Newsletter - Life Cycle News | August

Sent: Sat, Aug 1st 2009, 13:05

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Welcome to the August edition of the electronic newsletter from Life Cycle UK the cycle promotion charity. In this issue:

Top job
Cycling up
Station cycle parking
Toblerone bike rack
Essential cycle stands
Cycle training success
Bamboo Bike
Marketplace
Know Your Bike

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Top job 

Life Cycle UK needs a new Director.  Peter Andrews, who founded the organisation is leaving in mid-September, taking a career break and pursuing some academic interests.

Peter said “It’s a sad moment as I’ll be leaving a job I enjoy enormously and saying goodbye to a great bunch of people. But it’s also a very exciting time, an opportunity to pass the leadership of Life Cycle to a talented person who will steer it to a bright and successful future!”

Thinking of applying?  There’s more info on the jobs page of the Life Cycle website.  You’ll also find it on this new website. It’s a completely free notice board for jobs in the voluntary, not-for-profit and social enterprise sectors.

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Cycling up

It’s a good time to be working in cycling.  Levels of bike use are at their highest level for 17 years. From 2007 to 2008, cycling increased by 12%, at the same time there was a substantial fall in cycling casualties, down from 136 to 115, the second lowest level ever.  The more people who cycle, the safer it gets.

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Station cycle parking

Ten major railway stations will have the opportunity to improve their cycling facilities under government plans to create a network of ‘cycling hubs’ around the country. A £5-million fund will provide more cycle parking and even bike repair shops in a bid to encourage rail passengers to cycle more.

Andrew Adonis, the transport secretary, is seeking to emulate the Netherlands, where cycling accounts for one in three of all trips to and from stations, compared with just 2 per cent in Britain. The Dutch city of Leiden, has 4,500 station racks and is planning to add a further 1,500 spaces – more than the total in London.

Here at Life Cycle we welcome this new investment. We hear that Bristol Parkway is one of the 10 stations set to benefit …

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Toblerone bike rack



How about this as a novel bike parking solution? Don’t worry; it’s an advertising gimmick rather than a serious proposal. We suspect it doesn’t work too well either… otherwise it would be choc-a-block full of bikes [oy!]

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Essential cycle stands

Now this is more like it!  These sturdy Sheffield stands have been installed at the Essential Trading Co-operative in Bristol.  Essential produces wonderful organic, ethically traded, wholesome food products, and naturally the company encourages healthy, organic transport – cycling.

 

Their new bike parking was provided by Life Cycle free of charge under the Take a Stand scheme.  Up to two stands - that's parking for four bikes - are available to organisations located in Bath & North East Somerset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Swindon. You must install the stands on your own property (you can't dig up the pavement!) in a location agreed with Life Cycle UK. To apply for a pair of stands please download an application form.

Organisations based in South Gloucestershire are eligible for up to four stands free of charge! Here’s the South Glos application form. 

Finally, if your organisation is based in the city of Bristol you can purchase up to six stands at the very special price of just £50 each. The price includes free installation!  This is a truly amazing offer that will save you hundreds of pounds. To apply please download the Bristol application form.

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Cycle training success

As part of the Cycling City initiative Life Cycle is now able to offer adult cycle training to the good folk of Bristol for just £5 (the normal price is £30). It's proving very popular!

Last month Jon Rogers, the councillor in charge of transport and sustainability for the city booked a lesson (and no, he doesn't ride a penny farthing, we just happened to have this picture to hand!)  “It was unexpectedly thought provoking!” he said. 

Cllr Rogers told us: “The road positioning was useful as was the idea of only signalling when it is relevant to a particular road user. Looking back needs practice, rather than my previous habit of glancing over my shoulder!

“I genuinely believe that if all of us who cycle improved our road position as was suggested to me in the lesson then we will be treated like any other vehicle on the road, and drivers will see us in good time, have to 'formally overtake' us, and we will all be safer. I see poor road position and dangerous cycling everywhere now.

“I used to think of it as 'considerate cycling'. I prided myself with pulling in a soon as there was a gap in parked cars so other cars could pass me. No longer. I keep a straight, steady, predictable line. I look behind me properly and regularly. You may already be doing these things, but if so you are in the minority. If we all start doing it, and encourage others to do so, then cycling in Bristol will become safer and more people will take it up. All in all a very valuable hour, so thank you!”

Whatever your ability: a beginner or an old hand, you’ll find a one-hour lesson from Life Cycle invaluable. We’re so sure of this that if you're anything less than delighted we'll refund the £5 fee! To book simply give the Life Cycle office a ring on 0117 353 4580.

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Bamboo Bike

A Manchester-based company is selling road and mountain bikes made from bamboo. The bikes, designed and hand built in California, have frames made from bamboo grown in Africa. The frame tubes are joined by special lugs made from hemp and then lacquered for a smooth finish. 


Bamboo is a fast growing grass requiring much less land and water to grow than other trees, and it can absorb up to five times more carbon dioxide and release up to 35 percent more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees. It can be harvested after four or five years and re-grows easily.  On the face of it this is the Greenest of materials for bicycle manufacture, although we’re slightly worried about the carbon footprint of that journey from Africa to America and then to the UK…

As well as having environmental cred Bamboo offers a high performance ride. The material soaks up vibration better than steel frames, and bamboo is said to be better than carbon fibre at coping with impact and accident damage. At the end of the bike’s life it can be composted, turned into firewood or used to support your runner beans.

Drawbacks? Well the price takes a bit of getting used to. Frames retail at an bamboozling £2,175 or £3,000 for a complete bike.

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Marketplace

Marketplace is a regular feature of Life Cycle News. Each month we focus on a few bike-related products or services that have caught our eye. We like things that are ethical, unusual or particularly good value – and we’re biased towards anything that has a Life Cycle connection! If you want to recommend a product that’s impressed you please get in touch.

Green Oil

Conventional bike oil is dodgy stuff. It’s petroleum based and toxic. Green Oil is the clean alternative.  Made in the UK from naturally occurring oils and plant extracts it performs as well as a regular chain lubricant but has none of the environmental side effects. All the ingredients are sustainably sourced, the bottles are returnable, even the labels are printed on recycled paper. 

 

As well as oil, the range now includes an environmentally-friendly grease and a bike cleaner. Life Cycle’s mechanics have been using Green Oil for some time and we love it.

Bike Easy

A unique easy-to-read introduction to cycling written as 105 tips. Each is a nugget of advice to help make your cycling easier, safer and more comfortable. It was written by Peter Andrews the founder of Life Cycle. Peter has spent 13 years helping people get on their bikes - so if anyone knows how, it should be him!

 

 It makes a perfect present for the cyclist in your life. To read samples of the book and to learn more about the Bike Easy project, visit the book's website.

Jakes Bikes

Bristol-based Jake's Bikes is the place to go for a high quality “recycled” bike, a service or repairs. The business has a strong environmental ethic. Wherever possible components are repaired, reused and recycled in preference to buying new. This approach will also save you money: a renovated bike, complete with a warranty, will typically cost half the original price. 

 

 Their approach to servicing is unusual in that bike owners are encouraged to come along to the workshop and to watch and ask questions – or even to get stuck in themselves under the watchful eye of an expert.
 
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Know Your Bike

Here’s another chance to learn the basics of bike maintenance. Life Cycle has teamed up with Bristol’s Folk House to run a special course aimed at beginners who have little or no mechanical knowledge or experience.  It will explain how a bike works, how to set it up for maximum ease of use and comfort, how to check it over and to carry out a range of simple maintenance tasks.

This course will take place on Monday 10th August 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Prices: Waged £23.35  /   Over 60s £21.00  /   Concessions £14.00

We also have courses running at the Life Cycle Centre in Knowle. Our BMWs (Bike Maintenance Workshops!) will help you learn the mysteries of cycle maintenance and keep your bike in good condition. The courses are ideal for beginners, but even people with experience of cycle maintenance will pick up a few pearls of wisdom.

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Ladies Mile

"Cycle The Mile" is a car-free event welcoming both new and existing cyclists. It's happening on Clifton Downs on Sunday 30th August from 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.  The road called ‘Ladies Mile’ will be closed to motor traffic and turned over to cyclists.

There will be cycle training taster sessions, a chance to test ride a selection of wacky cycles trialling, a Doctor Bike surgery (courtesy of Life Cycle) and much more.

Owners of unusual bicycles are encouraged to turn up and show them off. The idea is to have a variety of machines available for all ages to enjoy watching or riding.  Contact the organiser for more info.

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Everyclick

Here's a way to support Life Cycle at no cost to yourself! Simply use the Everyclick search engine. Every time you search, a tiny donation is made to Life Cycle UK. It takes a few seconds to register and then away you go! As you surf the net you’ll see the donations clock up remarkably quickly.

 

Sent

Sat, Aug 1st 2009, 13:05