Derby Cycling Group Newsletter
July 2007
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1Derby Cycling Group and the May 2007 CTC/CCN national conference
Andy Harrison reports -
On Saturday 19th May Derby Cycle Group was proud to have played host to the national CTC/CCN conference at the Waterfallvenue on Station RoadDerby. Special thanks go to DCG Events coordinator Mark Brown for his hard work and all involved in making the day a success, including Ian Alexander of CTC and DCG for chairing the conference and everybody involved on the tech side.
A full programme of speakers contributed to the conference theme, Tomorrow’s Cyclists, a topic close to the heart of all concerned with environmental and transport issues.
Derby Mayor,Mike Ahern was good enough to welcome the speakers and delegates to Derby and he gave us his impressions of the importance of cycling to the health of young and old. On expressing his thoughts on his expanding waist line since taking office, Mayor Ahern said as a matter of urgency he intends to address this by getting back on his bike after his year in the mayoral limo.
Bella Stewart, project coordinator of Cycle Derby (see: a Derby City Council funded organisation, started off the work of the day presenting the issues her team does towards increasing cycling amongst local school children, especially through the friendly characters Shift and Sprocket and the classes held by Cycle Trainers with the children. Talking through the Festival of Cycling initiative, Bella demonstrated the work CycleDerby is achieving promoting cycling throughout the community over this summer by holding events designed to raise awareness of cycling. Bella went onto emphasise the benefits to Derby of gaining national cycling demonstration town status and with the sustainable transport charity Sustrans (see: moving the people of Derby closer to cycle routes traversing the city and linking up to the national cycle network.
David Clasby, Bike It Officer for Derby led on from Bella with his experiences working with Tomorrows Cyclists in Derby schools and passed on his genuine excitement built up by the success of Bike to School Week in April. David found the attitudes of head teachers to the insurance implications of pupils taking to the roads an initial stumbling block. Talking with head teachers David addressed the schools liability issue by pointing out that schools are not legally responsible until the pupil enters school property. Legal responsibility aside, schools are of course ethically responsible for the safety of pupils in transit and with his work in schools and with cycling groups David gave an example of where real road safety lies – well maintained brakes, not the helmets schools stipulate pupils must wear as a token attitude to road safety. The Bike to School week 2007 proved a brilliant success and David showed us some great pictures. Despite parents concerns, not a single injury was reported, which goes to prove that with training and good bike maintenance, cycling is the best way for our kids to get to school.
Mike Madin, Sustrans Bike It Project Manager spoke perceptively on his personal love of cycling, alongside the Bike It mission of increasing levels of children cycling to school closer to the levels that would actually like to cycle if they could (which is about 30% of children polled). Mike explained the project’s expansion to place Bike It Officers in 200 schools chosen from boroughs all over the country which demonstrated enthusiasm for cycling. Mike explained that the Bike It project has sustainable funding, partly through a cycle industry initiative called Bike Hub (see: Bike It is aimed at 9-12 years olds, working first to raise awareness about how cool cycling is, then enabling the young people to cycle to school by facilitating new cycle parking, or cycle training sessions. Mike showed how Bike It is all about action by Officers organising events and incentive schemes, such as bike to school breakfasts and weekly cycle to school days, to encourage the children in the schools to cycle more often..
Moving away from Derby to the wider East Midlands region,Andrew Salkeld Cycling Officer from Leicester City Council reported on progress made in updating cycling’s image from being almost exclusively white male and middle aged people on road bikes. With the aid of posters, local photographers, and help from Sustrans, Andy showed a more gender and race inclusive perspective of the cycling population of Leicester. Andy also show how some niche cycling styles, like BMX, to appeal to tomorrow’s cyclists when published in their own language.
Lunch brought a chance to socialise, tuck into the excellent buffet and to check out the varied exhibitors stands including Mercian Cycles of Derby, Cycle Aid, Sustrans, Bicycology and display of vintage bikes brought along by Paul Bagshaw. Over lunch delegates from the Cycle Campaign Network(see: gathered for a separate meeting.
The afternoon session started off with a presentation of ideas and video from the speakers from Bicycology (see: The collective of peace campaigners and environmentalists was setup in the wake of the bike ride up to the G8 conference in Gleneagles in 2005 as part of the Live8 concerts. Bicycologists take the modern world which is enthralled to the car and all parts of the oil economy which serve to maintain it and instead present an alternative perspective. If we could see through the images of freedom and speed extolled by car commercials and face the reality of more cars in our streets, less time with family because we are waiting for the next person in a car to move forward two inches and then think how much better it was when children could play out in the street. Bicycologists are in favour of removing ourselves from the insulated box behind the windscreen and seeing the world at a human pace, shopping locally instead of at the car based retail park, and stopping for a chat instead of speeding past.
Helen Ross from Health Equalities, part of the Nottingham City Primary Care Trust, gave a very interesting account of the place cycling can have in achieving the cure to the epidemic of childhood obesity and thereby promote better health in the future adult population. Helen went on to explain the work of, Health in your Environment, (see: a voluntary sector forum which brings together groups involved in health, social and economic regeneration and environmental issues. Helen brought into clear focus the connections between health and the environment, where health is defined not just in terms of ill-health but in terms of well-being and quality of life.
Dr John Stubbs of the University of Derby,Department of Geography and of Derby Cycling Group looked into the issues that will affect Tomorrow’s Cyclist, engaging the audience by asking us all to attempt to draw a line on two graphs inserted at the back of the agenda, one showing the levels of cycle usage in Britain since the late 1940’s, to the present day and another showing the same data for cars. Although everyone guessed pretty much the right way, the figures were still shocking. Cycling has moved from being a major form of transport in the 1950’s to the activity of a diehard few and leisure pursuers today. The rising levels ofcar usage tell the story of modern congestion and perhaps hopefully the future of cycling to take back a more important share of the transport mix. He emphasized that if cycling is to have a secure, long term future, then serious efforts needed to be made at local, regional and national level to curb the levels of car usage. Trying to promote cycling in the face of ever rising car usage would be a very daunting task indeed.
To bring the day to a close CTC ( Campaign Coordinator Roger Geffen gave an update on the current issues the CTC are debating and addressing in their national campaign. For the details follow this link: www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Campaigns/Digest50TextOnly.doc
DCG wish to thank all the delegates and speakers at the conference and will do our best to carry forward the concerns and issues raised for ‘Tomorrow Cyclist’ in the year to come.
2Connecting Derby and the completion of the Inner Ring Road
This proposed construction to complete the city’s inner ring road has been a long standing point of contention with the Derby Cycling Group given the group’s opposition to road building in principle. The views of the DCG were first made known to Derby City Council as far back as 1999 in the response it submitted to the Transportation Strategy document (for full details see: However it was decided to press ahead with the scheme and the issue has recently resurfaced with the convening of a planninginquiry into the making of the compulsory purchase orders for the scheme. The DCG submitted a detailed report to the inquiry basically reiterating its opposition to the scheme itself but adding that if the ring road is to be built then the DCG wished to be as fully involved as possible with the construction of cycling facilities alongside the new road (see Tony Roelich’s report at In this way it would be hoped to maximise the potential for a sustainable transportation option such as cycling. Discussions with Derby City Council on the development of these cycle facilities in the event of the road going ahead have already taken place and it would seem that there are some very positive developments for cycling in offering. While this in no way alters the DCGs fundamental opposition to the construction of the road, it is confidently hoped the maximum potential for cycling will likely be distilled from the scheme.
3Duffield Road Bus Lane
The recent introduction of a bus lane along the south bound carriageway of Duffield Road between Church Lane and Broadway has provoked a degree of controversy. The view of the Derby Cycling Group on this new scheme is generally very positive notwithstanding a less than ideal situation for north bound cyclists due to the narrowed carriage way following introduction of the bus lane. In mitigation however the bus lane does at least provide south bound cyclists with a much better ride into town. While it may at first seem rather perverse for a cycling group to support a scheme which does not in itself really enhance cycling, the DCG is strongly supports the promotion of public transport as a means of achieving a sustainable transportation system for the city. Consequently the DCG is fully of supportive bus lanes such as have been installed on Duffield road and would like to see many more of them throughout the city. In the case of Duffield Road, the DCG believes the best way forward is to retain the new bus lane and, in addition, build a new cycle path to improve the situation for north bound cyclists.
4Cycle Parking at Derby Railway Station
In the last newsletter (February 2007) it was reported that improvements were finally underway here. Currently new, covered cycle stands with CCCTV coverage outside the front of the station are almost complete. They should have space for 54 bicycles. The new facilities are due to open on Sunday 1st July. While certainly an improvement on the existing facilities, the DCG will certainly be pressing Midland Mainline andStagecoach Midland Rail Ltd, the forthcoming new franchisee, to expand these facilities in accordance with the expected increased demand for rail travel in the coming years. If you experience difficulties with the new facilities when they come on stream please do let us know (contact, Martin Aldred, DCG Railway Station Liaison Officer, email: ) and we will take up the matter.
5AGM 2007
This was held on Tuesday 12th June 2007, somewhat later than usual as it was postponed due to the convening of the CTC/CCN conference at the time when the AGM is normally held. The guest speaker was David Powner, Project Manager, Derby City Council who addressed the meeting on the subject of the proposed completion of the Derby Inner Ring Road. For the full AGM document, including annual reports from the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer together minutes of the AGM, and a summary of Dave Powner’s presentation, see:
6 Events:
Rather short notice, but if this does get to you in time:
Saturday 30th June, 11.00-17.00
East Midlands Cycle Forum (& Bike recycling Seminar)
11.00-17.00 to be held at Cyclemagic Workshop, Unit 6, 66 Friday St., Leicester LE1 3BW. For further details and to confirm attendance email, Andy Salkeld, Cycling Officer, Leicester City Council at:
Sunday 15th July
Five Parks Ride, start 09.30-10.00
This is a Cycle Derby sponsored ride in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and the ride links local cycle paths and Sustrans cycle routes. Ride starts at Derby Rugby Club, Haslams Lane, Darley Abbey, Derby DE22 1EB. For further details see , email Bella Stewart, Cycle Derby Project Coordination: or telephone: 01332 715054.
For details of all other bike rides around Derby and for the calendar of all CycleDerby events:
7COMPETITION!
A new feature for the newsletter!
Every issue we will be running a cycling themed competition for our members.
A £20 Samways voucher is up for grabs if you can answer the following question by 31.07.07:
What is the total when you add together all the National Cycle route numbers in Derby?
A winner will be chosen and notified on July 31st 2007.
The results will be printed in the next newsletter.
Answers on a postcard to:
Andrew & Kirstin
Derby Cycling Group Newsletter
Flat 4,
7 North Parade
Derby, DE1 3AY
Or in an email including “Newsletter Competition” as the subject to
Many thanks to Derby’s cycling store Samways for generously donating the prize
8Membership Renewal
Along with this newsletter will come an email reminding you of your subscription renewal for those for whom it is due. Please do continue to give us your support by renewing your membership. Many thanks!
Join the Derby Cycling Group:
Please support us in the work we do by joining us. Just click on the Join Us link on the homepage to download an application form.
Contact the Derby Cycling Group:
Monthly meetings: 1st Tuesday of every month, 19.30 (7.30pm) at The Brunswick Inn, Railway Terrace, Derby DE1 2RU. Everyone Welcome. Contact John Stubbs (contact details below) for further information.
Chair and Media Officer: John Stubbs, 65 Otter Street, DerbyDE1 3FD. Tel 01332 345942. Email:
Secretary (Membership): Barbara Rathbone, 5 Regency Close, Littleover, Derby DE23 1TR. Tel 01332 273532. Email:
Treasurer: John Palmer, 1 Dovedale Rise, Allestree DE22 2RF. Tel: 01332 559100. Email:
Webmaster: Alastair Johnson. Email:
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