Tag: Bike Week

Bike Week: Local Scottish Greens MSP celebrates cycling infrastructure successes  

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Local Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater has heralded the delivery of key cycling infrastructure in Edinburgh as part of Bike Week, the UK’s biggest celebration of cycling.  

Thanks to pressure from the Scottish Greens during the party’s time in Government, the SNP has committed to increase spending on active travel projects across the country by more than 400% compared to 2019/20. While it still remains short of its £320m spending target on walking, cycling and wheeling infrastructure, the extra funding it has provided so far has already made a major difference on the ground. 

Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater said: “Active travel has come on leaps and bounds since we got the Government to boost spending on it.  

“Now, more people can safely cycle, walk or wheel around Edinburgh and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that come with travelling under your own steam. 

“Bike Week provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on this success – but also to look forward. I would urge the Scottish Government to meet its target of spending £320m – or 10% of its transport budget – on active travel as soon as possible. 

“We’ve already seen that if the infrastructure gets built, people will use it. The SNP must provide more funding so that as many people as possible can bolster their wellbeing whilst helping the planet at the same time.” 

Healthy Heart Tip: Bike Week

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

BikeWeekUK begins on 6th June and is the perfect opportunity to become healthier by bike. Cycling regularly can help to lower our risk of developing heart disease and improve our overall health and wellbeing.

Here are some tips to help you get on your bike this summer:

Cycle to work

Cycling to work can be a time-efficient way to fit exercise into your daily routine. It can even benefit your productivity at work whilst also improving the health of your heart.

Cycle together

Cycling can be a great way to meet up with friends, or make new ones, and be active together. Evidence shows that we are more likely to complete exercise when doing so with a partner or in a group.

Additionally, we work physically harder when surrounded by others than when exercising alone. Look up your local cycle groups to get started!

Starting Slow

If you don’t yet feel confident or fit enough for a long bike ride, why not start small by going on some shorter bike rides, and gradually increasing your distance or time. This will build your confidence and fitness before you tackle a longer route.

Use Bike Week as the perfect starting point of pedalling your way to a healthy heart!

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at:

www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: 

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Heart Research UK Healthy Tip – Bike Week

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Bike Week 6th – 14th June – https://www.cyclinguk.org/bikeweek

Get cycling this Summer

Regular physical activity will help you to maintain a healthy weight and keep your heart healthy. Cycling is a fun way to improve your overall health and wellbeing as well as enabling you to get out and explore your local area. We have some tips to get you started with cycling this summer.

If you currently don’t own a bike …

You can check whether your employer offers a Cycle to Work scheme as this can make buying a bike more affordable. Travelling around by bike may help you to make savings on travel costs.

If you don’t have access to a cycle to work scheme, you could check out the deals available from your local bike shop or look out for a cheap second hand bike. You can get advice online or at your local bike shop about which bike is most suitable for you and what extra equipment you might need.

If you are unsure whether cycling is for you, why not find out whether you can hire a bike in your local area to try it out first.

Start off small

Don’t try to do too much too soon. If you try to cycle for too long the first time you go out, you may get fatigued or injured and this may put you off continuing. Build up gradually, starting with a short cycle on fairly flat ground, building up to longer and more challenging cycles slowly. Make sure you allow yourself adequate recovery time in between cycles.

Fuel and fluid

As you build up to longer rides as you get fitter, you should always remember to take food and a drink on your bike rides. A snack, such as a banana or a cereal bar, and a bottle of water strapped to your bike frame will help to keep you going for longer.

You can find plenty more healthy tips and recipes at heartresearch.org.uk

 

Join Wednesday’s Breakfast Bike Ride

Once again rhis Wednesday (19  June) people will be meeting their MPs, MSPs and councillors across Edinburgh to cycle together to SPOKES’ bicycle breakfast.

Launched last year, the first Bike Breakfast saw Edinburgh residents and their political representatives bike along their cycling commuting routes to a central Edinburgh meeting at the City Chambers for the annual Spokes Bike breakfast.

This year’s organisers hope to double the number of councillors attending the rides and breakfast.

A group spokesperson said: “After a record turn out of more than 4,000 people at POP2 (Pedal on Parliament) this year it is clear our representatives have an obligation to engage with us, we are providing the perfect opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about cycling”.

For details about rides and times and how you can get involved please check our website and Facebook groups.

www,breakfastbikeride.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/events/130759000446271/?fref=ts

This event is part of http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/

and the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling http://www.edfoc.org.uk/

For more details please contact Mike 07779527004, email breakfastbikeride@gmail.com
Breakfast Bike Ride Team
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