- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
Plymouth (Image cc licensed from Flickr user bobchin1941)No more Sky Rides for Plymouth – so cyclists are organising their own
Plymouth will no longer host its traffic-free Sky Ride cycling event due to a lack of funding. However, a local Sky Ride leader has responded by organising an unofficial Sky Ride 'Farewell Ride' in May.
Plymouth City Council held four closed-road Sky Ride events in partnership with British Cycling and Sky and last year over 4,000 people took part.
These events were supplemented by a number of smaller, local led rides. Writing on Facebook, William Nel-Barker said: “I've been speaking with another ride leader, and we'd like to arrange one last unofficial "Sky Ride", inviting everyone that's ever been on one of the small Sky Rides (not referring to the 1 big event that usually had closed roads).”
The ride will take place on Sunday May 29. More details can be found here.
Plymouth man banned from riding a bike (unless he can prove ownership)
Councillor Mark Coker, Plymouth City Council's cabinet member for strategic transport and planning, told the Plymouth Herald that the council had originally only committed to hosting two mass participation events over a three-year period as part of its Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) bid.
"We actually hosted four popular Sky Ride events in partnership with British Cycling and Sky, complemented by a programme of local led rides. These are among a number of LSTF-funded projects that have helped to encourage active lifestyles and brought about a 45 per cent increase in cycling in Plymouth in the past five years.
"The Sky Ride programme has now come to an end and, after a successful bid for a one-year extension, our LSTF funding also ends in March."
Coker did however add that the council would be happy to explore any proposals British Cycling may have for future cycling events in the city.
He also said that the council would now put more emphasis on improving infrastructure with £5.88million of Local Enterprise Partnership funding having recently been secured for investment in walking and cycling routes up until 2020. This money will be supplemented by £1.657 million in developer contributions and £883,000 in council match-funding.
"With the focus of government funding opportunities switching to infrastructure projects, we will be building on the progress we've made so far by targeting our resources on walking and cycling route improvements, along with other supporting measures."
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- imajez 2 hours 46 min ago
Nothing new about zebra [or light controlled] crossing on roundabouts. Sheffield has had them for decades, possibly since the 1970s.
- David9694 4 hours 16 min ago
Herefordshire man fined after throwing parking ticket...
- OnYerBike 5 hours 37 min ago
I'm sure that sort of thing will come sooner or later. But presumably a key ingredient (and why you'd turn to a big brand like Fizik) is knowing...
- muhasib 5 hours 41 min ago
"the cost to rebuild the M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange is £317 million. The project is expected to be completed in 2025. "
- mark1a 6 hours 5 min ago
I think they did, from memory back in the 70s/80s... haven't seen one for years though, our current milkman uses a standard van, albeit hybrid.
- kingleo 7 hours 20 min ago
I believe that straight forks that are used on carbon frames are more dangerous than the old steel forks because they are more rigid, the old steel...
- S.E. 7 hours 52 min ago
Yes, sleep apnea produces more CO... I'm not aware of any doping effect but what do I know....
- Gd29 10 hours 11 sec ago
That's true enough. But doesn't address my point that the chainset you get as a replacement will not physically fit chainrings from the chain set...
- brooksby 10 hours 30 min ago
In all fairness, it almost certainly NEVER happened…
Add new comment
9 comments
Good for them (the cyclists, not Plymouth city council). Here in Bristol we had "Bristols Biggest Bike Ride" for twenty odd years and then last year it got borgified into a Sky Ride. Not as good, not as many organised routes, and you had to wear a hi vis weskit and a helmet.
Got caught up in the Brizzle SkyRide on my way to work, slowest I've ever ridden but good to see all the young kids out on their bikes even if they were forced to wear a helmet and hi-vis. Hopefully BBBR is back for 2016 though I wish they'd use a different route, maybe go North out to Almonsbury like they did once.
The best BBBR I did was the "Tyntesfield Twenty" a couple of years ago. The Portway was closed. Then Bristol Harbourside along the Portway, over the Avonmouth Bridge, through Pill and Easton in Gordano, through Portbury and up the hill to Tyntesfield House in Wraxall, then back along the lanes and onto Festival Way back into town. Twenty miles, to celebrate twenty years of the BBBR. But now the BBBR is a Sky Ride, so you can go from the Harbourside to Bridge Valley Road and back again and that's it..,
Don't let your prejudices get you down. For all Sky Rides, helmets and hi-viz are recommended, the only people who have to wear helmets are Sky Ride Leaders who are working on the ride. Still shame to destroy a good anti-Sky Ride rant.
Don't let your prejudices get you down. For all Sky Rides, helmets and hi-viz are recommended, the only people who have to wear helmets are Sky Ride Leaders who are working on the ride. Still shame to destroy a good anti-Sky Ride rant.
I didn't know that, but that wasn't the main point of my anti sky ride rant anyway. I was complaining about a locally organised and run ride which had a whole range of different routes of different lengths, and different difficulties being taken over and replaced with a single easy flat route aimed at families and/or newbies in which everyone is *encouraged* (is that better?) to wear hi-viz and helmets.
Probably better for them to organise something themselves now anyway. Sky will no longer be organising the rides from next year.
www.veloism.cc
Context is everything. Firstly it sounds like there were only ever a certain number planned. Secondly, Plymouth City Council needs to save many millions of pounds. Road closures are expensive. Shame of course.
The "lack of funding" thing confuses me a bit. Considering that the roads are looked after by the council and that it is seemingly free for whatever water/power/cable TV companies to obstruct them, where is the actual cost in closing a few roads? Also, do the roads actually have to be closed? With enough cycle traffic on there then they would be unattractive to motor vehicles anyway.
I know that the likes of the Bec and the Catford hillclimbs pay thousands to close roads that don't go anywhere useful. That seems a bit of a rip-off too.