More than 500 cyclists took part in this year’s Wokingham Bikeathon, a fun annual challenge organised by a committee of volunteers with support from Wokingham Borough Council’s My Journey Wokingham active travel team.
A total of 561 people rode a course of either 15, 25 or 35 miles depending on their experience and ability, all of which started and finished on the event field at Cantley Park in Wokingham town on Sunday, 26 June.
Entrants included the Earley Panda, an anonymous mascot from Earley who takes part in cycling events to spread positivity and raise money for a variety of good causes.
Every child who took part was presented with a free medal, which was made from biodegradable materials and filled with seeds so it could be broken up and the contents planted. These were also awarded to adults for a small fee to avoid unnecessary wastage.
The field was a hive of activity with stallholders including My Journey Wokingham, who were showing off their “smoothie bike” – a fun contraption that allows riders to make a delicious fruity drink using pedal power. This was recently named Pedalicious following a competition among residents.
The My Journey team also gave away prizes including gift vouchers, cycle caps, bike repair tools and other goodies for entrants who logged their ride on the free Innovation Valley Rewards active travel tracker app, which is offering prizes in partnership with My Journey Wokingham until October 31.
Other attractions included free electric bike demos by AW Cycles and Velospeed Electric Bikes, organised by Wokingham Town Council, while the local Sprockets Cycle Club set up an agility course with obstacles like ramps, a slalom made of traffic cones and a low bar to duck under.
Also running stalls were Wokingham Cycle Club, the WATCH Wokingham walking and cycling group, Beyond First Aid, Wokingham Photography Club, Nuffield Health, the Bluebell Box serving drinks and cakes, Vanguard Cycles, who run the Dr Bike maintenance service, and Love to Ride Wokingham.
Love to Ride were the organisers of May’s hugely successful Bike Month Challenge, which smashed local records as riders across the borough logged a whopping 50,365 miles in total – 8,500 more than in last year’s Cycle September initiative – with three placed in the top 20 nationally. Anyone seeking adult cycle lessons to prepare for this year’s Cycle September can visit www.myjourneywokingham.co.uk.
Cllr Paul Fishwick, the council’s new executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said: “We were thrilled to support such a popular and successful event, which benefited from glorious weather and was a real showcase for the benefits of getting out on your bike.
“Our sincerest thanks go to everyone involved, from the organisers who worked so hard to make it happen to the stallholders and – of course – the cyclists themselves, who had a fantastic ride in the sunshine.”
Cllr Clive Jones, the council’s new leader, said: “We’re making it a priority to provide more safe, convenient and inclusive walking and cycling routes across the borough while promoting this, alongside taking public transport, as an alternative to driving where possible and helping people learn the skills they need to change their habits.
“The only way we’re going to solve the problems of traffic congestion, air pollution and the climate emergency is to get people out of their car for as many journeys as we can.”
Current initiatives include the council’s growing network of greenways, or generally traffic-free routes linking key destinations in the borough.
It is about to consult on improvements to existing networks under its draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan plus a proposed cycling and walking link, funded by the Government’s Active Travel Fund, from Woodley town centre to Palmer Park in Reading.
PICS BY STEWART TURKINGTON
www.stphotos.co.uk
