Great day for a ride

The UK had its hottest day of the year today with temperatures reaching 27C in places. Here in Lancashire clear skies and a moderate easterly wind produced excellent cycling weather. We followed yesterday's 24 mile run with a 28 mile circuit of Longridge Fell calling in at Chipping for a cuppa at the cafe in the centre of the village. The aim was to build up a bit of mileage in preparation for our tour next month. We would have gone out for longer but there were other jobs to be done as well.

The cafe in Chipping is one of those well known watering holes that cyclists call in at the weekend. Today we bumped into Ribble Valley Cycling and Racing Club (A & B rides), some Lune CC riders, a couple of chaps doing the 100Km Audax from Lancaster and numerous others. It was great to see so many cyclists in one place. It seemed like all the country lanes around East Lancashire contained riders, some racing, some out for recreation and some touring - all happy with the warm sunny weather. It was so nice, I didn't carry anything other than drink, so no pics today.

Events

With the warm weather this weekend, there's no excuse for not getting out and enjoying some cycling. I know I have. We had a jaunt round the Ribble Valley before it got too hot this morning. If you don't do your own ride, there seems to be plenty of organised events in the next few weeks. Kendal is currently having its cyclefest. I can't be there but would have liked to have gone to some of the events. Lancaster is also organising plenty of events and come Bike Week in the middle of June, most local towns (or most countrywide for that matter) are organising races, family rides and other cycling activities. It's never been a better time to get encouragement to get on two wheels.

May 30th - 7th June
Kendal CycleFest offers a wide range of rides, talks, film showings and workshops across the whole of South Lakeland in Cumbria.
http://www.cyclefest.org.uk/calendar.php

Sunday 31st May 09:00
The North Lancs Way & Bowland Forest Populaire
Bull Beck Car Park
Audax Events (long distance rides) (108 km / 67 miles)

Sunday 31st May
Rough Stuff Federation - South Lakes Group
A ride along the Old Shap Road: Meet at 10.00am at Ashes Lane car park on A591 between Kendal and Staveley.
Monday 1st: A ride down the Winster Valley: Meet at 10.00am at Ashes Lane carpark on A591 between Kendal and Staveley.
http://www.southlakesgroup.org.uk/forthcomingevents.html


June 7th
Brief Encounters in Carnforth.
Women on Wheels, a programme of women only cycle rides on the first Sunday of every month (from March to October). The rides aim to encourage all women - whatever their ability - to get out and about with other like-minded women and explore our area by bike.
For more information call 01524 582392 - email celebratingcycling@lancaster.gov.uk or visit www.celebratingcycling.org

Sunday June 7th
‘Le Terrier’
07:00 - 8:30am Entry Fee £20
Lancaster Cycling Club are pleased to present the Le Terrier Cycle Sportive with 2 challenging routes on quiet roads in the Forest of Bowland. The 45 mile route is a challenging ride taking in Jubilee Tower with over 1,500m of ascent. The 80 mile route, with over 2,600m of ascent, is bound to be a classic finishing through Wray, Roeburndale, Scout Camp and Stock-a-Bank - it has no junk miles! Proceeds and extra donations this year will go to Lancaster’s Homeless and St John’s Hospice. More information at www.le-terrier.co.uk

Upcoming
13th to 21st June
- Bike Week 2009 -
Loads of events nationwide. Check local council for information on criterium races, family rides, training and lots more.
http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/

Transition

Down on the commuting route, the retail malaise shows some signs of optimism.


Probably swimming against the tide, but Brittney's butty shop is becoming Marshall's Munchies,


whilst the Eastern Delight (formerly Blue Diamond)


has become Shahee Dastarkhan

Over the road from Marshall's, the car dealer has packed up, which is a benefit to cyclists since it opens up a large car park for access to Tesco, Domino's and the off-licence meaning less cars parked in the road. Hey ho.

Safety in Numbers

Following on from yesterday's rant, here's something that we can all do that is positive and can help change perception of safety when cycling in traffic.

Support the Cycle Touring Club's ‘Safety in Numbers’ campaign to improve safety for cyclists.

The campaign was launched in Parliament last week by CTC President and broadcaster Jon Snow – see video. MPs from all 3 main parties attended the launch. After a presentation from Chris Watts of the Department for Transport outlining the Government’s draft Road Safety Strategy, CTC’s Roger Geffen unveiled new CTC research showing that cycling gets safer the more cyclists there are and called on the Government to aim for more as well as safer cycling.

The CTC is urging all cyclists to contact their MPs asking them to sign an Early Day Motion (EDM 1431) which has been tabled by Gwyn Prosser MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, in support of CTC’s “Safety in Numbers” campaign. You can do this automatically with just a couple of clicks . I did and this is the letter to my MP.

Dear Nigel Evans,

I am writing to ask you to sign Early Day Motion 1431, which acknowledges the evidence that cyclists gain from safety in numbers.

Cycling can play an important role in meeting Government targets relating to health, carbon reduction, safety, social inclusion and conservation of the natural environment.

There is abundant evidence to support the idea that cycling is safer the more cycling there is. CTC's Safety in Numbers report demonstrates this effect amongst UK local authorities. Cities with high levels of cycling, such as York, Hull and Cambridge, appear to be safer for cyclists than those where cycling is less common.

The main reason people don't cycle more is that they feel that cycling is dangerous. To get more people cycling the source of this fear - the danger on the roads - must be tackled. CTC's Safety in Numbers report calls for measures that encourage safer driving, make the road environment safer and more welcoming for cyclists and fund schemes that promotes cycling positively and promotes cyclists' confidence.

Please sign EDM 1431 in support of CTC's Safety in Numbers, which says that more and safer cycling go hand in hand.

The exact text is: "That this House acknowledges the evidence that cyclists gain from safety in numbers, in other words cycling gets safer the more cyclists there are; welcomes the target in the Government's draft Road Safety Strategy to halve the risks of cycling within 10 years; believes that this target can best be met by also aiming for substantial increases in cycle use in order to maximise the safety in numbers effect, thereby also benefiting health, communities, the economy and the environment; urges that the Road Safety Strategy should tackle the fears which deter people from cycling, such as traffic speeds, irresponsible driving, hostile roads and junctions and lorries; and calls for cycle training to be made available to people of all ages so as to achieve more as well as safer cycling."

Yours sincerely,
Psychalist

Beggars belief

What right minded person would conclude that the fact a cyclist involved in a collision was not wearing a helmet should be a mitigating factor in sentencing an unlicenced driver who killed the cyclist. Surely the law is there to protect vulnerable road users no matter what they are wearing. There was no evidence presented to promote the argument that the cyclist might have survived had he worn a helmet.

Drivers have a responsibility to maintain a clear distance from cyclists and horse riders and this clearly wasn't the case for this poor cyclist. The driver got a 24 month suspended sentence. The car owner was fined £93, ordered to pay costs of £43 and a victim surcharge of £15. Next, we'll be seeing judgements about the colour of cyclists' clothes or the type of footwear they use.

Is that justice? It certainly won't encourage potential riders to take up cycling. Perhaps the judge needs to visit Copenhagen where he'd be lucky to find a cycle helmet. I can't see a Danish court reaching the same conclusion.

http://www.bikeforall.net/news