30 years History of Pedals (1979-2009) presentation slide show -

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The presentation can be downloaded as a Microsoft Powerpoint file (68.6 MB),
or as a Adobe Acrobat file (116 MB).

May 2009 marked the 30th anniversary of the commuter cycle races in May 1979, sponsored by BBC Radio Nottingham, which launched Pedals. In these the cyclist beat the car passenger and the bus passenger to arrive first in the studios, after setting off from different starting points each day from points each about 2 miles from the city centre.

Timeline of Pedals history, 1979-2009

Over the years we have had many ups and downs in our campaigning. Below is a timeline of some of the significant events:-

• May 1979: Launch commuter races between a cyclist, a car passenger and a bus passenger, with extensive coverage on each of 5 days from BBC Radio Nottingham

  
  

• First batch of cycle stands ("wheelgrabbers" not Sheffield stands) erected in
  the Old Market Square (Long Row) long since replaced by far more and better ones!
  

• Pedals first proposals for cycle routes in 1980 and 1981:
  

• Cyclists' Code - guide for cyclists using paths shared with pedestrians produced in cooperation with Nottinghamshire County Council and Raleigh:

  

• June 1982, the first Great Nottingham Bike Ride, organised by Pedals (Dave Law & Steve Parry), starting from The Forest; became the Great Notts. Bike Ride in 1985 when the County Council took over as the main organisers, with the start being moved to County Hall and, from 1986, to the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont.
  
  
  
  Dave Laws and Steve Parry of Pedals, who organised the first GNBR.

• September 1982: Opening of the Clifton to City Centre cycle route via Wilford Bridge
   
  
  arrival at Clifton end of the route near the former Silverdale Primary School,
  with the Chairman of the County Council receiving the Yellow Jersey.

• 1983: Publication of the first of 3 editions of the ‘Pedal Pushers’ Guide to Nottingham’
  (out of print since 2008, by the way!)
  

• 1983: First Guided Rural Rides, organised by Pedals (programme later taken over by the County Council)
  

  

• 1986-91: Implementation of the Greater Nottingham Cycle Route Network Project, by Nottinghamshire County Council (then the Local Highway Authority for Nottingham) and the former Department of Transport – the largest of 4 such network projects in England and concentrating on the flatter areas between Beeston, Lenton, Wilford and West Bridgford.

• Pothole campaigns from 1980 (Pothole report cards) including Pothole accident and Pothole Golf stunts in 1987
  
  
  

• 1987-1993: further lobbying re cycle parking at Nottingham Station including cycle stands on the platforms, in the Porte Cochere area and cycle lockers (abandoned by the former Central Trains by 2005):
  

• 1989: Pedals 10th anniversary celebrations included visit from Peter Bottomley, MP,
  then Minister for Local Transport

• 1989: Pedals 10th anniversary celebrations included talk in Central Library, Angel Row, by Nick ? on his Cycling Adventures and cutting a special birthday cake:
  

• September 1993: Nottingham hosts the Velo-City European cycling conference
  in the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham University,
  with 600 participants from 25 countries
  

• 1993: First UK cycle lockers installed in a multi-storey car park, in the former Trinity Square car park (demolished in 2006-7, but new lockers installed in 2008 in the replacement car park)

• 1994: Pedals 15th birthday celebrations: barbecue at The Ferry Inn, Wilford:
  
   

• 1996-1998: Implementation of the Greater Nottm Cycle-friendly Employers’ Project, with match funding from the former Department of Transport’s Cycle Challenge project and with 7 major local employers as partners with the County and City Councils – the largest Cycle Challenge project in England.

• 1997: Publication of the first of two editions of the Pedals ‘City, County, Forest’ leisure rides book (second edition in 2005) - a guide to Leisure Cycling in Nottinghamshire, produced by Johanna Cleary and Tim Hughes.

• 1999: Pedals 20th birthday cake
  

• 2000: Pedals support for Sustrans National Cycle Network Millennium Route Route 6: Inverness to Dover) with section through Nottinghamshire opening in Summer 2000 (Clumber Park-Bulwell-Radford-Lenton-Beeston-Toton)

  
  
  

• (1995)-2004: discussions over the implications for cyclists of the plans for NET Line One, opened in March 2004 between Hucknall and Nottingham Station:
  
  
  
  

• 2004: Pedals 25^th birthday marked with various events and activities including a reception in The Council House, a special Pedals group at the start of the Great Notts Bike Ride, fetching the Pedals Award (MBE) from Buckingham Palace, and the brewing of a special ‘Pedals ale’ by Castle Rock breweries.
  
  
  

• 2005: formation of Ridewise (social enterprise) by Nottingham NHS, and the City and County Councils, to provide cycle training locally.

• 2006: launch of ‘The Big Track’, a 9-mile canalside and riverside path route by Greater Nottm Transport Partnership (GNTP / The Big Wheel)

• 2007: formation of the Greater Nottm Cycling Development Group to promote a more strategic approach to future cycling policies in Nottingham and with a wider range of partners including the City and County Council, GNTP / The Big Wheel, Pedals, Ridewise, CTC, Sustrans and Nottingham NHS.

• 2007: Pedals position statement on Cycling on pavements
  (downloadable at http://www.pedals.org.uk/pedals_policy_documents)
• 

• 2007 (October): Field trial by Nottingham City Council and Cycling England Local Authorities Professional Support Team (Tim Pheby) in Silverdale (Wilford) of different kinds of off-road path barriers (access controls) and their impact on different users, following complaints from Pedals about growing use of A-frame design barriers:

  

• 2007: Nottingham chosen by Cycling England for one of two pilot Cycling for health projects, now being implemented by Nottingham NHS and Ridewise.

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• 2009: Expansion of local bike recycling through the ‘Bike Club’ managed by the Framework Housing Association

• Campaign for the early opening of the Wilford Suspension Bridge by Severn Trent Water plc
  
  

• Autumn 2009: Sustrans UCycle (Higher Education) Cycling Project,
  got funding approval from Cycling England, to be promoted by Sustrans and Nottingham City Council with the involvement of Nottingham University, Nottingham Trent University and the Nottingham Universities Hospital Trust (Queen's Medical Centre)
  
  
• November 2009:
  Pedals hosted the Autumn CTC-Cyclenation Cycle Campaigners' Conference
  at Byron House (Students' Union Building), Nottingham Trent University
  
  
• February 2010:
  Reopening of the Wilford Suspension Bridge, following the campaign lead by
  Pedals, with 7 other local organisations, following the emergency closure of the Bridge by
  its' owners, Severn Trent Water, in July 2008
  
• 2 October 2010:
  Pedals hosted East Midlands Cyclists' Forum (EMCF) Meeting in Nottingham
  

• June-October 2010: Workplace Challenge to encourage cycling to work
  (and other physical activity); campaign organised locally by Sports Nottinghamshire, The Big Wheel, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Council, the Energy Saving Trust, Pedals and the Sustrans UCycle Project