BIKE lovers are set to be treated to a day of two-wheeled entertainment at an upcoming community event.
Reading Cycle Festival will return to Christchurch Meadows on Sunday, September 10, bringing a range of fun, informative and interactive bike-related activities to the town.
The free event is organised by Avanti Cycling and other cycling enthusiasts and is supported by Reading Borough Council.
Greg Woodford, director of Avanti Cycling, said: “We’re really happy, it’s great to have the event come around once again. It’s all about having fun on bikes and trying out different types of bikes.
“There will be a BMX skills session going on, which is new for this year, as well as music, bike shops, displays, food and ice cream, electric bikes – there should be something for the whole family to get involved with.”
He added that he hopes the event will draw even more people than last year, when more than 2,000 people attended, as organisers ramp up promotion for this year’s showcase.
Visitors can enjoy a stunt display or let professionals from Fusion Extreme show them how to master moves on a BMX. There will also be an opportunity to try an e-bike courtesy of AW Cycles and Velospeed.
The MyJourney Wokingham stand will give cyclists the opportunity to pedal their way to a freshly-made smoothie via a pedal-powered blender, while Reading Bicycle Kitchen and MT-Cycle Repairs will be on-hand to conduct bike checks for free.
Youngsters can showcase their talents on the obstacle course, negotiating ramps and see-saws, before enjoying a few scoops of ice cream.
A recent survey by Idealo named Reading as the UK’s second safest city to cycle in, with only 8.62 road accidents in the past five years per 1,000 capita.
It revealed that 6% of Reading’s residents cycle at least three times per week, and that it has six biking trails, making it one of the safest cities for both on-road and off-road cyclists.
Mr Woodford agreed that positive steps have been taken to make the town more cycle-friendly, but explained that more needs to be done to encourage people to use bikes on a regular basis, particularly to and from work.
He said: “The underlying problem is that Reading Borough Council has limited funds and there is a big lack of cycling infrastructure. Anecdotally, my gut feeling tells me there aren’t many people riding to work.
“But it’s changing, people are more enthusiastic. The cycle lane is being developed on Shinfield Road, we – at Avanti Cycling – are delivering training to children – and together with the council, we can give advice on bikes, sessions and support more generally.”
Reading Cycle Festival takes place from 11am-4pm.
