Women's Cycling Network « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News

Women's Cycling Network

(18 posts)

Started 13 years ago by SRD
Latest reply from wee folding bike

No tags yet.

SRD
Moderator

Not sure how I got on this mailing list....I got stuck part way through the survey - it kept saying that I'd not answered a question, even though I had. I'm not really a very good candidate for this sort of thing anyway, since I am more into cycling as transport than fun/exercise....

The 'Women's Cycling Network'- brought to you by British Cycling…... Coming Soon!
Following the survey that you may have responded to in early 2010 and our ongoing development of recreational cycling opportunities for women, British Cycling, through funding from Sport England, is creating a new network of fun, free, local bike rides for women, organised by women.
Informal. Social. Special. The network will focus on getting women to start to cycle, get back on a bike and cycle more regularly.

The key elements of the programme are:

- Training of 1000 'local champions' - women who will co-ordinate, manage and promote free, fun bike rides for like- minded women in their neighbourhood.

- Make it easier to 'get on a bike and go for a ride’ by developing and promoting a network of local approved cycling training, bike hire, retail and beginner bike maintenance opportunities.

- Develop a thriving online community which enables you to book onto local rides, meet your local champion, chat to other new women cyclists- a network to be proud to be involved in!

- A series of entry-level women only mass participation rides / events in select locations across the country.

It is worth noting that the women we are targeting are:

Busy.
Not as active as they’d like to be.
Do not cycle regularly.
Not the highest earners.
Often mums.
....and who face all the barriers to getting on a bike...

In order for us to finalise the concept we would really welcome 5-10 minutes of your time to provide your insight by completing the survey (link below):
http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=89290032-1550-43e8-97ae-6c9801f03382

If you have any friends or groups that you think might spare 5 minutes and help shape our thinking – please do forward this email.

This is a uniquely exciting opportunity to get thousands of women involved – thank you for your help.

Posted 13 years ago #
ruggtomcat
Member

*BUMP*

Posted 13 years ago #
Min
Member

I note this network is only in England though I hope it is successful.

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

Why is OK to have women only things and yet Glasgow university union was forced to go co-ed, Dorothy got into Gregory's football team and there are girls in the Cub Scouts?

OTOH I can already go on free, fun bike rides or get on my bike and go for a ride - I just take one out of the garage.

The only barriers to me riding a bike are the demands of the memsahib and the Marx Bros "Monkey Business" which I'm watching right now.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

Folds - As you know, it is a man's world. Testosterone is an issue in all walks of life. I do not like macho anything. [nor top gear]. Due to my own perversity I would be very happy to hear from our spy SRD that the Women's cycling network set up a race and all got very macho about who would win with loads of jostling etc. But maybe it will be all civility, bonding, intelligent chat etc

The MArx Bros. abide.

I joined QMU (the women's union) myself.

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

GUU had an army chef in my day so the scoff was great.

Snooker hall was better, not that it helped my game any.

There was a lower percentage of people wrapped in the worker's flag before they got a suit and job for the HR dept at Smith Kline Beacham.

There were too many Norwegians.

The only women's issue I can think of is the lack of iron thumbs to get tyres on properly but there are tools for that.

The only person I know who went to a recording of Top Gear is a woman.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

QMU had better bands, but of course you could go into both places, I was in the GUU plenty. Even once participating in the Debating Club [very old school]. My partner (female) is better at tyres (particularly the Brompton sized ones on the old kids trike) than I am.

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

If you were at a debate between '85 and '89 you would probably have seen my sister speaking.

I used to throw paper planes at MPs and anyone else who stood up.

Some people use soap or talc for tyres but I'm old school. If it doesn't fit, make it fit.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

I only went to one or two debates - did they get on the telly, or was it just some of the reprobates went on to become politicians? I remember one wee tory/SNP guy wearing a kilt and talking about sexism saying "It is clear who wears the trousers in my house"

I spoke for Independent Socialists as Labour Club was boycotting the debates at time (odd as Donald Dewar and John Smith were big debaters). Tall louche chap was the Captain of the team (Whizzo)

Saw the guy who isn't you at Queen St and Haymarket last monday. Previously chatted to him on train to Airdrie (well I got off at Bathgate). He isn't you as the Brompton is a small part of his journeys, the train being the big thing.

Off to use very dear but cute small adjustable spanner (from Mr Freewheelin) on the plastic nuts of my son's Halfords bike now..

Posted 13 years ago #
ruggtomcat
Member

'plastic nuts'

cant decide if this is off topic or not ;)

but also WHAT??? plastic nuts?

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

TV ones were the year before I went there. Some of my sister's chums were involved.

Donald Dewar the millionaire socialist? I threw paper planes at him. I did see John Smith speak a few times but he was quite funny so I don't think I threw anything.

Smith's daughter was there at the same time as me.

There are probably other reasons the guy on the train isn't me.

Plastic nuts? There are three Halford's bikes round here but none of them are that mad. One of them is actually quite a good kid's bike. No silly suspension or gears.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

Plastic nuts - well I exaggerate. They are made of some metallic amalgam but you have to be very careful not to round the bolts with ill fitting spanners and the angles are a little tight for my big monkey wrench. The wee adjustable spanner worked a treat. Crud mudguard taken off the smaller bike (possibly similar to the one you cite -sturdy, no gears, no suspension last forever but too small) and put on to the red boy racer with cheap gears and cheap suspension (and cheap bolts) but looks good and is big. Despite the shim being huge the mudguard still wobbly

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

It were all heirs to the throne when I was letting my education get in the way of University... None of them turned out to be politicians that I know of, possibly because PPE wasn't on offer.

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

Anti vibration washer?

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

Anti-vibration washer - for the shim I take it?

Heirs to the throne all of them, the local Labour Party would say to Wendy Alexander in my instance {she did do quite well tho] - you keep those uppity students in check and there will be a job for you. She took this advice seriously but as I didn't need to be a member of the Labour Club I didn't need to do what she told me - a liberating aspect of a university education cf. rote learning at school

I remember being in Dunoon and meeting a post graduate guy from the psychology dept. [he was friends of the keyboard player in Lloyd Cole and the Commotions oooooh that dates me]. He had cycled from Glasgow in some race - I remember thinking this mad when you could avoid the bends by taking the boat. Apparently now though at the Cowal Highland Games they no longer tolerate drinking in the street. This was one of the actual competitions in my day. 8am train out of Glasgow Central - 24 cans of Tennents to keep you company

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

Well if you think fitting an anti vibration washer to Wendy Alexander would help I'll be right there with the spanner.

She must have been there at the same time as me but I don't remember her. She's still keeping things in check too, institute a commission and then serve on the committee which scrutinises the work of the commission... nice work if you can get it.

The liberating thing I remember from uni was going to a talk by Richard Dawkins. I'd no idea who he was but a friend was going so I tagged along. Then I read some of his books. Nobody I knew in Glasgow went on to high office but quite a few of the people I worked with in London did. They're on boards of big pharmaceutical or intellectual property companies.

It's not just the bends, there is a reasonable hill on that road too.

Lloyd Cole - release Easy Pieces on CD or iTunes. I've probably got the vinyl copy in in the garage but...

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

I didn't know Wendy Alexander, she just gave me a row or two. I was in first year she was in fourth so by my calculation she had left by yhr time you got there [assuming you arrived in 1984].

The Lloyd Cole chap - alan, he did seem quite fatigued. I remember this and worrying about all the cars. Fatigue and cars - nothing has changed.

I ended up interviewing the Commotions (lloyd came in a bit later] at Ayr Pavilion, for the short lived but quite good fanzine This Neutral Air. The guitarist was interesting guy. Subsequently wrote a sitcom with Paul Whitehouse. Strangely [well I thought it strange] they put me and a guest [S McF from your school, I will not start that again but you may work it out if you can be bothered] on their guest list for a gig in Glasgow. I was easily impressed. S McF unimpressed. Lloyd then left for America, he always was a Rattlesnake.

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

Ahhh, I figured she was three years older than me, did medicine for a year then an MA Hons.

Lucky escape there then.

I did throw paper planes at Jeffery Archer.

Posted 13 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.

// CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

About This Forum

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News

Women's Cycling Network

Reply

RSS Feeds

Links