iBike MCR Festival - in the High Peak this weekend

Our comrades from Manchester Critical Mass have organised the iBike MCR Festival, which has been taking place since 28th March and winds up on 25th April. Full details of all planned events can be found here, but tomorrow (Sunday 13th April) they have organised a special 'Beer Ride', making it's way between New Mills and winding up in Glossop.

If you are interested in joining in, meet at the Beehive Pub on Albion Road in New Mills at 13.30 p.m. The ride will take in various drinking establishments before winding up at the Globe, Glossop on Sunday evening.

(Hopefully, this will inspire people to plan for the next Critical Mass in these parts, following the inaugural one last year - although the weather is contrary at the moment, it's lighter in the evening and long overdue!)

Glossop Critical Mass - on video

As promised, video-pixies have finished their work on the video of the first Glossop Critical Mass, and the world premiere is here!

One thing to note - this week's Glossop Chronicle has tried to play down the Critical Mass by saying there were 'less than a dozen' present. Not so, there were 14 taking part (including one very small non-cycling passenger) which is in our opinion is a pretty damn good start, garnering a lot of attention. We're sure there will be far more next time.

Critical Mass - success!

Last Friday saw a dozen people attend for the inaugural Glossop Critical Mass. Glossop had seen nothing like it - all kinds of cyclists, including a mobile sound system, with people coming from as far afield as Manchester and Trafford (cycling all the way to Glossop and back from it!) to attend. Plus some friends from Glossop Kinder Velo.

We certainly attracted a lot of attention - along with a van load of police and a motorcycle policeman. We're clearly doing something right.

And the press attention has followed in its wake - today's Manchester Evening News gave away a half page article and photo, along with a page on their website. The latter is attracting a fair amount of debate (with predictable comments from petrolheads), so please feel free to join in.

The organisers, Road Alert Glossop, are keen to repeat the event in the not too distant future, although next month's clock changes mean Friday evenings will be out until 2008.

We are told that video-pixies were present to film some of the proceedings, and that a film will follow soon...

Critical Mass - Glossop to Swallows Wood: this Friday 14th September

A reminder that this Friday, 14th September sees the inaugural Critical Mass for the area, organised by fellow campaigners Road Alert Glossop .

The Critical Mass has already received local press coverage, and the group have a thriving myspace page which is attracting a lot of support. Here's their press release:

We're staging a Critical Mass bike ride on 14th September 2007, to celebrate Car Free Day and to demonstrate that bikes and people should be catered for on our roads, not just cars and traffic.

We'll be setting off from Glossop train station at 5.30 pm and will be riding out to Swallow's Wood near Tintwistle where we'll stop at a local pub. The wood is threatened by a new bypass they are planning to build between Mottram and Tintwistle.

The route is fairly flat and about 4 miles in total. It's suitable for riders of all types. Please bring a bike and wear high vis clothing.

Our aim is not to stop traffic but to make the presence of bikes on the roads more visible so please be aware of other traffic and road users.

Please make some time to support this great development in the campaign against the bypass.