August Family Bike Challenge

The Bike Station are running a new cycle challenge in August, that aims to build on the success of their Workplace challenge that got loads of people cycling in Edinburgh for the first time earlier this year. This time, they're running a Friends and Family cycle challenge. Here's what they say on their website:

From Monday 2^nd to Sunday 22^nd August 2010, the Friends and Family Cycle Challenge wants everyone to get involved, cycling wherever you want and at anytime you want over the three-week Challenge.  There are chances to win some fantastic prizes, including haircuts at a top Edinburgh salon, class passes for Bristo Yoga School, mountain biking day out from MB7, a family meal at Henderson’s and some stylish panniers!

Once registered on the website, individuals can log any cycle trip for 10 minutes or more and they will be entered into the daily prize draw.  The more times they cycle, the more chance they have of winning irrespective of the distance.

The Friends and Family Cycle Challenge is part of A better way to work, a project by the Bike Station, which aims to encourage people to leave the car at home and use more sustainable means of transport, and is in collaboration with the CTC Challenge for Change.

Esther Halcrow, Challenge Co-ordinator said: "The plan is simple – as well as getting more people registered for the Challenge, we’re asking the people we already have cycling to encourage their friends and family to get involved. We’re looking to encourage at least 400 people, who haven’t been on a bike in the last year, to try cycling. It’s a great form of exercise to do with friends and family, and more importantly, it’s fun!”

You can register yourself now at www.edinburghcyclechallenge.org.uk and start logging trips. There are Gold Screen Dominion Cinema tickets for new cyclists who register and for those who encourage a new cyclist to register!

For more information, including prizes, please visit the website www.edinburghcyclechallenge.org.uk or contact Esther Halcrow on 0131 667 3558.

As part of the Challenge, the Bike Station plan to hold a unique mass cycling event in Holyrood Park on the 22nd of August, so keep the day free. We'll post more information on the event as soons as we've got it.

The following weekend, we'll be restarting our own We Love Leith monthly bike rides, with an exclusive, free guided tour of the Bawsinch Nature reserve. So keep the 28th of August free if you'd like to join us for that ride and we'll release more details of the route later in the month.