Newsletter - Life Cycle News | October
Sent: Fri, Oct 2nd 2009, 11:06
- Message
-
Welcome to the October edition of the electronic newsletter from Life Cycle UK the cycle promotion charity. In this issue:
- Half term cycle training
- Cycling stand up
- Know Your Bike
- New campaign to cut carbon emissions
- BMW
- The marvellous Moulton
- Cycling at 17-year high
______________________________________________
Exciting half term cycle training for 8-11 year olds!
Here's an opportunity for children to get out the house, gain the Bikeability Level 2 award (that's the modern equivalent of the old Cycling Proficiency) -- and have some fun all at the same time.
Spread over three days, Life Cycle is running courses on 27th to 29th October, either 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 midday or 1.00 to 3.00 p.m. with an extra 30 minutes for feedback on the last day. Courses run at Bristol Grammar School and Widcombe Junior School in Bath.
Places cost just £10* and children start in the playground learning off-road skills and bike safety, and then move onto local roads to learn about road and traffic awareness, safe cycling strategies and how to signal, manoeuvre and deal with hazards competently.
To book a place, call 0117 353 4580 and ask for Miranda or e-mail office@lifecycleuk.org.uk
*The £10 rate applies to children attending Bristol or B&NES schools; all other
places cost £49.
______________________________________________Cycling stand up
Comedian Dave Gorman is famous for his eccentric quests such as seeking out 54 people who share the name Dave Gorman or attempting to prove that astrology works. Now he's - quite literally - on the road with an itinerary that takes him the length and breadth of the UK. But instead of travelling by tour bus like a regular celebrity, he's cycling to each gig.
Dave says "This didn't start off as an idea for a tour. It started off as an idea for a bike ride. I'm cycling from the southernmost part of the British mainland to the northernmost part of the British mainland, taking in the most easterly and westerly points along the way. So there's not a lot of leeway in the route... it is what it is. Then I decided to do a gig every night along the way. But it's not a show about the journey, it's a stand-up show. I just happen to be travelling to it by bike."
The tour dates and venues are listed on Dave Gorman's website.
______________________________________________Know Your Bike
At last! A really easy, ultra-basic bike maintenance course for complete beginners. Called Know Your Bike the courses are suitable for bike owners aged 16-plus.
The two-part courses are running at Bristol's CREATE Centre on Tuesdays between 6.30 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. Each course takes place over two consecutive Tuesdays. Check the Life Cycle website for more information, and you can book on-line too.
Know Your Bike is an easy-peasy intro to bike maintenance, telling you how a bike works, how to set it up properly so that it's safe, easy to use and comfortable, how to check your bike over and identify potential problems, keeping your tyres pumped up, cleaning and lubricating your bike, fitting useful accessories that will make your cycling easier and more convenient (things like mudguards, bar-ends, better saddle etc.) plus loads more useful tips and nuggets of good advice.
Dates are:
- 20th & 27th October
- 3rd & 10th November
- 17th & 24th November
- 1st & 8th December
Places cost just £10 (thanks to a subsidy from Bristol City Council). Everyone who joins a Know Your Bike course also gets a FREE copy of the book Bike Easy: Top Tips & Expert Advice for the New Cyclist (retail price £6.50) and a free multi-tool (worth £3.50).
______________________________________________
New campaign to cut carbon emissions
A new climate change campaign, backed by celebrities and some of the UK's biggest businesses, aims to tackle global warming by asking everyone to pledge to cut their carbon emissions by ten per cent. Called simply 10:10 the campaign aims to capture the public imagination in the same way as the Make Poverty History drive.
Organisers are asking everyone to cut carbon emissions by making a few simple lifestyle changes in order to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such changes could include taking far fewer flights flights, adding home insulation - or cycling to work. Anyone contemplating the latter should talk to Life Cycle. We run inspirational lunchtime roadshows, commuter training courses (we have one-to-one adult cycle training lessons for just £5 !!!) plus terrific Doctor Bike surgeries and basic bike maintenance courses, perfect for new cyclists.
Celebrities Colin Firth, Delia Smith, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Ian McEwan and Zac Goldsmith have signed up to 10:10 although it isn't clear whether they'll be lagging the loft or donning their cycle clips.
If all 61million people in the UK reduced their emissions by 10 per cent they would collectively cut CO2 emissions by a massive 85 million tonnes.______________________________________________
BMW
As well as the Know Your Bike courses (see above) Life Cycle also runs BMWs - that's Bike Maintenance Workshops.
A BMW is a one-day course, ever so slightly more abvanced than the Know Your Bike course, but still suitable for beginners. It's fun and informative. You'll learn a bicycle works, how to set it up for maximum comfort, how to fix a flat tyre, adjust brakes for maximum effectiveness and keep your gears changing smoothly and accurately.
BMWs take place at our fully equipped workshop (the Life Cycle Centre) at The Park, Knowle, Bristol. The courses run from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on the following Saturdays:
- 10th October
- 7th November
- 21st November ---- This BMW is women only!
- 5th December
Places cost £60 Tools, spare parts and the use of a proper workstand are all included
______________________________________________
The marvellous Moulton
We discovered this article in the Independent recently. It's a celebration of Bradford-on-Avon's finest: the Moulton bicycle.
He may not have re-invented the wheel, but Alex Moulton took a lot on when he decided to redesign the bicycle 50 years ago. Like them or loathe them, all the small-wheeled city bikes you see today are a bit of an homage to the original Moulton "F frame" design, though few can be as comfortable as the Moulton, which boasts its own unique suspension system. (Dr Moulton's family were "in rubber", you see, and Alex also invented various suspension systems for British cars from the Mini to the Metro.)
The Moulton was launched in 1962, and soon became almost as much a symbol of the Sixties as the mini-skirt and The Beatles, though it enjoys less resonance today. Anyway, the small wheels make the machine extremely manoeuvrable in traffic, and the racing version proves you can enjoy a turn of speed.
In testament to its enduring appeal, a Moulton bike can still be bought new, but it is priced as what it is – a fine piece of British engineering. Sadly, the ultra-simple and elegant Moulton 50 limited-edition has sold out, but many other exciting variants are just waiting for you to mount them.
Read the article here.
______________________________________________Cycling at 17-year high
The Department for Transport has reported yet another increase in levels of cycling in England and Wales. In 2008 (the most recent year for which figures are available) cycling increased by 12 percent, the highest it's been for 17 years. And, as more people take to their bikes, it gets safer too. The number of cycling casualties has decreased and is now at its second lowest level ever.______________________________________________
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
- Fri, Oct 2nd 2009, 11:06