30/09/2011 - Permalink

Love Your Bike month – October 2011

Related topics: Community / Leisure, culture and heritage

Shropshire’s second Love Your Bike month starts tomorrow (Saturday 1 October 2011) at the opening event for the new Oswestry Leisure Centre.

Local people will be able to pick up the new Oswestry Walking and Cycling map; get answers to their cycling questions; and test their cycle skills with the Shropshire Council Bikeability team. They can also sign up for free cycle training and to receive a free set of bike lights.

Tomorrow also sees the relaunch of the BMX track in Meole Brace. The event starts at 11.30am, and as well as checking out the new track you can also pick up Love Your Bike month information.

Love Your Bike month is organised by Cycle Shrewsbury, Shropshire Council’s campaign to get more people cycling on their regular local journeys.

This year’s Love Your Bike month sees the start of new initiatives to get more people cycling in Oswestry and Ludlow, as well as a programme of events in Shrewsbury. Highlights in October include

• Shropshire’s first bicycle polo event as part of Love Your Bike Day on 26 October at the Greenhous Meadow.
• New walking and cycling maps for Ludlow and Oswestry, and an online cycle journey planner.
• A guided ride from Millenium Green, Ludlow on 23 October to launch a new family Friendly Rides leaflet, the Lady Halton Loop.
• Family rides to Shrewsbury Town’s home matches on 8 and 29 October.
• Bike safety checks at schools and workplaces in all three towns.
• A variety of guided rides, including the return of monthly women’s rides in Shrewsbury from Sunday 2 October.

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for cycling, said:

“Shrewsbury has seen a rise of 9% in cycling since the start of the Cycle Shrewsbury campaign, and we hope this success can continue and be shared by other parts of the county.

“We are delighted that local groups in Oswestry and Ludlow are working with us on similar campaigns for those towns; and that we have succeeded in getting funding from the government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

“In a community where more people cycle everyone benefits from better air quality, less traffic congestion and importantly better health.”

All the details of Love Your Bike month events can be found by clicking here or by calling 01743 255435.