CyclePig

photo by markhillary

In the UK it is currently Bike Week - the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event. There have been numerous organized rides taking place across the UK including commutes, family fun, time trials and longer distance rides. There are still more organized rides taking place tomorrow and through the weekend so find the event nearest you.

In addition to the organized rides there are some big cycling events over the weekend including the following:

• CTC York Cycle Show - In excess of 100,000 people are expect at this event which is being held at the Knavesmire Racecourse on 21st and 22nd of June. In addition to the large number of exhibitions and retail stores there will also be Mountain Bike stunt shows and other cycling demonstrations. And if you feel like a challenge you can also test out your biking skills against double Olympic gold medalist, James Cracknell at the Nokia pavilion - this will put you in the running to win a new top of the range bike.
• Islington Sports & Cycling Festival - This event is being held at the Arsenal Emirates Stadium in North London on the afternoon of the 21st of June. This event will also include stunts shows and cycling performances as well as the opportunity to get a ‘health check’ for your bike.

Nokia Sports Tracker

Nokia, who are sponsoring bike week, also provide a very interesting service called Sports Tracker. Sports Tracker on your GPS enabled handset (Nokia N-Series) can be used to track your cycling routes or other outdoor adventures. They can then be uploaded to the Sports Tracker website where you can share them with friends and family. If you don’t have a Nokia handset you can still use Sports Tracker with other GPS devices.

With the N-Series Nokia phone you can also monitor performance including speed, distance, time, pulse rate and calories burned. I hope to trial one of these handsets in the near future and will report back. The idea here is very interesting for the cyclist as it provides a convergence between maps / gps, mobile phones, cycling computers and heart rate monitors.

Five Reasons To Get On Your Bike

What better time to start cycling than Bike Week. If you are considering getting back on the bike or taking up cycling for the first time, here are some very good reasons to get going!

1. Cyclists live on average at least two years longer than non-cyclists and their fitness levels are equivalent to being ten years younger - so forget nip and tuck, think pedal and push!
2. Cycling is the ultimate family activity; it’s healthy, fun and encourages children to be independent
3. Twenty minutes of gentle cycling burns up to 100 calories, so if you cycle to work, you’ll be able to have that afternoon treat without feeling an inch of guilt!
4. Studies show that car drivers are exposed to five times as much polluted air than cyclists, making cycling good for the environment, as well as your health
5. In a rush? Cycling is often much quicker than public transport or taking the car - even better, you won’t spend a penny on public transport, road tax, parking, MOT or fuel