Biketour To Promote Sustainible Transport, Aug. 2002

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday June 13, 2002 14:00 by Benjamin - Ecotptia-Biketour biketour at online dot ie Ecotopia-Biketour, 38 Upper John Street, Cork-City. 0044 7870 46 72 31

The Celtic-Safari Ecotopia-Biketour Crosses From Dublin-Dingle 1st-14th Aug. 2002

An Annual event for the past 12 years, the Ecotopia-Biketour takes place in a different region of Europe each year. This year the Celtic-Safari Biketour will bring young people from all over europe to cycle from Dover (England, 10th July) across England and Wales to Dublin and to Dingle, Co. Kerry. En-Route we will promote grasroots solutions to climate change and sustanible transport and link with many local campaigns. Please contact us if you live on or near the route or if you would like to participate. Britain: btour2002:yahoo.com Ireland: biketour@online.ie www.thebiketour.net

13th June 2002

Contact:
Ecotopia-Biketour 2002,
38 Upper John Street,
Cork-City
btour2002@yahoo.com - Britain
biketour@online.ie - Ireland
+44 07870 467 231

Cyclists from Ireland, Wales, England and elsewhere have been impressed in recent years by campaigns, along the route, as far afield as Estonia and Bulgaria. Biketour 2002 invites activists and cyclists to get involved, take part or help organise, whether their concern is Disarmament, Development, Genetic-Engineering or Road Traffic Reduction. Biketour participants would love to learn from seasoned campaigners in Ireland and Britain, exchange of ideas would no doubt be two way. If local groups would like to hear speakers from Serbia or Poland for example this could be arranged.

The route is now public, online at: [www.thebiketour.net] There is less than one month to go before we begin the tour but changes to the rote are still possible if they allow us to meet friendly/interesting people or to take action where it is needed.

In order to use Biketour as a political tool we need to link with local campaigners along the route so any contacts would be much appreciated! We are particularly focused on sustainable transport but of course, we are willing to support other environmental/social campaigns.

The Biketour Route, Dates and Places for Ireland...The Welsh an English sections are described on our website at [www.thebiketour.net]

We still need to find some camping places, roughly 50-60km apart: Any suggestions considered.

01.08.02: Dublin (arrive late evening)
--> We are still searching for the cheapest possible ferry crossing from Holyhead so it's not entirely certain which ferry we will arrive on. Any advice on cheap crossings appreciated.

02.08.02: Dublin-rest/action day
--> Any ideas for this day considered

03.08.02: Wicklow Mountains
--> Probably leaving Dublin via Tallaght and the R114 although this is a big hill out of the city so alternative suggestions considered.

--> We plan to cycle south to Kilbride then follow the eastern shore of the reservoir, before heading cross country via The-Curragh to Kildare

--> We could cycle Dublin to Kildare in one day but it would be good to find a place to camp in the Wicklow mountains (night of 03.08.02).

04.08.02: Kildare
--> We hope to remind people that despite the building to the Kildare bypass, opposition to roadbuilding in Ireland has not gone away. (We may stay one night in or near Kildare?)

05.08.02: Slieve Bloom Mountains
--> From Kildare we will cycle on small roads towards Monasteravin then R roads to Portarlington and Mountmellick

--> We will camp between Rosenallis and Ballyfin close to where the “rainbow gathering” environmental festival was hosted nearly 10 years ago.

06.08.02: We will cycle the R422/421 to Birr, Co. Offaly. From here there are 2 options
for the route:
1. Continue west and then follow the western shore of Loch Derg Via Scariff and Kilaloe to Limerick
2. Follow small roads south via Modreeny, Nenagh and Newport and skirt the Western edge of the silvermine mountains

--> Either route we need to find a place to stay for one night before limerick.

07.08.02: Limerick-City (Critical Mass Bike Ride)

08.08.02: 2 Overnight camp half way to Cork-City.

09.08.02: Cork-City (Critical Mass Bike Ride)

10.08.02: Cork-rest/action day (Cork festival of cycling including a pedal powered party in the park.)

11.08.02: Macroom
--> We hope to stay somewhere just west of Macroom, any contacts appreciated

12.08.02: Kenmare
--> Again contacts appreciated for a place to stay

13.08.02: We may make one stop to break our journey between Kenmare and Ecotopia ideas considered.

14.08.02: Ecotopia-Gathering (Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry)
Full details of the European-Youth-for-Action / Gluaiseacht gathering are now online:
http://www.ecotopia2002.org
http://www.eyfa.org/ecotopia2002.htm