Gloucester City Annual Bicycle Awareness Ride

[Largie003]

A 10 mile flat ride open to all abilities. The idea is to raise awareness for cyclists in Gloucester, only a few weeks ago a man was killed in a hit and run on Gloucester roads.

Please check out the Facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/events/1478103225796679 for more details and the route.

We ask that all bikes are roadworthy and that you wear a helmet. We are also hoping to get as many people with lights on their bikes as possible. Ride starts at 12pm from Gloucester Docks.

 

[Phil Fouracre]

Oh not again! We ask that you wear a helmet!! WHY!!! Raising awareness for cyclist? Of cyclists?

 

[mickle]

Helmets ya boo sucks.

 

[Bollo]

I don't mean to sound rude, but who are "Gloucester City Cycling Awareness".? No links on the google apart from this thread, and that Friendface page was created yesterday. No other details given.

 

[Phil Fouracre]

Can't find anything either! 'A man was killed on a road in Gloucester' blimey, might start a Somerset awareness ride, anyone know if someone has been killed on Somerset roads?? Sounds a bit like that woman who started a campaign to make all Boris Bike riders wear helmets because she fell off a balcony!! (No she wasn't riding a bike at the time)

 

[Largie003]

Helmets must be worn simply due to the fact that if you don't you're a fool. I have many cyclist friends due to club riding and I could name several that would not be alive today if it was not for a helmet. You may not care if you die but I'm sure you all have partners, sisters, brothers, mothers etc etc that would care. Don't be selfish and start thinking of other people!

As far as not being able to find anything on Google or anywhere else, this is due to the fact that there is no website and at the moment and our only web presence is on Facebook. We are a group of riders that have decided to try to organise a ride to raise awareness for cyclists, this is the first time any of us have done anything like this and this will be the first year (of hopefully many) that the ride will take place which is why the page was only created yesterday.

I used the sentence "A man was killed in Gloucester" simply because this ride is not for charity but for general awareness, the guy was killed in a hit and run.

 

[Pete Owens]

Helmets must be worn simply due to the fact that if you don't you're a fool.

Before you start accusing others of foolishness pehaps you should examine your own behaviour. There are plenty of equally low risk activities that could invove a knock on the noggin: When you walk down stairs you could fall and bump your head - when you get out of the shower you could slip on the soap - when you walk to the local shops and cross a road - when you drive a car - when you are cooking you could bump your head on a kitchen cabinet...

So do YOU personally wear a helmet 24/7 or do you consider yourself a fool and a hypocrite.

 

[broadway]

Well that got off to a good start

 

[snorri]

Helmets must be worn simply due to the fact that if you don't you're a fool. .

Don't you think it might be considered a bit offensive to be coming in here as a newbie seeking support for an event and in your second post labelling others fools?
If you are as experienced as you claim, you must be aware of the controversies associated with cycle helmets
If you have unearthed any fresh research on the helmet topic then let's be hearing it, but being rude to those with different views is quite unneccessary.

 

[marzjennings]

Don't attack the poor guy yet, as a Gloucester boy he may originally be from the Forest and not blessed with the normal mental faculties.

 

[mickle]

I never wear a helmet. I'm no fool.

 

[BigAl68]

Well I haven't ever worn a helmet and I certainly don't think I am a fool.

 

[BigAl68]

Don't attack the poor guy yet, as a Gloucester boy he may originally be from the Forest and not blessed with the normal mental faculties.

That seems rather unfair to the foresters I know. I am sure they would rather be from Cinderford than Gloser...

 

[Bollo]

Large - let me try and explain the general irritation. This is one of the most well managed, friendliest, supportive and helpful forums on the web. If you'd have said hello on the Welcome Mat, complete strangers would have taken the time to say hi and done their best to make you feel at home.

On this forum we have members that have been involved in cycling advocacy for decades. Others who have organised rides involving hundreds and, in a few cases thousands of riders. If you'd spent an hour reading around, you would have found a wealth of information and a list of people who could have given you advice about what you are trying to achieve and how you might go about it.

One thing guaranteed to upset the community is making a first post to promote an agenda, even if it's well meaning. There's so much more to organising both a campaign and a large group ride than posting up a Facebook page and a route and telling people to wear a helmet, that your post came across as extremely naive. Your second post about helmets just reinforces that. We have a whole sub-forum about helmet use. We were not waiting for someone to call us idiots and spout some baseless anecdotes for us to see the light.

So, if you're going to organise this ride, you might want to consider estimated numbers, requirements for public and third party liability insurance, liaising with established advocacy groups in your area like the CTC, stewarding/ride leader requirements, first aid and safety, mechanical support and publicity and promotion including goals and or a mission statement. That's just off the top of my head. One of the gurus on here will give you a better, and probably longer list if you ask nicely.

Otherwise you've just got a group of mates on a ride. In helmets.

 

[Dark46]

The Kingsway Cycling Club will be stopping at Tesco Express on the Kingsway, between 11:30 to 11:45 to pick up any peeps who wants to come on the ride from Gloucester Docks.