Bike Week Begins
Bike Week, 13-21 June 2009
With the UK heading for a hot, dry summer and temperatures set to reach 30C, this year's Bike Week is urging commuters to hop on their bikes to make the most of the barbeque weather and reduce stress by cutting down their journey time by two days.
The majority of people (69%) commute to work by car and spend almost a total of nine days a year (50 minutes a day) on the road compared to canny cyclists, who only spend seven days (38 minutes a day). Bike Week, the UK's biggest mass participation cycling event, starts this weekend (13-22 June) and will encourage everyone to boost their confidence on the road and make the shift from four wheels to two by coming along to one of the thousands of events and signing up for a cycle training lesson.
Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said: "Events like Bike Week are a great way of reminding people that cycling can keep you healthy, save money and help reduce congestion, as well as often being the quickest way to get around. We've invested £140m over three years through Cycling England in cycle demonstration towns, cycle training and support for local authorities to encourage people to enjoy all the benefits cycling brings. If more people were to travel short distances by bike instead of car, the quality of life across our communities could be considerably enhanced."
Phillip Darnton, Chairman of Cycling England says; "We're blessed with long summer days in the UK, but we spend too much time travelling to and from work - in fact, we have the longest journeys in Europe. During rush-hour, a bicycle is faster than a car so by getting on our bikes, we could cut our commutes and get the equivalent of an extra two days off a year to spend with family and friends and simply enjoy ourselves in the sun. With Bike Week coming up, it's the ideal time to find out how cycling helps you get more out of life whilst saving money, getting fit and cutting pollution at the same time."
Will Cavendish, Director of Health and Wellbeing at the Department of Health said: "Cycling is a great way to save pounds and shed pounds. Recent Change4Life research shows that ditching the car and getting on two wheels - or two legs - for the school run can save a family up to £367 a year. It is also the perfect way to get children up and about and helping them achieve their recommended 60 active minutes a day.
"Our Bike4Life campaign is running throughout the month of June. Coinciding with Bike Week, it provides a great opportunity for families to try out cycling together and reap the social, financial and health rewards."
There's something for everyone during Bike Week, with events across the UK ranging from cycle training and Dr Bike sessions for novices, to commuter challenges and group rides around local cycling routes - almost all are free! To find out what is taking place in your local area, visit www.bikeweek.org.uk and enter your postcode. If you'd like to take part but don't have a bike, this shouldn't stop you - you can find your nearest bike rental outlet on the website. To find your nearest cycle trainer call 0800 849 1017 or look at Bikeability.org.uk
Five reasons to get on your bike:
1. Over half of UK car journeys are less than 5 miles - swapping them for an easy 30 minute bike ride can save you a small fortune in fuel costs
2. Cyclists live on average at least two years longer than non-cyclists and their fitness levels are equivalent to being ten years younger - so forget nip and tuck, think pedal and push!
3. Cycling is the ultimate family activity; it's free, healthy, fun and encourages children to be independent
4. Cycling gets you out and about and you're more likely to find that beautiful park you never knew existed than when you're cooped up in a car
5. In a hurry? During rush-hour, a bicycle is twice as fast as a car - good if you hate traffic jams! Even better, you won't spend a penny on parking
