Get on your bike this summer – Sky Ride is back

Following on from the success of the last five years, this summer sees the return of Sky Ride – a national campaign from British Cycling, Sky, Sport England and our local authority partners encouraging thousands of people of all ages and abilities to get on a bike and discover the fun, freedom and health benefits cycling can offer.

Sky Ride big bike events are traffic-free, mass participation cycling events taking place in 15 towns and cities across the UK. In what is shaping out to be an exciting summer of cycling with the Tour de France, Commonwealth Games and Tour of Britain all taking place in the UK there’s never been a better time to get inspired to get on a bike.

Sky Ride big bike events take over a town or city centre allowing thousands of cyclists to ride together with their friends and family on iconic traffic-free routes – giving riders a chance to see their city as never before.

The first Sky Ride bike events will begin in Plymouth on Sunday 25 May with more events following on throughout the summer:

• Plymouth - 25th May
• Bolton - 1st June
• Leeds - 15th June
• Southampton - 29th June
• Newcastle - 2nd August
• Manchester - 3rd August
• Sheffield - 10th August
• Hull - 17th August
• Leicester - 24th August
• Ipswich - 31st August
• Liverpool - 7th September
• York - 14th September
• Coventry - 21st September
• Bradford - 28th September
• Birmingham - TBC

Sky Ride ambassador Sir Chris Hoy said: “We want more people to enjoy riding a bike – that’s why Sky and British Cycling have teamed up to bring you Sky Ride. We’ve made it easier than ever to get out on your bike and spend quality time with your family and friends.

“Sky Rides close towns and cities for big bike events so you can ride safely on traffic-free streets, with a huge festival atmosphere and loads to do both on and off the bike. They are great fun and a great way to get on your bike.”

British Cycling and Sky are also working together to deliver Sky Ride Local guided rides which are a series of free small, weekly community bikes rides that take place every Sunday and give participants the chance to get out and explore their local area in over one hundred locations as well as Breeze and Ride Social rides throughout the country.

British Cycling’s director of Recreation and Partnerships, Stewart Kellett, added:

“We are delighted to once again bring traffic-free cycling to so many cities across the country with Sky Ride. 2014 promises to see even better and more exciting events, a real festival atmosphere and we want to see more people than ever riding their bikes on streets.

“In addition, we have 2,500 Sky Ride Local rides across the country, plus the women’s Breeze network and our buddy-based Ride Social programme, meaning we are able to provide opportunities to keep cycling whatever your ability, confidence and experience.”

“With the Tour de France and Tour of Britain on the horizon and the Commonwealth Games, too, it’s a great time to be involved with cycling in Britain and we are really excited to help people make the most of their bike this summer.”

Tricia Thompson Sky’s Director of Cycling said:

“Cycling in the UK has transformed in the last few years with more than a million more Brits now cycling regularly as a result of Sky’s partnership with British Cycling.

I’m thrilled Sky Ride has returned for another year and that so many people across the UK will get the chance to be able to enjoy cycling through their town or city on traffic-free streets.

Together with British Cycling we want to inspire people to get out on their bikes and enjoy cycling, whether for a sport, a hobby or as a way to get fit”

To find out more and register for an event visit: www.goskyride.com

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Notes to editor

Sky Ride
Sky Rides are big, celebratory events which take over a town or city centre so thousands of cyclists can ride together on a traffic-free route. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how old your bike is, or how fast you ride. 

Sky Ride Local
With Sky Ride Local we’ve done all the planning for you. We’ve found the best routes, trained up Ride Leaders to guide and support you, and picked some cracking places to visit along the way. 

Breeze
British Cycling’s Breeze programme is the biggest initiative ever to get more women into riding bikes for fun. Our amazing Breeze champions are trained to organise friendly, social bike rides up and down the country and inspire local women to get involved.

Ride Social
Meet like-minded riders, create groups, and organise your own rides. Perfect for informal clubs, training rides, workplace groups and meeting new people. Completely free to join.

About British Cycling

British Cycling is the national governing body for cycling as recognised by the UCI – the international federation for the sport. Based in Manchester at the National Cycling Centre, British Cycling works across all levels and six disciplines of the sport (BMX, Mountain Bike, Cyclo-Cross, Road, Track and Cycle Speedway), from providing the support and encouragement people need to get riding their bikes for the first time, to being home to the hugely successful Great Britain Cycling Team. Continued success at the highest level is inspiring a boom in participation across the nation. There have never been more opportunities to ride a bike, be it for fun or sport, and British Cycling is at the heart of this growth. British Cycling also works hard to represent cyclists’ interests at all levels, including campaigning on important issues including road safety. As a membership organisation, British Cycling provides a suite of benefits and support to its members who currently number over 89,000. All membership revenue is invested back into cycling. British Cycling was named Governing Body of the Year at the 2013 Sports Industry Awards. 

For more information, visit www.britishcycling.org.uk

Contact details:

Kirsty McCaskill, Communications and Policy Affairs Manager

+44 (0) 161 274 2115

+44 (0) 753 808 9527 

kirstymccaskill@britishcycling.org.uk 

Rob Meaden, Senior Communications Officer

+44 (0) 161 274 2116

+44 (0) 792 040 7754 

robertmeaden@britishcycling.org.uk 

About Sky

Sky is the principal partner of British Cycling the governing body for cycling in the UK, both at an elite and grass root level. In 2012 the partnership beat their goal of getting one million more Britons on their bikes and cycling regularly (once a month) by 2013.

Sky is the UK and Ireland’s leading home entertainment and Communications Company. Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services.

Sky is the UK’s biggest investor in television content, investing more than £2.5 billion a year in channels such as Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky News. Around two-thirds of Sky’s content spend is invested in the UK and Sky is the fastest-growing source of investment in original British programmes. More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week.

Alongside its commitment to offering customers a greater choice of high-quality content, Sky is a leading innovator. Customers enjoy total control and flexibility over their favorite TV through Sky+, watch TV on the move through Sky Go, and enjoy the best quality TV experience at home through High Definition and 3D.

Sky distributes its content broadly over several platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile and WiFi. NOW TV, Sky’s second consumer brand, builds on the company’s leadership in internet TV. Sky is also the UK's fastest-growing home communications company and favourite ‘triple-play’ provider of TV, broadband and home phone.

Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sports and increasing access to, and participation in, the arts. Sky employs 24,000 people, has annual revenues of £7.2 billion and is estimated to support a £5.9 billion contribution to UK GDP. Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY).

For more information visit www.goskyride.com 

Contact details:

Victoria Etaghene, Senior Manager, Product and Brand PR

+44 (0) 207 032 0675

victoria.etaghene@bskyb.com