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A slightly different format from the usual for this Bike Week Special.
Bike Week 2025 – launch event Dr Bike
We hope you’ve enjoyed Bike Week 2025 if this event has inspired you to get out on two wheels. It got off to a great start for us as we hosted a public Dr Bike session on Friargate Boulevard, supported by West Midlands Police who were on hand to provide free bike marking and crime prevention advice. Thank you to everyone who came along – either planned or unplanned!
 A police officer applying a Bike Register sticker to an upturned bicycle
Don’t worry if you missed out, as there are plenty more Dr Bike sessions over the summer, with more to be announced soon! Our Dr Bike technician will be able to see to any niggling issues with brakes, gears and minor fixtures and fittings, meaning your bike can be ready for the summer in no time! However please note that not all Dr Bike events will be carried out in partnership with the police. Keep an eye on your local police team to find out what they are up to in your area.
 A cycle mechanic takes a break from fixing a bicycle by chatting with a police officer about his vintage Citroen van
Adult cycle training
If you are a little rusty rather than your bike, then why not take advantage of our free programme of adult cycle training?
Complete beginners are perfect for Level 1A, and returning cyclists wanting to build-up their confidence again can slot straight into Level 1B.
Sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Canal Basin. Our Saturday slots have been extremely popular and are now fully booked.
Child cycle training
Our children’s lessons continue to be very popular, with extremely limited availability remaining in the 2-5 age group only. More sessions are going to be announced soon, including a new provision dedicated to children with special educational needs. Keep an eye out on future newsletters to find out more.
Coventry VISTA
Finally, we’d like to say thank you to Coventry Visually Impaired Sighted Tandem Association (Coventry VISTA for short) for lending the Council Staff Choir a Tandem bike, as a prop for their recent VE Day 80 singalong event.
 A tandem bicycle is propped up against a window adorned with VE Day bunting and a UK flag
Coventry VISTA is a small and friendly tandem cycling club, comprised of sighted “pilots” (at the front) and partially-sighted or visually-impaired “stokers” (at the back). They ride out on alternate Tuesdays from Earlsdon into the Warwickshire countryside, with the occasional Saturday ride as well. Membership is a great opportunity to experience the joys of cycling.
- As a sighted rider, your participation will unlock the benefits of cycling for someone who would otherwise not have the opportunity, while also being a sociable and fun experience for yourself.
- As a partially sighted rider, you will get to experience the sensations of moving through fresh air at speed – and the sounds and smells of the countryside – in a way that you could never have imagined.
For more information about riding with them (on the front or on the back), or supporting the club in another way, contact Brian Thomas on 024 7630 2551 or visit their website.
 Sighted and partially-sighted riders from Coventry VISTA gather at Draycote Water on one of their Saturday rides in 2024
If you want your club to be featured in the next newsletter, please contact:
cyclecoventry@coventry.gov.uk
Midland Mencap Parkride
While we’re on the subject of inclusive cycling, why not pop along to one of Midland Mencap’s Parkride sessions at a number of parks in Coventry over the summer? This builds on their successful Cycle with Confidence classes held earlier this year at Longford Park. Parkride is an opportunity for anyone to just turn up and have a go on a range of adapted cycles.
 A cyclist is riding a tricycle that is carrying a wheelchair and its very happy occupant
Our Dr Bike, Cycle Training and Parkride sessions mentioned in this newsletter are all funded through Government grant.
For information on learning to ride, routes, bike shops visit www.coventry.gov.uk/cycling
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