Cycling column: Local, easily accessible upcoming rides this summer for all the family

In this week’s Bicycle Mayor column, I want to highlight a number of local, easily accessible upcoming rides throughout the summer that all the family can get involved in.

Leamington Spa Kidical Mass ride

For the whole family, on Sunday April 28, at 10.30am is the Leamington Spa Kidical Mass ride, starting and finishing at the Newbold Comyn trails, the family friendly 5K route exits Newbold Comyn and travels up The Parade and then zig zags back down the side streets and then heads back to the trails.

This will be the fifth running of the bi-annual Kidical Mass In Leamington, organised by me, Simon Storey, the Bicycle Mayor of Warwick District. If you haven’t heard of Kidical Mass, it is a global movement that calls on authorities to provide better cycling infrastructure so that people can choose to use bicycles as a viable option instead of driving, which is better for physical and mental health, saves you money, reduces congestion and improves air quality. It is a chance for the whole family to ride safely on roads that wouldn’t normally be ridden, so come along and join in the fun, it’s free so bring music, bells and whistles and make some noise and join the 500 other locations and 150,000 people from all over the world doing exactly the same thing!

Bikeathon

For kids, on Sunday May 19 there is a kids sponsored Bikeathon being held in Victoria Park on Princes Drive, Leamington where kids can raise money for Blood Cancer UK, starting at 10am (registration from 9.40am) until 12pm, how many laps (which measures at half a mile) can your child do? It’s a chance to have fun, make friends, do something amazing and have a real sense of achievement as well as being active. I’ll be there cheering along the amazing kids. Blood cancer is a type of cancer that affects your blood cells. Leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma are some of the most common types of blood cancer. Blood Cancer is caused by changes in the DNA with in blood cells, this causes the blood cells to start behaving abnormally, in almost all cases these changes are linked to things we can’t control. Over 40,000 people are diagnosed with a blood cancer each year.

Clean Air Day event

For the whole family, Kenilworth Town Council are getting together with Warwick District Council, Clean Air Warwickshire and Warwickshire County Council to hold Kenilworth’s first Clean Air Day event.

This FREE event will be held on Sunday June 16 between 10am and 3pm at Abbey End in Kenilworth. The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of clean air for our health and the environment.

There will be stalls, activities and food and drink for all the family: including bike skills, adapted bikes to try, making your own smoothie on a bike – music, games and much more!

An exciting part of the event is a ‘traffic free loop’ for the whole community to get together and walk, wheel, cycle, scoot and play along a 1 mile stretch of road between 11am and 1pm.

Please email [email protected] for more information.

Myton Hospices cycle challenge

For those looking for a challenge, Myton Hospice on Myton Road, Warwick is holding its annual Myton Hospices cycle challenge, you can choose to ride a brand new 20km (12 miles) route, the ever popular 50km (31 miles), the challenging 100km (62 miles) or the epic 161 km (100 miles) route, there really is a distance to suit everyone and you can help them reach their target of £37,500 which could fund the running costs of the Warwick Myton Hospice for seven days so they can support more people with living with life limiting illnesses , and their families now and in the future.

Can I help you with anything cycling related? Email me at [email protected]