Popular Bristol path closed

The ‘Chocolate Path’, the cycle path that runs besides the tidal River Avon on the south side of Spike Island, has been closed due to subsidence.

Bristol City Council says that “significant ground movements” have made the popular path too unsafe for public use. Fences have been erected at either end of the route to block access. Sustrans’ local manager Jon Usher called it a “significant failure of the path”, and went on to explain “the surface rose by about 300mm over a 2m length between 3pm and 5pm yesterday leaving a void beneath”. The path forms part of NCN 33, the Festival Way.

Engineers are now on site looking at the problem.

Motorbike event almost upstaged by cyclist

The Motorcycle Industry Association almost ended up with egg on its face after organising ‘City Commuter Challenge’ events in Leeds and Brighton.

The events were intended to prove that motorbikes are the quickest way around town – but the powered two-wheelers were nearly upstaged by their unpowered relatives.

In Brighton, the motorcyclist scored a time of 29 minutes for a 14-mile commute during rush hour. The cyclist came in very soon afterwards at 34 minutes, while the car driver was way back on 59 minutes. The Leeds event, too, saw the cyclist come in closely behind the biker.

Tracy Harris, the Brighton cyclist, told the local Argus that he was pleased to run the motorcyclist so close:

“It was great fun. I knew I wouldn’t beat the motorcyclist but I was really pleased to finish within five minutes of him. When my boss and my co-workers finish work at the same time, we often have an unofficial race back to Rottingdean, me cycling and them in their cars. If it’s rush hour they don’t stand a chance.”

Mark Sadler, a council employee, was the cyclist on the Bradford–Leeds run – and came in just four minutes behind the biker. He predicted that the route will become much more pleasant “once the infrastructure’s in”, referring to a new 14-mile cycle superhighway which is being built between the cities.

The Motorcycle Industry Association sought to explain the close-run results by saying “the [bicycle] riders were both sportsmen who each cover over 10,000 miles a year on their bikes… the real success was the motorcycle”. Mr Harris works for Brighton & Hove City Council, but is also a well-known triathlete.

Oxford cycle hire scheme back from the dead

Oxford’s bike hire scheme has been relaunched after the original operator went bust.

OxonBike will now be run by HourBike, a company responsible for an increasing number of municipal cycle hire schemes around the country. The relaunched OxonBike will continue to serve the same area in Headington, with seven docking stations and 30 bikes on offer.

David Nimmo Smith from Oxfordshire County Council said:

“I am delighted that OxonBike will be on the road once more. When the scheme launched last year around 500 people signed up, so I am sure that those people will be very keen to get back in the saddle. Commuters who use Thornhill Park and Ride and who travel in and around Headington to places like the universities and hospitals will find OXONBIKE particularly useful.”

The hire changes will remain unchanged, with a half-hour free period. Registration costs £1. However, users will notice that the technology used to hire the bikes will alter to the more familiar keypads seen in places like Reading and Blackpool.

Tim Caswell, CEO of HourBike, said:

“I am delighted that we have been given the opportunity to get involved in Oxford and help give commuters in the Headington area another way to get around. June is a good time to start cycling as the weather is in your favour and I look forward to welcoming back OxonBike users old and new.”

The scheme is a pilot and has been funded by the government through the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

New Stafford bridge will be missing link

A new cycle bridge is to be built in Stafford to connect two parts of the town – and fill a gap in the National Cycle Network.

The £1.6m bridge will cross the River Sow between Baswich and Tixall Road, saving a lengthy detour along a busy, winding and narrow road. Staffordshire County Council say it will encourage more people to cycle to school or to work, and open up new routes for leisure rides for the whole family.

It will also be another step towards filling the longest gap in National Cycle Network route 5. The route, which runs from Reading to Holyhead, has been incomplete between Lichfield and Stafford for many years. The bridge will tackle one of the last physical obstacles to completing it, while local volunteers work on the section further south.

Construction on the new bridge is expected to be complete by December. The bridge will be lit with motion-sensitive lighting. Staffordshire County Council says that, at a recent consultation event, 97% of people supported the proposal.

As the map demonstrates, the new bridge will also connect with the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal towpath, as well as a number of existing cycle routes in the area.

Mark Winnington, from Staffordshire County Council, said:

“The new cycle bridge and walkway will provide an impressive traffic-free link between Baswich and the Tixall Road which will really improve connections in the town. By doing so, we are confident far more people will take up cycling or walking both as a travel option and leisure activity.”

Stop worrying about your roof rack

If you regularly put your bike on a car roof rack, you’ll be familiar with the nagging worry that it’s not quite secured properly – and is likely to come off halfway up the M6. Either that, or there’s the heart-wrenching bike/height barrier interface. Enter the RoofScope, a new mirror that fits on your bonnet and gives you a view of the (hopefully) firmly attached bikes. For £19.99 it could be worth it for peace of mind alone.