Discover the summer of cycling

Cycling UK has teamed up with leading cycle retailer and repairer Halfords in a three-year partnership that aims to help 5.7 million people to cycle more. To that end, we have some fantastic opportunities this summer to inspire you and others to get out riding over the next few months.

Big Bike Revival: 6 May -18 June

The Big Bike Revival is back! Following a launch event at Resurrection Bikes in Harrogate, over 1,200 revival events are now underway across England and Scotland. The aim of the project is to start people cycling and make sure they keep on cycling: whilst almost half the population is estimated to own a bike, only 15% of Brits cycle regularly. Why? One reason is that not knowing how to fix a puncture or carry out basic maintenance can often mean that their bike ends up locked in the shed or hallway, gathering dust.

The Big Bike Revival, delivered by a network of over 100 bike recycling centres, community groups and charities, aims to remove this barrier and help people become more active. This year, the target is:

• 50,000 people participating in a BBR event;

• 25,000 non-regular cyclists (i.e. those that cycle less than once a week) to be cycling more regularly;

• 15,000 bikes revived;

• 5,000 experiencing modal shift (i.e. those that weren’t cycling to the shops, work, to see family and so on to be now doing so).

Halfords is supporting the Big Bike Revival by offering free bike services at 434 stores across the UK, helping Cycling UK to really get Britain cycling.

Bike Week: 10 -18 June

Cycling UK’s Bike Week, run in partnership with Halfords, Cycling Scotland, Cycling Plus, BikeRadar and Cycle to Work Day, is the biggest nationwide cycling event in the UK, with over half a million people taking part in rides and rethinking their everyday journeys to use cycling as the most convenient way to get around, whether to work, school, shops or visiting friends. This year’s theme is ‘fun and freedom’ with activities taking place all over the country enabling the whole family to get out into the fresh air and enjoy themselves, while keeping fit.

If there’s isn’t an event in your area, why not put on your own? You can register it for free on the Bike Week website at Bikeweek.org.uk.

Women’s Festival of Cycling: July

Although the number is growing, women currently cycle far less in the UK than men: only around 20% of Cycling UK’s members are female and women are hugely underrepresented in cycling as a whole. But they are also the group that has the most to gain from taking part, as women are 36% more likely to be classified physically inactive than men.

In order to help address this gender imbalance in physical activity, Cycling UK’s Women’s Festival of Cycling is a national celebration that takes place in July. There’s a series of rides throughout the UK, aimed at encouraging more women to get in the saddle for the benefit of their mental and physical health, as well as their overall wellbeing. These events could range from 100km road rides at 12-14km/h to shorter, easy-paced rides down country lanes, with plenty of time for cake and coffee. There may also be off-road rides for those who enjoy exploring technical trails.

Cycling UK will be supporting the festival with a range of free goodies for both riders and organisers: the target is 50 events with at least 500 women taking part in total. To find out more, visit cyclinguk.org/womens-festival or contact Festival Coordinator Julie Rand at julie.rand@cyclinguk.org.

Challenge Rides Series: April-October

The Cycling UK Challenge Ride Series is a range of longer distance events put on by our Member Groups from spring to autumn. Summer events include rides in Northumberland and Ayrshire on 4 and 11 June respectively, the Des Radford 100 miler in Swansea on 25 June, the Diss audaxes in Norfolk on 9 July, and the Devon Delight on 16 July. These will be followed by the Tour of the Hills in West Surrey on 20 August and the popular Wild Wales Challenge on 27 August.

Later on, there’s Momma’s Mountain Views in North Wales on 2 September, Discovering Shropshire’s Blue Remembered Hills on 16 September, and the Gridiron 100 on 8 October. The series will finish back where it began in March with Stevenage’s Emitremmus Desrever (Summertime Reversed) on 29 October.

All rides are non-competitive and open to anybody who can manage the distances within the times allowed by the event organisers. All finishers will receive a free Challenge Ride Series medal, and if you complete any three rides in the series, you will qualify for a bronze medal; any five will earn a silver one; and, if you complete at least ten events, you will earn yourself a gold Challenge Ride medal. Complete all 16 and a special commemorative medal and certificate will be yours! (Note that there may be a small extra charge for these to cover costs.) Many rides offer their own certificates and medals in addition to these.