The excitement of the film premiere is over. Back we go to “normal” life in Darlington. We’ve managed to keep the beautiful dutch bikes – in fact we’re going to buy 40 more this year and expand the bike hire scheme. But how many girls will keep on cycling? We know that cycling is still “uncool” for many UK teenagers – perhaps because it feels so unsafe on our meagre infrastructure? Here, one of the girls from Beauty and the Bike, Lauren Pyrah, comes behind the camera to ask what is happening to the Darlington girls now. Kate, one of the original group, is joined by Francesca to shout the praises of everyday cycling. But Ashley has stopped. Why? And will politicians listen?
Monthly Archives: March 2010
Beauty and the Bike-What Happened Next?
The excitement of the film premiere is over. Back we go to “normal” life in Darlington. We’ve managed to keep the beautiful dutch bikes – in fact we’re going to buy 40 more this year and expand the bike hire scheme. But how many girls will keep on cycling? We know that cycling is still “uncool” for many UK teenagers – perhaps because it feels so unsafe on our meagre infrastructure? Here, one of the girls from Beauty and the Bike, Lauren Pyrah, comes behind the camera to ask what is happening to the Darlington girls now. Kate, one of the original group, is joined by Francesca to shout the praises of everyday cycling. But Ashley has stopped. Why? And will politicians listen?
Beauty and The Bike film in Velosophie magazine
Beauty and the Bike makes an appearance in German magazine Velosophie, page 22.
I don’t read German, but Beatrix does:
Note: On page 13 John F. Kennedy praises the bicycle!!!
And on page 27 they advertise a pedelec with a trailer (young mum and toddler)I am quite impressed by the variety, Chic and Charme of Velosophie.
The next article will be in „Radwelt“ the magazine of the ADFC (the CTC of Germany) in April
And after that a review of the film in „Radtouren Magazin“ in May
Dear driver of baby poo brown Renault Scenic
Please don’t overtake me over the top of the railway bridge on Haughton Road. It’s not wide enough.
Hint: that’s why I was riding in the middle of the lane.
Lucky you got in to the left before going head on into that car coming the other way, eh?
So, please don’t do it again, thanks.
Blocked bike path on Borough Road
Another regular annoyance on my ride to work, is the red Astra that parks over the bike path exit on Borough Road.
This short length of bike path allows cyclists to legally bypass the No Entry on the northern end on Borough Road, and forms part of one of the main radial routes into town, as well as being on the Sustrans NCN14 route.
When heading into town, cyclists using the bike path alongside Haughton Road have to cross the entrance to Bannatyne’s gym and then use the filter to get onto Borough Road. As shown in the Google Streetview below*.
This isn’t the easiest manoeuvre and is made harder by the fact there are also often pedestrians crossing in the same place, so cyclists have to watch where they’re going while looking behind themselves back up Haughton Road for gym members turning left, forwards on Haughton Road for people turning right and into the gym car park for people heading for Haughton Road. Add in people sometimes driving out of Borough Road, or the access the the Bannatyne’s HQ, which is also behind you, but on the left and behind a wall and you’ve got a situation that’s not made easier by the parked car!
I’ve reported the car to the police via email, with the above photo (but with visible car reg plate) attached, so look forward to their response.
(*Incidentally, if you have a look up the bike path on the Streetview photo, you’ll see that there’s a family on the bike path. Doing the illegal, but safest, thing of using the pedestrian side of the segregated path to avoid them at the point they were photographed would have you heading for a bin.)