Bike Column April 2009

Good to have the bike column back after a brief winter hibernation. Did my first mission on the mountain bike for a while at Carron Valley. This is the closest decent facility to Glasgow, nestled in the hills beside the Carron Valley reservoir between Denny and Kilsyth. There are red trails and a little skills circuit at the end. The whole thing can be completed in just over an hour, depending on how energetic you are feeling. The first hurl round was pretty slow and creaky (me, not the bike!) but the second circuit was much faster and more enjoyable. It was a beautiful clear day and from the top of the Tak-ma-doon Road above Kilsyth it was possible to see the Forth Rail Bridge.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/carronvalley

 

Clyde Tunnel Controlled Entry

The southbound bike tunnel under the Clyde now has a controlled entry system. You ride up and press an intercom button, then someone from the control room buzzes you in to a second gate, where the process is repeated before accessing the tunnel.  The idea is to discourage anti-social behaviour within the tunnel, such as graffiti, vandalism, damage to lights, litter and broken glass. Glasgow City Council has spent £125,000 on the new entry system, which pedestrians can use in both directions. The council hopes to find funds to install the entry system on both cycle tunnels soon. This is intended to improve links between communities north and south of the river, and to provide a secure crossing point. Currently, the Clyde Tunnel is the only pedestrian crossing point between the ferry at Renfrew and the bridges at the Science Centre. Bike activist David Brennan has recorded some footage of the new security gates, see below.

 David has pioneered the use of helmet cameras to monitor the behaviour of motorists towards cyclists, you can see further examples on his blog. http://magnatom.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-clyde-tunnel-entrance.html

Potholes

Sadly, the potholes on our roads seem to be worse than ever. There are huge sections of Victoria Road from Kingarth Street up to Queen’s Park which are like the surface of the moon. I used www.filthathole.org.uk to report these defects so let’s see what happens.

Going for Commonwealth Gold

The Sport Scotland Institute for Sport is seeking new female talent to add to the Scottish team for the Commonwealth Games in 2014. The first Gold4Glasgow event will focus on women’s cycling and takes place at the Stirling Athlete Village on Sunday May 3.  Scots aged between 16 and 27 are invited to attend where they will go through rigorous testing on Watt bikes.  Those who meet the requirements will then be asked back to a training weekend.  They will then receive close monitoring and work with the Institute’s team of experts, such as sports medicine and strength and conditioning, in a bid to find athletes who could represent Scotland and ultimately win medals. For more details and registration info, visit www.gold4glasgow.com

Olympic Bikes at Bannerman High

A £40,000 mountain bike circuit was opened in the East End last month at Bannerman High School by medal winning members of the Special Olympics cycling team.

The track, which was two years in the making, was a result of requests from pupils who wanted a venue where they could train without travelling a distance.

The only other inner city mountain bike track is in Pollok Country Park. It was opened in 2004.

Triple Olympic cycling champion, Chris Hoy, who opened the Pollok track said: ‘This new track may bring on the next generation of Olympians.’

Almost 100 individuals, including 60 pupils, gathered in the pouring rain on Tuesday October 21 to watch demonstration rides by the team.

Pupils from Bannerman High, and feeder primary schools Swinton, Sandaig and Caledonia also took part in races.

The 1km bike trail, which will also be open to the local community, has been constructed around the school’s football and hockey pitch. It is designed to improve the confidence of off-road cyclists and improve their mountain biking skills.

A hard grade circuit has jumps, ramps, cobbled stones and raised embankments while an easier grade circuit is made up of gentle bends and surfaced stone.

The track was funded by Sustrans, a leading UK charity focused on sustainable transport. It was built in response to the huge rise in popularity of mountain biking in Scotland.

Councillor Euan McLeod, Convenor of the Land and Environmental Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee told the gathering: ‘The young people of Bannerman High have been at the heart of this project.’

John Lauder, Sustrans Scotland Director, said: ‘Through our project ‘Tackling the School Run’ we know that more and more children are cycling to school. The more opportunities young people have to get on their bikes the more they will do just that.’

 

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: ‘It is hoped the track will also provide a bridge between the secondary school and its feeder primary schools, so easing the transition for pupils.’

Pothole Patrol

Councillor Danny Alderslowe has been on pothole patrol at various locations in the city, encouraging cyclists to report potholes to the Council and get them repaired.

The Council has a service commitment to repair potholes on main roads within 24 hours and on side roads within five days. Potholes are particularly hazardous for cyclists as they often occur at the edges of roads where cyclists usually ride. Swerving to avoid them can place cyclists in danger as they can come into contact with passing traffic. Danny told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘It’s great to see so many people cycling these days, but if the roads are in poor condition it discourages people from using their bikes. And it is especially difficult for new cyclists. Potholes are a serious hazard.’

The council’s pothole hotline number is 0800 373635.

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