STACC Calendar of Events & Meetings

This is a constantly updated calendar of STACC Events & other local cycling events of interest.
Included are Rides, Meetings (restricted or public) & Social events.
Tell us (via a comment) of any other stuff which might be included.
You can use it in Week, Month or Agenda view, by clicking on the tab.
Agenda View is best - so it's the default setting.
Non-STACC events are included, but they are beyond our control. If you know of changes to any of them please advise - by comment.

To get direct access to the calendar without visiting this Blog, browse to tinyurl.com/stacc-cal - easy to remember.

Existing Calendar Users
If you are a user of your own on-line calendar or MS Outlook or any other organizer which supports ical, you should be able to display STACC calendar alongside your other calendars. You may need the above tinyurl link. I am not an expert on this.

Anyone who knows how, please raise a comment against this Post to guide others - or just advise with a few helpful URLs.

Short trip within St Albans Sun 8th Nov 2009

A short afternoon social trip from Marshalswick Quadrant to the Organ Museum, mostly off road, via Jersey Lane, Oaklands, Highfield and the Camp Cycleway - returning before lighting up time via Fleetville quiet roads (for those needing to return there - or go straight home).

Date: Sun 8th Nov 2009

Meet: Marshalswick Quadrant, St Albans.

Time : 13:30

No charge for the ride, no need to book.

There is an admission charge for the Organ Museum.

(The Museum opens at 14:00.)

Leader: Doug Nevell - phone 01582 762120 in case of queries.

More about the Organ Museum [HERE]

And a little taster of its quaint sounds & sights [HERE]

Afternoon Ride to Welwyn Sat 17th October 12 Miles

An easy afternoon ride (about 12 miles total)

To: Welwyn's Roman Bath House

Date: Sat 17th October 2009

Meet: Sandridge car park

Time: 13:30

No need to book. No Charge.

Leader: Rona - Phone 01727 836470 in case of queries.

St Albans Car Free Day 2009 - Success

Picture by phatcontroller

St Albans 2009 Car Free Day (announced in an earlier post ) was welcomed as a modest success. In this, the first year that St Albans District Council (SADC) has promoted the event, the aim had not been to attempt to reduce the volume of car traffic in the city.

In the end, four stalls were manned - STACC's own, Transition St Albans [see], Intalink (Public Transport) [see] & SADC.

There was to have been a Travelwise/Intalink bus as well, but it is thought to have broken down. (Happily my bike showed better reliability in transporting the contents of the STACC display.)

I must thank the 14 STACC members who turned up to assist and support. It was a remarkable turnout at such short notice & on a working day. Some of you stretched your lunch hours to be there. Your presence was extremely encouraging and generated much additional public interest in our stall and in the whole event. In fact we ran out of stocks of free maps and literature well before the end of the event.

The Slow Bike Race was - significantly - won by St Albans' cycling Mayor - Councillor Chris Oxley, STACC member Pat was second. I am at pains to stress that Pat (who had been much fancied to win) was NOT under team orders allow the Mayor to win.

I believe that SADC will be encouraged by the support given & will, we hope, be able to host a larger well planned event in future years - STACC will be urging them to do so. One idea mentioned was that the next event should take place on the Sunday nearest 22nd September 2010, which will be 19th September - so please pencil in your diaries.

Five Miles to fabulous - Saturday 10 October

This is a led ride for women only, organised by the Cyclists Touring Club, with the aim of encouraging less experienced or 'I've not been on my bike in ages' women riders to venture out. We will ride out from central St Albans along the Alban Way to Sleapshyde. There will be some on-road riding to get to and from the Alban Way and to give road-craft experience.
Meet on Saturday 10 October at 0930h at the Faber Maunsell office on Upper Marlborough Road, coffee stop at Sleapshyde Methodist Church. Experienced riders are very welcome, but they need to be able to maintain a gentle pace!

Rona Wightman, ride leader

Cycle Show - London 8-11 October 2009

The Cycle Show 8 - 11 October 2009
Thursday 8th October	10:00am - 7:00pm	Trade and Press only
Friday 9th October	10:00am - 6:00pm	Open to the Public
Saturday 10th October	10:00am - 6:00pm	Open to the Public
Sunday 11th October	10:00am - 5:00pm	Open to the Public

The Cycle Show 2009 is being held at
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Warwick Road
London
SW5 9TA

Details [HERE]

Book in advance and get your ticket for only £10* (normal price of £14.50 on the door).

St Albans Car Free Day 2009 (aka In Town Without My Car)

St Albans District Council (SADC) is promoting Car Free Day on Tuesday 22 September 2009.

STACC will be supporting the event with the aim of encouraging cycling (of course).

This is the first time St Albans has participated in this international event (part of European Mobility Week) and it seems that the idea came rather too late to organise a grand, well supported event, so we would expect the proceedings to be quite modest.

Nevertheless, STACC enthusiastically welcomes this small beginning and hopes for greater things in future years.

Our aim is not to criticise people for using cars, nor to be prescriptive about any behaviour - except where road safety is involved. Rather we seek to encourage cycling by emphasising its practicality, low cost, convenience and enjoyment. We have become aware, over many years, that there is a latent desire by many people to get into cycling, having recognised those qualities.

We see this as another opportunity to engage with St Albans folk to help them overcome any anxieties and difficulties with advice based on our collective experience.

The SADC display will be situated in front of the Old Town Hall, St Peter's Street, St Albans from 10am to 4pm on the day.

We will be manning one of the six stalls. We will have a selection of free literature, maps and chatty advice.

Other stallholders, beside SADC itself, will include Travelwise, Addiktion Cycle Shop, and probably some voluntary organisations such as Friends of the Earth.

We look forward to seeing you there.

EXTRA: FREE BREAKFAST FOR CYCLISTS WHO ARRIVE BETWEEN 10 am & NOON.

(STACC SCOOP: This Post is the first on-line News of this event. At the time of posting, a Press Release had not been published, nor had the event appeared on SADC website www.stalbans.gov.uk Home Page - where we will expect to find it any time soonish.... When it does appear, take a look to find the finalised details.)