Where will your bike take you?
Sky and British Cycling have teamed up to make it easy to get back in the saddle, with Sky Ride bigger and better than ever - full details are available at www.goskyride.com.
Last Updated: 19/05/11 12:34pm
Sky and British Cycling have teamed up to make it easy to get back in the saddle, with Sky Ride bigger and better than ever.
Drawing on the success of the last two years, Sky Ride features a host of free cycle events and activities taking place across the UK.
The Sky Ride City and Sky Ride Local events have been organised with the aim of encouraging families and individuals of all ages and abilities to get on their bikes for a unique traffic-free ride.
Starting in Bath on Sunday 5 June, Sky Ride City events will move to major towns and cities across the UK including: Ipswich (12 June), Birmingham (3 July), Middlesbrough (10 July), Bradford (31 July), Manchester (7 August), Southampton and Blackpool (both 14 August), Hull, (21 August), Leicester (28 August), Mayor of London’s Sky Ride (4 September), Glasgow (11 September) plus the London Boroughs of Hillingdon (31 July), Barking and Dagenham (21 August), with more events still to be announced.
There will also be events tailored specifically for women including Cycletta sponsored by Sky Ride, and for those who are up for more of a challenge, the Sky Ride Hibernia.
A host pro cyclists and cycling experts will be on hand to lend their support and will be joined by celebrities such as X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, presenter Lorraine Kelly and TV star Gethin Jones.
Sky’s Chief Executive Jeremy Darroch is a keen supporter of the initiative and said: “Sky Ride 2011 is going to be even better than before and together with British Cycling we’re well on our way to getting one million people back on their bikes and cycling regularly by 2013.”
CEO of British Cycling Ian Drake is also looking forward to hitting the road and said: “Together with Sky we want to inspire people to get out on their bikes and enjoy cycling, whether for sport, a hobby, or as a way to get fit. After the success of Sky Rides 2009 and 2010, we’re back in 2011 giving you the opportunity to get out on your bike and ride alongside stars such as Victoria Pendleton and Sir Chris Hoy.”
Perfect Hill
To mark the start of Sky Ride 2011, Sky and British Cycling are also conducting a nationwide poll to find the UK’s perfect hill to ride down. Designed to remind people how much fun cycling can be, anyone can nominate a hill, with the entry criteria being: location, view, where it takes them, historical significance, and most importantly, what the hill means to them.
Multiple world and Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy is among the panel who judging the entries and said: “I’m really looking forward to taking part in one of the fantastic Sky Ride events this summer and it’s great to be so involved in the campaign. What makes a perfect hill to cycle down? Well that’s up to you. It might be an amazing view from the top, the sense of achievement from getting there, the memories you have from riding down it, or the fact that it takes you to your favourite place - whatever hill springs to mind, we want to know and why.”
To find out about the great ways you can get back on your bike this summer, including city events, local rides and lots more, plus how to nominate your perfect hill visit: www.goskyride.com
