CycleClips 21 December 2012

Cycle Clips

Publication Date:

December 2012

The scales of justice; not reinventing the wheel; when in Rome; Tour de Dales; Moy joy; moving stories; potty potholes; a gear in Provence

Contents Summary:

View this email online [2].

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CAMPAIGNING [4]

COMMUTING [5]

FORUM [6]

GROUPS [7]

MTB [8]

TOURING [9]

CTC wishes all its supporters a Merry Christmas and a puncture-free New Year. National Office will be shut on 24 and 31 December. CycleClips will be having a break until 4 Jan but you can keep in touch with the cycling news over the break via Facebook [10] and Twitter [11].

The scales of justice tip slightly

CTC's Campaigns and Policy Director Roger Geffen, together with representatives of British Cycling and road crash victims’ charity RoadPeace [12], met Minister of Justice Helen Grant MP yesterday. They managed to secure a commitment [13] from her to support discussions on improving the legal system’s response to road traffic crashes involving cyclists. The meeting came in the wake of outrage at the sentence [14] given to the lorry driver who ran over Times journalist Mary Bowers, the inspiration behind the newspaper’s Cities fit for cycling [15] campaign. Petre Beiu was cleared of dangerous driving despite being engrossed in a hands-free phone call when he hit Ms Bowers. He received a £2,700 fine and an 8-month driving ban. Other drivers often receive similarly derisory sentences [14]. Roger said: “I am grateful to minister for her recognition that there are many issues to be addressed if more people are to cycle in confidence and safety”.

Not reinventing the wheel

This is not a new CTC logo – look again and you’ll see it reads 'CYC'. But you could be forgiven for mistaking it for our traditional winged wheel symbol [16]. Contestants in the final of BBC One’s Young Apprentice [17] last night were tasked with coming up with a new brand of sportswear. One team chose to invent a range of cyclewear aimed at the urban youth market. Proving that what goes around comes around, the branding they designed bore an uncanny resemblance to CTC’s original emblem and they even borrowed CTC’s yellow for the clothing! Unsurprisingly, the team who came up with the brand were unable to convince Lord Sugar they’d invented something “new and exciting” so missed out on the £25,000 investment for the winner. Maybe just as well or they might have faced some copyright issues...

When in Rome...

300 pedalling Santas [18] took the streets in Rome this week for record-breaking attemppt. And perhaps to celebrate the good news that, thanks to the efforts of CTC amongst others, the European Parliament has agreed to include [19] cycling and the EuroVelo network [20] of cycle routes in its infrastructure guidelines in future. Coordinated by the European Cyclists’ Federation, a campaign was launched after it appeared cycling would be overlooked in Trans-European Transport Network [21] guidelines. Now, the door is open for “billions of Euros in cycling investment” across the EU region. However, it is expected that the campaign to keep cycling included in EU budgets will continue over the next few years.

Tour de Dales

CTC is delighted that the Grand Départ [22] of the 2014 Tour de France will take place not across the Channel but in the home of strong tea and batter-based puddings – Yorkshire! CTC and Cycling Time Trials were the only official 'Le Bid' for Yorkshire [23] supporters. CTC Chief Executive Gordon Seabright said: "We are proud of our strong links to Yorkshire, as CTC was founded in Harrogate in 1878.”

Moy joy

CTC has many active Member Groups [24] in Yorkshire, as well as throughout the UK. In Northern Ireland, a small group [25] dedicated to traditional cycle touring is now active in the Armagh, Moy and Dungannon area and welcomes CTC members from across the province. Meanwhile, the Shankill Area Project [26] and the Glencairn Youth Initiative teamed up with CTC's Bike Club project to deliver cycling activities to teenagers in the Belfast area [27].

Moving stories

Got lots to move around over the holidays? Think you'll have no alternative but to get out the car? Well, think again! From decorations to Christmas trees to children - and sometimes all at once – US-based whatabikecando [28] shows how it’s done. If you’ve carried some unusual festive loads on your bike recently, why not post some pictures on our Facebook page [10]?

Potty potholes

If you’ve any surplus decorations, you could put them to good use by planting your own Christmas-themed pothole garden [29]. Steve Wheen is also known as a ‘guerilla gardener’, and transforms potholes by planting them with flowers, thereby drawing attention to them. Alternatively, you could just report any road defects using CTC’s Fillthathole [30].

A gear in Provence

What better way to get over any post-Christmas gloom than by having a holiday in the sunshine to look forward to? CTC Cycling Holidays and Tours has a trip to France, Provence and the Southern Alps [31] from 15 June-1 July 2013. Ride from the lavender fields of the Vaucluse to the Alpes de Haute Provence with optional ascents of spectacular 2000m cols.

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[30]

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Stop SMIDSY [38]

Bike Club [39]

Cycle Champions [40]

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Join us on Facebook [42]

CTC Holidays availability [43]

If you have any feedback on CycleClips, please email publicity@ctc.org.uk [44]. If you are a CTC member and you would like to subscribe to CycleClips, please email your membership number and request to membership@ctc.org.uk [45]. If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please click here [46]. To view the CycleClips archive, please click here [2].

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CycleClips 21 December 2012

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Copyright CTC 2012