Get on your bike - that's the call as Manchester City Council launches this year's Bike Week.
The initiative, urging Mancunians to get out of their cars, get away from the TV and get into pedal power, kicks off with a special event in Cathedral Gardens on Saturday June 14.
City Council environmental officers and experts from cycling organisations will be on hand to encourage people who have never cycled, or those who have not been on their bikes in years, to give it a go.
The event will run from 11am-4pm and will feature mountain biking displays, bike polo demonstrations, information stalls from cycling agencies and businesses, and much more.
A series of other events will be held throughout Manchester to mark Bike Week, which runs until Sunday June 22, including 15 social rides which have been organised across the city.
A bring your bike to work day will be held on Wednesday June 18, aimed at city centre commuters who will be able to have their bikes washed and serviced at St Peter's Square from 8-10am and noon-2.30pm.
Finally, the Loop the Loop ride - a mass bike ride starting and ending in Chorlton Park - will be held to close the campaign on Sunday June 22. Cyclists will be urged to sign up throughout the week, and 100s of people are expected to get on the saddle for the event, which will run clockwise around the Manchester cycleway from 11am-2pm.
Councillor Richard Cowell, the City Council's Executive Member for the Environment, said: "There's a lot of people in Manchester who cycled years ago, and forgot how enjoyable it was, or who have never been on a bike, and all we're asking is for them to give it a go.
"Cycling is good for the environment, it's cheap, and it's great for the health, with just 20 minutes of gentle cycling being enough to burn off 100 calories. More importantly - it's fun, so this is the perfect opportunity for people across Manchester to realise what they've been missing."
More information can be found at http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/
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