Category Archives: News

Sustrans Bike Life survey

Sustrans has launched the Bike Life survey, the largest ever survey of attitudes to cycling in the UK. In Greater Manchester 4,000 people of all ages were randomly interviewed over the phone and 11,000 UK-wide. The consistent finding across all cities was that people want a lot more money spent on cycling provision – an average of £26 per head out of the current £300 per head for transport. People want to cycle but they just don’t feel safe enough.

You can read more about the findings here:
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/bike-life/overall-survey

UMBUG bike shelter guardians

Your shelter needs you!

We’re looking for shelter guardians to take responsibility for their campus bike shelter. This involves:

reporting faults and abandoned bikes
putting up posters
being a point of contact for other shelter users
monitoring shelter capacity (one day per month).

If you are interested in becoming a shelter guardian, please email umbug@manchester.ac.uk.

Shelter guardian poster

Oxford Road developments

The Oxford Road bus priority works will begin on 31 July for eight weeks and have been timed to coincide with the closure of Oxford Road for the demolition of the Precinct bridge. The first step will be to build a trial bus stop on Oxford Road, below the Hathersage Road junction, opposite Whitworth Park. The stop will feature Manchester’s first physically segregated ‘Dutch-style’ cycle bypass which will pass directly behind the bus stop platform. When the trial stop has been built, TfGM will ask users for feedback so that they can monitor and evaluate how cyclists, bus users and pedestrians interact at the stop. The main work to transform Oxford Road is scheduled to begin later this summer.

From 10 August to 6 September, Oxford Road will be closed between the junctions with Hathersage Road and Booth Street West/East to allow the demolition and removal of the Precinct bridge. During the road closure, there will be no pedestrian or cycle access under the bridge and alternative routes will be signposted.

Find out more on StaffNet.

UMBUG-branded hoodies and t-shirts for sale

*** now closed ***

We’ve been asked about UMBUG-branded hoodies and t-shirts by a number of people, so we’re going to get a batch made up. We’ll need to bulk-purchase, so please place an order with us at the link below before 26^th June. T-shirts will be about £10 and hoodies about £20 – the final figure will depend on the number ordered. They will have the UMBUG bike logo on the front and “UMBUG University of Manchester Bicycle Users Group” on the back.

To order:

Please follow the link to this doodle poll http://doodle.com/fdwteifdmdscwn69
FOR EACH GARMENT, please enter your email address and click the relevant garment/size button
On 3^rd July we will get a quote from the manufacturers and contact you all requesting payment by bank transfer
When the hoodies arrive you will be emailed to arrange collection

Sizing guides:

Garment	Standard T-shirt		Lady-fit t-shirt		Hoodie
Size	Width (cm)	Length (cm)	Width (cm)	Length (cm)	Chest (inches)
XS	XX	XX	41.5	62	34
S	48.5	69.5	44	63	36
M	53.5	72	46.5	64	40
L	56	74.5	49	65	44
XL	61	77	51.5	66	48
XXL	66	78.5	54	67	52

Early sign-up for the Manchester 100 bike ride in aid of the Christie

Would you like to cycle the Manchester 100 bike ride in aid of The Christie on Sunday 6^th September 2015?

A great ‘Century’ ride – a choice of 100 mile or 100km route along beautiful lanes through a wide sweep of Cheshire, helping to raise funds for the Christie Hospital. Starting and finishing at Wythenshawe Park, Manchester, the route heads first to Northwich, taking in Delamere Forest and Nantwich (the half way point) for lunch before heading back through Middlewich to the Finish.

Advanced entry fee: 100 km £19.50, 100 miles £20.0

For more details and to sign up online, visit: http://www.bike-events.com/manchester100

Making a Difference Awards

The UMBUG projects team were awarded Highly Commended in the Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Sustainability (staff) category at last night’s Making a Difference Awards organised by the Social Responsibility team.

Gabriele Schliwa for the Manchester Cycling Lab – Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Sustainability (student) award winner
Christina Mott for the Get on Your Bike campaign – Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Sustainability (student) highly commended

Congratulations to everyone involved in UMBUG and all the other inspirational winners and highly commended entrants.

TfGM casting call for TV ad

Would you like to get involved in helping TfGM promote cycling in Greater Manchester? Transport for Greater Manchester are holding a casting call for cyclists to appear in their new cycling campaign launching in June.

TfGM are looking for people of all ages and backgrounds, who are comfortable in front of the camera to have their picture taken and be filmed cycling for a new TV ad. No modelling or acting experience is required, all you need is your own bike. All participants will be paid £150 + expenses. TfGM will be meeting with anyone interested between 20-24th April and the photo shoot and filming will be between 27th April and 1st May.

If you’d like to get involved all you need to do is send a picture of yourself posing with your bike to mark.v@divacreative.com or call Mark on 0114 221 0378 for more information.

Making a Difference Awards

The UMBUG projects team has been nominated and shortlisted for a Making a Difference Award for Social Responsibility, in the environmental sustainability category.

The team was nominated for:

promoting cycling at the University;
seeking the views and ideas of current and ‘would be’ cyclists in order to make cycling more appealing, safer and more secure; and
working with (and lobbying) the University to ensure sufficient provision of appropriate facilities.

The UMBUG entry was shortlisted from more than a hundred and we’ll find out if we’ve won an award at the Making a Difference Awards on Thursday 7th May. Congratulations to all of those involved.

TfGM Better By Cycle Challenge

The Transport for Greater Manchester Better By Cycle Challenge returns in April 2015. Throughout the month you can log your bicycle miles in the latest challenge. It’s free to enter and there are spot prizes for participants. You can compare your performance on the leaderboards, including one for the University of Manchester (just remember to select The University of Manchester when you sign up – listed under T).

International Women’s Day and related cycling events in March

As part of this year’s International Women’s Day, #MCRWomenBike want to celebrate the fact so many women across Greater Manchester are riding their bikes and encourage more women and girls to get biking. To do this they’ve launched a photo campaign and organised an event on Saturday 7th March. Full details of the #MCRWomenBike photo campaign are available on their website. All photographs will be exhibited at the People’s History Museum on Saturday 7 March for International Women’s Day as part of an event titled ‘MCR women biking through – from suffrage to cycling equality’. The photographs will continue to be exhibited at various venues across Manchester over the following months including Pop Up Bikes cafe, Plattfields Boat House and the National Cycling Centre.

Transport for Greater Manchester are also hosting a campaign to help women get on their bikes across Greater Manchester. Throughout March TfGM will be hosting a number of events and activities that promote and celebrate women cycling. There is something for all ages and abilities; whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or a complete novice who doesn’t want to take the stabilisers off just yet. The range of events taking place include led rides, training courses, longer group rides, competitive circuit rides, exhibitions, social gatherings, discounts and competitions. There will also be a number of women-only cycle training sessions taking place, and a Girls Go Better By Cycling workshop on Tuesday 31 March at Friends Meeting House. The workshop will feature guest speakers (including UMBUG’s very own Kathy England) giving talks about developing women’s cycling in Greater Manchester.

Also as a part of International Women’s Day and Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, Manchester City Council are offering 2 FREE mountain biking sessions on the National Cycling Centre pump track and skills area on Tuesday 10 and 17 March 1-3pm. Contact mtb@nationalcyclingcentre.com to register (registration in advance is required to avoid disappointment). No previous mountain biking experience needed – you just need to be able to ride a bike!