By Andy Chivers
We think of the 1930s as the bicycle heyday – car ownership was minimal, long-distance commuting was confined to train and bus, and employers provided mass bike parking facilities. Pictures of hordes of bike riders exiting Cowley Motor Works are emblematic of that time. What is less well known is that the Department for Transport was enthusiastic about bike use too and funded 500 miles of high-quality bike routes around the country.
By Andy Chivers
At its most basic, riding a bike requires the coordination of balance, steering, and turning the pedals. Then comes the most important skill – paying attention to your surroundings. This has been well described by the father of urban bike riding, Richard Ballantine, as ‘Relaxed Concentration’.
By Leo-Jay Black
Well, where to begin? It all started in 2007 when I part-exchanged a BMX and £60 for a Kona Yeeha (Steel frame) that was for sale, second-hand, in a local bike shop in Exeter. I liked it because it had big wheels, good gear ratios, 700c wheels, hybrid tyres and flat handlebars.
By Kathryn McNicoll and Josh Lenthall
One year on from the start of the Bikes for Key Workers project we have handed out our last bike to a key worker, making the total in Oxford 345 bikes. With the Windrush Bike Project in Witney refurbishing at least 100 bikes, and the Bicester project over 60, that means 500 bikes county wide.
