Bike Week 2015 gets under way this weekend (June 13-21) and if you ever needed encouragement to throw a leg over the saddle and start pedalling, then look no further. Here's 10 ways to get the most out of your cycling adventures.
1 Cycle somewhere you have never been before. Pack up the bike and head across the country, explore your neighbourhood or plan a new route for your daily commute. Shake things up a bit.
2 Learn some basic maintenance. I have a friend who takes his trusty steed to the local bike shop every time he gets a flat tyre. On one occasion, after suffering a mechanical on a remote road, he hiked two miles to the nearest village and then paid £33 for a taxi home. I would name and shame but he has borrowed my Spiral season three box set and if we fall out, I won't get it back.
3 Upcycle. See that old bike sitting forlornly in the garage or spare room? Dust it off and take it along to your local branch of The Bike Station (thebikestation.org.uk) where it will be spruced up and found a new home. The Bike Station also offers bike maintenance classes (see No. 2 above).
4 Be social. Got a friend who has been talking for ages about how they would like to take up cycling? Help give them a gentle nudge in the right direction. Head to your local bike hire and then hit the trails or roads together. If they love it, you've got a new cycling buddy.
5 Watch a bike race. Stirling Bike Club is hosting a Festival of Racing Weekend featuring Battle of the Braes this Saturday and Crit under the Castle on Sunday (June 13 and 14). The two-day event is expected to attract more than 500 riders and thousands of spectators. Visit critunderthecastle.info
6 Go for a picnic. Nothing spurs me on while cycling like the thought of lovely food at the end of it. Even better if that involves a spot of al fresco dining. Opt for sturdy foods that can survive transit (crusty bread, cheese, olives and cold meat are always good choices). Don't forget to pack a blanket.
7 Catch up on your reading. I have a stack of cycling books on the bedside table so tall and teetering I fear it will topple and crush me in my sleep one of these nights. Next on the list: Bernard Hinault and the Fall and Rise of French Cycling by William Fotheringham (Yellow Jersey, £16.99). You can never have too many cycling books.
8 Pop along to the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling (edfoc.org.uk) which runs until June 21. There is a raft of great events including talks by multiple Ironman champion Fraser Cartmell; Shannon Galpin, mentor to the women pedalling a revolution in Afghanistan; and adventurer Mark Beaumont, fresh from his world record breaking cycle from Cairo to Cape Town.
9 Dream of that perfect bike? Build it yourself. If you don't want to start from scratch simply add some practical bling to your existing one be it a basket, panniers or super sleek wheels.
10 Find a Bike Week 2015 event near you. Log on to bikeweek.org.uk
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