Liverpool City Council is being asked to adopt a cycling manifesto, first flagged up by The Times newspaper, to make cities safer for bike riders, with a cycling Tsar to ensure the policy is a runner.

Liverpool probably ticks many of the boxes for its cycle routes and cycle lanes.

Inadequate: A cycle lane
in Liverpool
The problem is two-wheel commuters have to rub shoulders (literally) with heavy traffic, and even some of those narrow cycle lanes, essentially roadside gutters, are potentially hazardous.

What is needed is a proper solution – demolish swathes of the entire city and rebuild with wide cycle lanes, separated from motorised and generally unsympathetic drivers, with wide green verges. But that's never going to happen.

Many of the roads in Liverpool are incapable of being cycle friendly, simply because there isn't enough road space to facilitate proper segregation.

In another life - and on another continent - I owned three bikes, conveniently parked at strategic points, there when I needed them. Cycling along wide, shrub-lined cycle lanes, looking at vehicles gridlocked in the multi-lane ring roads, the cycle ruled, OK.

What Liverpool doesn't need is a certificate crowing about its high number of cycle lane kilometres. Each cycle lane needs to be graded – like A routes or B routes, so we can distinguish safe routes for strips of road that are mere excuses for a cycle lane.

The call for a manifesto comes from Lib Dem group leader Paula Keaveney and will come before a city council select committee on Wednesday (March 14).

She says would-be cyclists are put off using a bike because of real or perceived dangers. She wants the council's regeneration cabinet member Malcolm Kennedy to sign up on behalf of the city for the eight-point manifesto.

Even if it is supported, it won't have much of an impact. Who can stop cars parking in cycle lanes when it suits them? Where can the space be found to provide meaningful, safe and segregated cycle routes?

On the waterfront (pic courtesy
of Critical Mass
Otterspool Promenade and the river front has become popular with city-centre bound commuters, providing an virtually exclusive off-road route from Garston to the Pier Head. Some of those cyclists, because of their speed, present a danger to pedestrians strolling along the prom.

What about cyclists who don't realise a red traffic light means they should halt as well.

One of the eight points in the manifesto is the call for Liverpool to have its own cycling commissioner. That person, if appointed, will only succeed depending on a chain (excuse the pun) of command.

Sadly, for the forseeable future, the vast majority of commuters will stick to the car.

Bring in Son of Big Dig, raise parking charges, up the price of fuel to £20 a gallon and it will still rule the roads of Liverpool.

The reason: it's dangerous on those roads.

Here are the eight points of the manifesto....
1. Lorries entering a city centre should be required by law to fit sensors, audible turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to stop cyclists being thrown under the wheels.

2. The 500 most dangerous road junctions must be identified, redesigned or fitted with priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors that allow lorry drivers to see cyclists on their near-side.

3. A national audit of cycling to find out how many people cycle in Britain and how cyclists are killed or injured should be held to underpin effective cycle safety.

4. Two per cent of the Highways Agency budget should be earmarked for nexts generation cycle routes, providing £100 million a year towards world-class cycling infrastructure. Each year cities should be graded on the quality of cycling provision.

5. The training of cyclists and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.

6. 20mph should become the default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.

7. Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycleways and cycling super-highways, mirroring the Barclays-backed bicycle hire scheme in London.

8. Every city should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.

IT IS WITH GREAT SADDNESS THAT WE HAVE TO REPORT  THE PASSSING OF SOUTHPORT CYCLING  CLUB MEMBER  PAUL MAYOR WHO PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING, 3OTH NOVEMBER.   Our thoughts go out to his family at this sad time, he will be dearly missed.

Funeral: Thursday 8th December at 12-40 p.m.  Southport Crematorium. No flowers by request. Donations to Queenscourt Hospice. All welcome afterwards at Legh Arms, Mere Brow. There will be refreshments and a memory book to record your thoughts of Paul. Club Kit is acceptable dress and travel by bike is also OK.

Words by Ray Green
http://greenjersey.wordpress.com/

Paul Mayor 18 July 1945 to  2011. Paul was brought up at Lawson Street in High Park and it was his elder brother Ian who first showed an interest in cycling but he was not cut out for the sport, and he took up the more passive hobby of pigeon racing. Their father was a successful fancier who was a big rival of Jim Caldwell, Norman Mosscrop's mechanic. Paul was soon cycling with Ray Green, another High Parker, to Parbold and Rivington and before long they had graduated to hanging around Norman's workshop after school and then joined the Club. As was usual in those days Paul tried his hand at time trialling and even a few road races but it was soon apparent that he wasn't cut out for speed work and instead he became a regular on the club's Sunday runs that were serious tests of stamina.
It wasn't all hard miles though and the bike was used for trips to Botanic Gardens to hang around with the High Park gang and pursue another kind of bird fancying. It was probably here that Paul met Crossens girl Christine Sherlock who he was to marry. Clearly Chris was impressed as she took to riding a bike herself and even joined the club. In 1965 Paul was present at Lasarte, Spain when Tom Simpson won the pro road race.
That trip started with a two day bash to Southampton and finished with a three week tour of the Iberian Peninsula. After Chris's tragically early death Paul again became a regular on trips to the Worlds and had it not been for his illness he would have been in Copenhagen to see Mark Cavendish take our second rainbow jersey. For many years Paul was a regular on the club's Mallorcan holidays. He cracked in plenty of miles and loved the social, ie drinking, side of the holiday. Paul was not himself a natural story teller but he had the most wonderful sense of humour, something
he shared with his late wife.
He loved to hear Broo Rimmer's tales of club life, High Park and most of all the building trade which would reduce him to helpless laughter. Some years Paul was joined by his elder daughter Sarah who was herself a very nifty peddler. Paul was educated at Southport Technical college and first worked for a small firm of architects on Hoghton Street. In those days trainees were paid a salary that would make the minimum wage seem generous and it did not keep him in inner tubes so he moved to the Water Board in a clerical post. He must have impressed as he was soon transferred to technical work and he became a graduate civil engineer. For some years he was Norman Mosscrop's Saturday boy in the workshop. Paul was Club Chairman, Time Trial Secretary and Press Secretary and he was for very many years a timekeeper. He leaves two daughters and a grandchild.

Gordon Shadlock – 1951- 2011

It is with great sadness that the Southport Cycling report the passing of a past Southport Cycling Club member. Gordon (nick named Barry in the club room for his close resemblance to the well known professional Barry Hoban) was born in Batley, Yorkshire, in February 1951. At the age of 7 he moved with his parents and sister to Southport where he attended All Saints Junior School. Even as a small boy he spent most of his playing hours on a tricycle and then at the age of 8 when he was cornering too fast on a shop front his pedal caught the ground and he came off, breaking his leg.

At the age of 12 years of age when he moved to Meols Cop Secondary School he became interested in all the sports Football most of all, and he made the school team. His success in sport, and his coming out from being a rather quiet little boy, he attributes a good deal to the interest of his former master and sports master, Alan Spence, the former Southport Footballer. Gordon’s interest in bikes caused him to spend a lot of his leisure time in Norman Mosscrop’s workshop, and it was Norman who took him out on his first Club Run to Longridge.

Then introduced him to the Cycling Club in 1965. During his first winter as a member of the cycling Club, Gordon also played football for Y.M.C.A. but the cyclists told him that football and cycling didn’t mix, and cycling won. During his first season Gordon entered most of the club’s events and road races. He was junior champion of the club whilst riding as a schoolboy in 1967 and again junior champion in 1968 and 1969.
In 1972 he won the Best All rounder Award and also held the Club 25 mile time trial record for 14 years with a time of 57.51 and road race champion in 1972 /73. During his time he held most of the Club trophies with a total of 53 medals. By virtue of his placings in road races he went from a 3rd cat to 2nd cat and then to a 1st Category in 1970.
His placing of 6th in the Easter four day event in the year before included 3rd place in the time trail and 1st 3rd category rider, he considered to be on of his best efforts, along with his win in the Strong Bow Cider race at Coventry. Gordon was always cheerful and had a friendly word to say when he met you and will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

The funeral is Thursday 14th July 2pm at russell road Methodist church southport followed by committal and southport crem all welcome . Our thoughts go out to his family at this sad time

 It is with great sadness that we have to report the Passing of Southport cyclist and cycle shop owner  Norman mosscrop aged 84 . Norman had been ill for a few weeks but had never really got over the fall he had in Dumfries over 5 years ago.

  He was a member of Southport Cycling Club for over 50 years. He was elected a life member in 2006. Never really a racing man, Norman enjoyed touring and camping weekends in the Lakes and the Yorkshire Dales with his many friends and playing badminton. Norman lived in the town all his life and went to school at Norwood Road and KGV. He volunteered for the RAF in the war but ended up as a Bevan Boy working in the mines in the North East near Durham. In 1953 he bought the cycle shop on Bispham Road which he ran for 50 years before passing it over to his son Gary.

Our thoughts go out to his family at this sad time, he will be dearly missed. The Funeral is at Southport Crematorium next Tuesday 3rd May 2011 at 15-00hrs.

The southport cycling club is sad to report the passing of Albert Hopkins aged 90 years southport's oldest member he had been a member since 1934 The funeral is to be held on Thursday 9th December, 10.30am at Leyland Road Methodist Church, followed by 11.30 at the Crematorium. Tea being served afterwards back at the Church.

We are sorry to report Southport cycling club's John Keenan passed away this morning Monday 6th September.

John had a long association with cycling, starting as a Junior in 1957 with Liverpool St Christopher then later the Bootle St Chris and Liverpool Eagle
for a short time before joining
Southport cycling Club in 1973 .
Enjoying success in many events winning the Club Time Trial Championship in 2007

Former Tour de France winner loses his
fight against cancer:- Laurent Fignon passed away after losing his fight against cancer, French television has announced.
The Frenchman twice won the Tour de France
during his career. He was 50.

LETTER

dear Sirs,        
  I visited the Nationel Cycle Museum   at  Llandrindod Wells on Friday and came upon this little corner dedicated to Bill Bradley, I have attached a photo of one of his Harry quinn bikes, which was on display there.   Bill was one of my schoolboy heroes when I started racing in 1961.
                      Best Regards           Terry Harradine    C.C.Topp (Ross on Wye)

The above pic is possibly the first Gala road race on Sunday, September 19th 1954. The winner was Jack Fryer and Bill Bradley was 3rd. The Southport team was B.Bradley, J. Lowe, H. Wright, R. Robson. The race started outside the town hall - Mere Brow - Rufford - Parbold - Newburgh - Stanley Gate Lydiate finishing in Ainsdale. Two events were held Southport Gala road race 90-mile & The Southport Gran prix 50 miles. A photocopy of the original programme is available on request.

With the general election coming up, now is the time to make sure that the next government does as much as it can for cycling.

Before you cast your vote, CTC's Vote Bike campaign is your chance to press your local candidates on their commitment to cycling. Please write to your prospective MPs and ask them to respond to CTC's Vote Bike Manifesto, which sets out the developments needed to make cycling for transport, health and leisure mainstream. You can send emails to those standing for parliament via CTC's Vote Bike webpage and view their responses.

As CTC President, I encourage you to visit the Vote Bike webpage at

www.ctc.org.uk/votebike

to find out more and to get involved.

It's with deep sadness that we report the death of George Darlington. George passed away at 09.30am Thursday 21st January 2010 after a long battle with cancer. Just like the great Geoff Bewley ,George was a stalwart of the Liverpool Century club and the values that he brought to many youngsters over the years is imeasurable. People like George are irreplaceable. Even in his final months the strength of character, fighting spirit and absolute love and passion for cycling kept him going . George you were a great man and will be missed by us all but never forgotten. R.IP.George. Our thoughts go to his wife Wendy, children Peter and Caron.
Funeral arrangements will be posted when known.

Letter

You may have heard on the “grapevine” that at a meeting held at the
Litherland Sports Park on the 30th September 2009 with

representatives from Liverpool Century RC, Liverpool Mercury (Dolan) CC,
Merseyside Cycling Development Group, Merseyside Wheelers, Prescot Eagle RC and the Southport CC that the Litherland Circuit League was set up to run theWednesday night events being held at the Litherland Sports Park as a League
and one complete series for each season. The Mersey Roads Club representative was not able to attend the meeting because
of a prior engagement but has since come onboard, as you will observe from the attached calendar of events.

By agreement with the Sports Centre Management in 2010 the Wednesday nights
events has been increased to eighteen continuous weeks of racing which will
commence on the 14th April 2010. All categories of Youth for both girls and
boys will be eligible for league points as well the usual BC Licence points.
There is a change in the senior/junior races in 2010 in that they will be
restricted to 2nd/3rd and 4th category Junior and Senior male entries plus
Senior and Junior female riders of all categories.

The reason for this change was because the Merseyside Go Ride clubs are now having members
coming into racing and it was felt it did not want it to be a disincentive
for these competitors which was likely if, the Elites and Firsts were still
allowed to ride whilst these new comers were experiencing their first taste
of circuit racing. Besides the BC Licence Points for these events which
will be classified as Regional A league points will be available for each
category riding including separate points for the Junior Ladies and Women.
The points structure will be available from me by mid January 2010.

One of the advantages of the League is that if, riders’ clubs join the
League then their riders will also, have the benefit of reduced subscription
fees to join the League. A £50.00 Club affiliation fee might seem a
little high but with clubs such as yours the junior and senior as well as
the youth members would soon see the benefit of their Club being affiliated
to the Litherland Circuit League.

The membership forms and where they are to be sent are shown on the
Merseyside Cycling Development website:

http://www.merseysidecyclingdevelopment.org/WhatsonCalendar/LitherlandCircui
tLeague/Forms.aspx

Say NO to Portland St. Proposals
(the way the Council are proposing to implement it.) 

Even cyclists are against the plans for East/west cycle route (the way the Council are proposing to implement it.),
yet again jobsworths Councillor Weavers and the councils david marian have shown they have no idea what cyclists really want .
You Just look at the cycle lanes they put on the coastal road on the other side of the wall, most of the time its covered in sand or full of holiday makers walking on it, or the proposal of a route down Selworthy road, what is the use of having a cycle route down there.

Doesnt Weaver realise he is turning motorists more againsts cyclists with his idiotic proposals. Councillor Weaver Last year claimed more for car milage than any other Councillor (FACT) what a hypocrite who just likes to dress up as a cyclist and looking after his expences !!!!!!!!.  Click here for more on this story

Southport's cycling clubs Robbie Hurst was hit by a car that pulled out of a side street in Liverpool.
Robs injuries where unfortunately worse than originally thought, and had to be operateted on lasting longer than 7 hours the surgeons had to do the operation from a number of different positions which made it even more complicated than originally expected. Rob is expexted to be out of action for quite a while .

THE TOUR SERIES: 2009 Southport hosts the event on 11th June, For Southport it’s the first time a top event has been held in Southport for 20 years!!!!!!!!!?? The last time in Southport centre was the Gala crits known as the Bladon Races, on the Kings Gardens. By luck it was the same person (brian Bladon) that wrote to the tour of Britain organisers and persuading them and a local councillor to bringing the race down lord Street and the success of that led to the Tour series being held here

32 years not 20 years since the club room was opened in Victoria park

20th anniversary of the opening of the SouthportCC clubroom in Victoria Park takes place this week The clubroom was opened by Ronnie Fearn on 14th April 1989.
On Monday 20th April their will be a small party at the clubroom to celebrate the occasion from 8.pm all members are invited to attend.   Yet again  the admin of Southport Cycling club have forgotten to mention that it was Brian Bladon who acquired the club room in Victoria park , then a wooden building enabling the club to have a building as it is today .

We are sad to report the death of Teg Lloyd
Teg passed away this morning, Tuesday 5th May. Teg was a great supporter of the Southport cycling club, and Merseyside cycling events and was very well liked and respected amongst the Racing lads.
The funeral is at Southport Crematorium at 11-00am on Wednesday 13th May.

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Tom Marsden a former member of the Southport cycling club . Tom was an active member in the
1960's and early 70's
Funeral arrangments: St Helens
Crematorium Friday 13th March 11-00am

The Southport Cycling Club, Sunday club run on 8th March to the Eureka Cafe  which was the first time since the 90's the club had ventured in that direction, had a turn out of 3. The rest probably went to scorton via the fylde lanes as it seem thats the only route they know  - to go north . Hardly a way to encourage cyclists from all areas of the town  to join the club

Southport based racing team announce new roster

BOOSTING their roster from six to eight riders for 2009, Team Kinesis UK officially unveiled their exciting new line-up in front of supporters and sponsors alike at the Core Bike Show near Silverstone in Northamptonshire. Following on from an extremely successful season in 2008, focus has been switched from youth and instead firmly fixed on strength and depth in order to win as many podium places as possible at various races abroad andin the UK.

Steve Lampier, James Stewart, Rab Wardell, James Moss and Jack Pullar, plus new additions Alex Bhogal, from Toronto, and Vincent Veilleux, from Quebec, turned out in style at the Core Bike Show .

Former British National Champion dies

Mark Bell, died on Friday, January 30, at the age of 49.

Mark was by far one of the best cyclists this country has produced. Our Condolences go out to Tony , mike and the rest of Bell family

Here is what his brother Tony said about Mark in a
tribute to the great cyclist:

“I think it’s safe to say that Mark was one of the best bike riders of his generation, and when you consider who his contemporaries were, that is quite an achievement. His list of victories includes two national championships, three Milk Race stages, the GP of Essex and the Archer GP, the Lincoln GP and the eight-day Etoile de Sud stage race in Belgium.

Mark showed promise from an early age - his first race, a 10 mile time trial in 1970 when he was ten years old, riding in his football kit and school shoes - saw him finishing with a time of 33 minutes, but the signs that he had something special were there even before that.

In 1968, Mark and I went on a cycling/camping holiday with our dad, and despite the fact that he was just eight years old, he loved that two weeks when we rode all over North and mid Wales. The route included the Bwlch-y-Groes. If you don’t know it, the Bwlch is a fearsome climb, but Mark was determined it wasn’t going to beat him.

He rode as far as he could until the gradient became too much and he had to get off and walk with his bike. Eight years old, and already the signs were there that he was different, that there was a natural talent just waiting to come out. Fourteen years later, he would ride over the same road in the Milk Race, on the stage which finished in Llandudno.

Mark started winning races in 1975 as a schoolboy, but it was in 1977 that his class really began to show. He seemed to win races every week, and at this time there was a song in the charts called ‘So you win again’, by Hot Chocolate. I remember singing it to him when he came home one Sunday after winning yet another race. If you knew Mark, you can imagine the look he gave me.

After winning the Peter Buckley junior road race series in 1978, Mark joined the senior ranks and the successes continued, and in September of that year he went to New York to ride a series of races including ‘The Apple Lap’ with the Liverpool Mercury team. Terry Dolan was still racing then and was with the team, and Mark told me just the other week how Terry looked after him during that trip, something he still appreciated all these years later.

The highlights of Mark’s 1979 season were his win in the Benedictine GP at Leyland, Lancashire, and his third place in the national amateur RR title, behind Robert Millar and Joe Waugh. A couple of months later, at the age of 19 he rode and finished the World amateur RR championship in Valkenburg, Holland where Robert Millar finished in 4th place.

1980 was, in his words ‘a bad year’ but he still managed to win something like twenty races. Mark seemed to be drifting a bit that year, but he regained his focus during the following winter, and went on to win the national amateur RR championship in 1981, after taking two stages in the Milk Race, including the final stage in Blackpool.

The early eighties also saw Mark winning the Archer GP, the Essex GP, the eight day Etoile de Sud in Belgium (he was the first non-Belgian rider to win this) and another Milk Race stage in 1982. Mark turned pro with Falcon in 1985 and won the Delyn GP in his first season, and in 1986 he won the national pro RR title at Newport, Shropshire.

This was his proudest moment. He said to me later that he knew he was going to win this race. It wasn't arrogance, he just knew that when he was on form, it would take a lot to beat him. When George Shaw signed him for the Raleigh team at the end of 1985, Mark told him he would win the national championship. When he set himself a target, he would invariably hit it. And he did that year.

Mark had a reputation as a Hard Man, but to us, his family, we knew that he was a big softy underneath that exterior. He was always there for us if there was a problem, and he'd do anything to help sort it out. Mark battled with a lot of his own problems in his last years, but, when he was on top of things and doing well, he was a lovely man, and despite everything that was going on in his life, he was still there for us. I'm just so glad that I spent a lot of time with him over the last couple of months. We're all going to miss him so much.”

Mark winning the final stage of the eight day Etoile de Sud in Belgium, May 1983. He won the race overall as well. (He was the first non-Belgian rider to win this)(Above)

Mark Winning the last stage of the 1981 milk Race in Blackpool
R.I.P. Mark

Mark Bell, who died on Friday, January 30,
at the age of 49. RIP

Letter From Australia

My name is Dawn Carr and I am married to Michael Carr whose grandfather was THOMAS HENRY CARR who was a cyclist at the
Southport Cycling Club.
 
We have in our possession which has been passed down from Thomas Henry CARR to his son Frank CARR, to his son Frank Michael
CARR (my husband.) a huge trophy in the shape of a shield.
 
At the top of the shield  reads   SALUS POPULI
 
Then in the middle is solid silver with a man on a bike. Engraved on the side is RD 65479
 
Engraved in the middle of the silver bit reads
TH CARR For Track       1st October, 1892  Southport C
 
The shield was name                         

CHALLENGE SHIELD
PRESENTED BY W TIMBERLAKE ESQ
 
 ONE MILE BICYLCE RACE
  IN SIX CONTESTS
 FIRST PRIZE
 
1st competition winner          LC RILEY     157yds      2M 46S
2nd competition winner         H B BIRD      340yds     2M 47S
3rd competition winner          TH CARR     Scratch     2M 42S
4th competition winner          TH CARR      Scratch     2M 46S
5th competition winner           TH CARR     Scratch     2M 33S
6th competition winner          TH CARR      Scratch     2M 35S

As soon I receive more information and pic I will post it on here

Following on from the successful launch of The Tour Series at Earls Court last week, SweetSpot, the organisers of the series they have announced Southport as the latest venue to sign up for a round of the dynamic new series.  Southport, scene of huge crowds for a Sprint on the final stage of this year’s Tour of Britain, joins Woking as one of the first venues to become part of The Tour Series for 2009.

The event will not just be anElite Criterium but also a whole afternoon of music and cycling related activities including youth and amateur races, demonstrations and skills sessions, The Tour Series will help build a cycling-themed carnival atmosphere in the centre of Southport next summer.

“Thousands of people turned out to see the Tour of Britain pass through Lord Street in September which was brought by Southport's Brian Bladon after his  meeting with a Southport cllr. and a letter to the race organisers promting them to changethe  route from the coast road to bringing the race down Lord street.