Pedal Ready are offering free lessons
Pedal Ready, a cycling initiative based in Sheffield, is offering every Sheffielder a free cycling lesson in an attempt to encourage more people to ditch their cars and public transport and commute to work by bike.
The group are offering lessons for everybody, from complete beginners to experienced riders who want safety tips and David Ballie, a trainer with Pedal Ready said, “You could see it as being like an advanced driving lesson for cyclists.” The free lessons have been made possible by sponsorship, from Sheffield City Council, and David believes everyone should take advantage of the offer, “I’d say, if you’ve got the skills to deal with today’s traffic, it makes your cycling more practical and more enjoyable,” he said.
The scheme, which began in 2004, has contributed to a sustained rise in cycling in and around the city. The most recent inner city transport study, carried out by the council, suggests that city centre cycling has seen a 35% rise since Pedal Ready was founded and has increased a total of 77% since 2000. It is estimated that more than 3600 journeys are made through the city centre daily.
The group claim that cycling offers great benefits when compared to the more traditional commuter’s choice of car or public transport. Cycling is a great way to keep fit and has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and increases life expectancy. Research by the National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease suggests that regular cyclists enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person 10 years younger.
There are environmental advantages as well, as cycling produces no carbon emissions compared to cars that produce up to 170g of CO2 per kilometre. Whilst public transport is less polluting, studies by Sheffield’s two main bus operators state that the average CO2 output is still 100g per passenger kilometre. Cycling also relieves congestion, a welcome benefit to anyone who has been caught in the gridlock of Sheffield’s rush hour, and consequently carbon emissions are further reduced.
Pedal Ready has created a pledge that encourages the people of Sheffield to get on their bikes more often. The pledge already has high-profile support from local councillors, Tim Rippon, Paul Scriven, Bernard Little and most notably, Lord Mayor Jackie Drayton who has pledged to cycle to work in the near future.
This show of support is welcomed by David Brocking, press officer for Pedal Ready, and he hopes the recent visit of environmental campaigner and former Vice President, Al Gore, during ‘Sheffield is my Planet’ week in February, will encourage more people to take a pro-active step in reducing Sheffield’s carbon emissions. “If the city is really serious about cutting carbon emissions, zero carbon transport is the way forward” said David.
For more information about Pedal Ready and the chance to claim your free cycling lesson go to www.pedalready.co.uk or contact David on (0114) 2665160.
Kieron Bryan
July 9th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Nice,I will keep on doing it