newsnet 06.01.06

The weekly newsletter for members of CTC

 

 

News

 

Top gong for CTC member

In most years there’s a sprinkling of New Year Honours for prominent people in the cycling world, but this year only one – and it’s one of ours. The individual whose unstinting voluntary efforts for the promotion of cycling have been singled out for an OBE is Brian Curtis, many years a CTC councillor, CTC Tour-Leader and currently secretary of Cycling Scotland.  All of CTC wishes to congratulate Brian on his award to quote - “Brian Peter Curtis - services to cycling in Scotland”.

 

New danger for cyclists

A road ramp that uses passing cars to generate power has been developed. Dorset inventor Peter Hughes' Electro-Kinetic Road Ramp creates around 10kW of power each time a car drives over its metal plates. More than 200 local authorities had expressed an interest in ordering the £25,000 ramps to power their traffic lights and road signs, Mr Hughes said. Around 300 jobs are due to be created in Somerset for a production run of 2,000 ramps next year. Plates in the ramp move up and down as vehicles pass over them, driving a generator. "The ramp is silent, comfortable and safe for vehicles," Mr Hughes said. Depending on the weight of the vehicle passing overhead, between five and 50kW can be generated. However, form the photographs it looks dangerous for cyclists and one must wonder if the inventor considers cycles amongst his definition of vehicles

 

Dream Cycling Job

The Cruise Ship, Ocean Village, is looking for new staff for its bike operation. Ideally, they are looking for bike-loving people to work on board Ocean Village for a 5/6 month period in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Bike mechanic, bike tour guide and sales experience/qualifications will be looked upon with interest.  So go on, CTC members have a history of filling this position.  For more information, please contact Stephen Copping

Ocean Village Bike Manager at OVBIKE@...

 

Free Stuff

If you follow this link you can order any or all of the London Cycle Guides from TFL and couriered to your door at a cost of £0.00.The map measures close on 8.5 square metres if trimmed to form a single map of the greater London area.

 

 

What’s on?

 

Love YR Bike?

Completely unique and spread over four separate spaces, Love YR Bike will take place on Saturday 11th February 2006 and feature talks, hands-on demonstrations, workshops and children's entertainment. London Assembly Member, Jenny Jones, the Mayor's Road Safety Ambassador, will address cyclists during the afternoon and participate in a question and answer session. For further details, please contact Mark Dawson or Suzanne West at info@...

 

Products

 

Train the winter away

Most of you will have recently made a New Year’s resolution to work of the excessive amount of food you consumed over the last month and what better way to start than with a turbo trainer. It converts your bike into an exercise bike saving you getting cold and wet in the English weather.

Check out Turbo trainers at the CTC  shop or feel free to give us a call on 0870 873 0069

 

Earbags 

A bit nippy around the lugs this time of year? Several members of CTC staff have been testing Earbags (mentioned in October’s Cycle) over the Christmas break. One Earbag snuggles onto each ear without any supporting band or strap and they do exactly what it says on the packet: keep your ears warm no matter how bad the weather gets. They were invented by a Norwegian skier after the bitterly cold Lillehammer Winter Olympics and have been selected for Torino 2006, so no worries about them staying on at cycling speed. However there is now also a “Helmet” version with a little loop of elastic for attachment to the cheek strap, so if you’re getting too hot you can pull off your Earbags and not loose them. For the helmet free we suggest the “Adventure” Earbags: connected by a thin cord with a clip for attachment to clothing. All versions in three sizes are now available in UK from here .

 

 

CTC info

 

Filling the cold months

With Christmas now a thing of the past, and not much to look forward to until the weather brightens up, why not turn to the internet for inspiration and entertainment! Our American counterparts at the Adventure Cycling Association send out a bi-weekly newsletter; the latest one has links to some interesting stuff and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if we passed them on. Just click on one to find out what it’s about here and here

When you’re fed up with staring at a computer screen, why not get well stuck into some bike maintenance? Not much good at it? Here’s just the thing – a Park Tool Maintenance Course. These two day courses are being offered by Sidcup Cycle Centre over the next few months. Find out more at here 

 

CTC Campaigns

 

CTC has written to members of the House of Lords, calling on them to support an amendment to the Road Safety Bill which would create a “duty to drive safely”.  This amendment would help to bring objectivity to the definitions of “careless” and “dangerous” driving.  These words are currently defined in relative terms, as driving which respectively falls “below” or “far below” a notional standard which would be expected of “a careful and competent driver”.  The result is that “dangerous driving” charges are very hard to prove, even though most people would readily agree that “dangerous driving” (as understood in ‘common parlance’) is something which occurs routinely.

 

Lord Berkeley has tabled our amendment, which will now be debated at the Bill’s 3^rd Reading next Tuesday.  Read our briefing.

 

 

 

Member benefit

 

Holiday cover

If you are planning to cycle away from home this winter and the premiums quoted for travel insurance seem too good to be true, then they probably are! Is cycling covered at no extra cost? Will you and your bike be repatriated in the event of a medical emergency? Are your cycle possessions fully covered? The answer invariably is no, and that's why CTC offers Cyclecover Travel Insurance world-wide annual multi-trip or single trip insurance designed with the touring cyclist in mind. For further details or instant quotes phone 0870 873 0068.

 

CTC Cycling Holidays have a habit of getting booked up pretty early, such is their popularity with members. However there are still a few places on most tours. Check it out and book soon! www.cyclingholidays.org

 

 

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