Starting on Wednesday 4th November 10-11am at Alton Leisure Centre. A weekly cycling session in a safe off road area. For all those wishing to cycle to burn calories, get healthy, make friends and build confidence. Only £3 per session.

Due to start Tuesday 29th at Rowlands Castle. Only £24 could get you 8 sessions with a professional cycle trainer. Sessions will be 10-12 each Tuesday- just bring your own bike!

I have just purchased a fleet of 12 bikes which will give me an opportunity to take them where they can be used. Also able to offer a FREE taster on wednesday 30th September at Alton Sports Centre 10-12 am. If you’re around, come and say hello. If you know anyone who would enjoy this, send them along!

I’ve now fully taken over from Clive in East Hampshire and am working hard to sustain and build on Clives great achievements. Would love to hear any ideas?

Despite the rain, our adapted bikes were a major attraction at the Alton Family Festival on Saturday 11th July. Over 80 people tried out the variety of bikes on offer and the feedback was excellent.
It was a great opportunity to let people know about the bike offer in Alice Holt Forest. Not only is it possible to hire ordinary two wheeler bikes, the adapted bikes can also be hired through Quench Cycles (07921 572498).
On Thursday mornings, the bikes are available for trial sessions on the new track at Alice Holt. Just ring me, Sarah Walker, on 07775 595998 in advance.

Sarah Walker is taking over from Clive Andrews at East Hampshire Cycling for All

I started work on the East Hampshire Cycling for All project in February 2008. Over the last 16 months I have met thousands of people and really enjoyed working with our volunteers to get them riding.

But things are changing. I’m starting a new job as part of the CTC team setting up the new Bike Club programme.

Taking over from me in East Hampshire is Sarah Walker. Sarah has already made a great start overseeing the various things we have going on in East Hampshire. She’s in a great position to introduce people to bikes, as she discovered cycling a couple of years ago in an effort to improve her health. Now she’s keen to show others how easy it can be to take to two wheels.

So from now on, Sarah will be taking over at East Hampshire Cycling for All. If you need to contact her about cycling activities in the district, you can email her at sarah.walker@ctc.org.uk or you can call her on 07775 595998.

I’ll still be helping out with a few activities, but as the new Community Cycling Development Officer,  Sarah is taking charge from here.

Have fun, Sarah!

So that’s Bike Week 2009 finished then! I hope everyone who joined in one of the national Bike Week events had fun and discovered even more enthusiasm for cycling.

So how was it for us in East Hampshire?

We kicked off on Saturday 13th, with an off-road ride with Alton Men’s Weight Loss and Fitness Club, cycling around 5 miles of Alice Holt off-road trails. Members of the group are improving their health through exercise and diet, and we really enjoyed our ride.

On Saturday 14th, we held our big East Hampshire Family Cycling Festival. This was loads of fun with over a thousand people joining us at Alice Holt Forest. The new beginners’ cycle track was opened, and unusual bikes were available free of charge to ride around the track. We held three guided rides around the forest, with free bike loan from Quench Cycles. Quench were also offering free bike safety checks and cycling information was available from Forestry Commission, Hampshire County Council and CTC.

While we were busy at Alice Holt, Ray and Barry from the Limbless Association had borrowed our Draisin Twister trike for a charity ride.

On Monday, we ran one of our usual inclusive cycling sessions at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, with disabled riders coming along to cycle on our specialist equipment.

On Wednesday I was joined at Alice Holt by a group from the Women’s Institute. As part of an Activity Taster Day, they were trying off-road cycling alongside sessions of tai chi and nordic walking. I am so pleased that around 30 women joined us, many of whom hadn’t been on a bike for decades! It’s great when people return to cycling after a long period of not riding.

On Thursday, we had another of our weekly inclusive cycling sessions at Alice Holt. With the new beginners’ track up and running, our regular cyclists, many of who have learning disabilities, had a new challenge getting to know the new cycling route among the trees.

And on Saturday? I had a day off and rode my bike for fun with my friends.

Remember it’s not only Bike Week when there’s the chance to enjoy cycling activities. At East Hampshire Cycling for All, we have more planned throughout the year.

Our impressive two-person trike has been used by a pair of enthusiastic amputees for a 15 mile bike ride.

A few weeks ago I was approached by  Ray Edwards and Barry Perrin from the Limbless Association.

As guys who like a challenge, they were preparing for the 15 mile Wokingham Bikeathon, despite the fact that Barry has lost a leg and Ray is a quad amputee.

Ray and Barry had heard about the range of inclusive cycling kit we have at East Hampshire Cycling for All and called me to see if we could lend them our two-person Twister trike. We were happy to! Our specialist cycling equipment is great for people like Barry and Ray who don’t  let their disabilities keep them from being active.

Their 15 mile ride was hard work but a great success. Accompanied by supportive two-wheeled riders, they completed the Wokingham Bikeathon while raising a pile of money for the Limbless Association.

Well done guys!  Let us know about your next adventures.

Bike Week 2009 is here, and the big news in East Hampshire is the East Hampshire Family Cycling Festival on Sunday 14th June.

Come along between 10am and 4pm, when there will be loads going on:

• A range of unusual bikes to try – recumbents, tandems, all kinds of great cycles
• The grand opening of Alice Holt’s beginners’ cycling track for children, learners and disabled riders
• Free bike safety checks from Quench Cycles
• Free guided rides around Alice Holt Forest
• Information on health, cycling and places to ride

This is all going on at Alice Holt Forest, which is near Bordon and Farnham. The nearest railway station is Bentley and the the forest is situated by the A325 between Bordon and Farnham.

There’s more information on the CTC site.

Hello.

For the next two weeks, our regular Thursday inclusive cycling sessions at Alice Holt Forest will be slightly shorter than usual, running from 9am until 11am.

I’m on holiday for a couple of weeks, and several of our usual excellent volunteers can’t make it along for those sessions. So the equally excellent Helen, Peter and Mike will be available to assist anyone wanting to use our inclusive cycling equipment. As always, bring someone with you if you need personal assistance, but when it comes to cycling, our team will gladly advise.

Have fun.