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Newsletter - Life Cycle News | December

Sent: Wed, Dec 2nd 2009, 10:28

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

A new Director for Life Cycle

Cycle to Work Guarantee

Pudsey goes tandeming

Volunteer tandem front-riders wanted

Bike light boutique 

Fix that bike! 

Christmas presents with a difference...  

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A new Director for Life Cycle

Life Cycle UK is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Director.  Tim Wye lives in Montpelier, Bristol, with a wife, two children and six bikes.  He will be joining us at the beginning of February.

Tim comes to Life Cycle with a background in health and social care.  He has worked in many different capacities, including public health research and managing large services such as community hospitals.  Over the last six years he has worked in commissioning services jointly between Primary Care Trusts and local authorities.  Two years ago, Tim took a job share, and currently spends half of his week as a cycle instructor running Bikeability courses at local schools.

Tim Wye

Tim said: “I am really pleased and excited to be appointed as Life Cycle’s new Director. I obviously have a difficult act to follow but I bring a lot of skills and experience in business planning and partnership working that I will be looking to use to help the organisation continue to develop and grow.”

Apart from bikes, Tim loves cricket and Eurovision amongst other things!

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Cycle to Work Guarantee

The Government recently announced the launch of the UK Cycle to Work Guarantee.   It’s a plan to persuade more people to commute by bike and to date more than 70 major public and private sector employers have pledged to implement the new programme.

Employers who sign up agree to provide their people with secure cycle parking, changing rooms, repair facilities, Bikeability training and the option of buying a bike at a discount through the Cycle to Work scheme. Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said: “If proper facilities were more widely available, I believe far more people would cycle to work. At present only 3 per cent do so. We could double or treble that figure with proper bike storage, changing facilities and safe cycle routes.”

Here at Life Cycle we've got a range of practical services that will help make any workplace more cycle friendly. Send us an e-mail or pick up the phone to arrange any of the following:

Cycling maps.  Life Cycle has oodles of maps covering all of Bristol, many other UK towns and cities, plus honey-pot cycling locations such as the New Forest and the Forest of Dean.  Most of the maps are free (you just pay postage).

Roadshows.  Over a lunch-hour or after work we'll engage the workforce in a lively interactive discussion about the benefits of cycling. We answer people's questions and provide expert advice on a wide range of cycling issues.

Bike stands.    Organisations can get a pair of Sheffield stands free of charge, and purchase additional stands at special prices.

Doctor Bike.  Our mechanics will set up a cycle surgery at your workplace. Bikes are checked over and simple repairs carried out on the spot.

Cycle training.  We teach people of all ages and all abilities to cycle with skill and confidence.  Try one of our group courses or book a one-to-one lesson.

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Pudsey goes tandeming

Pudsey Bear hitched a ride on one of Life Cycle's tandem rides recently. The BBC Children in Need mascot was supporting our Two's Company programme of tandem rides. These are exhilarating trips for people who are blind or visually impaired. We run rides for adults (the oldest participant to date was in her 80s) and - thanks to funding from the Children in Need appeal - for children and young people too.

Pudsey. Ahhh!

Watch the amazing BBC video and get a taste of tandeming.

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Volunteer tandem front-riders wanted

OK you've seen the heart-warming video and now you'd like to lend a hand.  If youre a strong and experienced cyclist living in the Bristol area, with a friendly outgoing personality and bags of common-sense, you could be the very person we're looking for! If you're a woman that's even better as we particularly need more female front-riders.

A Two's Company tandem ride.

The rides are huge fun and you'll get to meet some fascinating people. We will provide you with visual awareness training and other support. There's more information on the Life Cycle website.

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Bike light boutique

We're in the midst of damp, dark, dismal, dreary winter weather.  If you're thinking of upgrading your your bike lights or maybe asking Santa for a set you'll find this website useful.  A wide range of front lights are listed and by moving your mouse you can see them in action at low, medium and high power settings.

Nice - but expensive!

Prices range from under a tenner through to an eye-watering £742 for the amazing Lupine Betty.

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Fix that bike!

Life Cycle is busy planning next year's bike maintenance courses.  We'll be running BMWs (that's Bike Maintenance Workshops)  and KYBs (that's Know Your Bike courses). 

Know Your Bike is a gentle introduction to cycle maintenance aimed at beginners with little or no mechanical knowledge or experience.  It explains 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. We're running KYBs at Bristol's CREATE Centre, at the Folk House and at the Life Cycle Centre in Knowle. Places cost just £10.

Free multi-tool when you join a KYB course.

The BMW is slightly more advanced and you get to use a proper workstand and professional bike tools. The day long courses run at the Life Cycle Centre, our custom-designed workshop and training facility in Knowle, Bristol. Places cost £60.

We also run a special BMW for owners of Brompton folding bikes. The course explains what wears out on a Brompton, how to identify maintenance needs, tyres and punctures, removing and replacing the rear wheel, and making simple adjustments to the hub gears. It's liberating stuff!

Check out the courses and events section of our website for more information. Book a place online or give us a ring.

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Christmas presents

With Christmas just around the corner, here are a couple of ideas for eco-friendly, cycle-tastic presents. For more information, phone the Life Cycle office or order on-line.

Maintenance vouchers.  Send a loved one on one of our easy-peasy Know Your Bike courses (£10), or onto a classic BMW (£60)

Training vouchers.  Buy an adult cycle training lesson and give someone's skill and confidence a priceless boost.  Vouchers cost from just £5.

We also have books and maps and even bike stands available.

And, if you'd like a wonderful bicycle-themed T-shirt, then check out the T-cycle website. Polly Stubley, who is also one of Life Cycle's star cycling instructors, produces these wonderful eco-friendly designs, all printed onto recycled t-shirts using environmentally sound inks. Adult and child size shirts are available.

T-Cycle T-shirt

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Finally... this being Christmas, please consider making a donation to Life Cycle UK.  Unlike the big cycling organisations, who receive millions of pounds of Government aid, Life Cycle is entirely dependent on small grants and gifts. Even a tiny amount can make a big difference.  Your generosity will enable us to help more people take up cycling, in particular those who are on low incomes or who have health problems or a disability.  To donate on-line click this link. 

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A very merry Christmas from everyone at Life Cycle UK!

 

 

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Wed, Dec 2nd 2009, 10:28