What Should be Done with Princes Street?

Princes Street re-opened to bikes and buses two weeks ago. There have been quite a few cyclists grounded by encounters with the tram tracks. One early one was caught on video and sent to You Tube and resulted in Evening News and BBC stories.

Yesterday training was held on the section that is still coned off but there are still no warning signs or road markings to alert people to the dangers. One improvement would be a new Advance Stop Line at the junction with Waverley Bridge.

Discussion on CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

YOU can help CycleStreets

CycleStreets is the premiere UK-wide Cycle Journey Planner. It got a boost last year when Edinburgh based ChangingPace (interest declared) got Scottish Government money to help create the Edinburgh version.

Cambridge based CycleStreets (created by people involved in the Cambridge Cycling Campaign) is looking for help -

Test routes in the Journey Planner

Add photos to the Photomap

Fundraising – donate / fundraise!

Contribute map data to OpenStreetMap

Become a feedback reviewer

Coding: join the coding team

Spread the word

That one is easy

Designer needed

Write us an iPhone app!

“We’d love to have an iPhone version of CycleStreets, but we don’t have the code expertise yet. Quite a tall order, we know, particularly as we don’t (currently) have funding!”

Discussion on CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

UPDATE – Now an Evening News story

Ride Planet Earth on Sunday

Ahead of the Earth Summit in Copenhagen next week thousands, maybe millions, of cyclists will be riding to show their support for measures to combat the effects of Climate Change. (http://rideplanetearth.org)

In Edinburgh the normal monthly Spokes Ride is to be a RPE event. It sets off as usual from the Usher Hall at 10:00am. “We will be stopping for lunch at Out of the Blue in Dalmeny Street at 12:30 where we will be joined by longstanding Spokes memberMark Lazarowicz MP [Edinburgh North and Leith] who will give a very short speech about the climate negotiations, and accept a letter from Spokes to the Energy Secretary.  He will also join the remainder of the ride after lunch.”

“Lunch will cost £6.50 and you must book lunch in advance (soup, sandwiches, tea, coffee, cake).   Book by emailing spokes@spokes.org.uk , or phone 0131 313 2114.”

More info.

Psst, Wanna Buy a Used Bike Shop?

It’s only been open a few months (Eastside Bikes in Abbeyhill) but already owner Nik Antestenis is planning his exit strategy. It’s not that he’s made a fortune and is cashing in – bike shop owners seldom become ‘well off’. He’s returning to the States for sound family reasons.

So (in the middle of next year) there’s an opportunity for someone to take over a business that already provides a modest living, and has lots of potential.

Of course you’ll need a bit of cash and a fair amount of knowledge of bike fixing – the main business is repairs and custom builds of ‘classic’ bikes. You’d also need to be good at dealing with ‘the public’. Some still think that keeping bikes safely on the road is a low grade skill, that they can’t do themselves, but should be available for a fraction of the price of a plumber…

Nik has established a customer base of local people and others who want their ‘dream’ machine (often a fashionable single speed) built from one of the interesting frames hanging in the shop.