Bristol MAG is the local branch of the Motorcycle Action Group and is made up of a wide variety of bikers, riding many different types of motorcycle. The group promotes MAG's campaigns in our area and raises awareness of local biking and safety issues. MAG is not just about the politics of biking, it is also a great way to get to meet like minded people with an interest in motorcycles.
So don't be shy, why not come along to our next meeting? We meet every Thursday from 8.30 p.m.
The Royal British Legion Riders Branch are running this on Thursday evenings from 8th May to 28th August 2008 6 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Website Weston Bike Night All money collected on the evening will be given to the Poppy Appeal at the end of the year.
After a year away the Bristol Bike Show and the after show party are back. So reserve the date, Saturday 16th August 2008, in your diaries.
For more details check out the dedicated website The Bristol Bike Show or email Info The Bristol Bike Show
See the Campaigns tab for more information relating to the Manhole Covers campaign - Terms of Reference.
Cider Festival, The clytha Arms pub, Saturday 24 May 2008
Double Trouble Rally, Court Farm, Banwell, Fri 30 May to Sun 1 Jun 2008
Committee Meeting 19 June 2008 7.30 p.m. for 8.00 p.m. prompt start
Bristol MAG Awarness Day Sat 14 June 2008 at Riders, 10.00 a.m. til 2.00 p.m.
Western Region Committee Meeting 15 June 2008 at Mayors Arms
Sandcastle Run, Weymouth Sun 29 June 2008
for more events and events info click on the Events tab.
After a very sucessful AGM, Bristol MAG now has nearly all its committee posts filled. A Fantastic result. Many thanks to all who volunteered. If you think that you could help, talk to any one of the committee members on a Thursday at The Mayors Arms or email Committee.
At the Bristol Motorcycle Forum last week the police representative told us about the Bobby Van Scheme. Up to March 2006 in Bristol 964 bikes, mopeds and scooters were stolen. More then half of those were taken from outside the owner’s home. If someone has stolen or attempted to steal your bike contact the police and report it under the Bobby Van Scheme. They will visit and can offer advice and free practical assistance to secure your bike. Under the scheme they have the resources to give you a secure anchor for your bike.
It seems that bikes, mopeds and scooters are 2% of Bristol’s traffic, but while there are 17,000 dedicated, non-residential car parking spaces in the city there are only about 50 dedicated m/cycle bays. The Council is tackling this inequality by actively seeking suitable m/cycle parking spaces. They do this in consultation with the police and MAG to be aware of safety and security of bikers. By my reckoning 2% of 17,000 is 340, so if the number of bike bays is to reflect bike usage, we need another 300 bays. If you know of what you think is a suitable site, let me know and I’ll pass it on to the Council, you can find my email address at the foot of this page.
We were told that where bikes use bus-lanes the rate of collisions involving m/cycles has been reduced by 30%. That is nearly a third! and represents a fantastic benefit to all of us, bikers or not: fewer visits to A&E, saved repair and insurance money, saved police time.
You may have noticed the extensive roadworks beginning in Old Market and continuing through Lawrence Hill and out along the A420 towards Kingswood and Longwell Green. The Council is installing a new bus-lane, at the same time it is linking the traffic lights and installing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to monitor the bus lanes. The linked lights will detect and permit buses to move unhindered along the road.
Included in the scheme are two m/cycle parking bays in the St. George shops area.
In the past MAG and other m/cycle user organisations have pointed out the dangers represented by the “cushion” type of speed hump. “Cushions” are the speed humps that are placed as two or three separate humps across the width of the road with gaps between them. They are frequently a slippery material and sometimes come unfixed from the road below. As if those weren’t dangers enough both bikers and car drivers aim to get their wheels into the flat bits beside the hump, cars do this by straddling the hump, bikes move out into the road centre or into the gutter; both moves endanger the biker through exposure to oncoming traffic or to the kind of dangerous rubbish that builds up in the gutter.
Bristol City Council will stop using “cushion” humps, instead they will use full width speed ramps with a long flat top. Much kinder to suspension and safer.
Stuart
Each year Bristol MAG does the Not So So-So Soup Run to raise money for the Julian Trust, a shelter for homeless people in Bristol.
Bristol MAG has an email mailing list to keep people informed about what’s going on.
If you’d like to join it click here.
This document last modified Thursday, 08-May-2008 16:45:09 BST
