Newsletter - Cycling News | November
Sent: Sun, Feb 5th 2012, 09:10
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Welcome to the November edition of the electronic newsletter from Life Cycle UK, the cycle promotion charity. In this issue:
“It feels like I’m riding a new bike…”
Vouchers
Brompton course
Stay young – fix a bike…
New map
Biking gets bigger
Meet the team
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“It feels like I’m riding a new bike…”
Last month Bristol and Bath’s what’s on magazine Venue sent one of their reporters, Mike White, to road-test a Life Cycle UK BMW (that’s Bike Maintenance Workshop!) He thoroughly enjoyed the experience and concluded:
"By home time we can whip off a wheel, remove and repair an inner tube, and get it all safely back together again. We can check and adjust handlebars and saddles, test, fit and adjust brakes for maximum efficiency (and even stop them squeaking). We check cranks and pedals, levers and cables, and even try fine-tuning gears: something I'd never have risked before. It's fast-paced but beautifully explained and, best of all, we all get to try each new skill on our own bikes. I beam to myself all the way home. It feels like I'm riding a new bike, I've acquired a wealth of really useful skills..." Read Mike’s article in full.
The courses run at the Life Cycle Centre, our shiny new workshop and training facility in Knowle, Bristol. A place on a BMW costs £60 and includes spare parts such as inner tubes, brake pads and cables. Plus all participants get a free copy of the Haynes Bike Book, the complete guide to cycle maintenance (usual price £14.99) Check out the courses and events section of our website for more information.
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Vouchers
Send one of your loved ones on a Bike Maintenance Workshop by treating them to a voucher. We’ve got dozens of courses planned (including a special one for owners of Brompton folding bikes, see below) so there’s plenty of choice.
We also have vouchers for adult cycle training lessons. The trainee chooses the time and the place and they get a one-to-one lesson tailored to their exact needs.
Vouchers make brilliant Christmas presents! You can order on-line through the Life Cycle website.
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Brompton course
It’s back! In January We’re running another maintenance workshop specially for owners of Brompton folding bikes. This is a one-day course to show you how to spot potential problems and how to carry out a range of maintenance tasks including tricky stuff such as removing and replacing the back wheel and adjusting hub gears.
The course takes place on 31st January at the Life Cycle Centre. If you're the owner of one of these brilliant little bikes, give it the care and the attention it deserves. Book a place now!
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Stay young – fix a bike…
We’ve got great bike maintenance courses, we’ve got vouchers, we’ve been endorsed by Venue… and coming on a Life Cycle UK BMW can even help you stay young! According to The Independent newspaper a report published by the Government's Foresight think-tank recommends that, in addition to eating five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables each day to avoid heart disease and cancer, a handful of simple actions will help people maintain their mental well-being in later life.
Being physically active, taking part in group events and giving up some of your time for charity can all slow mental decline. Learning something new – such as how to fix a bike – can help you stay sharp and retain your mental faculties, the scientists believe. This study parallels an earlier claim for the beneficial effects of cycling made by the National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Prevention. They reckon that regular adult cyclists enjoy a fitness level equivalent to being 10 years younger.
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New map
We’ve just added another new map our range. It has an unassuming cover and a slightly "busy" layout, but this is one heck of a map. It covers a huge slice of the glorious Forest of Dean and, as well as showing the very popular Family Cycle Trail it reveals all the other tracks and trails that are open to cyclists. Use it to plan day upon day of wonderful off-road riding! It costs £2.99 and you can order on-line.
We also stock three other Forest of Dean ride guides: The Iron Road (an easy 5 miles), the massively popular Family Cycle Trail (11 miles) and Rally Around the Forest (a more challenging 14 miles with some s-t-e-e-e-e-p climbs!). You can order these maps, plus about 70 others, through the Life Cycle website.
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Biking gets bigger!
Every year in Bristol, local employers are asked to take part in the city’s Big Commuter Count. This year 69 organisations responded and more than 10,000 commuters completed the survey that asks the simple question: “How did you travel to work today?”
The result is a fascinating snapshot of travel behaviour. The car is still king with 41 percent of people driving themselves to work, although this is a slight decrease compared with 2007. Next comes walking at 18 percent, and then (hooray!) cycling at 12.2 percent, up 1.4 percent on last year. Firstbus, perhaps not surprisingly, given its reputation for high fares and lousy service, is seeing passenger number decline. Just 9 percent of people now commute by bus.
Visit Bristol City Council’s website to read the full results. And if your employer doesn’t already take part in the survey, get them on board for 2009!
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Meet the team
Life Cycle UK’s mission is to help more people take up cycling and we do this through a range of practical services such as cycle training, teaching bike maintenance, providing maps and information, and giving away free cycle parking. We also run various special projects such as tandem rides for blind and visually impaired people, and bike activities for disadvantaged youngsters.
Here we introduce you to one of our lovely team members.
Name: Sally Oakes
Role: Two's Company Co-ordinator
Tell us a little about yourself and what you do: I joined Life Cycle earlier this year to organise the programme of tandem rides. Called Two's Company the project aims to bring the pleasures and benefits of cycling to children, young people and adults who are blind or visually impaired. We have access to around ten tandems and have a team of sighted riders, all experienced cyclists, who ride at the front of the tandems. This year we've also taken part in Bristol's Biggest Bike Ride, organised a trip to the Forest of Dean, and a bike maintenance course for visually impaired participants.
We're always on the look out for experienced cyclists to be front riders. If you're interested, please contact us for more information .
Best thing about working for Life Cycle: Getting to know all the friendly, practical and down-to-earth people who work or volunteer here.
Do you do much cycling? I cycle every day and also like a bit of easy cycle touring with plenty of rests!
What bike(s) do you own? I have a Specialized Crossroads hybrid with a handy shopping basket on the back and specially converted chopper handlebars on the front.
Your favourite cycle journey? Gliding effortlessly past all the jammed-up cars on the Gloucester Road is a joy to behold. I also love cycling down the allotments path to my house in St Werburghs.
Sally's top cycling tips: Get some high handlebars for your bike. They give you a good view of what's going on and they’re brilliant if you have a dodgy back like me!
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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! Surf the net, check your horoscope, update your Facebook profile, do a spot of shopping… and you’ll see the donations clock up remarkably quickly.
- Sent
- Sun, Feb 5th 2012, 09:10
