cyclenation news

Issue 33 April 2015

Cyclenation Annual General Meeting

Midland Institute, Birmingham Saturday May 16th 11am

Dear Cyclenation Groups, THE CYCLENATION AGM IS COMING UP The Cyclenation AGM is nearly upon us and it’s time to ask you to consider nominating a member onto the Board. We’ve made big strides forward this year, with some new policies, a guiding role on the Space for Cycling campaign and the exciting news that a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy was voted into the Infrastructure Bill by the House of Commons. However, that Strategy will still require funding and we will continue to work with our partners to campaign for a minimum of £10 per head, per year spend in the next parliament. For your part, we rely on local groups to ensure that the money Local Authorities are given is spent wisely. To help us co-ordinate this activity we need enthusiastic individuals on the Board. So please consider nominating someone from your group. We have plans to expand Cyclenation and make it more representative of the campaigning scene across the UK and if we are to achieve this we need your help. The AGM will take place on May 16 at the Midland Institute, Margaret Street in central Birmingham, close to New Street and Snow Hill stations and a formal notification will go out shortly - please make every effort to send someone along. CONFERENCE NEWS The Autumn conference will take place in Liverpool and we’re getting an exciting programme lined up - please watch out for further news. WHAT CAN CYCLENATION DO FOR YOU? We are looking at how we can improve our membership offer to groups. Currently we offer you:

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An occasional newsletter and new bulletins like this one. The Cyclenation-Forum email discussion group An opportunity for your voice to be heard nationally and internationally through our membership of the UK Cycling Alliance and the European Cyclists Federation. Organisation of the Annual Conference. A Steering role for national campaigns (like Space 4 Cycling) Input into development of Bike-Rail facilities - we know this is a concern for many of your members. Access to resources on our website. Group visits

What else would you like from us? Please send your ideas in to [email protected] IS THIS NEWSLETTER GOING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN YOUR ORGANISATION? PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT SENT TO OTHERS IN YOUR GROUP EMAIL [email protected] PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WITHIN YOUR GROUP AS WELL!

The Birmingham and Midland Institute has been chosen for its accessibility, city centre location and proximity to Snow Hill, New Street and Moor Street rail stations. Group affiliations must be current in order to vote, so if your group has received an affiliation invite or reminder please action it as soon as possible!!

Space for Cycling – update ‘Making Space for Cycling’ is being sent to 300 local authorities.

‘Making Space for Cycling’ – ‘A guide for new developments and street renewals’ is being posted to 300 local councils. MS4C illustrates and describes ‘best practices’ for making cycle-friendly infrastructure and the posting also asks the LAs to contact their local campaign groups to offer help and support for events in Bike Week

The ‘Space for Cycling’ campaign has a Steering Group formed by the major national organisations and a core city campaigning group. The group currently consists of representatives from Birmingham Pushbikes. CTC, Cyclenation, CycleSheffield Leeds Cycle Campaign, London Cycling Campaign, Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign and Newcastle Cycling Campaign.

We need the Space For Cycling slogan to become firmly embedded in the public imagination. Watch out for the slogan and #space4cycling on social, local and national media, attached to bikes, on car stickers and wherever cycling is the solution to a transport problem. A national election is are about to take place in 2015 and we are calling on more and more local campaigns to join the Space For Cycling call. New campaigns may spring up through the Space For Cycling vision. We will make the cycling voice louder and the message irresistible. What can you do? Go to the Official Space4Cycling website and register to show your support. Please note this is the only official national website for the campaign. Follow @space4cycling on Twitter and use the hashtag #space4cycling ================================================================================

Cyclenation AGM The Midland Institute Margaret Street Birmingham Saturday May 16th 2015 11am

The European Cyclists’ Federation’s Map of Ideas is a collection of cycling campaigns from all over Europe (examples shown), showing that getting citizens to use their bikes can be fun and inclusive. ‘Shirley’s Wheels’ in Herefordshire gives guided rides to help women return to everyday bicycle use. The York Cycle Challenge got companies to compete to see who could get the most employees to ride a bike. ‘Bike at Work’ in Finland again encouraged people to go to work on bikes and to use the bikes for workrelated trips. The theme of this year’s Bike Week is ‘Cycle to Work’ (see below) and this newsletter is giving some tips for organising a Cycle to Work event, based on what Push Bikes did in Birmingham (and if it could be done in Brum, it can be done anywhere!)

Velo-City The ECF also organises the week-long Velo-City from 2 to 5 June. Nantes will seek to meet four

key objectives as it hosts the next Velo-city event from 2 to 5 June 2015: ▶ Create a replicable model dedicated to regional cities ▶ Build on the strengths and weaknesses of the Nantes experience and other French cities ▶ Reach out to the world ▶ Create a future inspired by cycling Usually attended by Cyclenation’s secretary Simon Geller, the Cyclenation Board has agreed that in future years we would look at subsidising members from groups visiting Velo-City as a member benefit.

Why doesn’t all this cycling information reach the CYCLIST? “You get on a bike and ride it don’t you”? Sir Edward Stourton on an edition of Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme. “Anyone can..wander into a bike shop, buy a bike then jump straight out onto a busy road.” Cambridge Cycling Campaign magazine Yet advice and information for the new OR experienced cyclist IS AVAILABLE….

How and where to get these:

Ah, therein lies the snags! Bike Well (A5): An excellent book written for the adult, well-illustrated covering all Bikeability levels plus general cycling advice. Was originally produced by Sandwell (West Midlands) for its cycle training and was free issue. Now published by Hyland Freeman Ltd of Birmingham and sold mainly in bulk to local authorities for their cycle training programmes. YOUR la might release a few OR ask the authority to order a quantity from Hyland Freeman? Contact Ann Hyland, Hyland Freeman Ltd, 0121 454 4468

Cyclecraft: The latest edition from John Franklin. Saw three copies in a large High St bookshop once. But Cyclecraft is avauilable on line. Pocket Guide to Cycling: Literally pocket sized when folded (as shown), it opens out to double sided A3 filled with illustrated hints and tips for better, safer cycling. PGtoC aught to be free issue in a leaflet dispenser in every cycle shop – why isn’t it? PGtoC is downloadable from loveyourbike.org or for posted copies (better for handing out) contact Pete Abel [email protected] A posted pack of 50 costs £2-80

Who is this lady?

Sarah Sillars O.B.E is the new Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Why is she featured in a cycling newsletter? Ms Sillars had 25 years’ experience in the automotive sector; the IAM’s magazine ‘Advanced Driving’ asked her how would that help her role in the IAM? “With congestion set to increase….by 50% over the next generation, more people will look at bicycles….electric bikes and sports bikes……we need to see what we can do to improve people’s confidence and competence” was part of her reply. Well Ms Sillars, back in 2010 the IAM decided to spread its road safety message by ‘getting into’ cycling. It introduced an ‘IAM Cyclist’ membership category, offered cycle training, cyclists’ insurance and published an ‘How to be a better cyclist’ book. But the cycling ‘arm’ eventually disappeared. Maybe one of Ms Sillars’ first actions could be to reinstate the ‘IAM a Cyclist’ membership? As a member of Birmingham Advanced Motorists I will be writing to Ms Sillars to suggest this – Ed. =================================================================================

Cyclenation AGM The Midland Institute Margaret Street Birmingham Saturday May 16th 2015 11am

From the Bike Week 2015 Web site: “Bike Week is an annual opportunity to promote cycling, and show how cycling can easily be part of everyday life by encouraging ‘everyday cycling for everyone’. Demonstrating the social, health and environmental benefits of cycling, the week aims to get people to give cycling a go all over the UK, whether this be for fun, as a means of getting around to work or school, the local shops or just to visit friends. The 2015 event will take place 13-21st June but events still take place through until September and beyond!” “This year’s Bike Week has a special focus and will encourage people to use their bikes to cycle to work. Many people will use the events to ride and take part in ‘buddy’ rides with colleagues, scope out the easiest route to their place of work or take part in work place challenges.” Organise a ‘Cycle to Work’ event by forming one or a number of ‘bike trains’. A group of cyclists, with an experienced rider (who knows the way) in the lead and a second experienced rider at the end of the group. Use the roads (as this is the main point of a ‘bike train’) and cycle from some place on the ‘outskirts’ of your town into its centre (where many people probably work?) Maybe ask your council to hold a ‘bike breakfast’ there? Riders should be the recommended one metre minimum from the kerb and the end rider further out. Other ideas for Bike Week:  Information table – promote your campaign group and have Pocket Guides available?  Dr Bike – basic repairs.  Off-road led rides - for the beginner cyclist.

All 300 local authorities who received the MS4C magazine have been informed of Bike Week and asked to contact or liaise with their local campaign group.

…..cycling news………..cycling news………..cycling news………..cycling news……  Edinburgh is the increase spending on cycling….  Glasgow plans more cycle routes in the city centre, mainly segregated from motor traffic…..  Brighton is to set up a bike hire scheme and Glasgow is to expand its bike hire…….  The Lambeth Bridge roundabout where Moira Gemmill was recently killed may never be safe for cyclists, says Colin Wing, Westminster’s representative for the London Cycling Campaign. Wing has raised concerns about Transport for London’s (TfL) proposals for improvements and suggests a radically different design is needed……….  lorries of more than 3.5 tonnes not fitted with side guards and mirrors that give the driver the best view possible of cyclists and pedestrians around their vehicle will be banned from the London’s streets when the capital’s Safer Lorry Scheme comes into force this September………

Cyclenation AGM The Midland Institute Margaret Street Birmingham Saturday May 16th 2015 11am

‘Making Space for Cycling’ mailshot to 300 Local Authorities: Acknowledging with thanks THE MASSIVE EFFORT of Cyclenation’s immediate past Chairman Andre Curtis who, BY HAND, addressed 300 labels (20 sheets of ‘sticky labels, 14 labels per sheet- ok, 280 for the pedants!) 300 magazines are now in the process of being posted!

The Cyclenation Forum gives you an opportunity to discuss issues with campaigners from

other groups across the country. It's a Google group so if you have a Google account (recommended) go to https://groups.google.com/ search for cyclenation-forum and sign up. If you're using a non-google address, you can subscribe by email - send an email to [email protected]. Contact the Secretary, Simon Geller if you have any problems.

Contacts Cyclenation New s Editorial Team Email: [email protected] Local Group New s Email: [email protected] Public Enquiries Cyclenation, 2 Newhams Row, London SE1 3UZ Email: [email protected]

Delegates

President: Phillip Darnton Cyclenation is affiliated to the

Board Members Eric Booth (Chair), 13 Alpha Rd Southville Bristol BS3 1DH 0117 9668592 Mob 07501 355600 [email protected]

UK Cycling Alliance Eric Booth European Cyclists' Federation Simon Geller Bike Week Andre Curtis

Cyclenation is a company lim ited by guarantee. Registration no.: 5494843. Registered Office: 2 Newhams Row, London SE1 3UZ Cyclenation News is copyright but member groups may abstract freely.

www.cyclenation .org.uk

Simon Geller (Secretary and Communica- tions Director), 19, Greystones Close Sheffield, S1 7JT; Tel: 07799 834837 Email: [email protected]

Graham Hankins (Editor and Membership) 92 Sunningdale Road, Tyseley, Birmingham B11 3QJ 0121 707 0420 (Ansafone) Email: [email protected] John Mallows, (Treasurer) 63 Shurdington Road Cheltenham 01242 235072 [email protected] Jonathan Fingland. Lizzie Reather Ashok Sinha Roger Geffen