onionbagblog

Published as part of the Keep Colchester Cycling Project.

Anyone wanting to witness the growing cycling community around Colchester could have seen evidence of the current boom in bicycles at the Green Fair staged at the University this week. With the broad aim of promoting the University’s Sustainable Travel Strategy, many friends and groups across Colchester came together to promote a more sustainable lifestyle around the campus.

Transition Town Wivenhoe had a very strong and visual presence. The striking drop handlebar tandem may have been the source for much cycle envy, but it was also the powerhouse for the Revolutionary Pedal Powered Cinema. The local sustainable group were powering up a Playstation in Square 5, as well as rolling out later in the evening with a film premier around the Lakes.

Our friends Andrew and Emily from the Colchester Travel Club were also represented, helping out students and staff with local cycling maps, as well as being at hand to talk about anything and everything that involves cycling around Colchester. Which sounded like the perfect opportunity to pitch for a podcast…

Our Keep Colchester Cycling partners Re-Cycle were staging a successful cycle sale. Based down just off East Street, Re-Cycle’s main mission is to collect secondhand bicycles and ship them to Africa. On a more #hyperlocal level and the organisation is very kindly working with Keep Colchester Cycling in providing our fleet of hire bikes.

Cycle UK was also holding a sale, with a healthy level of competition with our friends from Re-Cycle. Seven beautiful Dutch town bikes had been bought by lunchtime. Expect heads to turn around campus over the coming weeks.

Other events included the University’s very own Cycle Watch tagging bikes with a micro chip shuttlecock (blimey!) updates on the Cycle to Work Scheme and general bike mechanics also on offer.

All of this activity left us thinking that cycling certainly has a future on campus and around Colchester in general. It wasn’t simply the range of cycle related groups that was encouraging, but the conversations and co-operation between partners that was to be applauded.

Now then - who wants to build a Dutch style tandem?