Bicycle Week is almost upon us – Chapeau!
It may have been re-branded over recent years to add in a corporate sponsor, but the bicycle bit (always a bicycle, never an abbreviation…) might have got a little muddled up during a few gear changes, but yeah: Bicycle Week 2012 in Sunny Colch – bring it on.
Running from 16th – 24th June (which is a little bit longer than a week), the bicycle action here in Britain’s Oldest Recorded officially gets underway on 18th June. Much of the activity for 2012 has been put in place by the Colchester Travel Plan, an organisation with the aim of exploring new ways of keeping Colchester moving.
And good luck with that one, fellas…
It’s not all about the bicycle, but two wheels is certainly one of the solutions that is being actively encouraged.
The Travel Plan Club has teamed up with the Colchester Hospitals Charity for much of the promotion around Bicycle Week 2012. It is the perfect message – cycling is a healthy lifestyle; best get the message out there around Colchester General Hospital.
It is an ambitious and well thought out schedule. Folk that are already rolling out around Sunny Colch probably don’t need any more persuasion about the benefits of a bicycling lifestyle. Trying to highlight at the hospital the health angle of bicycling is the right message.
Bicycle Week 2012 starts in Sunny Colch on the morning of Monday 18th June:
“Free Breakfast at Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital – when you send your cycling promise to Colchester Hospitals Charity you will receive a voucher for a free breakfast. All you have to do is present it in the hospital restaurant.”
Bananas are the buzz food of choice for bicyclists.
Don’t be alarmed by the appearance of a clinic on site as well – it’s only the rather ACE Bike Doctor Clinic that will be around to fix your fixie, or whatever your two wheels of choice may need a bit of mechanical assistance with.
The bicycle smoothie maker will make an appearance on 19th June:
“Come and have a go at powering the smoothie maker and taste one of our delicious smoothies. Find us on the grass at the main entrance to the hospital from 9.00am – 4.30pm.”
The Chronic has powered a smoothie machine before – basically you pedal away, powering up a mixer to make something rather special come out of the other end. Talk about the food chain, etc.
But sometimes it really is All About the Bicycle and y’know – bicycling.
Wednesday sees the first led bicycle rides of the week:
“A choice of two bike rides with experienced ride leaders.
11.00am – 1.30pm starts and finishes at Leisure World (meet by the skate ramps)
12.15 -12.45pm starts and finishes at Highwoods (meet at the Visitor Centre)”
Chapeau!
Free cycling refresher courses are available the following day for any cyclists who want to help build up some confidence as they cycle around Sunny Colch:
“10.00am – 12.00 at Highwoods (meet at Visitor Centre)
2.00pm – 4pm at Leisure World (meet by skate ramps)
Getting back on a bike (level 1)
Cycle skills for local journeys (level2)
Advanced road skills (level 3)”
And then to finish off Bicycle Week here in Sunny Colch, and what we need is a communal led roll out around our lovely estuary wilds. Did someone mention a community ride out towards Wivenhoe?
“Sunday 24 June
Family bike ride – 10am from Leisureworld (meet by skate ramps) to Wivenhoe and back with experienced ride leaders. The ride is suitable for children (accompanied by a parent or guardian) who can cycle for approximately two hours.”
Every week is bicycle week for many around the town. Colchester has a growing cycling culture, which is ever visible now that the cycling season is upon us. Inrastructure support from Colchester Borough Council in allowing cycling through Castle Park and similar projects helps. Bicycle Week is a timely reminder for that extra push.
But it is the grass roots, bottom up approach of the likes of Chapeau Velo, the Colchester Cycling Champions and the various Dr Bike sessions that keep all of this sustained.
Oh, and don’t forget that little road race called the Halfords Tour Series that will be rolling into Sunny Colch next Thursday.
Bicycle Week / Month / Year.
Whatever.
Chapeau!
One Comment
Do you know when/how long the Bike Doctor is at the hospital for, and whereabouts?