New Bike Shop in Liverpool

Tucked away near the Cains Brewery a new bike shop has opened in Liverpool. Under the CUC Novas building, it seems to sell just Giant Bicycles. In the recession, boosted by track cycling's Olympic success, cycling shops have bucked the trend and the industry has continued to grow, even with the weak pound making imported Japanese (all Shimano gear)very expensive.




Go and check it out!!

If you thought we have it bad.........

Checkout this video from Paris. I've been there and it is that crazy, with mopeds all over the place. It highlights well that in congested areas of cities, no amount of paint on the road, or rules (if you can understand the french) will help at all, if poor driver behaviour isn't tackled.




Compared with some of these french drivers, even the most inconsiderate Liverpool drivers look like angels. Don't even get started on cycling contraflow systems as at around 4:00

Mobile Phone and Driving Petition

Critical Mass is excellent as a statement that we want our roads to be safer, more sociable places and less intimidating for non motorised traffic and pedestrians. Although we have great fun in the sun (and rain...) meeting up once a month at the Chinese arch, it has often said that Critical Mass doesn't in itself achieve any of the above aims.

Please have a look at this petition on the number 10 site, and sign it if you agree. It only takes a couple of minutes. http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/mobilemenaceban

The petition is supported by Roadpeace who have some excellent articles regarding road safety and driver behaviour. They are refreshing in their "radical views" that perhaps 3000 people killed on the UK's roads and twice as many seriously injured each year may be too high a cost to pay for our convenience of movement. http://www.roadpeace.org/

It must be stressed that cycling is a very safe activity on the majority of roads in the country. It is important that we help to keep it this way.

Manchester Critical Mass

Manchester's Critical Mass is going from strength to strength. This video is from last month, which was the closing party of the I Bike MCR Festival. They congregate at the central library at 6pm on the last friday of each month. Next one is on Friday 29th May.

Safety in Numbers

The CTC have launched a new campaign called Safety in Numbers. They need your help to get a motion through parliament which acknowledges that the biggest factor affecting the safety of cyclists on the roads is the "safety in numbers" effect. The more cyclists are on the road, the more drivers will expect to encounter cyclists and will adjust their behaviour accordingly. I can't wait to see the day when the majority of school children cycle to school. Sustrans is doing great work through its Bike It! project helping schools across the country adopt travel plans, introduce safer routes to schools and bike parking. It seems that some drivers have little compassion or consideration for young male cyclists, but as soon as we get the majority of children cycling to school, we expect driver attitudes and behaviour will improve dramatically. Sustrans aren't forcing them to cycle either, when surveyed over 60% of pupils wanted to be able to ride to school, yet only 2% actually did.


The important bit - please do this!!

Anyway, at the moment the MP for riverside, Louse Ellman has not yet signed the motion. It only takes 2 minutes to send a message asking for her to sign it. Please do the following;

• Go to the CTC website here http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=5236
  
• Have a look through the early day motion proposed (optional)
• Enter your postcode on the bottom of the page, it will then come up with your local MP
• Enter your details below and hit send
  
• Sit back and feel contented that you have let the person who represents the Riverside voting minority, know of your wishes!
  

This motion asks that we look at all the factors detering cyclists from the roads, including driver behaviour, and also get more cycle training for younger people. This last one is especially important. The next generation of drivers will have had a much better level of cycle training and know the issues that cyclists face. The majority of drivers on the roads now either had no cycle training, or received it back in the day when they were taught to ride in the gutter and keep out of everyone else's way!! These twisted attitudes all come from somewhere...........

CM Button Badges

You can get these small button badges from the little shop at the back of the foyer in FACT. They'll only be there for a little while as they are part of FACT's Climate for Change exhibition which gives a great space for local community and activist groups to use and showcase their work.

Skill Share this Weekend @ FACT

Hey people. This weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, Transition Towns Liverpool and Liverpool skill sharers are in FACT Gallery 1, helping people get together to learn something new. There will be some Bike cleaning workshops on Sunday, and also bike maintenance on Saturday and Sunday.

So bring down yer dirty bikes on Sunday, and get 'em gleaming for the summer. If you wanna come down and show people how to fix a puncture, or change brakepads, then get down, offer your knowledgeable services and get involved!!