A £913 million plan to revolutionise cycling in London was announced today by the capital's mayor Boris Johnson.  

Saying he wanted to "de-Lycrafy cycling", Mr Johnson outlined plans for a 15-mile cycle route from the western suburbs to Canary Wharf In Docklands and Barking in east London. 

The route will include Dutch-style fully segregated cycle tracks along, among other places, the Victoria embankment and the Westway flyover. 

Under the plan, a range of new cycle routes will open over the next four years parallel to and named after Tube lines and bus routes. 

The plans will include:  

A new network of "Quietways" - direct, continuous, fully signposted routes on peaceful side streets, running far into the suburbs, and aimed at people put off by cycling in traffic. Better segregation between bikes and other vehicles. Improvements to existing "superhighway" bus routes. Improvements to junctions deemed the least safe fo cyclists, including Blackfriars, Vauxhall and Elephant & Castle. Encouraging more out-of-hours deliveries by lorries to improve cyclist safety. 20mph speed limits for all traffic on some cycle routes. An electric bike hire scheme, similar to the existing Barclays Cycle Hire, will be trialled

Mr Johnson - a keen cyclist himself said: "I want to de-Lycrafy cycling. I want to make it normal, something for everyone, something you feel comfortable doing in your ordinary clothes. Our new routes will give people the confidence to get in the saddle.  I do not promise perfection, or that London will become Amsterdam any time soon. But what I do say is that this plan marks a profound shift in my ambitions and intentions for the bicycle. The reason I am spending almost £1 billion on this is my belief that helping cycling will not just help cyclists. It will create better places for everyone. It means less traffic, more trees, more places to sit and eat a sandwich.  It means more seats on the Tube, less competition for a parking place and fewer cars in front of yours at the lights. Above all, it will fulfil my aim of making London's air cleaner."

...to raise awareness and funding for Nomad Sports Academy for Orphans and Underprivileged Youth in Zambia.

The journey will start in Livingstone, Zambia at the Victoria Falls, in December 2013 and head towards Tanzania, then Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, cross Europe all the way to NordKapp, Norway, then head east to Russia, across the great country to Vladivostok, jump on a ferry to Japan, cross the country of the rising Sun, fly with the bike over the Berring Strait to Vancouver, Canada, head South on the West Coast of US, Central America, cross the Darien Gap to Colombia, then head towards the great Patagonia in Chile, then North to Argentina, and Brazil to Sao Paolo, where we ship the bike to Cape Town, South Africa for our last leg to Zambia.

The journey will take almost 2 years, with no support car, or crew, but us and our bike. 

Complete reports of our whereabouts and our stories will be uploaded to the website, our twitter account: @johnnomad1, on Horizons Unlimited and on various newspapers and websites that have shown kindness in helping create awareness for this amazing project.

Nomad Sports Academy for Orphans is a unique community of orphans that offers the children a great chance to become professional athletes and develop their characters and personalities for many other skills in life.

For more info contact John @

[email protected]

[email protected]

A new book provides a virtual tour of Ducati Museum, with 60 years of history illustrated with 25 of the greatest Ducati racing motorcycles.

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy) 5 March - For Ducati fans, visiting the Italian motorcycle manufacturer’s official Museum in Borgo Panigale, Bologna is like coming home and each year a steady stream of owners and enthusiasts arrive to soak up the spirit of competition that made Ducati a legendary name for more than 60 years. Now, the Museo Ducati book from David Bull Publishing offers readers the next best thing to visiting the famous Museum.

Publication author, Chris Jonnum, and photographer, Peter Harholdt, profile 25 of the greatest racing motorcycles on display at the Museum. The tour begins with a 1947 Ducati Cucciolo motorised bicycle and concludes with the 2010 Ducati Desmosedici GP10 ridden by MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden. Other highlights include a Ducati 900 Super Sport prepared for Mike Hailwood’s legendary 1978 win at the Isle of Man TT and the 1990 Ducati 851 that Raymond Roche rode to the company’s first-ever World Superbike title.

Harholdt captures the essence of each one of the unique machines in stunning detail with photographs taken in a specially prepared studio at Ducati's headquarters in Bologna, Italy. His carefully composed images reveal each model’s overall design as well as details of engines, frames, suspension and other components. Detailed text by Ducati Team Press Officer, Chris Jonnum, explains each motorcycle’s contribution to Ducati’s long and rich heritage of racing success.

The book’s large 9” x 11” format and superior design add to the impact of the images, and for the benefit of readers in Ducati’s home market, the text is rendered in both English and Italian. The price of just $39.95 or €32.90 in Europe (£26.99 in the UK) makes Museo Ducati affordable to a wide range of enthusiasts. Available via Shop.Ducati.com, the new book can also be purchased through book stores, specialty motoring booksellers or directly from the publisher by visiting the David Bull Publishing website at www.Bullpublishing.com

Book Details

Title: Museo Ducati

Subtitle: Six Decades of Classic Motorcycles of the Official Ducati Museum

Author: Chris Jonnum

Photographer: Peter Harholdt

Format: Hardcover, 9” x 11”, 144 pages, text in English and Italian

Photos: 107 colour images

ISBN: 978-1-935007-16-6

About the Author

American, Chris Jonnum, edited specialty motorcycle magazines for two decades and was the author of The Haydens, the authorised biography of Nicky, Tommy, and Roger Hayden. He is now the Ducati Team Press Officer for Ducati Corse.

About the Photographer

In a career that has spanned 30 years, Peter Harholdt has photographed precious objects for clients like the Smithsonian Institution, the White House, the Louvre, and the Museum of Modern Art. He has been a racecar constructor, has raced in SCCA and IMSA and has taught in racing and high-performance driving schools.

About the Publisher

David Bull Publishing is dedicated to producing the best books in motorsports. Founded in 1995, the company has consistently won praise from readers and the media for the editorial quality and presentation of its titles.

Ordering

Museo Ducati is available via Shop.Ducati.com, through book stores, specialty motoring booksellers and directly from the publisher at www.Bullpublishing.com

The off-road motorcycle racer, most famous for being the first British woman to complete the gruelling Dakar Rally, is supporting Riders for Health at the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) Show 18th – 19th May at the Peterborough Arena (formerly east of England Showground).

Patsy Quick became the first British woman to complete the legendary desert endurance race, the Dakar Rally, in 2006. Her incredible achievement came after three unsuccessful attempts, one of which cost Patsy her spleen. Prior to the Dakar, Patsy was both British and European Women’s Enduro Champion.

Now Patsy is supporting other women who are achieving incredible feats with motorcycles. In Africa, Riders for Health trains female health workers to ride confidently and safely in the difficult terrain to deliver life-saving health care to remote rural villages. Riders also trains and employs local people as technicians to service the bikes on a regular basis so that they never break down, no matter how harsh the conditions.

Patsy will lead a ride-in on behalf of Riders for Health to the BMF Show at Peterborough Arena (formerly the East of England Showground) on Saturday 18th May.

There will be the opportunity for members of the public to join the ride en-route. Further details on how to book tickets and the route will be released nearer the time on the BMF and Riders for Health websites.

‘I think that the work Riders for Health does is vital to the continued health of people in developing countries,’ explained Patsy. ‘It’s amazing to think how many lives in Africa have been saved by a motorcycle.’ At the May BMF Show, Patsy will be helping Riders for Health to promote their off-road fundraising ride to Zambia, Experience Africa.

Experience Africa is more than an off-road motorcycle tour. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the inspiring work being done in Zambia by Riders for Health and see how motorcycles are saving lives in Africa. What’s more, the money raised from the ride helps to support their humanitarian work.

Riders for Health are running a raffle at all of the events that they are attending this year to give away a free place on one of the 2014 Experience Africa rides. For your chance to win this incredible prize worth £4,800, visit Riders for Health’s stand in the NEW Adventure and Overland area at the May BMF Show or at the BMF Tailend Show (14th – 15th September) and buy a ticket for just £1.

You can also buy tickets at The BMF Kelso Bikefest, British Superbikes races, Day of Champions and the British MotoGP and World Superbike races at Silverstone. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Tailend Show on Sunday 15th September at Peterborough Arena.

Show organisers, The Mulberry Group’s, Managing Director Martin Chick commented “We are really excited about having Patsy at the Show and we hope as many people as possible will be able to join her on the ride-in”. The New Adventure and Overland Touring area at the show will give everyone the opportunity to meet Patsy and the Experience Africa team as well as seeing some great presentations”.

Riders for Health is the official charity of MotoGP™ and the Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM). The organisation provides health workers in Africa with motorcycles so that they can reach remote villages with vital health care.

Patsy now runs her own off-road motorcycle school, Desert Rose Racing, helping other riders to achieve their rally dreams.

Following the huge success of the two previous events, the third annual Prescott Bike Festival on Sunday 7 April 2013 will be even bigger and better with many more bike manufacturers involved, a large display of historic, modern and race bikes in the paddock, more bike clubs than ever and lots of entertainment for all the family.

Most recently, we've had confirmation of several rare and interesting bikes that will at the Festival. These include the following bikes on display:

• David Jeffries' Suzuki GSXR1000 TT bike
• James Toseland' s first World Superbike, a Honda CBR600
• The original Old Spice Ducati 916 British Superbike
• The ex-Reve Red Bull John Reynolds Ducatti 996RS Championship bike

The many interesting bikes in action during the day now include the following:

• Tony Hudson's 1963 replica works Honda, four-cylinder, 250cc racer as ridden by Jim Redman, Mike Hailwood etc.  It looks and sounds just like the real thing and revs to 16,000 just like the 1960’s works bikes
• The ex-BSB Honda CBR1000 entered by North Glos Road Racing Club, ridden by Johnny Rea and prepared by HM Plant for Red Bull Racing

Also entered by North Glos Road Racing Club, the ex-Black Horse Kawasaki ZX10 Superstock bike ridden by Connor Cummins then Victor Cox. 

For bikers who enjoy classic machinery, Adrian Sellars is bringing his 1956 Norton Manx and a reverse-head 350cc Norton. He will be joined by Clive Hurst with a 1974 three-cylinder, two-stroke 1974 Kawasaki and a 1975 1000cc PEM Kawasaki.

As an event to raise awareness and funds for the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes and one of its member groups, Severn Freewheelers, the first annual Prescott Bike Festival in 2011 attracted in excess of 5,500 visitors and raised more than 52,000 for charities. The 2012 Prescott Bike Festival attracted more exhibitors, had even better displays, was visited by more celebrities and raised more money for charities.

After attending last year, MotoGP commentator, Steve Parrish, said: "I had a really great day at the Prescott Bike Festival. I was like a kid in a sweet shop with other like-minded petrol-heads. Riding a 220mph grand prix Ducati up a hill that I hadn't seen before certainly got my attention. Then I was given the keys to a brand new Morgan three-wheeler to take prize winners for a run. I can think of no better way to spend a Sunday."

The Prescott Bike Festival 2013 will build on the success of the previous years by introducing a number of new features. These include a 'Happy Hour' an hour of activity on the hill featuring rare race machinery and factory bikes – in fact, anything that's special, different, rare or exotic. This is no static display; every entry to Happy Hour will Run the Hill. Not only will spectators be able to get close to some really special kit, they can hear it fire up and Run the Hill.

During the day, spectators who purchased Run The Hill tickets (now sold out but there are still plenty of General Admission tickets available) also have two opportunities to ride their own bike up the famous Prescott Hill Climb course

Festival organiser, Gordon Downie, says, “Obviously the unique opportunity to ride the hill is a major attraction, but the Prescott Bike Festival promises so much more. With all major motorcycle manufacturers in attendance, fans will get the chance to see all the major models up close and personal, a host of trade stands as well as famous racers and great lunchtime entertainment too. The festival really is set to offer something for every motorcycle fan.”

Other features of the Prescott Bike Festival 2013 include:

Dealer stands from the likes of Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Enfield, Triumph, AJP, Harley, Victory, BMW and KTM

Demonstrations throughout the day by 10 times British Trials Champion, Steve Saunders

A demonstration of the exciting new motorcycle sport, Moto Gymkhana

An opportunity to meet celebrities including Nick Sanders (who has motorcycled around the world seven times) and Chris Hodgson (current British Supermoto Champion)

Thrilling passenger experiences on a variety of machinery

Plus more than 100 trade stands

There will also be many displays of bikes of all ages and types including:

Ducati Sporting Club's Desmo Due one-make race series

The Classic 50cc Racing Club – 50cc racing machines and their riders from the early beginnings around 1953, through the classic period and up to the time when the class was dropped from GPs in 1983

Leominster Classic Club

The National Chopper Club – showcasing extreme custom bikes

Musical entertainment will include covers band, Come Up and See Me, and (returning by popular demand), 1950s inspired rockabilly, rock & roll and R&B band, Josie and the Outlaw.

Set at one of the most prestigious hill climb venues in the UK against the beautiful backdrop of the Cotswold countryside, the Prescott Bike Festival aims to provide something for everyone; a relaxed family atmosphere, a huge variety of entertainment and a rare opportunity to ‘Run the Hill’ on your own motorcycle. All proceeds from the day will go to the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes and Severn Freewheelers.

Venue:

Prescott Hill Climb, Gotherington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 9RD,

Easily accessible from junction 9 of the M5 and from London via the A40 to Cheltenham.

Tickets:

Advance tickets are £12; under 16s (with a paying adult) get in free.

On-the-day tickets are £15; under 16s (with a paying adult) get in free.

Run the Hill tickets are £35 and must be purchased in advance.

There is no charge for bike parking (free side stand puck provided)

Car parking is £3 per vehicle.

Disabled access: there are a limited number of on-site parking spaces available. When full, there is an overflow facility close to the main car park entrance point. Note that this terrain can be a little rough in inclement weather as it is a hill climb venue.

To purchase tickets in advance visit: www.prescottbikefestival.co.uk

Gates open at 08:30 and track action begins at 10:00. The festival closes at 17:00.