On Saturday 14th December 2024, 223 MK residents dressed as Santa rallied at Station Square and set off on a cycle ride through Central Milton Keynes to Campbell Park and back. This turnout beat the previous record of 135 set last year.

As well as creating fun (see Adekunle’s video), the ride drew Council attention to the lack of real ‘redway’ cycle lanes in the city centre, forcing cyclists to cycle either on the road or through busy car parking areas. The ride was reported on ITV Anglia News, including the Council’s pledge to keep listening to feedback from local people.

The ride was launched in Station Square by drum beats from Panacea Samba and MK’s own Santa Claus (actor David Lovesy)

There were speeches from the MK Mayor and MK’s Bicycling Youth Mayor.  Mayor Marie Bradburn (below left) said: “We all know of the environmental benefits of cycling.  Now we need to break down the barriers that prevent people from cycling in MK.  That’s why I’ve made this the Mayor’s Year of Cycling.”

Cody Jackson, Bicycling Youth Mayor (above right), said: “MK is famous for its redways, but they pretty much stop in CMK, where there’s only about 500 metres of redway.  This isn’t enough to encourage young people to cycle here.  If the Council wants to meet its goal of getting more people cycling, there need to be more safe cycle routes in the city centre.”

The Mayor presented cycling awards and prizes for biggest groups of club riders and schools,

• Top Cycling Santa Club, Runner up – Broughton Cycling Club (22 registered cyclists) – £25 voucher in bike store, donated by Madison Cycles
• Top Cycling Santa Club, Winner – MK BMX Club (25 registered cyclists) – £50 voucher in bike store, donated by Madison Cycles
• Top Cycling Santa School, Runner up – Two Mile Ash School (13 registered cyclists) – £25 voucher in bike store, donated by Madison Cycles
• Top Cycling Santa School, 1^st place – Cold Harbour Primary School (16 registered cyclists) – £100 voucher in bike store, donated by Madison
• Best Blinged Bike (3rd place) – Limited edition Quality Street chocolates, donated by John LewisBest
• Blinged Bike (2nd place) – £10 voucher donated by John Lewis
• Best Blinged Bike (1st place) – Knog 600 lumen cycle lights, donated by Madison Cycles.

The Cycling Santas then set off on their way through CMK (route).

Then it was across to the MK Rose

and round a few times before returning back to the Square.

Then there were free mince pies and oranges for everyone from the Mayor at the end.

Thanks to Lime Bikes and Santander for providing 25 and 16 free bike hires respectively.

Cones and area marking tape were provided as usual by Ringway.

Staging and amplification provided by Bob Adams.

Photos by Jane Russell Photography, unless otherwise indicated.

Other cool photos:

For further information, contact tom.bulman@cyclingmk.org, 07962 838685.

On Wednesday 11th September, school and civil society leaders attended the launch of a Mayor’s initiative to make cycles more accessible to MK residents. The event was hosted by Cycle Saviours, the city’s own cycling re-cycling centre.

The Mayor supported Cycle Saviours’ appeal to householders who have bikes which they are not using, to bring them to Cycle Saviours so they can be used by other residents who don’t have a bicycle.

“You can’t enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of cycling if you don’t have a working bike you can ride,” Mayor Marie Bradburn said. “Cycle Saviours helps to address this by providing recycled bicycles at very affordable prices and also repairs. Together with the Council they’re doing all we can to get people on bikes at the start of Autumn.”

The event opened with a welcome from Simon Rudiger, CEO of MK Christian Foundation which runs Cycle Saviours (among other social enterprises) and Ian Revell, CEO of MK Community Foundation, which supports projects to address transport emissions. Bike Mechanic Ethan Barker explained how bikes are received and recycled.

Cllr Mandy Legg spoke about why increasing cycling matters to MK City Council, and then the Mayor introduced the Year of Schools Cycling, and talked about her personal cycling during Cycle September using the Love To Ride cycling app.

Bikeability instructor Richard Allman spoke about how MK school’s can access the Council’s Bikeability Training , in which schools host Bikeability trainers for 1-3 as they train up to 48 children aged 9-11 to ride on the redways and roads, starting in the playground.

Teachers Richard Hill of Glebe Farm School and Grant Malloch of Coldharbour School spoke about their positive experiences of Bikeability Olympics, in which primary school children compete to demonstrate bikeability skills and win Gold, Silver & Bronze medals.

Then teacher Jake Saville of Two Mile Ash School explained how his school had been involved in a pilot of Bike Bus, involving parent volunteers cycling with a group of pupils, picking up pupils at different points on a route to school.

Cody Jackson, Lord Grey Academy student and MK City Council Youth Councillor, talked about ideas from Youth Council about how to increase youth cycling.

Jane Whild of Voices of Women in MK talked about how to increase the % of women cycling to 50% and gave the results of a recent survey.

Ann Shrimpton, leader of Breeze rides for women, who recently accompanied Olympian cyclist Chris Boardman on a stretch of the ride to the Paris Olympics, talked about what works in encouraging women to cycle: opportunities to cycle, promotion of images of women cycling, confidence, role models, and building a sense of community in cycling by adding coffee & cake stop offs to weekend leisure rides.

David Haggart, Disability and Inclusion Relationship Manager at LEAP With Us , talked about various ways to help people with disabilities to enjoy cycling.

Hayley Roche and Raeesa Chowdhury, MK City Council Transport officers, launched See.Sense bike lights to track cycle usage and identify redway and road issues for cyclists (register here if interested).

Finally Simon Rudiger outlined next steps for the Cycling Citizens MK alliance, and the overarching goal of achieving 7% modal share for cycling in MK, and cyclists being 50% women.

When Phil Berry, 46, locked his bicycle to the bike parking racks at Station Square, so he could get the train to work at King’s College in London, he didn’t expect to come back and find the rack cut through and his bicycle gone. And his D-lock stolen too.

“At first I felt panic, didn’t know what to do, but made my way home ok,” he said.  “Then I immediately came back to take a photo (see photo) and report it to the police.  Two days later I got an automated message saying sorry, there’s nothing they can do about it.  Now I’ve gone back to getting lifts to the station.

Phil, who grew up in Newport Pagnell, worked 18 years at The Open University and now lives in Shenley Lodge, is not the only one who has had their bicycle stolen from the bike racking outside the Station.  According to a survey in Mail Online, nearly 100 bicycles are stolen every year from that location, making Milton Keynes station the worst place to leave your bike in Britain.

“It’s really put me off,” said Phil.  “I don’t feel motivated to get a new bike, even a £25 bone shaker, because it seems they’ll steal any bike.”

Kurshida Mirza, High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, has pledged action to tackle the issue by organising a meeting between Thames Valley Police and Cycling Citizens MK alliance.  She made the pledge before setting off with more than 80 cyclists on a Unity ride through Central Milton Keynes led by MK Mayor Marie Bradburn.

Mayor Bradburn said: “During my Year of Cycling, it’s important we tackle all the issues which are putting people off cycling in MK,” said Mayor Marie.  “It’s unfair that MK residents are routinely being stolen from and nothing done to prevent it.  As first citizen of MK, I’m not going to stand by.  I pledge to help the High Sheriff by involving the Council as well as the police in putting a stop to the bike thefts from Station Square.”

On Thursday 11th July, 80 cyclists joined the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire Kurshida Mirza and Mayor Marie Bradburn on a celebration cycle ride through Central Milton Keynes. Mayor’s Cycling Awards were presented and the High Sheriff pledged to help tackle bicycle thefts from Station Square.

Some arrived at Station Square in group rides from the corners of MK to enjoy free Dr. Bike repairs, free hire bikes, free hot snacks and free samba beats from Panacea Samba.

Following a welcome from Ian Revell, CEO of MK Community Foundation, and a poem about Peace & Unity from local blogger and cyclist of ‘heart-shaped rides’, Sarah Bayaidah, the High Sheriff spoke about the importance of peace and unity in the region.

She also pledged to help tackle bicycle theft in Station Square: “I am aware that Station Square here is a place where many bicycle thefts occur. According to one report, it happens every four days. As someone quite new to cycling, I am pledging to organise a meeting between Cycle Citizens MK, the Mayor of Milton Keynes and Thames Valley Police to discuss the problem and work towards a solution and to make Station Square a community space we can all be proud of.”

Marimba Carr, Deputy Director of Public Health, and Dr. Thao Nguyen of Parkside Medical Centre, talked about the health benefits of cycling.

MK Mayor Marie Bradburn talked about her vision for a ‘Year of Cycling’. She pledged to focus on children’s Bikeability training (80% target), getting more women cycling (50% target), and helping MK City Council achieve Active Travel England rating 2 for more cycle infrastructure funding to MK.

She presented Mayor’s Cycling Awards:

• Bikeability Bronze: Caroline Haslett School
• Bikeability Silver: Bushfield School (presented earlier)
• Bikeability Gold (shared): Loughton School and Two Mile Ash School
• Bikes On Site – Watling Academy (17.4 bikes per 100 students) – collected by Assistant Headteacher Cameron Parks

Bikeability certificates were also awarded to two recently trained adults.

After a ride briefing from Dave Lewis of MK Parks Trust, the cyclists set off up Midsummer Boulevard towards the Light Pyramid in Campbell Park.

Then the riders reached The MK Rose.

At the Light Pyramid, cyclists gathered for a group photo

…then left for home.

Thanks to those who led the group rides from four corners of MK:

• North-east MK – Councillor Tony Oyakhire and Council Travel Officer Hayley Roche
• South-east MK – Ann Shrimpton, Breeze Women’s Cycling Group
• South-west MK – John Ritchie, Team MK, collecting pupils from Cold Harbour School
• North-west MK – Dave Lewis, The Parks Trust

Thanks to Ringway Infrastructure Services for proving cones and tape on Station Square.

Click here to register for Cycling Santas ride 14th December 2024.

For more information, contact Cycling Organiser Tom Bulman, 07962 838685.

Photos above from JAR Photography.

Following her ‘Year of Cycling in MK’ launch to Full Council earlier on Wednesday evening,

new MK Mayor Marie Bradburn led a community fun ride through Central Milton Keynes on Thursday 16th May.

Adorned in fresh flowers supplied by MK social enterprise Branch Out,

she was joined by 45 cyclists from all across the city.

After free Dr Bike repairs from Cycle Saviours from 4pm, people gathered with their bikes and were welcomed by Ian Revell of MK Community Foundation and Simon Rudiger of Cycle Saviours.

Ann Shrimpton of Breeze Women’s Cycle Group then introduced Mayor Marie Bradburn.

The Mayor outlined her vision of a ‘Year of Cycling’:

• focus on children’s Bikeability training (80% target)
• getting more women cycling (50% target)
• helping MK City Council achieve Active Travel England rating 2.

Then she presented a special School Cycling Champion award to teacher Jake Saville of Two Mile Ash School.

Jane Whild of Voices of Women in MK presented the results of two important recent surveys: MK Adults Cycling Survey and MK Schools Travel Survey.

In response, Cllr Jenny Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member for Public Realm, spoke about what’s needed for MK City Council to achieve Active Travel England rating 2 & what the Council is doing to get there.

Then cycle parking campaigner Hazel Dean explained what’s needed to get bicycle parking at Sainsbury’s in CMK (details below).

After a ride briefing, the cyclists then set off up Midsummer Boulevard, with the Mayor accompanied by riders from Breeze Women’s Cycling Group, from Station Square to Campbell Park Light Pyramid.

Then a smaller group of cyclists stopped at Sainsbury’s to talk to the store manager about next steps in the campaign for better parking:

• What’s currently wrong with the Sainsbury’s bike parking – underground and dangerous to get to with no infrastructure to secure bikes
• What we want to see made available for bike parking at Sainsbury’s – better placed and secure racking outside the store with easy access
• Why they have turned down helping us – say they have no money for such things even after another year of record profits
• What we can do to change their minds – let’s go shopping and show them that cyclist are real people who buy stuff.

That’s another story.

Below: MK 2050 painting by local artist Tim Layden, below, will be hung in the Mayor’s parlour.

Thanks to MK’s outgoing Mayor and Mayoress, Cllr Mick and Mandy Legg, for their support of cycling in their mayoral year. At three Mayor’s Cycling Awards events they have presented 23 awards (7 businesses, 16 schools) for achievements in the Business Cycling Challenge and Schools Cycling Challenge.

40 Year 5-6 pupils from six schools participated in Heat 1 of this year’s Bikeability Olympics. Hosted by Bushfield School in Wolverton, and attended by Deputy Mayor Marie Bradburn, who presented the certificates, the Heat ended in a close contest for three team entries in the final at thecentre:mk on 5th July. With just 19 points separating the top five teams, the winning three were: Caroline Haslett (71 points), Bushfield (68 points) and Oxley Park (55 points) – see full results.

Heat 2 will be hosted by Two Mile Ash School on Tuesday 12th June.

On an evening of high wind and rain, a group of 10 hardy cyclists met in Station Square.

After an introduction from Ian Revell, CEO of MK Community Foundation, a message of cycling support from MK Mayoress Mandy Legg, and prizes for best dressed cyclist (chocolate eggs donated by John Lewis), a large cycling rabbit led the ride up Midsummer Boulevard and across The Hub to Sainsbury’s.

For several months, campaigners have been appealing to Sainsbury’s to provide a few cycle parking spaces to encourage shoppers to cycle, at a cost approximately equal to one minute of Sainsburys’ annual profit. Currently there are none, only an allocated ‘Bicycle Parking’ area in the car park with no fixings, so cycles have to be parked against a nearby road safety railing.

In a recent email response, Sainsburys has said no ‘because of the cost’.

The aim of this action was to politely ask for a reconsideration and to ask where we’re supposed to park our bikes…

The cyclists were eventually met by a duty manager, who received the latest request, along with two draft press releases – ‘Sainsburys says No to cycle parking’ and ‘Sainsburys says Yes to cycle parking’), and agreed to communicate the further appeal to senior managers.

See that funny bunny hop while warming up for the action…

…and later trying to shop.

In a post-action evaluation, the cycling campaigners said they felt energised by the action, satisfied they had progressed the relationship with Sainsburys, and willing to return soon, if necessary, to continue the campaign for a deal.

Following a survey of 1,173 Year 7 students across 12 MK secondary schools, the following report has been launched.

Cllr Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children & Families, said:  ‘We know children learn more easily when they get enough physical exercise, so cycling or walking to school is a pro-brainer!  That’s why MK City Council has set a target of 80% of Year 6 pupils receiving Bikeability training.  Now we need more schools and parents to help achieve it.”

Cllr Emily Darlington, Cabinet Member for Adults, Housing and Healthy Communities, said:  “We know 40% of our children in MK’s most deprived neighbours are undertaking less than 30 minutes of exercise a day, which is less than medical experts say they need.  Walking or cycling to school is such an easy way for children and young people to get the exercise they need.  We want to do all we can to help with this.”

Cllr Jane Carr, Cabinet Member for Tackling Social Inequalities, said:  “One in five MK households has no access to a car, so freedom to travel around our city is in issue of social equality.  For people who live in these households, we want to make walking and cycling as safe and attractive as we can.”

Jim Parker, Executive Principal of Lord Grey and Stantonbury secondary schools, will say:  “There are obvious health benefits to having twice daily exercise.  It could be the start of a lifetime exercise habit.  I used to cycle to school every day and still do cycle to work when I can.  There are big social benefits too of being with your friends as you walk, scoot or cycle to school.”

Julie Dawes, Events & Community Engagement Manager at The Parks Trust, a founder member of Cycling CitizensMK alliance, said:  “We welcome this report. We encourage people to walk and cycle in our parks, and we’re pleased the ‘Follow the Rabbit’ ride will end at the Light Pyramid in Campbell Park so everyone can enjoy the view.”

On Thursday 14th March, primary school leaders from across Milton Keynes received Mayor’s Cycling Awards for their achievements in Bikeability training and Modeshift STARS progress. The event was hosted by Ringway Infrastructure Services and attended by 25 guests. Awards were also made to secondary schools which have excelled in the MK Secondary Schools Cycling Challenge.

After a welcome from Ringway’s Daniel Mullins, and an update on the Cycling Citizens alliance’s data monitoring from Michael Pattinson of PWC, Organiser Tom Bulman presented the summary findings of the new report on Year 7 cycling to school.

MK Mayor and Mayoress Mick and Mandy Legg presented the following awards:

• Top Cycling Secondary School (most cycles on site per 100 students in March 2024) – Glebe Farm School (10.7)
• Top Cycling Primary School (most progress on Modeshift STARS) – Cold Harbour (‘Very Good’), Two Mile Ash (‘Good’), Barleyhurst (‘Approved’)
• Top Cycling Primary School (high % Year 5 & 6 pupils on Bikeability training in 2023-24) – Knowles (68.5%), Barleyhurst (56.9%)
• Bikeability Champion Schools pledging 80% participation by March 2025 – Giffard Park, The Premier Academy, Two Mile Ash.

Cllr Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children & Families (main picture above), spoke about the importance of MK City Council’s target of 80% children receiving Bikeability training and pledged to promote the recommendations of the report (above). Bikeability instructors Richard Allman and Maria Riding spoke about the progress primary schools are making in Bikeability training and in using the Modeshift STARS platform for recording and monitoring achievements in promoting active travel.

Jane Whild, of Voices of Women in Milton Keynes, talked about the recently launched campaign to increase cycling by women and asked all attendees to complete this survey

and encourage others to do the same. Ann Shrimpton, leader of Breeze rides for women, celebrated last week’s ride to celebrate International Women’s Day, and Ian Revell, CEO of MK Community Foundation, outlined the upcoming City rides planned in March, May, July, September, December) including the Follow The Rabbit ride on Thursday 28th March.

Finally attendees had a chance to see up close an e-assisted quadra-cycle (see below), similar to the one intended for next year’s MK Mayor, as outlined by Tristan Allen of Fully-charged e-bikes.

Other winners unable to attend were:

• Top Cycling Secondary School (most students in Year 7 travel survey) – Watling Academy (220)
• Top Cycling Secondary School (highest % students in Year 7 travel survey) – Kents Hill Park (91%)
• Top Cycling Secondary School (most cycling promotion initiatives) – Walton High (7)