Bike Week set to be biggest mass-participation cycling event
From buddy rides to bike breakfasts, Bike Week 2016 brings together a host of simple ideas to help make cycle commuting an accessible and attractive proposition to the many people who might just need a gentle nudge in the right direction.
Whether it’s for fun, as a means of getting to work or school, to get to the shops or to visit friends, Bike Week provides a one stop shop of events and inspiration to get you on to the saddle.
With cycling becoming more popular than ever, increasing numbers of people are taking it up as an easy and efficient way to travel. According to the National Travel Survey, over five million people cycle three or more times a week.
Jonathan Sharpe, Cycling UK’s Bike Week Coordinator, said: “As nearly half of the UK’s working population live within five miles of work, cycling can really easily become a part of your daily commute and Bike Week is the best opportunity to start.
“Cycling often doesn’t feel like you are commuting – with the chance to ride through quieter streets, alongside canals and on off-road routes, you get a greater sense of freedom and progress than you do stuck in a traffic jam or on a bus or train.”
Henry Street, Fundraising Manager at the NSPCC, said: “The NSPCC is really pleased to be a part of such a packed schedule of fun everyday cycling events this summer. We would love people to think about how much money they will save by making the switch to cycling and think about making a donation from those savings.”
Bike Week will feature weekend family rides to help inspire new commuters and get them feeling comfortable with the prospect of cycling to work. There will be Dr Bike maintenance events, bike breakfasts to reward those cycling to work and ‘cycling buddies’ to help people find routes to work and provide encouragement.
To support those already cycling or new to riding a bike, Bike Week is also partnering with Love to Ride so you can log your trips, set goals and win amazing prizes. Sam Robinson, General Manager at Love to Ride, said: “Bike Week is a fantastic way to get cycling back into your daily life and our Bike Week Challenge, website and GPS app give you even more incentive to take part, with stacks of great prizes up for grabs.” Register today to join the Love to Ride community.
Notes to editors
1. Bike Week 2016 runs 11-19 June 2016. For more information visit www.bikeweek.org.uk and follow us on https://www.facebook.com/NationalBikeWeek and https://twitter.com/Bike_Week (using the hashtag #BikeWeekUK)
2. Bike Week 2016 is delivered by Cycling UK, formerly CTC the national cycling charity, as part of the European Union Intelligent Energy Programme. Bike Week also has funding from Cycling Scotland and Bike Hub. Other partners this year include NSPCC, Bike Radar, Cycling Plus, Cycle Scheme, Love to Ride, The London Bike Show, The Telegraph and Nip Nip. http://bikeweek.org.uk/partners/
3. The National Travel Survey (NTS) is produced by the Department for Transport and is the primary source of data on personal travel patterns in Great Britain https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-travel-survey-statistics
4. Cycling UK commissioned a YouGov survey which found that almost half of Britain’s commuters live within an ‘easily cycle-able’ distance from their workplace (0-5 miles away). If they aren't already enjoying a ride to work, this research suggests that millions more commuters would feel much better for making the switch to cycling http://www.cyclinguk.org/news/20150617-commuter-gripes-solved-bike-week
5. Cycling UK is the UK’s largest cycling charity, working to inspire and help people to cycle and keep cycling, whatever kind of cycling they do or would like to do. Over a century’s experience tells us that cycling is more than useful transport; it makes you feel good, gives you a sense of freedom and creates a better environment for everyone. Find out more at cyclinguk.org
Press contact information
Cycling UK Press Office
Email: publicity@cyclinguk.org
Telephone: 0844-736-8453
