Category: Report

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Kidical Mass Reading launched in April 2022. This means that if it were a person it would now be old enough to sit in most child bike seats, even the ones without extra suspension. An exciting milestone to be sure (less importantly it might also be thinking about walking and talking soon, and there’s some walkie talkie news further down this post).

About 35 people gathered at Thames Lido for the ride – despite the fact that many of our “regulars” were away for the holidays. Before setting off we were reminded that the rides aren’t just “cute little fun rides”, they are also a statement that the next generation deserve space to move safely in our cities, and a chance to learn from other cycling families. Not going to lie though, we were also pretty cute and fun – my favourite was the passerby who said wonderingly, “Wow, it’s like a parade!”

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On previous rides we’ve made use of a few helmet communication devices – one on the leader, one on the back marker and one on the ride coordinator who then moved through the ride instructing marshals. My husband Simon, who plans and leads the Reading routes and really loves a gadget, decided it was time for an upgrade. He acquired a large set of walkie talkies and every marshal was armed with one for the ride. It meant that as he approached pinch points he could call for extra marshals up front and they would appear almost immediately (thanks guys, you’re all amazing – special shout out to Nick with his cowbell which was great at grabbing attention and caused many smiles).

This was pretty handy, because it was our most complicated route yet. Kat Heath, our fearless leader, has been clear from the start that she wants the rides to be very visible – they work far better as a campaigning tool that way. However, safety is paramount. It is only now that we are a rather more experienced organising and marshalling team that we felt comfortable leading a ride through the town centre. If that’s not a clear sign that infrastructure needs to change, I don’t know what would be!

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We were grateful to the bus drivers parked on Station Road who were all very polite to the marshals and smiled and waved as the group rode past. We used the bus lane under the railway bridge to swing through to the Caversham side of the station (only possible going North), where I saw two reminders that change is possible in Reading.

The first is the traffic light where I used to have to wait on my bike for a taxi or bus to join me before it went green. I reported it, and it was adjusted so that it can now see me. The second was the station tunnel, which the council has voted to open up to cyclists. We very much look forward to taking a ride through there as soon as it is legal to do so.

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The award for Most Gratifying Kid On The Ride goes to the child who asked at the finish line, “Can we do that again?” We happily told him the date for the next ride (Sunday 7th May, 2pm, meeting by Thames Lido) but it transpired that he actually wanted to go again immediately. Sadly he had to settle for cake and playing with the other children on the nearby grass, but I hope we’ll see him (and you, dear reader) next time.

For February’s ride, we ventured North of the river in Reading. Or rather, from my perspective, I did not venture South of the river (Caversham is our home turf). The weather looked fairly ominous, so we were delighted that 38 riders turned up at Hills Meadow for the ride.

We cycle as our primary form of transport, but actually our kids don’t get to ride their own bikes much except through the local park. This, of course, is one of the reasons that they LOVE the Kidical Mass rides – they get to ride safely on the roads with their friends at a pace that’s comfortable for them. The smiles on their faces are the main reason we keep coming back month after month to do the rides.

The other reason that we organise the rides is to campaign for and raise awareness of the need for better cycling infrastructure. The lack of infrastructure was really driven home to us as we were trying to plan a route through Caversham that – with the marshals help – could be made safe for the children.

Star Road and Briants Avenue are both a nightmare for cyclists. There are cars parked such that there is only one usable lane, but it is still two lane traffic. Even if you wait for a gap in oncoming traffic to go past parked cars, in the time it takes to cycle through the narrower bit a car can come round the corner and decide they are going to drive towards you, pushing you into the door zone of the parked cars. We realised that there is no bicycle route which is safe for children to use to access the Amersham Road estate, a point I have now raised with one of the relevant councillors.

In the end, we took the ride along Hills Meadow, through a few quiet roads and then briefly across Gosbrook Road (our wonderful marshals ensured the children could turn safely on and off it) before swinging up to South View Avenue, through Westfield Park and back onto Gosbrook Road (again very briefly) before passing through the back roads back to the river. We received many waves and smiles from passers by – everyone seemed to enjoy the sight of children out on the road. We look forward to the day when it can safely happen more frequently!

On that note, the council is considering opening up the tunnel under the station to cyclists, which will remove a major pinch point when planning routes that are safe for children (there are only so many places you can cross the railway, and most of them are decidedly cycling unfriendly). If you’re reading this before 23rd February when the consultation closes, go and show some love for the proposal!

After the ride there was again cake (Steffi baked madeleines!) and the kids played together on the meadow and in the park. I saw quite a few adults sharing local cycling tips and test riding each other’s bikes – we have quite a wide range of experience and bicycles on the rides, so its a really useful place to discuss options if you’re considering switching some of your regular journeys to bicycles.

Outside of the rides, Kidical Mass has been invited to participate in CAST and Kat has attended several meetings. We aim to give the next generation a voice and raise the need for cycling infrastructure that suits ALL road users. We are grateful to everyone who has ever attended one of our rides, because you help amplify that message. Do join us in March in Wokingham, or in April in Reading.

Our Kidical Mass rides are very kid-centric in terms of route, pace and goals. The route is always relatively short (2 miles / 3 km) and the pace is slow enough for the littlest of riders. The aim is to build kid’s confidence, create space for friendships and campaign for cycling infrastructure that is safe for them. Though, on that last point, we could (and do) argue that safe infrastructure benefits everyone.

None of this would be possible without our brilliant marshals. They seem to very much enjoy the children’s rides, but they’re definitely capable of going further and faster. So we invited them to come and join us with their bikes lit up appropriately for a Glow Ride

We planned a route that mostly ran along the roads. This turned out to be an unexpectedly useful thing as it was freezing, and only the on-road bike paths that run alongside the main car routes are gritted. Reading Council are far from unique in taking this approach, but if they want more residents to consider walking and cycling as a viable alternative to driving, they need to make sure that the main bike and pedestrian routes are just as reliable as the car routes all year round. Yes, I’m looking at you, corner of Christchurch bridge that stays frozen for hours longer than anything else and catches so many people unawares.

It was delightful riding through town with a group of bike geeks and noticing the things everyone got excited by.

Ooo look there’s a bike box at a traffic light and there isn’t a car waiting in it!

The segregated bike lane on Shinfield Road is really coming on! Can’t wait to use it.

Have you been to Kung Fu Kitchen? You really must, the food is excellent and there’s bike parking just outside.

I also noticed that, though we weren’t actively blocking traffic, we ended up with a queue of cars behind us at times (many thanks to those drivers who had the patience not to try and pass when it wasn’t safe to do so). The fact of the matter is that Reading desperately needs a well maintained network of segregated bike infrastructure. Having this would benefit all road users, and I’m including drivers in that. Enabling people to switch to bikes for short journeys will result in clearer roads and would be good for the planet on which we all rely for our existence.

The ride finished at the Bel and Dragon where we found a suitable corner to raise a glass to the successes of Kidical Mass Reading and Wokingham this year. Then we got straight down to the business of planning for next year. Wokingham’s next ride will be at 2pm on Sat 14th Jan, starting from Elms Field. The next ride in Reading will be a circular route from Hills Meadow at 2pm on Sat 11th Feb. With the nearby car park, we’re hoping this will be more accessible to families who are nervous about cycling to or from a start or end point. Do come and join us, and bring your friends and family!

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Santa’s a busy man in December, so we had to plan well in advance to secure his attendance at Reading’s Kidical Mass Ride. Crucial, of course, was what method of transport would be appropriate for him — it had to be bike related.

Our own esteemed Kat Heath (of 100 Women in Cycling fame) made the opening suggestion that he should be riding on a sleigh pulled by a team of six cyclists wearing reindeer antlers. The rest of the planning team, who are blessed with a little less ambition, but a smidgeon more common sense, shot that right down on safety grounds. Can you imagine the tangle we would have got into crossing London Road?

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When one of our families pointed out that their Urban Arrow box bike can safely carry an adult, it was the perfect solution. We consulted with Santa and he was keen — after all if it’s good enough for our children then it’s good enough for him. R(e)i(n)de(e)r Balthi even wore antlers and a red nose as he captained the bike.

10th December fell at the start of the very cold snap we’ve been having, and it was bitterly cold. Nevertheless there were a fair few families there and our wonderful marshals came out regardless. Many of us use bikes as our primary form of transport so we were fully equipped with layers of clothes and heavy duty gloves. If you ever have questions like how to keep a baby’s ears warm on a bike (elephant hoods worked for us), do ask!

For the first time ever as we approached London Road I was worried that drivers were getting impatient waiting for the kids to cross as a group.  However, they were only honking and waving at Santa, which is allowed.  Throughout the whole ride we got a positively delightful reaction from onlookers.

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On arrival at Forbury Gardens Santa handed out Kidical Mass bike bells, and our wonderful bakers handed out Christmas cookies. There were bells leftover (I’m saying nothing about the cookies) so Santa left them with us — we’ll bring them to future rides so let us know if you missed out. My three year old was extremely excited to fit his official Kidical Mass bell to his balance bike when we got home. I’m not sure our neighbours have been quite as pleased.

Our kids were also very pleased to see their Grandfather who came along for the biscuits and tea in Forbury Gardens. Sadly he just missed seeing Santa, but he was very pleased to hear from them all about how much they’d enjoyed the ride.

ON SAFETY AND SETUPS

Keeping the rides safe is the thing we spend most time on when planning. Most importantly, we just don’t want anyone to get hurt, but it would also set back all of our goals if they did.

It would raise the wrong kind of awareness of cycling issues. It would not increase confidence in our child (or adult!) attendees. And, though a community can be bonded together by a traumatic event, that’s really not what we’re going for.

Maps, marshals and messages are the three key legs of our safety strategy.

1. Maps, because we can’t have a safe ride without having a safe route and a plan. We ride the proposed route making notes on where the difficult junctions are so that know where we need to position our –
2. Marshals. We are so grateful to have a growing pool of marshals who position themselves (at junctions and when riding) to ensure that children are kept clear of hazards. We make sure they know where they need to be with –
3. Messages. We circulate the marked up map ahead of time and hold a briefing just before the ride. We maintain headset communication between the ride organiser and the front and back of the ride, so that we can keep the group together and safe.

October’s ride was a big success – the weather was beautiful, people came (40 of them!) on a variety of bikes (including our first recumbent trikes!) and we all arrived safely and together at Forbury Gardens.

For me, a highlight of the day was watching the children play and the adults mingle after the ride. Our three year old does not yet have the speed or stamina to ride the route, but we brought his balance bike with us and he was delighted to be able to whizz around the gardens with the bigger children.

He also offered his little bike to a one year old to have a go. Many adults also test rode each others bikes. It was great seeing the knowledge sharing of how we all make it work between families with children of different ages.

Please come and join us for our next rides! We’ll be in Wokingham on 12th November or in Reading on 10th December. We’d love to see you, as a rider or a marshal, or even just to meet you at the end of the ride.

On Festivals and Friends

When we talk about why we do Kidical Mass, it always comes back to three C’s

1. Campaigning (for better infrastructure);
2. Confidence (creating a safe place for kids to practice road skills); and
3. Community (building one).

And, my goodness, September’s ride was strong on that last point.

To start with, it was a collaboration between two Kidical Mass organising groups. Our good friends and neighbours in Wokingham started in Woodley and followed the planned Woodley to Palmer Park cycle route, where they seamlessly flowed into the start of our Reading ride.

To finish with, our destination was the Reading Cycling Festival – we swung over Christchurch bridge to arrive at the festival as a 65 strong group – I’m informed we were a very impressive and encouraging sight!

In the middle, our wonderful marshals kept us all safe, pedestrians pointed and took pictures, and drivers were generally very well behaved – we got lots of waves and smiles! And the kids, of course, were all brilliant.

At the festival Kidical Mass shared a stand with WATCH Wokingham (if anyone was wondering what Adrian had in his trailer on the ride, it was everything needed for the stall!). We also met in person some of the lovely people behind other local cycling groups – watch this space for some exciting collaborations regarding post ride activities on future rides!

We were grateful to Woodley Councillor Carol Jewel for finding the ride and volunteering to help as a marshal. All are welcome at our rides – but it’s especially wonderful seeing our elected representatives take our issues seriously.

If you want to help us further our aims, any of the following would help:

1. Write to your local councillor and invite them to join us on a ride.
2. Let us know of any community notice boards where we can pop a leaflet up.
3. Come and join us! Rides will be running on the second Saturday of the month in Reading or Wokingham through until at least January. If you are coming without kids and happy to consider marshalling, please contact us (on Twitter, Facebook, e-mail) so we can send you the details of what is involved.

On the importance of Networks and Nettles

I had been looking forward to the third Kidical Mass Reading cycle ride. I’d seen how my five year old had loved them, I really liked the community involved, and I’m a big fan of campaigning for better cycling infrastructure. 

So, despite the heatwave, I was very disappointed to wake up ill on the morning of the ride. This report is therefore brought to you in partnership with the Kidical Mass Reading Intern, Michael (the aforementioned five year old), who kindly answered my questions.

Where did you ride?

We started at Green Park. We chatted and rode our bikes around as everyone arrived. We cycled to Wateloo Meadows. There was one road that we went next to that was very busy but apart from that it was very quiet ones. There were quite a lot of paths not next to a road.

What’s different about a Kidical Mass Ride?

It felt safe riding on the road because of the marshals. They were making sure the cars didn’t hurt any of the cyclists. It’s busy with a lot of riders, so I felt more safe. It’s nice to ride with other children because they go at the same speed as me.

What happened afterwards at Waterloo Meadows?

We had a snack-ish lunch and I rode my bike down the tallest hill on the bike track with my friend. Then we had some water gun fun. Some of the adults joined in spraying with their water bottles, but the children got them more wet than they got us.

At Waterloo Meadows Cllr Rachel Eden (Reading’s Mayor) and Cllr Jacopo Lanzoni joined the riders, and spoke at length with our lead campaigner, Kat Heath. The ride was written up by RDG.TODAY, and attended by a representative from Sustrans.

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Here are three things you can do to help our cause:

1. Please report any infrastructure issues you see on your outings to the council. When scouting the route, we found that one of the paths was overgrown with stinging nettles – particularly bad for child height riders in shorts. We raised this (which can be done through Love Clean Reading) and it was resolved in time for the ride.
2. If you know of any businesses that will let us put up a poster, please contact us on twitter or through our website kidicalmassreading.co.uk
3. Come and join us! All are welcome. Kidical Mass Wokingham are hosting a ride on Saturday 13th August (You can register on the Facebook event.)
   Our following ride will be a joint one with them on Sunday 25th September – the Reading leg will meet at Palmer Park and finish at Reading Cycling Festival on Christchurch Meadows.

On the trouble of finding a safe route in Reading.

I met Kat at Carter’s Steam Fair in late 2021. She was new to the area and looking to meet other parents who cycled. I was wearing a cycling jacket and balancing my toddler on my hip. Obviously, we were going to end up as friends.

A few months later she announced that she wanted to run Kidical Masses in Reading.

After she had explained what these were – an international movement of family friendly group rides, designed to build children’s confidence, create a community and campaign for better cycling infrastructure – we were in. I knew our five year old would love it. I hoped others would too.

Trying to find a suitable route really rammed home the need for better bike infrastructure in Reading.

We wanted to start and end at a park, so we could gather safely, and socialise and play at the end. However, Reading’s cycle paths don’t generally connect up well, and we couldn’t lead a group including young children through large and busy junctions.

Eventually, after much poring over maps and test riding of routes, we settled on Palmer Park to Forbury Gardens, mostly along the Kennet. On the day, about thirty people joined us. As we rode along, Disney tunes played out from one of the box bikes. We all had a spring in our step for days afterwards.

For the second ride we thought we’d reuse the route. However, the path along the Kennet had been closed to bikes, for months, with no alternative in place. The routes on the other side were also shut. We would have to aim for a different end point.

After a lot more scouting (thanks Simon!), we landed on a route to Christchurch Meadows, crossing the Kennet by the old gas tower site, then passing under the railway before swinging through Kings Meadow to Christchurch Bridge.

Mindful of the increased dangers of this route – a busier stretch on Napier Road, the unfenced Thames close to the path and the sharp downhill turns on the bridge over the Kennet – we were reliant on an even bigger team of marshals to make the ride safe. Many, many thanks to the members of Reading Cycle Campaign, and others, who assisted us with this.

May’s ride was a big success. Despite an atrocious weather forecast we had about seventy enthusiastic cyclists turn up – double the numbers from previously! It was brilliant watching the kids (and adults) enjoying the ride. Almost everyone stayed for homemade cake afterwards (thanks Steffi!), even in the torrential rain.

In May we were part of a wider Kidical Mass action weekend, with over 1,500 riders taking part in the UK alone. The message this sends is loud and clear – we want safe streets for our children.

So, to any councillors that are reading this, I have three requests:

1. Come and join us! And a big thank you to Cllr Rob White and Cllr James Moore for cycling with us in April and May.
2. Please push for consideration of the impact of roadworks and construction on bikes.
3. If you couldn’t safely cycle between your two favourite parks in Reading with a group of children, look to make this easier. (Alternatively, if you can do it safely, please recommend the route to us!).

And finally, to answer the question on everyone’s minds – well, it’s certainly bothering my five year old, as I’m asked almost daily – the next ride will be on July 16th.

Follow us @KiddicalMassRead, find kidicalmassreading.co.uk or join Family Cycling Reading on Facebook for further details.