Thought I'd alert you to this 3 day event occurring at Seafield, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh College of Art, Meadowbank Velodrome.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.
European Cycle Messenger Championships
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Posted 12 years ago #
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Well done to the event people for this; they cleaned up around Seafield Sewage Works (no mean feat!), and got rid of all the cr*p and fly-tipping in prep for their own event this weekend. How public spirited is that!?
Maybe we could learn from this and start a 'cleanup cycle paths' campaign by direct action!Posted 12 years ago # -
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Eva Ballin, one of the main organisers, fellow Edinburgh courier Richard Backhouse with Lord Provost Donald Wilson at a photocall to publicise the event.
COURIERS DELIVER BIKEFEST TO EDINBURGH
On June 15-17 Bicycle couriers from around the world will take time out from their strenuous jobs to head for Edinburgh.
Scotland’s capital is hosting the 17th European Cycle Messenger Championship and over 100 couriers from across Europe and other countries including Canada, Japan and Taiwan will compete to show off their speed and skills on a variety of venues around the city.
The two main organisers of the Championships - Eva Ballin and Brian Dunsmore - and their tireless crew are doing their best to make this an ECMC to remember. What’s more, it will not be a closed event for couriers only.
“We welcome anyone with a bike who wants to prove they can hold their own against the fittest of couriers,” said Eva, who has worked as a courier in Edinburgh for almost 12 years.
She added: “Edinburgh will be a fantastic venue for what promises to be a spectacular weekend featuring racing and trick and fun events. Every overseas courier can be sure of a warm Scottish welcome.”
Brian, a former courier who is now a partner in Glasgow city centre cycle shop RIG, said: “There couldn’t be a better place than Edinburgh to hold ECMC 2012 because this year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Scot Kirkpatrick MacMillan, the father of the bicycle.
“ECMC 2012 will celebrate the bicycle as a working tool, a simple means of transport, a health and fitness booster and ultimately a little piece of freedom in an increasingly congested urban environment. There’s sure to be a host of entertaining events for everyone to enjoy and even take part in.”
* Bicycle couriers play a vital role by ensuring the speedy delivery through congested cities of vital documents such as architectural plans, legal documents such as house deeds and last-minute tax returns, and also medical items such as blood and urine samples.
PROGRAMME....
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Saturday 16 June
09:00-12:00 LOCH2LOCH HILL SPRINT In Holyrood Park, 300ft of punishing ascent in just under a mile between St Margaret’s Loch and Dunsapie Loch.
12:00-17:00 Historic Meadowbank velodrome will be the base for track racing, with music and a barbecue laid on.
16:00-18:00 Sprints and skids competition at the Marine Esplanade.
17:00-21:00 Qualifying heats at Marine Esplanade for the next day’s main race.
18:00-19:00 Marine Esplanade also the venue for display of tricks and stunts by The Clan Scottish Stunt Cycle Team.
Sunday 17 June
10:00-17:00 Main race at Marine Esplanade/Albert Road.
"Posted 12 years ago # -
oooh, hill climb comp....
Posted 12 years ago # -
Alas, weather forecast looks dire for the weekend. Let's hope it's wrong.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Just back from visiting the Euro Cycle Messengers at their 'basecamp'. Despite tidying Marine Espanade they have not quite managed to control the weather!
It is blowing a cold easterly smirr, and seagulls either flying backwards or roosting on the warm pipes at the WWTC (sewage works to you and me)!
They are optimistic that the heavens will open the other way tomorrow, for their fantastic range of events!
A hardy bunch indeed!Posted 12 years ago # -
"They are optimistic that the heavens will open the other way tomorrow"
Well I think today's forecast for 'heavy rain all day' hasn't been particularly accurate, but...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Can't see anything happening at the velodrome if it carries on like this. :-(
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Eva Ballin cycles up to 80 miles per day in her job with Scotland's biggest independent courier company"
.
Posted 12 years ago # -
This is slightly unusual -
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/abs/Weathercam/station/24hours.html
Met Office weather maps currently showing no rain until 7 (today) and lots tomorrow, but this morning it was predicting quite a lot for PM commute so who knows!
Posted 12 years ago # -
8 degrees! 6 days from mid-summer. Can we get a refund?
Posted 12 years ago # -
you shoulda seen the outside of the meadows bar last night, like a little peice of holland (if everyone in holland rode fixies)
I was tempted to zoom past on the bent and shout 'fixie pixies' in an attempt to get a Jacky chan style mass bike chase going on but I had the trailer and didn't fancy my chances.
Posted 12 years ago # -
A high percentage of tough beardy men and gaudy bikes on their way up to Dunsapie Loch this morning. If I hadn't known it was the Courier Champs today I'd have guessed at this point.
Posted 12 years ago # -
you shoulda seen the outside of the meadows bar last night, like a little peice of
hollandShoreditchFTFY ;-)
@Min, I've seen a fair number of fixie-riding males round Portobello today. Might be couriers, or maybe this weather just brings out the 'hard as nails' brigade. My son was the only child on a bike I've seen all day so far, except for some kids in the back of a trailer this morning on our street, which doesn't quite count as they have their own play tent to shelter from the elements.
A tandem is definitely better in this wind than a solo plus tagalong, methinks! Said son regarding the weather, and complete absence of the usual throng of parents and kids on bikes outside music class: "The only time we can't cycle here is if it's really frosty and snowy, otherwise we're fine because we're tough and sporty."
If that's the way he sees things, I'm happy with that.
Posted 12 years ago # -
http://mpora.com/videos/T6hzKCt6r/
http://www.ecmc2012.co.uk/news/red-bull-mini-drome-press-release
Tomorrow, Sunday 17th June.
Posted 12 years ago # -
My son was the only child on a bike I've seen all day so far, except for some kids in the back of a trailer this morning on our street, which doesn't quite count as they have their own play tent to shelter from the elements.
One of the couriers was toting his children round HP in a trailer. Seriously.Posted 12 years ago # -
Yeah I spotted him in tollcross.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Lots of bikes with numbers on the handlebars parked in Tollcross. They didn't appear to be racing.
Posted 12 years ago # -
We had a phenomenal weekend despite the horrendous wether. We had around 150 people turn up from all over the globe. 82 took part in the hill climb around Arthurs seta from loch to loch. Local lad "Fast Dave "v taking victory 20 secs ahead of the pack in an astonishin 3.17. Saturday qualifying was cancelled as was the velodrome at meadowback for the obvious hence why we were all in the Ventoux at Tollcross on sat. Massive thanks to all the organisers. It was a huge effort all round. Here's looking forward to the World Championships in Chcago in August
Posted 12 years ago # -
3.17 - clearly PS should become a messenger!
Don't envy anyone riding in that rain... reminded me of a brevet.
Posted 12 years ago # -
They don't call him fast Dave for nothing...... He's not even a courier.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Correctamundo. Dave isn't a courier and never has been. But for the first time in 17 years of the ECMC it was decided to have it open to all, not just the courier fraternity. We want less of the "them" and "us" steroetype. If someone gets on a bike and rides it then fair play bethem a hipster or a messenger.
Posted 12 years ago #
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