Fancy my job? Community Cycling Development Officer wanted!

An exciting new opportunity has come up for me at CTC national office. I’ll have more info about that soon, but the really exciting news is that my job as Community Cycling Development Officer for East Hampshire is now available!

It’s a great job for anyone who gets a buzz out of spreading the message of cycling to all corners of the community. It’s about setting up projects that empower everyone to have a go at cycling, whatever their age, ability or situation. You get to meet and work with experts that help you engage with the community, ensuring that everyone in East Hampshire gets the chance to enjoy the benefits that cycling brings.

You’ll be working in a beautiful rural district with some great spots for mountain biking and lovely road cycling routes.

There’s full information about this exciting cycling job on the vacancies section of the CTC website.

The deadline is the 6th April, so have a look at the full job information now.

And I promise to show you the best off-road routes before I move to head office…

Forest Discovery Rides reported by the Bordon Post

Did I mention our Forest Discovery Ride last weekend?

We had fun. Eight of us explored Alice Holt Forest on bikes. Everyone got their bikes checked for safety, everyone got a few tips and off-road riding and everyone finished the ride wih a big smile on their face.

A photographer came along from the Petersfield Post & Bordon Post, so we’re pleased to find outselves in this week’s paper.

If you’d like to join in with our monthly Forest Discovery Rides, there’s more info on out main CTC web pages.

Come along.

New Forest Bike Ride – 7th June

Hampshire is a big county. A very big county. And while we’re making the most of the lovely riding in the East Hampshire district, let’s not forget that the rest of Hampshire offers good cycling too.

In particular, the New Forest, in Hampshire’s south west corner, has lovely cycling on shady tracks and quiet roads.

Wendy Savage from Marie Curie Cancer Care contacted me to let me know about their New Forest Bike Ride on 7th June.

I won’t be joining in, as the New Forest is the opposite end of Hampshire from our cycling base at Alice Holt Forest, but if it’s of interest to you, you may like to read about the New Forest Bike Ride on the Marie Curie website.

If you do join in, have fun, and tell us how it goes!

Forest Discovery Ride – Saturday 21st March at Alice Holt

After a shaky start, no-one can deny that spring is definitely with us.

Here at Alice Holt, the sun is shining, the wild flowers are blooming and the deer are running through the trees. What a great time of year to get back on a bike!

The next of our monthly Forest Discovery Rides is this Saturday 21st March, at 10.30am at Alice Holt Forest. These rides are free of charge.

We’ll be taking a very relaxed, fairly slow spin around the traffic-free trails of the forest. It really is lovely this time of year. There are a couple of very minor hills, but nothing that should put anyone off. There will be tips on how to get the best out of your gears, and nobody minds if you choose to push up the slopes!

Not sure you’re up to it? – You do not need to be particularly fit, fast or experienced. We’re only doing a short distance and we’re aiming this ride at near-beginners. As long as your doctor wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at your coming along, we’d love to see you.

Haven’t got a shiny new bike? – You don’t need an all-singing all-dancing bike. A basic one will do, as long as the tyres aren’t too narrow. I’ll be giving all bikes a safety check, but try to make sure there are no bits hanging off before you bring it along…

Haven’t got a bike at all? – If you don’t have a safe bike, give me  a call and I’ll find one for you to borrow.

What about children? – We’re aiming this ride at all ages, but children need to accompanied. If you’d like to bring your children, decide whether you think they are capable of joining you for around 4 miles on forest tracks. It’s up to you.

If you have any questions, call me on 07717 721511 or email me at clive.andrews@ctc.org.uk

See you on Saturday!

Bad News: We’ve Had Some of Our Bikes Stolen

Normally, we’re full of good news at East Hampshire Cycling for All. We love bikes and we have fun.

But we had a spot of bad news the other day. Our storage at Alice Holt Forest was broken into over the weekend. Two bikes and one tricycle, used for our inclusive cycling with the disabled, were stolen.

I’m sure it’s clear how upsetting this is. We use these bikes to make cycling accessible to people who may not otherwise get the chance, so to have our kit stolen is a real shame.

If anyone happens to come across the following cycles for sale anywhere, give me call in confidence on 07717 721511 or clive.andrews@ctc.org.uk

2 x Schwinn Frontier Mountain Bikes
Grey, with suspension forks
Schwinn Frontier on ShopWiki website

1 x Pashley Picador Trike/Tricycle
Purple, with basket on back
Pashley Picador on Pashley website

We’re near Farnham, in Surrey, but who knows where these cycles will end up? Maybe London, maybe elsewhere.

Thanks to anyone who is able to keep their eyes open.