Cycling UK Forum

Where do the 'Membership Market ' figures come from?

I doubt the figures from CUK are very accurate, when I was local member group membership secretary, affiliated clubs and organisations counted as a member and there were weird things going on with household numbers.
Haven't CUK outsourced membership? If so maybe it is more accurate?

BC membership isn't directly comparable is it? What is the split of membership types for BC? Ride membership would be the only equivalent wouldn't it? I find my local cycling folk club tend to refer to BC more frequently than CUK even though the majority of members don't race or do sportives so don't need BC membership and CUk membership would be more appropriate.

The biggest issue is simply the flat lining of CUK membership - that's just plain extraordinary if it's correct.

Cyril Haearn wrote:Thread resurrection alert

I know there are some reasons not to use farce book, but whatabout twitter, is that more trustworthy, how do the two 'social networks' differ?

Since you've resurrected it Facebook must have improved a great deal from previous posts, my two local member groups and several local affiliated club use it very effectively for organising rides, sharing information, attracting new members, buying and selling cycling stuff etc.

I know nothing about twitter or Instagram etc but just like all technology, used sensibly it's great, used badly it's rubbish.
I can't see any reason NOT to use facebook unless you are unable to manage your notifications, 'friends' etc.

gaz wrote:Lead rides for your local Cycling UK Member Group on an affiliated membership, no.

Can you provide a link to verify this statement?
I think it may impact on our local situation.

PH wrote: Considering I'm the only one who'd replied prior to your comment I'm going to assume you're misrepresenting me.

Don't take it personally - 'Oh you won't be insured' is an oft quoted phrase used by numerous people to put people off doing things.
I'd be happy to lead a group cycling without insurance for me as leader and without anyone being insured.
I'm anti-insurance and trying to combat the rising tide of people so risk averse they do nothing exciting.

People who keep quoting 'oh we are not insured' to justify not doing something don't really help.
Insurance is largely a red herring on group rides.

Ride leader insurance - I asked CUK how many instances there were of a ride leader being sued - apparently only one ever, which was a severely injured rider suing a commercial mountain bike course leader.
Individual rider insurance - if the regular rider has done more than 3 rides with the group they are not covered if sued by another rider in the group, so what are the chances - pretty slim. The majority of insurance claims are for riders claiming against other riders but again pretty few and far between.

We are trying to encourage everyone to cycle, I'd let them ride but let everyone else know the situation.
This person sounds like a free-loader and should be encouraged to support CUK and take out a membership, it is only a few quid a year!

all the details are here https://www.cyclinguk.org/insurance/event-organiser

rmurphy195 wrote:Came across this web site http://www.trikeforkids.co.uk

They look pretty good, but i suspect too large at the moment - I've sent them a query on minimum leg length

jgurney wrote:

Pete Owens wrote:It comes down to a fundamental philosophical question. By what right does one individual have to exclude the rest of humanity from any particular part of the surface of the planet?

Because Parliament have accepted that individuals and bodies corporate can be the freeholders of land, and that such freeholders (and if applicable their tenants) can exclude others from their homes, gardens, fields, etc. Parliament has the right to decide that because the people elected its' members.

So would parliament of today accept forceable appropriation of land and denying the rights of weaker people to use it? Because that is how all land ownership originally took place.

It does come down to jgurney's question.
I personally go where-ever I like provided I think I can get away with it. I take great joy in cycling down majestic drives to look at large private mansions and estates. There are some beautiful through routes on private land and farms. I've yet to be challenged! The few people I meet are usually very chatty, I always start with 'I think I might have made a mistake here', so far the responses have been friendly, nay welcoming. I think country folk welcome a good chinwag.

It's fairly simple - there is no market for 'differentiation'

There are very few families who have BMX, MTB, road, touring and track bikes, though a surprising number who do have two bikes per child. There are too few families who want a specific 'touring' bike for their children who aren't prepared to buy something that already exists.
Islabikes make so much sense BECAUSE the second hand market is so buoyant. I've never lost money on an Islabike and tended to have 3 sets of tyres for one bike and detach rack and mudguards for racing rather than try getting anything different, which would be expensive.

I instruct trainees in school for Bikeability and see a vast range of bicycles from the 20kg BMX bike to the odd Italian child's racing bike which must cost £1000+ IMHO you can't beat the Islabikes for quality. Hoy and Frog are definitely second tier then third tier Wiggins and various makes before you get to the cheap and nasty.

So no large market and you have to go custom build - why not if you win the lottery?

I don't think the children really mind, and may well feel the odd ball if they haven't got a bike like everyone else.

Incidentally these three rode over 100 miles in one day to get to one of the CTC family camps i used to organise, the youngest is just 7.

[XAP]Bob wrote:They’ll have the required neuroplasticity but remember that balance bike to trike is not a natural progression, the steering is completely different.

It's not intended as a progression - both will be in use at the same time, she will have no problem with the different actions required and will be far more proficient than me transitioning from trike to solo!

Tiberius wrote:He started on the MX14 at approx' two years old and is now on the MX16.

It is a tricycle I'm specifically after

My 18 month old grandchild already has a balance bike to grew into but I thought it would be fun if she learned to pedal on a tricycle.
It would be a pain trying to go round viewing Halfords etc.
So does anyone have actual purchasing experience of a good quality small child's tricycle form the internet?

OK so how many of you have come back to your bike to find you left the key in the lock?

Alternatively cut your polymer bands from different size tubes, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50 mm and then old motorcycle or car tubes if you want bigger ones
I find the post office bands degrade over a few years and just fall apart, cycle tyres don't seem to do that.
I too found that cutting longer bands by going diagonal seems to increase the likelihood of failure if you stretch them too much.

Other uses - stop the thermos rattling in the bottle cage, hold the rain jacket together when you've lost the pac-it bag, hold the course details on your aero-bars for long TT's, cover the gap on your smart light when you lose the original rubber seal, cover the annoying upward light beam from an Ever-ready front light (must admit I haven't done that for a few years), string them looped together similar to a chain as a substitute for a bungee, tent guy etc.

Looks like you have a tubular tyre at the front of the bike not a clincher.
Some people do use these for day to day riding but typically used for proper racing.

Not really practical these days, so that would be anew set of rims or wheels

It depends on your attitude towards risk.
Personally I'm happy to do all sorts of minor repairs for friends, people I meet on the road and pupils and adults on my Bikeability courses. (Yes I know we're not supposed to)
If you can't be 100% sure that the cycle leaves you safer than when it came to you then steer clear.
From your post it sounds to me that you probably don't have enough experience to do do anything other than punctures and brake adjustment (even that can be fraught with difficulty)

Consider cycle mechanic insurance which can be had for £140 per annum.
Consult with Cycling UK insurers on how much you can do or be covered by any membership/activity insurance.
I seem to remember for Doctor Bike we should only point out problems and tell the owner to go to a bike shop for repair.

The worst that can happen is you could be found guilty of negligence and lose your house savings and possessions..............

Me? I'm very wary but take a considered approach, take very little risk and keep fixing people bikes for free or if I can't be bothered, or can't do something technically I'll point them in the direction of our local mobile mechanics who do a brilliant job and know a lot more than I do.