By Andy Chivers
We think of the 1930s as the bicycle heyday – car ownership was minimal, long-distance commuting was confined to train and bus, and employers provided mass bike parking facilities. Pictures of hordes of bike riders exiting Cowley Motor Works are emblematic of that time. What is less well known is that the Department for Transport was enthusiastic about bike use too and funded 500 miles of high-quality bike routes around the country.
By Andy Chivers
At its most basic, riding a bike requires the coordination of balance, steering, and turning the pedals. Then comes the most important skill – paying attention to your surroundings. This has been well described by the father of urban bike riding, Richard Ballantine, as ‘Relaxed Concentration’.
By Leo-Jay Black
Well, where to begin? It all started in 2007 when I part-exchanged a BMX and £60 for a Kona Yeeha (Steel frame) that was for sale, second-hand, in a local bike shop in Exeter. I liked it because it had big wheels, good gear ratios, 700c wheels, hybrid tyres and flat handlebars.
By Kathryn McNicoll and Josh Lenthall
One year on from the start of the Bikes for Key Workers project we have handed out our last bike to a key worker, making the total in Oxford 345 bikes. With the Windrush Bike Project in Witney refurbishing at least 100 bikes, and the Bicester project over 60, that means 500 bikes county wide.
By Andy Chivers
No, this isn’t a joke (like ‘When is a door not a door? When it’s ajar!’), but a look at ‘non-motorised vehicles’ and see how broad that category might be. Motorbike riders call their vehicles bikes which can be confusing, but they are motorised, whereas (perhaps surprisingly) an electric bike isn’t.
By Jonny Ives
This week two primary schools in Oxford launched the county council’s School Streets pilot project, taking a big step towards the goal of safe and active travel options for all school students.
By Andy Chivers
Eleanor Vogel is a GP in Kidlington. She rides to work every day from Cowley – an impressive 30km round trip – which involves cycling along Church Cowley Road and Rymers Lane.
By Andy Chivers
Cyclox members are a varied bunch, united by a belief in the pleasure and benefits of cycling. Our oldest member still riding a bike is now in his 90th year. He regularly rides from Marston into town, sometimes coming back by Donnington Bridge. When we heard about his life on a bike, we wanted to share his story.
By Jonny Ives
When it comes to innovation, it seems Headington is ahead of the game. Having cornered the market in shark-through-roof art installations and led the way in fridge-temperature Covid-19 vaccines, the suburb up the hill is now the site of the county’s first experiment with street-legal e-scooters.
By Kathryn McNicoll
Bike theft may not seem to be a terrible crime and certainly nobody has been hurt or killed because of it. However, for a key worker who cannot afford a car (and where do you park at the hospitals anyway?) and who is trying to get to work without using public transport, a bike is a lifeline.
