Cycling Short Films

Book now!

Enjoy a free night of short films about, featuring and inspired by bicycles, at the Eye Cinema in Galway. Find out more about the event and register for admittance on http://bikemovie.eventbrite.com

About the event

A celebration of bicycles through films.

A bike-inspired cinema night is one of the novelties planned to add a fresh spark to this summer’s National Bike Week festival.

The series of eight short films explores the depiction of bicycles on film and the work of Irish and international filmmakers interested in this topic.

Highlights of the evening’s celluloid celebration include excerpts from Belfast native Andy Yoong’s new film Break the Cycle, starring Maeve Baxter along with Daniel and Gerard Wolfe, whose exploits on bikes are truly inspirational. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Mourne mountains and Dublin mountain biking trails, this film features the best Irish downhill riders who narrate their passion for the sport and how important this activity is to ‘break the cycle’ of everyday life.

The evening will also see Niamh Kennedy’s directorial outing documenting the exploits of Dublin cycle couriers – a unique subculture of the Dublin cycling scene. Film buffs will be on the edge of their seats for the Irish cinema premiere of Danny MacAskill’s exploits across the Scottish highlands, and the works of international filmmakers including Coline Maldec on Parisian bike culture, and Canadian Mike McKinley’s examination of BMXers in Vancouver locating urban spots to ride.

Chris Tierney, one of the event organisers, says, “It has been a privilege to work with inspiring filmmakers and collaborators throughout, and we hope you enjoy the resulting programme that is on offer this year, which we are sure will be a spectacular movie night to remember.”

The evening will be of interest to cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

The Galway Bike Festival movie night is being held in the Eye Cinema, and is organised by the Galway Cycling Campaign and supported by the Galway City Council and the Eye Cinema.

The festival, which runs from 18–26 June, will also feature public events with live music, and live cycling performances in Eyre Square.

[download id=”36″]

Galway Bike Fest Announced (18th -26th of June)!

The complete calendar of events for Galway Bike Festival has just been released. The festival runs from the 18th to the 26th of June, and this year promises to be a spectacular event, with a huge launch in Eyre Square on the 18th of June, with music, fun games and lots and lots of bicycles. The national bike week event launch is being celebrated in Galway- the first time any city outside of Dublin has hosted this opening event.

The Galway Bike Fest calendar outlines a full programme of activities to celebrate bicycles for all ages and interests, taking place all over the city during the week.

Feel free to check out the full calendar of events in English or Irish, and the Facebook and Twitter details relating to the week’s activities.

We also have a handy draft Google calendar of events on our site- this is still being updated.

The Galway Cycling Campaign will be running two events during the festival. These include the hugely popular annual family treasure hunt, and also a movie night of bicycle inspired films:

Family Cycling Treasure Hunt
The annual Family Cycling Treasure Hunt is a chance for children and adults to explore Galway by bike and learn more about cycling safety, skills and culture.

Date & Time: Sunday 26th of June, 2011 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm

Venue: Starting at Renmore AFC Clubhouse

Find out more…

Cycling Film Shorts
Enjoy a night of short films about, featuring and inspired by bicycles.

Date & Time: Monday 20th of June from 7:00 to 9:00pm

Venue: Eye Cinema, Galway

Book online…

Making everyday a COW Day

Photo: Mick, Elaine, Áine and Aengus from NUI Galway who volunteered to share some great bike accessories around the campus for COW day

Cycle on Wednesday/Cycle to Work day on the 9th of March 2011 was launched with warm praise from students and staff around the NUI Galway campus, who returned to find their bike saddles kept dry with the help of four volunteers, Mick, Elaine, Áine and Aengus. Over 230 saddle covers, 200 reflective leg bands, and 200 wheel spoke reflectors were distributed all around the bike stands, before the goods ran out. We counted, at a conservative estimate, that at least over 400 people made the choice to commute by bike to the main campus on a drizzly Wednesday, indicating the popularity cycling by a very healthy group of road users.

Here are some comments overhead by commuters around campus today:

“Cycling to campus is much faster than walking, and my lectures start at twelve on Tuesday, so there’s no way I’d get parking if I drove. Anyway, I prefer to be on the bike. It saves me petrol money, and I’m not stressed out waiting in traffic”, noted one student.

“I started cycling this year when I moved into an apartment in Salthill. Before, I used to walk to the campus from Hazel Park, but now that I’m a bit further away I like being on my bike and can make it in to college in less than ten minutes”, said a second year Arts student.

“When I’m on the main NUI Galway campus, I park in the Dangan park and ride, and throw the bike in the boot. This means I can spin down to the campus quickly, and get back to the car when I need to”, commented a staff member normally based in Carraroe.

“You’d be mad to drive to college in Galway- it’s so easy to get around on a bike with everything so close”, said an IT student originating from Dublin.

Several others in the city and county got in touch to let us know they were taking part in COW day too, including Marco, from GMIT, and Vernise in Loughrea (thanks to both of you!). Other special thanks goes to Dr. Aoife Collins and Paul O’Donnell from the NUI Galway Green Campus, and to Mary Rose Bogan who helped publicise the event.

Áine took some beautiful photos of bikes around the grounds today (see below):
Check out some more of her pictures online.

Later on, James held a bike workshop in 091 labs, which hopes to soon become a regular event.

Some early bike repair projects have been identified, including the revamp of a decathalon bike with loose brakes, and a chain that keeps skipping out of it’s chainset. Watch out for more from James on future workshop events.

COW day – Wednesday 9th March 2011

What is COW? = Cycle on Wednesday
On Wednesday the 9th of March 2011, everyone in Galway is encouraged to cycle to work, school, college, or to get to wherever you need to go. That includes you!

Photo by Wreford Miller on Flickr (cc)

Why take part?
Bike Week 2011 is coming to Galway this year, with the National Event being launched in the city in June. As part of a lead up series of events, the An Taisce & Green Schools Secondary School are encouraging a city-wide Cycle on Wednesday (COW day) (see their website). This simple idea is also being promoted, by individuals and organisations across the city. The more people who cycle, the safer our roads will be. So why not take part?

What’s happening on COW day?
Some lucky staff and students who cycle on COW day at NUI Galway on the 9th of March will be getting goodies from the Galway Cycling Campaign to acknowledge their contribution to a healthier and less congested Galway. A team of student volunteers via the Community Knowledge Engagement Initiative (CKI) on campus have offered their time to share these out, with passer-bys around the campus on this date.

If your school or workplace, or organisation, or even yourself as an individual is taking part in COW day on the 9th of March, let us know, and we’ll do our best to get a bike saddle cover, or bike accessory out to you too. Email us as soon as you can on: fiona@galwaycycling.org

Galway Schools Encourage Commuting by Bike

It is interesting to note some major cycling initiatives happening in Galway city and county schools, developed by local Green Schools committees and supported by the An Taisce Green Schools Team. The Green Schools website section on cycling contains some useful resources to make cycling a viable alternative to being driven to school. It includes ideas for schools hoping to encourage more students to explore whether cycling is a safe and viable alternative means of travel, by organising bike training and bike maintenance sessions, and intriguingly to hold COW days – not travel of the bovine kind, but Cycle on Wednesday (COW day) promotions. Tiarnan McClusker, from An Taisce, cited in the Galway City Tribune on the 18th of February, noted there has been a national increase of 25% of children cycling to school since 2008, since such initiatives began.

One new scheme launched this week – again by the An Taisce Green Schools Team, along with Galway Healthy Cities and West of Ireland Cycling – has offered five free bikes to teachers on a hire basis for a month, within the Galway city, Claregalway, Barna and Oranmore areas. More information about the scheme is available from tmccusker@eeu.antaisce.org

Another upcoming event includes a week long cycling challenge for secondary school students, parents and staff, from the 7th to the 11th of March 2011 (see their website for more information). This is open to anyone who wants to take part, and is willing to get on their bikes in the city or county, in preparation for the run up to National Bike Week 2011, to be held in June. If you are a regular cyclist, be sure to wave hello at the increased number of cyclists Galway will see out on the roads on this week.

Watch out for information on events in your locality, or perhaps consider organising similar challenge where you work. Oil up your chain, pump up your tyres, and keep an eye out for some of our Galway Cycling Campaign bike accessories, which we’ll be distributing to cyclists out and about.

NUI Galway Green Fair

We always keen to talk to cyclists, and find out what concerns and issues are important to them. Towards this end, we took part in the annual Green Fair at NUI Galway on the 25th of January 2011. The fair aimed to help create awareness of how students and staff can all reduce their impact on the environment.

GCC at the NUI Galway Green Fair

Here, we had the opportunity to speak to a wide range of people who use bikes for transport, recreation or for sport, from occasional cyclists, leisure cyclists, commuters, competitive road bikers, mountain bikers and bike hobbyists alike. All day long, we repeatedly heard people call for increased consideration for cyclists by other road users; safer infrastructure – better surfaced and improved design of roads; slower traveling speeds by other road users within urban areas; and more secure and available bike parking. Many thanks for those who engaged in discussions and took the time to express and share their great ideas on making Galway more cycling-friendly.

A focus on cycling issues was a strong theme at the event, with Critical Mass encouraging folk to come along to their monthly Saturday cycles, and the student’s Eco Soc lobbying with a petition for a bike workshop on campus. Cycling is an extremely efficient and enjoyable way of negotiating the city, and the representation of so many groups and attendees with an interest in getting around Galway city and county by bike was impressive. It points to Galway’s regrowing and thriving bike scene.

Promoting positive images of cycling

The Green Fair also gave us a great opportunity to further promote a positive image of cycling, by handing out free high visibility vests, clever spoke reflectors, t-shirts, and the hugely popular waterproof seat covers (which help to keep your saddle dry when parked – ingenious!).

Special thanks to Dr. Aoife Collins, NUI Galway’s Environmental Manager for her invitation and organisation of the event.

Cycling Campaign Launches Smarter Travel Project with Calendar

The Galway Cycling Campaign has launched its Smarter Travel funded Image of Cycling in Galway project with a high-quality calendar celebrating cycling in Galway city and county. Launching the calendar, city mayor Michael Crowe said, “Anyone in business knows the necessity for good marketing; the business of promoting cycling is no different. With these calendars, Galway has again showcased the grassroots talent that makes Galway an icon for other Irish cities.”

Composed of stunning photographs by up-and-coming talents Chris Tierney and Peter Fedrizzi, the calendars cover all aspects of cycling in Galway and the cyclists who make up all facets of life in Galway city and county. There are cycling teachers, cycling college lecturers, and the smiling children at Galway’s annual Bike Week Treasure Hunt. The amazing success of the Green Schools Travel program is epitomised in a photo of the children of Eagles Nest national school in Renvyle tearing down a local beach on their bikes. There are stories of how cycling helped people overcome adversity, such as Liam Cullinane, who was able to regain his independence after a severe bout of meningitis, and local hurling star Dave Collins, who cycled back to fitness after a catastrophic injury on the pitch.

There is a cycling Garda and a bus driver who cycles to work every day. The arts are featured, with Páraic Breathnach relating the story of his first bike, and Natalia Surina, a harper whose bike is her first choice in transport. The sport of cycling is celebrated with local champion Sadhbh Baxter of the West Coast Wheelers. The grass roots of cycling activism in Galway is also captured in the monthly Critical Mass bike rides, with balloon-festooned cyclists flying the flag for fun (and politics with a small p)!

The calendars are just one aspect of a larger €28,000 Image of Cycling in Galway project co-ordinated by Justyna Kocjan on behalf of the Galway Cycling Campaign. As part of the project, a unified brand and logo for cycling in Galway has been developed by graphic designers Simon Fleming and Alexa Mottram under the catchphrase “Treibheanna ar Rothair” (“Tribes on Bikes”) and will be promoted via various promotional items across the city and county.

The calendars are freely available in bike shops, outdoors shops, Green Schools, Charlie Byrne’s bookshop, Galway City Council, Galway Transportation Unit, HSE Health Promotion, NUIG, and GMIT, and can also be requested by emailing info@galwaycycling.org.

For more information, visit our websites:
www.galwaycycling.org
www.tribesonbikes.ie

ENDS

Notes for journalists

Galway Cycling Campaign:
Formed after a large public meeting in 1998, the Galway Cycling Campaign works to promote cycling as a healthy, convenient and accessible form of transport in Galway city and county. The €28,000-funded “Image of Cycling in Galway” is just one of a number of projects the Cycling Campaign is involved with to promote Galway as Ireland’s Cycling City. Working with the Chamber of Commerce, the campaign has also obtained Smarter Travel projects funding of €400,000 for bike parking at city businesses and €8,000 to train and support Workplace Cycle Champions at offices and factories. Other activities include the annual Bicycle Treasure hunt for the city’s younger cyclists and the Faster by Bike in Galway project (co-funded by the City Council and the HSE), which puts signs up on traffic lights with safety messages, indicating typical cycling times to key destinations. The Cycling Campaign also produces cycle skills leaflets that are now being reproduced in Waterford and Dublin.

Logo design:
Alexa Mottram
alexamottram@gmail.com

Simon Fleming
www.simonfleming.ca
contact@simonfleming.ca

Text editing:
Stan Carey
www.stancarey.com
stan@stancarey.com

Irish text translation and editing:
Gearóid Ó Casaide
Liam Ó hAisibéil

Website design:
James Gallagher

October Meeting

It’s been awhile since our last meeting so we would like to let you know what’s going on and hearing about how you would like to get involved. Thanks to the 091 Labs space we’re going to be having our next meeting at their place (see: http://091labs.com/contact/ for details). Entry is via the side of the building (where you turn towards the Radisson Hotel) and you can bring your bike inside. The space has a small tuck shop: Tea/Coffee/soft drinks and sometimes chocolate on sale, just throw the money in the tin by the kettle.

On the agenda for this meeting, along with anything you would like to talk about, is:

Engagement with city officials and city councillors; catch up on the Seamus Quirke Road scheme and City Development Plan.
Traffic light signs – Signs are collected and the cable ties bought we need to get wood for the mountings and then get it dome
Cycling Champions in workplaces
Image of Cycling project.
Quick report on national events.

We’d love to see you all, so please come by.

(The image used in this post is by Richard Gillespie from his Flickr stream

Dangerous Roundabouts to be Tackled Under the City Development Plan

Councillors passed a Galway Cycling Campaign/Community Forum motion at Monday night’s Council meeting that will see the notorious pedestrian- and cyclist-unfriendly roundabouts of Galway City tackled under the latest City Development Plan.

Under the new Plan, which will be in place by January 2011, the City Executive will be committed to addressing the significant difficulties posed by roundabouts for pedestrians and cyclists. The Plan will compel the Council to explore remedial treatments, such as raised zebra crossings, in order to improve the safety of non-motorised transport users.

Roundabouts on national routes in Portlaoise and Limerick City have already been re-designed to include raised zebra crossings and zebra crossings, and hopefully Galway City will be next

said Oisin O’Nidh, PRO of the Galway Cycling Campaign.

Roundabout in Portlaoise town with two lane entries and raised zebra crossings

The new City Development Plan will also endorse the ‘Hierarchy of Solutions’ in the Government’s National Cycle Policy Framework. This document, which supports the remedial treatment of roundabouts, prioritises traffic reduction, traffic calming and road redesign over dedicated cycling facilities in order to create a pedestrian- and cycle-friendly urban environment. According to Mr O’Nidh,

The inclusion of the Hierarchy of Solutions will enable the City Council to do more to promote cycling ith less revenue. It is the perfect solution for Local Authorities in ifficult economic times.

However, according to Campaign Chair Shane Foran, Galway’s development as Ireland’s Cycling City could be undermined by the actions of Council Director of Services, Ciaran Hayes, who successfully opposed a motion that would have provided primary school children with a network of backstreet routes to school. Mr Foran said:

Cycling to primary school has been in steep decline in Ireland for the past 20 years – down 83% between 1986 and 2006. Proactive approaches such as safe routes to schools are needed to address the low levels of cycling among school children and to foster a culture of cycling for the future. By opposing such measures, the City Council Executive has missed out on a perfect opportunity to dramatically increase the number of young cyclists in Galway, and at the same time ease the chronic traffic congestion that the city currently suffers from during school term.

Groody roundabout Limerick on the N7 out of Limerick towards Dublin

Bike Movie Night in NUI, Galway (Sept 2010)

A Bike Movie Night will take place in NUI, Galway, on Wednesday 22 September 2010, from 7pm to 9.40pm.

The location is the Kirwan Theatre on the main Concourse.

Admission is free! Full schedule and details are here.