Chris, Bob and Dave recorded what we did in Poland and then learned how to create a movie.

This tour is proposed by the Spanish team as a 4 hour tour and a medium-high difficulty named after the typical bird of this mountain region called   “Treparriscos”. We have not tried it but obviously we would need much more than 4 hours to accomplish these 90 kilometers. Let’s hope that we will have the opportunity to visit them in June.

The description

« The “Treparriscos” is a tourist bicycle tour of 90 km and 965 ms of difference in height, which is taking place the last Saturday of June every year. It is a route by road that begins in the city of Sabiñánigo, province of Huesca, in the Aragonese Pyrenees. The route is on the Tena Valley with marvellous mountain landscape views.

From the start in Sabiñánigo, it starts to ascend slightly to the village of Biescas, passing through the top of Bubal, the tunnel of Escarrilla. There we turn to the right over the dam and we reach the village of Lanuza, later we arrive at the village of Sallent de Gállego to finalize the ascent in the ski resort of Formigal, very close to the French border. We return there by the state road passing through the villages of Sandiniés, Tramacastilla and again Biescas until the finish in Sabiñánigo. »

• To download the full description with map and images : Ruta – Treparriscos

The Spanish team proposes to share an easy cycling route.

« We leave from Jaca, by the St. James Way to Castiello de Jaca, a town situated in the Aragon Valley. Once we reach this village we cross the N-330 towards the East of the village and we take the way which goes to Villa Juanita. There we turn to the left and we pass through the village of Aratorés and we return the same way we came. »

• To download the full description : Ruta – Jaca – Castiello de Jaca – Aratorés

The French learners of Talking Bikes have elaborated a questionnaire to evaluate the possibilities of developing the use of bicycles in le Puy-en-Velay. This questionnaire has been submitted to 118 inhabitants, who are called the « Ponots », the 2nd of March 2010 in various points of the town, with the help of the European partners being in France.

We have been surprised to discover than 62% of citizens have a bicycle, mainly mountain bikes or city bikes. The first reason for not having one is that it is too dangerous to cycle in town. 87% believe that the use of bikes could develop, for example by creating more cycling roads. This will reduce the Carbon dioxide (38%) and will make the city more friendly (32%). The « Ponots » are so more preoccupied by the common good than by their own health: nobody has expressed that it will be good for the health.

And when respondents says that it would not be possible to develop the use of bikes, all, of them thinks that it is too risky to run a bicycle with the car traffic.

80% have a positive opinion of the possibility to organize a renting system, 73 % believe that such an initiative could apply to their town and 68 % says they would be customers. They would be ready to pay up to 1,40 euros per hour (for info,in Paris a one-day subscription to the Vélib’ service costs 1 euro, and a 7-day, 5 euros).

In le Puy, like in any town, despite the sloping streets, developing the use of bicycles only depends on political wills. The citizens are ready to use bicycles, they just need to be protected from cars.

The trainees from Greta du Velay have organised outdoor activities for their partners from Poland, Spain, Italy and UK. They have benefited from the support of the sport department from the municipality of Le Puy-en-Velay.

[youtube width="600" height="400"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQYtNQh0rY[/youtube]

Jenny from Academy International has produced this little video.

1st and 2nd of March 2010, trainees from Greta du Velay have welcome their partners from Spain, Italy, Poland and UK. They had prepared two full days of activities related to bicycle:

• an interactive presentation to facilitate communication overcoming the language barriers ;
• a role play based on the words used to name the different pieces of a bicycle ;
• a run and bike game in Camp d’Eycenac (map) ;
• an orientation game to discover the old town of le Puy-en-Velay (map) ;
• interviews of local population to enquire about their use of cycling in town ;
• opening of an exhibition on climate change ;
• tasting of local food specialities.

Local press has been interested by this event:

(La Tribune, 2nd March 2010, French)

[transcript] Le vélo comme facteur d’insertion et d’échanges européens

Depuis septembre, neuf stagiaires, âgés de 18 a 25 ans, avec des handicaps variables, travaillent sur le thème du vélo. « C’est un moteur d’insertion, lance Pierre-Laurent Carrolaggi, responsable du Departement Conseil-recherche-innovation au Greta du Velay. On les suit pour une insertion vers l’emploi en milieu ouvert. Ce sont des personnes peu à l’aise avec leur corps. Chaque semaine, elles font du sport avec des éducateurs. »

Le Greta du Velay a voulu donner une dimension européenne par le biais d’échanges avec d’autres organismes du continent. La première rencontre de « Talking bikes » a eu lieu à l’automne 2009. Une délégation ponote s’était rendue à Jaca, en Espagne.

Depuis hier, et jusqu’à mercredi, une quinzaine d’Européens sont au Puy. Ils viennent de Newcastle (Angleterre), Radawnica (Pologne), Jaca (Espagne) et Naples (Italie). « Le vélo est facteur d’échanges et d’ouverture. Les stagiaires apprennent à réparer un vélo, à l’utiliser à bon escient, ça fait du bien au corps et c’est un moyen de découvrir une region autrement. »

Plusieurs activités sont proposées autour du deux-roues. Hier après-midi, Français et Europeens se sont retrouvés au camp d’Eycenac, sur les hauteurs de Vals-pres-Le Puy. Et aujourd’hui, mardi, une enquête va être effectuée auprès de passants sur leur perception du vélo et sur leurs envies.

(Photo Julien Billy)

Learners are ready for the cycling tour of Jaca.

The first meeting of the Talking Bikes project has been held in Jaca, in Spain. One of the objectives of the project is to run cycling activities to discover the host region. A short video summarizes a visit of Jaca on bicycles.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhFZ3uXZ4bY[/youtube]

Cadenaser, a radio from Jaca has made an interview of the Spanish speaking partners the 23rd of octobre 2009. You can listen to the show with participants from Greta du Velay, Aula Hispanica, Academy International and Uniweresytety Ludowe.

Cadenaser, une radio de Jaca a organisé une émission avec les partenaires hispanophones de Talking Bikes le 23 octobre 2009 . Vous pouvez écouter l’interview des participants du Greta du Velay, d’Aula Hispanica, d’Academy International et d’Uniweresytety Ludowe.

During the meeting in Jaca, the Spanish team has organised a Euroquiz. The teams have been organised by country and the contest took place in a pub. Questions were given and answered in English. It has been a funny way to test our knowledge of the participating European countries.

You can also test your knowledge by downloading the Euroquiz.