Safe Speed Forums

Hah! At last! I can make a post which may just placate our lurkin' critics

Page 20 - "B.E.N tonight.. A double spread ...by Wes Wright looks at cycling in Bolton's rush hour

He asks why would anyone want to ...fume filled .. full of those 'orrid car thingies.. - and those muppets behind the wheel... well.. not exactly blessed with eyes - are they? And them l--l-lorries .. Gulp!

But.. Bolton is sprouting green tarmac.... c-c-cycle lanes Um.. Wes says they are not like Ambleside either .. Cor! Blimey!




Bolton "University" -- sorry .. you mean the FE college is now a UNI Well.. well about time. They campaigned for years - as I understand - and took the refusal not to grant this status a "punishment for holding onto its Grammar Schools until the 80s despite a Labour MP called Ann Taylor (once a Labour Babe Front Bencher) who went to the posh school at which one of my sisters teaches and a famous Sir Actor also attended " Not deriding this institution at all - but I gather its lack of "acadmic status" in the past was always a thorn in the historic market town of Bolton's flesh. (Quite like this town.. has a nice "feel" to it overall whenever I have visited with my sons for football and nipped into town for a look-see around.)

Anyway - lecturer at Bolton's "centre of academic excellence" has completed a survey and concludes that "



Well - I would never have believed that. But.. back to my decisions as an 18 year old choosing a University.... I won a place at Magdalen, Cambridge to study medicine. I decided against. WHY?

Because I could not have my car down there for at least two years and I could at St Andrews!

It was that simple a choice.. and there was - of course - the GOLF COURSE!

It seems that in the flat East Anglia .. 28% cycle to and from work. Only 1.5% in Greater Manchester and I would think Cumbria is not that high. Our cyclists are made up mostly of our tourists to be honest. Few commute by bike in real terms. Or from my observations as bloke living in the rural back-drop of Keswick anyway.

The Bolton lecturer will be presenting his spiel to the tourist/leisure industry next month and claims that



Hmmmm! I ride bike. Wildy rides. IG rides. All family ride a bicycle fairly regularly for fun as opposed to commute We eat healthily.. I think overall - well balanced diet of some junk treats on odd occasions but offset by a norm of healthy home cooked - from local farm - fare.

I'd say this keeps us "youthful" in looks and mind.. a combination of balanced diet and variety of exercise and interests. I would not say riding a bike only achieves this healthy and mentally and physically alert human being.

Oh.. I agree 100%vwith him that employers need to provide facilities.. secure lock ups for bikes, changing rooms to fit with dress codes and so on.. Lack of these does rather discourage. Hmmm... heard that before.. hmmm Dammit ... Kriss ( a not very Tame Cat somewhere) was right then....


But compared to her sister - my wife - very tame

Interestingly the Bolton lecturer Dr Parkin makes similar comment to that posted on here and by the Swiss elsewhere

Hmmmmm! Who lurks where then... Odd that same comments are made by a person - "peer reviewed academic" Hmmmmm!



Where have I heard that before ..

Oh - yeah ... in post made by Mr Paul Smith and most of the members on this forum and on PH... But .. not on the sites where one would expect to see such comments

Hmmmm......

I will say though .. from this piece - Bolton Metro are very much proactive and encouraging.. free cycle route maps.. working with Sustrans... decent cycle lanes and not "for sake of it" from the ones I have seen down there anyway.

Plenty of useful intiatives in the Bolton area... from NHS Primary Cardiac care to Diabetic society. And a lot of work to build a cycle path network which will take a "scenic off-road route from the West Pennines to Manchester with aid of Lottery Grant."

This formed part of the two page spread. To follow the rest of the piece....

Decided to chunk down as a large piece. Would not scan well and did not appear as link.. yet

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As said earlier on thread ... and the nitty gritty of the thread title

Hick Jackson travels two miles from Wigan Road to College Way (location of Bolton Uni) and across Bradshawgate. It take him 10 minutes. It's downhill. Return can take 20 minutes on the gradient. But still quicker than by car.

Obvious drawbacks



That is indeed a big problem for many... Dress codes of a suit and tie ..



Some are not that lucky. Let's be honest about it. Tourmalet. Wrynose, Harknott .. Honister.. nice jolly challenge .. but would one really want tp do this every day to get to work

I am not being deliberately provocative or singin' it for the car... but we have to be realistic about some of these commutes for many in different areas to urban London town

People will choose according to terrain and personal strengths after all and I do not consider it is "anti-cycling" to point this out.

" To each his own"

Nick says he freewheels most of the time on his route into work. He says in the paper that this prevents him arriving "hot and sweaty" and he changes clothes on arrival. He carries his change in a rucksack.. trousers, tie and shirt or pullover.

Um .. er .. some have to wear an uncrumpled suit.... OK - so I don't.. am required to wash and change anyway regardless

Nick wears high -viz and ensures his lights work because



But still .. even on the climb back. intrepid Nick reckons he beats the car.

One of my sisters live in Worsley and works in Bolton. She says it takes her 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back. She says her bike added 1 5 extra minutes each way for her.


So .. depends where you work and live then Sis is healthy and robust type and rides with a Club around the Manchester area

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It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
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Andrew Mosley... thought he'd beat Nick at his game.

But.. Andrew had to park up and walk from car park to office.. This took some of his time to beat Nick.



However, Andrew added ..





Ahhh... but you at least listened to Wogan

You got the benefit of a walk and maybe bought a paper and lunch on way to office

But .. yes .. on face of it .. Nick appears to be laughing. But i wonder how he would fare on my sister's journey. Longer.. uphill. By the way.. her school does have a car park on door step too.

She tried.. it took her longer .. but then she did not just have "change of clothes".. she had 60 exercise books.. 20 folders of sixth form course work to return marked and graded to students and submitted to board.. and prepared lessons for the day.

Not quite the same thing then .. Much as one would like to enjoy a bike ride to work... sometimes it just is not so practical and my sister reckons the bus is easier. As a teacher at this school - she can use (and has used it too) to get to work. But then .. after school activities.. she needs her car after all...

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If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
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It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

Well - I would never have believed that. But.. back to my decisions as an 18 year old choosing a University.... I won a place at Magdalen, Cambridge to study medicine. I decided against. WHY?

Because I could not have my car down there for at least two years and I could at St Andrews!

It was that simple a choice.. and there was - of course - the GOLF COURSE! [/quote]

You - petrolhead - you! Not changed then




I think he meant - you might live ten years longer.. but that's debatable per some things I read in the letters' pages.

(My fave page in any mag or paper )

As you say - I think a balance of exerecise, diet and keeping mind exercised all combine to keep us "young in mind and healthy in body"

Interesting article from the Bolton paper though - Ta!

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