He’s going from London to Edinburgh over six days starting on 21st August. He’s solo, unsupported and carrying his kit. He’s also paying for it (though Mum and Dad are helping with some of the accommodation costs).

He thought he’d raise some money for a worthwhile cause along the way, so if you like to make a small contribution to Cancer Research UK you can do so at his donation website.

Thank you.

Whatever your decision, please do use your vote. If you no longer have the proxy form, it can be found at :

http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/About_Us/2010_Proxy_Voting_Form.pdf.

The inaugural showing of the Hackney Bicycle Film Society will be on Monday 8th February.

The main Film will be A Sunday in Hell the 1977 100min documentary directed by Jørgen Leth.

The film is a chronology of the 1976 Paris-Roubaix bicycle race from the perspective of participants, organizers and spectators. Paris-Roubaix is the most famous and usually the most dramatic of the spring classic cycle races. Much of the latter portion is over narrow, cobbled tracks that choke with dust on dry days and become slick and muddy in rain. For the riders it’s a challenge to keep going without puncturing or crashing.

The film captures not just the events of the 1976 edition but the atmosphere of a professional race. It begins by introducing the contenders: Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck (the previous year’s winner), Freddy Maertens, and Francesco Moser, each with their supporting riders (the domestiques), who are charged with helping their team leader win. The film gives views of the team director, protester (the race is halted for a while), spectator, mechanic and rider. As the Hell of the North is entered the selection begins. Riders puncture, crash, make the wrong move – the race plays out. By the finish in the velodrome in Roubaix only a few are in with a chance. The winner is a surprise, but that is part of the appeal. Post-race the exhausted riders, mired in dirt, give interviews in the velodrome’s showers. They look like men who have been to hell and back.

“You can see every bead of sweat on the cyclists and every smashed-up ankle. It really makes you never want to get on a bike again. But it is an amazing film.” – Nick Fraser, BBC commissioning editor

“Arguably the best film ever made about professional cycling” – Peter Cowie, International Film Guide

The film show starts at 19.00 and will be held Upstairs at the Calthorpe Arms 252 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8JR

The showing is free but to attend you must become a member of the HBFS a minimum of 24hrs before the show membership is also free but you need to e-mail HBFS clearly showing your full name, address a contact number and occupation to hackneybicyclefilmsociety@googlemail.com

A membership card will be e-mailed back to you. You need to show your membership on the door to gain admittance.

So, having checked the minutiae of the Regulations in case we were indeed at fault, we consulted with Dave Halladay, the CTC cycling guru. With his advice a formal letter of complaint was sent, and now (after some further intervention from Dave), we have an apology:

Alex Veitch has passed me your email and asked me to reply regarding the conditions relating to the use of a Network Railcard. I am sorry it has taken us so long to reply.
In noting and appreciating your comments, I can only assume that the train manager/conductor may not have been familiar with the Network Railcard retailing instructions and the rule that allows additional passengers to be added to the Network Railcard group up to the maximum number of accompanying adults allowed.
As I understand it, Mr Hayman’s ticket should not have been challenged once the train manager/conductor had verified that the Railcard holder was in another carriage due to the problem accommodating your cycles. The relevant instruction to staff is outlined below.
I am pleased to learn that Mr Hayman was not charged a Penalty Fare although this does not distract from the fact that he should not have been put in the embarrassing situation in the first place, and I apologise for this. Your email has been forwarded to Chiltern Railways and I am sure they will be concerned to read your comments.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Your complaint, whilst regrettable, does help us monitor and improve the services train companies provide.
Yours sincerely
Tony Ewers
Customer Relations Manager
0207 841 8062

Discounted price tickets purchased by a Network Railcard holder should be issued for travel for the same origin and destination and should normally be of the same ticket type. However the Railcard group can be extended either on the outward or return journey, up to the maximum group size detailed above. If the group size is increased for a complete return journey then discounted price tickets of the same type can be either purchased in advance of travel or at the ticket office before the journey commences.
If the group size is increased for only the outward or return leg of a journey, then appropriate discounted Single tickets should be issued for the new members of the group. It is in this situation that the ticket type may vary.

The group, whatever the size, must stay together throughout the journey as the Network Railcard validates all tickets.

Tour of the Cornfields 2009

The Tour of the Cornfields will reach its third year when the cyclo-cross sportive goes ahead on 6 September.

The route is designed to be ideal for cyclo-cross bikes but has been completed by riders on MTBs and even a couple of hardy riders on road bikes. The route uses narrow lanes, farm tracks, byways and wide off-road paths, with over 50% of the 58 mile distance being off-road. The terrain is flat or gently rolling with just a few short climbs.

This year’s edition will feature all the favourite sections from the previous two years, including the Brick Road, Ashwell Street, Cracknow Hill and Buck End. The organisers are hoping to include the infamous Porters Way this year, which was off-limits last year due to repair work and flooded the year before.

There’s a limit of 190 starters due to parking availability. Enter online at www.riderhq.com. Closing date for entry is 24 August.

Saturday 21 June: LFA ride. All That Life Can Afford. Design guru
Stephen Bayley on artists and architects houses. Meet 2pm. Tate Modern
North Side garden. Ends 5.30pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=531981&Y=180503&A=Y&Z=1

Wednesday 25 June: LFA ride. If Buildings Could Speak. Architectural
writer David Littlefield on embedded dreams. Meet 6pm. Waterloo
Millennium Green. Ends 9pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=531275&Y=179791&A=Y&Z=1

Saturday 28 June: LFA ride. Fresh Water. Chris James of Lambeth Cyclists
on water, London and the engineering and architecture. Meet 10.30am. St
Bartholomew the
Great, West Smithfield. Ends 4.30pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=531922&Y=181672&A=Y&Z=1

Sunday 29 June: LFA ride. Bikes And Bridges. Engineer Mark Whitby and
architect Alex Lifschutz. Meet 10.30am. Corner of Carriage Drive North
and Carriage Drive West. Ends 5pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=527551&Y=177225&A=Y&Z=1

Wednesday 2 July: LFA ride. Designer Wayne Hemingway on Public Back
Gardens. Meet 6pm. Bernie Spain Gardens. Ends 9pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=531326&Y=180406&A=Y&Z=1

Friday 4 July: LFA ride. Rediscovering central London’s Public Realm. A
provocative look at London’s public spaces with Professor Richard
Burdett, chief architectural adviser to the 2012 games. Meet 6.30pm.
Somerset House Courtyard. Ends 8.30pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=530738&Y=180815&A=Y&Z=1

Saturday 5 July: LFA ride. The Mayor’s 100 Open Spaces (Boris may change
this! Or not). Ex-Southwark planning chief Fred Manson on the varying
identities of new spaces. Meet 2.30pm. Tate Modern entrance ramp.Ends
5.30pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=531890&Y=180459&A=Y&Z=1

Sunday 6 July: LFA ride. Public Space in Politics. Emily Thornberry MP
on public spaces and political protest. Meet 2pm. Cumberland Gate.
North-east corner. Hyde Park. Ends 5.30pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=527815&Y=180844&A=Y&Z=1

Thursday 10 July: LFA ride. Concrete Buildings 1. Meet 6pm. Bath
Terrace/Harper Road junction. Andrew Scoones, Director of The Buildings
Centre. Ends 8pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=532315&Y=179339&A=Y&Z=1

Saturday 12 July: LFA ride. Beneath The Streets. Barry Mason on
Subterranean London. Meet 11am. Mecklenburgh Square. Ends 6pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=530602&Y=182382&A=Y&Z=1

Sunday 13 July: LFA ride. Cultural Shift. Meet 2pm. Calthorpe Project.
Grays Inn Road.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=530666&Y=182573&A=Y&Z=1
Katy Marks of Haworth Tompkins and Ian Taylor of
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios on some of London’s best arts buildings.
Ends 6pm.

Thursday 17 July: LFA ride. Concrete Buildings 2. The
versatility of concrete with Andrew Scoones, Director of The Buildings
Centre. Meet 6pm. The Building Centre, Store Street. Ends 8pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=529738&Y=181725&A=Y&Z=1

Saturday 19 July: LFA ride. The Great Freshway. A proposal for a
cycle-superhighway linking London’s major spaces and buildings with
Keith Bradley of Fielden Clegg Bradley studios and Dan Pearson,
gardening correspondant for The Observer magazine. Meet
10.30am. Royal Albert Hall. Ends 4.30pm.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=526602&Y=179597&A=Y&Z=1

Sunday 20 July:LFA Ride. Fit for Purpose. Some of London’s best sports
buildings. Meet 10.30am. Primrose Hill Road entrance to Primrose Hill.
Andy Myton of David Morley Architects and Brian Ditchburn of HOK. Ends
5pm at Herne Hill Velodrome. Last in use legacy of the 1948 Olympics.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=527554&Y=184107&A=Y&Z=1

15 to 28 hours/week contracts working on regular days

(£10,058 to £18,775 per annum)

Cycle Training UK Ltd (CTUK) is a not-for-profit workers’ co-operative that
promotes cycling as a means of transport.

They are recruiting Instructors to join the team and deliver riding and
maintenance instruction to trainees of all ages and group sizes. Their
instructors deliver high quality training and are the public face of the
organisation. Applicants need to be good communicators who are enthusiastic
about cycling as a means of transport.

Successful applicants will be either an accredited or provisionally
accredited National Standard Cycling Instructor, and be available to work
between 15 and 28 hours per week. Training takes place on both weekends and
weekdays. Working patterns are agreed on an individual basis.

CTUK offer a commitment to training and development. Instructors will be
invited to become a member of the co-operative.

Go to www.cycletraining.co.uk/jobs for more information and an application
pack. Closing date for applications is 12th May 2008.

My reason for writing is that we are in need of a strong team of enthusiastic volunteers for The Playtex MoonWalk 2008. On Saturday, 17th May 15,000 women and men will set off at midnight to Power Walk a marathon around London wearing decorated bras, with that one united aim. We could not hold the event without the help of 1,500 willing volunteers who carry out a variety of essential tasks.

I am in particular seeking a team of Volunteer Cyclists to help us patrol and marshal the route, be front and back markers for the walkers, and generally act as trouble-shooters when needed. Cyclists will work in pairs throughout the night and are allocated to a specific shift. The first team will report to Hyde Park at 8:00pm on Saturday and will finish by the early-morning on Sunday. The second team will report to Hyde Park at 6:30am on Sunday and will finish by 12 noon.

It’s great fun and being a part of this special team is an unforgettable experience! Thus, I am offering you a unique and valuable volunteering opportunity.

• Would you be willing to give a few hours of your time and expertise to join an enthusiastic team?
• Do you have colleagues/friends who might like to join in too?

I have attached a Volunteer Registration Form that each person volunteering will need to complete and return to us. Cyclists will also be invited to attend a Pre-Event Briefing on Tuesday, 6th May at the City of London School for Girls (a formal invitation will follow upon registration). The briefing will give the cyclists a chance to meet other event staff and volunteers, as well as the opportunity to learn more about how The MoonWalk operates and what their role entails.

Please feel free to forward this message and/or circulate/display the registration form to any appropriate contacts that you may have – we need to spread this message far and wide! We also have A3 and A4 posters. If you would like hard copies of the posters and form, please get back to me and I will happily put some in the post for you.

I cannot emphasise too strongly what an enormous contribution our cyclists make to the whole event, so please consider taking part to “join us and donate a night for breast cancer” or if that is not possible then pass this on to someone else who might be able to. You may have been involved last year and have already been contacted about volunteering again this year – if so please forgive any duplication – we just do not want to miss anyone!

Do not hesitate to contact myself or a member of the Volunteer Team with any queries as follows:

• Phone: 01483 741362 or 01483 741430
• Email: jenn@walkthewalk.org or volunteers@walkthewalk.org
• Website: www.walkthewalk.org

With good wishes and good health

Jenn DeBernardo

Volunteer and Walker Support Manager

Walk the Walk Worldwide

4th Floor

Brook House

88-100 Chertsey Road

Woking

GU21 5BJ

Tel: 01483 741362

Fax: 01483 727418

jenn@walkthewalk.org

www.walkthewalk.org

The plan is to go somewhere south and/or west of London by train and ride back towards London with a tailwind. Details TBA – depends on engineering work. Watch this space.

Current favourite is train to Rowland’s Castle then ride to Guildford through some seriously good scenery and seriously quiet places.