Reach Fair Ride

Planning for Reach Ride 6th May 2013

Public: Everyone can view this thread and post messages.

The Reach Fair ride 2012 takes place on Bank Holiday Monday 7th May.

The web page for it is:
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/events/rides/

The planning overview is summarised:
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/events/rides/timeline.html

I've created this issue so that we can see how cyclescape can help with the planning of this event.

Simon Nuttall

We have to start planning now for this year's event.

My initial thoughts are:

Lower our expectation of numbers to about 300, rather than the 500 of previous years.

Same route as last year.

One simple departure time of 10am - slower / weaker riders can start from the outer locations as previously. We all soon spread out so that bunching is not a problem.

That's it!

Mike Davies

My controversial view is that whilst the event is organised by Cambridge Cycling Campaign it will never appeal to the mass market. The media has created a perception that car drivers are on one side of a debate and the Campaign on the other. As such many maybe/occasional cyclists will be scared off by reference to the Campaign on any publicity. This is one instance where 'Cambridge Cycling City' brand would have had wider appeal.

If the event were promoted by an individual (someone less well known than Simon) than this would increase the likelihood of reaching 500 riders.

Having said all of this it comes down to the aims. Is it to get as many people to come along or a ride that the Campaign are doing and thrown open to anyone, with the added bonus of getting some new recruits.

Just some thoughts.

300 is probably a fair target.

Mike

Simon Nuttall

Mike,

welcome to Cyclescape, great to have you here.

As the sign-up has obviously worked, I shall invite the others from the BikeWeek list in too.

How amazing that you also mention the Cambridge Cycling City brand, I raised this with the committee last week and while not everyone is fully on board there is enough consensus to at least trying to use that brand, so your thoughts mix very well with this.

When you talk of 'an individual' do you mean a celeb? Such as Jamie, Kate or Bradley?

Rather than going for big numbers I am happy with a 300 target and just making this a relaxed, gentle ride to a fair to have some fun. The only problem with that is that I don't think it justifies printing 10K leaflets costing around £500.

Lots to discuss then in the Dev. on Friday,

Simon

Richard Moss

Simon

I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to get into town for the meeting on Friday, so a couple of points:

I'm 95% sure I won't be on the ride this year, because of family commitments, so somebody else will need to be back marker.

I will check that the previous link to the .gpx file for the route is still operational, but let me know if there are any variations to the route which need to be incorporated.

Richard Jennings

Hi Simon et al. -
I also will not be at the meeting on Friday, but have a couple of ideas. The first is that it would be really great if we could get someone to mow the field in Reach where we park our bikes - at least the area between to two gates that provide access to the field. As for personalities to endorse the ride we might ask Nobel Prize winner Sir John Sulston FRS who is a pretty keen promoter of cycling.
Best regards,
Illya

Mike Davies

Going off at a tangent here but perhaps 'Cambridge Cycling City' could be a formal partnership between Cambridge Cycling Campaign, Local authorities, NHS Cambs, Bike retailers and other organisations that share similar aims.

This would mean that the Campaign remains in place, retains its well known identity etc and still actively campaigns against local authorities proposals when needed.

Cambridge Cycling City would principally be a partnership/brand for organising and promoting events so as to appeal to a wide audience, but also a body to jointly raise the profile of cycling and demonstrate how different groups and organisations can work together.

I'm sure that the t-shirt would sell well at events.

Mike

Simon Nuttall

Main outcome was to establish Cambridge Cycling City as a partnership body represented by those organizations present: trade, community, county and campaign.

Needs logo, twitter identity and website - Outspoken have volunteered to set these up and cover costs. Logo would replace the Campaign's logo on leaflet.

Website is mainly a link to partner organizations and a place to host the Reach Fair promotional page.

Other actions

Simon
In addition to the actions on the time line:
* Note that the ride is the same as last year, except just one start time, 10am and one return time 2pm.
* Note requirement to use Bike Friendly Cities logo and the other EU (rather complicated badge).
* Ask Chris to invoice County for £250.
* Focal point for the cyclists at Reach: ask Reach Committee about cost of having a stall with gazebo that we'd bring with us, setup for two hours and then take away.
* More overprinted leaflets for Rob

Clare
* Think of other places where we can promote our event

Rob
* Will circulate to schools as a post-bikeability event for them to enjoy.

Mike
* Make contact with Ely Cycling Forum & Campaign and either he or Patrick will lead the ride from there.

Heather Coleman

Been too busy to read properly/reply to things this week. I think Mike
Davies' idea of "Cambridge Cycling City" as a partnership/brand is a good
one. Each group in the partnership would clearly have their own autonomy
for campaigns they wish to run, but we need to foster unity where we have
agreement and try to work together wherever we can.

Clare Curtis

Am all signed up now so will be able to keep up to date far better!
Really excited about the Cambridge Cycling City 'brand' and looking forward to seeing it grow as a tool for the promotion of cycling events in its various forms.

As for the Reach Ride, have today been speaking with the Facilities Manager over at ARM with regards to promoting the ride with the staff, both cycling and non; I also will be contacting the Breeze network - British Cycling for those of you that don't know what it is - to add into one of the local rides on their calendar, and posting out to the local riding groups too.

Simon Nuttall

I'm pleased to hear that our designer Andrew Oliver is willing to do the design work again on the leaflet.

I have made a set of comments on the old leaflet and will send them to him.

Do add comments of your own at...
https://www.ensembling.com/70361

If you can't already see it I think I have to invite you to do so, which I'll try for those I think are interested. If you still can't see it and want to, do let me know.

Mike Davies

All moving along well then.

Ely Cycling Campaign are happy to lead the ride in from Ely, meeting at the Station.

We've created a forum for the Huntingdon/St Ives area but maybe a bit far for them to come. The Busway night ride will be more a thing for them.

Simon Nuttall

I prompted Rob for progress on the logo and he has responded with these thoughts:

66
Thanks for the chasing email. I sent through a brief to our designer last week and I've just spoken to him. We should have something by next Mon or Tues for a logo.

I think it would be good to open up a discussion forum as there's some things we should get sorted before we go ahead with website etc. It's easy to get carried away but we do want something that is easy to manage. To that end I wondered if a blog type website would be best, with access given to all related groups (Campaign, Councils, other cycling groups etc) so that they can upload their own events themselves and means we don't have to spend loads of time doing it.

My other slight concern is legal entity. If eg the Reach Ride is a Cam Cycling City event, do we need a legal entity? It would be good if we don't as it will be much simpler but insurance etc may dictate otherwise.

Finally some copy would be good for the website - a quick intro I think about what we are aiming to achieve and who the group is represented by?
99

Monica Frisch

The forthcoming newsletter will be the April-May issue and hence the one to publicise the Reach Ride. NOTE copy deadline 3rd March and to printers by 25th latest.

Will there be an article about the Reach Ride?

Wil there be an insert?

I have a recollection that someone suggested that the back page of the newsletter could be a full-page advert for the Reach Ride so it could be used as a poster. IF SO, the newsletter editor (me) and team need to know in good time. We will also need the copy, as soon after 3rd March as possible.

Simon Nuttall

4pm back bar Devonshire Arms - I'll probably get there early as they
have good internet

Here is the list of things I think we need to decide upon, roughly in
this order.

Agenda

1. Brand identity as distinct from Campaign identity.

2. Who we are and how we operate - distinct from the Campaign or a
subgroup within it?

3. Name: 'Cambridge Cycling City' or 'Cambridge City of Cycling'

4. Logo https://www.ensembling.com/70725

5. Reach Ride main thing is to finallize the leaflet, which means
deciding on web address and a brief description of the brand.

6. Help with any of the items on the timeline, particularly promotion.
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/events/rides/timeline.html

Simon Nuttall

Any volunteers willing to cycle up to speak live to Huntingdon Community Radio?

http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/to/PE293RR/HCRFM+Papworth+Trust+Centre/

66
My name is Melissa and I am a volunteer producer with Huntingdon Community Radio. I would like to invite you (and a colleague) to come along to our studios and speak "live" to our listeners about the Cambridge Cycle Campaign and the Bike Ride to Reach Fair.

If you are interested (or available) please contact me.

Melissajane Gray
Volunteer producer for "Over to You" programmes HCR104FM
Over to You - on 104fm between 7 and 8pm, every weekday night and
online at www.hcrfm.co.uk
99

Simon Nuttall

Update:

Robin has got the page basics up already at:

http://cambridgecyclingcity.org/

and will be sending round some logins so that we can edit the content.

I suggest we get this fixed up soon as the campaign has already been contacted: Cambridge News wants to chat to someone about Cycling City Brand.

They've been put on hold.

Presumably they picked up on that because CamCycle tweeted about it while I was presenting the brand to last night's monthly meeting.

Rohan Wilson

Would be good if a Campaign member were able to speak on Huntingdon Community Radio, about the Reach Fair ride, and more...

There was a few months ago a big spat in local paper with cyclists in a gunsight, front page image - the issue being schoolchildren cycling in the town centre at 3pm. There is no proper route from Hinchingbrooke School to the major residential areas of Huntingdon - it has to be through the town centre if not an awkward, unattractive route around the ring road. And of course the town centre is the major destination for everyone, everyday, and the ring road far too busy, and with new developments likely to become more so. I understand Mike Davies gave some reassurance at a recent Town Council meeting.

If people of Huntingdon could be reassured that cycling is a civilising activity when reasonably well catered for? - cf Cambridge city centre and new developments.

Vanessa Kelly

I've got to spend time in Huntingdon over coming weeks with the new Cambs Cycle Challenge - so I'd be happy to join you and talk about the Reach Fair and the Campaign (as well as the Cycle Challenge). Only trouble is, I'm not you, Simon!! I ain't prepared to cycle all the way there and back in the dark on my sit-up-and beg bike. If they could do a daytime interview, then maybe I would. Or get the Guided Bus.

Vanessa

Simon Nuttall

Website
=======

Today I'm going to try and update the site

http://cambridgecyclingcity.org/

with information about the Ride to Reach fair. I'm learning how to use WordPress and create galleries. I've already re-organised the site quite a bit and removed anything that is not directly related to what we're doing. Those that have asked for access to it should now have passwords etc. and will add any others who want it.

Once that website is good enough we need to then start promoting it on listings websites, such as those listed at the bottom of the timeline at:

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/events/rides/timeline.html

Leaflets
========

Now we've got the leaflets printed we need to make sure that this event is on people's radar. That means distribution and promotion. I'd very much like help with these tasks please.

Mike Davies / Clare Rankin - will one box of 1360 leaflets be enough for you both? Outspoken are ready to be tasked to drop that off with you at Castle Court.

Bike shops - need a volunteer to give a pile of about 50 to each shop.

Other outlets in Cambridge - Visitor information centre etc.

Press work
==========

I hope we can get Clare Curtis to do most of our press work if possible! We can help write the press releases but it'd be great if we could use Clare's name as that is new and so won't be associated strongly with one organisation or another.

That's the end of the update for now.

Simon Nuttall

I have drafted this blog post about planning the ride. It is intended for http://www.camcycle.org.uk/blog/

do let me have any comments, or if you have access markup: https://www.ensembling.com/73726

Planning the ride to Reach Fair

This annual bike ride we organise is not just for the sake of cycling, it is also a great way of getting to the historic village fair. The distance is about right (twelve miles there, fifteen back), it is very flat and it is mostly on cycleways and quiet roads. Without really trying most should easily arrive within two hours having enjoyed the riverside in Cambridge, the back route suburbs alongside Newmarket Road, riding past the airport runway approach, the open views of the country and passing through the villages on the way to Reach.

For the third year running we'll be led from the Guildhall by the Mayor of Cambridge. Cllr Sheila Stuart will start us off, and she has to be at Reach by noon to proclaim the fair open. Her fellow councillors and executive officers throw pennies to the poor villagers and children love to scramble to get as many as they can. The village springs to life with children dancing around a maypole, the music of morris dancing, fairground rides and a variety of tents throng with people buying food and ale.

Hundreds of other cyclists are there too having also chosen to ride from the neighbouring villages without any goading either from us, or presumably anyone else.
Over the years we've been working on this bike ride it has developed from the original 20 / 50 idea, which offered two rides, to the fair or all the way to Ely and back. Since the new bridge opened over Swaffham Bulbeck lode that has offered an attractive circular route back to Bottisham and so we've decided to focus on and enjoy the fair as the main event.

As mass organised rides go this is about as simple as it can be for you the potential rider. It is not a charity ride, there is no registration, no fee and all you need is a roadworthy bike, water and food. We spend months planning the event, designing the leaflet and telling the various authorities that it is happening. Finally we ride the route a few days in advance and cut back branches and sweep up any sharps we notice on the way. We even established an ethos that says that no motor vehicles are used in the planning or execution of the event, see: http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/89/article15.html

This year we're using the Cambridge Cycling City brand to promote the event to acknowledge that it is a joint operation between the Campaign, local councils and business. Full details of the ride are at: http://cambridgecyclingcity.org/

If you want to help with the recce ride please sign up at http://www.camcycle.org.uk/events/rides/recce.html

Simon Nuttall

Simon Nuttall

I'm just back from Outspoken who I hear have done a great job getting leaflets out to schools, including a letter to parents telling them about volunteer instructors who can lead groups if the parents do not want to ride themselves. More leaflets are going out this week.

I think that means we'll have about 1,000 leaflets left over at this rate.

Michael Cahn

Membership Recruitment at Reach Ride
- Do we have enough paperwork, membership forms etc to use the ride on
Monday to sign up new members -en-masse-with-sunshine?

would be an opportunity, and I think there will be quite a few trustworthy
people on the ride who could take on the job of selling a few each to their
friends... (Woki's wife said she would be happy to sign up a few)

Richard Moss

For the record, my count at the start of Thompson's Lane this morning, for the ride leaving from Guildhall was 243 cyclists plus 10 passengers.

Last year and this, I also did a rough count of bikes parked at Reach. The figures are (with last year's in brackets)

at the Burwell Road car park: 110 (100);
loose around the village: 252 (87) this year that included three parked against the cemetery fence, outside the cemetery, none inside;
in the main bike parking field: 448 (178);

total 810 (365).

Simon Nuttall

Thanks everyone so much for helping our Reach Ride 2013 run as smoothly as possible.
There's been lovely comments coming in as I've listed below.

There were ten members of my family on the ride this year so I didn't get to the Guildhall until 9:30 about half an hour later than hoped. It was great to see so many there and we quickly fitted many bikes with flags and distributed water bottles / energy bars. I gave a quick introductory speech for the mayor and then we set off at 10 am prompt. Richard counted 243 bikes in our group plus 10 being carried. I was in front on my own for most of the way out of Cambridge - it felt rather lonely out there and I had to keep looking behind to make sure that everyone was still following.

There were several groups of people waiting for us at Jesus Green, Riverside and Stourbridge Common which boosted the numbers even more.

We stopped momentarily at Newmarket Road park and ride where there even more joining. At Quy we had a five minute stop.

In Swaffham Bulbeck at the descent to the main road a child didn't realise we had to stop (even though several were waiting at the junction). He went straight onto the road but the car braked well in time. I've had fears like that about this junction before but the visibility is very good so I'm not sure what we can really do about it.

I notice that several people were on the road from here - possibly because access to the shared use path requires a rather sharp turn.

At Reach the cycle parking was rather overwhelmed. There was a big bottleneck of people queueing to go through the narrow gate. Many people wandered off and found their own place to park. I decided to open the far gate and ask the late comers to park in there, which most happily did. This made it difficult to supervise two areas rather than one, and I felt uneasy leaving all the bikes behind while I went off for lunch with the mayor's party. I've not had any reports of theft. People didn't seem to mind too much about the rather overgrown cycle parking area. It would be a nightmare if it was muddy. More thought needs to go into finding a more reliable solution, especially if we expect such big numbers again. Perhaps we could park on the carriageway on the way into Reach.

So many have contributed to the success of this event: marshals for clearing the route on Saturday and then turning up for the ride, Klaas for getting some amazing photos, our counting marshals, Outspoken for doing a terrific job of distributing leaflets which boosted the number of children and families on the ride, volunteers for distributing leaflets to bike shops and putting up posters around the city. Thanks too to support from Cambridge City Council, and the County Council Bike Friendly cities project and Bike Week for insurance cover.

The official tally was 585 riders, and I'd guess that is likely to be a high water mark for a few years to come given the truly exceptional weather.

I've got to go around town today and take down all the Reach Ride posters that we put up. We've also got to choose some of the best images of the event to put it on record. I'm sure Bike Week would be interested in some images from us too.

Simon

Twitter/Facebook pages:

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ReachRide&src=typd

https://www.facebook.com/CambridgeCyclingCampaign/events

Emailed comments received so far:

Thank you so much for organising this ride and encouraging people to
take part. I really enjoyed the ride, and it made the fair extra
special. I don't think I have ever cycled so far before. I was
particularly impressed with the black fen on the route home.

My only suggestion would be for the second ride to depart a little later
for people who want to spend more time at the fair. I missed the 2:30
p.m departure which was not a problem as I had the map and the route was
well signed. But it was more fun riding out with the group, plus the
added assurance of assistance in case of bike breakdown.
Thanks again for all your hard work.

from Jenny Martin ref: 44533

Awesome work Simon!
It was a really good day - well done for all your efforts. My kids adored being on Hugh's tandem, though it did mean we were so late (a friend also snapped their axle) that we missed all the good bits and the official bike count. We were told that we arrived at about the 600th bicycle mark - a tremendous effort though there are clearly far too many fair weather cyclists in Cambridge!. Thanks also to Richard for being such a patient and encouraging back marker.

All the best,
Rob King ref: 44535

Great day today - my family really enjoyed the ride.

How many cyclists, in your estimation? Worth tweeting about!
Hugh Hunt ref: 44531

Simon, thanks for organising the ride and the fantastic weather.

Robert Sansom (private email)

Klaas Brümann 9:20am May 7
Congratulations to Simon and the team who organised the event, cleaned the paths and marshalled the biggest Reach Fair Ride so far.

Pictures taken on the ride http://iitm.be/RFR2013
10 videos (best watched set to HD) http://iitm.be/ReachRide2013
(via Facebook I think)

Hi Si

You can feel very proud of yourself and your efforts.

I feel you gave say 98 per cent of the people who went to Reach a focus for their weekend, a sense of achievement, and a great day out!

Well done that cyclist on the funny looking bike.

Rebecca

Klaas Brumann

Simon, regarding this one crossing we should ask for police assistance during the day.

Another suggestion which may address is to do the tour clockwise, so that we ride over the Fair Common before the start of the fair (though it will might make it difficult to get through for those arriving around noon).

Simon Nuttall

Klaas: I do very much like your suggestion of doing the tour clockwise. That has the advantage of avoiding the unpleasant right turn at the bottom of the hill at Swaffham Bulbeck, on the way back that turn would not be a problem.
It is a bit further and means we enter Reach from the north-west. We could then use the road on that side of the village for the cycle parking area. It is paved, near to the fair and I don't think it is used for anything else.
I think it is three miles further which from the mayor's perspective might be a bit too much of a delay so we'd have to think about timings - possibly starting at 9:30am instead.
I'm not very keen on trying to co-ordinate a Police presence as that makes the organisation quite a bit more fussy.

Klaas Brumann

The Flickr Reach Fair Ride set for 2011 was watched 414 times, the 2012 set 917 times (in one year) and the 2013 set 1,003 times so far (pre-newsletter). The individual images from this years ride received in total over 10,000 hits with people linking to their pictures. So I guess this could be considered as advertising for the ride.

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