This Saturday (17th May) is the “Big Ride” in support of the #space4cycling campaign.

Originally a London-centric LCC campaign, it is now nationwide (with the help of the CTC and CycleNation)

Read http://www.ctc.org.uk/campaign/space-for-cycling

Or for the hard-of-reading here’s that nice Jon Snow chap outlining the campaign goals:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNHh6wuK_9E[/video]

I’ll be going to the ride in Newcastle (10am, meets at Haymarket Metro) – anyone else going on one?

Just me then? 😕

I’m up in toon to visit the grandparents this weekend so will probably pop along. Say hello if you see someone on a grey Scott CR1 road bike.

Will do dazh. I’ll be on a black Rose CX bike.

Newcastle ride is a pretty short affair. Meets at 10am, ride at 10:30, just two short laps (about 2 miles), then a photo op for any interested press. Details and route maps here: http://newcycling.org/events/20140411/big-ride-around-town

probably/possibly/maybe/i feel like i should.

But they’ve chosen teh worst date, same day as the Greno Dh innit bro.

Dh race with beer?

or 30min slow pootle round the city centre?

Would love to but its father duties Sat aft.

I did the last one in Town here, loads turned out. It ended up more like a meandering ramble from W’loo to Parliment Sq and back. Most were commuters heading home and a good number of FixieFolks but in the main commuters.
I’m not doing this one though.

The Manchester one we did attracted the odd knob in a black cab or car being impatient. We had Police outriders who dealt with one.

With none? 😯

looks like my nearest one is in that there London, and I’m not wasting a whole Saturday afternoon so spend 30 mins pissing about in that shambles… The traffic there is murder! Oh…

Anyway, I applaud the campaign (and was not aware of the rides until just now) but I’ve already got plans…

As ahwiles points out, the one in Sheffield is likely to suffer a bit of a drop in numbers as a lot of the region’s knobbly tyre set will be up in Greno for the Steel City DH.

If the weather is rubbish I’d prefer a protest ride around the city than a day stood in the woods, so I’ll decide on the morning.

With none?

I think that’s why we are keeping it fairly short around Newcastle. We want visibility and general good feeling – not aggro.

Our previous rides passed without incident. The traffic is practically walking pace along most of the route anyway!

I’ll be there to support the Bristol ride
Bristol space4cycling ride

Good number of Bristol people on here, so who else is going?

Update:

Who went? Who’d it go?

We got around 150 people in Newcastle which is a really good turn out for us. Cracking sunny day helped. Was great to see all types of cycling being accounted for: lycra warriors in club gear, commuters, leisure riders, families and kids.

We even got a police escort at one point (riot police on horses on the way to the EDL march). 😀

I joined the Sheffield one with my partner and baby in tow.

Brilliant day – sounds pretty much identical to the Newcastle one above. 170 ish riders, blazing sun, one stop for refreshments at a cycle cafe.

An excellent idea, more inclusive and less confrontational than Critical Mass. Many pedestrians were supportive and I only saw one or two irked drivers.

Great organisation! The auto email system on the Space 4 Cycling website is a super idea. I hope they organise more rides.

was up a big hill in the lakes. sorry*, hope you all had fun.
Did do the space for cycling email your mp thing tho.

*TBH not all that sorry; it was a very good ride

We were out at the London one. Katie and I borrowed a tandem to add a bit of interest. Probably not the best idea as riding one with only an hours practice first with the amount of stopping and starting we had to do was ‘interesting’ but still married.

A bit of a disappointing turn out in London to be honest. Fewer people than turned out in the rain two years ago but felt poorly publicised and apparently there was some football on.

I read that the London one went well ^^^ looks like a bit of media missalignment.

Did you get the green chalk out??

Whoops, missed this – though in fairness riding through Corbridge it felt like there were a few hundred cyclists around so I got some of the flavour of the event.

looks like a bit of media missalignment.

You mean like this kind of thing:

Cyclists revel in car-free streets
Thousands of cyclists have enjoyed the chance to ride on car-free streets during a series of bike rides around the country.
— Source: http://news.uk.msn.com/cyclists-revel-in-car-free-streets

Impressive misreporting there MSN. A cynically-minded person might even suggest it was deliberate. 😕

Newcastle:

And some nice pics on the toon ride by Carlton Reid on flickr: