Bike Train to Springwatch Festival at Stanmer Park, Brighton, 5 June 2011 - call for volunteers

Bike Train visiting the Drive, Hove

Brighton's Bike Train will try out an hourly service on 5th May, along the Lewes Road to Springwatch festival at Stanmer Park. The ride is part of the run-up to national Bike Week (18 -26 June).

Details of ride times and call for volunteers shown below.

Bike Train provides a safer, escorted service along Lewes Road - one of Brighton's main cycle routes - which is notorious for its dangerous pinch points and cycle-unfriendly junctions.

Organiser Duncan Blinkhorn said: "Bike Train enables people to cycle two abreast, taking up one traffic lane, in a fun, sociable, assertive and safe formation."

An hourly, family-friendly, group cycle-ride will go between The Level in central Brighton and Stanmer Park. There will be two speeds of ride each hour - an "Easy Rider" slow ride and a faster, though still moderate speed, "Express train". All rides will be supported by experienced ride marshalls and accompanied by some groovy tunes (yes, you heard that right - Mr Blinkhorn has a sound system mounted on his bicycle, loud enough to be heard in the traffic).

"If successful, we will run similar services to other events at Stanmer and the new Falmer Stadium," Mr Blinkhorn added.

Call for volunteers
Mr Blinkhorn called for volunteers: "We need lots of help on the day staffing the two Bike Train stations and supporting the rides."

If you can help for part or all of the day (8am - 6pm), contact Rebecca on 07739 181337 or Duncan on 07944 152706 or by e-mail info@biketrain.org

Depart from The Level:
10am, 11am, Noon, 1pm.

Return Rides from Springwatch:
1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm.

Join at any point along the Lewes Road Route.

More info: http://www.biketrain.org/

The event is registered with Team Green Britain Bike Week as an official Bike Week event: http://www.bikeweek.org.uk.

Martha Rose at Foxtrot, Stanmer Park - Testing Zoom Q3 recorder

I tested my ZOOM Q3 sound recorder at Foxtrot Folk Festival, Stanmer Park, Brighton on Sunday 12 September. I bought the machine for sound recording: it's basically a good microphone with a webcam attached. At £200, I think it's a cost effective solution for video-with-sound intended for websites. The alternatives are: £1,000 professional camcorders, or low cost video cameras where you can't hear what's been said.

The video below is of Martha Rose and Ben Joel performing in the Grotto at Foxtrot 2010. I saved the video in i-phone format so video resolution is reduced, but sound is good considering the mic. is 12 feet from the performers.



The next video is sound as recorded on the Q3, but images compiled from stills and edited into a movie on i-movie.



Let me know what you think!