Formby locals urged to rediscover love of cycling

 Formby locals urged to rediscover love of cycling.

 A Dutch cyclist is urging people to rediscover the delights of Formby – by bike.

Linda van der Haar from bike hire scheme Bike & Go, which operates from participating train stations including Formby, Ainsdale and Southport, says that the varied cycle routes around the area are a gift to those who enjoy cycling – but that even more people could be making the most of them.

The keen cyclist who moved to the region from Amsterdam two years ago, has been particularly impressed by the Asparagus Cycle Route, the Cheshire Lines, and overall flat terrain.

She is now calling for those more used to getting behind the wheel to use Bike Week, which runs from June 10-18, as the perfect opportunity to see their locality from a new perspective.

The biggest nationwide cycling event in the UK, Bike Week aims to get people to give cycling a go all over the UK, whether this be for fun, as a means of getting around to work or school, the local shops or just to visit friends.

According to Linda, the week offers the perfect opportunity to rediscover a love of cycling that, for many, begins in childhood and is then lost once they start to drive.

“The combination of the pretty village, flat spaces and Cheshire Lines means that the local area has so many spaces which are perfect for cycling,” said Linda. “In the Netherlands we cycle everywhere, and picturesque spots such as this would be seized upon by people looking to chill out and enjoy some exercise in the fresh air.

“It’s all too easy to say you are too busy to go on a bike ride, but by spending  just one hour a week on a bike instead of watching a TV programme, people would feel the mental and physical health benefits as well as falling in love with their hometown all over again.”

The benefits of cycling have long been reported, with a recent survey linking cycling to work with a halving of the risk of cancer and heart disease.

The five-year study of 250,000 UK commuters showed that regular cycling reduced the risk of death from any cause by 415, the incidence of cancer by 45% and heart disease by 46%.

Cycling also took no willpower once it became part of the commute-to-work routine, the Glasgow-based research team said, unlike going to the gym.

Linda said: “Even if people don’t pick up a bike again for the rest of the year, I would urge them to spend one hour during Bike Week rediscovering cycling. You never know – it could be the start of a whole new passion.”

Bike & Go offers bike hire facilities from 70 participating train stations across much of the North West, North East and Yorkshire, East and South East of England, and Scotland, with more locations opening this year.

Last year the scheme was praised by a UK division of the travel giant TripAdvisor when it was included in a list of the top seven bicycle hire companies drawn up by its subsidiary rental company Holiday Lettings.

To hire a Bike & Go bike, users simply need to register their card details online, which they can do via smart phones, tablets, or at home, and pay the annual £10 subscription fee. They will then receive a user number via email which will allow immediate bike hire for up to two bikes at a time for just £3.80 per 24 hours whilst they wait for their Bike & Go membership card. Bikes can then be returned to any participating Bike & Go station.