“The bicycle takes gold, silver AND bronze in the race to normalise riding a bike, everyday, for everyone, as long as you’re on two wheels.”
I’m never quite sure who’s managing Bike Week each year, but I think I’m on fairly solid ground when I say that this year, 2015, the year that they’re officially wrapping up involvement in their latest Inclusive Cycling project, that it’s our national cycling charity the CTC.
I’ve been pointing out this mismatch between words and imagery to anyone who’ll listen for over two years and now I’m tired. Tired that despite great, dedicated people within CTC fighting our corner, the bicycle reigns supreme in any national imagery. Would it kill anyone to draw a picture of a handbike or a trike? Of course not. And that makes the continuous refusal to do so unacceptable.
So here’s the finger CTC. I resign my membership forthwith.
Can't Stand Up For Falling Down 
Not only are there no handbikes or trikes, but two of the three bikes pictured are sports bikes – no mudguards or racks – hardly what one could call “everyday cycling”! All three appear to be wearing helmets too, which isn’t very inspiring.
I think some campaigners’ vision of mass cycling is 35% of journeys made by people wearing greasy old hi-vis and a huge, heavy rucksack while overtaking a bus on a busy multi-lane road.
I don’t think Bike Week is the CTC, Bike Week may contain events run by CTC, as it is a place to list lots of events, but it is a separate business, a company limited by guarantee. The address suggests it is based at the same office as the London Cycling Campaign.
Gary, Bike Week is being run by the CTC this year.
Having said that, I see the CTC logo is repeated several times on pages of the Bikeweek site, so I’m puzzled now and take back what I said above Kevin.
No problem Gary. It is confusing, I imagine the Bicycle Association might also be involved, it’s difficult to say, and perhaps that’s part of the problem – the disparate nature of cycling orgs in the UK.
Details here… http://bikeweek.org.uk/partners/
Clearly thay have forgotten the lesson embedded in the organisation in 1882 when the name was changed to Cyclists Touring Club to recognise the inclusivity for those who ride cycles with other than 2 wheels, even in the tag-lines they fail to recognise cycling is more than 2 wheels
Thanks for that little historical nugget Dave – CTC really do have a rich heritage.
Can you remember when the CTC emblem changed from the winged wheel to the stylised bicycle?
Are they taking the micturate with THAT slogan under THAT image of two bum-up riders and a folding bike rider, all in hard-hats? (And who wears a helmet on a folding bike? Most use a folding bike because they’re travelling light…)
My local group hasn’t participated in Bike Week for the last few years because (as far as I know) it’s stupid to put it in the summer when people are away on holiday, the details have been released too late, the website is a pig to use and enquiries go unanswered.
Meanwhile, when I was decorating our costumes for our annual fancy dress ride, I did put some tricycle symbols on alongside the bikes, coffee and cake… 🙂 I may ride a two-wheeled upright roadster but not all of our group does.