Category Archives: News

UMBUG Video Commute Project

UMBUG would like to collate a library of cycling videos from across Manchester to promote cycling and we are looking for UMBUG members to film their commute.

    Videos could be:

  • your entire route to work;
  • sections of your commute that fellow cyclists would find useful or interesting, for example:
  • dedicated cycle paths,
  • how to navigate a tricky junction or
  • a new road layout;
  • any footage that promotes cycling to work.

To film your commute, the Environmental Sustainability team have a GoPro Hero video camera with a handlebar/seatpost/pole mount that you can borrow. Please contact UMBUG at umbug@manchester.ac.uk to borrow it.

    Video guidelines

  • Please use the video mode rather than time lapse.
  • Resolution should be set to 1080-25.

The camera comes with a Quick Start Guide and you can find more detailed information in the GoPro User Manual.

Please just let us know if you have any alternative equipment suggestions that would make filming with the GoPro easier.

We will also happily accept footage filmed on your own camera if you have one.

You do not have to worry about editing the footage (unless you want to). When you return the camera, will we download the files and edit them. If you are interested in editing them yourself, GoPro Studio is a free and user friendly option.

Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the festive break and found time to get out on two wheels every now and again. The first Corridor Cycle to Work Breakfast of 2016 is happening this week, on Thursday, 7 January at the Royal Northern College of Music.

All cyclists old and new from Corridor Manchester organisations are invited to come along and enjoy the free breakfast, which will be provided from 07:45 – 09:30. As usual, you can register on Eventbrite to speed up your sign-in, or simply turn up on the day. Dave from Revolve MCR will be on hand from 8am onwards offering free bike health checks too!

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

hoodie*** 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 26th 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:t-shirt

  • 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 3rd 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

ImageWould you like to cycle the Manchester 100 bike ride in aid of The Christie on Sunday 6th 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.

    Efforts to improve cycling were recognised in 2 other awards:

  • 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.
Making a Difference Awards 3Making a Difference Awards 4Making a Difference Awards 2

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.