Free family cycling sessions across Merseyside have been commissioned by Merseytravel as part of the TravelWise Campaign, which encourages residents of Merseyside to make sustainable and smarter travel choices.
The sessions aimed to improve general cycling skills and road skills training for children and their guardians in a fun and safe environment, offering adults the chance to see their children’s cycling skills and gain confidence in their children’s abilities through a mix of interactive learning and fun games.
The sessions were a first for Merseytravel and were piloted in Crosby, Wallasey, Halewood and Dingle – areas recognised to have great potential for increased cycling because of access to off road cycle paths, often preferred by families with young children.
The sessions attracted a range of participants ranging from some people who rode for the very first time to seasoned cyclists and their families. Each family received an activity pack which included maps, activity card, stickers and “How to..” Cards aimed at encouraging them to cycle more in their leisure time.
Councillor Liam Robinson, chair of Merseytravel said: “We are really lucky in Merseyside to have so many great off road cycle routes and we wanted to encourage more people to get out there and use them.
“Following recent cycling research we discovered that what parents really want is family training delivered in their local area. These sessions aimed to do just that and from the fantastic feedback we’ve received it seems that they have been successful and I hope we have provided all attendees with the skills and confidence to cycle more around our brilliant cycle paths and roads.”
Anna Key who attended a session at Dingle said, “I took my children so my child could gain more confidence cycling, I thought the session was very good and really worthwhile as I now feel more confident in taking my family out on a bike ride.”
Merseytravel hope to offer more sessions in the future, keep an eye on the website for details. www.letstravelwise.org/cycling
The TravelWise Campaign still offers free skills sessions for adults in both cycle training from learn to ride to urban road riding, and bike maintenance including fixing punctures. To find out more simply phone TravelWise on 0151 330 1253 or visit www.letstravelwise.org/cycling