Cycle Protest

Combine promotion of cycling with continuing to insist that the USA takes immediate action on climate change, and stops trying to block international efforts to do so.

Although bicycle sales rose seventeen fold in the aftermath of the tube bombings in 2005, Ken Livingstone was pleased to say in August 2007 that overall cycling around London had increased 83% since he became Mayor. But this is nowhere near enough, and cycling would need to increase about 500% to make any impression on London traffic’s abysmal contribution to global warming. So come and join the cycle protest from Lincoln's Inn Fields to Parliament Square. Previously there were 50 riders on the first ride, 200 for the Dec 3rd 2005 ride from the Thames Barrier, and 600 plus on the November 2006 ride to the US Embassy (via Downing Street). We are contacting over 300 groups about this ride, including as many local political party and cycle groups as possible. So please try and join us and let’s double the numbers. Resolve to bring one friend. There’s only one planet.

Itinerary

December 8th 2007

10am         Assemble South Side of Lincoln's Inn Fields

1pm         Arrive at Parliament Square Cycle one circuit then feed in to Main March as it enters Parliament Square from Millbank.

The route
From Lincoln's Inn Fields, along Sardinia Street, turn left into Kingsway, bearing left down slight decline into Aldwych. Turn right into Strand, through to Trafalgar Square. Bear right into Cockspur Street and Pall Mall. Turn right into Waterloo Place up slight incline along Regent Street (stop for 10 minute protest on corner of Jermyn Street and Regent Street). Continue up Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus. Turn left into Piccadilly, along to Hyde Park Corner roundabout along Duke Of Wellington Place.Turn left into Grosvenor Place. Turn left into Lower Grosvenor Place over crossroads into Bressenden Place. Turn right into Victoria Street. Turn left into Vauxhall Bridge Road .Continue full length along Bessborough Gardens,over Vauxhall bridge, along Bridgefoot, under bridge (please note: stay on road rather than using the cycle path through tunnel which is incompatible with turning right) turn right into South Lambeth Road, turn right into South Lambeth Place (through tunnel) bearing left into Bridgefoot again. Over Vauxhall Bridge along Bessborough Gardens, turn right into John Islip Street. Turn left into Page Street and then right into Marsham Street (stop at Department for Transport for 20 minutes of speeches on corner of Horseferry Road). Continue up Marsham Street and straight into Great Smith Street. Turn right into The Sanctuary/Broad Sanctuary into Parliament Square. One circuit of Parliament Square and then allow march out from Millbank. Dismount and join Main March.

Speeches on the route
Stop One
We will stop for 10 minutes (at approx 11.15am) outside Tesco Metro on the corner of Regent Street & Jermyn Street just before Piccadilly. Biofuelwatch, a volunteer-led campaign group are holding a protest there (www.biofuelwatch.org.uk) and will be giving a talk. Tesco is an investor in Greenergy International and supplies Greenergy biofuels to its customers without explaining that they may be derived from palm oil grown by deforestation. Biofuelwatch are calling on Tesco to disinvest from Greenergy and cease to supply their fuels. At national level they are calling on the Government to place a moratorium on biofuels targets until there are government safeguards to prevent the import of bioenergy from unsustainable sources ie biofuels linked to accelerated climate change, deforestation, and human rights abuses. (Another investor in Greenergy is Cargill, infamous for patenting GM seed a decade or more ago which led to riots in India. They also supply GM animal feed worldwide, and their soya processing plant at Santarem in the Amazon was shut down by the Brazilian Environment Agency for causing massive deforestation.)

Stop Two
We will stop for 20 minutes outside Dept for Transport to hear short talks on the need to curb petrol use in cars now (ps for the sake of honesty personally I think only banning the car yesterday is of any use) the need to prevent aviation expansion and the promotion of public transport and cycle riding. Let us hope that Ken Livingstone does decide to give the Paris Freedom Bike scheme a trial in London. In Paris there are some 20,000 heavy duty bicycles which can be hired from one rack and left at another.

Speakers

Pete Lockley: Aviation Campaigner speaking on "Aviation,Climate Change and how the Government is making things worse".

Koy Thomson: Director London Cycling Campaign, speaking for cycling.

How to get there
Lincolns Inn Fields is situated close to Holborn Kingsway, about one mile south east of Euston and Kings Cross mainline stations, less than one mile north of Waterloo Station (over Waterloo Bridge & round Aldwych into Kingsway) and half a mile east of Charing Cross Station (up the Strand to Aldwych and up Kingsway). Please do not bring bikes by car (there is no car parking anyway).

The nature of the ride
The ride is essentially flat. There is a slight decline from Kingsway round Aldwych, an incline up Waterloo Place/Regent Street, and there is an incline and decline up and down Vauxhall Bridge both ways. The ride is just over 6 miles long and will be cycled at an average speed of about 3 & 1/2 mph. Cycle maintenance is up to each rider. There are no bike shops on the route, but Cycle Surgery on Procter Street just off High Holborn by Holborn Tube is close to the start in Lincoln's Inn fields.

Public Toilets
There are public toilets at the east side of Lincoln's inn Fields. On the route there are also public toilets at Green Park Tube (many toilets; third entrance stairway along, just before pictures on railings of Green Park) and at Vauxhall (some toilets, centre of bus station). If you use toilets at Green Park be aware that the ride continues up Piccadilly and then turns left into Grosvenor Place after Hyde Park Corner roundabout. If you use toilets at Vauxhall be aware that the ride continues over Vauxhall Bridge and then second right up John Islip Street.

Parking bikes
Before we reach Grosvenor Square in Grosvenor Street (on the right as you enter Grosvenor Square from Carlos Place) there will be lines of barriers set up especially so that cycles can be padlocked to them, whilst the event and speeches take place in Grosvenor Square. Please don't take cycles into Grosvenor Square. Thanks. Police have concerns about available space there.

Cycle hire facilities

YHA Earls Court
38,Bolton Gardens, SW5
0870 770 5804
Bikes hired to non-members at most times of day/night. It should be possible to hire a bike at say, 8.00am.
£9-50 per day
Proof of ID required plus proof of address.
Phone them to confirm these details.

YHA St Pancras
79-81 Euston Road
0870 770 6044
Bikes available for hire to people staying the night and YHA members. This could be an option for anyone needing a place to stay overnight.
Phone them to confirm details

Action Bikes
Embankment,
Next to Embankment Tube under the bridge.
0207 930 2525
Open Saturdays at 9.30am. It’s a 12 minute pedal from here to Lincolns Inn Fields so it is feasible.
£15 a day for a Brompton
ID plus Credit Card or Cash Deposit £300-00
Phone them to confirm details.

London Bicycle Touring Company
56,Upper Ground ,
London,SE1 (Nr Stamford Street, nr Waterloo Station)
0207 928 6838
Opens 10.00am on Saturdays ,open to 5.30pm on Friday evening.
Rickshaws £120+vat for 36 hours
Bikes £18 per day
Children's Cycles free with adult bike hire.
Deposit £1 with Credit/Debit Card details.
Phone them to confirm details.

Oy Bikes
www.oybike.com
0845 226 5751
They have bikes attached to bike stands around London.
£10 to join, then £8 per day. You contact them and they give you a Pin to release a bike.
The only Bike Stand close to Holborn seems to be at the corner of Midland Road and Euston Road, so a bit of uncertainty about availability.
Phone them to confirm details.

Contact
For information contact simon: 07986 904748

Press Contacts

paula - 07986 903845 - paula.hollingsfreeuk.com

james - 07910 072079 - woodcockjameshotmail.com

Help promote this cycle ride
(give a few flyers to your local bike shop please)
To download the flyer click here.

Last updated on 21st Nov 2007