Last month’s Pedal on Parliament rally was prompted by the deaths of six cyclists on Scottish roads in the past year.

The team behind the demonstration posted an open letterto the Scottish Government on STV Edinburgh last weekend.

On Friday Mr Brown said he would sit down with them on May 31 to discuss “how we can work together to increase and improve bike use in Scotland.”

The Pedal on Parliament team welcomed the meeting, but added: “We won’t be fobbed off with a repetition of the same message we’ve had from the government in the past.”

Among those riding to Holyrood on April 28 were the father and stepmother of 43-year-old Andrew McNicoll, who was killed in a crash on Lanark Road in January while riding to work from his house in Balerno.

Kim Harding, of Pedal on Parliament, said he will urge Mr Brown to consider the group’s eight-point manifesto.

“We’ll hope that this time he’ll be ready to really listen to what we have to say, such as why we believe the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland is not enough to deliver the government’s own target of 10% of journeys by bike by 2020, and how our manifesto provides the outline of a real action plan for cycling in Scotland.

“We’ll be going ready to listen to what Mr. Brown has to say in return – but we won’t be fobbed off with a repetition of the same message we’ve had from the government in the past.

“3,000 people did not pedal on Parliament to be told about what the government has already done, or that targets are hard.

“We pedalled on Parliament to say we wanted to see things change. And we’ll make sure those 3,000 voices will continue to be heard.”

Mr Brown said: “Pedal on Parliament and this Scottish Government share a mutual goal – to make cycling safer and get more people in Scotland on their bikes.

“That is why this Scottish Government has invested over £83m in active travel since 2007 and over the next three years will invest £27m in cycling alone.

“It goes without saying that cycling benefits the individual with not just physical benefits, but benefits for mental health, the environment and keeping transport costs down.

“Only this week I launched the Give Me Cycle Space safety campaign and we want to see every school child have the opportunity for on-road cycle training so the next generation do not have the same concerns about getting on a bike.

“I’ve been heavily involved with the cycling community lately, launching Give Me Cycle Space, presenting the first ever Cycle Friendly School Award and starting the Alloa to Dollar Cyclathon. And I hope to take part in the Pedal for Scotland bike ride later this year.

“I was happy to support the Pedal on Parliament event and look forward to meeting the organisers later this month to discuss how we can work together to increase and improve bike use in Scotland.”

For original article please click here

Neil Bon, of Pronto Pedal Power, has turned his back on a promising law career to run his own cargo bike business and is already winning custom from companies which want to save time, money and reduce pollution too.

Cargo bikes, which are specially designed to carry large and bulky items, are already a common sight in Denmark and the Netherlands.

They are increasing in popularity elsewhere on the continent but are still a rarity on Scotland’s streets.

Mr Bon believes that could be about to change, as businesses realise cargo bikes have important advantages over the ubiquitous white delivery van.

He told me: “It’s primarily about cost. But a lot of companies are looking to reduce their environmental impact, so it’s about that too. And, of course, we can make deliveries more quickly than vans in the city centre.”

Cycle logistics

Mr Bon said cargo bike delivery riders should not be confused with traditional cycle couriers, with a light bag of documents slung across their backs.

“Capacity is the most important difference,” he said. “We can transport about 150kg of goods. We carry documents, cheese, wine, a whole range of goods. We’ll carry anything that can fit in the box.

“It’s a bit like an old butcher’s bike.”

Dr Randall Rzewnicki, of the European Cyclists’ Federation in Brussels, is an expert in cycle logistics.

He said the Danish capital, Copenhagen, demonstrates how cargo bikes can be used to reduce the number of journeys made by cars and vans in city centres.

“In Copenhagen, for example, one in every four families with children has a cargo bike,” he said.

“But they don’t just use them to move kids.

“They’re using them to move everything, including Christmas trees, their weekly shopping and even to move house.

“In Holland it’s pretty much the same story.”

Low running costs

In some parts of the world, multinational logistics companies have begun using cargo bikes for deliveries in urban areas and Dr Rzewnicki believes environmental benefits are not the only attraction.

Dr Rzewnicki said: “I don’t think that’s why TNT, DHL and other big companies are doing it. I’m sure they like the efficiency, the service speed, the low running costs.

“Maybe they just think it’s the best way to get the job done.”

Linda Urquhart, the chairman of the Edinburgh law firm Morton Fraser, said: “We’re tested regularly by prospective clients on whether we’re environmentally friendly.

“When we’re tendering for work, one of the things we’re asked for is our environmental credentials.

“But it makes sense for us to use Neil not just from an environmental perspective, but from a business perspective too because he’s cheaper, faster and greener.”

Simon Lloyd, of the specialist French delicatessen Henri, said: “We deliver to a lot of the top restaurants in the city and we used to find it a real strain.

“We would lose a member of staff who would spend hours struggling round Edinburgh in the van.

“Then Neil came along, pitched for the business and it works fantastically for us. We’re using our van a lot less.”

For original article from the BBC please click here.

Can you walk, run, wheelchair, cycle, kayak, canoe, horseride, or other?To coincide with the 2012 Olympics and the fortnight in which the Olympic Flame will be touring the UK, RSAS is organising a relay to raise awareness of Rett Syndrome and to raise much needed funds. The challenge is to raise £5,000 towards the cost of the annual Badaguish Family Weekend.

Dawn, Emma, Leila, David, Cheryl and Stephen are members of the Aspire Team of Lloyds Banking Group and together with Jason and Alison of Lloyds Banking Group have chosen to support RSAS for their project “Day to make a difference” and to this effect they have volunteered to help organise the relay.

RSAS members Rhian, Jane, Angela, Holly, Pauline, Lucie and Muriel have already volunteered to take part, and will be part of this event.

We also have volunteers for some parts of the route but it will be easier to cover the whole thing if more people come forward to help us, and support this unique event

So how can you get involved?

We are looking for people to

 Take part in the relay as part of the relay team

 Assist at one of the check points?

 Arrange sponsorship for other participants

 Host an event at the end of each day

If you are unable to take part personally please encourage your family or friends to could take part instead and / or sponsor us online.

Contact me if you can help out in any way and I will always be pleased to give you more details, or visit the website www.rettsyndromescotland.co.uk

It’s about encouraging everyone with an interest in cycling to share the fun and introduce just one friend, neighbour, colleague or family member to cycling.

The Summer of Cycling brings together a whole host of organisations from charities, NGOs, industry manufacturers and retailers, as well as major UK cycling event organisers. It is very much a collaborative effort, with racing organisations being able to promote the Summer of Cycling just as easily as local cycle campaign groups or cyclists like yourself.

Cycling Scotland are taking part. Are you?

The Big Day is the flagship event of the week long Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival and is being staged between 11:00 and 16:00 at Victoria Park, Aberfeldy, on Saturday 12 May 2012, the day before the legendary Etape Caledonia Sportive. The free cycle fun day aimed at locals and visitors; cyclists and non cyclists, has a packed programme of family focused activities that include awesome bike displays from The Clan stunt display team, a giant air bag to safely test jumping skills, open races, bikes to try, borrow and hire, funny bikes, cycling demonstrations, a cycle obstacle course, stalls, bouncy castles, cyclo cross, dress up your bike, music and food served all day.

Cycling enthusiasts attending this year’s Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival have the opportunity to end the week-long event in style by attending an inspirational talk by Graeme Obree. On the evening of the Big Day, Graeme Obree will be speaking about his career on and off the bike at the Breadalbane Community Campus. Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £2 for Children and this special event will give festival goers the opportunity to find out what it is that drives and motivates such a legendary cyclist, speed record holder, World Champion and bike design innovator.

Obree twice broke the world hour record and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995. He was known for his unusual riding positions and for the ‘Old Faithful’ bicycle he built which included parts from a washing machine.  In 2009 Obree was inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame.

Graeme is a truly unique motivational speaker and inspires audiences with his life story, his journey to becoming the World Hour Record holder on two occasions and World 4000m Pursuit champion twice. This is an opportunity cycling enthusiasts cannot afford to miss.

Graeme Obree said: ‘I hope we get loads of people out at the Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival on 12 May. I came up to the festival a couple of years ago and was really impressed with the energy, enthusiasm and fun that was so apparent for all participating. I am looking forward to seeing lots of new faces when I head back to the festival this year.’

Highland Perthshire Cycling (HPC), a community group who promote and develop cycling in Highland Perthshire, has organised this year’s Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival, a diverse programme of (mainly) free road and mountain bike events, aimed at cyclists of all ages and abilities.  It is being staged across the region this week.  The busy roster of races, guided rides (with local enthusiasts both on and off road), skills sessions, workshops, women’s events, a schools programme, family fun days and cultural events all culminate in the legendary Etape Caledonia Sportive weekend; when 5250 cyclists will ride the 81 mile road  route on Sunday 13 May.

For more information on Highland Perthshire Cycling and The Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival – visit: http://www.highlandperthshirecycling.co.uk/

You can find out more information on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Highland-Perthshire-Cycling/333320520038338 and Twitter: @HPCycling

The national average of children cycling to school currently sits at 3.5%. The figure for Westhill is six times higher at 21%, four times higher at Crombie at 14% and more than double at Elrick where 8% of pupils cycle to school, according to the 2011 Hands Up Travel Survey carried out by Aberdeenshire Council.

Aberdeenshire Council’s transport strategy unit works with schools across the area to create travel plans and encourage staff and pupils to think carefully about the travel choices available.

The council has installed suitable cycle storage at schools, as well as upgrading and adding new safe routes for pupils to use. Initiatives such as Walk to School Week and Park and Stride have been introduced at schools across the area, which are also lending their support to a cycling campaign called ‘Give me Cycle Space’.

Funded by Cycling Scotland, the campaign aims to encourage drivers to give cyclists more space on the road. Aberdeenshire is one of 13 local authorities in Scotland who are involved in the project, which consists of national and local advertisements, providing information to schools and hosting a cycling competition.

Aberdeenshire Council school travel planning officer, Joanna Stewart, congratulated the schools on their achievement: “I am delighted that the hard work and dedication of pupils, parents and staff alike has earned these schools recognition on a national level.

“Through the travel planning process all our schools have the opportunity to develop measures appropriate to their site which encourage safety, accessibility and sustainability within our communities.”

Head teacher at Crombie School, Kate Hopkins, said: “We felt that this was a very worthwhile initiative for us, as a school, to get involved with and obviously to receive Cycle Friendly School status is testament to the hard work put in by our staff, the school travel planning officer, parents and pupils.

“It also sits well with our Curriculum for Excellence by helping our pupils to be responsible citizens and effective contributors within the community.”

Crombie Primary P7 pupil Chrissie Blanchard added: “I love cycling and I think it is a safe way to come to school. We should all cycle. It keeps me healthy too. I am glad that we have been given this award.”

For original article from Deeside Piper and Herald please click here.

The UK market will grow to a new high of £700 million this year – or £2m every day – and could reach £800m in four years, analysts Mintel predict.

They said cyclists were also buying more expensive bikes, with the average price paid increasing by more than 40 per cent in the last five years.

A further boost could be provided by the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with the public able to try out its Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, which opens this October.

Mintel said the rosy outlook followed a dip in total sales last year, from £698m to £650m, which it attributed to oversupply.

Victoria Pendleton of the Team GB cycle team. Picture: Getty

Senior analyst Michael Oliver said: “Although the UK market for bicycles contracted slightly in both value and volume terms in 2011, the longer-term prospects are very positive.

“With obesity rates rising among both adults and children, there is clearly a political and financial imperative to encouraging greater physical activity, and cycling is a relatively inexpensive way of doing this.

“Role models in the Olympics mean there is now an almost unrivalled opportunity to try to stimulate cycling participation, but it needs some central funding and co-ordination.”

Spokes, the Lothian cycle campaign, said improvements such as cycle lanes had helped boost cycling rates in Edinburgh to 7 per cent – three times the Scottish average.

Lead organiser Dave du Feu said: “Leisure and sport may be the case for cycling in UK terms, but we suspect utility use, such as commuting and shopping, is growing rapidly in Edinburgh.”

However, Richard Dowsett, owner of Leith Cycle Co in Edinburgh, said: “There is more of a buzz about cycling than there has been in the past and it may well be more people take to it than last year. But when everyone remains guarded about their spending, I cannot see more going on bikes.”

Scottish Government-funded umbrella body Cycling Scotland said: “There’s a real momentum behind cycling now from the growing ranks of people turning to bikes for everyday journeys.”

For original article from Scotsman.com please click here