Interim Chief Executive Officer - Cycling UK

[TimC]

I'm very pleased to hear it. Unfortunately, Suffolk doesn't have a cycling 'halo' town where a critical mass has been achieved which can spread its influence outside its boundaries. While we don't suffer the antipathy to cycling that's prevalent in more urban counties, there's no particular movement pro-cycling either. I have no idea what goes on in our larger towns re cycling activism, but we're struggling a bit in the little market towns and surrounding countryside. Of course, we're not looking for much either, so it's easy to ignore us! We had a utility cycling promotion event planned for my local market town which should have happened a week or so ago, but of course it was abandoned. Cycling UK and British Cycling have been encouraging of our efforts, but we recognise we're never going to be a priority for them either, so it's down to the local clubs to push for improvements. We are doing that.

[bludger]

The one thing I've learned about campaigning is that it is folly to lead with bikes. Lead with problems that are immediate to everyone: speeding out-of-town boy racers; fly tippers; children being run over.

Easy to forget that the Dutch system didn't start with bikes. It started with wanting children to be able to play in their streets.

[ian]

The one thing I've learned about campaigning is that it is folly to lead with bikes. Lead with problems that are immediate to everyone: speeding out-of-town boy racers; fly tippers; children being run over.

Easy to forget that the Dutch system didn't start with bikes. It started with wanting children to be able to play in their streets.

This times a billion. No one cares about bikes, the people who ride on them, or the organizations that support them. They're an eminently ignorable constituency. The opposite is usually true. Once you connect cycling with a cause, support rapidly ebbs. Bloody cyclists.

[Kim]

Agreed, with the possible exception of the type of kerb nerdery where cyclists (who are actually pretty good at organising) press for specific changes to stupid physical infrastructure that benefits wider groups.  Wheelchair and pushchair users tend not to have local campaigning groups.

[Cudzoziemiec]

There might be something like this near you: https://bristolwalkingalliance.org.uk But you probably haven't heard of it, which is an indication of how influential it is.

[Kim]

There might be something like this near you: https://bristolwalkingalliance.org.uk But you probably haven't heard of it, which is an indication of how influential it is.

Quite.  I think that sort of thing mostly gets done by hyper-local groups around a specific issue (I'm sure there's a Moseley Says No To Cutting Our Trees Down To Fit More Cars In group, for example.  Possibly with a more catchy name).

In Birmingham the city-wide stuff seems to be mostly centred around Friends of the Earth / Pushbikes (there's more than a little overlap), with air quality being a key issue amongst the non-cyclists.

[Cudzoziemiec]

(I'm sure there's a Moseley Says No To Cutting Our Trees Down To Fit More Cars In group, for example.  Possibly with a more catchy name).

Mosely Moseys Motivated by the Motor Menace. 

[fd3]

Imminently sensible post

I agree with mattc.  I miss the aura of the old CTC and liked the magazine better ~10 years ago.  But had the CTC and CUK existed at the same time I would probably have joined CUK as I was interested in joining the cycling union, not a cycling club.

[madcow]

Many people joined the "old CTC " for the local cycling group activity with a nod to the HQ activity on Rights of Way, road maintenance, organised tours etc.
As campaigning became more important to CTC HQ than actually riding a bike and "cycletouring" as an activity appeared to lose it's appeal the raison d'etre for CUK as a separate organisation has diminished IMHO.
I would be quite happy to see BC and CUK merged into one. 

[Ian H]

If the old CTC was a failure, that's mainly down to its own incompetence.  Witness, in the FFCT, what a cycle tourist organisation can do.

[Kim]

I would be quite happy to see BC and CUK merged into one.

That would work if it meant BC gained a more inclusive idea of what cycling is.  But you just know it would lead to CTC organised rides requiring helmets, excluding recumbents and so on.