*From:* Dave Horton <mailto:[log in to unmask]>


Dear All

First off, many thanks to all those of you who responded to my partner
search. People got in touch from far and wide, including from Greece,
Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Italy and Spain. To that extent, one of my
initial aims in putting out a call for partners has already been
satisfied - namely, to identify people and/or organisations across
Europe who might be interested in future research collaborations around
cycling.

Understandably, many of you want further information. So this mail is my
attempt to provide it! Please feel free to follow up with more questions
and suggestions, although please also note:
a) you could join the Cycling and Society Research Group email
discussion list, and continue any conversations through that;
b) i am currently a full-time parent, and a
sociologist/researcher/writer/cycle campaigner only in my 'spare'
(ha-ha!) time, so you won't always (in fact, hardly ever!) get an
immediate response.

These were my main aims in putting out an Europe-wide partner search for
research into cycling:
1) to *begin* the (long-term) process of constituting a (for now)
informal network of European researchers interested in and committed to
cycling;
2) for this network to provide a resource for anyone or any organisation
applying for (especially but not only EU) funding for research
workshops, conferences and projects exploring cycling;
3) thus to encourage the development of, and to build the profile and
status, of cross-cultural, interdisciplinary research into cycling (or,
if it fits better in the European context, 'velomobilities' - I'm
conscious that cycling is rather anglophone);
4) to generate (policy-relevant and intellectually rigorous) knowledge
about cycling, and the contributions it might make in the
currently-planned transition to ecologically sustainable, humane and
convivial future societies. I personally see velomobilities as
absolutely central means of mobility in future sustainable societies.

The Cycling and Society Research Group last month held its 3rd annual
symposium at the University of Chester, UK. There, we decided to begin
planning towards an international, interdisciplinary cycling conference
for 2008. That gives us something concrete to work towards.

More immediately, I personally have no specific plans for applying for
EU funds for Europe-wide research into cycling. My aim has been merely
to provide the conditions for any of us to more easily make such
applications. I am personally pursuing medium-term and long-term, rather
more than short-term, visions. In the UK at least, cycling is still a
remarkably marginalised mode of mobility, and there's much to be done -
on a wide range of fronts - to push cycling to the centre.

For whoever is interested, we are in the very early days of building a
European network of cycling research, and the currently unknown but I
think tremendously important and exciting possibilities inherent in
that. The future is what we make it, and I firmly believe that with
current anxieties around climate change, oil supplies, social
dislocation, car dependence and sustainability becoming ever more acute,
conditions are right for research proposals exploring the practice and
status of cycling cross-culturally. Moreover, a European funding
infrastructure is also now there.

I firmly believe we need to begin the (long-term) process of building an
international community of academics, practitioners, activists,
policy-makers with an interest in and commitment to cycling research.
Because such research will play an important role in making our planet
sustainable and convivial.

Possible next steps include:
a) joining the Cycling and Society Research Group's email list, so we
can continue exchange of information and build conversations (visit
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/cycling-and-society.html);
b) thinking about potential funding for a Europe-wide research workshop
(or series of workshops) based around cycling;
c) thinking about potential research collaborations, and exploring
funding opportunities.

I hope this clarifies where I think we're up to, and how people might
want to take things forward.

Again, thanks very much for your interest, and I hope very much to meet
some of you in the future!

Very best wishes

Dave