This morning I attended the Spokes Bike Breakfast at the City Chambers, mainly to take advantage of the free chain clean & lube from the Bike Co-op. Breakfast was bacon roll, roll & sausage, scrambled egg roll or roll & veggie sausage. Except when I said "what is there that's not meat?" I was told just egg so I was unaware of the veggie sausage option. It's quite hard to hold pannier in one hand and open and apply packet of brown sauce to scrambled egg roll with the other, so I do apologise for the amount of egg now adorning the quadrangle outside the City Chambers.
It was very very very busy, despite the rain. Cyclists will clearly do anything for a free breakfast and lube. I stayed to listen to the speeches which can be summed up as
Gordon MacKenzie transport convenor - we're going to improve and increase cycling in Edinburgh but I'm not going to tell you how, possibly because I'm talking nonsense and we're just going to say we're going to do it but not actually do it
Paul Edie health and social care bloke - cycling prevents people getting fat and ill so we should do more of it
Steve Burgess green councillor on transport committee - we'll be announcing the cooncil's new cycling strategy soon
I was schmoozed by a Tory councillor which was a bit disconcerting at that hour of the morning. Got some stickers and leaflets to put in reception at work, a cheap nylon rucksack from EBC containing a bidon, some leaflets and a useful multi-tool, and turned down the offer of free Spokes maps from Euan as I already have them. Met Ariadne and a couple of other people I know. There were lots of recumbents, lots of parents with kids in trailers and lots and lots and lots of Revolution brand bikes - the bike to work scheme has obviously been well used!
Nutty, I got you a little present but I'll need your home address to post it to you.
