Oyster Bay Trail cycle route phase 2 consultation

January 19th, 2012

The consultation for the next phase of the popular Oyster Bay Trail cycle route linking Whitstable, Herne Bay, and Reculver is now open. This latest phase will complete the route by linking Swalecliffe and Whitstable and the Crab & Winkle Way. Improvements will also be made to the Crab & Winkle Way cycle route.

Spokes, the Crab & Winkle Line Trust, Sustrans, Canterbury City Council and Kent County Council have all been involved with the planning of this route and we fully support the plans. We strongly encourage you to write in support of these proposals in order to assure that they will go ahead. More details on the proposals can be seen here:

http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=7389

You can show your support for this scheme by answering the short online questionnaire here:

http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/authority/survey.cfm?file=mtr_cycle_route

Canterbury City Council would prefer responses online instead of by post since this will speed up the collation of all of the responses. Consultation responses need to be received by 21 February.

Cycle Shepway AGM in January

December 12th, 2011

The Cycle Shepway (formerly Shepway Cycle Forum) AGM will be taking place at 7pm on January 26 2012 at Shepway Civic Centre. Cyclists who live or work in the area are encouraged to attend in order to help further cycling in the district.

AGM 2011 minutes available

December 12th, 2011

The minutes for the December 2011 AGM are now available to download.

Stolen bicycle

December 3rd, 2011

My red Claude Butler Roubaix  59 cm road bike (see at the Berry last week) was stolen (police crime ref. no. ZY 1402-11) from St.George’s Road, Sandwich, on Tuesday November 29th between ca. 5.30 and 6.30 pm.

I’ve attached a picture of it – it is very distinctive.

Other distinguishing features are:

Gearing: Front -3 spd Rear – 8 spd
Wheels: White rimmed rear (with smooth Bontrager 700×23 tyre ) & silver rimmed front (with track hardened Bontrager 700 x 23 tyre)
Pannier rack on rear
Blue gel saddle set at marked slope
Klaxon horn, speedometer and two lights on front (a very bright rechargeable one & a small frog strobe)
Two rear lights – one a yellow skull and crossbones design
Yellow Flexi-lock attached to pannier

If any Spokespeople see it could you let me know by ‘phone or return of email.

Thank you

Mark Bayliss

Tel: 07977272460

Spokes Autumn 2011 newsletter

December 2nd, 2011

If you’re a Spokes member, the Autumn 2011 newsletter will soon be landing on your doormat. As usual it’s packed with all of the latest cycling news affecting East Kent. If you can’t wait then you can always view it online too. Just follow the link in this post.

Sevenoaks Cycling Strategy

November 5th, 2011

A few weeks ago KCC opened public consultation on the Sevenoaks Cycling Strategy. If you live, work, or cycle for leisure in Sevenoaks district then we encourage you to respond to this consultation, which will influence the direction of cycling developments in the district for years to come. The consultation can be accessed at the following website:

http://www.kent.gov.uk/sevenoakscycling

Bybrook path consultation

November 5th, 2011

Kent County Council have opened a new public consultation for the creation of a new public right of way linking Bybrook with Eureka Leisure Park in Ashford. The proposal is for a public footpath, but we believe that it would benefit cyclists if it could be developed as a cycle path shared with pedestrians.  It would offer shorter journeys between Bybrook and the town centre traffic-free and away from the main roads. The new route would provide an ideal link with the brand new cycle and pedestrian bridge over the M20.

The consultation can be viewed view the following website, where you can also provide your feedback:

http://consultations.kent.gov.uk/consult.ti/PROW_bybrook/consultationHome

New lifts to be installed at Faversham railway station

November 5th, 2011

New lifts are to be installed at Faversham railway station, this follows a previous planning refusal at the station. We support the new lifts, which will be very helpful for cyclists, and hope that they are of sufficient size for properly carrying a number of bicycles simultaneously. More details can be found in this Faversham People story:

http://www.favershampeople.co.uk/New-lifts-rail-station/story-13753733-detail/story.html

New cycle signs installed in Canterbury

November 5th, 2011

A number of new cycle signs have just been installed around the Toddler’s Cove and Wincheap areas of Canterbury for directing cyclists along the new Great Stour Way cycle path to Chartham and via the Horses & Goats Tunnel to Wincheap. We’d be interested to hear what cyclists think of these new signs. Please leave your comments below.

A gallery of all of the new signs can be seen on CycleStreets.

Ashford’s new cycle / pedestrian bridge is open

November 5th, 2011

Ashford’s new cycle / pedestrian bridge over the M20 opened last weekend. The bridge connects Eureka Leisure Park on the north side of the M20 with Warren Retail Park on the south. On the north side the bridge connects to National Cycle Route 17 and the new Pilgrims’ Cycle Trail. On the south side it crosses Sainsbury’s car park traffic-free to link up with the cycle path beside Simone Weil Avenue.

The bridge has got a good wide surface with a strong grip. It’s also illuminated via lights embedded in the side rails. We hope that this great bridge will be widely used by cyclists and pedestrians.