It really doesn't matter if you aren't currently cycling regularly. I do appreciate that the opportunity to cycle comes and goes for some of us. What is more important, I think, is that the contributors understand cycling issues and have something to say that might be of interest to others. And as Garry Lee suggests above, it would be good to have contributors with interests in different topics related to cycling.

So you would be very welcome to post on the CycleSeven blog as one of the seven intended contributors. It isn't so much a matter of strictly posting one article every single week but more a matter of having something to say from time to time. Making leisure cycling feel safer seems to me to be an ideal topic, given the aims of the blog.

Can I use the email address you submitted with your comment to send you some details on how to log in?

I don't live on the top of Winter Hill, by the way, but on the lower slopes, in Horwich.

I like the idea, and the look of your website.

I am 52 years old and the mother of 2 girls, who I occasionally persuade to cycle with me. In the past I cycled to work every day, In various parts of London and elsewhere in the country. When the children were younger I used to transport them in a child trailer, including taking them to and from school. But at the moment I dont cycle regularly.

I dont drive a car, and am very frustrated by the difficulty of getting the bikes to a place we would like to start cycling from. I am also interested in finding ways to help more people to enjoy cycling, particularly those who are not young, fit, car-drivers, because I think the rest of us have (even) more to gain from cycling, if we could overcome the difficulties.

As a software developer I am considering ways of using techology to make leisure cycling feel safer for people who may be nervous of setting off into the unkown alone or with other inexperieced cyclists. I'm taiking about the danger of getting lost or stranded, or finding that one's chosen a route is too difficult, too dangerous or too long.

I dont feel I do enough cycling to be able to commit to a blog post a week, but would you be interested in more occasional articles? I have exeperience of producing web pages, and I do take photographs (although I dont have any of recent cycling trips, unfortunately)

I live in Sheffield, by the way.

Anyway, good luck with your webpage. Do you really live on Winter Hill? I didn't think there were any houses there?

Regards,
Claire Harrison

It will not be easy to make such a blog do well, and the target audience goes beyond the UK even though the authoring would be from a UK (or Irish) perspective. So there's a lot of competition, which is probably the reason why magazines are having such a hard time.

I read your post last night on the CTC forum and am interested. If I don't make one of the seven then no worries – i'll just enjoy the blog as a reader!
I'm 34 (a week on Weds), married with 2 young 'uns and work as an airport plant/vehicle mechanic. I'm ok with most bits of bike maintenance but have only gotten as far as truing a wheel – kudos to Garry for building some – i'll have a go if he writes a how-to

To answer your list of requirements:

* 'Enjoy cycling as one of your main hobbies, and frequently cycle(d) for pleasure and fitness' – I have cycled on & off since learning the wobble on a Raleigh Budgie nearly 30 years ago. In adult life riding tailed off since learning to drive, picking up briefly when buying a new mtb in 1995 which I still use every week. Last year I dusted off the bike early in Feb, fitted mudguards during the so-called summer & haven't put it down since.
I cycle for pleasure, and 'pleasure' is an excuse to leave the car on the drive – whether for short trips, rides with my Wife & kids in tow, grocery shopping, commuting to work (30 mile round trip), or blowing away cobwebs in spare time. There are now a selection of bikes in our garage including a tandem, road bike & even an old Raleigh 20.
The fitness bit for me is acquired through just getting out and riding, not by any strict diet or exercise routine.

* 'Take an interest in the issues facing cyclists, and enjoy expressing your opinion on cycling matters' – Joined our local council cycling forum during the summer and aside from attending their meetings, regularly email between some of the members. So far its been an eye opener to be honest and I hope that there are some local councils out there with more commitment to cyclists than ours. My ambition (probably shared with some of my colleagues there) is to get the councils forum representatives out on a tour of the boroughs roads aboard bicycles. We all live in hope (and I don't mean Hope, Derbyshire )
Aside from that I enjoy the CTCs forum amongst others & enjoy reading cycling blogs of all kinds – if its got pedal powered wheels, it's all good.

* Otherwise yes, yes, yes and yes – Hyde. We used to get our TV signal from your hill until changing to satellite.

I'm intrigued by your concept for this blog and thing that it should do well – particularly here in the UK with cycling increasing in popularity. I only heard about a now defunct magazine titled 'The Ride Journal' the other day and think that in a blog – some posts along those lines, focussing on the ride rather than the machine/groupset/latest goretex coat would make good reading alongside other ideas.

Over the next few days I hope to have the blog set up in working order, but it won't be the final design – that will take a few weeks. Once it is in working order it will be 'usable' as a blog, perhaps for testing. Is there a way I can contact you again other than on this page? Can I use the email address you submitted with your comment?