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PARTNERSHIP TO promote cycling will be the major theme when the world's most important cycle planning event comes to Scotland in 2001. The Velo-city 2001 conference will take place in Edinburgh and Glasgow between 17 and 21 September next year, marking a unique collaboration between Scotland's two major cities. The event will focus on four specific areas of partnership: transport and education working together to create safer routes to schools; North Sea countries collaborating on the North Sea Cycle Route; local authorities co-operating to promote cycling; and practical examples of partnership, for example, that between land use and planning in Edinburgh to create car-free residential developments. The first two days of the conference will be in Edinburgh's spectacular new International Conference Centre. On Wednesday 19 September delegates will have the opportunity to ride the 70 km between the two cities on one of two new cycle routes, with a chance to view interesting cycle projects en route. There is also a fast, frequent rail service between the two cities. The conference concludes with two days at Glasgow's luxurious Moat House hotel allowing delegates to compare the way in which the two Scottish cities are developing their cycling strategies. Velo-city is a unique meeting ground for professionals, politicians and cycle activists. Participants will hear about the best of practice from the UK, Europe and further afield. So whether you are from Bishopbriggs or Bangkok, Wester Hailes or Westphalia, put the dates in your diary and get further information from the contacts on the back of this newsletter. Scottish councils support schools cycling scheme THE VAST majority of Scottish local authorities are now involved in the Safer Routes to Schools initiative, which aims to enable school children to travel to school by means other than the private car. New research conducted by Sustrans shows that while Edinburgh and Glasgow are leading the way with this work, almost every council in Scotland is now taking part. Safer Routes to Schools will also form a major part of the Velo-city 2001 outreach programme which will involve thousands of cycle users in what has hitherto been a professionals' event, promises conference director Erl Wilkie. We are currently seeking sponsorship for a major programme that will take school cycling right across the central belt of Scotland, he says. In Edinburgh there are now 18 schools involved in Safer Routes schemes which involve children in a range of activities to help them travel to school unaccompanied. These range from training in on-road cycling, cycle maintenance classes and, identifying routes that are traffic-free. As a result of safer routes developments some schools have had to invest in bicycle sheds for the first time in decades often upgrading unused facilities to accommodate modern bikes and be fully secure. In Glasgow, seven schools are taking part in Safer Routes programmes, and the council is committed to substantially boosting this number during the coming year. Partners: the cities' cycling officers Photo: Allan MacLean OVER HALF a million cyclists are expected to celebrate the official opening of the UK- wide cycling network being promoted by the charity Sustrans, which currently extends to 5,000 miles. The highlight in a week-long programme of events called Ride the Net will be The Longest Ride to coincide with the longest day of the year, 21 June when cyclists will head for the 5,000 miles of official network plus an additional 5,000 miles of as yet undeveloped cycle route earmarked for work over the next five years. Cyclists planning to Ride the Net between Glasgow and Edinburgh will be on one of the routes that energetic Velo-city 2001 delegates will use to travel from one city to the other. In Glasgow the route begins along the river Clyde, climbs to Coatbridge and Airdrie and then, via a disused railway line, travels through some of central Scotland's most beautiful scenery on its way to Bathgate. From there the route joins the Livingston Path Network, before arriving beside the Water of Leith and, finally, the Union Canal, which takes the cyclist right into the heart of Edinburgh. Among those heading for phase two of the National Cycle Network will be an intrepid group of cyclists who given the terrain they will encounter are likely to need stout walking boots as well as their bikes, as they attempt to ride a ten-mile missing link en route to the Isle of Skye. Explained Tony Grant, Sustrans' regional manager in Scotland: The A87 is a pretty nasty trunk road for cyclists. There is a minor road in Glen Garry, to the south, and a minor road near the coast. But there is a missing link between two hamlets called Kinloch Hourn and Arnisdale. We aim to improve the existing right of way between the two points to create an unbroken route that removes the A87 from the equation. Towards the east, a 12-mile missing link will be completed in time for 21 June, when, thanks to work being carried out by the Scottish Executive (in its capacity as a project partner), it will soon be possible for cyclists to negotiate Drumochter Pass, south of Aviemore, without having to use the busy A9 road connecting Perth to Inverness. It was the longest trunk road section in the UK without a cycle route, added Grant. Other events during the Ride the Net week include a Ride for Health initiative being promoted by the British Medical Association, a Right to Ride Party with the Variety Club and a Four Capitals Ride involving the Scout Association. Four days worth of Cyclethons taking place all over the country, could see the half a million cyclists estimate quickly leap to over a million. For more details of Ride the Net the week-long official opening of the first 5,000 miles of the National Cycle Network Tel 01505 614302 (Andy Dunn, Scottish Co-ordinator) and 0117 915 0111 (Sally Triplett, for UK information). For more information about Sustrans, how to join and its publications list, Tel 0177 929 0888. Sustrans website www.sustrans.co.uk. Ride the Net website www.ridethenet.co.uk Easy Ride for Glasgow Students STUDENTS AND staff at Glasgow's many colleges and three universities can now cycle safely between the various academic centres thanks to the new Colleges Cycle Route. An integral element of the city council's plan to create 375km of cycle routes around the city, this 7 km route which was opened in 1999 links Glasgow's city centre and west end, as well as nearly a dozen places of learning. The route which serves 45,000 students and 10,000 staff uses cycle lanes on existing roads and off-road cycle tracks to form the most convenient route for users. It also includes new ideas in traffic management. At one junction the traffic lights gives cyclists a six-second start ahead of traffic, enabling cyclists to pass through the junction before vehicular traffic advances, for example. ASK ME about the most memorable events at the previous Velo-city conferences, and you might not be surprised to hear about spectacular social events, such as the beach party in Barcelona. But in case you are thinking that Velo-city is just an excuse for a junket, I can assure you that Velo-city conferences have also been a valuable source of ideas and inspiration. They have given me the chance to compare notes with fellow professionals people who really understand the issues involved in providing cycle facilities and persuading more people to ride bikes. That's why I was so keen to bring all this collective experience to bear on the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Velo-city will be held at an exciting time for transport in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament that was resurrected in 1999 has started a programme of radical transport legislation. Serious attempts to give priority to cyclists, pedestrians and public transport are starting to show results. I can't give you a detailed idea of what will be on the programme in September 2001; but I can promise that Velo-city 2001 will be striving to make an impact far beyond the conference hall. Starting from the mass Glasgow-Edinburgh ride on the Sunday before (Pedal for Scotland), we want to spread the message of Velo-city far and wide. The Scottish Velo-city is drawing on expertise from the key players on the Scottish cycling scene and even includes a former Velo-city organiser on the team. Were looking forward to welcoming you to Scotland in September 2001.  Link-up Velo-city 2001 steering group profile The Scottish Cycle Development Project (SCDP) BY SIMPLY keying in departure and arrival points into the search facility of a computer database, cyclists will soon have the opportunity to explore new cycle routes throughout Scotland. The database to be accessible on the internet is one of the latest initiatives being promoted by the Scottish Cycling Development Project, set up by the Cyclists Touring Club and the Scottish Cyclists Union just over two years ago to as the name implies increase cycle use throughout Scotland. Though the Projects internet site has yet to be formally launched, it aims to become a one-stop shop for cycling information, including a calendar of events. The route- planner database that will be at the heart of the site will give members of the public the chance to share the details of their favourite cycle routes with their fellow cyclists. In time, so many routes will have been entered into the database that cyclists will be able to enter their proposed departure and arrival points and be given a variety of suggestions as to how to go about cycling between the two locations. The Project employs the equivalent of one full-time officer, shared between Edinburgh-based Gareth George and Glasgow-based David Marsh. Other funding has come from the Health Education Board for Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Glasgow City Council. We've been doing a million and one things since the Project was launched, begins Marsh. Not only is there the route-planner database and the website itself, the Project is behind the mass participation cycle ride, Pedal for Scotland, which was launched last year. The Project has also launched an award to encourage employers to be more cycle friendly. Pedal for Scotland attracted 700 cyclists for its inaugural ride, between Glasgow and Edinburgh, in September. Designed as an annual event, it is not only being re-run later this year, it is to be part of next years Velo- city 2001 programme. The Project is also encouraging employers to promote cycling to their staff. And last year two organisations Glasgow City Council and the Greater Glasgow Health Board were awarded the inaugural Cycle-Friendly Employers Awards. To receive the award, employers must satisfy pretty exacting standards, not just the provision of secure cycle parking but also the likes of travel allowances for cyclists, added Marsh. For more details of the Scottish Cycling Development Project, call David Marsh 0141 287 9374 or Gareth George 0131 445 7485 or e-mail info@scottishcycling.co.uk The Projects website is www.scottishcycling.co.uk For more information contact: Velo Mondial 2000, c/o Partners in Projects, Keizersgracht 382, 1016 Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Website www.velomondial2000.nl Email info@velomondial2000 To complement the longest cycle ride, Sustrans has launched the longest outdoor art gallery in the UK, with a series of sculpted, two- metre high mileposts marking the route of the National Cycle Network. With sponsorship from the Royal Bank of Scotland, one thousand of the mileposts have been produced, with a specific design for each of the home nations. All the mileposts are made of cast iron. The Scottish design, The Cockerel, is the work of Scottish artist Iain McColl. Photo
VELO
MONDIAL, takes place in Amsterdam on 19 to 22 June
this year. It includes sessions devoted to creating
better bicycles, the Dutch experience of cycle promotion
and comparing cycle promotion strategies from around the
world. There will also be an exhibition of photographs
about cycling in Amsterdam and Peking, an exhibition of
cycling developments and seminars on everything from
cycle parking to urban mobility.  Scotland's Cycling History
Attempts to build bicycles before Macmillan had foundered on the means of propulsion. A craze for hobby horses in the 1820s was short-lived because they required riders to use their feet on the ground to push themselves along. Macmillan's velocipede was built around a wooden frame and wooden wheels rimmed with iron. The front wheel was steerable, but most important of all there was a system of foot-operated treadles for propulsion. A copy of Macmillan's design, made in 1850, suggests a machine that resembles a modern bicycle more closely than the high ordinaries, commonly known as penny farthings that subsequently became popular. At 57 lbs, however, it was far too heavy for many people to use a modern utility bike weighs less than half as much. The inventor's most famous trip was to Glasgow in 1842 he covered the 68 miles from his home in five hours. An excited crowd formed as he entered the Gorbals neighbourhood and in the excitement a small girl was trampled. As a result Macmillan was hauled before a court of law and fined five shillings. The magistrate ordered that the bicycle be demonstrated to him and was said to have been so impressed that he paid the inventor's fine on his behalf. Other demonstrations of the efficacy of Macmillan's invention followed he was involved in races against stagecoaches, for example. But unfortunately, his invention did not inspire others in Scotland to copy and develop his idea. It was the English city of Coventry that would become the hothouse of technological innovation, and subsequently the heart of the British cycle industry. Macmillan is remembered and honoured in his own country, however. A copy of his bicycle is on display at the Transport Museum at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. And in 2000, on the 160th anniversary of his famous ride, hundreds of cyclists will meet at the Scottish Cycling Museum at Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries & Galloway to commemorate the inventor of the worlds first bicycle. Further details from Peter Hawkins Tel 0131 453 3366 or Website homepages.enterprise.net/itemsystems Diary See also Diary Page on Spokes site 16-18 June Land of Creativity Festival. Cycling based at three Borders centres Duns, Hawick and Peebles. Details: Sarah Cater 01750 23100 17-25 June Millennium Festival of Cycling, the national festival of cycling which is expected to involve a million people and includes Bike to Work Day 20 June, Ride for Health 23 June and various other events. Contact: Cyclists Touring Club 01483 417217. 19-25 June Sustrans Ride the Net 2000 Sustrans Millennium network openings all over UK. Scottish contact: Andy Dunn 01505 614302. 19-22 June VeloMondial 2000, Amsterdam. Tel +31(0)20 625 77 06 Website http:/www.velomondial2000.nl 25 June Bikefest 2000 at the Meadows. In Edinburgh. Part of the Millennium Festival of Cycling and Ride the Net (see above). Details: Mark James 0131 334 2653 (evening only) 25 June Glasgow Cyclefest. Part of the Millennium Festival of Cycling and Ride the Net (see above) and the West End Festival. Where? Kelvingrove Park. Details: David Marsh 0141 287 9374 Email dmarsh@scottishcycling.co.uk 25 June Aberdeen Cyclefest. Where? Duthie Park. Details: Jessica Bailey 01224 523316. Items for Dates for Diary can be e-mailed to mwilsport@aol.com Conference Partners City of Edinburgh Council; Glasgow City Council; The Scottish Executive; Spokes; Go Bike!; Scottish Cycle Development Project; Sustrans; European Cyclists Federation. Contacts For more information about Velo-city 2001, contact Erl Wilkie, conference director Tel +44 (0)141 287 9039 Email erl.wilkie@land.glasgow.gov.uk Conference website www.velo-city2001.org Or the Velo-city 2001 Media Team: Mike Wilson, Tel +44 (0)131 446 9265, Mobile 0705 016 9016 Email mwilsport@aol.com and Tim Dawson Tel +44 (0)131 225 2082 Mobile 0705 016 5653 Email tim@timdawsn.demon.co.uk Velo-city 2001 Mailing List Fax-back Form For more information send or fax this form to: Meeting Makers, Jordanhill Campus, 76 Southbrae Drive, Glasgow, G13 1PP, UK Tel +44 (0)141 434 1500 Fax +44 (0)141 434 1519 Email Velo_city@meetingmakers.co.uk Name Position Organisation Address Postcode Country Telephone Fax |
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