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Celebrating Cycling CDT Update No.48 June 2008
CELEBRATING CYCLING JUNE EVENTS
National Bike Week June 14th - 22nd
Bike Week provides a national umbrella for locally organised events and activities up and down the country and this year it will be happening between 14-22 June. Families are at the heart of Bike Week 2008. This year we are promoting cycling as a means of bringing families together; a unifying yet liberating activity that will enable family members to get fit and have fun together. Encouraging quality family time and values, cycling will also be shown to help focus minds on the environment, enabling families to reduce their carbon footprints by reducing car usage and enjoying the great outdoors. For more information go to www.bikeweek.org.uk
Friday 13th
Cycling Roadshow
Market Square, Lancaster: 11am - 3pm
Visit our Cycling Roadshow in Lancaster's Market Square to pick up lots of advice & information, get your bike checked out by Dr Bike and make your own smoothie using pedal power.
01524 582392 / celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk
Sunday 15th
Community Festival
Williamson Park, Lancaster: 10am - 4pm
The 4th Community Festival showcases the best of our district with displays & activities from a wide range of local organisations. This year there will be the chance to celebrate cycling with us - including Dr Bike, information stands and maintenance training with Pedal Power (call 01524 65328 to book) .
For more info go to www.lancasterymca.co.uk
Wednesday 18th
Bike 2 Work Day FREE Bikers Breakfast
Dalton Square, Lancaster : 8-10am
Free Bikers Breakfast (Dalton Square 8 - 10am) with bike postcoding (UV marking), healthy refreshments, cycling information & advice and a chance to visit Dr Bike!
01524 582392 / celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk
Wednesday 18th
Bike 2 Work Day - Commuter Challenge
Is your employer the the most cycle friendly employer in the district? Get your colleagues on their bikes for your chance to win in our Company Commuter Challenge. More info below!
For more information and/or an application form please contact Bee Harding on 01524 582086 or at bharding@lancaster.gov.uk
Wednesday 18th
Bike 2 Work Day: After Work Bike Ride
Leisurely bike ride to a Hest Bank pub.
Meet in Dalton Square at 5:30. Bring your colleagues, friends and family.
01524 582392 / celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk
Thursday 19th
A Handful of Spokes and Stories
Dukes Theatre, Lancaster: 7pm
Stuck for something to do in the summer holidays?
Then come along and listen to Stuart Wickes & Kirstie Pelling who set off with their three young children to tour the UK by bike. After forty nine days and well over a 1000 miles, they surprised themselves by completing the classic challenge ride from Lands End to John O Groats, arriving home just in time for school. (see www.familyonabike.org)
Friday 20th
Summer Solstice Bike Ride
Millennium Bridge: 8pm
Join us for a late evening bike ride to celebrate the Summer Solstice at the Crook O’Lune.
Meet Millennium Bridge (south) at 8pm
01524 582392 / celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk
Sunday 22nd
Sunday in Sunderland
An enjoyable ride on one of the area’s least used cycle paths to the small, isolated village of Sunderland. The ride uses off road paths and quiet roads through Overton. We’ll stop for refreshments in Sunderland, with a chance to explore the local area and wildlife .
Meet Millennium Bridge (south) 11am
01524 582392 / celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk
OTHER JUNE EVENTS
Saturday 7th
Five Miles to Fabulous
Meet at the Midland Hotel: 12:30pm
Women only cycle ride. Instructors from Pedal Power will take riders on a short section of the cycle network in the area, leading us to a level 2 training site for a few fun exercises and tips before a finding a scenic break spot then select either an off or preferably on road route back to the Prom.
Call 01524 65328 for more info .
Wednesday 18th
Five Miles to Fabulous
Meet Burton in Kendal Square: 7:30pm
Women only cycle ride. A relaxing ladies only on-road ride across the moss and through the woods to Beetham, for a refreshment stop. Then on quiet back roads to Holme and Burton. Come and see how fabulous you feel after five miles. Ladies of all ages and experience welcome.
www.wheelygoodcommunities.org/ or call Kirstie on 01524 782351
Sunday 22nd
Teddy Bear's Picnic
Meet at VVV, Hest Bank end of prom: 11:30am
Join us for some easy riding along the prom at Morecambe & a Teddy Bears Picnic in Happy Mount Park. Short options for an easy ride or ride the whole prom for a challenge. Don’t forget picnics and teddy bears. Fun for all!
www.wheelygoodcommunities.org/ or call Stuart / Kirstie on 01524 782351
Sunday June 29th
Le Terrier - see below
There's lots more stuff happening this month! See all June events here
COMMUTER CHALLENGE
Wednesday June 18th is National Bike 2 Work Day - as well as providing a free bikers breakfast in Dalton Square (8 - 10am) we're also running a Commuter Challenge for all local businesses to prove how cycle friendly they are.
Register for the event for your chance to win the following:
Win up to £500 funding for cycle improvements at your workplace by suggesting how you would make the best use of this money and increase cycling levels at your workplace e.g parking, pool bikes, bespoke training etc.
Prizes for the company with the highest % of staff cycling in on the 18th (open to organisations with 15 or more employees)
All people who cycle in on the day will be entered into a prize draw to win cycling goodie bags
Open to Entries Now - To register please contact Bee Harding (bharding@lancaster.gov.uk) or call 01524 582086.
On Wednesday 18th June you will need to record how many people cycled into work and send the number, along with their names (and where possible individual email addresses) to celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk by Friday 20th June. Winners will be notified by Monday 14th July.
CHALLENGE EVENTS
Le Terrier
Sunday June 29th
Lancaster Cycling Club are pleased to present Le Terrier - a Cycle Sportive
2 challenging route lengths - 45 & 80 miles on quiet roads in the Forest of Bowland.
The 45 mile route is a challenging ride taking in Jubilee Towers with over 1,500m of ascent and a choice of route to the finish (you have the option, on the day, to finish through Wray)
The 80 mile route, with over 2,600m of ascent, is bound to be a classic finishing through Wray, Roeburndale, Scout Camp and Stocka Bank - it has no junk miles!
Riders depart from Dalton Square 7.00 - 8.30am
Proceeds and extra donations this year will go to Lancaster’s Homeless.
Entry Fee: £20 Registration: in Lancaster Town Hall
www.sportident.co.uk/entries/event.php?event_id=130
Hearts First Bike Ride: Lancaster to York
Saturday July 2nd Starts 9am at Lancaster University
£20
Push your stamina to the limit on the Ride of the Roses, a challenging 100 mile bike ride between two of the UK’s most historic and vibrant cities.
Setting off from Lancaster University, hundreds of riders will head out across the varied and breathtaking landscapes of Northern England, including the stunning Trough of Bowland, an ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’, Gisburn Forest and the rugged unspoilt scenery of the Yorkshire Dales.
With the majority of the route taking place on rural roads, you’ll face some steep gradients and challenging hill climbs before heading through the market town of Ripon in the heart of North Yorkshire then onto the final leg towards the finishing point in the beautiful city of York.
Last year around 250 riders took part in the first ever Ride of the Roses. Transport available to book.
PEDAL POWER TRAINING: JUNE
Sunday June 15th @ the Community Festival, Williamson Park
Maintenance Level 2: Keeping your bike in shape - the next steps
Saturday June 21st 10:30am - 1pm
Level 2: Intro to Road Riding [MEN ONLY]
For all Pedal Power training courses see www.celebratingcycling.org/more_info.asp?current_id=115 or call 01524 65328
Our training page also includes information on all training available in the district from bike buddies and 1-2-1 training to workplace based sessions. Perhaps you, a colleague or a family member needs a bit of help to get back in the saddle - if so then check out this page or call us on 01524 582392.
MORE BIKE HIRE
First Lancaster city centre now Morecambe town centre gets a bike hire facility.
Morecambe see’s the start of yet another new business - SUNSHINE CYCLE HIRE - the brainchild of Claude Cooper of Coopers Amusements and Pete Moser, normally known for his music and as a one man band. With the promenade developed all the way to Heysham, the promotion of the district as a cycling town and more and more visitors arriving this pair of local entrepreneurs have seized the opportunity to provide another attraction.
The bikes come in all shapes and sizes and you can also hire trailers, tag-a-longs and child seats. The prize hire is a beautiful SCHWIM tandem with white wall tyres and seats as comfy as a limo! Reasonable rates for the bikes mean you can take them out for 2 hours, a half day or a full day and family deals include bikes for everyone!
At the recent cycle event in Morecambe Peter Loker, Lancaster City Council's Director of Community Services said: "Since the district was granted the status of a Cycling Demonstration Town, it's great to know that the increase in cycling levels has resulted in the generating of local business and tourism opportunities. What better way to launch a new cycle hire facility in Morecambe than at our cycling celebration this weekend on Morecambe Promenade".
SUNSHINE CYCLES AT COOPERS AMUSEMENTS (opposite the Midland)
Tel 01524 414709
376 Marine Road East, Morecambe, LA4 5AH
Click here for all bike hire in the area
NETWORK IMPROVEMENTS UPDATE (MARCH - MAY)
Phoenix St contraflow and link to Millennium Bridge
Work on this scheme including signage and new toucan crossing was completed in February/March 2008.
Works included the implementation of contra flow cycling on Phoenix Street and the upgrade of the existing Pelican crossings, on Parliament Street, to Toucan crossings plus associated works. This scheme provide a handy link from the east side of Lancaster to the Millennium Bridge and the rest of the cycle network
Central Drive Morecambe
Work has been carried out to complete the link from the Greenway to Central Drive / Morecambe Promenade. A shared use path runs over the Burger King access road and Hilmore Rd to join with the on-road cycle lanes on Central Drive, installed last year.Lancashire County Council have installed a new zebra crossing on Central Drive, at the Hilmore Rd end.
The path running between Hilmore Road and the rear of West End Road has now re-opened - and is now officially a cycle route.
Bowerham Road
May 23rd saw the opening of a newly improved to the cycle/footpath which links the Hala estate to the gates of St. Bernadette's and Moorside Primary Schools and to Stepping Stones School on Bowerham Road.
Before the works were undertaken, the popular shortcut from Gressingham Drive to Bowerham Road was regarded by residents to be dark, muddy and unsafe. The improvements included reconstruction and widening of the path, replacement and realignment of the school boundary fence, street lighting and signage. The project also included the conversion of the Bowerham Road footway to 'shared use' so that pedestrians and cyclists can access the schools and use the path to Barton Road more safely.
Our Lady's High School
The footway in front of the school to the toucan crossing at Owen Road junction (Morecambe Rd) has been converted to shared use. Possible future schemes include the conversion of the footway from the school to the toucan crossing near Carlisle Bridge, and improvements to the footpath that runs from Lune Street to Morecambe Road.
Salt Ayre Race Circuit
Work has just been completed on the racing circuit at Salt Ayre. This included widening and resurfacing of the circuit, the installation of ducting for a future lighting scheme and the provision of a tarmaced area that is now to be used as a cycle skills area. The majority of the funding for the works came from Sport England and a small amount from the CDT project.
The Official Opening of the track will take place on Saturday July 5th - 10am
OTHER NEWS
Funding sets wheels in motion for Skerton High Bike Loan Scheme
Pupils at a Lancaster 'Bike It' school are set to benefit from a pioneering new cycle project. Funding worth over £20,000 has been allocated to Skerton High School, Lancaster to get a much needed cycle loan facility for their pupils well and truly off the ground.
Students at the high school are already making the most of being one of the district's Sustrans Bike It Schools, but a recent survey showed that the main reason why some of the children did not cycle was because they did not have a bike.
Earlier this year, a bid for funding was submitted to the Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Team by our Sustrans Bike It Officer in partnership with Lancaster City Council’s Cycling Demonstration Town Project and the District’s Community Safety Partnership. The overall aim of the funding was to help disadvantaged children reap the benefits of cycling alongside their friends.
With £20,750 to spend on bikes, cycling accessories & maintenance equipment and an extension to the school's cycle storage facility, it is hoped that the scheme will be up and running by the end of the month.
Read full release here
CTC predict 1.25 million extra cycle trips will be made due to rising fuel prices
CTC - the UK's national cyclists' organisation predicts an extra 1.25 million trips will be made by bicycle every day due to the rising price of petrol and diesel. After the last oil crisis in 1979 when fuel prices rocketed, cycling increased by almost 40%. With fuel prices higher than ever recorded CTC expects thousands of motorists to leave their cars at home and go to work by bike instead.
CTC Director Kevin Mayne said: “The amount commuters pay for fuel has a direct correlation with people deciding to take up cycling. Going by bike to work is a cheap, quick, healthy and an environmentally friendly way to commute and as people look to save money where they can, it’s the obvious choice”. It’s not just commuters who bike to work who save money. According to a study by Cycling England every new cyclist contributes an economic benefit of up to £382 to the nation. So a 40% increase in cycling would provide at least £1bn worth of benefits.
In anticipation of a boom in cycling to work, CTC has rushed forward the launch of the Bike to Work package to support people leaving their cars for bicycles. The package costs £52 per year and includes breakdown assistance, insurance and all the benefits of being a CTC member. For more information about CTC’s ‘Bike to Work’ package see www.ctc.org.uk/commuter.
Kevin Mayne added: “If you are considering going by bike to work, now is the perfect time. You’ll save money on fuel, the weather is good and CTC is launching ‘Bike to Work’ which provides cyclists with similar breakdown assistance to motorists, £10m third party insurance and CTC membership for just £1 per week.”
New Cycling Map - Out Now
The revised Lancaster & Morecambe Walking and Cycling Map is OUT NOW!
To get your copy please call 01524 5822392 / 582086 or email celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk
Women & Cycling
There's still time to complete our survey on women and cycling (closes June) - Have your say!
www.celebratingcycling.org/images/downloads/women_cycling.htm