From: newsnet@CTCnews.org.uk
Sent: 08 January 2010 15:45
To: timmyers@tiscali.co.uk
Subject: CTC Newsletter
If you can not see this email clearly please click here to view
online at the newsnet archive
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IN THIS ISSUE OF NEWSNET |
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Dear Tim |
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It’s snow joke
We’ve
had a slippery start to 2010 with snow and icy conditions across the UK.
However, many cyclists have been out and about on their bikes and we’ve been
admiring wintery cycling photos from CTC local groups including Huddersfield CTC and
CTC Cambridge, and snowy
additions to our Flickr
group. If you’re looking to clear the snow from your path or the gritters
haven’t been up your street, you could always try this pedal powered snow plough.
If you want to help make your journey to work a bit smoother, don’t forget
you can report icy cycle paths and potholes (if you can see them under the
snow) on Fill That Hole. If you’re
nervous about cycling in snowy conditions, have a look at Road.cc’s
tips for riding on ice and snow. |
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Stop SMIDSY counts!
Have
you reported an incident of bad driving on Stop SMIDSY? The
site now has a statistics page that shows in real time the aggregate
responses to a number of questions from the site. The information includes
which manoeuvres frequently lead to cycle crashes and which lead to near
misses (they’re not the same!). You can also read CTC’s briefings on the
law
relating to bad driving and practical
information about what to do if you’ve been in a crash. It’s easy to get
started making reports on Stop SMIDSY. Just log in using your Fill That Hole username or create a
new one. |
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Change of tack in the
Etape attack
The
Crown have dropped
charges against the man accused of scattering tacks during the Etape
Caledonia last May. During the sportive, several hundred cyclists had their
tyres punctured, including many CTC members who are seeking compensation
through the CTC Accident line. Police
have no plans to charge anyone else. |
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Elementary dear
Clarkson
What
do you do if you own a fleet of expensive cars and need to get around London
quickly? According to Guy Richie, you get on your bike. The Director of Sherlock Holmes
has even been trying to convince Jeremy
Clarkson on Top Gear to cycle. |
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Bike Vs Tube
Speaking
of Top Gear, remember the episode where Richard Hammond travels by bike in
London and beats his car, boat and public transport-using colleagues? Well, a
London cyclist blogger decided to take the experiment a bit further. Blogger Andreas Kambanis rode
between three pairs of London underground stations and compared the journey
times with the length they took by tube. The result? The bike won each time,
the three trips coming out on average a third quicker, with the biggest time
saving from Covent Garden to London Bridge: 22 minutes by tube, but only 13
minutes by bike. |
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Recycling Hovis
adverts
Back
in 1973, Sir Ridley Scott directed an advert for Hovis.
You know, the one with the boy pushing a heavy bike up a hill to deliver some
bread and then having “a grand ride home”- all to the tune of the New World
Symphony by Dvorak. Well, Hovis has been recreating the advert with Olympic
gold medallist Victoria Pendleton as the main character. To find out more you
can watch
this video of Victoria on the set. Judging by how much she is promoting
wholemeal bread, I guess Hovis must be giving her a lot of dough.
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Bike thief steals some
children
A
thief in Copenhagen got more than he bargained for when he rode off with a
Christiania transport bike – and subsequently found three sleeping children
in it. The father had left the kids, aged one, four and seven, napping
in the cabin while he popped to a shop. Fortunately, there’s a happy ending:
on discovering the ‘cargo’, the thief asked the eldest child where they lived
and delivered them to a neighbour. According to www.copenhagenize.com, the bike
thief has been charged with bike theft and fined 1400 kroner – approximately
£170. |
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Electric cycles,
Segways and wide trailers
Amid
the Government’s frantic last-minute pre-election activity on an Active
Travel Strategy and a Road Safety Strategy, they have just launched three
technical but really rather important consultations. One on electrically
assisted pedal cycles, which would effectively limit the development of
electrically assisted freight cycles as an alternative to white vans. Another
on electric personal
vehicles, which would allow Segways and similar self-balancing personal
transporters on to cycle tracks, giving pedestrian and disability groups yet
another reason to oppose the creation of more tracks. And a third would increase the width
of trailers towed by cars. Somehow, CTC’s Campaigns team need to
find time to respond to all three! |
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Cycle-rail awards
Today
is the last day you can to nominate your choice for the 2010 ATOC Cycle-Rail Awards.
The awards recognise the progress made by the rail industry and associated
organisations (such as Local Authorities) towards encouraging integrated
cycle-rail travel. |
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Model cycle
thieves
As
more and more people cycle, bikes become even more desirable to thieves. According
to the Cambridge Community Safety Partnership, in Cambridge a bike is
stolen every three and a half hours. 2,486 bicycles were reported stolen
between September 2008 and August 2009 - that works out at 21 thefts per
1,000 people in the city. A recent victim of bike theft in Cambridge was model
and actress Lily Cole. |
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Record breaking
Supertram
Which country holds
the record for the most bikes on a tram? You might be surprised to know it is
actually the UK. Sheffield’s
Supertram Network doesn’t normally allow bikes on board, but after
pressure from CTC and local campaign group Cycle Sheffield they now run a
regular Sunday Cyclists’ Special. It was on a Sunday service that the World
Record of 34 bikes (2 with child seats), 1 tandem and 1 tricycle was set. |
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CTC Cymru AGM is
postponed
Due
to the snow, CTC Cymru’s AGM, which was planned for tomorrow, has been
rescheduled to Saturday 20 February. It starts at 11am at the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells,
Powys, LD1 5DY. If you would like more information please call
01544 370666 or take a look at CTC Cymru’s
website. |
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Lovely bicycle
blog
If
you own a lovely bicycle then you should take a peek at the Lovely Bicycle blog. If you
would like to share your blog with 28,000 other CTC members, please email publicity@ctc.org.uk. |
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Gift Membership + Free
Buff deal extended
CTC
Festive Gift Membership offer has been extended until 15 Jan. If you buy CTC
Membership for a friend it will come with a free Buff® worth £18, perfect for
keeping you warm when you are out cycling. Prices for CTC membership start at
just £12. To order CTC Festive Gift Membership, simply call 0844 736
8451, quote 'Buff', give us the details of the lucky person and we'll do the
rest! |
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CTC on Twitter and
Facebook
Keep
up-to-date on CTC news all week round. You can follow CTC on Twitter or join us on Facebook.
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