Walking and cycling tourism

Thu 27 Mar 2008, 08:14

Thank you Hamish for underlining the point I tried to make (albeit, rather unsuccessfully) earlier, that central to encouraging cycle tourism is to make Charlbury roads cycle friendly. Picking up on Richard's suggestions about cycle lanes and hooking up with the national circuit is a good step. But also, working with the police to educate drivers about how to over take and relate to cyclists on local roads.

There's really no reason for having to have a 'brush with a motor vehicle' on our roads and yet, as you say, we've all experienced it.

Wed 26 Mar 2008, 21:00

Amazingly, there's no cycle hire at all in West Oxfordshire, as far as I'm aware.

Country Lanes is the Moreton company. Or perhaps it's something that one of the existing Charlbury businesses could take on as a sideline, signposted from the station?

Passing through recently, I noticed a cafe in Rockingham, a tiny village on the Northamptonshire/Rutland border, which now also offers cycle hire; and closer to home, a very enterprising narrowboat hire company at Lower Heyford has branched out similarly. (The same company even co-funded FGW to reinstate a summer Sunday service at Lower Heyford - now, I believe, they've reinstated it permanently at their own expense!)

Wed 26 Mar 2008, 19:08

Another idea would be a cycle hire shop in Charlbury. I don't know if there are any in Burford, Chippy or Witney; if not, then the nearest ones are probably in Oxford, which is quite a long way away! A cycle hire place could also sell cycle accessories and perhaps offer a puncture repair service for other cyclists. The best location would be the train station. There is something similar at Moreton in Marsh I think (or there used to be). Ideally there would be a cafe attached where exhausted cyclists could refuel before catching their train home. Alternatively, CBC could display their leaflets giving information on where to buy food and obtain refereshment in Charlbury. Interested parties are welcome to employ me as a (well-paid) consultant if they wish!

Wed 26 Mar 2008, 16:33

An interesting discussion. I personally think that encouraging cycle tourism would be a good idea. However, as a cyclist I don't find Charlbury a good place to cycle around other than the fact that thankfully we have no busy a-roads passing through. The town has evolved to allow cars to…

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Sat 22 Mar 2008, 19:47

20 years ago I used to cycle around Charlbury off and on, as I was stationed at Upper Heyford. Beautiful scenery, friendly people, and plenty of Pubs and B&B lodging really made it a wonderful time.
If you do a web search for Charlbury and Walking/Cycling there are quite a few links, but no central location to get information from.
Perhaps what is needed is to leverage the free web services that abound, such as Panoramio,Flickr, Google Maps and such to make a central web presence for Charlbury that is related to Walking and Cycling in the area.
When I plan to travel I like to be able to find visual info, as in Maps and Pictures, to see what the area has to offer.
I spent about 10 minutes plotting out a route I used to cycle in the 80's,around Charlbury, and then added some links to pictures and websites I found online just to make a very basic example of what I am suggesting. It is at Google Maps,
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=51.900647,-1.382904&spn=0.196587,0.466919&t=h&z=11&msid=111918846748459504698.0004490a909a9aecf3c8e
and I apologize for not knowing how to embed a link on the forum.
I think, if anyone is seriously interested in promoting Walking and Cycling tourism in Charlbury, that with a little time and no monetary expense, numerous scenic routes could be mapped in Google Maps with photographs taken to showcase the routes and then linked from a free storage site. Link the maps to the Charlbury site, and other local sites for towns and businesses to promote them as well.
Sorry to intrude on what is really a local concern, as I now reside in South Dakota, but Charlbury really is a wonderful place, so I pop in now and again.
The other maps on the google site the above link goes to are concerned with my family geneology and can be ignored:)
Scott Blodgett

Sat 22 Mar 2008, 18:37

All PCSOs will have the following powers:

Issuing of fixed penalty notices (e.g. riding on footpath; dog fouling; litter)
Power to confiscate alcohol and tobacco
Power to demand the name and address of a person acting in an anti-social manner
Power of entry to save life or prevent damage
Removal of abandoned vehicles

Sat 22 Mar 2008, 16:49

Well apparently he can get action taken against speeders and dangerous drivers which is good enough. He slows traffic simply by being seen to walk down the road and having him on a cycle will do allot towards promoting Charlbury as cycle friendly.

Sat 22 Mar 2008, 11:46

He's not the local PC Igor, he's the local PCSO and that's a big difference. A PCSO has the same powers of arrest as you or I, i.e. he can make a citizen's arrest only. The reason why people cycle on the pavements, ride the wrong way down the one-way streets and drive recklessly is that there is no discernible police presence in this town whatsoever. Until that situation changes, people will continue to flout the law with regard to traffic offences.

To get back to the original theme of this thread, I think the pubs and hotels in the town could do more to attract cyclists and walkers. Just putting up signs saying "Cyclists and walkers welcome here" would be a start. Do either of the hotels have secure, covered cycle sheds that cyclists can safely leave their bikes in? Do they advertise in the Ramblers' Association and CTC magazines, promoting themselves as cyclist- and walker-friendly? An enterprising shopkeeper could perhaps stock cycle essentials such as puncture repair kits, Allen keys, spanners, energy bars, etc. These are all very simple measures that would at least go some way to encouraging more cyclist/walker tourism.

Sat 22 Mar 2008, 08:50

Good. The local PC Wesley Smith has informed me that in the next couple of weeks he get a police issue bicycle and will be doing his rounds as a cycle mounted officer.

This will be a great step in demonstrating that Charlbury is cycle friendly

Fri 21 Mar 2008, 23:02

Ygor, I have no personal grudge. I just want the contributions to the thread to come back to the serious point that it was opened with; developing cycle tourism for the benefit of Charlbury.

Fri 21 Mar 2008, 11:00

Bryan: not part of your post, its entirety.

If you want me fill you in precisely as to which wrong end of the stick you've got the hold of, you'll need to get in touch directly. I'm not wasting any more effort responding to a personal grudge on a public forum.

Thu 20 Mar 2008, 22:59

Well, Ygor, I'm not grinding any axe although somehow I do seem to have rung your bicycle bell. But explain if you can, just which part of my posting was biased and inaccurate?

Thu 20 Mar 2008, 21:58

I've got an old Raleigh bike from the 50's that has a sort of dynamo thingy that makes the lights work when you turn the wheels.

Thu 20 Mar 2008, 16:08

Hi Igor,

It's nice to see you back on your bike after your accident.

Judy

Thu 20 Mar 2008, 12:52

Bryan,
Yes I agree: sadly, you've had to personalise this thread and express a rather biased and inaccurate account fueled by the antagonism for whatever peculiar axe you happen to be grinding.

I would like to get back to the subject of encouraging cycle tourism and road safety as well. I would suggest you get your facts straight before making spurious accusations.

Wed 19 Mar 2008, 23:14

Igor, one evening last week I saw a man and a 10/12 yr old girl, both of whom I'd seen earleir at Oxford Station, cycling through the churchyard here in Charlbury.In Church Street he rode in the roadway and she was on the pavement. He had a rear light and she did not. They turned into Sheep Street and I passed them at Greater Hone House, next the Three Horse Shoes, where, to my amazement, they were padlocking their bikes to the gates of a private residence. Of course the bikes didn't have a registration number so all I had to go on was recognising both his face and his distinctive accent. I almost wished I lived in the house concerned so I could get out the bolt cropper and put the bikes in the adjacent skip!

Saddest thing about the way this thread has gone is that it was started by Richard after Jon's serious posting about developing walking and cycling tourism, and has moved from the original point. Can we please get back to the main point and discuss a subject which could well benefit Charlbury?

Wed 19 Mar 2008, 16:26

Well I'm not sure quite how Colin comes into this but perhaps I can answer on his behalf! I would have thought that children are far more likely to cycle on pavements than adults; I can't recall seeing any adults doing this since I've been living here.

Ask yourself this question Geoff: when a car hits a cyclist who generally comes off worse? I can think of many instances, some of which have been reported in the national press, when cyclists have been hit by motorists. The cyclist is generally killed or very badly injured and the motorist is unhurt. Remember the North Wales cycle club incident two years ago? Four cyclists died; the motorist, who was later charged with driving a defective vehicle, escaped relatively unharmed. Of course cyclists should use lights in the dark and cycle responsibly. However, when they don't they tend to harm only themselves. A badly driven car has the potential to do far more damage than a badly driven bike.

Wed 19 Mar 2008, 15:00

Come on colin ,I am on about adult cyclists not two or three year olds who should be with responsible parents.
Also there are more than one persons around here who do not obey the highway code. You tell me Igor you seem to be the font of all knowledge on this subject!Are cyclist out at night without lights any less dangerous than motorists doing 35 to 38 mph .

Wed 19 Mar 2008, 10:55

I appreciate what you are saying Geoff but how practical is it really? If a three year old on a tricycle runs over your foot whilst cycling on the pavement are you really going to grab him by the collar and demand to see his cycling licence?

According to my information, the person who has been cycling at night without lights and persistently cycling the wrong way up the one-way streets (and it's one and the same person by the way) will soon be leaving Charlbury and therefore will no longer be a problem.

Wed 19 Mar 2008, 10:16

Geoff, there is always the question of proportion when it comes to justice. How many road fatalities do you reckon are caused by reckless motorists in a year compared to nuisance cyclists?
According to Thames Valley police, dangerously speeding motorists is the number one crime in Charlbury.

I'm not anti motorist or defending cyclists who ignore the law either but hindering (and educating!) speeding and dangerous drivers is going to go allot further towards assuring the general safety of Charlbury residents than any retribution against cyclists.

Wed 19 Mar 2008, 09:15

Good idea Igor,but it is about time cyclist had some form of identity so that they also could be reported to the Highway Police,I recently have seen cyclist going up a one way street against the traffic, on roads at night with no lights and riding on pavements meant for pedestrians, so it is not just the motorist that requires control.I am not anti cyclist,just like to see fair justice for both parties.

Wed 19 Mar 2008, 08:48

And from the cyclist's side, since my posting last week i have been cut off by speeding motorists on two occasions in Charlbury. Last Thursday, attempting to turn right at the bottom of The Slade towards town, after clearly signaling well in advance and while moving into the centre of the lane, a 4 wheel driver attempted to overtake me on the right hand side at precisely the moment I was turning. Another near miss. Yesterday, on my way to the train station in the opposite direction on The Slade, again after clearly signaling my intention to move from the extreme left to the centre lane in order to avoid crashing into the parked vehicles, a female driver who was clearly three car lengths behind me proceeded to lean on her horn, jolting not only myself but the oncoming traffic. Clearly she was unaware that a cycle on a road is legally entitled to the same vehicle space as an automobile and must be respected as such by drivers.

Having spoke to the highway police about the recklessness of drivers vis a vis cyclists, they are now encouraging cyclists to take down registration numbers and report dangerous driving incidents.

Tue 18 Mar 2008, 22:01

Despite being a cyclist myself, I have to agree with Harriet. I was overtaken by a cyclist whist walking down Stonesfield Lane a few weeks back. He gave no warning at all of his approach (which was rendered virtually silent by the thick mud on the path) and I nearly jumped out of my skin as he went past me.

I walked down Stonesfield Lane again on Sunday. The mud was so bad that I found it almost impassable, even in walking boots. There were lots of tyre tracks and horseshoe imprints in the mud though.

I do agree with Richard that safe, quiet, off-road paths would encourage families in particular to get on their bikes. I was in Suffolk last year and they have some lovely grassy cyclepaths along the routes of disused railway lines. Perhaps when FGW finally lose their franchise the Cotswold Line could be turned into a long-distance cyclepath!

Tue 18 Mar 2008, 17:45

Personally I don't think the tracks round here need "modest surface improvements". In case people hadn't noticed, this is the countryside, not an urban park, that's how tracks would be expected to be and always have been. One thing that really annoys me about meeting cyclists when I am out walking is the way you get cut up by them as if they own the tracks. However, I must admit that in the past 15 years or so the surface conditions on the tracks mentioned by other posters have deteriorated markedly due to an increase in er..... mountain bikers(and horses).

Mon 17 Mar 2008, 11:33

Derek - I wouldn't disagree on the surface. "CTC types", in my experience, very rarely use even tarmaced tracks: for the experienced cyclist, roads offer opportunities for faster travel unobstructed by slower users.

Where Sustrans-type routes with light, non-intrusive surfaces score is encouraging a new type of cyclist who wouldn't…

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Sun 16 Mar 2008, 13:01

Some more thoughts on this subject:

1. I should stress that about 95% of my cycling in and around Charlbury takes place outside the rush hour, i.e. between the hours of 12 pm and 3 pm. I can't really comment on what the situation is like for cyclists outside those…

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Sun 16 Mar 2008, 12:57

Now that I've done a little research, I'm pretty impressed by the achievements of Sustrans who have raised over £50 million nationally to implement cycle routes connecting rural areas and raise general road awareness. Not to mention the West Oxford branch of the CTC, the national cycling organisation and the Right to Ride group who are all active in traffic calming and road education by encouraging greater use of 20 mph zones and speed limits.

I would be happy to contact them directly as to what can be done in and around Charlbury, (including the the Stonesfield and Salt Way lanes Richard mentioned), to encourage not just cycle tourism but improving road safety for all road users. 14th – 22nd June 2008 is national Bike Week and is this year challenging families to get out of their cars and get on their bikes. A good date to focus some cycling events around.

Anyone interested in being kept abreast can email me directly on R2R@wychnet.net.
But I'll start a new thread when I have some news from the cycling organisations.

Sat 15 Mar 2008, 12:26

I think this sort of tourism would be ideal for Charlbury as it would be low impact but also allow greater use of the shops, pubs etc. making them also more viable for local people. I don't know much about cycle routes but we certainly have glorious countryside for walking. I am just starting a business (www.evenlodewalking.co.uk) organising walking holidays based in the area and one thing I am advertising is the fact that people can get here without cars if they wish. Even if they do come by car it is possible to arrange the walks directly from their accommodation and therefore not increase the traffic on local roads. The Cotswolds AONB also have a scheme called Step into the Cotswolds which allows participating businesses to collect a small extra amount from their customers which goes to develop stile free walks and thereby allow greater access for all including those with pushchairs.

Sat 15 Mar 2008, 10:52

Thanks Richard: I've started the ball rolling with regard to Walkers Are Welcome, and Charlbury should qualify easily. We'll need help with the donkey work -- it needs 250 signatures on a petition, for starters. You're communicating with Sustrans too, so things may happen on several fronts.

These are great words from the rest of you too: but we shall need works as well as words! Would anyone who reads this and is interested in helping in developing Charlbury's (appropriate) tourism profile, please get in touch. We can get a long way with this, and it could be good for everyone in the town. Email me at jon@phonecoop.coop or drop into Evenlode Books during the day.

Sat 15 Mar 2008, 10:12

Michael - I confess to being a little disappointed by your emotive language!

A very good local example of an improved rural pathway for cycling is here, on the Sustrans path north of Woodstock. A beautiful, wooded path, the surface has been sympathetically improved for the benefit of both…

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Sat 15 Mar 2008, 08:24

I can't think of anything that contributes more to the destruction of the countryside than the increase in the number of high consumption, energy inefficient motor vehicles. In stark contrast to Derek's experience, I feel much safer cycling with my daughter (and so does she!), in the centre of Oxford where clearly delineated cycle paths keep motorists clear of cyclists and are reinforced by a cycle riding police force. By contrast, in and around Charlbury, many motorists treat cyclists as obstacles to their speeding, leaving little room when over taking and often causing cyclists to be run off the road. I think Derek is extremely lucky. I don't know anyone who cycles regularly in Charlbury who doesn't have a motoring near miss nightmare story to recount.

Clearly marked cycle routes are clearly a safety consideration and I would certainly support any efforts to make our roads safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Sat 15 Mar 2008, 07:34

Both the Saltway and Stonesfield Lane have distinctive characters which are deeply appreciated by those of us who walk along them.

Destroying their character for wheeled vehicles of any sort would be an act of complete vandalism. Charlburians should unite to oppose such destruction of our countryside for the sake of a tiny minority.

Fri 14 Mar 2008, 23:59

There are decent cycle routes linking Charlbury and the places you mention Janet: they're called roads! To get to Chipping Norton you can take the B4026 via Spelsbury and Chalford Green, which is always very quiet when I use it. Witney can be reached via the B4022; a little busier but hardly throbbing with traffic. Getting to Woodstock is admittedly a little more problematic: the most direct route is via the B4437 and A44; if you find those roads too traffic-laden then a much quieter route is via Fawler, Stonesfield, Wootton and Hensington.

I have been using all of these routes (or at least substantial portions of them) on a very regular basis over the last 3.5 years. I have had no accidents, no near misses and in fact no contretemps with motorists at all. I find that other road-users in and around Charlbury are extremely respectful towards cyclists. When I contrast these with the motorised imbeciles I had to contend with on a daily basis when living in Oxford I feel very lucky to live in Charlbury and to have access to excellent (albeit hilly) cycling country. "Strength in numbers" is a motto that applies here: if more cyclists take to the roads then motorists will get more used to seeing them and dealing with them and this will improve safety for those of us who are cycling on the roads at present.

I don't see the point of upgrading Stonesfield Lane into a cycle route. The only practical solution would be to tarmac it, which would radically change its character and is obviously not going to happen. Why do we need a new and expensive cycle route when there is already a good, safe, quiet route linking Charlbury to Stonesfield, namely the B4022 followed by a "C" road from Fawler onwards, which is perfectly suitable for cyclists?

Fri 14 Mar 2008, 21:54

Richard's idea is a good one, about linking to the National Cycle Network. What I would really like to see some decent cycle routes (improved bridleways, dedicated cycle tracks or quiet roads) to connect Charlbury to Chipping Norton, Witney and Woodstock - well maybe all three is a bit ambitious... one would do to start with... Then there would be places that families could cycle to safely for shopping and entertainment as well as enjoying the beautiful countryside of course... I think the organisation Sustrans may be a good place to start with such a project to get some idea of costs, feasibility and sources of potential funding. Is anyone interested in working on this together, maybe as a Suscha Project?

Fri 14 Mar 2008, 14:19

I'm in total agreement about cycle tourism being an untapped potential, especially now that FGW is making efforts to accomodate more cycle carriages, it can work joined up with a (hopefully) improving rail service, connecting Charlbury to other communities not just by car.

The main change will need to be driver education regarding the highway code pertaining to how motorists should relate to cyclists. For example, the respect of a full vehicle space for cyclists when attempting to over take on two lanes. The more safety issues are reinforced by local authorities regarding cycling (including implementing cycle lanes), the more likely young people will take to cycling as a viable alternative to yet another car on the road.

I'm certain the primary school will support any such initiative just to cut down on parent taxis to and from school.

Fri 14 Mar 2008, 11:26

Jon's news posting about encouraging "appropriate tourism" is hugely encouraging. It's a long overdue recognition that Charlbury can't thrive solely by looking to past glories and trying to recapture the same shops and facilities it once had, but rather that it can make a new role for itself - one greater than merely being a commuter town.

Walking tourism is certainly a quick win: there are good walks around Charlbury and the presence of the railway station and pubs must make it attractive to walkers. We should aim to become a Walkers are Welcome town.

I'd also suggest that the Business Community and Town Council look at encouraging cycle tourism. I do see quite a lot of cycle tourists on their way through (of course, when we had a Youth Hostel it was quite a magnet).

At present Charlbury is nowhere on the National Cycle Network, but with some modest surface improvements to Stonesfield Lane (bridleway) and Salt Way (byway), we could easily be linked to nearby routes at Yarnton and Kiddington (the London-Birmingham route) and Asthall Leigh (the Witney-Cirencester route). Again, the presence of the station and pubs could really encourage Charlbury's development as a hub for cycle tourism.

(I did have a brief e-mail correspondence with Sue Haffenden last year about encouraging cycling in Charlbury, and though she pointed out that OCC policy was to concentrate on cycling in Oxford, she did suggest the Salt Way as a potential route.)

Any thoughts?