Southampton Cycling Campaign

Welcome to the website for Southampton Cycling Campaign. Here you will find information about us and our strategy as well as information about cycling in Southampton. Members of the campaign range enormously from occasional cyclists to daily cycle-commuters and their views can vary accordingly. However, all are committed to ensuring that cycling is a viable option for transport and leisure throughout the city. If you are interested in finding out more about these campaigns or can offer some support, please contact us. We meet on the second Monday of every month (except August) upstairs at the Friends Meeting House, Ordnance Road (map). Enter through the side door. Meet at 19:30 for tea and biscuits, with business from 20:00. Everyone is welcome.

FROM THE DAILY ECHO:

A group of Southampton cyclists is taking steps to make the city safer for bikes.

As the Daily Echo continues its Don’t be a Fuel Fool campaign and begins to look at ways round the rising price at the pumps, Southampton Cycle Campaign are working to fill in the ‘missing links’ in the city’s network of cycle paths and routes.

Spokesman for the Cycle Campaign Lindsi Bluemel says there’s low-cost improvements that could be made in Southampton, which would make a big difference to cyclists.

She said: “We’re very well aware that there’s not going to be money around in the next few years for completely new schemes, even though some of them are badly needed.

“What we’ve looked at is easy ways to implement inexpensive connections that will cost the council very little but will improve the network of cycle paths in Southampton.”

The group has already been in touch with Southampton City Council about a number of improvements that are cheap but could help cyclists avoid dangerous junctions or busy roads.

Mrs Bluemel added: “There are quite a lot of roads that are two-way but they don’t want traffic entering at one end, so there are no entry signs.

“The council has agreed that they can put ‘except cycles’ on some of these signs so cyclists know they can use them – it will cost them next to nothing.

“We’re also asking for a shared use path to go through Bitterne Manor Park.

“It’s no cycling there at the moment but there’s going to be quite a substantial tarmac path put in, and if cyclists could use that it would cut a whole chunk of Bitterne Road West off.”

With petrol prices topping £6 a gallon for the first time ever, more and more people are looking at cheaper ways to travel – and low-cost cycling is a popular choice in the city.

But the Cycle Campaign says they need more bike-users to give ideas about what could be done to improve the cycle network in the city.

Mrs Bluemel said: “Sometimes it’s just one little dangerous section of road that puts people off cycling somewhere.

“We really need other cyclists coming and telling us what problems they experience.

“People will moan and say ‘Why is it like this?’ – but sometimes it’s because no one has raised the issue.”

Full details here. Celebration ride on March 12th. Meet 10am at Alice Holt Forest (near Farnham) or 3pm at Burton (near Petersfield).

Lovely Legs – Sexy Shoulders

1 hour women only cycling training sessions
Sat 23 and Wed 27 April
booking advised £5pp charge.

Simply Fabulous

2 hour ladies only rides
Sun 24 April 1400-1615, Thurs 28 April 0930-1145
£5pp charge or £3 if booked with a Lovely Legs session

Simply Fabulous post-Wedding ride for all

Fri 29 April 1430-1645
£5pp charge, U14s to be accompanied.

See the Cyclewise web site for more details.

From the Guardian:

A protest march will be held in Porto Alegre in Brazil this evening after a driver ran down dozens of cyclists at a Critical Mass ride on Friday.

The incident was caught clearly on several cameras and the footage makes for disturbing viewing.

One witness wrote on the local Critical Mass blog: “I saw legs in the air, helmets, bicycles, arms, all mixed together with parts of the car all flying and making noise. It was like a horror movie.”

Incredibly, although 16 people were badly injured, nobody was killed.

The driver, Ricardo Neis, 47, handed himself in to police on Monday. His abandoned and badly damaged car had been found on Saturday morning.

More here including extremely shocking video.

Are you passionate about cycling? Would you like to see more people experience the joys of getting around on a bike?

The SOUTHAMPTON CYCLE CHALLENGE is coming up, and we’re looking for a Challenge Co-ordinator!

See www.ctc.org.uk/vacancies for more information.

Please pass this on to friends, networks or anyone who may be interested!

Many thanks,

Thea

The latest newsletter (February 2011) is available for download in [MS Word] format. Highlights of this issue include:

• Forthcoming Events
• Bike Week 2011 – 18-26 June
• Winter Cycling in the Netherlands
• Spring Rides
• Itchen Bridge “Cyclists Dismount” Signs
• Cycles for All in Eastleigh
• Missing Links
• Cycle Route Through Junction 9 M3/A34 Linking Winchester & Easton
• Boardwalk St Denys-Newtown
• 20 Mph Zones in Northern Spain
• Cable Ties – Diy Ice Tyres for Icy Roads
• From Portsmouth Cycle Forum Newsletter
• Bike Maintenance Courses
• New Online Dutch Bicycle Company

One of the best routes in and out of Winchester for cyclists is Easton Lane and the subway system at Junction 9 of the M3/A34. Cyclists have been using this route continuously since the mid 1980s when the M3 Popham to Bar End section was built. Cyclists’ use of these subways is now under threat and your help is needed to prevent that threat becoming a reality.

Background:

Highways Agency (it manages the motorway network)) was approached about signing the National Cycle Network from Easton to Winchester through the subway system. Highways Agency has rejected this request and also indicated that it considers use by cyclists of the subway system to be illegal. It is also reported that Highways Agency is actively considering improvements to the junction that could stop us accessing the subways.

We need to demonstrate that cyclists have been using the subway system for years and then can claim a right of way for cyclists through it. This is a legal process done through Hampshire County Council, i.e. we must show that cyclists have had uninterrupted and unobstructed use of the subway system and that the landowner (Highways Agency) has never attempted to stop that use. The route is or was shown on some OS and cycle maps and although indicative this is not sufficient in law.

If you have used the subways, please can you print out the form and map, complete and sign them and post back to
Sue Coles
7 Ruffield Close
Winchester,
Hampshire,
SO225JL

I am collating the evidence and will submit on block to Hampshire County Council. It does not matter how long you have been using the subways, whether on your own or with a group. It is weight of evidence that counts rather than length of use.

If we can establish a right of way in law, it will be more difficult for Highways Agency to close the route and if the junction were to be reconfigured, the existence of a legal right of way would make it easier for us to campaign for an alternative and acceptable route for cyclists.

This is really important. Please help to maintain this route for current and future cyclists.
Thanks very much.

Sue Coles

We plan to run more of the popular Sunday morning rides. All rides depart at 10:00 sharp from meeting points indicated below. There will be a coffee stop (remember to bring cash) with return by 12:30.

Sun 23 Jan

Meet at Green Park car park Millbrook

Sun 20 Feb

Meet at Shirley Precinct

Sun 20 Mar

Meet at Green Park car park Millbrook

Bank Holiday Mon 25 Apr

Meet at Boardwalk, Horseshoe Bridge end

Check updates at www.Southamptoncyclingcampaign.org.uk

Booking not essential but ride leader reserves right to refuse anyone from riding with them e.g. if numbers exceeded or on safety grounds.

See comment from new landlords Heath and Gina. They promise that the offending signs will go and cyclists are now welcome.

From Caroline Maynard:

While walking around Winchester, I came across this sign outside the Willow Tree in in Durngate Place, Winchester.

Just in case we hadn’t got the message, not only are cycles unwelcome in the pub’s garden, but also a municipal street sign on the public pavement outside the pub has been similarly decorated.

Why are people offended by bicycles? You’d think a pub would be glad that its customers did not arrive in cars.

We have a range of cycles which are easy to ride, even if your balance, your use of your limbs, or your ability to learn new skills is challenged.
We have trikes, tandems, hand-powered trikes, a wheelchair bike combo, and side-by-side tandems.

SATURDAY DROP-IN SESSIONS 10am-12
All ages and abilities £1 p/p
Pavilion on the Park, Kingfisher Rd, Eastleigh
www.paviliononthepark.org
Group and individual sessions available
Call Daisy on 07790 873559