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• #2
Regular dress-down days for those that have cycled in?
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• #3
We have voluntary dress down whenever and, more importantly, places to keep proper clothes and a laundry/dry cleaning service. I would prefer people to cycle, shower and change!
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• #4
nice work.
can you cluster a few riders together from similar areas where they live? like to persaude that newbies would be looked after?
if there are a few regulars this could be a good motivator.
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• #5
Maps? Route advice? I suspect fear of cycling on London's roads is as much of a barrier as poor facilites. Looks like you have it good....
How many showers though?
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• #6
@ cliveo - Ah fair enough, for some reason I was thinking your office would be more formal than that! :)
I wasn't suggesting they skip the shower though - it's just I know how annoying I would find it if I was suddenly told I had to put on a suit, rather than pulling on a clean t-shirt/jeans afterwards.
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• #7
We have four showers which can cause a little queuing in the summer but also encourages cyclists to get in early which is good.
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• #8
nice work.
can you cluster a few riders together from similar areas where they live? like to persuade that newbies would be looked after?
if there are a few regulars this could be a good motivator.
Nice idea.
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• #9
Maps? Route advice? I suspect fear of cycling on London's roads is as much of a barrier as poor facilites. Looks like you have it good....
How many showers though?
Fear is the biggest issue, as far as i can ascertain anecdotally.
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• #10
thanks,
oh yeah charge the ones that are persistant drivers double to park ;-)
(no seriously will have a think and post more stuff soon) -
• #11
Great work, Clive. Some more ideas:
Social rides (not just charity) for staff (I know you've already organised Rollapaluza)
Cycling mileage allowance for work-related trips
In-house bike maintenance (do a deal with a repair service/bike shop to come in once a week to give bikes some TLC)
Join together with other companies in the same building/neighbourhood to promote even more service across companies, to lower costs through bulk discount
Have common spares available on-site at low cost (inner tubes, etc.), perhaps on an honesty box basisBut all of these are minutiae. To really excite people about cycling you somehow have to get the point across that it's so much--i.e., some may cycle for just one reason, perhaps to save time, but that's boring and people won't stick with it if their circumstances change. Generating a real buzz around it is difficult, but if you make it genuinely aspirational, it'll take care of itself.
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• #12
free Rapha?
(it was Olivers fault mentioning aspiration..) -
• #13
Free arse surgery?
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• #14
Sounds great Clive - when can I start?
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• #15
Clive just don't regale them with the story of your arse, that will definitely put them off!
For that matter free cleats to those who use them.
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• #16
We've just got a couple of Boris Bike keys for people who need to cross town to meetings during the day. It's often quicker than getting in a cab, and it doesn't feel like the commitment that buying a bike for commuting does. Because they're only short cross-town journeys, people are less afraid of jumping in.
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• #17
We've just got a couple of Boris Bike keys for people who need to cross town to meetings during the day. It's often quicker than getting in a cab, and it doesn't feel like the commitment that buying a bike for commuting does. Because they're only short cross-town journeys, people are less afraid of jumping in.
Good idea - my colleagues have used my BB key more than I have!
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• #18
try and do stuff regularly, like monthly social rides, start to get people used to being a cycling workplace.
you know about giving people breakfast, mince pie rewards? relatively low cost idea.isnt it all about low carbon workplaces now? so do you have a bike courier service for any printed matters you use,
see if there is anyone promoting low carbon business in your area as sometimes the travel aspect can be considerable for a workforce.active travel is going to become increasingly important,
as the evidence grows to show that people are healthier, happier when they are active.I heard it said at a P.C.T. conference I presented at ,
" in the 21st century inactivity will be to public health what poor sanitation was to public health in the 19th century"
they know it makes sense, but getting the message through is culture change.Ideally there would be like workplace officers, that are trainers, ride leaders, skilled with bikes, have a good network with shops and business and can bring it all together,
right theres the role ^ now somebody find a way of paying for it! -
• #19
nice work.
can you cluster a few riders together from similar areas where they live? like to persaude that newbies would be looked after?
if there are a few regulars this could be a good motivator.
Like them?;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0lfqShrRlE
So that's where the guide ride for CS7 went.
(that's the best idea insofar though, defintely a great way to get people to cycle without fear when look after).
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• #20
^That's good, apart from the gagspirational music.
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• #21
A cost to the company but would some subsidised cycle training help alleviate the fear? A group session maybe less intimidating?
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• #22
I suppose you first have to find out why people do *not *cycle to work? As you have mentioned, fear of traffic is probably the main one. As you also know that fear is probably out of proportion to the reality. Until people overcome that fear then the rest of it - the showers, the massages, the mince pies - is unlikely to get them cycling.
You know what I think the answer is - cycle training. Cost should not be an issue; free or heavily subsidised training will already be available to them.
How that training is come by, through individuals applying or through your firm establishing a relationship with a training provider, is a matter to be settled. You are well placed to explain the ideas and benefits of training but might it also not be possible for you to have a couple of trainers come in and talk to the staff?
I don't know what proportion of the staff are male and female but that might also be an issue; women far outnumber men when it comes to who has training. A company-wide commitment rather than doing it on an individual basis might get round that.
There are many, many things to discuss Clive. I suggest you talk to SkyDancer and see what he says. Perhaps we could meet for a heavily subsidised beer/coffee soon? -
• #23
- If there is hills, bulldoze'm flat
- Fix the weather
- Buses, metro, trams bad! Can you get them to stop further away? Ask the council to drop the subsidies
- Remove car parking inside 700m radius
- Quadruple the price of petrol
- Get a big-ass crow bar to pry the dead cold hands off the steering wheel of those the last two didn't make even flinch
- Give money for bike commuting. 25% rise for those who ride to work. Hire private detectives to check that they don't just ride the last block
- Get those living within walking distance to move a little further away
- Shrink your town so that no one lives more than 5 km away
- Ask your government to start a campaign stating that cycling is "way cool". Did you know that the Beatles and Harry Potter fads were started by government campaigns?
- Ask those with the "fearful of traffic" - excuse, if they have any delusions what would make their cycling safer. Make those delusions reality. Be prepared to be the one to live with those delusions while the fearful make new excuses.
- Don't listen to cynical people telling that you can't do it
- If there is hills, bulldoze'm flat
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• #24
do you work in cycling promotion by any chance?
some of those measures are a bit soft I'd of said.
you might try a harder line. -
• #25
Carrots, Sticks, or a combination of both.
I like your mince pie idea *mf.
Will have a think but it seems you've done most of what is considered a normal approach to promotion. Time to get creative.
I have called a meeting at our office on Tuesday in order to discuss what we can do to encourage more people to cycle to and from work and outside work more regularly.
We have been fairly successful and at our prime had around 60 out of a workforce or 500 riding to work. This has declined a little.
We have:
Showers
Lockers
Secure bike parking
Visits from the City of London Police
A major push for the London to Brighton BHF ride as a firm
Cycle to Work (for what it is worth today)
We have just secured fresh towels for all cyclists using the showers (this used to be one of the perks restricted to partners!)
I would welcome ideas for free or low cost steps that can be taken to add to those already in place.
Organisation of cycle training, possibly with a bulk discount. Something around cycle maintenance. Negotiating discounts with local bicycle shops.
Any ideas would be very welcome.