CYCLE MANCHESTER PORTRAITS OF CYCLISTS IN THEIR CHOSEN LOCATION AND THEIR EXPERIENCES.
WELCOME / THESE PORTRAITS SHOW CYCLISTS OF MANCHESTER IN THIS ERA, THEIR POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP AS A CYCLIST TO THE CITY OF MANCHESTER AND THEIR FRUSTRATIONS WITH CYCLING IN THIS CITY.
THE CYCLISTS /
BEN / CHINA TOWN I like the buzz of riding around the city centre, and find it exhilarating cutting through the traffic. I like cycling in Manchester because it is flat, and I can get around at pretty high speeds. We could do with more cycle lanes, and better maintenance of existing ones. Pot holes can be dangerous. A roof would be good!
RACH / FALLOWFIELD LOOP I love the loop as its quiet and you feel like you are out of the city. I also like meeting all the dogs along the way. Like everyone else, I like that Manchester is flat, but along the loop there are some small hills which I love going down. More cycle lanes would be better, drivers that look before they indicate and free bike checks for all!
JAK / BRIDGEWATER CANAL Although it’s not a pretty location, there is something cool about the transport crossing of a canal towpath, road, and railway line all in one location - very industrial and I like all that stuff! These days cycling gives me a sense of freedom and respite from what ever is on my mind. I work daily on my bike and the social aspect is great too, I’ve often met interesting people and share great banter when out on my bike. In my opinion I’d like to see more people take up the free road training services that are out there, both drivers and cyclists.
SIOBHAN / CASTLEFIELDS I picked Castlefields because I like to cycle along the canals. You can go for miles and there is a great variety of scenery from countryside to industrial. I love the ease of getting around the city by bike. Have been cycling for years. Bad planning of cycle lanes annoys me, this needs to be improved for cyclists in Manchester.
ALEX / FALLOWFIELD LOOP I cycle on the loop everyday to get to work and back. So it is my favourite place to ride half of the time. I love being able to look at the old buildings when riding around Manchester, they are so beautiful and ornate and a reminder of the heritage of this wonderful city. I would like stricter policing and consequences for the irresponsible and arrogant drivers we have to share the roads with. Fortunately, they are in the minority and most drivers are very good, but I think I’m going to meet an untimely end one day because someone isn’t looking where they are going, or because they don’t care about cyclists.
RACHEL / FALLOWFIELD LOOP It’s a really fun to ride on the Fallowfield loop. It’s flat and great for all types of bikes. Not too busy either. Most areas in Manchester are flat, so it’s really easy to get around without too much effort which is always a bonus for me. More cycle lanes, and more safe lock ups in town would be great.
THANKS
BEN / RACH / JAK / SIOBHAN / ALEX / RACHEL