Bike Week 2003: here are the plans

BikeBiz 04/12/2002 Business

Buying or hiring a bike – getting a bike back on the road

Learning to ride – cycling with a ‘buddy’ – where to ride?

Family fun and fitness – encouraging more women to cycle

Bike2Work – individually or as part of an organised ride

Get off the beaten track – go cycling in the countryside

Bike Week co-ordinator Nick Harvey said: "We started with 11 options and settled on five that stand the best chance of getting more people cycling more often.

"I am expecting to register more than one thousand local events and rides in 2003, most of which will be eligible for free public liability insurance, website publicity and a wide range of promotional materials."

Bike2Work will run for the whole week, with participants requested to donate the money they save on fuel and parking or fares to Cancer Research UK.

500 major employers are being encouraged to promote cycling to work and existing workplace bicycle user groups (BUGs) will be helped to recruit new members.

Bike Week’s main funder is the Department for Transport, where transport minister John Spellar has requested more events that appeal to novice cyclists, especially women and families.

In 2002, approximately 50 percent of the estimated 200,000 participants in Bike Week events were new or returning cyclists. Of the 20+ million bikes owned in the UK, less than a third are used regularly.

More countryside rides will be promoted in 2003, including in rural areas that are still recovering from the effects of the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001. The Countryside Agency, Forestry Commission, National Byway, Ordnance Survey and the Youth Hostels Association (England & Wales) are new members of the Bike Week Steering Group.

For a free Bike Week Event Organisers’ Guide email HQ@bikeweek.org.uk

Tel: 01243 543888.

BIKE WEEK STEERING GROUP:

Association of Cycle Traders

Association for Commuter Transport

Bicycle Association

British Schools Cycling Association

Countryside Agency

CTC

Cycle Campaign Network

Cycling Time Trials

Forestry Commission