Wirral cyclists cut their carbon footprint

Jan 25 2012 by Jade Wright, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL environmentalists are getting on their bike to save money, get fit and cut their carbon footprints.

That’s the finding of new research that has found that in Merseyside, there are 25 per cent more people cycling than there were five years ago.

To help encourage even more people to join in the fun, Merseytravel’s TravelWise has teamed up with Liverpool NHS Primary Care Trust for the 2020 Decade of Health and Wellbeing, offering Merseyside residents free cycle skills sessions and bike maintenance courses.

Hundreds of people have already signed up for cycle skills or maintenance courses – so don’t be left behind, it’s still not too late to get the new year off to a great start and take advantage of this great free offer.

Whether you’re looking to learn to ride a bike for the first time, or improve your confidence and on-road skills, each ‘freewheeling’ course is based on the three levels of the national standard Bikeability training, ideal for all abilities.

Level 1 – learning the basics like staying upright, signalling, looking behind and using your gears

Level 2 – turning right and left at junctions into quiet roads and overtaking parked cars etc.

Level 3 – more advanced skills and manoeuvres for cycling on busier roads.

If you can't ride a bike or haven't ridden for many years there is also a ‘learn to ride’ session, which will get you ready for the Level 1 course.

If you want to get to know more about your bike, then the free bite size maintenance courses are perfect.

Pick and choose from a number of themed sessions to help you gain specific knowledge about safety checks and cleaning, fixing a puncture, brakes and gears – just choose one or take part in them all.

All sessions are based at a fully equipped Merseyside training centre and are available during the daytime, early evenings and at weekends.

All training and courses are delivered by fully accredited Bikeright Instructors.

It’s one new year’s resolution that’s definitely worth sticking to.

For more information and to book online, visit www.LetsTravelWise.org or call the Merseyside Training Centre on 0151 482 5700