Cycling and the City – Christine Bleakley wants women to get on their bikes 1

Oh hooray, more "encouragement" to be "confident on the roads". That’s sure to be useful. Why has nobody thought to try doing that before?

From: Natasha Lytton <natasha.lytton>
Date: Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 10:27 AM
Subject: Cycling and the City – Christine Bleakley wants women to get on their bikes
To: Natasha Lytton <natasha.lytton>

Good Morning,

Following on from the announcement yesterday by British Cycling to get one million more women riding bikes regularly by 2020, Barclays cycles ambassador Christine Bleakley has hosted a series of videos: ‘Cycling and the City’ to encourage more people, particularly women, to get on their bikes.

Research shows that over half (51%) of women say they would cycle if they felt more confident on the roads and Cycling and the City is full of tips and information for everyone from seasoned riders to novice cyclists.

Commenting on the launch of the videos Christine said: "As with many things, confidence is all important, and the thought of cycling in London was a barrier I needed to get past. Knowledge and information were key to me: what are the rules of the road; how do I cycle safely; how do I maintain my bike? Simple stuff, but hopefully the Barclays Cycling and the City videos will help share some key information and encourage female cyclists. I now feel much more comfortable riding on busier roads and I love the freedom cycling gives me.

To view Cycling and the City please visit: youtube.com/Barclayscycling

Thanks,

Natasha

SAFER CYCLING FOR WOMEN IN THE CAPITAL

Christine Bleakley encourages women to get on their bikes

LONDON 26 MARCH: The number of cyclists on London roads has more than doubled in the past decade, but women still make up a smaller proportion of journeys by bike than men at just a third of the total*.

Research shows that over half (51%) of women say they would cycle if they felt more confident on the roads whereas this is much less of a concern for men (33%)**.

To help encourage female cyclists Barclays has commissioned a series of videos full of tips and information, presented by keen cyclist and TV personality, Christine Bleakley, called, ‘Cycling and the City’.

Commenting on the launch of the videos, Christine said: “As with many things, confidence is all important, and the thought of cycling in London was a barrier I needed to get past. Knowledge and information were key to me: what are the rules of the road; how do I cycle safely; how do I maintain my bike? Simple stuff, but hopefully the Barclays Cycling and the City videos will help share some key information and encourage female cyclists. I now feel much more comfortable riding on busier roads and I love the freedom cycling gives me.”

‘Cycling and the City’ provides essential tips for riders in four bite-sized films:

1) Get on your Bike: Why you should feel inspired to take up cycling in London.

2) DIY Cycle Safety: Seven simple bike maintenance checks you can make to feel secure before you get on the road.

3) Spin in Style: Cycling doesn’t have to be all about lycra; a look at some of the most stylish cycling accessories on the market from London’s most fashionable cyclist, Caz Nicklin from Cycle Chic.

4) The Road to Safer Cycling: All you need to know to be fully road aware with important safety guidance from the charity, Brake.

David Wheldon, Barclays Managing Director of Brand, Reputation and Citizenship said: “Londoners and visitors have quickly taken to Barclays Cycle Hire and Barclays Cycle Superhighways since their launch just under three years ago, and it’s now difficult to imagine the capital without the iconic bikes and cycle lanes. More and more people are using two wheels, but the level of uptake of cycling is still relatively low among women. We hope ‘Cycling and the City’ will remedy that, and encourage more to take up this healthy and cost-effective activity.”

The videos are available to view at youtube.com/BarclaysBikes.

-ENDS –

For more information please contact:

Natasha Lytton

natasha.lytton

020 3451 9423

* TfL 2012 Attitudes to Cycling

** ICM London Cyclists Research, June 2012

*** Bikeworks offers one day bicycle maintenance training for people of all levels. Visit bikworks.org.uk for more information

Barclays

• Barclays is the exclusive sponsor of Barclays Cycle Hire and Barclays Cycle Superhighways in London. The sponsorship is worth up to £50m and runs until 2018.
• Barclays is committed to supporting local communities and providing a sustainable and positive contribution to London through the sponsorship of Barclays Cycle Hire and Barclays Cycle Superhighways.
• In 2012, Barclays invested £64.5 million in community programmes globally with 68,000 employees providing their time, skills and money to charitable causes.