Warrington people are being encouraged to get on their bikes, stay active and get healthy, for National Bike Week 2021.
Delivered by Cycling UK, National Bike Week is an annual celebration to promote cycling and show how it can easily be part of everyday life, by encouraging everyday cycling for everyone.
The 2021 week takes place from Sunday 30 May until Saturday 5 June. With a theme of ‘health and wellbeing’, it aims to get people all over the UK to give cycling a go, whether for fun, as a means of getting to work or school, the local shops or just to get out in the fresh air.
You can get involved by taking part in the ‘7 days of cycling challenge’. Can you get on your bike for seven days in a row?
It’s also a great time to start building cycling into your daily routine by:
- Swapping the car for a bike on journeys to work or school
- Trying a pre-work cycle to get a good workout so you can hit the ground running
- Cycling to the shops to pick up essentials for you or for others
- Going off the beaten path, to explore somewhere new
- Building cycling into family life by taking the children out for fun-filled rides, during the school holidays and beyond
Everyone who takes an active part in Bike Week is being invited to share their adventures on social media – tagging #WeAreCycling and #7daysofcycling – for an opportunity to win a prize from Cycling UK.
It has never been easier for Warrington residents to build cycling into their daily lives. The council has invested heavily in recent years inmajor transport improvement schemes aimed at tackling congestion, reducing car dependency and providing high quality cycling and networks, to support a sustainable, carbon-neutral future.
It supports the council’s fourth Local Transport Plan (LTP4), which sets out the vision to make Warrington a thriving, attractive, and well-connected place, by reducing congestion, and making walking and cycling easier.
Recent strategic cycle investments include a new link to Burtonwood, major improvements along the Trans-Pennine Trail, enhancements to the Longbarn Park and Nook Lane to College path and the new Chester Road cycleway, which is due to be completed in the coming weeks.
To support the work to get many more local people cycling, the council has just launched its brand new cycling web page warrington.gov.uk/cycling. For the first time, it provides a selection of popular routes and independent rides for all ages and abilities, with integrated Google maps for each ride. People can also view and follow the full cycling network on Google Maps, and can get information about FREE family cycle training, local cycling clubs and cycle essentials.
To help you find your way around, you can also view the borough’s recently-updated cycle map, which shows routes through parks and green spaces, and allows you to plan a ride using the routes that suit your level of experience and confidence.
Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for transportation, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: We are absolutely committed to investing in cycling, as part of our work, through our Local Transport Plan, to build sustainable transport into Warrington’s future. Every penny we are investing is aimed at making cycling as easy, safe and convenient as possible for local people.
“Over half of our car journeys are less than five miles – and by swapping the car for a bike you can improve your health and wellbeing, save money in fuel costs and help tackle the climate emergency by cutting your carbon footprint.
“National Bike Week is the perfect opportunity to discover the huge benefits of cycling. There are so many ways to get involved and make cycling a part of your future – from cycling to work or school, to joining a cycling club, and from exploring Warrington’s extensive cycle network, to taking advantage of the range of training and support on offer.”
Beyond National Bike Week, the council is also teaming up with Bikeabikity to deliver ‘Learn to Ride’ courses at Orford Park on Tuesday 1 June, at 9am, 11.15am and 2pm. These sessions – run in partnership with local Friends Groups – are for children aged seven and upwards, with additional Level 2 ‘on-road’ courses available for children aged 10 and over. All training is in small, friendly groups of six children and two qualified instructors.
The council will also be delivering ‘Dr Bike’ Events, in partnership with Life Cycle UK, over the Summer and Autumn, offering free bicycle safety checks and tune-ups. Dates for these events will be confirmed in the near future.
For more information on all the fantastic cycling opportunities available in Warrington, or to get advice and tips on getting started on your cycling journey, visit the council’s cycling web page at warrington.gov.uk/cycling
To find out more about National Bike Week 2021 and how to get involved, visit bikeweek.org.uk
