This page (currently)

• Cycle Rack Audit
• Sponsored and other regular cycle rides
• Old material for fun

Elsewhere

Cycle shops and hire – see MalvernTrail.

Info on Development of cycle routes in and out of town now on this site – see Projects page.

Cycling safety page. As and when interesting and/or practical stuff appears.

Cycle Rack Audit

This quick audit of cycle parking in the area was done to improve the county council’s Walking and Cycling Map for Malvern, being reprinted for March 2008. (Unfortunately we think the map overall is not actually that helpful for cyclists. particularly the less experienced) .

See Projects page for cycle parking developments.

‘Right click’ on link to download GPX file of cycle racks from MalvernTrail. Note: the numbers shown there and here indicate maximum capacity.

Malvern Link

• Malvern Link rail station. Capacity 20, gutter type, covered.
• Outside ‘Top Banana’ hairdressers, Worcester Road. Capacity 4, Sheffield stand type, placed too close to planters for full use.
• Outside previous Barclays Bank (corner Worcester Road/Richmond Road). Capacity 4, Sheffield stand type, placed too close to planters for full use and usually blocked by parked cars.
• Co-op supermarket, Worcester Road. Capacity 10, Sheffield racks, near store entrance (via lobby from Worcester Road).
• Lidl supermarket, Worcester Road. 9 wheel holder type by store entrance.
• Focus DIY, Spring Lane. Capacity 12, Sheffield racks, covered but unbolted.
• Morrisons supermarket, Roman Way retail park. Capacity 4 to 6, Sheffield stand type, near entrance. Insufficient as other barriers around trolley space used too (at 29/12/07).
• Halfords, Roman Way retail park. Capacity 8, Sheffield racks, displaced (partly due to building works), unbolted and only partly usable.
• Victoria Park, Pickersleigh Road, car park near Victoria Park Road. Capacity 12, Sheffield racks.

Great Malvern

• Waitrose supermarket, Edith Walk, car park side of store. Capacity 12, Sheffield racks under cover.
• Library, Graham Road. Capacity 6, Sheffield racks.
• Public car park, Grange Road (between Connells and Citizens Advice), at rear. Capacity 12, Sheffield racks. Nearest cycle parking to theatre.
• The Splash leisure centre, Priory Road. Capacity 5, wheelholders, one unfixed at Dec 07.
• Youth Centre, Albert Road North. Capacity 6, small Sheffield racks.
• Malvern Hills College, Albert Road North. Nothing? There is space for several racks.
• Great Malvern rail station, Imperial Road. Capacity 8 Sheffield racks, covered, plus 6 cycle lockers.
• Propsect View Health Centre, Pickersleigh Road. About 8 Sheffield racks.

Barnards Green

Nothing known. Several possible places for racks.

Malvern Wells

Nothing?

West Malvern

Nothing.

On the Hills

See MalvernTrail for info.

Photos

Photos of some of the above on Flickr – Cycle facilities in Malvern.

Schools info

From The Chase School Travel Plan:

• Bike bar at front of school, which holds approximately 60 bicycles.
• Bike shelter next to Astroturf which holds up to 40 bicycles.
• Lockers for helmets.

Sponsored Rides

To help organisers avoid ugly clashes and prospective participants to find the events, here are regularly held sponsored rides that we know of in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

• Evesham Blossom Trail Bikeaway. New routes for silver jubilee of the trail, 2008. Start Wood Norton Conference Centre. 2008: 13th April.
• St Richards Hospice Bikeathon,  2009: Sunday 19th April. 15, 30 or 45 miles circuits from Worcester towards Defford, Ashton-under-Hill and Pershore.
• New for 2009: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundations Great Malvern Cycle Challenge.  Sunday 17th May starting from Malvern St James School,  two routes, one 65 miles and the other 21 miles, taking in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
• Macmillan Elgar Ride, early summer, started 2005. 2009: 6th June. New 24, 39 or 60 miles routes for this year,beginning and finishing at the University of Worcester in St Johns. Contact: Jon Rayner, Macmillan Worcestershire regional fundraiser.
• NEW FOR 2009: LINC 3 Counties Cycle Ride, 7th June starting and finishing at Tewkesbury Rugby Club. A 60 Kilometre ride taking in the villages of Eastnor, Upton and Tewkesbury.
• Hearts First Worcester Bike Ride, 5th July 2009. Starts and finishes at Worcester Racecourse, 8, 32 or 48 miles. British Heart Foundation.
• Elgar Sunbeam ride, from Bromsgrove CC with Elgar Society, Worc Uni, Worc CC, Worc City. First held 9th Sept 07?, in aid of Clic Sargent, Acorns Hospice, Elgar Birthplace Museum. Starts Worcester (Uni) and includes Malverns, 15 or 50 miles.
• Churches ride, second Saturday of September. National event which began in Suffolk in 1982, with thirty one counties taking part in 2007 (link to Shropshire Cycle Ride). Various local rides (e.g. Colwall one, info usually from Adrian Mealing).
• Leukaemia Research North Worcestershire Bikeathon, Sunday after churches ride (Sept). From Mere Hall, Hanbury (north east of Worcester). First held 1998?
• Bredon Hill ride in aid of St Johns Ambulance, 7th Oct 2007.

We would be pleased to receive further information on the above and other local annual rides.

Other regular rides

Big Apple Ride, Ledbury/Much Marcle on the Big Apple weekend in October.

See MalvernTrail for links to local cycling clubs runs lists.

Slightly different is Mountain Mayhem, 24 hour mountian bike race in Eastnor Castle’s Deer Park in June. 2008: 20th/21st, followed by an on-road 100km ’sportive’ on 22nd June.

Old Material for fun

Here’s some stuff from my early days of cycle campaigning, when I was a Sowf Londern yoof.

A guide to cycling in borough of Greenwich, 1975, by Greenwich Friends of the Earth

Press release for Albert Gate direct action by LCC, 1978

First London to Brighton bike ride poster, 1st May 1976 (the route changed somewhat after this!)

Is the bike a vehicle of revolution? This has been around since at least the mid-70s. Anyone claim credit?