David is Tynedale's first Bicycle Mayor!

doing the shopping in former home in South London, using a bike trailer. Traffic congestion in London was so bad that Bike was the best way to get around, and it alleviated some of the terrible air quality.

Taking my small daughter to nursery, 2016 (she's now at Sele First School in Hexham). I am proud to say my daughter was cycling independently aged 3.

The Bicycle Mayor network is international and Tynedale is the 150th area in the world to have a Bicycle Mayor! A Bicycle Mayor advocates for cycling and gets people into the saddle: removing barriers, encouraging, enthusing and leading. 

I am honoured to be Tynedale's first Bicycle Mayor and I aim to initiate and support projects to increase cycling in Tynedale. Here's some more about me in the Courant, published on 20 October 2023. Issues I see of importance are: 

• safety: having safe cycling spaces and infrastructure is crucial
• skills and training: children and adults need to be supported to learn key skills
• cycling for daily life: commuting, shopping and the school run
• storage: cyclists need to feel safe leaving their bikes while they work or play, or shop
• affordability and cost of living: low-cost access to bikes, training and bike maintenance can help people save a lot of money in the cost of living crisis
• health: cycling is great for your health at any age and burns fat like nothing else. Those hills really help! Get on your bike to lose weight. 

By the end of my 2 year term I would like to substantially increase the number of cyclists so that Tynedale can become less car dependent and be an even better place to live. If any individual or group has a particular cycling issue they would like to raise, please contact me on my contact page. I am also looking for sponsors to help fund events, infrastructure and to make cycle purchase more affordable.

Competing in Beccles Triathlon in Suffolk in 2018

Promoting Lewisham Family Cycling Library, South London, 2021. My wife was instrumental in starting it up, with funding from Transport for London. I helped out with school visits and promotion. See more about it here: https://lewishamcyclists.org.uk/helping-you-ride/familycyclinglibrary/

Using the WeeHoo child trailer on holiday in Europe in 2023. The child pedals to get up the hills alongside the parent, building leg strength and road skills while protected. It's a great way to take young children on longer rides than they would manage alone.