CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Apparently it was about 4,000 - so definitely significantly more than last year.
Yesterday's rain will have discouraged a few.
Graeme Obree spoke sense - with passion.
The minister mostly read words that had already appeared in the press this morning.
He got heckled quite a bit - esp when he talked about the '10% by 2020', but wouldn't say if it was a 'target'.
We had to scram before the speechifying but was def an amazing turnout given the weather in the run up to it, I did almost wonder if it would be hundreds not thousands as I travelled through the mist and damp towards Edinburgh today.
Given that 4,000 people cared enough to make the effort and chance the weather, heckling should not be the thing that worries the token minister, rather the alienated 4000 voters, plus those who couldn't make it or were put off by the weather, that is what should be scaring the pants of all the politicos whose weasel words and empty promises have clearly been seen through by so many!
Could've done with some speakers positioned further from the speaking point as the sound drifted away too easily if you were further away.
Of the speeches I heard, the one which disappointed me was that from the Tory representative which just came across as a) Like me because I ride a bike a bit, followed by b) I can list a lot of good things about cycling which means you'll empathise with me, and finally c) vote Tory. It was basically a party political broadcast and showed no signs of promises or even ambitions to do anything.
@Focus - Cameron Rose is the chap you refer to.
He blogs a bit about cycling, cares about cycling I think - but today was a bit 'party political'.
Alison Johnstone almost makes me want to vote Green.
Great effort everyone.
Logistics dream list:
More speakers so we can all hear well - I'm sure they used all that were available, of course.
No audience on mound - they were obscuring the view of all of us down below, to the side.
Slow the pace down the Royal Mile - no need to overtake the 5 year olds, better to be (reasonably) sedate and extend the town centre impact.
Great day - from setting off at 11.30 with the kids to slumping on the sofa at 9.15. Felt much bigger than last year but I felt that splitting it up really sucked a bit of the atmosphere out of it. There wasn't that sense of having taken over the High Street.
For me, the bit that has the most impact is the minute's silence and the minute's bell ringing but far back in the queue it's hard to tell when it's started and finished. I wonder if that would have more impact down at the Parliament, with that amphitheatre and with everyone gathered around.
But a great piece of organisation. Well done to everyone who made it happen.
Great turnout given the impact the weather yesterday could have had on peoples' intentions for today.
One thing: on the way to the start, as I pootled down the Silverknowes/Roseburn path, I was surprised by the large number of cyclists heading the other way. I know not every Edinburgh cyclist would turn up to POP but there were hunners of them going North-West, including some who, for risk of stereotyping, seemed nailed-on POP attenders (including a number of family parties and a hand-powered recumbantist). If they and their ilk could be persuaded to head for the Meadows instead, there's potential for 6-7k at future POPs, I reckon...
Anyhoo, well done to the organisers who deserve an enormous pat on the saddlebag for their efforts.
sorry , we wizzed down the mile, the 4 year old and 17month old in the trailer were a bit restless and wanted a whee moment, ( wizzed obviously was slightly faster than those we overtook but not really speedy :)- but I did note a few cyclist overtaking a few sheperdard kids when they could have easily gave a wide berth.
The Minister just needed to be a better politico and read the mood; rather than the speech...
Had our slowest ever cycle up from Porty - in amongst the kiltwalkers meant it took us about an hour to get the the Meadows. Experience was spoilt by a pedestrian who'd obviously been pissed off walking past so many bikes down MMW that by the time he got to me at the traffic lights at M Drive he was throthing about taxes and getting the police! 10 mins of joy.
For me it's not about the money, it's about getting the thought for cyclists in their at earliest opportunity rather than some afterthought...
Was somebody after GPX trails?
As a marshall, I had to sit on the junction of George IV bridge and the Royal Mile.
And I had an amazingly wonderful time.
I have to say, I had very little to do, other than enjoy the buzz that arose from POP2.
The cyclists pedalled their bikes, and the pedestrians asked me what was happening, and when I explained, they got their phones out to take photos - everyone I talked to, was on our side. Politicians, take note.
I was assisting Uberuce, but things were organised so well all I really had to do was smile, laugh, and occasionally say "could you just wait a momemt" - and every one did.
It was such a wonderful feeling I got.
So thanks to Bruce, Sara, Sally, David and everyone else who took the time to organise this, because, even I who was a marshall, I don't know everone's name, and I'm sorry, but really, really big thanks
Great stuff, thank you to everyone who organised, marshalled and turned up! Was great to see so many people there.
"I felt that splitting it up really sucked a bit of the atmosphere out of it. There wasn't that sense of having taken over the High Street"
Yes I felt the same. Last year everyone was packed much closer together I don't recall ever getting above walking pace, it made for a much more social event. This year as soon as we left the Meadows there were big gaps and people letting the brakes off (some even pedalling !) to close them. But once again it was nice to mingle and recognise a few faces at the finish. Couldn't hear the speeches though.
The BBC have posted a story.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-22581721
I think I can see my other half in the photo.
I agree totally, that splitting us up detracted from the atmosphere we got last year - but remember last year, the figure expected was 300, and 3000 arrived.
But, and I'm speaking from the POV of a marshall, we took a tad more time to pass than if we'd gone down en masse. And more folk noticed. And we caused less disturbance, yet the traffic still flowed, so we had less complaints.
It would have been nice to just go as a flow. But today we still made a point, and showed that we were willing to integrate. And that's a really good point.
"...and showed that we were willing to integrate. And that's a really good point."
Indeed.
Without grouping people by speed it's probably tricky to keep the density of the moving mass constant when it's reasonably freely-flowing, whereas last year the re-clumping on the High Street caused a secondary that's-quote-a-lot-of-cyclists moment after the first in the Meadows.
The point was made last year that whilst 3,000 people on bicycles take up a fair bit of space it's nothing compared to that which can be achieved with 3,000 peoplesworth of motor-vehicle space, even counting some people as passengers in cars and buses.
We got split up at the Bridges last year too - the roads were all open and we had to obey the traffic lights, and what's more we had maddened van drivers careering down the High St weaving between the bicycles. This year the roads were closed so it was far better.
If you can do the impossible and persuade the council to close North & South Bridge for a couple of hours next year then we'll be able to have an uninterrupted run down the High St for PoP 2014.
we've said it before; we'll say it again, but worth repeating that without CCE, POP would not be what it is. thanks everyone. well done. (and anyone who wants to join in the admin fun is very welcome)
I can't add much to EddieD's description of marshalling except to say that the ride in through the 800 kilt walkers was a fun prelude to the main event. Those I spoke to had heard about POP and wanted to know what we were demanding. It took a lot of bell ringing and patience to make progress. The highlight was seeing so many different bikes, especially the decorated ones. And seeing the crowd at the parliament for the first time.
Next year I'll be there! Booked the wrong weekend off work and couldn't change it - numpty!
Glad to see it all went well
Cracking event once more. Bigger than last year, definitely ran in a slicker fashion. Can't comment on the ride itself given I disappeared off piste, but watching the riders arrive at Holyrood it appeared they were more in 'dribs and drabs' than arriving en masse, yet somehow seemed to get everyone down quite quickly (I presume by the lack of creation of bottlenecks that concertina-d down).
There were a heck of a lot of riders who were arriving, and completely bypassing the speeches etc. by just continuing on east or west, but that might have happened last year as well.
The politician words were strangely reminiscent of last year (by the way, from up on the Radical Road you could hear everything word perfect - some very odd acoustics going on there), so I would suspect PoP3 is already in mind.
Gathered by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Parliamentary by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Graeme Obree by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Stilted by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
yes please on GPX files - you can email to hello@pedalonparliament.org - please include your ride *to* the event as well as the ride itself
Wow. We got away with it *again*
It wouldn't have been so awesomesauce without the crowd, so if you are member of the crowd, please pat yourselves on the back. Thank you for being lovely.
I can't thank our marshal team enough; we'd not have had this protest unless we had you, but we did, so we did, and therefore you are made of 24-carat win.
As with last year, the polis were our biggest fans, so people faulting them are plainly making it up.
Yup Police were friendly, low profile and generally excellent, I just wish their spokespeople wouldn't keep massively underestimating the numbers though, I've seen it on a few events where there are counters out with clickers checking actual numbers, whatever the Police system is for estimating crowd size, it appears to be wholly inadequate :-/
Police always seem to underestimate demo numbers. Organisers similarly overestimate, normally.
I thought more people at the meadows but about same at the parliament. maybe a number went for the ride but did not hang around? Compared with last year.
Was a great day out, despite the poor weather (not of course as bad as it would have been on the day we originally wanted on the Saturday). I thought the cycle on closed roads was better than last year.
Thanks to the organisers. next stop Bike Breakfast?
I was in the last group to leave the Meadows, and went past Peter's Yard about 3:45. I've put some photos onto the flickr group (f_m_m) - they're not very good but I hope they give some idea of the size of the crowd.
Bear in mind I didn't go last year.
I'd agree that "... splitting it up really sucked a bit of the atmosphere out of it. There wasn't that sense of having taken over the High Street..." but I'm happy to accept that it made more of an impact than appeared from where I was.
One thing I did think was that it might be worth encouraging parents with small children to come forward and not be in the last group (speedy boarding stylee) as small children tend to be slower.
I'm afraid if you give a cyclist a downhill on a closed road they are likely to whizz (even on cobbles) unless specifically requested not too... if might be worth putting this into next year's instructions. The marshalls were encouraging us to hurry up, once we got going, as well. It looked as though you could have got away with smaller gaps between groups.
I was one who didn't stop for the speeches, as I could have told you that the politicians were going to say that cycling is a good thing but we're not giving any more money to it. You definitely need to count the number of people who left the Meadows, not the crowd who stood at the Parliament.
"
EdinburghSketcher (@edinsketcher)
20/05/2013 08:21
Yesterdays sketch montage from Pedal on Parliament 2013 #PoP2 @POPScotland @CyclingEdin @edfoc @SpokesLothian
http://pic.twitter.com/lr1A2wPAOL
"
"One thing I did think was that it might be worth encouraging parents with small children to come forward"
I think that makes sense.
I'll add another voice to trying to re-concentrate riders before the high street. Even if it means batching people back up at the bridges, the walking paced mass was great fun. I hung around opposite Victoria street taking photies and there was never that wall of cyclists coming towards me that we had last year.
As an aside, my gps didn't work very well so registered me way off the road/paths so strava doesn't show an enormous "ridden with"
I think I witnessed the tail end of the pedestrian/cyclist fall out on MMW mentioned by wangi above.
Bit of a bad start to the day, not really sure what happened, but I don't think the ped got the resolution he was looking for.
The event also finished badly for me due to an a**ehole in a white van who gave me a very aggressive overtake on Dalkeith Road before plonking himself in (and even over) the ASL for the East Preston Street junction.
I drew up in front of him which meant I couldn't see the filter (obviously I don't know the junction). Fortunately a cyclist further back shouted when the filter came on!
I got another aggressive overtake, so I stayed behind at the next junction. Then I got the camera out; maybe he saw it as he seemed to behave himself after that.
A huge well done to all the organisers, all the posters/leaflters and flyer peeps, and most of all to the thousands of ordinary cyclists who came from far and near to try to make things better.
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