Author: Secretary

Social Bike Rides and Charity Rides

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signpostFollowing on from the success of last year, Spokes has organised another programme of social bike rides on various Saturdays throughout the spring, summer and autumn of 2015. With distances ranging from 12 to 67 miles, there is something for everyone. All rides start and finish in West Mills, Newbury. Riders meet near the war memorial between Lloyd’s Bank and St Nicolas Church. To find out more and to book your place for any of the rides, please visit our page on the goskyride.com website. You can also download the full programme from our website, or pick up a leaflet from local bike shops or the visitor information centre in Newbury.

If that’s not enough or you, then why not sign up for one of the many local charity rides that are happening over the next couple of months across West Berkshire:

  • Purley Primary School are organising the Tour de Purley on 10 May to raise funds for the school. There are four routes of varying length from 1km for pupils and younger siblings to 30 miles for the more adventurous. Fur further information, see: www.tourdepurley.org.
  • The Black Hole Sportive takes place on 31 May and is raising money for  Newbury RFC U16’s to coach rugby to children in Brasilian favelas in August 2015 and host a grass rugby festival for them in Rio. There are 20 and 50 mile routes. For further information, please visit: http://velo-events.com/events-2/black-hole-sportive.
  • The Ring of Fire charity bike ride returns for its second year on 28 June. It is seeking to raise money for the Firefighter’s Charity and Camp Uganda. There are 10, 30 and 60 mile routes available and everyone who takes part will be entered into a prize draw. To find out more, go to: http://rofbikeride.weebly.com.

Spokes Presents – Bicycle, The Film

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Spokes has organised a FREE showing of the “Bicycle” film documentary at 8:30pm on Thursday 5 March 2015 at the Corn Exchange in Newbury.

“Bicycle” is a 90 minute documentary that asks the question: “why is cycling and the bicycle back in fashion?” The film, which is directed by BAFTA winning director and keen cyclist Michael B.Clifford tells the story of cycling in the land that invented the modern bicycle, it’s birth, decline and re-birth from Victorian origins to today.

The film weaves bicycle design, sport and transport through the retelling of some iconic stories and features interviews with Sir Dave Brailsford, Gary Fisher, Chris Boardman, Ned Boulting, Sir Chris Hoy, Tracy Moseley, Mike Burrows and many more, plus great archive, animation and music. “Bicycle” is a humorous, lyrical and warm reflection on the bicycle and cycling and its place in the British national psyche.

“At a time when the bicycle is back in fashion, it is great to see a film about this beautiful machine coming out.”
Chris Boardman MBE, Olympic Gold Medallist

Places are strictly limited (39 seats plus one wheelchair) – and MUST be booked in advance. To book your ticket, please use our contact us form to let us know the names of those who will be attending. Seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.  Entry will only be for those with their name on the list. Once full, a waiting list will be maintained, so please let us know if you can no longer attend. A confirmation reminder will be sent to those with reserved seats nearer the evening.

The Corn Exchange bar and refreshment facilities will be open – and for those who want to join us we will retire for a quick drink and further discussion after the film.We look forward to seeing you there!

National Pothole Day

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Like the Great British weather, the condition of our roads is a perennial cause for complaint, but unlike the weather we can all do something about the potholes on our roads.

Street Repairs, the people behind the online pothole reporting website and smart phone app, have organised National Pothole Day to try and galvanise people into action, encouraging them to report potholes that they encounter on their local roads.

We come across potholes and other defects on our roads every day, but many of them go unreported. A small pothole can be quickly and inexpensively repaired. However, the same pothole, if left over the winter, will grow in size through repeated freezing and thawing of the water accumulating in it. After just a few months, the pothole will become a safety hazard and will be much more expensive to put right.

To ensure that the roads in West Berkshire remain in a safe and usable condition, the Council carries out routine safety inspections. All public highways are routinely inspected by qualified inspectors who then arrange for repairs to be carried out to address any defects that they find. The frequency of inspection is dependent on the type of road and the traffic using it. On minor roads, these can be quite lengthy, which means that some problems can go undetected for weeks or even months.

Street Repairs makes it easy to report problems on the roads, by providing one website through which residents can submit any issue, to any local council anywhere, any time. Smartphone technology allows residents to report problems in real-time. You can attach photographs and give a detailed description whilst out and about. Updates on the status of your report are sent back to you via email and text message.

There are apps for iPhone and Android and you can also report problems via the website: www.streetrepairs.co.uk. So next time you see a pothole, don’t just mutter under your breath and carry on, take the time to report it and get it fixed!

Get on Your Bike with Spokes in 2015

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Social Bike RideHappy New Year!  Maybe, like us, you are already thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions. If so, then why not resolve to get on your bike with Spokes in 2015.

If you haven’t cycled in a while, then we can get you up and running in no time. We can provide cycle training and advise on everything from bike purchase to bike maintenance.

We’re already working on our programme of events for the coming year and are aiming to build on last year’s successes with a series of recreational bike rides, as well as Dr Bike sessions and bike maintenance workshops. We’ve also got a couple of surprises up our sleeves, which we’ll tell you about soon.

We are also working with West Berkshire Council to develop a strategic plan for cycling, identifying the things that are stopping people from cycling and developing schemes and initiatives that overcome those barriers.

If you’d like to find out more, then why not pop along to one of our monthly pub meets. The first one is on 7 January. Happy cycling!

Be Safe, Be Seen – Get Some Lights!

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The clocks went back last night, which means that it gets darker earlier. Unfortunately this always coincides with a big increase in the number of cyclists involved in road traffic accidents. Don’t be another statistic – make sure that you have working lights and reflectors if cycling after dark.

If you’re only going to be cycling occasionally in street-lit areas, then you just need a set of small, battery-powered, flashing lights that are bright enough to catch the attention of other road users. You can pick up a decent set for around £20.

If you are a regular commuter, then consider upgrading to some rechargeable bike lights that you can recharge at your desk. These should also put out a bit more light than the small flasher. Expect to pay from £30 upwards for a pair.

If you are venturing out into unlit roads, then you will need something a bit beefier at the front that will light up the road and let you see where you are going. Look for something with a rating of at least 300 lumens. Torch lights within internal battery packs can put out as much as 1,200 lumens. This is more than you’ll ever need for road riding, but on lower settings they will run all night. Expect to pay from £50 upwards.

Finally, don’t forget the reflectives. The law says that if you are out after dark, then you must have a red reflector at the back and orange reflectors on the pedals front and back. Reflectors on the spokes and tyre side walls and reflective patches on your clothing also help to get you noticed.

Remember that Spokes members get 10% off at Banjo, Specialized Concept Store and Supernova, so there really is no excuse!