THE first in a series of special summer cycling events in South Lakeland will be taking place this weekend.

As part of a national campaign to get more people cycling for fitness and as a sustainable way of seeing the area, the Sky Ride Local programme will see a number of free bike rides, guided by British Cycling trained ride leaders, being held in the district through the summer months.

The first Sky Ride Local will be an ‘easygoing’ ride along the Coniston Water shoreline, suitable for all the family, on Sunday afternoon, 7 June.

This will be followed by rides in Windermere and Kendal later in June, with further rides across South Lakeland every month until September.

Details of South Lakeland Sky Ride Local events in June:

* Sunday, 7 June: Coniston Water Shoreline Hugger – Starts from Coniston Boating Centre at 2pm. ‘Easygoing’ ride, suitable for all ages, lasting approximately one hour 30 minutes.

* Sunday, 21 June: Windermere Shoreline (using unique ‘bike boat’) – Starts from Brockhole Visitor Centre at 2pm. ‘Easygoing’ ride, suitable for all ages, lasting approximately two hours and 15 minutes.

* Sunday, 28 June: Tour of Kendal – Starts from Kendal Town Hall at 10am. ‘Steady’ ride, suitable for ages 8+, lasting approximately two hours and 15 minutes.

South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) is working with partner organisations across Cumbria to support the cycling events, including Cumbria County Council, British Cycling, See More: Cumbria and the Lake District, Active Cumbria, and the National Trust.

The Sky Ride Local programme will contribute to SLDC’s environmental and health and wellbeing policies by offering more opportunities to be physically active, while encouraging residents and visitors to travel in a cleaner, greener way in South Lakeland.

Sky Ride Local has run successfully in South Lakeland, the Central Lakes and Carlisle for the past two years, with almost 1,100 people of all ages and abilities taking part in 115 Sky Rides. 

This year it is being broadened out across the county, to include Furness, the West Cumbrian coast, Keswick and the Eden Valley, with a total of 60 free Sky Ride Locals running over the summer months.

Councillor Sue Sanderson, SLDC’s portfolio holder for Environment and People, said: “Sky Ride Local is a great way to build on the ever-growing popularity of cycling, and will hopefully inspire people of all ages and abilities to organise their own two-wheeled adventures with friends and family. 

“These rides are a great and fun way to increase your physical activity and encourage people to use alternative modes of transport to get out and explore the beautiful South Lakeland landscape this summer.

“As a council we have a key Council Plan commitment to support Cumbria County Council and local partners with strategies like this to promote cycling and cycle tourism in the district.’’

To book your free place on a Sky Ride Local ride and for more information on how to get cycling in Cumbria visit goskyride.com/Cumbria