Breakfast Date

The annual Spokes Bike Breakfast at the City Chambers is fixed for June 23rd 8-10.

As well as fine food (juice, bacon rolls, scrambled egg, tea & coffee – provided by the Council) there will be stalls and speeches.

More info e-mail Jackie

Cycling to Fife

Fife, just across the Forth, is a great place for cycling for short trips or long ones. It has 19 stations so plenty of scope for starting from Edinburgh, getting off at one station and returning from one closer to the city.

There is of course the annual Edinburgh to St Andrews cycle ride. (This year it’s the first day of Bike Week). Many people book transport back, some people turn round and ride home, others stay the night and return the next day. This used to be a great option when the Burntisland to Granton Ferry existed. Will the Fife to Portobello hovercraft start soon?

http://cyclinginfife.wordpress.com has more suggestions.

Free Active Travel Web Sites

Ten Edinburgh schools could have their own Active Travel web site in time for Bike Week 2010.

ChangingPace, which created the activetravel2sciennes site, will help schools to make their own activetravel2yourschool site.

It could be used to promote the school’s Travel Plan (most Edinburgh schools have them – or are developing them). It could also highlight things like new bike racks, Safer Routes to School, Cycle Training etc.

Email to ask for a site  for your school (or for more info).

First Prizes

The Bike Week Edinburgh 2010 Make a Movie Competition will have a few prizes.

The best entry will win £100.

Prizes of this fabulous toolkit will go to the best film from an Edinburgh primary school and another for best high school creation.

Toolkit prizes donated by the Bike Co-op.

Rides

There are regular organised bike rides in Edinburgh at all times of the year – not just around Bike Week.

Many are listed here – cycling-edinburgh.org.uk

If you are think of organising a ride during bikeweekedinburgh2010, you might like to go on one or more rides to get some idea of how it works. Fellow travellers are friendly!

If you do organise an event (that’s open to the public) contact cycling-edinburgh.org.uk for some extra publicity.

Nocturne Returns

One of the great cycling events in Edinburgh last year was the Nocturne Series. In spite of the name it was mostly held in brilliant, hot, daylight at the end of May. This year the event, based in The Grassmarket, moves to the beginning of July and coincides with the Tour de France prologue – in Rotterdam. The organisers are creating “a packed day of cycling” and will be showing Le Tour live on big screens.

It’s a fabulous spectator event with hotly contested races for amateurs and professionals lapping the city centre  - the route is up the cobbles of Victoria Street and back down Candlemaker Row. In addition there will be the wonderful folding bike race, where competitors are supposed to wear ‘office clothes’ and start, Le Mans style, with a run to their folded bikes, unfold ready to roll and compete. (Short video)

Pictured is last year’s winner Graeme Raeburn with his 2 speed Brompton.

Event Organising Guide from PRESTO

“Since everybody loves a party, a bike festival is a good way to attract positive attention to bicycling. Bike events and festivals serve as a fun way to get people interested in cycling and to give them a hands-on experience with bikes and bicycling. Festivals and events – whether small or large scale – should be fun, participatory events that allow you to connect with potential cyclists and to educate them at the same time as they’re being entertained.”

PROMOTION/ AWARENESS RAISING BIKE EVENTS AND FESTIVALS (PDF)

BW Organisers’ Workshops

In some previous years there have been seminars in Edinburgh for people thinking of organising BW events.

This year workshops are being held in Glasgow (on 7 April from 13.30 to 15.30 at the Palace of Art)  and Perth (on 8 April from 9.30 to 11.30, at the A K Bell Library).

Places are free, book by e-mail hq@bikeweek.org.uk.

“The workshop aims to provide organisers with:

•Ideas and inspiration on different types of events

• Practical tips for organising events

• PR and marketing guidance

• Presentations from previous event organisers

• Information about Team Green Britain”

Web Site Launched

BikeWeekEdinburgh2010 site launched.

Lots more still to be added…