Fallowfield Loop protest ride

Too many cyclists have been mugged for their bikes on the Fallowfield loop in recent weeks and the police are not taking it seriously. We want as many people as possible to join us on the Fallowfield Loop for a brief ride next Wednesday night (17th October) to force GMP and transport planners to listen to our concerns.

Manchester is home to the National Cycling Centre and many gold medal-winning Olympians and has the ambition of becoming one of the world’s most cycle-friendly cities. But how can we reach that goal when we do not feel safe riding on one of the few off-road roads currently available in the city?

We want our voices heard so that any new cycle infrastructure is not as vulnerable to muggers as the Floop, and for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to make an effort to catch those responsible for these very scary crimes. In our experience, GMP seems to place very little value on cycle-related thefts, robberies and collisions. We know that police cuts have hit GMP hard but we feel like second class citizens: if there were repeated car jackings at a particular location they would have a full-blown investigation up and running but when cyclists are the target: nothing.

Plan is to meet at 5pm at Station South, the new cycling cafe under construction above the Floop in Levenshulme. We will have pictures taken and people who want to share their experiences with the media can do so. At 5.30pm we will ride together towards the Ashton Canal, which is where many of the recent assaults have taken place.

Bring lights and wear bright clothing – fix placards to your bikes if you can. Please bring your children. We want our cycle paths to be safe for everyone to ride. Pets in baskets welcome too – just not on leads, as we are expecting a strong turn-out and we don’t want them getting caught up in spokes.

If you are happy to talk to the media about your experiences on the Floop, contact me privately here or via h_pidd[at]hotmail.com

Latest details on Facebook event page.

 

PLEASE NOTE: This event is listed in our cycling events calendar for Greater Manchester. It is not organised by Manchester Friends of the Earth nor the Love Your Bike campaign and does not necessarily reflect their policies. We recommend checking with the organisers in case of a change of time or location.

Event Details

Manchester
<10 miles

Location Station South
Manchester, M19 2SY
Start Wednesday 17 Oct 2018 5:00pm
Finish Wednesday 17 Oct 2018 6:30pm