem eager to embrace cycling as an efficient mode of urban transport. If anything the New York's Department of Transport more recent conversion has eclipsed London's TfL in its enthusiasm for installing cycling infrastructure – with new bike lanes being built all over the city in recent months.
The growth of cycling in New York has not been without its problems with reports of tensions between motorists, residents and cyclists in some areas. In one well reported case a newly installed bike lane on Staten Island was removed after an outcry from drivers who resented the amount of road space the segregated bike lane was taking up.
However, although there would seem to be something of a cycling backlash (in the New York media at least), across the Atlantic the momentum seems to be with the advocates of cycling, and bill 8487 will further underline that fact should it become law.
While the UK has seen a rise in cycling levels over recent years, most dramatically in its larger cities particularly London, as yet no such requirement to educate new drivers about cycle safety yet exists. BikeAware a new campaigning organisation was launched this year to campaign for such a change to be made to driver instruction in the UK, BikeAware is campaigning for the UK driving test to recognise the "hierarchy of effect" and for the inclusion of a module on cycle awareness as part of the driving test which would include on-road cycling as part of the test. As yet no UK politician has publicly backed the campaign and while in theory a government ostensibly led by three cyclists should be sympathetic, in practice the new coalition government has shown itself to be the most pro-car in a generation with the Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond in particular looking like no friend to sustainable transport of any form.
Ironically while the push for better cycling awareness training for drivers is being propelled by the growth of cycling in major cities on both sides of the Atlantic the cyclists most likely to benefit from such a change are likely to be those using rural and suburban roads which are statistically far more dangerous to cycle on than city streets where the safety in numbers effect, does seem to be cutting the accident rate particularly for the most serious casualties. In New York's case, despite some recent tabloid controversy, that drop in casualties is reflected non only in the accident rate but in the overall totals too.
NATIONAL STANDARD (CYCLING) INSTRUCTOR & ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR COURSE
Would you like to train
as a
National Standards Cycling Instructor
or Assistant Cycling Instructor
We are planning on running a course over two weekends in the New Year., (subject to the weather but hopefully we have now got the worst behind us)
on 29th/30th January 2011 and 12th 13th February 2011 in Truro (N.B. Bursaries are still available until April 2011)
The course is offered at a special REDUCED rated .. To find out more or register please contact:w.creed@rsct.org.ukor orsi@cycleexperience.com
For more details about what it entails click here .. and register your interest by 31st December 2010
PLUS .. ..
Have fun, get fit and improve the lives of thousands of children in developing areas through the medium of sport and play.
Having done Brussels London last year, have committed to supporting Bill doing his E2E with the 3 Peaks thrown in for good measure but anyone interested get involved,
you'd have a great time and make a load of new friends guaranteed!
RTP are looking for 200 adventurous people to join us on a fantastic summer cycle tour from London to Nantes, western France. The finish point of the ride is the beautiful Les Herbies where we will watch the Tour de France riders finish the first stage of the Tour and receive an exclusive, behind the scenes experience with our partners Team HTC-Highroad. To get there we will journey for 4 days along a picturesque and unique 350 mile route exploring some of the best countryside that France and Britain has to offer. We will recuperate and enjoy evenings in the captivating French towns of Nantes and Rennes.
This ride has been designed so that all you have to do is keep pedalling, we will take care of all logistics -including accommodation, food, mechanical support, luggage porter service as well as your travel back to London. This is the perfect ride for those are new to cycling or seasoned cyclists looking for a new and different ride, for students or simply those wanting to have some fun, get fit and support our cause by doing a thoroughly enjoyable challenge.
To register for this fantastic event you can sign up online here or download the registration form here.
For more information please get in touch with Leo Matlock at lmatlock@righttoplay.com or 0207 812 0635.
With the onset of winter, we believe
that you have the opportunity to encounter some truly fantastic
environments on your bike. Despite the heightened media on slips,
accidents and ice, riding in the snow is actually quite safe (you
are travelling slowly and there are lots of drifts to fall into) and
most of all, its fun!.
Like anything new, there is a bit of
working out how to do it for it to work for you, so you have to get
out there and try it. In the meantime, here are a few tips to help
you get your riding sorted out in the white stuff.
Equipment
You don't really need anything specific for riding in the snow, but
if you can get hold of these, it can help:
Don't
expect your bike to work like it does on a hot, dry day. Your chain,
cassette and mechs will freeze up, so you may well end up leaving it
in a single sprocket and using your chain rings to change gears.
Preparation
You are heading out in conditions where
most people prefer to sit in front of the fire. Don't let yourself
get into a position of requiring rescuing (it can take a lot longer
in winter conditions).
Therefore:
Riding Skills
Hone
your riding skills, reaction times and balance by riding in snow.
Certain conditions grip better than Velcro, others are more slippery
than a banana skin. Learn to read the conditions and anticipate
early. Slamming on the anchors is likely to end in tears.
So get out there and make the most of
the conditions. With the snow generating a completely different
look, feel and challenge to your local area, reduce the traffic
demands on the already pressured roads and go from home. We promise,
you'll never have enjoyed your local circuits as much!
added 18/12/10
Thursday, December 16, 2010, 09:00
!! It is important for the FULL story that you read the comments posted on line as given below !!
Police in award bid to make young riders wear
helmets when cycling
St Ives Police Sergeant Mike Friday presents
Penpol School pupil Tommy, aged 10, with his prize for wearing a cycle helmet.
YOUNG cyclists, skateboarders and scooter riders in St Ives and Hayle will be rewarded if they are spotted wearing a helmet by local police officers. The force is working in partnership with the Bicycle Helmet scheme in keeping children safe on the streets.
If one of the police officers involved in the scheme spots a child or a young person on the street wearing a helmet while cycling, scootering or skating then that child will be rewarded with a Community Winner Package which contains a small prize and a chance to enter a prize draw.
Since the launch Penpol School in Hayle has noticed an increase in the number of pupils wearing head guards. Headmaster Paul Hodson said: "Since Sergeant Mike Friday introduced this scheme into our school I have seen a marked increase in the amount of children wearing helmets when travelling to school on scooters or bicycles. This is very important for their safety."
The initiative has also been welcomed by pupils. Penpol School pupil Tommy, aged 10, thinks helmets can be cool. "I have fallen off many times and if I wasn't wearing my helmet I reckon I would have really hurt my head."
Sergeant Friday at St Ives police station added: "There is no doubt that cycle helmets save lives and our aim is to support young cyclists to wear one. A person's head is similar to an egg – it is very fragile and needs to be protected from hitting hard things."
The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust was set up in 1998 with the aim of reducing the number of children who are killed and injured every year in the UK as a result of head injuries sustained in cycling accidents.
Government figures show that child cyclists are more than three times more likely to die on Britain's roads than adult cyclists. Research has demonstrated that helmets can reduce the severity of head injuries by up to 85 per cent.
1. I find it quite fantastic that having already commented on this story which was published a week ago, that the need to re-publish it without our comments (all 4 of us who have commented are local cycling instructors including one cycling World Record holder) has occurred. The public have the right to a balanced argument which we were providing yet it seems we are to be wiped off the article without a trace .. shame on you!
This is the article that was published a week earlier on 9th December and if you follow the link, you will see it is not only identical but has the 4 comments from local instructors that I alluded to against it ..
Speaking from experience, once they tried to advertise my services in their quarterly news letter. Unfortunately for them, a friend received that same news letter so I found out about it! They were taking bookings on my behalf if you please, telling people to contact themselves to book! Better still, I knew nothing of it at all!
However I did ensure they corrected the situation very, very quickly and informed their board of the incident which simply wasn't acceptable.
I can accelerate, brake, and corner with aplomb, even on the vile snowpack/sheet ice mix the plows leave in the bike lanes. The zip ties dig nicely into the hardest packed surfaces, but they’re thin enough not to bounce the bike around at low speed or on short pavement sections.
Notice how the zip ties are positioned. The heads of the zip ties are positioned at just the perfect position to provide traction while cornering, but the band of the zip ties themselves provide grip when rolling in a straight line.
Awesome. Ingenuity, ftw.
Check out more photos of the zip tie winter bike tires in action:
Thursday, December 09, 2010, 09:00
!! It is important that you read the comments posted on line as given below !!
Police in award bid to make young riders wear helmets when cycling
St Ives Police Sergeant Mike Friday presents
Penpol School pupil Tommy, aged 10, with his prize for wearing a cycle helmet.
YOUNG cyclists, skateboarders and scooter riders in St Ives and Hayle will be rewarded if they are seen wearing a helmet by police.
The force is working with the Bicycle Helmet scheme. If one of the officers involved spots a child or a young person on the street wearing a helmet while cycling, scootering or skating then the youngster will be rewarded with a "Community Winner Package" which contains a small prize and a chance to enter a special draw.
Paul Hodson, headmaster of Penpol School in Hayle, said: "Since Sergeant Mike Friday introduced this scheme into our school I have seen a marked increase in the amount of children wearing helmets when on scooters or bicycles. This is important for their safety."
The initiative has also been welcomed by pupils at Penpol. Tommy, aged 10, said: "I have fallen off many times and if I wasn't wearing my helmet I reckon I would have really hurt my head."
Sergeant Friday, at St Ives police station, said: "There is no doubt that cycle helmets save lives. A person's head is similar to an egg – it is very fragile and needs to be protected from hitting hard things."
The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust was set up in 1998 to try to reduce the number of children who are killed and injured every year as a result of head injuries sustained in cycling accidents. Government figures show that child cyclists are more than three times more likely to die on Britain's roads than adult riders. Research has demonstrated that helmets can reduce the severity of head injuries by up to 85 per cent.
By advancing the use of helmets, training, cycle lights and reflective clothing, the charity aims to ensure that young cyclists are well equipped to take part in this healthy and environmentally-friendly form of transport.
1. Oh dear, this gives the distinct impression that wearing a helmet stops the person doing so from having an accident only it doesn't and particularly if they are being worn incorrectly when they are more dangerous as they could end up strangling the user if the 2 finger rule is not observed .. furthermore, to ensure the cyclists amongst them have the necessary skills, surely it would be more productive to give them access to Bikeability training as well?
I quote John Franklin, author of Cyclecraft and an expert in the field here "Head injury when cycling is neither inevitable nor common, especially for people WHO LEARN TO RIDE SKILFULLY." He also warns that "Cycle helmets differ from other safety aids in that they attempt only to limit the consequences of the crash. They do NOTHING to prevent a crash taking place; indeed, if not used properly or if their limitations are not appreciated, they may actually increase that risk". See Pages 36 and 37 of John Franklin's book Cyclecraft, published in 2007 to coincide with the launch of Bikeability
Wendy Creed, Truro
commented on 13-Dec-2010 14:59
2. I have to agree. I work as a National Standard cycling instructor in North Devon (and sometimes East Cornwall too!) I can say that whilst helmets are undoubtedly a useful aide in road cyclist safety they are of limited effectiveness. This initiative regrettably gives the impression that Police feel helmets are the only thing that will make child cyclists safe and this is very far from the truth. Proper cycle training for on-road cycling is what is required for all children and adults to make them as safe as possible on the roads.
So many accidents occur as a result of poor road-cycling style by cyclists combined with poor knowledge of the issues and rights of cyclists on the road by drivers. ALL children should have free access to Bikeability road cycling training before heading out by themselves. This will do much more to keep them safe than just wearing a helmet. Take a look at http://www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability or our website: www.eoscycletraining.350.com for more information.
Dawn Connor-van der Horst, Barnstaple
commented on 14-Dec-2010 10:30
3. I've cycled over 20,000 miles this year alone and I hold a Guinness World Record for cycling around the world. I've only ridden helmetless during hot afternoons in Malaysia or Sumatra. I really do support wearing helmets - just not relying on them or overstating their importance.
Kids who cycle, with or without a helmet, will be healthier and develop useful life skills. The doctors of the British Medical Association have been echoed by various cyclists organisations in stating that cycle helmets should not be compulsory. It's not that there is anything wrong with helmets, it's just that it puts some people off doing something which would be good for them and the environment, and it makes some cyclists and drivers behave like riders are now immune from all danger.
Good training and a safe attitude, from cyclists and other road users alike, are much much more important than the use of a helmet. I suggest that more true safety benefit for this school could be got from cycle training and maybe even a cycle club at the school, then also a campaign to change driver behaviour and attitudes.
Vin Cox, St Blazey
commented on 15-Dec-2010 13:51
4. I celebrate anything that gets children off the couch and into the fresh air to exercise .. there is a but here though .. what happens when the incentive ends?
Surely a training course, no matter how short, funded by the same monies would be of more benefit by helping children understand the key elements of safe cycling/scooting/skateboarding. Bright clothes, lights, signalling, road position, road awareness and so on.
A helmet protects the wearer from injury yet an active, trained, and knowledgeable young mind is more likely to prevent that accident occurring in the first place.
Martyn Laxton, Devon
commented on 19-Dec-2010 10:54
Vin Cox hopes to inspire a new
round-the-world race - The ultimate 18,000 mile cycle race revealed
7
December 2010
by David Arthur
Fresh
from breaking the Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the world
by bicycle with a staggering 18,225.7 miles (29,000km), Vin Cox has
since launched the Global Bicycle Race.
Global Bicycle Race is billed as the
‘longest, toughest, most dramatic adventure competition ever’ with
competitors challenged to race a route similar to that used by Cox on
his challenge.
The race will require riders to complete
a minimum distance of 18,000 miles using GPS to prove the route.
Participants are allowed to devise their own route and ride supported or
un-supported. Global Bicycle Race organisers will arrange an official
start and finish and media support.
Based on Guinness World Record’s rules
for Fastest Circumnavigation by Bicycle, participants will start
together in London and race around the world returning to the same point
to finish
The first Global Bicycle Race is set to
go ahead in 2010, nicely coinciding with the start of the London 2012
Olympics. The race will start 160 days before the Olympics on Saturday
18 February 2012. This allows 140 days riding, 15 days transit, and a
first rider finishing around Sunday 22nd July.
“The entry fee will be relatively low. It
can’t be stated yet as costs haven’t been found for race insurance or
for other services to the participants, but these are the only costs the
entry fee will cover. The race organisation will be funded by sponsors.”
Not sure what bike one would use to take
on such a challenge? Here’s a look at Vin’s actual bike, which is worthy
of a
closer look here.
Round the World record
breaker Vin Cox launches Global Bicycle Race
By
Patrick Truss - Posted on
06 December 2010
Also on road.cc
His own record for circumnavigating
the globe on a bicycle is less than six months old, but Vin Cox is
already encouraging others to follow in his wheel tracks, with the
announcement that an 18,000 mile global bicycle race will begin in
London on 18 February 2012.
The 34-year old cycled into London on
1 August 2010 after riding around the world in a mere 176 days,
riding through France, North Africa, Asia, Australia, North America,
Spain and France again before a final leg from Plymouth to
Greenwich. Now organising the first bike race round the world, Mr
Cox wants to encourage others to take on what has to be the ultimate
endurance challenge in cycling.
The race, Vin Cox's brainchild, has
been established to encourage people planning a circumnavigation to
start in the same place at the same time, which will boost publicity
and give the challenge an added competitive dimension. Participants
will have the further incentive of trying to return in time for the
London Olympics, which begin on 27 July 2012, and some may even try
to break Mr Cox’s own record for the challenge, which stands at 163
days (taking into account time spent in transfers). Riders will be
free to set their own routes, but must follow the criteria set by
Guinness World Records, and will carry GPS trackers so their
progress can be monitored.
Racers
will be free to devise their own routes, but the rules of the Global
Race say that the journey should be continuous and uni-directional,
covering a minimum distance of 18,000 miles and using the same bike
throughout, although thankfully replacement parts are allowed in
cases of mechanical failure. Riders can choose to race either
supported or unsupported.
It’s a challenge that will appeal to
those with a taste for adventure, while its epic nature should mean
it will also gain a lot of press attention and help participants
raise money for their chosen causes; Mr Cox rode to raise money for
the Geoff Thomas Foundation, established by the former England
footballer to get advanced new leukemia and lymphoma treatments to
patients more quickly. More details of the race can be found
here,
and Cox has helpfully provided racers with
details
of where he thinks he could have gone faster on his record-breaking
ride.
Circumnavigating the globe on a bike
is of course an enormously demanding challenge, and requires deep
pockets as well as strong legs, but the plan for the race builds on
a growing trend. What were previously considered ‘extreme’ events
are increasingly becoming part of the sporting mainstream, and with
the website promising to provide regular updates on conditions from
the riders and update their progress, the race promises to capture
the imagination of the wider public. For those willing and able, a
place in history awaits as one of the first to complete the historic
Global Cycling Race.
Can't think what to give
someone for Christmas .. Why not give them a
Cycling Gift
Voucherthis year? !! Purchase
one hour's 1:1 tuition as a Christmas
present, Get a second hour FREE or purchase an
entire course (@Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3) and get 25% discount!!
(To do with as YOU choose
.. whether it is for a total beginner or someone who wants to start
commuting and needs some practical help
and their confidence boosting a little, it's your gift so your
choice. We work with you, meeting your or your loved ones'
needs .. )
ALTERNATIVELY support
www.Cycleability.org.uk by
purchasing gifts through this link: ..
ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE FOR YOU IS IF ..
You know someone who would like
to become a National
Standards Cycling Instructor or Assistant Cycling Instructor
We
are planning on running a course over two weekends in the
New Year., (subject to the weather but hopefully we have now
got the worst behind us) on 29th/30th January 2011 and
12th 13th February 2011 in Truro
as part of a special rate deal given the hard times we are
now enduring .. so get in touch:
w.creed@rsct.org.ukor
orsi@cycleexperience.com
New campaign aims to
make drivers BikeAware
By Simon_MacMichael - Posted on 17
November 2010
* London Cycling
Campaign urges cyclists to sign lorry safety
petition
* New York lawmakers to vote on making cycle safety
training compulsory for new drivers
* Firm at centre of Catriona Patel case says it's
"very sorry" after second fatal accident this year
* London Cycling Campaign asks "Why was Dennis Putz
allowed to kill?"
* LCC urges TfL to amend "misleading" wording of HGV
safety poster
This week sees the launch of a new campaign,
BikeAware, under the slogan, “If you can’t ride, you
shouldn’t drive,” which proposes that driver
awareness of cyclists, and changing their behaviour
when it comes to the road with them, should be
placed firmly at the centre of efforts to improve
bike riders’ safety.
The initiative is the brainchild of David Love, a
long-time campaigner for cycling, Vice Chair of the
London Cycling Campaign and the man who dreamt up
the London Freewheel (now the Skyride), as well as
the founder of the 3 Feet Please campaign in the UK.
Love told road.cc that BikeAware "is the next step”
in his campaign to improve the safety of cyclists.
“The message on the website” – the text of which
we’ve repeated below – “is pretty obvious,” he says.
“but the prize for future generations of drivers is
to get cycle awareness into their DNA.
“Despite some patchy work now being done in schools,
this must mean moving the DfT mountain and mandating
practical riding in the UK driving test.
That’s a lofty ambition, particularly given that we
now have a coalition government that seems to have
little regard for the needs of cyclists, but Love is
undeterred. “How do I intend to do this?” he
asks. “First, brand and launch to opinion formers.
Then, build on great stuff already done to get HGV
drivers on “Exchanging Places” programmes.”
Love is on the TfL committee that is co-ordinating
that initiative, with attendees on cycle awareness
courses ranging from binmen in Lambeth to London bus
drivers. “Soon,” he explains, “you won’t be able to
drive a local authority vehicle in London before
demonstrating cycle awareness.” The next step,
says Love, is to “cascade down to van and taxi
drivers through big fleet users such as courier
companies, Royal Mail, supermarkets etc,” while also
developing the campaign website, for which he is
seeking corporate sponsorship.
Following that, Love plans to a summit with the DfT,
Drivers Standards Agency, cyclists, road safety
groups, motor lobby and other stakeholders, to get a
negotiation going and attract public interest,”
potentially involving Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
The BikeAware
website explains the thinking behind the campaign:
“Most cyclists and walkers drive cars. Yet many can
recall a moment when they’ve thought ‘why couldn’t
the driver have seen my point of view?’ It
continues: “90% of the 43 million people who hold a
UK driving licence ride a bike less than once a
week. Few will have pondered how it feels to be
compromised by a motor vehicle.
“Close calls and collisions are mostly caused by a
moment’s distraction or carelessness, aggravated by
inexperience. They can have serious and lasting
consequences for the rider or walker, at scant risk
to the driver.
“The current UK driving test fails to recognise this
‘hierarchy of effect’. BikeAware will work to
highlight this deficiency and urge the authorities
to require that practical evidence of cycle
awareness be a condition of obtaining a UK driving
licence.
Candidates would need to sit a new module including
(unless exempted by prior Bikeability training or
disability) on-road cycling, before passing their
driving test.
“If BikeAware were implemented, the coalition
government could, at minimal cost, leave a legacy
for future generations that would:
* Make the roads safer for cyclists, walkers and
drivers alike;
* Increase the number of new cyclists by reducing
fear of traffic, thus encouraging the less confident
to give it a go;
* Help level the playing field and promote greater
harmony amongst all road users.”
Visitors to the site are invited to enter their
email address and click a button to say whether or
not they agree with those statements; so far, every
single visitor expressing an opinion has agreed.
So, besides ticking that box on the website, what
can you, as a cyclist, do to help the campaign? Most
importantly, you can help spread the word to raise
awareness of it, whether that be among fellow
cyclists, local elected representatives such as MPs
and councillors, plus local transport operators and
haulage contractors. The more people are aware
of the campaign, the greater the chance of it
succeeding and hopefully making a difference to our
everyday lives as cyclists.
Campaign buttons and car stickers are also available
to help spread the word, and if you’d like to get
your hands on some, just say so in the ‘comment’
field on the Bike Aware website.
'Brazen'
thief caught within minutes after stealing bicycle
from police training event
PCSOs Natalie Lovett and Sam
Sagar display their skills.
Picture Bruce Rollinson.
Published Date:
29 October 2010
By Fiona
Evans
A thief got
more than he bargained for when he stole a bike from an
instructor who unbeknown to him was teaching police
community support officers. PCSOs Sam Sagar and
Natalie Lovett were taking part in training, in civilian
clothes, to become cycle safety instructors when they
witnessed the 20-year-old man grab and then ride off on
their instructor's bike in Baildon, near Bradford.
The pair, along with other members of the course, wasted
no time in pedalling after the culprit – who fell from
the bike after breaking too harshly and was promptly
arrested for theft. Another team then took him back to
the police station. After admitting the theft, he was
given an adult caution for what was a first-time
offence.
PCSO Sagar said: "We had stopped and were stood facing
the instructor's bike as he was stood with his back to
it, talking to us. As he was speaking we just saw this
lad walk up to the bike, jump on it and cycle off. It
really was one of those moments when you think, 'did I
just see that?' as it was so brazen.
"I don't think he realised we were that close behind him
as when we got up to him he turned around, shouted,
pedalled onto the wrong side of the road and then pulled
his front break, causing him to come off over the bars.
"We detained him, and frogmarched him back to the church
until another unit came to take him off back to Airedale
House." He added that the thief could do with some
cycle safety lessons himself. Mr Sagar, a retired
inspector who rejoined the force as a PCSO, is a keen
cyclist.
Sergeant Khalid Khan said: "We are very proud of the
courage and professionalism shown by the two community
support officers plus the
other members of the group who all went after the
thief."
The 2011 Games will be held in Sheffield ..
Abby Mae Parkinson (centre) with gold medal
In the 'Hot Seat' with Abby Mae
By Sainsbury's UK School Games
22 October 2010, 11:11 am
At 13 years old, Abby Mae Parkinson was the youngest cyclist to compete at the 2010 Sainsbury's UK School Games for the Yorkshire team but that didn't stop her grabbing gold in the 8km Individual Time Trial event.
Abby said: "No one had ever seen me time trial before so I had no pressure and I was confident that I could do a good time, I think that gave me the edge on the day to win the gold.
"I just went out and had fun on the day, I really enjoyed the team atmosphere, meeting athletes from other sports and being part of the Opening Ceremony. I loved the whole Games experience and would be delighted to compete in the Games again, at 13 I still have another three years."
Abby wasn't a ranked rider and so was one of the first to set-off. She came in over 20 seconds faster than the previous fastest time so was put in the number one 'Hot Seat'.
She added: "I had to stay in the 'Hot Seat' while all the other riders came in to see if they would do a better time. The person in second place kept changing but I was still in the number one spot. When it got down to the last five girls to come in I was getting very nervous, then with only two more girls left, I knew I had won a medal.
"I couldn't believe it when they didn't beat my time and a huge cheer went up from the grandstand because there were lots of Yorkshire supporters."
The cycling season has ended since the Games earlier this year but Abby is riding this Sunday in the fun packed Revolution event at the Manchester Velodrome. She will be riding for a professional team as part of the Future Stars programme which offers her the opportunity to ride alongside her senior counterparts including Sir Chris Hoy.
Sunday will not be the first time Abby has come into contact with an Olympian, her mother has previously competed at the Olympics and is a Commonwealth Games silver medal winner in cycling.
Abby has a great role model to look to when hoping to achieve her ambitions of competing in the Olympics one day. Abby commented: "I will be too young to compete in London 2012 which is a shame because it would be great to compete in your home nation. However, I will certainly be there cheering everyone on and taking notes."
Lewis Barry was a popular funny lad in the sport of cycling; whenever you saw him he always had a smile on his face. Two months ago he tragically passed away while in his sleep. As the cycling community found out this news, hundreds of people were left heartbroken and still today lots of people write on his facebook page saying how much they miss him.
Three days after this tragedy, Simon Winston, India Penrice, and Jacob Scott decided that Lewis, being a rising star and was following in his mum and dad's (Carol and Mark Barry) footsteps, we decided that putting a memorial ride on would be the perfect tribute for the perfect lad. As things got a bit more technical with the major events of planning, Matt Winston who is the Olympic Talent Team coach as well as Phil West, Giles Pidcock and Alastair Wood joined Simon Winston in the organisation team. The five had a meeting to sort out how the ride will go and factors that needed to be sorted for the ride to run smoothly and the ride will take place on the 12th September which is under two weeks away.
The ride is over 54 miles starts at the Manchester Velodrome and finishes in Garforth, Leeds. The course is over hilly terrain and will include three check points to help everyone take part in the ride. The first checkpoint will be at the Tameside cycle circuit, Ashton-Under-Lyne which is just four miles from the start. This section of the ride is very busy heading out of a main city; Greater Manchester Police have kindly offered their service as the ride move through that busy area. This means that this small section will be neutralised and everybody taking part will set off together in one big bunch in memorial of Lewis Barry. Once we get to this first checkpoint, we advise less experienced riders to jump in cars with parents/guardians and drive over to the next checkpoint which is Bretton.
Stronger riders will then split into a bunch of around 15 to 20 and ride over to Bretton. Bretton is just 18 miles from Garforth and once all the riders have got to Bretton, there will be a break for a few minutes and then the ride will set off again over the last part, neutralised once more. Bretton can be easily accessed from the M1 via J38. Further details will be published on the Facebook site in advance of the event. We are currently working with West Yorkshire police for them to cover the final 18 miles at the ride, this will again be neutralised and ridden as one group. There will be at least 2 service cars on the road following the last rider on the road at all times so if you puncture or have any kind of mechanical these support cars can help you get back on the road.
Event organiser Simon Winston and the rest of the team believe over 150 people will turn up to this ride. Entry fee for the event is £5 and this money goes to the charity of Mark and Carol Barry's choice in which they think suits the case of Lewis' death best. The ride is now an official Sportif so entering the event is essential so that the organising staff know ho many riders to expect and to prepare for. Online entries close at 6am on the 12th September so that signing on sheets will be printed and taken to the event for registration. If you don't have access to pay by card on the internet, please contact philwest@britishcycling.org.uk to register your name to pay the entry fee on the day of the event.
Signing on for the ride will open at 8:30 and close at 9:30 leaving half an hour for preparation for the start at 10am.
At the finish in Garforth, Mark and Carol along with family friends will be kindly putting on a food and drinks for all the riders who have taken part in celebrating their son's life.
Lewis ‘Spadger' Barry remembrance Wristbands
These are available to purchase from the Manchester Velodrome as of now and will also be on sale on the day of the ride. They will also be available this week via Matt Winston at the UK School games. To buy a band is a minimum donation of £1 but please feel free to contribute more. All proceeds from entry fee's and the sale of the wristbands go to a charity of Mark and Carole's choice.
The organisation team wishes to see as many of you there on the day. So come on down and celebrate a wonderful life on this, to be a memorable day for everybody.
Opie lays foundations for
double at Paignton and West Dartmoor Tuesday, August 17,
2010, 10:00
CORNISHMAN
Chris Opie enjoyed a weekend 'double' with victory in Friday
night's Paignton Regatta Road Race and Sunday's third leg of the
Brentor Races on West Dartmoor.
Opie led home a 1-2-3 for the
Yeovil-based Pendragon-Le Col-Colnago pro squad at Paignton.
He and teammate
Rhys Lloyd helped to chase down an early break by Team Tor's
Anthony O'Boyle. The pace and power of the Pendragon boys, who
have been contesting the nationwide City Centre Series, soon had
the field struggling in their wake around the seafront course.
After 35 minutes of racing Opie and Lloyd had lapped all their
rivals. Opie, a strong sprinter, was too good for Lloyd at the
finish.
And in the gallop
for third place, it was Pendragon's James Williams who edged out
last year's winner Jake Durant from the host Mid-Devon CC/Colin
Lewis Cycles. Matt Hill (Mid-Devon CC) was the best Junior
in eighth place.
Hill, Durant and
Mid-Devon teammate Andy Hitchens all launched attacks in the
third of four Brentor Road Races. They were all chased
down eventually, and the race was settled when Opie, James
Chambers (South Fork Racing) and the game Hill made the winning
move. Once again Opie was too good at the finish, beating
Chambers into second place, with Hill third. James Williams
edged out Hitchens for fourth spot.
Mid-Devon
youngsters Brennan Townshend and Nick Avery finished tenth and
13th respectively. The support race for Fourth Category
riders was won by Mid-Devon's Jason Poore from Andy Gray (YOGI
Cycling).
RESULTS
Regatta Support
Race:Under-16s — 1 Jake Alderman (One & All Cycling), 2 Ashley
Martin (Chippenham & District Wheelers), 3 Jack Edwards (San
Fairy Ann CC); Under-14s — 1 Joel Kelly (Mid-Devon), 2 Stan
Thompson (unatt), 3 Will Kelly (Mid-Devon); Under-13s — 1
Etienne Georgi, 2 Tom Morris, 3 Lauran Dolan (all Mid-Devon);
Under-10s — 1 Pfeiffer Georgi, 2 Harrison Wood, 3 Ross Pratt
(all Mid-Devon); Under-8s — 1 Georgia Dolan, 2 Connor Foster, 3
Noah Dodd (all Mid-Devon).
Plymouth
Corinthian CC 50-mile Time Trial (A38 Buckfastleigh): 1 Simon
Edney (North Devon Wheelers) 1hr 50mins 25secs (new course
record); Fastest Mid-Devon rider — Ian Deakin 2.07.03.
Vin Cox took just 163 days, six hours and 58 minutes to circumnavigate the globe
Guinness World Records have confirmed Brit Vin Cox as the new world record holder for circumnavigating the globe by bicycle.
Cox and his Alfine-hubbed Genesis Croix De Fer took just 163 days, six hours and 58 minutes to smash the previous record, set by Marc Beaumont in 2008, by more than one month.
The Cyclo-Cross athlete and National Standard (Cycling) Instructor in Cornwall before setting off from Greenwich in February, completed his ride on August 1 and has now had the record ratified.
"Events, people and places were exciting all the way – from the depths of dysentery in Libya and being detained by police in Indonesia, to the highs of receiving random acts of kindness or seeing the sea after 1000’s of miles in-land,” said Cox.
"My route was special. Not only did I plan to break the record, I wanted to have a proper adventure. "I wanted to be the first record holder who's visited Africa and South America on the journey; in fact the only continent I didn’t plan to visit is Antarctica because it's got no roads and is a bit cold. I also had to miss South America in the end because the roads were impassable due to snow.
"Everything supplied by all my sponsors delivered high performance and was utterly reliable.
"Though my bike was obviously a laden touring bike, few people I met on the way could believe how light it was and how little I needed to carry on such a long trip – I could travel light and compact only because my equipment was so good."
Penny farthings and bone shakers compete in
Knutsford's Great Race Posted by Matthew Sparkes Thursday 9 September 2010 10.04 BST guardian.co.uk
The Great Knutsford Penny Farthing Race. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Cycling's answer to the Goodwood Festival of Speed was held in a quiet town south of Manchester on Sunday. Entrants on penny farthings, hobby horses and bone shakers raced around a 1km track laid out around the town's heath
Cycling's answer to the Goodwood Festival of Speed was held in a small, quiet town south of Manchester on Sunday. The fourth Knutsford Great Race attracted entrants on penny farthings, hobby horses and bone shakers to a 1km track laid out around the town's heath.
These hopelessly obsolete and slightly dangerous machines, most over a century old, were raced hard all afternoon while 5,000 came out to watch. It was a chance to see the very genesis of modern bicycles by their dozen, not behind glass in a museum, but hurtling past at 20mph.
If all this sounds like good fun, then I'm sorry to disappoint: it is held just once a decade. John Tomlinson has competed in every one since it was founded in 1980, usually on penny farthings, but this time on a French-made Michaux-designed bone shaker dating from around 1870.
"I had three minutes practice last week. I'd never ridden one before," he said. "Fortunately I managed to get around safely. I managed to catch two of the riders."
The day attracted 87 riders from around the UK and further afield, including participants from the US, New Zealand and Canada. One team from the Czech Republic rode all the way from Prague on penny farthings.
Gary Sanderson, from New Jersey, rode a reproduction penny farthing in the main three-hour endurance event.
"I love to ride the high wheel bike, so its a chance to be part of it, part of something interesting and historically important. "You see the world differently than you do from down on the ground," he said, but warned: "They are dangerous machines, in fact that was one of their problems."
Some riders wore fancy dress; dinner suits, pith helmets, a Dennis the Menace outfit. This was British eccentricity at its best, and a superb day out.
Watching them scoot along with their feet before climbing atop their high saddles was a nervous affair though. Even experts looked like they were about to take a tumble at first, but once they get up to speed they suddenly became quite graceful.
The crowd were particularly taken with one man who rode at a leisurely pace but showed off with little tricks, while some Lycra-clad folks aiming for course records become the tongue-in-cheek villains of the piece.
After three hours the overall winner, Jim Brailsford, who also came first in 2000, had clocked up a staggering 107 laps – more than 66 miles, at an average of 22mph.
I sincerely hope that it is held again in 2020. I would love to compete, but I have a lot of practice to do. John Malseed very kindly let me ride his immaculate, nickel-plated, 1888 penny farthing after the race – and I crashed it.
Around the world cyclist awarded new world record
Wednesday, 1 September 2010 - Hugh Gladstone
Guinness World Records have today confirmed that British cyclist Vin Cox is the new world record holder for circumnavigating the globe by bicycle.
His time of 163 days 6 hours and 58 minutes supersedes the 195 day record set by previous Guinness World Record holder Marc Beaumont in 2008.
Cox, a regular racer on the British cyclo-cross scene, finished his around the world ride at Greenwich Royal Observatory on August 1st 2010. After submitting his evidence to GWR and taking a holiday with his wife in Shetland, the good news was broken to him when an email popped into his inbox this afternoon.
"It's a very big relief," Cox told Cycling Weekly. "I put not only the actual ride into that, but quite a bit of work in the last few weeks making sure my claim was well documented."
Cox's ride took him over a total distance of 18,225.7 miles. Starting from Greenwich he travelled through France, across Northern Africa and parts of the Middle East. A couple of tricky legs in India and South East Asia followed before long hauls across Australia, New Zealand and the States.
Cox finished his ride by riding up through Portugal, Spain and France then taking a final leg from Plymouth to London.
Asked how he was going to celebrate this evening, Cox replied: "I think I'll open a bottle of wine."
See next week's Cycling Weekly for more.
Campaign launched for disabled cycling facility in Cornwall Thursday 19th August 16.35hrs
Today at BBC Radio Cornwall's invitation to appear on the show hosted by Tiffany Truscott, who was sitting in for Martin Baillie, the campaign for a disabled cycling facility in Cornwall was launched.
Wendy Creed said "With 4 special needs schools and foundation students at Truro College, there is definitely a need and that is before one even considers other residents of the county who are for example, deaf and blind. Having recently gained my 'Wheels for All Ride Leader's Certificate' in Bristol a couple of weeks ago, I am now more determined than ever to get this up and running as it is long overdue."
Issues which were discussed were the cost of the bikes which are expensive but can be purchased by companies or organisations and donated, with a sticker on it saying it was donated by 'A.N.Other Supporter' and how potential cyclists and bikes are matched up, subject to their limitations.
Already there is interest and support from the Cornwall Sports Partnership Disability Development Officer Steve Hillman, who when contacted asked to "Please add me to the list of trainee ride leaders and keep me in the loop."
Training as a Ride Leader will be given by Cycling Projects, a charity based in Warrington who specialise in such ventures and will also be the main point of contact for the bikes being supplied for it down here. Their trainers travel around the country to areas that embrace such a project and share their expertise with the volunteers and it really is an eye opener, truly making one think 'outside of the box!'
Both Wendy Creed and Steve Hillman have first hand experience of the 'feel good factor' that cycling produces, Wendy having worked with Doubletrees and trained in Bristol at the beginning of the month and participating as a ride leader in the launch of the Bristol project and Steve having set up a taster day with the help of Quest 88 at Tretherras and he saw for himself, the smiles on the participant's faces just getting bigger and bigger as they realised that indeed, they could do this!
Together we can do this and it will bring a lot of happiness into a lot of people's lives if we do! Just giving people that little bit of independence means so much to them. We already have a head start with one qualified ride leader and two or three bikes to get us going (at the Delaware Outdoor Education Centre near Callington) .. from little acorns etc. and one will but we need your help to achieve it!!
More recently, as a result of another friend who has a three wheeler recumbent as it is the only way she can still enjoy cycling having had a serious brain injury in a car crash about 20 years ago, I have discovered a TANDEM recumbent no less from Westcountry Recumbents., now you have to admit, that is pretty cool! And the chairman of CTC's All Ability Cycling Forum is an amputee but that doesn't stop him either!
About 5 months prior to his untimely death, I had a conversation with Lord George and this is what he said to me .. "I remember when the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, visited the Sir James Smith School in Camelford and he specifically referred to the provision of sport outside of schools that must benefit the community as a whole, including those with disabilities. The Wheels for All Centre in Cornwall is a wonderful way of addressing that objective and I wholeheartedly support the project. I hope that the commercial sector in Cornwall will feel able to contribute to the funding of these specialised bikes. " (Dictated over the phone for a press release that never actually saw the light of day.)
Since then however his widow, Lady George has offered to take up the baton and continue to support our endeavours and naturally, we accepted! As a result of there now being one trained ride leader in county, we are now one step closer to achieving our objective and opening cycling up.
For more in depth information and how you can help to achieve this, please click here.
And if you would like to put a few pennies in the pot, you can donate to the Kernow Wheels for All Appeal through Just Giving by clicking on the link
Saddle up for pedal powered
play time
BICYCLES
adapted for disabled children are available for hire from a
playground in St Paul's. Yesterday, the All Ability
Cycling Project was launched at St Paul's Adventure Playground.
The specially-adapted bicycles are for use by organisations,
schools and families with disabled children and children with
special needs.
The bikes, which have been
adapted thanks to funds from Cycling City and Aiming High for
Disabled Children, will be based at the playground, which also
includes a new pirate ship with accessible ramps.
The launch of the project marks
the end of phase one of the All Abilities Cycling Project.
Phase two is expected later in 2010-11 as plans to build a
closed road cycle circuit and clubhouse in south-east
Bristol come to fruition.
Councillor Jon Rogers, cabinet
member for care and health, said: "Cycling is healthy, active
and a great way to get around. I'm proud of this project.
Cycling is for everybody and All Abilities proves it."
Cycling project helps disabled people aim high Friday 6th August 2010 3.45 pm
A new cycling project for disabled adults and children is set to launch this summer after the city council signed a deal with a national cycle charity, Cycling Projects.
Greater Bristol's Cycling City programme and the council's Aiming High for Disabled Children programme are launching the All Abilities project to make cycling more accessible to those people who find it difficult to ride standard bicycles.
The charity organisation Cycling Projects has been commissioned to set up an all-inclusive cycling project, catering especially for young people with a range of physical and mental health difficulties.
A comprehensive range of adapted cycles will be available, catering for the needs of a large majority of service users. The project is expected to launch for children in early summer, with the service being available to adults by the end of 2010.
The All Abilities project is just one of a number of projects commissioned by the Cycling City team to help double the numbers of cyclists in certain areas across Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
Aiming High for Disabled Children is the government’s transformation programme for disabled children and young people. A key focus of this programme is to provide more and better quality short breaks, with a particular focus on those with the most complex needs, through the provision of services and the purchase of specialist equipment.
Mark Hamilton, Planning & Development Manager: Complex Needs for Aiming High at Bristol City Council said:
“This project is a great example of council departments working together, in partnership to achieve common, sustainable and improved outcomes for disabled children, young people and families.
"It's appropriate that cycling in the city is as accessible and inclusive as possible. This project ensures that disabled children and young people can use these bikes to cycle and have fun for years to come.”
(pictured left: some examples of the types of bicycles that will be available.)
All Abilities Cycling Project Wednesday 4th August 2010 5:37 pm
Greater Bristol's Cycling City programme and Bristol City Council's Aiming High for Disabled Children programme have launched the All Abilities Cycling Project to make cycling more accessible to those people who find it difficult to ride standard bicycles. The All Abilities Cycling Project allows people to get involved in quality cycle activities that are both physically and mentally stimulating and above all, fun for all.
The partnership with Wheels for All is part of the national Cycling Projects programme - making cycling accessible to all by providing a range of adapted cycles, dedicated support plans and series of training packages. All Abilities sessions deliver a range of benefits including increased levels of fitness and well-being, social interaction and confidence building. So what's available?
Ten adapted bicycles are available at a purpose built park, suitable for people with a range of disabilities. These include:
* 3 trikes of different sizes (one shown below)
* 1 recumbent trike (shown below)
* 1 quad (shown below)
* 1 side by side cycle for two people (shown below)
* 1 single handcycle
* 1 double handcycle (pictured above right)
* 1 company cycle with wheelchair attached
* 1 veloplus bike with wheelchair platform
How to book
* Schools: Contact Bristol Road Safety Team on 0117 922 4383 or book online at www.bristol.cycletms.com
* Individuals or community groups: Contact Life Cycle UK on 0117 353 4585 or admin@lifecycleuk.org.uk
The location for all sessions is: St Paul's Adventure Playground, Thomas Street, Montpelier, Bristol, BS2 9LL
Vin Cox Breaks Round the World Record
Posted: 2nd August 2010
British Cycling and CTC member Vin Cox from Par in Cornwall broke the record for the fastest cyclist to circumnavigate the world when he arrived at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, at 3pm on Sunday 1 August, over six months after setting off from the same point.
Vin Cox smashed the current record recognised by Guinness of 195 days, which was set by Scotsman Mark Beaumont in 2008. Mr Cox completed the ride in 176 days. He took on the challenge to raise awareness and money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation, which works with the blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to get advanced new treatments to patients more quickly.
Mr Cox, 34, is a National Standard (Cycling) Instructore and South West ‘cyclo-cross' cycling champion. He departed on the 18,000-mile trip from Greenwich on 7 February 2010 and averaged over 100 miles a day.
There is no set route for round the world Guinness World Record attempts but they must include at least 18,000 miles of cycling and not involve any back-tracking. Mr Cox's route involved 12 boat and plane transfers and took him through five different continents and across more than 20 countries. His record is the first to visit Africa on the journey and Mr Cox hopes to have the record ratified by Guinness within the next couple of days. The record allows for boat and plane transit times to be taken off the record and Mr Cox's exploratory route means that at least a further 10 days will be deducted from his 176 day record.
He said: "It's great to be back - I really enjoyed it but I'm glad it's over. I planned a pretty adventurous route and it's meant that I've had an incredibly broad experience of different cultures and climates - all the things which make cycling both difficult and exciting. I've met some amazing local people and other adventurers along the way."
"The ride kept on throwing up adversity for me to overcome - a severe bout of dysentery which meant I couldn't ride for two days, endless headwinds in Australia, a ‘weather bomb' in New Zealand and a pass closed due to snow in California. That's all on top of the conditions you naturally plan for such as the heat in Death Valley, Nevada and Arizona."
Mr Cox's journey took him through France, across Northern Africa, across Asia, then through Australia, Northern America and then up through Spain and France and a final leg from Plymouth to Greenwich.
"I hope my ride will inspire some people and also raise awareness and money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation. Geoff's goal of increasing access to life-saving treatments for people with blood cancers is so important. It was a great motivator on some of the more gruelling parts of my ride."
Geoff Thomas, who played football for England and Crystal Palace, said: "What Vin has achieved is absolutely incredible. I completed the Tour de France after going into remission from my leukaemia and that was one of the toughest things I have ever done. To cycle ten-times that distance uninterrupted and keep going takes an amazing amount of physical and mental strength - it's inspirational."
People can get involved by visiting www.greatbikeride.com, where they can support Vin's fundraising efforts for the Geoff Thomas Foundation.
British man sets new round-the-world
cycle record
By Alastair Jamieson - Published: 8:11PM BST 01 Aug 2010
A British man, Vin Cox, has set a new world record for the fastest cycle ride around the globe.
From L to R: Vin leaving the Observatory in Greenwich in February, At Ruff Bottoms, Arriving back in the UK, Taking the chequered flag crossing the line back at the Observatory in August
Vin Cox, 34, completed his 18,172 mile trip in London’s Greenwich at 3pm on Sunday after 176 days on the road. The previous Guinness World Record was held by Mark Beaumont who did the journey in 195 days in 2008.
Mr Cox, a National Standards (Cycling) Instructor from Cornwall, set out from Greenwich on 7 February and has taken 12 plane and boat transfers, crossed six continents and cycled through more than 20 countries. He took on the challenge to raise money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation, which works with the blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to get advanced new treatments to patients more quickly.
He said: “I am delighted to have finished and to have set a new record.
“I planned a pretty adventurous route and it has meant that I’ve had an incredibly broad experience of different cultures and climates – all the things which make cycling both difficult and exciting. I’ve met some amazing local people and other adventurers along the way.”
“The ride has kept on throwing up adversity for me to overcome – a severe bout of dysentery which meant I couldn’t ride for two days, endless headwinds in Australia and a pass closed due to snow in California. That’s all on top of the conditions you naturally plan for such as the heat in Death Valley, Nevada and Arizona.”
Mr Cox’s journey took him through France, across Northern Africa, across Asia, then through Australia, Northern America and then up through Spain and France and a final leg from Plymouth to Greenwich.
Geoff Thomas, who played football for England and Crystal Palace until he battle leukaemia in 2003, said: “What Vin has achieved is absolutely incredible. I completed the Tour de France after going into remission from my leukaemia and that was one of the toughest things I have ever done.
"To cycle ten-times that distance uninterrupted and keep going takes an amazing amount of physical and mental strength – it’s inspirational.”
CYCLIST SETS NEW RECORD FOR PEDALLING ROUND THE WORLD
By Kate Cunningham, Monday August 2nd 2010
A CYCLIST took the chequered flag yesterday after setting a new record for pedalling around the world. Vin Cox, 34, battled illness and severe weather conditions to cover more than 100 miles a day and completed the 18,172-mile trip in 176 days.
After setting off from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich on Sunday February 7th 2010, he cycled across more than 20 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North, Central and South America. He arrived back at his starting point at 3pm yesterday, Sunday August 1st 2010.
Mr Cox from Par, in Cornwall, who is a National Standards (Cycling) Instructor, said: “I enjoyed it but I’m happy it’s over. The biggest challenges were North Africa and India because I was hitting temperatures of 30C and 40C after coming from freezing conditions in London and France. It was overwhelming.”
He stayed with friends who had emigrated from the UK in Singapore, Bangkok and New Zealand. But he said he had “met some amazing local people and other adventurers on the way”.
Mr Cox took on the challenge to raise money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation, which helps blood cancer sufferers gain access to life-saving treatments. He hopes to have the record confirmed by Guinness World Records within the next couple of days.
By Dave Atkinson - Posted on 02 August 2010
The pile of unratified records in the Guinness World Record in tray is one taller this morning after Vin Cox completed the latest circumnavigation by bike at the weekend.
Vin Cox, who left Greenwich on 7 February, was welcomed back to the Meridian on Sunday 1 August after 176 days on the road. He was raising money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation.
Cox, 34, was quoted in the Telegraph as saying: “I am delighted to have finished and to have set a new record. I planned a pretty adventurous route and it has meant that I’ve had an incredibly broad experience of different cultures and climates – all the things which make cycling both difficult and exciting. I’ve met some amazing local people and other adventurers along the way.”
“The ride has kept on throwing up adversity for me to overcome – a severe bout of dysentry which meant I couldn’t ride for two days, endless headwinds in Australia and a pass closed due to snow in California. That’s all on top of the conditions you naturally plan for such as the heat in Death Valley, Nevada and Arizona.”
Cox was working as a National Standards (Cycling) Instructor in Cornwall before he left but he's also well known in the region as a competitive cyclist, regularly winning Western League Cyclocross events, and as such is the first competitive cyclist to have undertaken the circumnavigation. In keeping with his chosen discipline he completed the ride on a Genesis Croix de Fer cyclocross bike. He's also the first cyclist to have included Africa and South America in his route, which crossed every continent except Antarctica.
Cox's attempt at the record is the latest in a line of circumnavigations which are, so far as we're aware, yet to be ratified by the bean counters at Guinness. Currently the record still rests with Mark Beaumont, whose standard of 194 days and 17 hours from 5 August 2007 to 15 February 2008 has certainly been bettered by one of the three rides that have been completed in the last year. So, let's have a recap:
First off was James Bowthorpe, who set off on 29 March 2009 and arrived back in London on 20 September. He rounded up his time to 175 days, from 174 days and 4 hours. Guinness rules state that the clock stops during transfers by another form of transport, but is running at all other times. James took 11 flights in total and these will be detailed in his record submission.
Next to go was Julian Sayarer, a London courier who set off from Rouen cathedral on his attempt on 10 June. Although his elapsed time was longer at 178 days he claimed 13 days of transfers in his sumbission, due to having to wait for flights. There were also questions raised at the time about his route, which appeared to fall foul of the Guinness rules.
Vin Cox's attempt comprises a ride of 176 days, which 12 boat and plane transfers along the way. His route appears comply with all the rules and it'll be interesting to see how the transfers add up on the submission; it looks to be a close run thing between James and Vin assuming that Julian's much faster time is discounted which, given the evidence we have, we think will be the case.
Whatever happens, it's a bit early to be lauding Vin as the new record holder like the Telegraph and the Express are this morning, but it's a fantastic effort and we wish Vin all the best with his record submission. If you'd like to donate to the Geoff Thomas Foundation head to Vin's JustGiving page
200 people cycled for 3 days, through 3 countries, covering nearly 300 miles. This fantastic group of people pushed themselves, made loads of new friends and witnessed some breathtaking scenery but most importantly they will make a huge impact to children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world. Their collective fundraising efforts are large enough to ensure that 10,000 children can take part in Right To Play programmes and receive an education based on health, tolerance and peace this year.
Amongst those who rode, was four of RTP's London office staff, Will Bennett who is their University & Education Partnerships Manager, Will Morgan who intially went to them whilst still at university and stayed, who is their Strategic Partnerships Manager, Stacey Cram who is their Operations Manager and last but not least, Events Assistant Leo Matlock.
In addition there, the Managing Director of Wildoo, who specialise in sourcing and supplying custom branded products including bottles, cycle clothing and loads of bike parts. As a company, Wildoo supplied the RTP Brussels to London ride bottles FoC as sponsorship for the event as well as the official RTP ride jerseys on a non profit basis, which each cyclist was given.
A four strong team from EFG Private Bank Limited's London office who gave up some of thrit annual leave to do the ride and exceeded their £4000 target on top of sponsoring the all the jerseys. Their bank group (H.O) EFG International have adopted RTP as their group charity raising in excess of $700,000.00 in the last few years.
Graham Carter, who works for IBM also exceeded his fundraising target with the final total still rising, which is swelled further for every £100 raised by his contributing £25 himself .. As with the other professionals, he also used annual leave to participate in the ride. The majority of the cyclists were students however, whose academic year was already over.
The SW was well represented with Helen Blamey, who is originally from Truro but has been studying at Royal Holloway. Helen acted as a ride leader, having also done the 2009 Edingburgh to London ride for RTP as well. Several other students included Esta Berry from Teignmouth studying at Bournemouth University, Wendy Creed from Truro studying at Plymouth University through the Cornish University Campus programme and her son Richard, who is studying at Truro College, were just some of the other cyclists who participated..
Anyone who wishes to donate in recognition of their endeavours, please click on the button which will take you to Richard and Wendy's fundraising page ..
Next year they are hoping to make it a true family affair as Wendy's daughter Andee, is also hoping to participate. She is also studying at Truro College, hoping to then go to Beijing Languages and Culture University in 2011 to study Mandarin and learn about Chinese culture on the China Pathways programme.
To see pictures from this year's event, click here to go to the RTP page on Facebook
South West Team for
School Games
Story posted July 21, 2010; by Andy Parker, South West Regional
Events Officer
The South West region has announced its team for September's UK
School Games. They are; Seb Baylis (Chard Whls), George Pym (Exeter
Whls), Simon Cooper, Jack Plummer (Somerset RC), Laura Clode (Revo
Racing), Hester Stembridge (CS South Hams), Adele Martin (Bristol
Cheltenhamm CC), Alex Sheehan (Bristol Cycling Development Squad)
and Joel Kelly (Mid Devon CC) as first reserve. Team Managers for
the event will be Jake Durant and Fiona Telfer-Bruton.
The selection process came via the
South West youth series which in its inaugural year featured events
across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset bringing the region's best
riders together and enhancing local racing leagues. With fields of
up to forty riders, it clearly demonstrated the popularity of youth
racing and created a pathway for competitors to excel.
Ric Jamieson, regional Talent Development coach was impressed with
the progression of the riders who combined regular regional schools
of racing training days with the events. "The improvement was
clear to see as the series went on with riders building on the
skills taught at the training days and using them in a racing
environment. Group riding, sharing the pace and race tactics all
became features of the events."
"Working together with Regional Development Manager, Chris
Yates, we tried to involve local club coaches as much as possible
to ensure that any coaching points could be passed on at a local
level and influence the ongoing development of the regions riders".
The series enjoyed sponsorship from
clothing company Kalas who supplied the series leader and overall
winners jerseys. The South West Regional board donated trophy's to
the series winners with Seb Baylis and Laura Clode the inaugural
champions. There's no rest for the riders now with the board funding
regional team trips to National Youth Series events to ensure the
riders continue their preparation for the UK school Games.
Thanks should go to the region's events promoters who hosted the
youth races. Watch out for an expanded series next year. Good luck
to all the riders taking part in the School Games.
Brunel student creates missing link for cyclists
14 July 2010
The Link gear system designed by student
Chris Holloway has been patented by Brunel University
A final-year industrial design student
from Brunel University has won an award for inventing a new gear
system, called Link, for downhill mountain bikes. Chris
Holloway, who graduates from Brunel University, west London, this
summer, won the Xerox Innovation Award for designing a safer system
for gear changing downhill, a well-known problem among cyclists.
’While every other part of the modern
mountain bike has changed to meet the modern demands of downhill
racing, the gear system has barely changed for more than 100 years.
For the pinnacle of the sport, it is clear that a better alternative
had to be found,’ Holloway said.
Holloway’s design came about from his
personal experience in downhill racing, both as a rider and a
spectator. His ’Link’ gear system is an expanding chain ring gear
system that can replace the old chain-and-sprocket system.
Essentially, the four segments in it expand and contract to give
three different gear ratio sizes. An important design feature is
that each segment moves out independently, and this is what makes it
capable of being used with a chain and not just a smooth drive belt.
The young designer told The Engineer that the advantages of the new
design included seamless shifting, higher efficiency, longer chain
and sprocket life, as well as improved weight distribution.
’On full suspension bikes, it is important to minimise unsprung
weight to obtain the maximum performance. By removing the rear
derailleur and cassette, the mass is relocated between the riders
feet and away from the suspension, which gives much better small
bump response, as well as increased grip and cornering ability,’
Holloway said.
As the system is designed to fit around a standard four-bolt
mountain bike crank set and standard BB mounting, the advantages of
the new system can be obtained on almost any modern DH bike or
frame.
To
outsiders a mass gathering of
cyclists outside The Mansion at
Roundhay Park was nothing but an
mild distraction. But to the 200
hundred or so riders, young and old,
from all over the UK that converged
at this venue it was the start of a
very special day, a day where they
and hundreds of other well wishers
were gathering to celebrate the life
of one very special person, Lewis
Barry.
Lewis, the son of former National
Cycling Champion, Carol and Olympic
athlete, Mark, tragically passed
away in his sleep just over a week
ago. The 15 year old was showing
immense promise both in cycling and
in football and was incredibly
popular, making a lasting impression
on all who met him. Carol and
Mark, were determined to celebrate
their much adored son's life and so
everyone who had known Lewis was
invited to attend his "Party in the
Park" after an incredibly moving
funeral service.
The
cyclists in their brightest kit rode
a quiet 13 miles, led by Matt
Winston - Talent Team Coach - and
Giles Pidock, to pay their respects,
picking up riders as they went. In
total nearly 300 hundred riders
arrived on bike with a further 200
hundred or so family and friends,
dressed to ‘party' arriving by other
means.
As
Lewis, in his Yorkshire team kit
made his final journey, all the
cyclists lined the route each with
front wheel in hand, raised in a
silent arch of tribute.
With
the crematorium bursting at the
seams with well wishers, filling
every conceivable nook and cranny,
many more crammed themselves around
the building to hear the service
celebrating the young man's life,
which included his favourite music,
poems written by friends, as well as
a tribute to his mate ‘Spadger'
written and read by Luke Simpson.
Then
it was time to return to Roundhay
Park to continue the celebrations.
The Weetwood police division kindly
closing the road to allow the
cyclists a safe start to their
journey back. The first guests to
arrive at the party were Lewis's
teachers and school friends from
Garforth Community College, followed
by his family, friends, footballer
mates from Garforth Villa and
finally the cyclists.
The
grass track at Roundhay, a scene of
many victories and much laughter for
Lewis, was quickly transformed into
a festival, with marquees, gazebos,
mini north shore, limbo ( a
particular favourite of Lewis') and
mountains of free food, donated very
kindly by family and friends in
order to show Carol and Mark,
everyone's love and support.
Arlene, a close friend of the Barrys,
brought her butty van from Ruler
Hall Rare Breeds in York full of
sausages and bacon. Mark Harrison,
from the Fountain restaurant in
Duncombe Park, whose son's had been
coached by Mark at Garforth Villa
football club, brought his BBQ,
burgers and two enormous gazebo's.
Then all the family and friends
brought all the cold food, drinks,
puddings and everything else to make
the day as memorable as possible.
Even Lewis' favourite ice cream van
man Freddie was on hand dishing out
free ice cream, in exchange for
memories written on post it notes,
that were then displayed in the
Pavilion for all to read and smile
about.
A
few of the non-cycling guests got a
shock when John Cresswell, the
starter, fired his gun to start the
racing, which saw U8's to adults
taking to the track for a series of
cycle races competing for prizes
donated by Phil Griffiths. The BMX
race with Lewis's Yorkshire team
mates' saw some cheeky cheating by
Luke Simpson cutting the course. If
they can spin as fast as that on the
track, Chris Hoy had better watch
out. This was followed by Phil West
doing the same in the adult's race,
unashamedly egged on by Mark
himself, even Carol swung a leg over
and had a quick fun spin despite the
rain!
Luckily
when the rain came, and it had held
off as long as possible, there was
plenty of shelter for everyone, with
the celebrations going long into the
evening, even well after rain
stopped play!
A
huge vote of thanks must go to Shaun
Gregory and the park rangers at
Roundhay Park in Leeds for giving
their permission and wonderful
support to Lewis's Party in the
Park. They ensured that a huge
event, normally several months in
the planning could be arranged at
less than a weeks' notice.
Thanks must also go to everyone else
who helped to make this sad day such
an amazing celebration of life for a
smiling, cheeky, and loving boy. RIP
Lewis you and your laughter will be
sorely missed.
Many
people kindly donated money in
memory of Lewis and the Barry's are
giving these donations to a variety
of causes. If you would like to
contribute any donations can be sent
to: Carol and Mark Barry, 14 Larch
Lane, Garforth, Leeds LS25 2JP
British man draws near to Round the World cycling record Fri, 02/07/2010
A cyclist from Cornwall is on target to break the world record for cycling around the world.
Vin Cox, 34, is ahead of schedule to beat the current record of 195 days. He is taking on the challenge to raise money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation, which works with the blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to get advanced new treatments to patients more quickly.
Vin, a cyclo-cross champion racer, departed on the 18,172-mile trip from Greenwich on 7 February 2010 and he is on course to arrive back at the same point towards the end of July. The current record was set in 2008 by Scottish cyclist Mark Beaumont, who averaged approximately 95 miles per day.
Vin is currently on schedule to beat the record by approximately 20 days, despite facing unfavourable cycling conditions. He said: “The ride has kept on throwing up adversity for me to overcome – it’s good for me, but each time it’s tough to go through.
"Recently I’ve come up against endless headwinds in Australia, a ‘weather bomb’ in New Zealand and a pass closed due to snow in California. That’s all on top of the conditions you naturally plan for such as the heat in Death Valley, Nevada and Arizona. I need a few breaks to get the distance covered, but I’m still on target.”
There is no set route for round the world Guinness World Record attempts but it must be at least 18,000 miles and not involve any back-tracking. Vin’s route involves 12 plane and boat transfers and takes him through six different continents and across more than 20 countries. He would be the first record holder to visit Africa and South America on the journey
He said: “I planned a pretty adventurous route and so far it’s meant that I’ve had an incredibly broad experience of different cultures and climates - all the things which make cycling both difficult and exciting. I’ve met some amazing local people and other adventurers along the way.”
“I hope my ride will inspire some people and also raise awareness and money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation. Geoff’s goal of increasing access to life-saving treatments for people with blood cancers is so important. It’s been a great motivator on some of the more gruelling parts of my ride.”
Geoff Thomas said: “What Vin has achieved so far is in his record attempt is absolutely incredible. I completed the Tour de France after going into remission from my leukaemia and that was one of the toughest things I have ever done.
"To cycle ten-times that distance uninterrupted and keep going takes an amazing amount of physical and mental strength – it’s inspirational.” Vin’s journey has so far taken him through France, across Northern Africa, across Asia, then through Australia and he is currently cycling across Northern America.
He will then catch a flight to South America, where he will cycle across Argentina and Chile, before heading up through Spain, France and arriving back in the UK.
Support Vin
People can get involved by visiting www.greatbikeride.com, where they can support Vin’s fundraising efforts for the Geoff Thomas Foundation, follow his progress on twitter and join his facebook group.
The Bike Week that was .. and what a great week!! Monday 28th June. 18.49hrs
Just a few things that went on in the Cornwall and border areas
It all kicked off working with a teenager who had not cycled since she was a toddler and was convinced that she would not be able to remember either .. but the old adage of never forgetting how to ride a bike proved to be correct. She was not only away quite literally, within a couple of minutes but continued for 5 miles UPHILL along the Plymbridge Trail to the tunnel, from the car park in the woods at the bottom! We were fortunate enough to have had the added bonus of nesting peregrin falcons in the quarry as well.
The young lady in question even left her mother and instructor having to really 'go for it' to keep up and ended the day with a huge smile on her face, saying how wonderful it was to have discovered the freedom of cycling! Next stop will be Haldon Woods in July for off training with colleagues Sam Cann and her daughter Calamaty Jane, running sessions for young people between the age of 11 - 16, with British Cycling as part of a race series.
During the week all the SW Instructors were engaged in teaching in the local schools in conjunction with both the local School Sports Partnerships and the schools themselves. The Cornish Festival of Cycling run by Mobilise - a Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust project and Cornwall Council, went into schools in Bude and Stratton and culminated in a weekend of fun at the Eden Project.
The schools enjoyed Dr Bike cycle health checks, cycle skills, a cycle simulator and smoothie maker, a 'Build a Brompton' exercise, a road safety quiz, a series of cycle-related lessons and bring your bike sessions. All primary schools in the county were also offered free cycling-related lesson plans, invited to enter a competition and encouraged to hold their own Festival of Cycling.
Graeme Hicks, Cornwall Council Cabinet Member for Transportation and Highways, says: “Using a bike for fun or for travel is a fantastic way of staying fit and is really good for the environment. “We want to see people of all ages getting on their bikes and enjoying the glorious Cornish countryside. It’s especially important for young people to get involved in cycling early on – it’s a great way of gaining independence and learning valuable road safety skills.”
To this end, at the Eden Project there was an area provided by the Council with lists taken from the Bikeability and CTC websites of Instructors in the area. The SW Instructors Cooperative also provided some freebie handouts for both parents and children alike plus some of their instructors further provided th
Sit
in front of a screen all day? You don't get enough exercise. Static
bicycle trainers offer an excellent work-out but it can be
mind-numbingly boring riding hard, but going nowhere.
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The 150th Anniversary launch at the Vice-Chancellor's Enterprise Awards 2011 marked the beginning of a year of varied and engaging activities enabling us to celebrate an exciting new era. The Awards Evening came part way through the America's Cup in Plymouth. Hosting the event demonstrates the power of working in partnership., city and university together, securing this magnificent global experience and putting Plymouth on a par with other international city hosts such as San Francisco, San Diego and Cascais, Portugal. It celebrates the shared culture of enterprise and 'spirit of discovery'.
established as a showcase event in the South West to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution and achievements of our staff, students, community and business partners - it has become an integral part of the University's role as an enterprise university and evidences enterprise action.'
Wendy's
sponsor Kassie Foran said that "I have been in contact with Wendy
throughout her studies at Truro & Penwith College. Wendy
is a very enthusiastic 3rd year student on the BSc
Sports Performance & Coaching, motivated by her
enthusiasm for cycling, and building up confidence, road
safety, and opportunities for everyone to have the
chance to enjoy a sport which she obviously loves so
much. 
1.
Bringing Bikeability into Cornwall - Wendy has worked
tirelessly to establish, and then promote Bikeability in
Cornwall. She was involved in the national pilot of
Bikeability, and identified that other than the initial
Instructor training, there was very little extra support
for children & adults with learning difficulties or
mental health issues. Wendy decided to study her degree
in Sports Performance & Coaching to try and improve the
service offered to those with special needs. 
AFTER
A successful launch, the third event organised by CycleAbility takes place
at Siblyback Lake Country Park, near Liskeard, on Saturday. CycleAbility's
aim is to be Cornwall's mobile disabled cycling club. Volunteers, parents,
families, and carers will be encouraged to take part in the sessions so it
will be a cycling club for everybody.
A
trip to the beach usually sounds like… well, a day at the beach. For
139 injured U.S. veterans and their supporters it will likely mean
much more. These American heroes are heading to France, where
they’ll get to bicycle in historic World War II sites as part of the
first ever Ride 2 Recovery Normandy Challenge, presented by United
Healthcare.
With the
forthcoming demise of the Schools Sports Partnerships, to try
and preserve the relatively new
It's Proven: All Inclusive Cycling ROCKS!!.JPG)
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These
are all issues that we are looking at in terms of what the club
stands for:
Four
months on from the Inter Regional Track Championships and the first
ever Regional Youth Team from the South West, the enthusiasm is
still as strong with several riders now accredited to race the
Newport Track League and more working towards it.
Cycleability
has been established by Steve Hillman, disability sports officer at the Cornwall
Sports Partnership, and GoRide Coach and Bikeability Instructor Wendy Creed, to
enable everyone to have access to cycling.
BRITISH
CYCLING coming on board THE 
Following
the campaign for a new European law to improve HGV safety,
the Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) has called on
cyclists to use common sense around HGVs.
Full
Olympic schedule unveiled one month before tickets go on
sale to the public
In
the 1980′s and 90′s, Southampton, on the South Coast of the UK,
was a City, and a City that was growing fast–with a housing boom
of mammoth proportions.
This
type of riding didn’t exist when I was previously cycling. I
felt like a First-Class citizen, not a Second-Class one.
I
was amazed you can buy a bike that enables you to ride to the
station, fold it and walk on to the train or bus. On arrival at
your destination you can unfold it, and ride the cycle-ways to
work ( certainly in London and other UK cities). If you’re lucky
you can then fold it and walk up to the office where it lives by
your desk whilst you take a shower. You can even catch the train
and, in London, pick up a ‘
I
could ride somewhere knowing I could catch a bus back again if I
felt rubbish. I could ride on
I’ve
seen old cyclists, families, cyclists with considerable
disabilities, horse riders, walkers etc, all enjoying my local
Sustrans Trail. I now work as a volunteer for Sustrans and my
ride this year will rely on many routes on their National Cycle
Network. I’m so impressed I will be raising funds for them
during the ride, which I will write more about in a future
article.
A
33% drop in fatalities since 2008 for drivers in the 16-19
year old bracket is one of the key findings in a new report
published by the IAM. The report, ‘Younger and older
road users’, also reveals that fatalities for drivers in
their 70s and aged 80 and above have fallen by 25%, and 22%
respectively. The report also identifies the greatest
risks faced by young and elderly road users.
Between
20 and 50 years of age, the rate of deaths declines for all
road users except for motorcyclists.
You don't really need anything specific for riding in the snow, but
if you can get hold of these, it can help: 
Don't
expect your bike to work like it does on a hot, dry day. Your chain,
cassette and mechs will freeze up, so you may well end up leaving it
in a single sprocket and using your chain rings to change gears.
Hone
your riding skills, reaction times and balance by riding in snow.
Certain conditions grip better than Velcro, others are more slippery
than a banana skin. Learn to read the conditions and anticipate
early. Slamming on the anchors is likely to end in tears.
Fresh
from breaking the Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the world
by bicycle with a staggering 18,225.7 miles (29,000km), Vin Cox has
since launched the Global Bicycle Race.
Can't think what to give
someone for Christmas .. Why not give them a
C
CORNISHMAN
Chris Opie enjoyed a weekend 'double' with victory in Friday
night's Paignton Regatta Road Race and Sunday's third leg of the
Brentor Races on West Dartmoor.
Opie led home a 1-2-3 for the
Yeovil-based Pendragon-Le Col-Colnago pro squad at Paignton.
Cox and his Alfine-hubbed Genesis Croix De Fer took just 163 days, six hours and 58 minutes to smash the previous record, set by Marc Beaumont in 2008, by more than one month.
Campaign launched for disabled cycling facility in Cornwall
BICYCLES
adapted for disabled children are available for hire from a
playground in St Paul's. Yesterday, the All Ability
Cycling Project was launched at St Paul's Adventure Playground.
The specially-adapted bicycles are for use by organisations,
schools and families with disabled children and children with
special needs.
* 3 trikes of different sizes (one shown below)
British Cycling and CTC member Vin Cox from Par in Cornwall broke the record for the fastest cyclist to circumnavigate the world when he arrived at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, at 3pm on Sunday 1 August, over six months after setting off from the same point.
He said: "It's great to be back - I really enjoyed it but I'm glad it's over. I planned a pretty adventurous route and it's meant that I've had an incredibly broad experience of different cultures and climates - all the things which make cycling both difficult and exciting. I've met some amazing local people and other adventurers along the way."
A
few of the non-cycling guests got a
shock when John Cresswell, the
starter, fired his gun to start the
racing, which saw U8's to adults
taking to the track for a series of
cycle races competing for prizes
donated by Phil Griffiths. The BMX
race with Lewis's Yorkshire team
mates' saw some cheeky cheating by
Luke Simpson cutting the course. If
they can spin as fast as that on the
track, Chris Hoy had better watch
out. This was followed by Phil West
doing the same in the adult's race,
unashamedly egged on by Mark
himself, even Carol swung a leg over
and had a quick fun spin despite the
rain!
!! It is important for the FULL story that you read the comments posted on line as given below !!