The opening of the first green lane in St Peter in 1994

As we approach Christmas, people often tell me that the shop is coming up to its ‘busy time’.

Well I hate to dispel any cosy images of Santa Claus, fireside parcels and fairy lights, but it’s not really the high spot of the year for bike sales.

It’s true that higher than average numbers of bikes leave the shop in December, but that’s because we’ve stored them until the very last minute – these bikes have usually been sold in the preceding months. At least that was normally the case in the past.

In recent years, we find that bikes are very often chosen closer to the event than before, I don’t know if it’s because most people put Christmas on their credit card and the later that you buy stuff, the further away you pay for it?

It could also be that there has usually been an abundance of stock available since manufacturers have launched their ranges in the autumn. Don’t count on that this year!

When I started in the bike trade – yes, when Penny farthings went main stream and there was a 6 mph speed limit for bicycles in St Helier, St Aubin and Gorey Village – we had to order bikes at the beginning of September or we’d have nothing to sell our customers.

In those days the ‘Christmas Club’ was a popular institution – some customers used to start one in January. I imagine that they felt that they’d missed their chance a few months earlier and didn’t want to make the same mistake again!

All this was well and good, but it was unlikely that they would stay the distance, despite all their good intentions. Apart from the usual lack of interest, and further instalments, that appeared by March, the system had other pitfalls.

Quite often by the time that Christmas arrived, young Kevin had grown into a giant and the chosen bike had become too small. Another favourite was that after six or seven months of guarding the chosen bike, usually a few days before Christmas Day, young Tarquin would have changed his mind and wanted something else for Christmas.

I suppose I’m lucky that they didn’t ask for interest on the money!

Green Lane charm

And whilst I’m having a grumble, do you remember when the Constable of St Peter, Mac Pollard, took a proposition to our States suggesting that it might a good idea to restrict the speed in certain narrow, scenic lanes that were ill-suited to speeding vehicles?

The proposition was passed by a majority vote, and the Green Lane scheme was welcomed by ten of our twelve parishes. Cyclists, walkers and horse riders were able to go about their business in a safer environment, and the idea became a huge selling point to tourists.

In 1996 the Island actually won the Sustainable Tourism Award from the British Guild of Travel Writers for its Green Lanes.

I understand that the Constable of St John is putting forward a proposition to raise the speed limit to 20 mph in the Green Lanes.

I thought that you might be interested to hear that.

Braking News

The Tacx bio bottle – the composters’ friend
Dutch drinks bottle (and a lot of other cycling stuff) manufacturer, Tacx, have recently produced a fully bio-degradable drinking bottle that will fit into a standard bottle cage. The bottles are made of 20% post industrial recycled plastic, polyethylene and a revolutionary ‘bio-batch’ additive that makes the polyethylene bio-degradable.

Sunlight, heat and rain will not affect the bottle, but once in a microbiological environment like a landfill site or a compost heap, it will decompose into biomass and biogas. Both these are beneficial to the soil and are easily absorbed.

As yet, the bottle only comes in ‘off white’. But it is possible to have a full colour print applied onto the bottle. For those who think they’d buy more than 5,000 bottles, Tacx can produce other colours or designs of bottle.

MBE for Nicole Cooke
26 year-old racing cyclist Nicole Cooke was made an MBE for services to sport at Buckingham Palace last Friday. Cooke, who is best remembered for the gold medal that she won in the women’s road race at last year’s Beijing Olympics, was presented with her award by Prince Charles. She said that though it was ‘not as hard fought for as her sporting awards, it was nevertheless very, very special’.

Since she was sixteen, Cooke has had an impressive career, amongst her many victories are: Commonwealth Road Race championship, 9 times British Road Race champion, twice winner of La Grande Boucle Feminine, the women’s Tour de France, and winner of the 2008 Women’s World Road race championship.

Night time patrols reward Oxford Police
Cycling Mecca, Oxford, appears to offer rich pickings for policemen on the lookout for cyclists riding without lights.

During the short period of 6.30 pm to 8.00pm, on Tuesday last week, Oxford Police handed out £30 fines to no less than 84 offending cyclists. However, the police were prepared to waive the fine, if the offenders returned to the police station within seven days with a valid receipt for bike lights.

And finally,
If you think that you’re pretty good on a bike, take a look at these two young ladies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b36Yi-Pb1wM