Greenwich International Women’s Festival
Feedback report about Greenwich Cyclists events
Introduction
(note: Greenwich Cyclists are a local cycling advocacy group that started itself in May 2000. It is run entirely by volunteer members to get more people on bikes, to push for better cycling facilities and to organise rides and events. It is an inclusive and open group that meets at 7.30pm on the first Wednesday of every month at the Forum@Greenwich, 177 Trafalgar Road, London SE10 9EQ.
www.greenwichcyclists.org.uk has full details of upcoming rides and events, contacts and more).
1. At their December 2000 monthly meeting, Greenwich Cyclists decided unanimously to bid for a maximum £500 grant from Greenwich Council’s Social Inclusion Unit to run a number of events during the International Women’s Festival. It was agreed that the events needed to be run by women for women. And all were.
2. The grant was then applied for, and won in full.
3. The events were widely publicised on Greenwich Cyclists February newsletter. 350 copies of that were circulated to local cyclists, bike shops, libraries etc. Earlier newsletters had trailed the events. They were also put out to the email lists of the London Cycling Campaign and Greenwich Cyclists.
4. Greenwich Council circulated 10,000 copies of its glossy 36 page A5 leaflet about the Festival. The cycling events were covered in detail on pages 22 and 23.
5. Greenwich Cyclists phone/email enquiry took 60 requests for more details. Many included requests for more such events.
The Events
6. Greenwich Cyclists designed the events to appeal to several types of women cyclists: complete non-riders, nervous riders who needed some training, those who wanted better road-ridings skills, and a social tour for those who wanted to explore the area. Two self-contained 3 hour maintenance classes were arranged as well as a Dial-A-Workshop whereby a trainer would visit local groups at their request.
7. Greenwich Cyclists asked 3 cycling businesses to quote for the professional training elements of the IWF events. Greenwich Cyclists are very used to organising rides for all sorts of cyclists but wanted to use professional trainers and mechanics for its novices classes and maintenance workshops. The London School of Cycling and Cycle Training were too expensive. Brixton Cycles Co-op offered us the best deal, and their lead person, Mel, had just the mix of expertise, enthusiasm and quirky irrelevant informality that we’d sought. (Mel is very happy to discuss the events with anyone: Brixton Cycles, 020 7733 6055).
8. The Absolute Beginners Ride: 10am-12noon. Saturday 10 March: The Forum & Greenwich. 8 novices, 2 professional trainers and 2 Greenwich Cyclists volunteers.
The large ground-floor room was ideal for initial training. Within 2 hours even those who couldn’t ride at all was happily riding round Cutty Sark Gardens on their own. One woman turned up without a bike and so shared that belonging to a Greenwich Cyclist. All agreed it was an excellent session.
9. Cutty Sark to Flood Barrier Ride: 10am-2pm. Sunday 11 March. 10 women and 2 girls. 2 Greenwich Cyclist volunteers.
3 miles there and 3 back. All along the riverside, no roads at all. A snack in the Flood Barrier cafe at the turning point. Six of the women and both girls were very nervous cyclists indeed who wanted to use their bikes more but didn’t know where to cycle. The ride went well and all were taught a good deal about how to ride properly and comfortably. There was much adjustment to poorly maintained bikes done and most so benefited from better brakes
and a better saddle height.
10. Road Skills Ride: 10am-1pm. Saturday 17 March. 2 Greenwich Cyclists volunteers, 2 professional trainers, and no one else.
A big disappointment. 13 women had booked onto this session but it was pouring with rain since dawn and none of them turned up. Several phoned to apologise.
11. Docklands Tour: 10am-4pm. Sunday 18 March. 21 women and 3 Greenwich Cyclists volunteers.
The tour went all the way east along the river to the Woolwich Ferry, then used it to cross the river. Then around the Royal Docks (to include the new University of East London campus, the City Airport, the Excel exhibition centre and new high-level footbridge) and North Barrier Park, the Lea bridge, a pub lunch on the Isle of Dogs and then back via the Greenwich Foot tunnel). 20 miles in all. Only 2 of the 21 had ever been on their bikes across the ferry before and none had ever explored the north side before.
12. Bike Maintenance Workshop: 2pm-5pm. Thursday 8 March. 3 women and 2 professional trainers.
A disappointing turn-out but the 3 were delighted to get such individual tuition. All were job-seekers and experienced cyclists who wanted to learn how to mend punctures and do basic maintenance. This session was aimed at mothers with young children and job-seekers but we expected more. 8 had booked.
13. Bike Maintenance Workshop: 7pm-10pm. Wednesday 14 March. 22 women, 3 Greenwich Cyclists volunteers, 2 professional trainers.
10 had booked. A very successful session that covered all aspects of basic maintenance and riding tips. The numbers meant that not enough individual tuition could be done but a lot of problems with brakes and gears were sorted out and all were shown how to fix punctures. (Many are inhibited from cycling far because of punctures. Punctures are much rarer than imagined and can be almost entirely prevented with care, but if you can fix them you either have to flag down help from a stranger, or walk).
14. Dial A Workshop: maintenance classes for groups at their own premises. £20 per 2 hour workshop.
There were several enquiries but no bookings for these work shops.
Generally
15. This is the first time that Greenwich Cyclists and the IWF have run cycling sessions for woman.
16. 66 women tried the 21 hours of events in all. 265 women-hours enjoyed. Each of those hours cost £1.89. See below. (£500 divided by 265).
17. Greenwich Cyclists provided a total of 42 hours at the events and about another 10 hours of admin work setting the events up. 52 hours in all at a notional £6 an hour: £312.
18. The professional trainers put in a total of 22 hours for £200. Here is a copy of the paid invoice.
19. Rooms at the Forum@Greenwich were used on 8, 10 and 14 March and cost a total of £160. Here is a copy of the paid invoice.
20. So......
total cost:
Greenwich Cyclists: £312
Sundries: phone calls, copying: £20
Professional trainers: £200
Forum hire: £160
total: £692
less in-kind contribution by
Greenwich Cyclists £192
sub- balance: £500
grant from Greenwich Council: £500
final balance: £0
21. Lessons learned:
* the weekday day-time class was poorly attended but much appreciated by the 3 women who did turn up. We need to market weekday 9-5 events better next time
* the Saturday 17 March event was rained off.....very heavy rain. A risk for any outdoor event.
* all the other events were very well attended and all those attending asked about future such events. Greenwich Cyclists is now planning these.
* many of the women involved now turn up to regular weekend rides by Greenwich Cyclists and have made good contacts of their own.
* use of professional women mechanics and trainers was very much appreciated. A number of women had tried classes led by male mechanics before and had not liked them.
* the women only nature of the events was also much appreciated.
* it was interesting that a number of novice men phoned and tried to join the women’s events, they seemed to believe they would find and more cooperative and less competitive atmosphere. No men turned up to events.
* perhaps 12 women in total phoned asking if we could provide bikes for them. We couldn’t. Bikes could be shared during maintenance classes, but no one rides.
* about 20-25 other people (women and men) phoned about cycling generally and are now in regular touch with Greenwich Cyclists
* the enquiry phone number was that of Greenwich Cyclists co-ordinator Barry Mason. He was aksed to change the message on it during the IWF to make it clear it was the right number. With hindsight a woman’s phone number should have been used.
* worth noting that about 8 women came to more than one event
* one woman is now so bitten by cycling that she and her partner joined the recent Greenwich Cyclists weekend away to Tate St Ives and the Eden Project.....and some very big hills.
22. So, lessons were learnt but Greenwich Cyclists feel that the cycling element of the IWF was very successful and worth repeating and expanding next year. All involved enjoyed the events and their atmosphere. Greenwich Cyclists delivered professionally and provided, at £1.89 per woman hour, very good value indeed.
Barry Mason