What a glorious week end we have been enjoying!
Although Wheelers’ Brunch was made up by only three people, we had a great time soaking the sun, catching up about bikes, commute stories and the likes!
We weren’t the only ones who thought Dukes92 was the perfect place to be basking in the sun!
I had few errands in the afternoon, and after sharing a pleasant ride back to South Manchester with Thibault, I stopped for 10 minutes in the park before my next appointment. Bliss!
Filed under cycling, Wheelers' Brunch
*
After possibly 4 weeks of rain, rain, rain (ok we did see some sunshine once and a while) we woke up to a glOrious day.
After much debate about my pasty skin I decided that what-the-heck-it’s-sunny-I’ll-wear-a-dress!
I arrived at my meeting fresh as a rose, happy as larry and with minor encounters of idiotic drivers. Success.
I had a couple of unpleasant encounters on my way home, but nothing that an al-fresco dining couldn’t sort out, plus I seriously do need to keep my cool… I don’t think I am a pretty sight, an irated italian lady on a pretty lady-like Pashley, what an odd combo eh?!
*I am not serious, I promise, I was resisting squinting from the sun, which had a funny effect on my face, obviously.
Filed under cycling, Manchester
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So, for this May Wheelers’ Brunch (Saturday 26th of May), we’ll be meeting up at Dukes 92 in Castefield at 12pm, hoping for some sunshine to enjoy the spacious outside seating…
We hope to see lots of you there!
For how to find Dukes 92, click here.
Filed under Wheelers' Brunch
I see this as a little Easter present to all the Greater Manchester residents, actually.
Last week saw the launch of the Greater Manchester Cycling Manifesto!
The manifesto’s 5 principle keys are:
A fantastic charter drafted and created by the brilliant people of Love Your Bike and supported by a range of businesses and organisations of GM.
Please go read it, share it and enjoy it, because I do think this is a milestone for GM worth popping a bottle of bubbly… OK…. at least enjoy it with a nice cuppa eh?!
You know how much I believe in cycling to create a liveable and an enjoyable city, with much reduced level of congestion for a Manchester returned to a people-scale, which is what it deserves. This, for me, is a tangible step towards all that!
Filed under cycling, Manchester
Well, despite the sun being rather shy yesterday, a real good time was had by all.
A few of us (about 10) cycled from Oxford Road to the Green Festival, we arrived at 12pm just in time for the cycling parade around Chorlton. A nice selection of bikes! Bemused Chorlton residents, smiled as we went pass and rang our variety of bells. It always amazes me (I know, it shouldn’t) how nice it is to see a big group of bikes, riding together, chatting and usually smiling. For example compare a bicycle jam with a traffic (car) jam and tell me which one is pleasant and which one isn’t!
From left, the Black 10 (the cargo bike with big wicker basket), the Babbooe and then slightly hidden DrC and Suz on the Circe tandem.
My highlight of the day was a mini test ride of the gorgeous cargo bikes by Practical Cycles… and it’s official, I am in love with the Nihola… now I need a real reason for it (give me few more years) and a hefty saving account. I enjoyed the Babbooe which I liked very much (smooth and sturdy) also thanks to the much lower price tag, but my arms aren’t long enough for its turning circle… while the Nihola was just… perfect, just an extra £1000 extra (worth every penny by the way)! And I was really, really taken by the Zigo though, I also feel it would sell (if you ever wanted to sell it off) really well and easily too. Although a cargo bike is much more than just ferrying kids around, I reckon you get a cargo bike and you keep it forever. But the Zigo may allow you to avoid having to get a pram etc… but hey I don’t have kids, so I am just speculating. Perhaps some cycling parents out there could give us their view.
Practical Cycles stands, nice to see plenty of families interested in cargo bikes!
Nihola to the left, Zigo to the right
Jonathan demonstrating the fun of the Babboe 
This the promo video for Zigo, a rather nice, clear view of how it works.
I had a conversation a long while ago about why I am getting rather obsessed with cargo bikes and my reason is simple, I am getting rather fed up of people saying “oh, I guess it’s ok you not having a car now, but perhaps when you have kids you’ll get one, because you know, how are you going to get around without one?”… I will get around without a car just fine thank you very much!
Gladly we live in a great city, public transport could be improved but I am still a great fan of our well integrated buses, trains and yes even trams (if they allowed bikes, we would like them even more!). Looking at a Nihola, for example, with a price of just shy of £2500, I could get a very little, thoroughly used, second hand car, which would syphon off so much money every single year (while the Nihola or any bikes for that matter, pay themselves off) that I seriously cannot bring myself to understand why more people don’t give cargo bikes a go!
The Nihola and the Babbooe that I tried, and no doubt the Bakfiets, are geared (pardon my pun) to make carrying loads easily and doable. Their gearing system is different from standard one-person bikes, they are slower, yes, but I think we’ve got to curb this love of ours to go fast… plus when I say slow, I mean adding an extra 5 minutes to your normal cycling journey.
So that’s why I am becoming mildly obsessed with cargo bikes. I am determined to do everything I can to support change for a healthier environment for my future kids and future generations. I refuse to think that I will have to give them an apology, I like to believe that I will pass on a healthy dose of positivism towards our future, our environment and our responsibilities as city dwellers.
Anyhow, on lighter note 
, I look forward to next years’ CGBF!
Filed under cycling, Manchester
Mad busy, in a great way(!), March, this has been*.
We will conclude it with Wheelers’ Brunch at the Chorlton Big Green Festival.
Together with ChesterCycling, I will be leading the cycle ride from Manchester Oxford Road to Chorlton via the Fallowfield Loop.
We’ll hold Wheelers’ Brunch at the festival from 12pm onwards. Meet at the GMCC stand (only because I know where that will be) and then we’ll choose what to eat from where then. Fingers crossed for good weather we will be able to have an impromptus picnic.
The timetable has been confirmed by the festival’s organisers as:
Filed under cycling, Manchester, Wheelers' Brunch
I have just returned from a fantastic visit to Copenhagen, where I’ve had the opportunity to really look and understand the city urban design as well as cycling infrastructure.
I will probably do a mini series of posts on what I have seen and learnt. To start with I’d like to share a short video of a cycling moment in Copenhagen. Nothing fancy, just sitting on a bench on a regular intersection, watching cyclists, drivers and pedestrians seemingly interact, thanks to properly planned infrastructure.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see a variety of cyclists: with and without helmets, in chic clothing, in casual clothing and even in sporty clothing. Nice!
Filed under cycling, Global cycling inspiration
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