http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Commuter challenges are like buses… en Wed, 13 May 2026 01:49:02 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-300313 Tue, 29 Jan 2019 20:56:45 +0000 jdanielp 300313@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>And the chance to win a one year pass! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-300306 Tue, 29 Jan 2019 20:24:55 +0000 gembo 300306@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Free passes for Burger Bikes being given out by this particular challenge. Once you get the full email address off them </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-300113 Sat, 26 Jan 2019 12:40:55 +0000 davecykl 300113@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks, Arellcat, for the explanation of why the Edinburgh cycle challenge exists. I still think it is just pointless and wasteful duplication, however (there really is no need to exhort Edinburgh folk to "get on your bike" two times in roughly the same time period), and given that their promotion of it seems to be virtually non-existent, I really would question whether it is a good use of taxpayers' money at all. If I were feeling particularly grumpy, I might even feel like FoIing the council to ask for statistics relating to participation and outcomes. </p> <p>Thanks for the link showing that other councils have applied for funding for more useful and imaginative projects, however. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-300073 Fri, 25 Jan 2019 17:43:53 +0000 Arellcat 300073@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Laidback, typical superb Olympus exposure, but a poor UV filter on the sensor gave that magenta cast. I can tell straightaway which camera I used for a given photo.</p> <p><em>It also gives out a rather disorganised (and wasteful) message to have two "competing" challenges</em></p> <p>Remember, though, that one is organised for Edinburgh (and only Edinburgh) as part of the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places initiative that itself is run by Paths for All across Scotland and delivered to Edinburgh (at least) by Sweco; and one is run by Sustrans for Scotland, as part of a package of measures with partner organisations to encourage participation in active travel*. Given that Paths for All is a named partner body in the SWJC it all becomes a bit circular.</p> <p>As Edinborians it does sound a bit like someone is overegging the pudding; but <a href="https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/mediaLibrary/other/english/14631.pdf">other cities that have applied for SCSP funding</a> are doing different things.</p> <p>* I wrote that, even though it sounds like boilerplate. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-300068 Fri, 25 Jan 2019 17:08:42 +0000 LaidBack 300068@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Reminder of one of these past Commuter Challenge events.</p> <p>Main problem was trying to get people to want to take part on anything other than a bike. 2016<br /> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/albums/72157669116808391" rel="nofollow">https://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/albums/72157669116808391</a></p> <p>Back in 2009 with Maggie Wynn (TryCycling) handing out prizes!<br /> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/beqi/3926941402/in/photolist-7TUsZ6-6YWyUP-6Z1Aw1-6Z1ASf-6YWzGt-6Z1Ai3-btaqwj-bCvKka-6Z1Aps-hoiMf-ddpg6h-6Z1A1q-bpANg5-5nCRwG-6K9jCb-6YTym5-o5aXt-otDB2-otDAY-5nyAHT" title="Edinburgh Commuter Challenge 2009"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2451/3926941402_a71e9f4236.jpg" alt="Edinburgh Commuter Challenge 2009" /></a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-299905 Wed, 23 Jan 2019 21:05:39 +0000 gembo 299905@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@davecykl, I thought the point was prizes? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-299893 Wed, 23 Jan 2019 17:01:02 +0000 jdanielp 299893@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Heriot-Watt employees on the HW-Cycling mailing list, in the Cycling at Heriot-Watt University Facebook group or those who read staff newsletters should have heard about the Edinburgh Commuter Challenge. I would have failed to inform them had I not been prompted by a colleague, but it was a struggle to find information even after being reminded. The Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge is better organised in comparison. Well done Sustrans!</p> <p>Don't forget Ride to Work Week, 25-31 March! <a href="https://www.lovetoride.net/" rel="nofollow">https://www.lovetoride.net/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-299888 Wed, 23 Jan 2019 15:41:36 +0000 davecykl 299888@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The Edinburgh one starts in January and runs right through to the start of the Scotland-wide challenge in March.</p> <p>I don't really think that January or early February is a particularly good time of year to be encouraging novice cyclists to consider cycling to work, given the many things that might put them off (possibly for good), such as darkness, weather, ice, and insufficiently safe roads in many places. Late February or March makes more sense, I think.</p> <p>It also gives out a rather disorganised (and wasteful) message to have two "competing" challenges: I am sure many of us are all encouraged to do many worthy things via our workplaces, and people can easily get fed up by too much "happy smiley" promotional activity of any sort, so I think it would be better to just do it once, and do it well.</p> <p>There would certainly be a case for a further commuter challenge in September/October to get new students into the habit soon after they arrive in the city, although there is also the downside that at that time of year the weather and darkness starts to get worse rather fast. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-299884 Wed, 23 Jan 2019 14:57:29 +0000 CycleCommute.CC 299884@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>One is January, the other March.</p> <p>I'm struggling to see the problem there? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-299882 Wed, 23 Jan 2019 14:01:22 +0000 davecykl 299882@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes, but the point of these challenges is really supposed to be to <strong>encourage the wider public to give cycling to work a go</strong>, not to bribe existing cyclists with prizes (although it doesn't really hurt if any of "us" might happen to win a prize, I'm really not sure that multiple, competing, rival challenges is a particularly clever idea at all).</p> <p>I'm curious whether anyone has seen any advance publicity for the Edinburgh Commuter Challenge at all? My workplace (quite a large one) certainly doesn't seem to have issued anything (and because it seems to be so incompetently organised (and pointless duplication), I'm not minded to help).</p> <p>The Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge, on the other hand, has several hundred people from all over Scotland registered already. I know which one seems to be the more efficient and effective use of taxpayers' money.</p> <p><a href="https://scotland.getmeactive.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">https://scotland.getmeactive.org.uk/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-299764 Mon, 21 Jan 2019 21:06:39 +0000 gembo 299764@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The more events, the more prizes. I once won tickets for family of four to the Dominion. That was worth tens of pounds </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19411#post-299760 Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:58:41 +0000 davecykl 299760@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Commuter challenges are like buses…</p> <p>…you wait ages for one, and then two come along at once.</p> <p>But, seriously: I assume that most folk here are probably well aware of the Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge, which takes place across the whole of Scotland throughout the month of March, by which time the amount of daylight and favourableness of weather should hopefully be better: even as an experienced cyclist I am still much less keen on commuting by bike at a time of year when it is absolutely guaranteed to be dark when leaving work.</p> <p>Having said that, it does no harm to at least start to encourage people to start thinking about cycling again, even at this time of year, as they are in fact doing, with the offer of some prize draws to encourage people to register in advance:</p> <p><a href="https://scotland.getmeactive.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">https://scotland.getmeactive.org.uk/</a></p> <p>So you can imagine my surprise (having a short memory) to be browsing Facebook and then suddenly seeing mention on the Cycling Scotland page (there, and nowhere else) of an Edinburgh Commuter Challenge, apparently taking place right now with virtually no advance publicity (hmmm, not really the ideal time of year to be encouraging possible novice cyclists (who might not have the best of bike lights) out on dark, and possibly wet and slippy, roads anyway, in my opinion).</p> <p>And then I remembered, this challenge overkill has indeed happened before.</p> <p>What on earth is the point in having two rival (and nearly adjacent) commuter challenges? You might be able to drum up enthusiasm for one, but two?</p> <p>If the City Council feels that it has spare money to burn on something vaguely cycling-related, I'd much rather that it spent the money on much-needed high quality infrastructure (even if only a handful of additional cycle racks), or additional cycle training sessions, than pointlessly duplicating something that is already happening, and which is funded nationwide. «sigh» </p>