National Bike Week Returns to Offaly this June

Where will your bike take you?

National Bike Week, which takes place annually, returns to Offaly this summer from Saturday, 11th June to Sunday, 19th June. Enjoy eight days on two wheels celebrating and promoting all that is great about cycling. There are a wide range of events taking place throughout Offaly including: -

• Lunchtime cycle supported by Offaly Sports Partnership and Wolftrap Cycling Club on Wednesday, 15th June. Meet at the Wilmar Road Car Park, Birr at 12.30pm. A roadworthy bicycle and helmet is essential to join the lunchtime cycle. For more information, contact 057 93 57462 or by email to sports@offalycoco.ie.
• Tandem cycling for people with visual impairments; supported by National Council for the Blind in Ireland (NCBI), Wolftrap Cycling Club and Lough Boora Parklands; on Wednesday, 15th June. Meet at the Lough Boora Parklands Visitor Centre at 11am. For more information, contact NCBI on 086 8371937.
• Birr, Daingean, Edenderry and Ferbane bike weeks

All of the events are organised by local authorities, community initiatives and cycling groups from throughout Offaly. For a full list of events and to join in a cycling adventure this June, log onto www.bikeweek.ie.

Bike Week not only promotes the leisure and fun aspects of cycling as a family, with friends, to sightsee…it also highlights why it is important to choose cycling as a means to commute to work, to do the crèche or school run or to run errands. Cycling is environmentally friendly, as it cuts congestion and has zero emissions, and it is also much lower in cost than travelling by public transport or a car. If you spend as little as €1.20 daily on travel (bus fare, Luas fare or petrol) you can save €200 a year by switching to a bike!

Commuting by bike to work, college, school or just to go to the shops, is a much faster way to travel. SmarterTravel.ie estimates that approximately 400,000 people in Ireland travel 4 kilometres or less to work or school or college by car every day – distances that could easily be cycled. Cycling is the fastest mode of transport for journeys of 6 kilometres or less in urban areas; it is also a great solution to beating traffic congestion in our towns and cities imagine no more sitting in traffic jams!

Cycling as an everyday pursuit is a healthy way to travel too and it has many physical benefits. Studies have shown that cycling is one of the most efficient ways to lose weight. And, cyclists who cycle regularly are seen to be on the same fitness level to those ten years younger. Also, three hours of cycling per week can reduce the risk of heart disease by 50%! There are also mental health benefits derived from cycling.

Bike Week is a fun-filled family event, as well as catering for cycling enthusiasts. There is quite literally something for all ages and ability, from free bike checks, fun cycles, lunchtime city rides, school cycling races bikes festivals and much much more, Bike Week has something for everyone.

Demonstrating the social, health and environmental benefits of cycling, Bike Week is coordinated at a national level by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. For more information, please visit www.bikeweek.ie, follow Bike Week on Twitter @BikeWeekie or on Instagram @BikeWeekie or like Bike Week on Facebook www.facebook.com/bikeweekie.