Manchester Love Your Bike Commute, 30th March



M

Mark Thompson

Guest
This fell into my mailbox and, as there're a fair few people from
Manchester here, I thought this'd be a good place to foward it to. I'll
be starting at Withington Library on a silver Trek road bike.

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Message starts
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Hi Everyone,


To celebrate the anniversary of the launch of the Love Your Bike
campaign we're holding an event with three main elements:


1) a number of rides from points around Manchester culminating at Albert
Square
2) a press call with Cllr Neil Swannick at 8:30 at Albert Square to
demonstrate our continued support for cycling in Manchester
3) the publication of a report 'Stepping Up a Gear', which will
summarise the findings of the web-based research that we've been
carrying out over the year via www.loveyourbike.org.


The key message of all these elements is that many people cycle in
Manchester, many more people want to cycle in Manchester but the City
Council has to do a lot more to make Manchester cycle-friendly before it
(cycling, not the council, well maybe the council too) is going to
become popular with everyone. Manchester will never be the Greenest
City, as it wants to be, unless it takes cycling much much more
seriously. We are using this report and all the information that has
been entered into the Love Your Bike website to make this argument and I
hope that you will come along on the morning of the 30th to show your
support for this campaign.


To join in, simply come to one of the following meeting points:


1) Levenshulme Station (at the bottom of the steps). The ride will
depart dead on 8am so please come a bit before that. Will ride together
to Albert Square ready for 8:30. The person organising this ride is Doug
Briggs.


2) Withington Library This ride will also depart dead on 8am so please
come a bit before that. Will head along Wilmslow Road towards Albert
Square ready for 8:30. The person organising this ride is Wyston.


3) Chorlton Green for 7:50am start. Again heading for Albert Square at
8:30. This ride is being fronted by Gena and Sarah.


4) Prestwich. Meet at 7.45 in the LIDL car park on Bury New Road in
Sedgley Park, for a
7:50am departure http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=M25
+0LD&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=16&ll=53.518408,-2.271466&spn=0.006749,0.017853&om=
1 The ride will be led by Jonathan.


5) Albert Square ready for 8:30 press call.


I hope this isn't scarily early, but still leaves time for people to get
to work afterwards. I remember last year nearly 100 of us made it to the
Castlefield Roundabout for 8:15 so this should be feasible. Please note
that the rides are in the spirit of the 'critical commute' theme and
therefore not aiming to slow down traffic, simply to make the point that
cycling is a positive option for all to enjoy.


One more thing:
*special offer* If you haven't got a Love Your Bike vest yet (see
www.loveyourbike.org for more details) then you'll be pleased to know
that you can get them for the discounted bargin price of £5 if you let
me know by Thursday midday. I'll then organise for you to collect it at
either of meeting points 1,2,3 or 4. Last year worked well with everyone
wearing them for the photos, but I'm afraid this year we don't have
money to give away loads of them again. They are very handy for cycling
around Manchester and for carrying the campaign website through the
traffic, so please considering taking up this offer and wearing on the
30th.


In case of changes, please check the loveyourbike.org website on
Wednesday 28th. You can contact me on 07905 790426 on the day, or on
email (or mobile) leading up to it: [email protected]. I'd be
grateful if you could give me some indication of if you are coming and
which rides you are joining.


I look forward to seeing you all on the 30th!


Graeme


PS If you want to organise a ride then just let me know - there are many
other possible starting points!

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Message ends
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Mark Thompson wrote on 27/03/2007 01:30:
> This fell into my mailbox and, as there're a fair few people from
> Manchester here, I thought this'd be a good place to foward it to. I'll
> be starting at Withington Library on a silver Trek road bike.


> ...


> To celebrate the anniversary of the launch of the Love Your Bike
> campaign we're holding an event with three main elements:
>
>
> 1) a number of rides from points around Manchester culminating at Albert
> Square


How did it go?

I don't often cycle to work but live in Manchester and am at least keen
to support others doing so.

Peter

--
http://www.scandrett.net/lx/
http://www.scandrett.net/bike/
 
> How did it go?

Lots of people there, though of course slightly less than the previous
year. It was basically a better promoted version of Manchester's monthly
Critical Commute. Ended in a group photo for the press and the ever-
present Channel M (Manchester's local TV channel). Community radio station
ALL FM was interviewing peeps too (including yours truly). We then
dispersed, with a hard core group of (presumably) GMCC/regular Critical
Commuters going for a coffee.

<www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/lyb/anniversary_report.php>
<http://ibikemcr.org.uk/>
<http://velorution.x21.org.uk/home.html>
<www.gmcc.org.uk/blog/>
 

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