Tips and Prizes!

Anerley BC is affiliated to Cycling UK. This allows club members a reduced annual subscription to Cycling UK. One benefit is that this membership offers some free insurance benefits to ride Ride Leaders. A condition of membership to Anerley BC is that ALL members must have 3rd party insurance to cover them during rides or on official Club activities. Cycling UK can provide such insurance at a competitive price. It also offers many other benefits.
As we are not all members of Cycling UK and hence may not know what benefits are available, Tom Tom has suggested that it might be a good idea to let our members know some of the benefits, so read on. And note the key changes made to the new Highway Code, which affect us all! Also the very latest changes to the Covid rules/advice.

​   It’s been another chilly week across the UK so hopefully you’ve all been wrapping up warm on your cycle rides. Following the Government announcement this week to end Plan B Covid-19 measures we’ve updated our guidance on going out cycling. Make sure to check the guidelines on our website. This week in CycleClips we look at the National Parks review, ask for your help in identifying rights of way, get advice on cleaning your bike, test some Brompton bags and prepare for changes to the Highway Code that Cycling UK has been campaigning on for more than a decade.  Christina Bengston, CycleClips editor       Win £500 cash in the winter raffle: Thank you for all your support in 2021 – to show our appreciation we’re giving you the chance to win more prizes than ever before in our Winter Thank You Raffle. With over 50 prizes up for grabs why not get your friends and family to play along too? Tickets are just £1 to play, and you can buy as many as you like. Every ticket purchased in this online only raffle will contribute to Cycling UK’s charitable and campaigning projects. Still need tempting? Check out the amazing prizes from £500 cash, Madison waterproof jackets, light sets and so much more.   Highway Code changes: Last year we asked you to support our call for better protection for vulnerable road users in the GB Highway Code, and thousands of you responded. Next weekend on 29 January, we’ll see the impact of that unified voice. After more than a decade of campaigning by Cycling UK, the Department for Transport confirmed several important Highway Code changes. These represent a huge success for cycling, walking, and road safety but there’s still lots to be done to ensure the changes are well communicated and understood by road users so keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to get involved.     Cutting car traffic in Scotland: Can Scotland be weaned off its car addiction? The Scottish Government has published its route map to achieve a 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030. Our campaigns and policy manager for Scotland, Jim Densham, analyses the plan but asks whether the cycling ‘carrots’ will be enough without ‘sticks’ to discourage driving.     You get a discount, and you get a discount! Did you know that as a Cycling UK member you have access to nearly 40 member benefits? You’re probably familiar with your free third-party insurance cover, but are you making the most of your discounts? 20% off Ordnance Survey maps£75 worth of free accessories with Raleigh £12.5% off at Snow+Rock *Just added* 40% discount off ICE-scan tags Plus many many more…      Experience Norfolk, Kent and Cornwall: Cycling is a fantastic way to explore new places and connect intimately with the landscapes, history and culture of a region – not to mention fuelling up on local delicacies. As part of our role in the European Regional Development Fund Experience project, Cycling UK has created new cycle hub locations across Norfolk, Kent and Cornwall for you to explore. Stay at Cycling UK accredited Cycle Friendly Places and explore our 18 promoted routes linking up the fascinating stories of each area.       Group test: Brompton bags for commuting. As guidance to “work from home if you can” is lifted, you might be thinking about cycling to work more. If you are using a Brompton folding bicycle and are thinking of purchasing a front carrier bag to pack in all your work essentials, our review of the latest bags might be just for you.       Cleaning your bike: We all know cleaning your bike is not as much fun as riding it. However, there is something therapeutic about the process and something rewarding about seeing a gleaming machine at the end of it. Cycling journalist Matt Lamy explains how to return your bike to tip-top condition. If you’d like to make your cleaning experience that much easier, enter Cycling UK’s #12nightsoutin1year challenge for a chance to win the Ultimate Bicycle Care kit from Muc-off, complete with bike cleaner, drivetrain cleaner, Bike Protect and Bio Wet Lube plus assorted Muc-Off brushes. Don’t forget even if you don’t win, Cycling UK members receive 20% discount on Muc-Off products.      How to claim an unrecorded public right of way: Rights of way, like footpaths and bridleways, are recorded on council ‘definitive maps’, but these maps aren’t always completely accurate. Sometimes there are paths which were missed off, or recorded incorrectly. Making sure these are recorded correctly could open up more rights of way for cycling, but we only have until 1 January 2026 to do it. Our campaigner guide explains how we can add them to the map.       National Parks review: Has the Government made them more accessible for cycling? The UK Government’s long-awaited response to the National Landscapes Review was published last weekend. If they got it right it has the potential to be a game-changer for enabling access to the countryside in England. But has it delivered? Campaigns officer Sophie Gordon has the answer.       A different kind of joyriding: One of our amazing community cycle clubs featured in the Guardian this week. Writer Tanya Frank joined Waltham Forest Joyriders recently and writes about her trepidation and the acceptance and support she received from the members of the group. If you’re not already part of a cycling group, after you’ve read Tanya’s story you’ll probably want to join one.    Join Cycling UK’s West Kernow Way: Enjoy asking questions, getting answers, sharing stories, advice and meeting other adventurers planning to take on the West Kernow Way. Together we make cycling better.          Editor this week Christina Bengston is Cycling UK’s internal communications and media officer.