Newsletter for Spring 2006

An intriguing new building is taking shape at the end of the City Wall by St. George's Gate, Canterbury.

More than a decade ago Spokes proposed that the Whitefriars Development included a cycle centre—a focal point for cyclists with secure parking, showers, a lively café, cycling information, bike hire, sales and repair.

Shelia Webb and Emily Shirley of Spokes, and Isobel Stoddart of Sustrans, held meetings to discuss it with Land Securities and the city planners.

Now 10 years later the first purpose built cycle centre in the region nears completion. Run by Cycles UK, which has nine branches in the south east, including one in Harrods, it is due to open this spring.

Spokes sees the centre being used by local businesses booking space for their employees as an alternative to travelling by car. Most journeys in and around Canterbury are about five miles. These could be made by bike to everyone's benefit. Spokes wishes the Canterbury Cycle Centre every success.

This issue concentrates on the cycle routes in East Kent. These have also been a Spokes initiative over the last decade. With the arrival of the Tour de France next year Spokes feels a permanent legacy is needed to mark this event to benefit everyone.

Spokes carried out a cycle survey in the Autumn around the city. It was obvious that some adults and many children cycling to school were finding some of the roads dangerous, especially at areas like Wincheap roundabout.

Here they cycled round the pavement for safety. Spokes proposes that a permanent legacy would be more safe routes linking schools, stations and the city. NCR 18 from Chartham to Canterbury should be completed and a start made on linking Wincheap industrial estate to the new housing on the former BT and tannery sites and then on into Canterbury and beyond.

Canterbury High which will host the Tour Village would then have a safe cycle route for its pupils to cycle to school.

Ten years ago Spokes first proposed 'Walking Buses' for schools in the area. With the help of the Kentish Gazette these have been a resounding success. We should now do this for yound cyclists. Why not cycling trains for school children?

Sam Webb

The tradegy in January of the four cyclists from the Rhyl Cycling Club being killed by a motorist sliding on ice united all cyclists, whatever their kind of cycling, sporting, leisure, or commuting.

Spokes sent notes of condolence to the families and the club. It was made all the more poignant as on the same morning 25 Spokes riders were out on a ride to the Lord Whiskey Animal Sanctuary.

Spokes will be appearing on the official website of the Via Francigena offering assistance and information to cyclists using this route between Canterbury and Rome via Canterbury's twin city, Reims. The Via Francigena is an ancient pilgrim route from Canterbury across France, Switzerland and Italy to Rome. It was documented in AD 994 by Archbishop Sigeric the Serious of Canterbury.

His journal of his trip in 990 was rediscovered in the 1990s by Italian researchers. The route was designated a Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in 1994. www.viafrancigena.com and www.francigena.ch

The second stage of the Tour de France 2007, from London to Canterbury is a wonderful opportunity to raise the profile of cycling in the area. It's like Wimbledon and the World Cup coming to Canterbury on the same day. Members of Spokes broadcast the news of the Tour's stage finish on Meridian, BBC SE local news and Radio Kent.

Spokes also briefed Canterbury City Council on the position of cycling in the area prior to a party from the Council going to the announcement of thr Tour in London. I hope the publicity gained from the Tour will be reflected in keeping cycling issues to the fore in local authority minds.

John Hunt

One Saturday 7th July next year history will be made when the world's largest annual sporting event of 189 riders in 21 teams will start the Prologue of the Tour de France in London.

The five mile (8k) time trial which starts in Whitehall is a figure of eight route which will take riders past Big Ben, round the Serpentine to finish in the Mall. In 1994, the last time the Tour came to England, Chris Boardman set the fastest ever time for a Prologue with a speed of 55.152kph.

Around 3pm on Sunday 8th July 2007, the leading cyclist will finish the first stage in Canterbury. Starting in the Mall in London, the riders will go out through the City, Greenwich, Dartford, Rochester, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Maidstone and Ashford. Riders will arrive in Canterbury via Stone Street, Nackington Road, Old Dover Road, Rhodaus Town and Pin Hill before finishing on Rheims Way adjacent to the Victoria Recreation Ground at the Tour de France Village.

There are 4,500 people involved in organising thr Tour, with over 2,000 journalists covering it. It will be televised to over 150 countries.

Since its inception in 1994 Spokes has been instrumental in designing routes like the Crab & Winkle and the Cathedral to Coast routes and in some cases building parts of cycle routes such as the Fordwich Route on Sustrans' work camps.

Many maps now have these routes marked. For planning a long journey the 1:100,000 1cm to 1km or 1 inch to 1 1/2 miles scale OS Tour Travel Map "Kent & SE London" shows all the National Cycle Routes marked and numbered in red, and all the local Regional Cycle Network Routes marked and numbered in blue. ISBN 0-319-25088-1.

Sustrans publish detailed maps of the National Cycle Network covering the whole country. http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ and click on shop/maps & guides or phone 0117 926 8893.

For Kent there are a number of maps, which you can get from KCC, Canterbury City Council, Ashford Maidstone etc. Some can be downloaded online.

Crab & Winkle NCN 1 from Canterbury to Whitstable from Kentish Stour Project: kentishstour@kent.gov.uk 01233 813532.

You can download Viking Trail, Crab & Winkle, Romney Marsh and Weald on Wheels cycle maps from the KCC website. This is being updated: http://www.kent.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/cycling-and-walking/cycling/popular-bike-route.htm

On this site you will also find details of maps for Bewl Water, Bike Trails by Rail in the Stour Valley and Parish Pedals. You can take your bike for free throughout our rail network right up to London.

Canterbury City Council has published packs of six circular rides from Canterbury, as well as six from Herne Bay and six from Whitstable. These cost £1 each pack. Call 01227 862000 or buy from TICs.

Several Spokes members, a dozen at the last count, are volunteer Rangers for Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity whose largest project the National Cycle Network won a national award for the best lottery project.

In just 10 years the NCN has exceeded all expectations and has grown to become a 10,000 mile network of safe and attractive cycle routes. More than half of the population of the UK is within two miles of it.

Volunteer Rangers maintain an allocated section of the route by dealing with minor problems and reporting major ones, working in small groups, or alone. Specific tasks include putting up temporary signs and cutting back overhanging branches. for those that have the time the opportunities are unlimited: liaising with local authorities and other cycle/transport organisations, and generally helping to promote cycling on these routes - cycling to work, to school, for exercise and leisure. They are also involved in planning new routes.

Some volunteers like to take on specific tasks such as artistically painting Millennium Mileposts, or helping their local school or workplace to encourage pupils or commuters to cycle to school or work. Numerous small actions make a big difference and funding is often available for specific projects.

There are opportunities to meet other Rangers from around the country on training days and at summer work camps building new routes. In East Kent there are a few vacancies including several in the Ashford area. If you would like to know more phone Ian Rogers on 01227 733792.

Ian Rogers

With emergency calls on the increase ambulance trusts are under pressure to meet eight minute response times for life threatening calls.

In 1998 London ambulance man, Tom Lynch, set about exploring the possibilities of using cycling paramedics to attend to emergency calls in the city.

The came about after Tom and his crewmate had encountered difficulties getting to an emergency call owing to the volume of traffic. Two years later, after much work, the first ambulance cycle responders in the UK took to the streets. There are now three teams of four riders working a 5km square area, one team at a time cover a ten-hour day deven day a week shift pattern.

The Cycle Response Unit uses custom-built mountain bikes with ambulance markings, blue lights and sirens. The purpose made panniers carry a comprehensive range of medical equipment to deal with most emergencies. The riders are kitted out in ambulance protective equipment. The team communicate with their control room with radios and mobile phones.

What have been the benefits of cycle responders in London? Popular with the other emergency services and the public, £80,000 savings in non-vehicle dispatch, 25 hours more vehicle availability time, savings in the cost of fuel and many other benefits to the people of London as well as the environment. Hopefully, one of these days the people of Kent may have its own cycle responders.

David Latham, paramedic, Kent Ambulance Trust

Spokes in nopw proud to be a member of Amicale Européene de Cyclotourisme, a collection of cycle tourist clubs in Nord Pas de Calais and Belgium including Calais, St. Omer, Roubaix and Mouscron. The organisation aims to foster closer links between cyclists in our EuroRegion.

The Belles d'Europe are a series of rides supporting this organisation. They are very enjoyable and English riders are very warmly welcomed in France and Belgium. Entrance fees are very modest 5-8 euros which includes refreshments enroute, drinks and food at the finish. The Dover route on 17 September will have a short family ride, plus longer rides to Sandwich and back, to Canterbury and back, and then the 100 miler to the Romney Marsh for the hard folks!

Spokes has provisionally reserved 1 July 2007 for the Belles d'Europe Randonée from Dover on the Sunday prior to the Tour de France finishing in Canterbury. We hope this will encourage more French and Belgian cyclists to ride.

We are aiming for more riders this year for the Belles d'Europe. The French and Belgian clubs are still very keen to carry on with the Amicale Europée de Cyclotourisme.

St. Omer remains the biggest of the series with more than 1,200 riders where every rider receives a giant cauliflower.

John Hunt