Wed - December 12, 2007

Sustrans Connect2 wins £50 million - Hereford wins new pedestrian and cycle bridge!

This just in from Herefordshire Council: "The result will be formally announced on the ITV news this evening though some of you may have seen it on the lunchtime news. I'd like to echo the words below from Sustrans Chief Executive, John Grimshaw MBE and thank everyone involved - we've had a tremendous amount of support for our project and it was very encouraging when the emails came in from all quarters offering support and urging people to vote.
 
A process that has been echoed nationally 79 times and even locally, the Wye and Severn rivers between them boast five Connect2 schemes in all: Diglis Lock, Worcester; The Severnside Gap in Shrewsbury; our own Hereford -Rotherwas bridge; Wye and Monnow crossings in Monmouth; and a further Wye crossing at Tintern.
 
More thanks still are due to the very many people and organisations who got behind Hereford's Connect2 scheme and helped get the message out and about too. The whole process has been a testament to the power of community working and we look forward to the project getting under way soon. Thanks again for all your efforts - you were all magnificent! PLEASE PASS IT ON! Together we have won £50 million.  (£350k for Hereford's scheme).
 
From John Grimshaw, Sustrans CEO: “This is a fantastic Christmas present! We are delighted that Sustrans’ Connect2 has proved itself the peoples’ favourite in the public vote and won the £50million from the Big Lottery Fund. We are immensely grateful to Herefordshire supporters and everyone who got behind Hereford’s Connect2 scheme  to bridge the gap between Rotherwas and Hereford  to make their votes count.
 
“As a massive public consultation exercise Connect2 has engendered a huge amount of goodwill from all sectors. It has confirmed our belief that people want to walk and cycle more when given the right surroundings.  But the hard work starts now and there will be a huge amount to be done to make sure we fulfil all our obligations to the Big Lottery Fund. Ultimately the real winners will be those thousands of people who will now be able to Connect2 their shops, schools, workplaces and each other every day!”
 
More details at www.bikeradar.com.

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Sat - June 16, 2007

Bike Week is here!

National Bike Week launches today and runs through until next Sunday, 24 June. We have a good selection of local events arranged as follows and for full details click on 'Read more'. We hope to see you on at least one event!
Sunday 17 June - 'Mark's 3K ride' - 10am-5pm. Kivernoll, Kilpeck and Kentchurch, with a possible run on to Skenfrith. A 40 or 50 mile round trip with a pub lunch. Start from Cathedral Close, Hereford.
Monday 18 June - 'Breinton Lanes' - 6pm start at old railway bridge over the River Wye on Great Western Way. Distance approx 6 miles along quiet country lanes.
Wednesday 20 June - 'All About Cycling' - Hereford High Town, 9am–4pm. Have all your cycling questions answered and try out the Smoothie bike! Free cycle maps and cycle surgery.
Wednesday 20 June – 'Biker’s Breakfast' Ledbury, 8–9am, under the Market Building. Free hot and cold refreshments available to all passing cyclists.
Thursday 21 June - Hereford Wheelers 'Come and Try It 10-mile Time Trial', 6pm onwards, contact Stuart Edinborough, tel 269700. £2 entry fee.
Thursday 21 June - 'City cycle paths and quiet routes' - 6pm start from Hereford Centre for Natural Health at Belmont, approx 1.5 hours, family friendly, all ages and abilities welcome including accompanied children.
Friday 22 June - ‘Connect2 Hereford' - 6pm start from The Volunteer, Harold Street, approx 2 hours. Come and hear about the Connect2 cycle route, part of the national SUSTRANS project, which aims to link both sides of the river.

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Fri - May 18, 2007

New Riders Wanted for Hereford Pedicabs

Herefords first green sustainable travel company is looking for a host of new people to ride their bikes/expanding fleet of bikes! Riders will have to be over 21 and will have to go through the process of becoming a Hackney Carriage Rider at their own expense. Of course it’s not just as simple as getting a taxi licence, riders will be keen cyclists, and aware of Hereford Pedicabs policies. They’re looking for engaging individuals who can happily cycle all day in the rain and still have a big smile on their face and have a good knowledge of both how to get about in Hereford and what’s going on!

Most importantly, riders will enjoy spending time with like minded people and relish the opportunity of being part of Herefords first green sustainable taxi service. At the moment there are Friday and Saturday night time (6pm-Midnight) and Saturday and Sunday day time shifts (10am-4pm). Riders pay a small lease for the bike, which covers maintenance and insurance, they then keep all the tips they make for themselves. As self employed individuals riders are responsible for declaring what they earn to the tax man. Think you’ve got what it takes to ride a Pedicab? Email Will – will@herefordpedicabs.com, tell him about yourself, what you can bring to Hereford Pedicabs and why you want to ride for them. Attach a recent C.V if you have one, if not tell him what you’ve been up to, what your plans are and what you do at the moment.

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Wed - April 18, 2007

Bishops Meadow cycle paths to close for 6 months

Council numpty's plumb new depths of doziness with the publication of diversion notices for Bishops Meadow bridleways today. Notices have been posted, both on site and in the Hereford Journal, telling us that entry points into the Bishops Meadow are to be closed for 6 months to allow the flood defence works to proceed. At the moment, the two entrance points off Hinton Road, the one off the Old Bridge and the one at the end of Wye Street are listed. The main route from the swimming baths to the Victoria Bridge is clear for now (although this will have to be closed at some point for a ramp to be built). What beggars belief is the suggested alternative routes. It takes a particularly inept sort of person to suggest that cyclists (and horses) coming from south of the Wye should proceed along Hinton Road, turn right onto the Asda roundabaout proceed along the 4 lane A49 and turn right again into St Martins Street!!!! As you may well know, Asda roundabout has no provision for cyclists because thats how the Council wanted it so this is an extremely dangerous suggestion. Of course there's no reason to take any notice of the suggestion but the mindset behind it needs to get on their collective bikes and try it for themselves. Needless to say, Cycle Hereford have not been consulted by the Council on this, or indeed anything to do with the flood defences (and we are continuing to negotiate for alterations as part of the Flood Defence Coalition). Update 30 April: work is due to start 8 May and contractors Atkins have now indicated that paths are to be kept open by means of 'level crossing gates' which will be closed when contractors need access but, by default will remain open. This is good news.

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Fri - April 13, 2007

Slow streets movement

Safer roads, slower traffic and less clutter are now possible as a result of the government’s new Manual for Streets, published in March by the Department for Transport and Communities and Local Government in partnership with CABE. This replaces the old Design Bulletin 32, which led to places dominated by the car at the expense of pedestrians. Download the manual here. Lets hope Councillors take the time to read it ...

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Wed - April 4, 2007

Hereford Pedicabs about to launch their free taxi service!

We reported a little while ago the exciting news that Hereford is to get a free, pedal powered, zero emission taxi service, keeping things simple and fun, honest and green. Hereford Pedicabs are now almost ready to start this valliant enterprise and are holding a launch party to which everyone is invited. This will be at The Courtyard, Hereford between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday April 12 and it'll be a relaxed occasion where you can meet Ben and Will, see the bikes, hear of their plans and generally support a great project! Their website will be online soon but you can follow the build up to the launch of this exciting venture on their blog here. Click on 'Read more' for the full details. Update: view a short movie clip here.

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Sun - March 25, 2007

Return of the shopper!

Welcome news from Raleigh this week is that they've relaunched the 'Shopper'. This 20 inch wheeled utility bike was discontinued by Raleigh in the 1970's but many survive and they have since obtained cult status with the likes of Sheldon Brown hot rodding them into anything from fixies to full blown tourers. Some of the originals were folders but here they've sensibly stuck to a rigid steel frame and the ubiquitous Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub gear with 1.75 inch tyres for a little bit of comfort. Supplied with front basket and rear bag, they're available direct from Raleigh at £169.99 plus delivery or Mastercraft, Hereford or Revolutions, Ross or (probably) Halfords. Another fan site here.

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Tue - March 13, 2007

Save 17.5% when you buy a bike?

That’s what the nations cyclists are trying to do by getting the government to drop the VAT you pay when you buy a bike or any accessories. Not a bad idea eh? We all save money when we buy our gear and hopefully it will persuade more people to ditch the 4 wheels and get cycling a bit more. So how can you help? A petition has been set up, all you need to do is add your bit and pass it on; http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/NoVATonBikes
Can’t hurt can it; if over a million motorists can do it for road charging then so can we! Thanks to Wiggle for the tip off.

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Tue - March 6, 2007

Support builds for new cycle bridge over the River Wye

Local cycle trainer and SUSTRANS Ranger, Paula McGivern, is delighted at the wonderful news that the local NHS Primary Care Trust has posted its support on the Connect 2 site for the proposed cycle bridge over the River Wye at Rotherwas (see our article further down the page). "There are obviously some very enlightened healthcare professionals in Hereford, who recognise the enormous potential for acheiving public health targets, through walking and cycling referral schemes similar to those that take place on traffic free routes provided by SUSTRANS across Britain. We are also blessed with lots of club cyclists who are supporting this project, because many remember the joy when they first started cycling on roads that were relatively free of cars. Please keep the pledges of support coming into the Connect 2 site, your vote will be the one that makes the difference." Paula is a lone SUSTRANS ranger here in Hereford and although there is not much of the NCN here yet, she hopes the Connect 2 project will soon provide vital link locally and also to the remainder of the NCN.

"Being a Ranger is just another excuse to get out on my bike- not that I really need one! If you are not a member of club, Ranger Days are a great way to meet other cyclists,have fun and do something practical to help keep routes fit to ride." SUSTRANS will be 30years old this year and Paula is keen to get a Ranger Group off the ground so that Hereford can take part in the planned nationwide celebration - Party On The Path. Contact Paula via us at cyclehereford.com if you are interested.

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Fri - February 9, 2007

City Council veto proposed St Owens St contraflow cycle path

The Hereford Times today report that "the City Council has come out against a plan to introduce a cycle lane in the city centre. The Council considers that the proposal for a contraflow cycle lane in St Owen Street is not safe enough. But councillors, who have asked Herefordshire Council to go back to the drawing board, say that they are in favour of encouraging more people to turn to pedal power. The City Council decided against the scheme for St Owen Street after hearing a presentation from Andrew Culley, construction manager from Herefordshire Council. "In this case, we feel the scheme did not provide a safe route and we think a more detailed look at some of the alternatives would be appropriate and could hopefully provide a long-term and sustainable solution for cyclists," said David Fleet, leader of Hereford City Council."

Well. it does seem that at last some Councillors are taking the longer view that we have been arguing for for some while and we can only applaud the City Council for holding out for a better scheme. Whether the Cabinet take any notice of them is another matter however.

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Thu - February 1, 2007

New CTC sites will make roads and tracks a hole lot better

Two new online tools, which will help get potholes fixed and off-road trails cleared of obstructions, have been launched by CTC - the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation. Using the new system at www.fillthathole.org.uk cyclists (and other road users) can zoom into any road in the UK, mark the location of the defect, and let the authority know about it, which then has a duty to take action. It takes no longer than 2 minutes to use, and it is possible to include photos, measurements and other useful information, which other people will be able to see.

A similar facility at www.clearthattrail.org.uk  allows cyclists to report off-road obstructions. CTC Director Kevin Mayne said: “Potholes and other road defects are more than just a nuisance; they’re a danger to cyclists. They’re responsible for 12% of compensation claims by CTC members, and local Councils have a duty to fix them. Reporting problems like this can be a chore, but our online facility has made it quick and easy.” The websites also allow other cyclists to see what has been reported, and if a problem is ignored and someone subsequently crashes, it will be possible to show that the council knew about it. Meanwhile, CTC will be working with local authorities to help them meet their duty to keep the roads and trails well maintained.  

Herefordshire Council does of course have its own system for dealing with damage to the roads and other similar problems which we wrote about back in 2005 and which actually works very well. So, if you see a pothole, dangerous manhole cover or drainage gulley, missing or broken signs etc, please contact the Highways Section on 01432 260795 or email streets@herefordshire.gov.uk. Copy it to us at the Forum so we can monitor progress.

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Tue - January 30, 2007

Hereford Pedicabs - Fun, Green and Honest

Ben and Will are are two chaps about to launch a unique endeavour into sustainable environmentally friendly travel. They've come up with a great idea to give the people of Hereford a choice. A choice to be part of a solution to their own problems of pollution and congestion. In short - they will be providing a free, pedal powered, zero emission taxi service, keeping things simple and fun, honest and green. Their website will be online soon but you can follow the build up to the launch of this exciting venture on their blog here.

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Sun - January 21, 2007

Mon - January 15, 2007

World's first museum of cycling memorabilia to open in Malvern

Cycle historian and collector Mike Austin writes with news of his new venture in Malvern, UK. According to the Malvern Gazette it's to be "the world's first museum of cycling memorabilia, as well as a gallery, gift and antique shop, coffee shop, ebay shop, and a venue for talks, films and games evenings." Mike is running a competition to find a name for the centre: "It needs to be short and snappy but need not say cycling or bicycle", with dinner at a local hotel as the prize. Entries please to PO Box 59, Malvern, WR14 3YR. We wish him and wife Mel the best of luck.

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Fri - December 22, 2006

Its Christmas ...

... so we're taking a break for a couple of weeks and all of the team here at Cycle Hereford wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The message board is of course open should you feel like having a moan or starting a reasoned debate about the dismal lack of cycle parking in High Town ...

Picture courtesy of Specialized, listen to the mp3 version of their holiday card made up entirely of cycle sounds at www.specialized.com.

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Tue - November 28, 2006

Halfords supplies one in every three bicycles sold in the UK

Staggering, but true, apparently, according to Halfords, who claim they supply one in every three bicycles sold in the UK, and the company said sales of folding bikes used for commuting, particularly on public transport, "performed particularly well". It also reported strong demand for its own range of bikes under the Apollo and Carrera brands, which include children’s bikes, BMX models, mountain bikes and racers. Halfords, which employs 10,000 people in the UK opened its first standalone Bikehut store in Brighton earlier this month. More details at The Birmingham Post.

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Fri - November 10, 2006

citycycling .issue 17 online now!

citycycling: the online magazine for cycling ... in the ... city ... essential reading for any cyclist, the commuter, the shopper, the lycra-clad and the jeans wearing, the roadie, bmxer, fully bounceable mountain biker, the gadget-freak and the old-skool. November sees a slightly truncated issue of citycycling but there's still some great stuff to read, from how to deal with bad drivers, to poll results on the best winter kit. Next month there's stuff lined up to see you through Christmas itself - now that's got to be worth subscribing to! Download the latest issue as a pdf or read online at www.citycyling.co.uk.

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Mon - November 6, 2006

Great Western Way cycle route extended

Work on a 1.5km extension to Hereford’s Great Western Way has been completed and cyclists and pedestrians can now take advantage of the extended route in the city’s Newton Farm area. Herefordshire Council in partnership with Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, has funded work to lay down a properly surfaced 2.5-metre wide footway and cycleway. Special A-frame barriers have also been erected to deter illegal use by motorcycles, as pictured. Read the full details in the Council's press release here.

The Great Western Way has been incorporated into plans for the National Cycle Network Routes 44 and 46. NCN Route 44 will run from Shrewsbury to Cinderford via Leominster, Hereford and Ross while Route 46 will run from Abergavenny to Worcester via Hereford, Ledbury and Malvern. These routes will exploit some of the county’s quieter country lanes and finally link the county to the 10,000 mile National Cycle Network.

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Fri - October 20, 2006

Cycle & Recycle 2007 calendars - order now!

Plan your cycling years in 2007, 2018 and 2029 - stocks have now arrived at Velo Vision magazine of the Cycle & Recycle Calendar 2007. It's a unique publication, funded by 18 'co-publishers', including Velo Vision, with the remainder a mix of transport and cycling organisations from the US and Canada, plus a welcome European addition this year: Fiets naar je werk from the Netherlands. 

It's put together by John Dowlin, a long-time cycling advocate and activist in Philadelphia, USA, with the help of cycling photographers worldwide. This year the emphasis has perhaps shifted a little more towards the 'Recycle' part of the calendar's name: although cycling photos still very much dominate, John has brought in an eclectic mix of other material too, from a local artist recycling bike parts to skaters on an Ottawa canal and the demise of London's Routemaster buses. 

The calendars cost £9.99 in the UK, £11.99 in Europe, or £12.99 for the rest of the world - unchanged since last year.
Orders can be placed now via their online shop. Please order as many as you like: they make great gifts.

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Sat - September 23, 2006

Mon - September 18, 2006

Thu - September 7, 2006

Wed - September 6, 2006

Vicky Bridge re-opens!

Yes, you read it here first, the Victoria Bridge was unofficially reopened to the public this evening at 6.16pm. Pictured here holding back the hordes are Herefordshire Council Officer Martin Jackson, responsible for the work (and celebrating with an ice cream) and Rob Poulton from Consultants Owen Williams. In the background are Contractors vacuuming the bridge (yes, vacuuming). Resplendent in its authentic cream paintwork (the bollard is to be repainted as well) and with a new timber deck the bridge looks fantastic. There are still bits to finish but the important thing is that we can use it again. Opened well ahead of schedule, our thanks go to all concerned for working so hard to achieve this. Also pictured are the very first people to use the bridge. Don't forget that if you want to find out more about this project and the history of the bridge, go along to the Victoria Footbridge Heritage Open Day this coming Saturday, 9 September at the Castle Green Training Centre, Castle Green, adjacent to the bridge. 10am - 4pm. If you have been affected by the work, are a local resident, a visitor or interested in engineering, history, ecology or environmental management, then come and find out more about Victoria Footbridge and celebrate the refurbishment of one of the city’s most popular landmarks.

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Tue - August 8, 2006

Fri - August 4, 2006

What price a life? Just £45 it seems ...

The motorist who killed 4 members of the Rhyl Cycling Club when he drove into them with three defective tyres on his car has been fined just £180 and his driving licence endorsed with six points at Llandudno Magistrates' Court. Magistrates said the defective tyres 'were not a contributory factor'. The motorist already had three points for a speeding offence. Read the full story on the BBC News Wales site here. Provisional figures from the Department of Transport show that the number of pedal cyclists killed or seriously injured was 20 percent higher than the same period last year. As standards of behaviour, and driving standards in particular, continue to decline, along with the concept of moral responsibility, its likely that this figure will continue to rise. Take car, its a war out there and cyclists are considered as acceptable collateral damage.

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