The Times Cities fit for cycling

Tragically, such an accident is far from rare. More than 27,000 cyclists have been killed or seriously injured on British streets in the past 10 years.

On the urban roads of Britain today cyclists need to be fit for cities. Cycling should be both safe and pleasurable. Ministers, mayors and local authorities must build cities that are fit for cycling.

The Times has launched a public campaign and 8-point manifesto calling for cities to be made fit for cyclists:

Our manifesto

1. Trucks entering a city centre should be required by law to fit sensors, audible truck-turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to stop cyclists being thrown under the wheels.
2. The 500 most dangerous road junctions must be identified, redesigned or fitted with priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors that allow lorry drivers to see cyclists on their near-side.
3. A national audit of cycling to find out how many people cycle in Britain and how cyclists are killed or injured should be held to underpin effective cycle safety.
4. Two per cent of the Highways Agency budget should be earmarked for next generation cycle routes, providing £100 million a year towards world-class cycling infrastructure. Each year cities should be graded on the quality of cycling provision.
5. The training of cyclists and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.
6. 20mph should become the default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.
7. Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycleways and cycling super-highways, mirroring the Barclays-backed bicycle hire scheme in London.
8. Every city, even those without an elected mayor, should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.

Rod King founder of 20sPlentyForUs

National campaigner Rod King, founder of ‘20s plenty for us‘ and 2012 Directory of Social Change Influencer of the Year runner up will speak at this years ED’s Cycle Co-op Annual Seminar at the Bishopbriggs Community Church this Friday (27 Jan.) . Following the success of the 2011 event, there has been a great deal of progress to report back, icluding Bishopbriggs achievement to become the first town in Scotland to have all our primary schools receive the Cycling Scotland Cycle Friendly School Award. To register click here, you are very welcome.

Opening Address from Mark Kiehlmann, founder of ED’s Cycle Co-op. This year, UN International Year of Co-operatives, there will be an opportunity to hear from members of the co-operatve, Bishopbriggs community as well as this national campaigner:

• Mr Paul Meehan, Head Teacher at Wester Cleddens Primary School;
• Andy Ashworth, pupil of Bishopbriggs Academy;
• Donald Macdonald, ED’s Cycling Education Officer;
• Rod King, founder of 20s Plenty for us and 2012 Directory of Social Change Influencer of the Year runner up.

You will also have the opportunity to hear updates on the achievements of 2011 including the first town in Scotland to achieve a full house of Cycling Scotland Cycle Friendly School Awards, representations with parliamentarians in Brussels, London and Edinburgh, and our partnership with East Dunbartonshire Council’s Healthy Habits. As well as our plans for the future, for what may become Scotland first 20mph town.

We hope you can make it along and join us for some light refreshements after.
Here’s a short video of last years event with an endorsement from East Dunbartonshire’s Provost  Eric Gotts.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bishpbriggs BMXer Katman winner in national jam.

Christopher was one of the founders of the Bishopbriggs Youth BMX Club just one year ago. The CTC Bike Club funded project for boys and girls from 10 to 19 has been so successful that it regularly attracts around 30 to 40 youngsters from across Bishopbriggs, and provides a focus for their energy, with nearly 100 members. The club was launched as a fortnightly initiative, but with more support from CashBack for Communities, it will be able to run weekly from the New Year.

Christopher said “It was really good to get 2^nd place at the nationals in Edinburgh, and the Bishy guys really liked doing our own competition the next night. We plan to have local competitions quarterly in the year ahead. The club at St. Matthew’s has been really good for the young riders, but we really need an indoor place to ride locally. It would be ideal if a permanent facility could be set up here in Bishopbriggs as part of the new town centre.”

The club is supported by St. Matthew’s Parish who have provided the hall for the past year, enabling the young people to come in out of the cold, especially in the winter evenings, and focus on developing their talents. East Dunbartonshire Community Learning has also provided support.

Anne McNair, local councillor and co-director of ED’s Cycle Co-op who backed the project at the start said “The need for a BMX Club came out of discussions with some of the young people in Bishopbriggs, and this is testimony to not only their riding talents, but their creativity and drive to build a better community in Bishopbriggs. Christopher is only one of many youngsters who continue to set the agenda for the club in 2012, and learning many useful life skills in the process. Jonathan Ashworth is also a talented film maker, see video tribute to Katman on pinkbike.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dates for your diary:

Beginners Workshop (2 evening course):

1st December and  8th December

Intermediate Workshop (3 evening course):

19th and 26th  January and 2nd February 2012

Advanced Workshops (Modular)

From 9th February 2012.

Each class runs from  7pm until 9pm at our new premises at Unit 9 Lower Huntershill Village, Bishopbriggs.

Booking is ESSENTIAL as spaces are limited.

For more information and to book please contact Nik on nik@edscyclecoop.org.uk or text 07877559167

Just some of the 84 children and their families who came along to week 1 of the Sunday Cycle Skool. Thanks for letting us know what you think about the Sunday Cycle Skool. To provide feedback on Sunday Cycle Skool please click HERE

Eleanor Bradford reporting to Scotland from Mark's Bullitt Bike

This morning, ED’s Cycle Co-op were delighted to be working with Eleanor Bradford, Health Correspondent of BBC Scotland reporting on the health benefits of children cycling on the first day back at school. East Dunbartonshire Council leader, Rhondda Geekie also came on the record to support our call for 20mph maximum speed limit in the residential streets across our community, to encourage more walking and cycling locally

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is a photo of Eleanor reporting direct to Scotland from our Bullitt bike.

Eleanor Bradford reporting to Scotland from Mark's Bullitt Bike

Struan Stevenson MEP said “Cycling is clean, green and good for wellbeing – and my constituents here are leading the way to promote it in the UK.”

Struan Stevenson MEP with ED's Cycle Co-op delegation.

Struan is pictured above with ED’s Cycle Co-op delegation, including (from left to right) Conor Brady, Struan Stevenson, Mark Kiehlmann, Donald Macdonald, Susan Murray and Andrew Ashworth.

Mark Kiehlmann, founder of ED’s Cycle Co-op said “We were delighted to be invited to meet with MEPs in the European Parliament in Brussels and share the great news that so many young people in Bishopbriggs are cycling to school. We were grateful that so many took time meet with us during our short two day visit, nine in total:”

• Alyn Smith (Scotland, SNP);
• Anna Rosbach (Denmark, Ind);
• Catherine Stihler (Scotland,Lab);
• David Martin (Scotland, Lab);
• Edvard Kozusnik (Czech Republic, Ind);
• Helga Trupel (Germany, Greens);
• Ian Hudgton (Scotland, SNP);
• Michael Cramer (Germany, Greens);
• Struan Stevenson (Scotland, Cons).

Mark added “One of the key findings from the trip is that many of the European cities that enjoy high numbers of people cycling (typically more than 20%) and have good road safety records have implemented 20 mph speed limits across their communities. These include:

• Basel (20%) in Switzerland,
• Bremen (28%) and Freiburg (27%) in Germany,
• and Utrecht (33%) in Netherlands.

Ian Hudgton and Alyn Smith MEPs with Co-op representatives Conor Brady and Andrew Ashworth.

Catherine Stihler and David Martin MEP and co-op representatives.

Helga Trupel MEP and co-op representatives.

Michael Cramer MEP and co-op representatives.

EDsCycleCo-op heads to Brussels.

Bishopbriggs cycle campaign activists headed to Brussels at the invitation of Struan Stevenson MEP. They headed off on Monday 11^th and return Thursday 14^th July, just at the end of Co-operatives fortnight.

The remarkable achievement of more than doubling the number of children cycling to primary schools in Bishopbriggs in one year so impressed Scottish MEP, Struan Stevenson, that he invited a small delegation of East Dunbartonshire’s Cycle Co-operative to discuss their achievements with colleagues at the European Parliament.

The European parliamentary visitors include Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Conor Brady (14, who attends Turnbull High School), the founder of Bishopbriggs Youth BMX Club Andy Ashworth (16, from Bishopbriggs Academy); chairperson of G66 Live, Susan Murray, Cycle Trainer and East Dunbartonshire primary teacher Donald Macdonald and founder and co-director of ED’s Cycle Co-op Mark Kiehlmann.

EDsCycleCo-op heads to Brussels.

Straun Stevenson said “When I heard about the impressive achievements of this young group of cyclists, I immediately invited them to visit the European Parliament in Brussels. They are great representatives for Scotland and they set a great example for other European states, which is why I wanted to give them platform to share their experiences with my colleagues in the European Parliament.”

Mark Kiehlmann said “We were delighted with Struan’s invitation to the European Parliament to meet MEPs and other cycling organisations. Cycling to primary schools is on the increase across Bishopbrigg’s, with one school achieving nearly 20%, which is on a par with our European neighbours. With higher rates of cycling and walking in many European cities, their residents enjoy better health and higher life expectancy. We hope to see similar benefits in our community, in the years to come”.

UK Bike Week Winner Bishopbriggs Cycle Festival 2010

This years’ Bishopbriggs Cycle Festival will be even better than before with a truly amazing line up of things to watch, ride and race. It’s on Sunday 19th June from 2pm to 5pm in Bishopbriggs, Etive Park,G64 1PN. This is an event for everyone, so bring along your grandchildren and your granny. Over 1,000 people turned out last year, so don’t miss it

• The Clan, the UK’s top stunt team;
• TheAirBag, a fabulous attraction that usually features at the World Cup Mountain Bike Festival in Fort William;
• The Bike Track People;
• Cycling Scotland’s Go MTB skills development area;
• Scottish Cycling Go Ride accredited races for junior riders;
• CTC Bike Club Youth BMX display team;
• Progressive Bikes Downhill Dual Slalom;
• Uni cycling training;
• and a ‘have a go’, demo bike circuit with heaps of bikes for everyone to try out:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’ve not been before, “here’s one we made earlier”, to get a flavour of the event…..

Click here to view the embedded video.

This photo from last year won the UK Bike Week Cycle Festival image of 2010, can we do better this year?  Come and see for yourself…also see flickr edscyclecoop for the full album of 2010.

UK Bike Week Winner Bishopbriggs Cycle Festival 2010