Campaigning for and promoting an enjoyable non-polluting way of transport

T h e   B a r n e t   C y c l i s t
The Barnet Group of the London Cycling Campaign
Affiliated to the Cyclists Touring Club

 


Number 288

October 2009

Dr Bike - who can do what?

After a long period of uncertainty about liability, it has been discovered/decided by the LCC that it's OK for ordinary people to do little tweaks to other people's bikes at Dr Bike sessions. That it's been done like that for years was called into question regarding liability (see under 'ambulance chasers') and 'what if'.

It's a relief to me as I am unable to just put ticks on a sheet then tell someone that the gear cable needs a small adjustment that needs no tools, or that the brake levers could do with moving up or down a bit to make riding more comfy (usually a small knock in the right direction does the trick). It's kept me away from Dr Bike for a while as I often do the little tweaks as part of the initial assessment and even that wasn't permitted.

I was wanting to do a bike session with the PTA at a local Primary School; now I can approach them with a plan of activites. If/when it goes ahead I'd appreciate help; might even be able to do it under the Barnet Cyclists banner.

Keith

 

Sunday 4th October - TUAG Turn Up And Go
Nothing planned in advance - have a coffee and discuss where you would like to go then head off.
Meet: McDonalds near Tally Ho, North Finchley N12
Time: 9.30am for coffee and route planning - ready to leave at 10am.

Sunday 18th October - Lea Valley and Gunpowder Park
Peter Baker will lead us north and east via Trent Park and Crews Hill to Cheshunt for lunch. We will then ride south though the River Lea Country Park to Gunpowder Park. Parts of this section of the ride will be on cycle paths away from traffic. A tea stop at Forty Hall will complete the day and we will come back via Trent Park to Tally Ho. The ride will have lots of leafy, tree-lined sections: ideal for an October ride. Please bring a spare inner tube just in case and, as the nights are drawing in, bring lights in case it's a bit gloomy getting home after the ride.
Meet: Tally Ho, North Finchley N12 at 10am OR
join the group as it passes through Trent Park (be outside the café ready to leave at 10.30am).
Ride leader: Peter Baker (020 8447 1423) peterjf.baker@virgin.net

Thursday 29th October - Monthly Meeting
Meet 8:00pm Carey Hall, Trinity Church, Nether Street, North Finchley N12.
After the break we'll be looking at lighting and reflective/fluorescent.
Solstice is over, there is now more 'evening' than 'daytime' but that's no excuse to hibernate the bike yet. What does happen with the evenings drawing in is that fluorescent dye stands out rather well. Reflective materials can be really effective, too. This meeting is about being seen, being visible to others in poor light.
Bikes can be stored in a garden within the grounds - please do not bring bikes into the church hall (new carpets!).

For all rides please remember to bring a spare inner tube in case you have a puncture.

Please note: Participants on rides must be over 16 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Insurance is your responsibility. Barnet Cyclists cannot accept liability for you or your possessions. It is your responsibility to follow advice and the Highway Code at all times. Your participation is the acceptance of these terms.

 

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MEMBERSHIP NEWS

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS:
Judith Bernstein, T Diamont, M Rahman, Alex Ray, John Rutter,
R Somaia, Jason Strelitz, A Sweeney, Mike Wayburne

We look forward to seeing you on a ride or at a meeting soon.

Please phone me if you need any information:
Jo McKenzie 020 8449 4813 (Membership secretary)

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  Barnet Cyclists Committee

Click here for your

2009 Planner

(pdf)

All contributions, letters, cuttings, cartoons, etc. for the next newsletter to be sent to
The Editor, 106 Long Lane, Finchley,
London N3 2HX,
or e-mail to wunohsix@btinternet.com.

You can also contact us by e-mail at info@BarnetLCC.org

and see our discussion group at
groups.google.co.uk/group/bcnz/

 

Sunday 20th September - Do you have a laminated Truss?

Andrea leads the ride away from Kings Place on the Open House Weekend

The German Gymnasium beside St Pancras Station has, as twenty Barnet Cyclists found out on our September ride.

It was Open House Weekend, where all sorts of buildings open their doors to the public. Andrea had picked four contrasting buildings and linked them with a skilfully planned route.

First was Kings Place in York Way - a mixed development of offices, arts and concert space, and bars and a restaurant beside the Battlebridge Basin section of the Regent's Canal.

After coffee by the canal, we moved on to the splendid German Gymnasium which, thankfully, has been beautifully preserved amongst the building site that is the rest of the Kings Cross area. It was a venue for the 1866 National Olympian Games which directly inspired the creation of the modern Olympics. The ground floor now houses a permanent exhibition about the Kings Cross development area with a scale model of the 67 acre site and is open to all, Monday to Friday. The aforementioned laminated trusses are now the UK's only remaining example of this elegant method of providing a wide barrel vaulted ceiling - the same method that was used at the original Crystal Palace.

Opened in 1865, the German Gymnasium beside St Pancras station was the indoor venue for the forerunner of the modern Olympic Games
Christel and Susannah deep in conversation by the Kings Cross redevelopment site

After a great value lunch at a cafe in the Caledonian Road we went on to the offices of Conisbee, an engineering firm tucked away in a nearby cul-de-sac. They have imaginatively converted and expanded their offices around a small courtyard which is a showcase for their engineering credentials. The development houses the company's 65 staff and now incorporates a residential development in an oasis of calm and style which is in contrast to the once less-than-salubrious neighbourhood. The courtyard has 100 year old tree ferns, balconies groaning with greenery and all topped with a rubble roof which not only mitigates the run-off from rainfall, but provides a habitat for a range of naturally colonising plants.

The last call, as we started to grind our way back up hill, was to a preserved Art Nouveau tiled former butcher's shop: Plumb's in Hornsey Road.

It's a little gem of a shop and the owner is desperate to find a viable commercial use for it.

Exploring unusual places such as these in London lends itself so well to doing it by bike - a perfect combination.

Thanks again to Andrea for the research and for keeping us all in order on the ride so that we were able to fit so much in.

Alison

 

Are you planning a holiday in Canada?

This summer we toured the Rockies and Whistler regions.
The region is justly famous for skiing and winter sports but also offers excellent mountain biking and cycle touring in the summer. Visitors need to purchase a pass to enter the National Parks. We have kept ours which is valid until 31.07.2010. If you plan to visit the area, or any park in Canada you are welcome to have it. They are very expensive to buy.

Contact Muriel Goldberg, Phone 020 8446 7917.

This represents a huge saving on individual tickets. If you were thinking of going to Canada but couldn't quite decide where then here's a great offer to plan a holiday around. (check it out on www.pc.gc.ca/eng/index.aspx)

 

Skyride / Open House Day ('Arrgh, now what do we do?' department)

For some time, Andrea has volunteered to organise a ride on Open House Day where we wander off in to town on our bikes to look at buildings. Then some bright spark decides to have the 'Skyride' event on the same day as us. The choice was made to go ahead with our ride and anyone who wanted to do the Skyride could go to that event. We'd established a tradition and, sod it, would keep to it (despite Mr Freer resolutely refusing to open any of OUR public buildings for the day - but then the council have flogged most of them off, so no going up the big tower in Hendon Lane).

For those who went on the Skyride - any pictures or a short note would be welcome. But what I noticed was that there was no LCC logo on any of the Skyride/TfL/Mayor's Office publicity despite the LCC putting in most of the work and having to set up the routes in, with all leaders and support to be organised. Now I notice that the 'Cycle Friday' scheme which is also run by the LCC is done by 'The Mayor's Office' with scant recognition of the LCC as if Tfl/Boris were the lead on this and organised the rides and leaders. Again no LCC logo anywhere.

What annoys me is that one week Boris is referring to the LCC as being all 'communists' (that's you included there) and the next is depending on the LCC to make his plans work, while managing to sideline the LCC to the extent that no-one seems to be aware of how much Boris relies on the LCC to do the work. It's not only hogging the limelight but grabbing the kudos whilst crapping on those who made it all possible. It stinks, it reeks, it's a damn good example of how much he really cares about cycling and how much he cares about his own public profile and vastly over-inflated ego.

Keith

 

 

Got cycling bits in your garage that are not needed but you do not want to bin them?

Then our Rummage Box could be for you. Just pop them into the box at each meeting.
If you want any money for them make sure your name and price are marked.

Any item not taken away must be removed from the box at the end of the meeting.
 Go on, bring something to the next meeting - it could make someone's day.
This really is re-cycling! Ian Ollier

Opinions expressed in this newsletter are the views of the contributors and are not
necessarily those of the Editor, Barnet Cyclists or the London Cycling Campaign.