Jon Barron

Season’s Greetings to all our partners, friends & families.2020 has been a year unlike any other, testing our resilience over and over. For many of you, for many reasons, I expect it has been a year that you’d like to forget.

My thoughts are with everyone, particularly those who have been hardest hit by this year’s events, as we approach the festive period.

The GCP committee and I have taken some solace from the fact that whilst we all went through significant upheaval this year, we thankfully still had cycling and our bikes to help get us through. What’s more, 2020 has seen the active travel debate intensify like never before, with more and more conversations about the many, many benefits that cycling brings; both to us and to our communities.

In 2021, we will continue to play our part in encouraging, promoting and supporting cycling, and all those interested in cycling, across the North East.Whilst 2020 clearly hasn’t been the year we would have hoped for with regards to cycle sport, leisure trips, events, sportives and cycle tourism, we have been delighted to see so many people discovering (and rediscovering) cycling and plan on supporting this throughout 2021 so that even more can join them.

I hope you can manage to enjoy what remains of 2020, and whilst 2021 looks like it will take some time to get itself fully up and running, that I can see you on the road, track or trails sometime soon.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Thank you very much for your continued support!

Happy and Safe Cycling!

Tom Collier, Chair, Grampian Cycle Partnership

Yes, it is only November but, after everything that has gone on this year, we could all be doing with a long overdue treat. Are you looking for that special something for yourself or that special someone? Well, we may just have the thing for you. Your team teal cycle kit is available to order now.

There are jerseys, gilets, jackets, t-shirts, caps and so much more. Why not show your support for local cycling initiatives by wearing the great quality gear we have available from Champion Systems?

Please don’t delay though. In order to secure a pre-Xmas delivery, your order will need to be placed by Friday 20th November.

Simply click on the ‘Team Store’ link below to access the store, choose the items you would like to purchase and make payment as directed.

Team Store; http://eucustom.champ-sys.com/teamstore/?GrampianNov2020

Main Website for product Info: http://www.champsys.uk/

Sizing Guide; https://champsys.uk/pages/sizing-guide

Team Store User Guide; https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2234/7949/files/CSD_Instruction_Manual.pdf?2760363738550965581

Firstly, a massive thank you for all your votes and comments to our survey to find out what you think are our best local road climbs. So, as the votes have all now been counted, we can now reveal…

the joint winners are….Cairn O’Mount (South) and Cairn O’Mount (North)

Of the remainder we gave you to choose from, the finishing order was;

3rd – The Lecht

4th – Cabrach

5th – Gairnshiel (North)

6th – Gairnshiel (South)

7th – Suie (North)

8th – Glenshee

9th – Suie (South)

10th – Queens View

11th – The Lords’ Throat

12th – Pennan to Aberdour

13th – Knaven Hill

14th – Gardenstown

Other Shire suggestions which featured prominently included;

– Cairn Mon Earn

– Slug

– Garrol

– Learney

– Ashentilly

– Brindy

– Raxton

– Monument (Birse-Finzean)

For city climbs, the most common suggestions were;

– Slacks Wood

– Brimmond

– Jacob’s Ladder

– Leggart to Banchory Devenick (just into Shire but offers a great view of city)

*Note from Admin re above: Don’t disagree, but only after I’ve caught my breath!!

When asked what you thought made these climbs so special, the recurring themes were the;

– sense of achievement

– challenge

– relief

– scenery

– views

– quietness/remoteness

What happens next?

We are in discussion with our partners from NEAT (North East Adventure Tourism) to work out the fine detail of how we can together make this happen. Watch this space!!!

Visit Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire Council

Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland

Opportunity North East

Scottish Enterprise

Grampian Cycle Partnership along with the North East Adventure Tourism (NEAT) project are collaborating on an exciting project aspiring to signpost some of the most iconic road climbs in Aberdeenshire.  We are really interested to find out which local climbs you think deserve to be called “iconic” and considered for signage.

The NEAT partners comprise Aberdeenshire Council, Visit Aberdeenshire, Opportunity North East, Scottish Enterprise and Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland.

The remit for this project is mainly Shire based but it may have at least one city hill climb thrown in for good measure. Ideally, we would like to provide as much spread over the area, as possible.

Where have you suffered or glided up the hills, where have you got to the top and thought “this is heaven”?

They don’t have to be the longest or steepest but let’s hear what makes it “iconic” for you.

It could be the view, it could be the switchbacks, it could be the wildlife you have seen.

Where is that secret road climb that you love or hate to get over?

We’ve listed a few suggestions below;

Climb Name	Appx. ascent	Appx. length	Link to map
Cairn O’ Mount (South)	299m	3.1km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256339
Cairn O’ Mount (North)	519m	13.7km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256344
Gardenstown	153m	2.5km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256445?units=km
Suie (North)	179m	2.6km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256400?units=km
Suie (South)	244m	6km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256395?units=km
Cabrach	438m	22km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256373?units=km
Lecht	287m	4.7Km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256346?units=km
Lords Throat	203m	9km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256382?units=km
Gairnshiel (South)	250m	6.9km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256363?units=km#
Gairnshiel (North)	179m	2.7km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256400?units=km
Pennan to Aberdour	215m	6km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256440?units=km
Knaven Hill	183m	7.7km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256450?units=km
Queens View	157m	6km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256375?units=km
Glenshee	345m	14.5km	https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1256345?units=km

To let us know your ranking of these climbs and offer your suggestions for other possibles, please click on this link; https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EE3AY3/

It only takes a few minutes to complete. We will publish the results here and across our social media channels soon. Thank you very much!

You will hopefully be aware of Spaces for People (SfP); a new, temporary infrastructure programme in Scotland offering funding and support to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips and exercise during Covid-19.  SfP is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Sustrans Scotland.

SfP aims to enable statutory bodies to implement measures focused on protecting public health, supporting physical distancing and preventing a second wave of the outbreak.

Aberdeen City Council

Link to Media Release – https://news.aberdeencity.gov.uk/new-physical-distancing-measures-to-make-city-centre-safe/ (29^th May)

Link to Online Consultation – https://consultation.aberdeencity.gov.uk/planning/physical-distancing/ (opened 29^th May, ends 30^th September)   *GCP COMMITTEE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO TAKE PART IN THIS CONSULTATION, TO MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD AND YOUR VIEWS RECORDED*

GCP have been invited by ACC to be part of a group to bring together Transport Users and Operators to try and ensure they get as many views as they can on all the proposed measures.

Others invited to this group, in addition to officers from across several teams within the council, are representatives from CTC Grampian, Aberdeen Cycle Forum, First Aberdeen, Stagecoach, MACS ((Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland), North East Sensory Services and Shopmobility Aberdeen.  This group will meet at least fortnightly for the foreseeable future. 

In addition, the council have stated they will share information on proposals as the SfP measures begin to take shape across Aberdeen.  GCP Committee have already been provided sight of plans for the second phase of the city centre works.  Our response, which has been provided to the city council, is provided below;

https://www.grampiancyclepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/08.06.2020_SfP-Phase-2-City-Centre-Grampian-Cycle-Partnership.pdf

Aberdeenshire Council

Link to Media Releases – https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/apps/news/release.aspx?newsID=5819 (12th June)

https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/apps/news/release.aspx?newsid=5814 (10^th June) and

https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/News/release.aspx?newsID=5796 (29^th May)

GCP will continue to be involved as these plans develop across, initially at least, a few of the town centres across Aberdeenshire.

Note: there may be other applications for SfP funding to follow across the North East, indeed both City and Shire Councils can reapply for additional support should they consider it necessary. Watch this space…

Lastly, the Spaces for People measures cannot be everything to all people, some might be in place for weeks, whereas others might be in place for many months. We will all learn as this process, which is progressing at a tremendous pace, however we must not lose sight of the fact of why these measures are needed; so we can ALL move about more safely and with increased confidence as we hopefully soon return to some semblance of normality with the phased reopening, with obvious conditions and restrictions, of more shops, businesses and workplaces.

For us, it is about much, much more than the bike, car, van, bus or lorry… as the name suggests, it is about people.