CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News

NEW website - for encouraging people to cycle to work

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  1. Neil
    Member

    I'm sure you could get large employers (the universities for example!) to circulate/ advertise on their websites.

    My suggestion for implementation (recognising you may have considered this already!)

    Launch it in it's current form. I wouldn't stick posters up etc... just yet. Target specific audience(s) to testbed and get feedback. A small prize (sponsored perhaps) would pay it's way a million times over in getting people to take the time to complete a survey. Obviously the comments sections will give feedback too as you mentioned. Get buy-in sponsorship from shops, employers and use this for graphic design/website/marketing etc.... Rejig incorporating all the feedback and launch with marketing.

    ....or something like that :P

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. Neil
    Member

    Woops just noticed the linked pdf :P ;-)

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. Dave
    Member

    Looks good, just one comment - there are some iffy looking "BBC quotes" going on, for instance:

    more likely to get ‘overheated’ and passing ‘too close’

    I recommend https://adrianblau.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/the-curse-of-quotation-marks-on-the-bbc-website/ since it's basically the same phenomenon.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. Neil
    Member

    Yeah. I read "more likely to get ‘overheated’ and passing ‘too close’" as more likely to get aroused and brush against you inappropriately

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    "Target specific audience(s) to testbed and get feedback."

    Yes it would be good if people could show it to friends/colleagues and get some reactions.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    "What will wear out on a bike and when it's likely to do so (e.g. depending on how far and often you're commuting etc...). Also, consequences of neglecting, even if it's just a loss in efficiency. I've ridden for years but it was only relatively recently that I realised a bike could run as new for as long as if properly maintained (but obviously that's a choice and not necessary).

    ...

    People often don't realise a chain is a consumable (and how cheap it is to replace even getting a bike shop to do it)

    "

    Good points.

    Need to add something. There have been various CCE threads about 'should I replace the chain often, or just ride until everything is worn out?'. Various different ideas...

    "A clean bike goes faster and lasts longer" -

    https://bikebase.wordpress.com/basic-basics/beginners-guide-to-living-with-a-bike

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. Vez
    Member

    Looks good and has a nice friendly welcoming tone to it. I'd suggest the following:

    In 'hot and sweaty' section I'd re-organise it so it doesn't start with 'some people like to get as hot and sweaty as possible' as I think that's off-putting to someone who's identified that as a barrier for them. I would start with you don't have to get hot and sweaty unless you want to, it's about pace and gears. A good tip is to put on the amount of clothes you think you need and then remove 1 layer before you set off. Something about 2-3 miles being very manageable for most people in normal clothes with no need to change or shower afterwards?

    Traffic - I'd start with the idea that you can find quieter routes, mention that any route gets easier the better you know it, that people who already drive who start to cycle are using skills they already have (or should!) of awareness and anticipation, that some say cycling makes you a better driver...

    Bikes page 'it's best to carry as little as possible when cycling' sounds a bit roadie?! How about, it's really easy to carry what you need for your working day on your bike, especially if you have a pannier rack and panniers.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    @Vez

    Thanks all that makes sense.

    Will modify.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    Thanks for all suggestions above.

    Have used many of them.

    Have also removed "TEST site" - so tell your friends, colleagues etc.

    I'm not saying 'it's finished' or that there aren't any mistakes or things that need adding.

    So have a look

    https://cyclefridays.wordpress.com

    and post more comments here.

    Thanks

    Don't forget

    It's not 'my site' - it's "a spin-off from CCE".

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. sallyhinch
    Member

    On clothes - possibly worth saying that it's not a binary choice between normal clothes and full-on lycra. Most of us are probably somewhere in between, with even the most cycle chic making a few concessions here and there to the fact that we're out there on a bike in all weathers (even if it's simply not wearing jeans with an evil seam in just the wrong place). There are also clothes which are designed to work on the bike but don't look sporty, like Vulpine's kit and Cambridge raincoats (both a bit pricey but M&S also do cycle commuting trousers for men).

    Posted 8 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    Ok, now -

    "Lycra? Or not? (Or a sensible mix?)"

    Posted 8 years ago #

  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I cycled up to the station the other way to get the 0540 train to London. Was in my suit trousers, shirt, shiny shoes and macintosh, with my briefcase and Kryptonite lock bungeed to the pannier rack. I felt totally Copenhagen!

    I'd do it more often if it didn't speed up the disintegration of crotch seams!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  13. threefromleith
    Member

    Had a few replies from @RangiRevo this morning to a tweet I sent linking to the new site. You can see them by searching for the user's tweets on Twitter, but I've suggested they contact the site owner with them as I'm not connected to the site itself. If I get a chance, I'll post the comments here over lunchtime when I have the time.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    The world according to Kickstarter -

    "

    As a species, our most valuable power is collective knowledge. We learn from the world by interacting with it, and we record what we learn in order to share it with others.

    "

    Posted 8 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    Now active -

    https://www.twitter.com/startonfriday

    Posted 8 years ago #

  16. threefromleith
    Member

    I see whoever mans (or womans?!) the @StartonFriday Twitter account has responded to @RangiRevo - good stuff! saves me having to retype the comments here :-)

    Posted 8 years ago #

  17. HankChief
    Member

    Can we get a link to it on the righthand side if this site please?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    "Can we get a link to it on the righthand side if this site please?"

    Yes

    Soon

    Ish

    Posted 8 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    "saves me having to retype the comments here"

    That's wot cut&paste is for!

    But yes.

    Useful to get feedback but too early to know if current tone/approach will work on not-yet-cycle-commuters.

    Hope some people on here will know of people that the site might help - and actually does.

    Early days.

    Nice window until the clock go back then site will need inspiring tales of ploughing through the gloom and cold...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  20. deckard112
    Member

    Now shared round the office along with a couple of additional links to the innertube map, also our cycle-to-work scheme intranet site and of course, CCE!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  21. chdot
    Admin

    "Now shared round the office"

    Great, thanks.

    Presume you mean to people who actually know who you are rather than just sending a bulk email that could be regarded as spam?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  22. deckard112
    Member

    Yes.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  23. cb
    Member

    wordpress.com sites are blocked at my place of work. I think I only get access as I am in the blogs/forums exclusion groups which works for a subset of blogs/forums.

    Sometimes if the proxy servers are having a bad day then they'll block wordpress for me too. Sometimes happens to CCE too.

    Maybe this will be a problem for other big employers with equally silly internet accessing policies?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  24. chdot
    Admin

    Ah

    Posted 8 years ago #

  25. deckard112
    Member

    Interestingly my 'big' employers normal internet policy goes like "Will this website prove useful to the employee, company or could it's access ultimately benefit our customers - if the answer is yes, access denied"

    Thankfully not in this case.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  26. chdot
    Admin

    Friendly Employer Award Holders – Edinburgh & West Lothian

    Check if yours is here -

    https://cyclefridays.wordpress.com/employers/cfe-ed

    Did you know?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  27. deckard112
    Member

    Out of interest how was that list compiled?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  28. Beano
    Member

    Start on a Friday...but just not today unless you have a snorkel ;-0

    Posted 8 years ago #

  29. paddyirish
    Member

    @Beano, was thinking much the same, but on the bright side, if you can handle today, you can handle just about any day.

    And now I'm used to it, there is very little that a hot shower, a coffee and a bacon roll can't cure.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  30. chdot
    Admin

    "Start on a Friday...but just not today unless you have a snorkel ;-0"

    Indeed, but part of the point of the new site is to get people trying to cycle to work.

    It doesn't have to be every day.

    Gain experience and confidence and gradually buy bikes/bits/clothes to suit the ways/days you cycle.

    Posted 8 years ago #

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