tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44069039555392664982024-03-18T21:29:15.387-07:00cycletopiaCycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-61696649099105322092012-04-17T15:33:00.000-07:002012-04-23T16:11:24.109-07:00Come and ride with us on May 13 and celebrate women's cycling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On May 13th Cycletopia are leading a tour of the Pennines in support of <a href="http://www.cyclofemme.com/" target="_blank">Cyclofemme's Global Women's Cycling Day</a>.</div>
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The Cyclofemme rides are the brainchild of U.S. based women's biking webzine <a href="http://www.girlbikeove.com/" target="_blank">GirlBikeLove</a> and are being held to commemorate and celebrate women and cycling across the world, in their words, "to honour the past, celebrate the present and empower the future". </div>
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Currently there are 67 rides registered to take place in nine countries and the list is still growing.</div>
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The rides are free and open to all, with the option to sign up to an existing ride or register a ride of your own on the Cyclofemme site.</div>
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So why not join us to celebrate women's cycling on May 13? </div>
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Our Pennine ride is a hilly 35 mile on-road route taking in some stunning scenery across West Yorkshire and Lancashire. We'll be setting off from Hebden Bridge train station at 10am (to link up with the 9.08am train from Manchester Victoria) and having a cafe stop in Trawden. The ride is most suitable for road bikes and hybrids with slick tyres as we're aiming for an average speed of 10-12mph, but we won't leave anyone behind. <br />
EVERYONE is welcome on the ride - although the aim Cyclofemme is to celebrate women's cycling, the rides are not exclusively for women - so if you know a bloke or two who would like to join us on the ride then please feel free to bring them along too.</div>
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A map of the route can be found <a href="http://runkeeper.com/user/mexicanhat/route/1010927" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To register for the event in advance click on our </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/249067858525363/?context=create" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">facebook event</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> page or send us an </span><a href="mailto:info@cycletopia.co.uk" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">email</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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</b></span></span></div>Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-88791856168482040472012-04-11T15:22:00.002-07:002012-04-11T15:22:37.218-07:00Fancy a go at cross-country MTB racing?Here at Cycletopia we're all about empowering women to get out and ride their bikes, so the <a href="http://stilettosonwheels.com/">Stilettos on Wheels</a> event is definitely worth a mention on these pages. There are a growing number of road-based women-only events around, but this is the first event we know of that is aimed at mountain bikers.<br />
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This event is aimed at all levels of rider interested in taking part in cross-country (XC) mountain bike racing and there will be four entrance categories: solo (2- or 4-hour) and pairs (2- or 4-hour). Usually enduro (or XC) races are longer than this -- 8, 12 or 24 hours -- so having the chance to ride this shorter race makes the event accessible to beginners or anyone wanting to have a go and see whether they enjoy it. You don't have to be a hardcore rider to want to give it a try, but if you have raced before you can go and give it your all for the full 4 hours.<br />
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The best bit (because we all like a freeby) is that anyone signing up for the Birchall (Derbyshire) race on May 19th gets a free waterbottle if they sign up by the end of April. And it's pink! A few of us from Cycletopia will be there so why not come along too?Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11577785564798973867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-76543895910744447352012-03-11T14:22:00.001-07:002012-03-11T14:23:37.782-07:00Sharing skills on International Women's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RvEShJJE3Yk/T10IadleDvI/AAAAAAAAB2I/uxz21zbI3mE/s1600/LYB+pic+03_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RvEShJJE3Yk/T10IadleDvI/AAAAAAAAB2I/uxz21zbI3mE/s320/LYB+pic+03_72dpi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RLLZ2OgPlaI/T10IWL0191I/AAAAAAAAB2A/Q6NF6EAg1l4/s1600/LYB+pic01_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jy8ulD7lnFY/T10IfFOh9OI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/3OQhqEseXAY/s1600/LYB+pic02_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jy8ulD7lnFY/T10IfFOh9OI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/3OQhqEseXAY/s200/LYB+pic02_72dpi.jpg" width="200" /></a>To celebrate this year's International Women's day on March 8th, we ran our first ever Women's basic bike maintenance course in partnership with Bradford-based bike recycling scheme Cycle-re-Cycle.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RLLZ2OgPlaI/T10IWL0191I/AAAAAAAAB2A/Q6NF6EAg1l4/s1600/LYB+pic01_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RLLZ2OgPlaI/T10IWL0191I/AAAAAAAAB2A/Q6NF6EAg1l4/s200/LYB+pic01_72dpi.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rLOJB-RJP04/T10Io8kofPI/AAAAAAAAB2w/K_783ApISSc/s1600/LYB+pic07_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rLOJB-RJP04/T10Io8kofPI/AAAAAAAAB2w/K_783ApISSc/s200/LYB+pic07_72dpi.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Two of our female mechanics were on hand to share basic maintenance skills and offer guidance on what tools to buy and what to take out on the road for emergencies, post-ride bike cleaning tips, rear wheel removal and fixing punctures.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JTEOXvHEDMg/T10InAR8mjI/AAAAAAAAB2o/VcZvukg6gv4/s1600/LYB+pic05_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JTEOXvHEDMg/T10InAR8mjI/AAAAAAAAB2o/VcZvukg6gv4/s200/LYB+pic05_72dpi.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">The workshop was well-attended and we had really positive feedback from all the women who took part. Everyone said that they learned something new during the evening, including the most experienced cyclists, so we are very happy that we were able to share some of our skills and enable women to feel more confident about tackling their own maintenance and emergency repairs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are hoping that this workshop will be the first of many and are already planning to run another one in partnership with Cycle-re-Cycle in late April.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A big thank you must be also be given to the University of Bradford who provided us with a great space in their Student Central building to hold the workshop when our original venue fell though at the last minute.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We'll be posting up more information on our April workshop when the dates and venue are finalised, so keep an eye out over the coming weeks.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-61663740515716964842012-02-28T02:01:00.002-08:002012-02-28T02:02:10.968-08:00Hi there!<div><br /></div><div>Glad to be a part of Cycletopia and getting excited with ideas about where we can take it in the future.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ange H</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04728869521345819050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-28544882607303109552012-02-24T04:31:00.000-08:002012-02-24T04:31:57.454-08:00Calling all women bike mechanics...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoV2qm5iYrjaOgNUfF7LbyMgCk_uFyjyOKlFIXAdQ9EWOt41NmyZnRTFl1OOwG23penemDjJJDkHqdb-hcB_8WxDi9guwoDq1aTcqOYDoXQhmMvAo_5dy1z3052STcJcoAbfjl8_w4uSE/s1600/pedal+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoV2qm5iYrjaOgNUfF7LbyMgCk_uFyjyOKlFIXAdQ9EWOt41NmyZnRTFl1OOwG23penemDjJJDkHqdb-hcB_8WxDi9guwoDq1aTcqOYDoXQhmMvAo_5dy1z3052STcJcoAbfjl8_w4uSE/s320/pedal+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Women's mechanics session at <a href="http://www.pedalmcr.org.uk/" target="_blank">Pedal MCR</a>, Manchester</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I keep meeting women cyclists at events and workshops, especially Breeze and CTC rides, who keep asking me about learning the skills to fix up their bikes and keeping them in good condition.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Almost all of them say that they still feel a little overwhelmed when walking into a bike shop, even if the shop staff are friendly and approachable, because they don't really understand enough about how their bikes work and therefore often feel a bit helpless when trying to explain what they need. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.goskyride.com/Breeze/ShowArticle/More-women-on-bikes-is-great-business?retURL=/breeze" target="_blank">Breeze</a> are currently in the process of establishing </span><strong style="font-weight: normal;">a brand new partnership with the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) to promote female friendly bike shops, but there are also lots of female mechanics out there working in voluntary projects and bike co-ops all over the UK who run women's only maintenance sessions, courses and drop-in tools clubs.</strong><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Over the next few weeks we are hoping to start compiling a database of female bike mechanics and women's bike projects across the UK so that women across the country can find out where to go to get help fixing their bikes and learn maintenance skills for themselves, so that next time they walk into their local bike shop they'll have the confidence to chat comfortably with the bike shop staff about their needs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We know there are some great projects up and running in <a href="http://bloomersbikeproject.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Manchester</a>, <a href="http://pedallers-arms.org/" target="_blank">Leeds</a>, <a href="http://birminghambikefoundry.org/" target="_blank">Birmingham</a> and <a href="http://56abikespace.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">London</a> but there are probably loads more women out there working in bike shops and volunteering in projects that we've not heard of,</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> so please drop us a line at <a href="mailto:info@cycletopia.co.uk">info@cycletopia.co.uk</a> and let us know about you and your project or shop.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We'd also like to set up an online forum so that female mechanics can contact each other, swap stories, tips and offer support, so watch this space...</span></span>Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-78068876942149568682012-02-13T06:39:00.013-08:002012-02-15T02:07:53.559-08:00Show your bike some love on International Women's Day...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEOidrN6Adyle4rAnCQb-qXFB5KEWay96Sl-BCyGXXu_60IY5EszG0HLqOv9JaM10TQVN5U6k7bSQixZEcnuGNk-6F_MfI4NtDuYcG1Uz9B2m-6TQHvCSUw0uglUU6pQ9oN4RKbsVz2Ad/s1600/love+your+bike_new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEOidrN6Adyle4rAnCQb-qXFB5KEWay96Sl-BCyGXXu_60IY5EszG0HLqOv9JaM10TQVN5U6k7bSQixZEcnuGNk-6F_MfI4NtDuYcG1Uz9B2m-6TQHvCSUw0uglUU6pQ9oN4RKbsVz2Ad/s400/love+your+bike_new.jpg" width="282" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fed up of feeling a bit overwhelmed when you set foot in your local bike shop? Well help is at hand on </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">International Women's Day (March 8th) </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">as we are teaming up with Bradford-based Cycle-re-Cycle for one of our women's basic bike maintenance workshop sessions.</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The 2 hour introductory session</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> is </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">delivered by a female mechanic and is</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> aimed at female cyclists with little or no bike maintenance know-how. It's suitable for riders of road, hybrid and mountain bikes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Bring your bike along to the workshop and we'll show you around the bits of your bike</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> and give you some top tips on how to clean and maintain it. We'll also show you </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">how to diagnose basic common problems,</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> discuss what basic tools you'll need to carry for roadside emergencies, and how to fix those dreaded rear-wheel punctures!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">As well as a bike MOT you'll also get a mini-guide to take away with you so you won't forget the new skills you've learned.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi2gVXx3LAyfeccsV2JLUXTAqQZJvuhElnO_D4hloZB9rbvgMr8iyOv9kiwAZwetu5kkC0wnb4fLkrswMBMiFkPCh0yNm-YdBk2jExL5gBq8Kct8JYk9xb-LrD4kExnurYsZZ7FCNLjld/s1600/how-to-find-us-map.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi2gVXx3LAyfeccsV2JLUXTAqQZJvuhElnO_D4hloZB9rbvgMr8iyOv9kiwAZwetu5kkC0wnb4fLkrswMBMiFkPCh0yNm-YdBk2jExL5gBq8Kct8JYk9xb-LrD4kExnurYsZZ7FCNLjld/s320/how-to-find-us-map.gif" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The session will cost £10 (£8 NUS / unwaged) and will run from 7pm to 9pm on the 8th of March. It's being held at Cycle-re-Cycle's newly-opened bike workshop and shop in Garden Mills on Westholme Street, just off Thornton Road, close to Bradford town centre (see map). Places on the session are limited to 12 so booking is essential.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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For further information and to book your place please call 07702034467 or email cycle-re-cycle.org.uk. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-87995226669765799152012-02-05T05:38:00.000-08:002012-02-05T08:11:01.337-08:00Times gets the ball rolling but not quite far enough...<span style="font-family:arial;">This week I've been closely following the Times newspaper's new 'Cities Fit for Cycling' campaign. The paper was moved to do something about the state of cycling safety on our roads after one of its journalists, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Mary Bowers, was seriously injured after being hit by a lorry on her way to work last November and has still not regained consciousness. </span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Since its lunch last Thursday the campaign has been backed by many local authorities and some big name celebrities including Sirs Chris Hoy and Alan Sugar and all of the London mayoral candidates. </span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"><strong style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Times</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">has certainly got people talking and so far the paper is doing a pretty good job at trying to represent the many viewpoints being aired by its readers, cyclists and non-cyclists alike. It's even got the official backing of the All-Party Parliamentary Cycling Group who are now planning to table an early day motion in support of the campaign in the house of commons on Monday morning.</span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Now, don't get me wrong, I think that the Times really should be commended on getting the discussion of cycling safety off the cycling blogs and out there in the mainstream arena, but I'm really not so sure that such a great amount of emphasis needed to be placed on the danger of cycling. If non-cycling Times readers didn't think that cycling was a dangerous, life-threatening form of transport prior to last Thursday's launch, well they sure do now. </span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">As a cycle educator I spend a lot of my time extolling the many virtues of cycling in all its forms and much of that time is often spent reassuring people that cycling is safe way to travel to school and work, providing that we cycle responsibly and assertively. The Times may have suddenly made my job a whole lot harder.</span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The campaign focuses around an 8-point manifesto (listed at the end of this post) </span><strong style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">calling for all cities to be made fit for cyclists.</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;"> The 8 points listed in the manifesto are all good ideas, but it falls short of campaigning for a change in the law to protect cyclists, by adopting the EU stance on strict liability. Strict liability would be a sure-fire way of protecting cyclists more than any amount of tax money spent on improvements to infrastructure because it gives cyclists status on the roads by emphasising their vulnerability to drivers. Currently in the UK, when an accident occurs it's up to the victim to prove the other party is negligent. However, under strict liability it is up to the perpetrator of the injury to prove that the victim was negligent. </span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Now we all know that when we're driving we are meant to give cyclists plenty of room and to wait behind them until it is safe and clear for us to overtake, but they're so slow and they get in the way and we're always in so much of a hurry to be somewhere. But if the UK adopted the strict liability law I'd certainly be making sure that I'd slowed down and gave that cyclist plenty of room, wouldn't you?</span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Any UK cyclist who's cycled in Amsterdam will recognise the jaw-dropping effect of the strict liability law in practice - it's why all those lovely courteous drivers stop for you and give you right of way when you're on a bike. Now many will argue that there's a lot more to it than that, and that strict liability is just one part of a far bigger cycling strategy in the Netherlands, but I'm sure that the psychological effect on drivers of having a law that protects the vulnerable goes a long way to re-enforcing the safety of cyclists in countries that have adopted strict liability legislation. </span><br style="font-family:arial;"><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Alongside the manifesto, yesterday's Times supplement featured 12 ways to cycle safely - many of them good common sense, however from a female viewpoint I would quite strongly disagree with their suggestion of taking an off-road cycle path in preference to a busy road. Many off-road cycle paths are isolated, poorly lit - if lit at all, and have intermittent entry and exit points, so as a solo female cyclist I feel far more comfortable cycling alongside the flow of traffic on a well-lit, well-populated road. </span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Taking us off the roads just marginalises cyclists even further and could make us more vulnerable in other ways, so let's instead change attitudes by changing the law and making space for everyone on the roads.</span><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br style="font-family: arial;"><p style="font-family: arial;"><strong><i></i><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Times 8-point manifesto:</span></strong></p> <ol style="font-family: arial;"><li><span>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.</span></li><li><span>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.</span></li><li><span>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.</span></li><li><span>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.</span></li><li><span>The training of cyclists and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.</span></li><li><span>20mph should become the default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.</span></li><li><span>Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycleways and cycling super-highways, mirroring the Barclays-backed bicycle hire scheme in London.</span></li><li><span>Every city, even those without an elected mayor, should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.</span></li></ol>Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-32222714183245327062012-01-19T02:31:00.000-08:002012-01-19T02:32:20.459-08:00Give me some space...<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >After 20 years of city living and urban bike commuting I've recently moved to a more rural part of the country. Before the move I was looking forward to my new routine and saying good bye and good riddance to cycling alongside rows of slow-moving congested traffic on cycle lanes that start and end on a town planners whim and muscling my way into advanced stop boxes every morning.<br />Now however, commuting from my rural idyll, I'm faced with a new set of dilemmas: faster drivers, narrower roads, no cycle lanes and often no road lighting. Suddenly I find myself longing for those incredibly congested, yet relatively well-lit, wide carriageways of Manchester and London.<br />Of course the main flaw in my escape to the country is that although I now live in a rural area, I still work in a nearby town, one which involves an 18 mile-round commute along minor lanes and busier cross-Pennine trunk roads... and in this part of the world the car, or rather the 4 x 4, is most definitely king.<br />In my previous urban life I was a committed - some may say fanatical - cycle commuter. I'd be forever ranting at my car-driving friends to ditch their motors and get on a bike, smugly gloating that I could travel my seven miles to town in a fraction of the time it took them to drive in.<br />Now, in my new location, I'd be hard-pressed to even begin to try to convince my new neighbours just to cycle down to the village shop, never mind commute to work and I have to admit that I can't blame them really, as recently I'm having a job on just convincing myself.<br />On these cold, dark and windy January mornings, I'm finding it a real battle to resist the lure of my car as I walk past it in the drive every morning and jump on my bike for another encounter with a steady flow of half-awake, impatient motorists who are unwilling to share their narrow stretch of tarmac with me without putting up a fight.<br />Outside of our towns and cities cycling infrastructure is never going to become commonplace, it's just not economically viable, so commuting cyclists like me have to rely on the good will, consideration and patience of our fellow road users and on many mornings this seems to be in short supply. I'm a cyclist AND a driver and I'd like to think that I'm a courteous and socially aware road user regardless of what form of transport I happen to be on the road with - why does it always have to be 'them and us' when many of 'us' are 'them' too?<br />And this, I guess, brings me on to the point I'm trying to make. All the cycling infrastructure in the world is not going to make the UK a more cycling-friendly place unless we manage to change drivers attitudes towards cyclists and educate all road users (cyclists included) that the roads on which we travel are a SHARED space, irrespective of coloured strips of tarmac and white lines.<br />If we're ever going to make cycling a truly viable form of mass transport in the UK rather than just a weekend leisure pursuit, then an emphasis on education rather than infrastructure is surely the key to success. Unless we all learn to share the space on our roads and be jointly responsible for each others safety then our aim of expanding cycling will always be out of reach. Infrastructure seems to be pushing cyclists off the roads rather than promoting their right to be on them and in rural areas where infrastructure will never be an option, education is the only tool that we have in order to make sure that cyclists are safe.<br />I'm sure that as the days grow longer and the mornings get lighter I'll begin to appreciate my new commute with it's stunning views across the Pennines, but for now I'll just grit my teeth, be nice to my fellow road users and keep resisting the lure of my car.</span>Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-15920864835452464142011-10-03T06:13:00.000-07:002011-10-03T07:56:00.631-07:00A huge thumbs-up for Cycletta North... Who'd have thought it?Cycletta North, the womens-only 40km cycling event took place yesterday at Tatton Park, Cheshire and the day was a great success. It was quite an inspirational sight to see over 800 women together on the start-line, most of whom had never taken part in a cycling event before.<br /><br />I had offered to help out at the event as a 'Miss Motivator' and mobile support - basically riding the course, offering encouragement to the riders and being on hand to fix punctures and other small tasks that didn't require the help of a full-on mechanic.<br /><br />I have to say that prior to the event, despite my offer to help out, I had my reservations about the whole Cycletta set-up because the entry fee was so expensive compared to other 'non-gender specific' sportives (initially advertised at £45) but I wanted to offer my support anyway because there just aren't enough womens events out there and I feel that any events company trying to change that deserves to be supported.<br /><br />Initially the event was advertised as 'closed-road', which partially justified the high entry fee of £45. Lots of my local female cycling friends decided not to enter the event due to the high cost and the ones that did enter were pretty disappointed to hear that a number of weeks before the event the organisers lost the closed-road status. To reflect this, the entry fee was reduced by a fiver to £40, but to many entrants the closed-road status was the main selling point of this event, so it was hard to see how Cycletta could still justify the high price-tag and make this event something special - even the draw of cycling alongside event patron Victoria Pendleton didn't seem quite worth 40 quid.<br /><br />Well I can happily report that I was proved wrong and my skepticism was completely unfounded because as cycling events go it was probably one of the best-organised I've attended. As soon as I arrived at the event it was pretty obvious to see where much of the entry fee had been spent as the organisers had created a cycling village with a cafe area, bike mechanics, shops and a post-race pampering tent all geared up toward women cyclists, creating a friendly pre and post ride environment with a really sociable vibe.<br /><br />The fairly flat course was really suited to first-time eventers with only one or two challenging hills and a small amount of traffic to deal with. It was well signposted with marshalls at every junction and a further three marshalls patrolling the course on motorbikes. The two feed stations (rare to get two over a 40km distance) were pretty well-stocked with fruit, energy drinks and hi-carb snacks.<br /><br />As I rode around the course chatting to the riders everyone was in really high spirits and enjoying the event. Many of the women were doing the ride for charity with groups of friends and colleagues and the relaxed atmosphere was a welcome world away from the usually more competitive 'heads down' approach of many other sportives. At the second feed station I stopped for a while to have a chat with some of the riders and despite a few sore bums and tired legs all of the comments were really positive. Most were thrilled to discover that they only had 5 more miles to go to the finish but all said they'd had a really great day and that they'd be keen to sign up again next year.<br /><br />It was also great to see patron Victoria Pendleton - fresh from her gold medal winning performance at the national track championships the night before - staying around for the whole event, hanging out in the cycling village after riding the course, signing autographs and posing for photos.<br /><br />Cycletta has definitely filled a female-shaped gap in the cycling event world and I hope this year's events are the first of many more to come - keep up the good work guys!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cycletta.co.uk/">http://www.cycletta.co.uk/</a>Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-13416471543244976042011-08-08T10:20:00.000-07:002011-08-08T11:06:17.536-07:00Cycling sisters get 100 women on their bikes for charity<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83kaHxcP2j_fcz-e6c1H-8YnwFod4BfP5LDAf4V1lxS9GcjxGfsV8GXusWPZMOGi-Qof8Y_Mxw5Wp9RaFfu6V7oco6t9tMVlTUIAyYkb6noaabSXkVaqsJzr5jpougIkne3IZLygrFIdk/s1600/main+event-550pixel.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83kaHxcP2j_fcz-e6c1H-8YnwFod4BfP5LDAf4V1lxS9GcjxGfsV8GXusWPZMOGi-Qof8Y_Mxw5Wp9RaFfu6V7oco6t9tMVlTUIAyYkb6noaabSXkVaqsJzr5jpougIkne3IZLygrFIdk/s400/main+event-550pixel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638540509760752098" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >
<br /></span><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CANGELA%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> <o:pixelsperinch>72</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:targetscreensize>1024x768</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1627421319 -2147483648 8 0 66047 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Trebuchet MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073741899 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@MS Mincho"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:595.0pt 842.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:85%;" > <o:p></o:p></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Last month I had the privilege of joining a group of more than 100 women riding 100 miles across Yorkshire in order to raise money for Marie Curie.The weather on the day was a dull and wet, not what you’d hope for on a July Sunday, but the rain didn’t dampen spirits and many of the participants described both the day, and the training leading up to it, as a life-changing event.
<br />
<br /><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The event’s success was all down to the hard work of two sisters, Claire Macina and Adele Wilkin from Ben Rhydding near Ilkley,<span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on">Yorkshire</st1:place>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The sisters organised the event to raise money for their local Marie Curie hospice in <st1:place st="on">Bradford</st1:place> in order to show their appreciation for the care and support the hospice has given to their terminally ill mum, Sheila.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Adele, a volunteer fundraiser at the hospice says, “Mum has lived with cancer for 17 years and always faced the treatment with a positive attitude, but </span><span style="font-size:85%;">in November 2009 she took a turn for the worse. The Marie Curie Hospice turned her around and I think that without their help mum would have lost her will to live a long time ago, it’s such an amazing place.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">A member of staff at their local cycle shop, <a href="http://www.jdcycles.co.uk/">JD Cycles</a> in Ilkley, suggested getting 100 women together to ride 100 miles and the idea was born. Claire and Adele hoped that by asking each of the participants to raise £100, they’d be able to reach their fundraising target of £10,000. An article in the local evening paper gave the sisters a publicity boost, and by March, 125 women had signed up for the event, many of whom were new to cycling.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Qs_GW9BpwC3P9TKJDG1xdGO83yPxYwmWliTwZKGJWCDsO7kTEoyGwu4i1skelNtLPPjr2WFP5DGwakYIQWxPwT8p7fRTB1eHYy9mGGzJuoIemR5Xd0nylBzFA2IO_LtoqU59x9jSQOHB/s1600/event_start.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Qs_GW9BpwC3P9TKJDG1xdGO83yPxYwmWliTwZKGJWCDsO7kTEoyGwu4i1skelNtLPPjr2WFP5DGwakYIQWxPwT8p7fRTB1eHYy9mGGzJuoIemR5Xd0nylBzFA2IO_LtoqU59x9jSQOHB/s200/event_start.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638541380922024178" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“</span><span style="font-size:85%;">What amazed me the most was the amount of novice riders who signed up. Many have changed their whole lives by taking up cycling for the first time, says Adele.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">She adds, “Lots of ladies have lost weight and got fitter, including myself – I’ve lost 32lb!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The route from Ilkley to Selby and back via Wetherby and York, took advantage of the traffic-free <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/sustrans-near-you/north-of-england/yorkshire">cycle network</a> that runs between York and Selby on a disused railway line, providing an ideal environment for novice cyclists to build up to the event. Training rides were set up prior to the race and many of the participants met regularly, increasing their mileage month by month in preparation for the big day and forging new friendships along the way.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The event took over a year to organise and the sisters o</span><span style="font-size:85%;">vercame quite a few challenges along the way. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Adele says, “</span><span style="font-size:85%;">We knew that many of the riders had started out as novices and we were concerned that on the day people would get lost or even injured.
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">She adds, “Marking out the route markings was a challenge -<span style=""> </span>it took three days in total, but the support provided by our team of volunteers ensured the ride was fully supported on the day and our out-riders helped with over 30 punctures.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Claire and Adele (pictured) led the ride out together from JD Cycles and both described the start as emotional.<span style=""> </span>“We had a huge sense of relief that we’d done it and could just enjoy the ride.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Claire adds, “There were some goose-bumpy moments, we chatted to lots of riders along the route and they all had their personal reasons for supporting Marie Curie.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">There were tears of joy at the finish line for many of the participants who were welcomed back home to Ilkley by a cheering crowd of family and friends.
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">One competitor says, </span><span style="font-size:85%;">"It’s been an amazing journey of blood, sweat and tears but one I will remember for ever"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The great news is that although Claire and Adele initially aimed to raise £10,000 for the hospice, their total amount is closer to £20,000, and the sponsor money is still rolling in.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">And would they be tempted to do it all again? <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“Absolutely!” says Adele.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“We already have two sponsors lined up for next year’s event and it’s taking place on July 15.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you’d like to find out more about next year’s event email <a href="http://www.blogger.com/C.Macina@leeds.ac.uk">Claire</a> </span><span style="font-size:85%;">or catch up with the group on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/womens100mileride/">Facebook</a> page.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-28306008788836904872011-08-02T02:48:00.000-07:002011-08-02T03:07:49.924-07:00Eat Sleep Cycle...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkL-LcUQTwFjVkCgW77Bu0F12ZugWnIkWvBzRiSjRvudgF_LeughBfBCoJMCVFs0pOX0K2jUfSUBqWeYfkfli-q2YCPEb43mIkKc-YEErjt_PG5s6Uht-wnNUo-oQ2oCiAqyzyTVNQmrL/s1600/route+plan+with+place+names.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkL-LcUQTwFjVkCgW77Bu0F12ZugWnIkWvBzRiSjRvudgF_LeughBfBCoJMCVFs0pOX0K2jUfSUBqWeYfkfli-q2YCPEb43mIkKc-YEErjt_PG5s6Uht-wnNUo-oQ2oCiAqyzyTVNQmrL/s200/route+plan+with+place+names.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636197944516696338" border="0" /></a>Anna Hughes has just embarked on a round-the-UK cycle tour and commenced the first leg of her journey at London's Tower Bridge yesterday.<br /><br />Anna is travelling around the UK in an anti-clockwise direction and plans to sticks as close to the coastline as possible.<br /><br />You can follow Anna on her journey and read all about her adventures on her blog <a href="http://eatsleepcycle-anna.blogspot.com/">Eat Sleep Cycle</a>.<br /><br />Good Luck Anna!Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406903955539266498.post-81947445510070962862011-08-01T10:49:00.000-07:002012-02-05T05:35:28.290-08:00Hello!...Well, this site is still very much in its infancy but it has high aspirations.<br /><br />After living in four different UK cities over the past few years I've realised that there are lots of women cycling out there at all levels, but even though we're growing in number sometimes being a female cyclist can feel quite isolating as it's still such a male-dominated sport in terms of coverage and advertising.<br /><br />Every day women are out on their bikes, whether commuting to work, cycling with the kids on a Sundays, taking part in local club road races and time trials or negotiating tricky single tracks on the MTB.<br /><br />The Cycletopia blog is all about celebrating these different aspects of cycling, and in particular, women's cycling.<br /><br />Alongside information on our workshops and bike training, the other links on the site will provide information about local groups and clubs across the UK and other useful stuff about fashion, the environment, fitness... in fact anything involving women and bikes.<br /><br />Stay tuned...Cycletopiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06530199573236709680noreply@blogger.com