Caption: Cllr Richard Brett with Charlotte Jones, Ray Hill and Christine Hamshire from the council's TravelWise team
Caption: Council leader, Cllr Richard Brett trys out a bike on Millennium Square
Leeds Bike Week is the perfect time to dust off your bike, get back into the saddle, and start using pedal power to explore your local community - and as an extra incentive to get started, you can have your bike checked over for free at a city centre event this week.
That’s one of the many things on offer at Millennium Square on Tuesday, 16 June at the Get Cycling Bike Try-out Roadshow and Cycle Surgery. Members of the public have the opportunity to bring their bikes down between 11am and 5pm and get them checked out by professionals free of charge. Certain repairs can be made on the spot for a charge.
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Media are invited to Millennium Square at 1pm on Tuesday, 16 June where council leader Councillor Richard Brett will attend the event to get his bike checked over and will be available to talk to reporters about Leeds Bike Week and the many benefits of cycling to people’s health and the environment******************** MEDIA OPPORTUNITY ********************
The public will also have the chance to get involved in a citywide consultation on the Leeds Core Cycle Network at the event. The council is developing designs for a network of core cycle routes for Leeds that will improve conditions for cyclists and encourage cycling as a way of getting around. Each route will be signposted and use a combination of cycle lanes, tracks, quiet roads and junction improvements to link to housing, Leeds city centre, schools, employment sites, parks and greenspace, and the wider bridleway and cycle route network.
Councillor Richard Brett, council leader and cycling enthusiast said:
“We hope that lots of people come down to Millennium Square to take advantage of the opportunity to get their bikes checked over for free. There will also be lots of different types of bikes for people to try-out, which is handy for those who are toying with the idea of buying one, but are not sure which kind to go for.
“The event is also a great chance to see proposed plans for the Leeds Core Cycle Network, which is an ambitious scheme to provide better conditions for cyclists, making travelling around the city by bike a more attractive proposition.
He added:
“Cycling has proven health and fitness benefits and can help beat traffic congestion and pollution. We hope that Leeds Bike Week will help to encourage more people to make the switch from car to bike for the good of their health and the environment.”
Get Cycling Community Interest Company (CiC) will also be at the event and will bring with them a selection of cycles for people to look at and try-out in the demo area. These will be a mix of conventional and unconventional bikes including folding bikes, a range of urban commuter bikes, a tandem and more.
There will be information desks with free impartial advice on cycling and examples of cycle commuter accessories. Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative will also have a stand offering information on the popular Cycle to Work scheme.
ENDS
Additional info
Leaflets on Bike Week 2009 – which list all the events taking place – are available in local sports centres, One Stop Centres and libraries across the city.
Information about all the events is also available at www.leeds.gov.uk/bikeweek or by contacting Charlotte Jones at Leeds City Council on 0113 395 0276 or by email to charlotte1.jones@leeds.gov.uk . For more information about Bike Week please visit www.bikeweek.org.uk
For media enquiries, please contact;
Claire Macklam, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 395 1578
Email: claire.macklam@leeds.gov.uk
