Awareness Raising Spoke Cards Campaign Project?

Bingo - my letter has gone to Boris, bit of flattery and a few statistics with the willingness to work it out should do the trick

Do you have a copy of this?

Probably better off knocking up stickers that you can chuck onto the back of lorries, tho' some already have those anyway... Not sure spoke cards would work, I think a broader and more militant campaign is the answer... Involve Time Out/other sympathetic media... Bill has been trying to do the very same thing for ages tho' and I get the impression he feels like he's banging his head against a wall most of the time... Not wanting to harsh the buzz, just my 2p...

Another point is that we are right back where I started on this 6 years ago. This is exactly the solution that the authorities proposed AND IT HASN'T WORKED

I think a campaign by concerned peers rather than faceless authority might have more effect. And sometimes these things have a limited shelf life, so it's important to have them on a regular basis. Maybe it's lfgss's turn at the moment. Next year it might be lcc or londonhipstersonshopperbikes.co.uk

The roads are getting flooded with newbies at a time of uber-construction in the City. If direct action of this kind only saves one life, it's still worth it.

But of course we have to back it up by hounding the authorities to make a difference.

I think a 30 sec viral web based video. Tynan can do the music I'll do the graphics.

The TFL basketball viral got spread around quite well. The creative idea for that and the production techniques used are all within what we can do.

I like this idea. Not sure how many views it would get but it could help when it comes to getting a well-rounded campaign out there. It's amazing how these things spread. Anything to reinforce the message is worth a go.

I will write another letter with the points raised above, and make it downloadable, but it will be a lot more effective, and likely to carry a lot more weight with the media, if it is on behalf of the London Fixed-Gear and Single Speed Forum collectively, rather than a lot of seperate individuals..

How do we do this then Bill?

@MacDingle - yep i'll throw it out with the response when it comes back

@Teens:
Agree but a bit of track day magic was brought about through connections. Those same people + a bit more forum effort could put together a leaflet for shops and a web page for both TFL and London Gov giving simple cycle safety facts.
Once complete we get the buy in of CTC and other cycle forums\groups, combined with the letter to the Gov Bill can draft and you got a little movement

Bill can't do it on his own cause the fight is on so many fronts, lets pull in the remit to what we can achieve?
maybe if more folk better understand the risks of lorries, they will see the flaws in the london cycle network, bus lanes, street signs etc and start to make noise.

Baby steps

How about producing A5 size laminates and sticking them up right under the green light at as many traffic lights on major commuter routes as possible. Two holes and a cable tie and your done.

If we want people to see it, stick it under the thing people sit looking at waiting for it to go green, well some well behaved people anyway.

I'm aware of the ineffectiveness of online petitions. Although being able to tell a news rag that 20,000 people have signed your petition will invariably make for a more punchy story.

I definitely think that getting sympathetic media on the trail of the campaign would be invaluable. There must be lfgss members at the guardian, time out, independent etc.

Direct action like a ride around city hall would probably only get about an inch of column space in most newspapers though.

I like this idea. Not sure how many views it would get but it could help when it comes to getting a well-rounded campaign out there. It's amazing how these things spread. Anything to reinforce the message is worth a go.

yeah man, i like that as well. I taught my missus the dangers of cycling on the inside by making her stand at a tight junction (there the curbs are cracked and scuffed with rubber) and made her look down as the truck passed, it apexed the corner and rear wheels up the curb. i asked where the space for her bike was?

i was about a foot away and it had some impact

Best idea by a mile. Add the usual one line advice underneath and make pretty.

I agree, brilliant, simple, effective, and more importantly you take the whole thing in, in seconds.

Draft a letter, and then unless someone strenuously objects, add our names, and send it, and send press releases to the london media (tv, radio and press) and possibly the national media too.

Fine by me.

How do we do this then Bill?

Rather than just on behalf of the forum, why don't we put the letter on here and all print it out, sign it and send it. If they start to receive hundreds of letters it mght make a bit more of a point. We could also send this to our friends on other bike forums, pass it on to Fixed magazine and websites like London Fixed Gear and Tokyo Fixed gear.

Stickers are good as are laminates at lights as are spoke cards. Hipsters will be crying out for spoke cards! We could also get the messenger community involved too. I work with a lot of courier companies and could probably convince them to carry laminates on their vans etc. Anything and everything is better than nothing. I'd like to keep a few to give to people at lights, especially ones we see doing something stupid.

mock-up.. i like kowalskis idea

I really like the image, the only concern would be the lack of any connection to cycling (aside from it being in someone's spokes).

Changing the arrows to bikes (the outlines from cycle lanes) might be better?

A way a sourcing budget for spoke cards would be speaking to the media agency. They may have spare budget or at least an in with TFL with regards to a viral project.

Mediaedge:cia are the current agency for all offline work.

Have current.tv covered this with any of their citizen journalist bits? I'll have a look.

yes, "avoid danger x thinking right"

man that "F" work bakes my tea cup!

trying to get a fat tory to "listen" your baking my cup?

"If you can read this you're about to get fucked up"

^^^ joke by the way...not funny.

I beg to differ.
It's hilarious.
I'd rock that on my 18 wheeler.

I really like the image, the only concern would be the lack of any connection to cycling (aside from it being in someone's spokes).

Changing the arrows to bikes (the outlines from cycle lanes) might be better?

This one is good

man it floats my boat.. ; )

A way a sourcing budget for spoke cards would be speaking to the media agency. They may have spare budget or at least an in with TFL with regards to a viral project.

Mediaedge:cia are the current agency for all offline work.

I have the stock and ink to print a few thousand spoke cards for free.
Maybe the film night idea could actually be used to make a bit of money for this. I know a few places we could use for free with a bar etc.

just get public funding & spin off something, there must be some money in fat boy wallet for awareness?

I really like the image, the only concern would be the lack of any connection to cycling (aside from it being in someone's spokes).

Changing the arrows to bikes (the outlines from cycle lanes) might be better?

Do you mean something like this..