ED's Cycle Festival 2012 - best ever yet

With only three weeks to go to ED’s Cycle Festival 2012,

Sunday 17th June from 2pm to 5pm,

we’re sure it’ll be the ‘best ever yet‘.

Winner of UK Bike Week Image 2010 & 2011,

we want you to be in the winning image for 2012,

so come prepared to enter into the sprit of the event…. and come on a bike.

The ClanThe Airbag and, for the first time ever, our new timber trail…..

ED's Cycle Festival 2012 - best ever yet

UK Bike Week Cycle Festival Image 2010      —       UK Bike Week Bike Fix Image 2011

UK Bike Week Cycle Festival Image 2010

UK Bike Week Bike Fix Image 2011

Wester Cleddens Primary Pupils invited to Sustrans Westminster reception.

Wester Cleddens pupils invited guest to Westminster reception.

Local cycling enthusiasts Calum Aitken (9) and Kieran Ballard (9) from Wester Cleddens Primary School were invited to Westminster, London on Monday 14^th May, in recognition of their continued efforts to travel sustainably to school, as guests of ED’s Cycle Co-op. They are pictured here by Big Ben at Westminster.

Sustrans, the UK leading sustainable transport organisation, had arranged the parliamentary reception at Westminster to gain high level political support for their continued efforts to improve health and the environment. Sustrans asked if ED’s Cycle Co-op would attend in appreciation of the high level of cycling to primary schools in Bishopbriggs. Currently, the only town in Scotland where all the primaries are Cycle Friendly Schools.

Jo Swinson MP said “Calum and Kieran have shown real commitment to demonstrating to their peers, teachers, and politicians like myself, just how we can achieve a healthier and cleaner future. I was delighted to meet with the boys and hear first hand just how much they enjoyed the physical activity first thing in the morning and at the end of the day. It is clear that safety on the roads is an issue for many residents and I support the local campaign for 20mph speed limits on residential streets where people live.”

Calum and Kieran cycled to and from school every day for the three weeks in March, as part of Sustrans UK Big Pedal initiative, backed by GB Olympic cyclists Mark Cavendish. Wester Cleddens Primary School was the leading school in Bishopbriggs, with St Helen’s and St. Matthew’s Primaries also taking part in the healthy lifestyles promotion.”

Councillor Eric Gotts, convener of Education committee said “East Dunbartonshire is delighted these pupils should be recognised in this way. St Joseph’s Primary School in Milngavie also achieved significant success and was 68^th overall in the UK. With more Cycle Friendly Schools in East Dunbartonshire than any other local authority in Scotland it is not surprising that this authority should be so high achieving in active travel.”

Paul Meehan, Head Teacher (pictured on the left) said “The school has been working with ED’s Cycle Co-op to promote cycling and we were delighted that these young boys should be given such ‘a once in a lifetime’ opportunity to tour the Houses of Parliament, meet the MPs and pose their questions directly to them.”

Mark Kiehlmann, founder of ED’s Cycle Co-op said “Sustrans has been successful across the UK in achieving greater active travel where they work on the ground. In Scotland they have very successful programmes in Edinburgh and Perth. It would be fantastic if East Dunbartonshire Council was able to partner with an agency such as this, so that our community can benefit from their knowledge and experience.”

Fiona McLeod MSP Strathkelvin and Bearsden

Yesterday (22nd May 2012) Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP Fiona McLeod took part in the initial discussions to establish a Cross Party Group on Cycling in the Scottish Parliament. We would like to thank Fiona for continuing to ensure that cycling remains on the agenda in the Scottish Parliament and within the Scottish Government.

Fiona also recently spoke about the impact of the efforts of ED’s Cycle Co-op during Scottish Green MSP Alison Johnstone’s debate on 29th March 2012. You can see and hear Fiona talk about our work in the video below (36min), or read it beneath the video:

Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP): I join other members in welcoming this Green party debate.

It seems to me that there are three strands in this debate about cycling. We are talking about cycling as transport and cycling for leisure, and underpinning it all is introducing children to safe cycling. I want to give three examples from those areas from my Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency. I will talk about East Dunbartonshire’s Cycle Co-op, which is based in Bishopbriggs, the rebound initiative in Lennoxtown, and pedal on Parliament, which has already been mentioned. I thank Dr Brennan, who is a constituent of mine, for his work in making that happen next month.

East Dunbartonshire’s Cycle Co-op is a not-for-profit social enterprise team led by the redoubtable Mark Kiehlmann. It is a team of certified bike ability tutors and cycle mechanics. Those people have done many things. Among them, they set up the East Dunbartonshire bike library to assure parents that, when their children start to learn to cycle, they cycle on a bike that is fit for purpose.

Over the team’s few years of working, the most remarkable achievement it has seen has been Bishopbriggs becoming the first town—indeed, as far as I know, it is still the only town—in which every primary school has received a Cycling Scotland cycle-friendly school award. That achievement is even more remarkable in light of the fact that only 2 per cent of children in Scotland cycle to school. At St Matthew’s primary school in Bishopbriggs, 20 per cent currently cycle to school daily. Double the 2020 target is being achieved in Bishopbriggs in 2012. It is therefore not surprising that when the BBC and other media outlets are looking for someone to go to to highlight the benefits of cycling, they go to East Dunbartonshire’s Cycle Co-op. As a result, Bishopbriggs has received a lot more publicity than a small town of its size would perhaps normally expect to receive. I thank the many MSPs who supported my motion S4M-01910, which highlighted the work of East Dunbartonshire’s Cycle Co-op.

I turn to cycling for leisure and the rebound initiative in Lennoxtown. The plans are ambitious for a not-for-profit social enterprise. We want to see a cycle tourism hub in Lennoxtown that utilises the Forestry Commission tracks around it, and—most importantly—taps into the central Scotland cycling route network and uses the Forth-Clyde canal, which goes through my constituency. A community consultation was held in March, which more than 80 people attended. There were nothing but positive comments from the questionnaires and the ideas board that day.

I know that we are short of time, so I will conclude. I hope that those examples of local initiatives in my constituency show what can be done across Scotland.

Mark Stephen, BBC Radio Scotland Out Of Doors

On a rather blustery Friday morning in March (9th), Mark Stephen from BBC Radio Scotland Out of Doors joined Wester Cledden’s Primary P7 pupils on one of East Dunbartonshire’s Cycle Co-operative expedition rides. The bike ride was a journey through time, going back in history along the Forth & Clyde Canal, but crucially linked to the topic they’d been researching as part of the Curriculum for Excellence. Mark, pictured here taking a ride in one of ED’s Cycle Co-op cargo bikes (a Dutch design called the Bullitt), was keen to speak with the pupils as well as their teacher, Mrs Lauren Mulherron and the school’s Head Teacher, Paul Meehan, both of whom joined the pupils to share the outdoor learning experience by bike.

Donald Macdonald, Education Officer for ED’s Cycle Co-op led a trip to various sites of local history:

• The lost village of Mavis Valley, a former mining settlement which all but disappeared following the pit disaster of 1913 when 26 local men lost their lives.
• Possil Marsh, Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and of the first recorded meteorite strikes in Scotland in 1804.
• Cadder Church grave yard on the Thomas Muir Heritage Trail to hear about one of the Scottish founding fathers of democracy, from the 18^th Century.
• Remnants of the Antonine Wall, dating back some 2,000 years to the time of the Romans and the birth of Christ.

ED’s Cycle Co-op maintains a fleet of Islabikes, the East Dunbartonshire Bike Library, purchased with a grant from Transport Scotland. The pupils are also provided with waterproofs supplied by Sprayway. The bike library provides peace of mind for the teachers, knowing that the quality and reliability of the bikes is ensured at the start of the day. There are a number of experienced and qualified ride leaders along to support the teacher, each of whom have completed the Cycling Scotland Cycle Tutor training and the Velotech cycle maintenance programme. They are all more than capable of dealing with most eventualities. There is even a tandem bike for those pupils who are still not confident on two wheels, but are keen to take part in the expedition ride.

The item was broadcast on Saturday, 17^th March 2012, from 0630, you can download the podcast ED’s Cycle Co-op Out of Doors, or from the BBC Out of Doors webpage, (about 14 mins. in from the start).

Jo Swinson MP

Yesterday (Thursday 23rd February) Jo Swinson MP took part in a Parliamentary debate to highlight the work that ED’s Cycle Co-op and other local organisations have taken to advance cycling in the community.

Jo Swinson MP for East Dunbartonshire detailed a catalogue of successes in the community that have made cycling more accessible for local people, in particular the great work done by the ED Cycle Co-op led by Mark Kiehlmann.

From ED Cycle Co-op setting up school cycle clubs to delivering 1,000 hours of cycle training, Jo touched on the initiatives that have helped lead to a 5% point modal shift in cycling to primary schools in Bishopbriggs in just one year including a tenfold increase at St Matthew’s Primary School.

She also spoke of her meeting with charity Rebound on Friday to discuss building mountain bike tracks in Lennox Forest.

Commenting Jo said:

“I was proud to raise local initiatives like the annual cycle festival and the Bishopbriggs BMX club. So much good work is being done locally on cycling and it’s a promising development that so many groups in Bishopbriggs are signed up to 20mph zones in residential areas. Now we hope the Council will act to take this forward and improve road safety for everyone.”

You can see Jo in full flow in the video below (from 17:0830) or read the full entry from Hansard beneath the video….

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert) on securing this important debate and I also congratulate The Times for its leadership on this issue. There has been an impressive turnout today of Members from all parties, and I truly hope that this debate can be part of a momentum for change.

In East Dunbartonshire, seven cyclists have been killed or seriously injured on our roads since 2006. That is indeed a sobering statistic. However, we are fortunate to have an award-winning organisation called the East Dunbartonshire Cycle Co-operative. Under the dynamic leadership of Mark Kiehlmann and with a committed and growing team of volunteers, the organisation has secured funding and put in place a range of different initiatives to get people cycling and enjoying using bikes as a means of transport. So far, it has delivered 1,000 hours of cycle training, including cycle mechanics, because, as was mentioned earlier, being able to fix a bike is very important.

There are cycle clubs at many local schools. There has been a cycle map with different routes distributed to more than 20,000 individuals, and we now have an annual cycle festival with more than 1,000 people participating. Summer cycle rides are organised. Importantly, it is often the children who are enthusiastic and they are encouraged to bring their parents to get them cycling for the first time in 15 or 20 years. When we have families cycling together, it is more likely to be something that sticks.

The group has even organised a Guinness world record attempt for simultaneous bike bell ringing with the help of Classic FM and the “Blue Danube”. It has achieved great success. In less than a year, there has been a 5% modal shift in cycling to school in one town. St Matthew’s primary now has nearly 20% of the pupils cycling to school, which is a great achievement and shows what can be done. It has also inspired other initiatives. We have Bishopbriggs BMX club for 10 to 19-year-olds, with 100 members. One of its founders, Christopher Eastwood, was a winner in the first national BMX competition at the end of last year.

Mountain biking is popular in Scotland. The charity, Rebound, is trying to ensure that new facilities can be put in place in East Dunbartonshire, particularly in Lennox forest, where it is hoping to build tracks that can be used both as a leisure pursuit and to host competitions and events. I look forward to meeting that local group tomorrow.

I want to touch on two issues. One is a slight controversy about cycling on pavements. I had an initiative in my constituency called Cycle Train. Children as young as five would cycle to school on the pavement, with an adult at the beginning and at the end of the group of children cycling. Once the pupils had passed their cycling proficiency test, they would move to cycling on the road. It was a safe way for children to get to school, but it had to stop, because it was not in accordance with the law. Although there are undoubtedly problems with irresponsible cycling on pavements, there is a role for responsible, supervised pavement cycling for young children. We would not expect five or six-year-olds to cycle on the road, but getting practice in place would be helpful. I discussed it with the then Minister with responsibility for cycling in 2009 with a delegation. I hope that the Minister with responsibility for cycling now will consider that.

I strongly support point 6 of The Times campaign for 20 mph limits. There is a big campaign in my constituency to encourage that in residential areas. It is very popular indeed. I hope that my local council will outline a timetable for moving towards that. I understand that time pressure is upon us. With so much enthusiasm for this debate, perhaps we need further debates on this issue, even on the Floor of the House. I hope the enthusiasm for the debate today and the wealth of ideas put forward will empower and embolden the Minister with responsibility for cycling. He is no doubt keen to take this forward and make a real difference on this issue.

The Times Cities fit for cycling

Tragically, such an accident is far from rare. More than 27,000 cyclists have been killed or seriously injured on British streets in the past 10 years.

On the urban roads of Britain today cyclists need to be fit for cities. Cycling should be both safe and pleasurable. Ministers, mayors and local authorities must build cities that are fit for cycling.

The Times has launched a public campaign and 8-point manifesto calling for cities to be made fit for cyclists:

Our manifesto

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. The training of cyclists and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.
6. 20mph should become the default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.
7. Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycleways and cycling super-highways, mirroring the Barclays-backed bicycle hire scheme in London.
8. Every city, even those without an elected mayor, should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.

Rod King founder of 20sPlentyForUs

National campaigner Rod King, founder of ‘20s plenty for us‘ and 2012 Directory of Social Change Influencer of the Year runner up will speak at this years ED’s Cycle Co-op Annual Seminar at the Bishopbriggs Community Church this Friday (27 Jan.) . Following the success of the 2011 event, there has been a great deal of progress to report back, icluding Bishopbriggs achievement to become the first town in Scotland to have all our primary schools receive the Cycling Scotland Cycle Friendly School Award. To register click here, you are very welcome.

Opening Address from Mark Kiehlmann, founder of ED’s Cycle Co-op. This year, UN International Year of Co-operatives, there will be an opportunity to hear from members of the co-operatve, Bishopbriggs community as well as this national campaigner:

• Mr Paul Meehan, Head Teacher at Wester Cleddens Primary School;
• Andy Ashworth, pupil of Bishopbriggs Academy;
• Donald Macdonald, ED’s Cycling Education Officer;
• Rod King, founder of 20s Plenty for us and 2012 Directory of Social Change Influencer of the Year runner up.

You will also have the opportunity to hear updates on the achievements of 2011 including the first town in Scotland to achieve a full house of Cycling Scotland Cycle Friendly School Awards, representations with parliamentarians in Brussels, London and Edinburgh, and our partnership with East Dunbartonshire Council’s Healthy Habits. As well as our plans for the future, for what may become Scotland first 20mph town.

We hope you can make it along and join us for some light refreshements after.
Here’s a short video of last years event with an endorsement from East Dunbartonshire’s Provost  Eric Gotts.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bishpbriggs BMXer Katman winner in national jam.

Christopher was one of the founders of the Bishopbriggs Youth BMX Club just one year ago. The CTC Bike Club funded project for boys and girls from 10 to 19 has been so successful that it regularly attracts around 30 to 40 youngsters from across Bishopbriggs, and provides a focus for their energy, with nearly 100 members. The club was launched as a fortnightly initiative, but with more support from CashBack for Communities, it will be able to run weekly from the New Year.

Christopher said “It was really good to get 2^nd place at the nationals in Edinburgh, and the Bishy guys really liked doing our own competition the next night. We plan to have local competitions quarterly in the year ahead. The club at St. Matthew’s has been really good for the young riders, but we really need an indoor place to ride locally. It would be ideal if a permanent facility could be set up here in Bishopbriggs as part of the new town centre.”

The club is supported by St. Matthew’s Parish who have provided the hall for the past year, enabling the young people to come in out of the cold, especially in the winter evenings, and focus on developing their talents. East Dunbartonshire Community Learning has also provided support.

Anne McNair, local councillor and co-director of ED’s Cycle Co-op who backed the project at the start said “The need for a BMX Club came out of discussions with some of the young people in Bishopbriggs, and this is testimony to not only their riding talents, but their creativity and drive to build a better community in Bishopbriggs. Christopher is only one of many youngsters who continue to set the agenda for the club in 2012, and learning many useful life skills in the process. Jonathan Ashworth is also a talented film maker, see video tribute to Katman on pinkbike.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dates for your diary:

Beginners Workshop (2 evening course):

1st December and  8th December

Intermediate Workshop (3 evening course):

19th and 26th  January and 2nd February 2012

Advanced Workshops (Modular)

From 9th February 2012.

Each class runs from  7pm until 9pm at our new premises at Unit 9 Lower Huntershill Village, Bishopbriggs.

Booking is ESSENTIAL as spaces are limited.

For more information and to book please contact Nik on nik@edscyclecoop.org.uk or text 07877559167