A few years ago, a mate of mine who works in advertising took it upon himself to produce some Cyclox-branded cycling adverts. He’s a creative director, the one who sits there with the copywriter and comes up with the images – profound or profane – that make the words work. He did it to give his portfolio some variety, and to ring the changes from the usual car ads and TV commercials for banks.

I thought they were rather brilliant, in fact most of us in Cyclox did. They were a series of striking posters of saddles in various arrangements and shapes, such as a ruby-red heart-shaped saddle asking “Could do with being a little healthier?” and the strapline “Get ON Your Backside and Do Something About It.” A load of raindrop-shaped saddles falling like rain, “Want covered and secure cycle parking?” and again the strapline “Get ON Your Backside and Do Something About It.”

The idea was to place the poster ads on buses – apparently buying back-of-bus advertising is cheaper than you’d think, and in a bus-crazed city like Oxford, what better place to communicate with cyclists, and would-be cyclists?

The poster ideas came bundled with a visually witty series of seat-cover ads designed to be printed on something like a shower-cap – a novel idea at the time as no one in Oxford had advertised on seat covers. And what more perfect way to promote Cyclox, the cycling campaign for Oxford, than on-bike ads.

But the trail ran cold.

A couple of then-members were adamant that Cyclox should have no part in a form of advertising that was destined for saddles because the idea of a stranger fiddling with their saddle was too gross. The debate raged and the idea faded.

Now Cyclox, apparently enervated by my resignation as the group’s chairman last year, has decided to spend a chunk of its savings on getting non-cyclists onto a bike, and making life better for those that already cycle. So back-of-bus adverts and slogans printed on seat-covers are on the agenda again. And they want to pick your brains to find the best ways to their message across.

They’re holding a special public meeting a week today, Tuesday, February 25, 6-8pm, called Promoting Cycling in Oxford. It’s a workshop, in fact, and anyone who cycles is welcome – including you.

Imaginations will be whetted with some examples of cool pro-cycling ads, and then the session will break into small groups each tasked with creating Oxfordshire-specific advert ideas for all sorts of places.

It’s at the Buckley Building BG11, Oxford Brookes, Gipsy Lane, OX3 0BP, and you can register to attend at: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/events/.

It’s free and it should be a lot of fun.