Cycling UK Forum

I have spent many hours over the last few days reading both the Debate in the Feb/Mar edition of Cycle and most of the submissions on the CTC website.

Unless the CTC is telling major fibs then there is a simple financial and organisational case for change. I did not spot anything factual that was not fully addressed. I think it is a pretty brutal choice between a local and parochial member serving club or a national body representing the informed interest of all cyclists. If we choose the former then we will become (or revert to) a self interest group with limited popular support and minimal influence. If we change to the Charity then we stand a good chance of preventing helmets from becoming mandatory and of successfully influencing other unsuitable policies that ill informed do-gooders thrust upon our politicians. I see very real risks in changing because the up side hinges on making the synergies of scale work and there would be constraints because of the change in status but it looks the way forward to me.

I think we have to recognise that anyone can buy a bike and call themselves a cyclist; members are actually much better placed to hold that title and it is they whom I want to have the influence. I think we have to change to keep such as we have and to ensure we are best placed to see it grow.