Author: Wilf

This is the article we submitted for the January edition of the Hayling Islander. The published article was subject to editing by the Islander. Also, depending on the timing of the Infrastructure report’s publication and the Hayling Islander deadlines, we might make some last-minute changes.

Made any New Year revolutions yet? No, that’s not a mis-print, I’m talking about pedal revolutions on your bike. I’ll be regretting all those mince pies, and looking gingerly at the weighing machine. Exercise is the best medicine.

New Year’s a great time to challenge yourself to do something positive. Why not resolve to enhance your health, your wealth and our island environment – by cycling more in 2019?

Continue reading “Hayling Islander article January 2019”

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This is the article we submitted for the December edition of the Hayling Islander. The published article was subject to editing by the Islander.

We were saddened by the death of Tony Higham, a long term supporter of HIRA, Hayling and of Cycle Hayling. His knowledge, quiet tenacity and engineering skills were at the heart of the crusade to protect Hayling from being over-run by commercial and house-building pressures. Our thoughts are with his family.

Tony’s traffic modeling provided key inputs to the Hayling Infrastructure Report, due to be published in mid-December. It’s a tragedy that he did not live to see it published, and it is up to all of us to make sure that his work lives on.

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Continue reading “Hayling Islander article December 2018”

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This is the article we submitted for the October edition of the Hayling Islander. 

Fancy an electrifying experience!

Wilf asks if an e-bike might help you get bitten by the cycling bug

E-bikes have come of age. 

I just tested one of the latest models, a Kalkhoff Sahel, and it was, well, electrifying. And a lot of fun. We see more and more of them, especially from Germany and Holland.

Purists often say it’s cheating, and less exercise. But you might find you actually get more exercise, not less, because e-bikes tend to get used more often, and they’re a bit heavier when you’re saving the battery. You still get the health benefits, because you still have to pedal (that’s why they’re called pedelecs). They just detect when you’re pedaling, and amplify your leg power to help you go faster.

Continue reading “Hayling Islander article October 2018”

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This is the article we submitted to the Hayling Islander for September 2018

Get into the habit of everyday riding!

Thanks to everyone who visited our cycling stand at August’s 3 Churches Fete. I hope you noticed our new banners! And congratulations to the winners of our 60 second turbo-challenge, who won prizes, including our new Cycle Hayling hi-vis slap wraps!

Continue reading “Hayling Islander article September 2018”

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This is the article we submitted for the August edition of the Hayling Islander. The published article was subject to editing by the Islander.

Well done to everyone on the 33^rd Hayling cycle ride to Versailles, through beautiful northern France – both riders and support. Another great one, I hear. Why not subscribe to their newsletter to find out about the 34^th in 2019. It’s at haylingcycleride.org.uk. Who knows, you might be tempted!

But you don’t need to go that far to cycle in beautiful countryside. Right on our doorstep in Havant, we have one of the best touring clubs in the country. Portsmouth CTC leads 6 to 8 rides a week during the summer, for varying abilities, speeds and distances. And they’re free to members of Cycling UK, the cycling charity.

Continue reading “Riding for better cycling routes”

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This is the article we submitted for the July edition of the Hayling Islander. The published article was subject to editing by the Islander.

Thank you to everyone at the Donkey Derby who popped in to the Cycle Hayling & Portsmouth CTC stand. Lots of you tested how far you could cycle in 1 minute on our turbo challenge, and we had some amazing efforts, especially from kids. Aren’t they competitive! Several adults were off the top of our scoreboard, at well over 40 mph simulated speed. When we asked how they were so fit, they all said ‘cycling to work’.

Continue reading “You’ll learn to love those big hills”

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This is the article we submitted for the June edition of the Hayling Islander. The published article was subject to editing by the Islander.

Do you remember the first time you ever rode a bike? That magical moment when you stayed upright, just by moving? Most of us learnt as kids, of course.

But it’s never too late to recapture that moment. And never a better time than summer to do it!

More evidence that exercise is the best medicine. This time from Australia, where an extensive study has found indisputable evidence that exercise even helps cancer treatment and recovery.

“If exercise was a pill it would be prescribed to every cancer patient worldwide, and viewed as a major breakthrough in cancer treatment.”

Continue reading “Which is safer: cycling or staying in?”

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