Promotional Activities
Bike Week
Usually in the middle of June, Bike Week is a marvellous opportunity to have fun, to demonstrate the bicycle’s potential as a means of transport and to tempt more people to give cycling a try. Across the country all kinds of events take place including sponsored rides, Doctor Bike clinics and cycle festivals. Visit the Bike Week website for more information.
The keys to making Bike Week work for you are:
- Be clear about what you want to achieve. Are you just out to have fun? Do you want to raise sponsorship money for a good cause? Do you want to convert more people into cycle commuters? Perhaps you want to do all three.
- Plan well in advance. Form a Bike Week team or committee and divide the workload amongst you. Depending on the sort of event you are planning, you may need people to look after organisational issues, publicity, money, health and safety issues, media and mechanical support.
- Where possible, link in with others. You will almost certainly find that other employers, local authorities and cycling organisations such as Life Cycle UK or your local cycling campaign are involved in Bike Week in some way. They are valuable partners who will be pleased to share their contacts and expertise.
Typical Bike Week events include:
A commuter challenge. Two volunteers, a cyclist and a motorist, set off across town, heading for their workplace. Who will arrive first? Invariably it’s the cyclist. What an inspiration!
- First timers’ ride. Seek out volunteers willing to try cycling to work. Get a few old hands to plan a pleasant route and to ride in with them.
- Longest ride. Award a prize to the person who cycles in from furthest afield. Doctor Bike. Hold a cycle surgery. A mechanic dressed in a white coat, with a stethoscope and a doctor’s bag, gives people’s bikes a check up, diagnoses faults and carries out minor surgery. You might be able to persuade someone from a local bike shop to play the part of Doctor Bike, or one of your own people could do it if they have the necessary skills. Or engage Life Cycle UK to hold a Doctor Bike surgery.
Charity bike rides
Throughout the spring and summer months there are large numbers of charity bike rides presenting the perfect opportunity for occasional cyclists to undertake something a little more challenging than their normal trip. By supporting individuals or a team from your company, you can raise the level of interest amongst staff in general about cycling, raise money for a deserving cause, create positive publicity for your firm, all whilst using the event as a team building session.
The British Heart Foundation's annual London to Brighton ride regularly attracts 27,000 riders and is the most famous ride of its type in the country. Since 1980, riders have raised £18 million and totalled up an amazing 29 million miles. Other rides include the Big H bike ride from Hampton Court to Worthing, the London to Windsor Ride starting from Richmond Green and the Thames Bridges Bike Ride.
Doctor Bike
Ensure that people’s bikes are roadworthy by running a cycle surgery. Doctor Bike, resplendent in white coat and stethoscope, will check bikes over, fix faults and write prescriptions for more complex care and repair. A cycle surgery is huge fun and practical too. Click here to find out more about booking a Doctor Bike surgery in the Bristol or West Country areas.
Cycle forum
Many local authorities hold regular cycle forums. That bring together council officers, cycling organisations and representatives from a variety of local employers. If you want to know about cycling policy in your area or if you have ideas for making road conditions safer and more convenient for cyclists, go to your local forum.
