Category: Hayling Islander articles

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

I’d say there’s nothing to beat cycling home over the bridge, with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Try it! And if you commute off the island by car, why not try it with a split car-share?

What’s a split car-share? Car-sharing is great in theory, often easier in the morning, but much harder to co-ordinate coming home. So why not split it? Share in the morning, and put a folding bike in the boot to cycle home!

You’ll go green, cut traffic and get fit. And the money you save on the car will pay for the folding bike in no time. If riding over that bridge doesn’t put a broad smile on your face, then I’m afraid you are beyond help. See the rest of our web site for more info.

Continue reading “What’s the best thing about living on Hayling Island?”

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

Spring has sprung! What better way to banish those winter blues and get fresh air and exercise than a bit of cycling?

Did you know Havant has one of the best cycle touring clubs in the country? If you have a bike and reasonable confidence riding on roads, our Cathedral Challenge rides are a great introduction.

They’re friendly, led by experienced ride leaders, and they’re not races – we don’t leave people behind. Last year our oldest rider was 84 and our youngest was 11.

Continue reading “Take the Cathedral Challenge”

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

It’s common knowledge that cycling can boost your health. It’s 20 times more likely to benefit you than not. But it can also boost your wealth, by replacing car, bus or gym costs.

If you have a bike, you can start saving today. But even if you don’t, with new bikes starting from £100, it could pay for itself in no time.

Continue reading “Save money – ride a bike you’ve serviced yourself”

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

Spring is not that far away. Will your bike be ready? Winter is tough on bikes, whether you ride them or they’re sitting idle. Rain and salt on the roads plays havoc with the chain, gears and other metal parts. Tyres go soft.

If you haven’t checked yours for a while, now is a good time to think about servicing it. It’s easier than ever to do it yourself. The Cycle Hayling website ‘Get Cycling‘ menu offers help, or you can use YouTube.

Continue reading “Time to get your bike ready for spring”

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

A New Year, time for New Year Resolutions. Riding a bike is a great way to get fit for the new year, and burn off some of those Christmas calories.

Winter sales are a good time to pick up a bargain bike – don’t wait until spring. You really don’t need to spend a lot of money. For everyday cycling on a flat island, a cheap bike will get you there almost as fast. And you won’t be so worried about it being stolen.

Continue reading “Ride a bike to get fit and burn off some of those Christmas calories”

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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.

Congratulations to Colin Hill and the Hayling Ferry for winning Havant Small Business of the Year, and Greatest Contribution to the Community. Very well deserved.

A bike over the ferry is the perfect way to get to Portsmouth, and when I’ve used it recently, it’s always been full of cyclists. It’s a lovely ride along Hayling and Southsea sea fronts, and pretty safe.

A huge factor in its success has been sticking to the timetable, so you can be sure of making an appointment.

Continue reading “Hop on the Hayling Ferry with your bike”

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

Did anyone go to the Portsmouth Glow Ride in October? Hundreds of cyclists, from age 3 upwards, cycling along a Southsea seafront closed to traffic, just after sunset, with bikes lit up like Christmas trees. Lots of kids and families. Magical! Lots of smile-miles that evening. And back before the ferry stops. Do try it next year.

If you’d like to cycle around the island, but are put off by the busy roads, don’t assume you have to ride the same route you’d drive. Take a look at a street map. Hayling is crammed full of quieter roads that often run parallel to the ones we drive on. Quieter means safer, more enjoyable and more smile-miles.

Continue reading “Get on a bike and get in your smile-miles”

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

If you have a child at Mengham Junior School, they’ll have seen Cycle Hayling run their school assembly at the start of their Bikeability training week.

We were delighted to see so many children walking and cycling to school, and that the school is already ‘Silver’ in the national sustainable travel scheme, Modeshift STARS, modeshiftstars.org.

Please do encourage your children to help the school get to ‘Gold’.

Continue reading “Let’s encourage our kids to cycle to school”

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