Wokingham Borough Connect
Family and Community Fair
Over the Easter holidays the My Journey team attended a popular community event at a family and community fair at Lower Earley Library arranged by the council's community engagement team.
Residents met some lovely dogs from the Guide Dogs charity, made pedal powered smoothies on the My Journey smoothie bike, and helped support the Herbie Hedgehogs Charity!
Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel
Well done to all the Wokingham schools who took part in this year’s Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel challenge, from 11 to 22 March. We got some great high scores on the national leaderboard for our brilliant Wokingham Borough schools. A massive well done to Wescott Infant School in Wokingham who came in an incredible 13th place nationally in the small primary school category!
Well done also to Aldryngton Primary School in Earley and Emmbrook Junior School in Wokingham who came in 48th and 50th in the large primary school category.
In the secondary school category, St Crispin's School in Wokingham came in 23rd and Crosfields School in Shinfield came in 20th in the combined primary and secondary school category.
A big thank you to all the school staff and pupils who helped collect and enter in the daily totals of children walking, scooting, wheeling and cycling to school throughout the challenge. We couldn't have done it without you!
ArborFinch Bike Bus
In March our cycling officer had the great pleasure of attending the AborFinch Bike Bus. It was a parent-led initiative to get more children cycling or wheeling to school. The bike bus was full of energy and noise. It started at Arborfield Garrison Fields and made its way to Gorse Ride Schools for drop off/pick up and then went on to Nine Mile Ride School in Finchampstead. A total distance of 2.7 miles mostly on cycle paths and the California Greenway.
With the help of adult volunteers, seven children were safely escorted to school in a fun and energising way. We had many smiles and waves of support from parents along the way.
Take a look at the video here to see the ArborFinch Bike Bus.
If you are interested in setting up a similar initiative at your school, Sustrans are running a webinar to give you some tips to get going.
Electric Cargo bike trials for local businesses!
Did you know that the My Journey team have two Urban Arrow electric cargo bikes available for businesses within the borough to trial to see how an e-cargo bike could benefit their business.
Capable of carrying loads of between 300 and 630 litres, the cargo bikes can replace cars or vans for most local journeys and are perfect for first and last mile deliveries.
If your business is making deliveries in the borough, could you play your part in reducing transport emissions and making Wokingham Borough a greener place to live and work?
Benefits of E-cargo bikes
- Save money on fuel and vehicle costs
- No more parking charges
- Reduce transport emissions
- No sitting in traffic jams
To discuss borrowing a cargo bike please contact myjourney@wokingham.gov.uk
Wokingham Bikeathon is back!
This year's Wokingham Bikeathon will take place on Sunday 23 June starting and finishing at Cantley Park, Wokingham.
There will be a choice of four routes to suit all abilities and ages: 15 miles (short), 25 miles (intermediate), 35 miles (long) or 51 miles (extra long) - there will be drink stops and toilets on all the routes. Bring your family or ride with your friends. Refreshments, other activities and attractions will also be at Cantley Park at the Bikeathon start/finish.
Booking is now open on the Bikeathon's website.
There will also be a Kidical Mass family bike ride at the Bikeathon. Kidical Mass is an organised bike ride for children led by adults.
Tips on commuting or cycling to your local shops
Finally, the clocks have changed, the days are lighter for longer and summer is not too far away. What a perfect time to dust off your bike and think about commuting to work or to your local shops. You don’t need to be super fit to do this, you don’t need to buy new clothes. Why not choose a day of the week that you know is quieter and start with that.
Tips:
- Check your bike - if you’ve not ridden your bike for a while then a simple M check (which can be found on Sustrans website) will give you confidence that your bike is OK to ride. If not look out for one of our Dr Bike sessions and book in for a free bike check or attend one of our bike maintenance courses. Visit our website to find out more.
- Plan your route – the route you take by car may not be the best route to cycle on, look for quieter roads, bridleways, and cycle paths/lanes. Check out the journey planner on our website.
- If you are planning to carry anything, use a rucksack or panniers.
- Wear sensible clothes – tapered trousers/shorts and trainers/sports shoes, a rain jacket and wear something that will make you visible to other road users. You may need a quick change of clothes for work and a cycle helmet is advisable.
- Allow extra time for your journey, enjoy the fresh air and the new things you’ll see on your route.
- Carry a bike lock, lights, pump and spare inner tube/puncture repair kit.
- Unsure about cycling on the road, we will be running some Adult Cycle Training over the next few months. Sign up for a basic course which will be advertised on our website.
Watch the short video and hear what Chris has to say about his experience of commuting by bike.
Bike Month Challenge
The Bike Month Challenge which takes place from 1 to 31 May is all about making every ride count! And how do we make every ride count? By logging them all with the Love to Ride app.
Download the app, track your rides and biking accomplishments, and provide feedback on your bike trips using the simple and fun Rate My Routes feature (coming very soon).
There are amazing prizes to be won and everyone is invited to take part - from regular riders to people who haven’t been on a bike in years (or ever).
You could be a winner before the Bike Month Challenge even begins! Download the Love to Ride app and follow the prompt to register for the challenge. Or register via the website before midnight on April 30 and you will be entered into a early bird prize draw to win £1,000!
Find out more at Love to Ride Wokingham.
Regular activities and events
- FREE Balance Bike Club at FBC (Wednesdays)
- FREE Balance Bike Club at Woodford Park Leisure Centre (Thursdays)
- Learn to Ride sessions (£10) at FBC in Finchampstead (Wednesdays)
- Learn to Ride sessions (£10) at Woodford Park Leisure Centre in Woodley (Thursdays)
- Woky Wheels 4 All at FBC in Finchampstead (Thursday mornings)
- Basic Bike Maintenance Course (£11) on Friday, 19 April at Emmanuel Church Hall, Woodley
- Basic Bike Maintenance Course (£11) on Monday, 22 April at Winnersh Community Centre
- Kidical Mass Bike Ride - Saturday, 20 April starting at 2pm from Elms Field, Wokingham - more information on their website.
- Wokingham Walk - Sunday, 28 April starting from Elms Field, Wokingham - more information on their website.
- Adult Cycle Training - please check our website for when this will be starting
For more information on our regular cycle training and activities, visit our website.
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