‘Bike Week’ Celebrates 100 Years In The UK

This week marks 100 years of Bike Week, an event dedicated to promoting cycling as a fun and healthy activity.

In the UK, the weeklong celebration occurs in the second week of June following international World Bicycle Day on the 3 June.

The annual event takes place in many countries across the world and, in the last decade, has become increasingly popular in Europe, Asia and America.

The main aim of the event is to celebrate cycling for its health and well-being benefits as well as encouraging individuals to get involved with their community in a variety of cycling events and activities.

Every year, CyclingUK aim to get an additional 250,000 people, who don’t typically ride, to try out cycling. Marking the celebration’s centenary, the charity have also launched a number of challenges for people to get involved with. These challenges include:

Burning 100 calories through cycling
Travelling 100 miles on a bike
Saving £100 in travel expenses through biking.

Online, people have been sharing how they are getting involved in Bike week:

Midpoint of #BikeWeek so decided to do @WeAreCyclingUK #BikeWeek100 challenge. Doing 100 minutes on the trainer tonight preparing for my @TheBHF #LondonToBrighton cycle on June 18th raising funds for @BikeabilityUK pic.twitter.com/9JWT8Grhyo

— Emily Cherry (@EmilyCherryCEO) June 7, 2023

Seeing as we do all things wheeled @Urbantricycles1 here in #Chester it would be rude not to commute to work by bicycle as part of #BikeWeek100
Today's choice was the tall bike... green in a number of ways! pic.twitter.com/556geUBPiN

— Paul - Bloke on an Ordinary bicycle (@FinchettsBrook) June 5, 2023

In more recent years, the event has also emphasised cycling as an environmentally friendly means of transport.

CyclingUK reports that commuting accounts for 98% of a persons work-related carbon footprint, and that only 2% of the UK travel to work by bike.

As well as the environmental benefits, the charity also reports that an active work force is a happier and more productive one.

If you are looking to try cycling out this week, it is also important to remain safe on the roads.

Experts at Bobbins Bikes, a leisure bike brand, have shared their advice on how to stay safe on your first bike ride.

This includes investing in important safety equipment such as a reliable helmet and reflective clothing. They also advise any cyclist to be well informed on the road safety rules to properly understand how to protect yourself and others.

A spokesperson for Bobbin Bikes said: “Being safe on the road is of paramount importance but being safe isn’t just about wearing a helmet and having your bike fitted with lights … Basic checks to make sure your bike is in good working order are important for any new cyclist, as well as keeping your wheels well looked after and maintained.”

Bike Week advocates for “everyday cycling for everyone” and provides an excellent opportunity for individuals to create healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyles.