The Mayor's Festival of Cycling in Milton Keynes

One of the exciting things which I was able to get involved in my new role as Co-Chair of Cycling Citizens MK Alliance was the inaugural Festival of Cycling.

The Milton Keynes Mayor, Marie Bradburn wanted to celebrate Milton Keynes as a cycling city and provide plenty of opportunities for people to either ride or to encourage people to ride. Cycling Citizens MK was very proud to be involved in this initiative.

There were loads of events over the week, supported by Get Around MK (Mk Council) including 'Ride Anywhere' week through the 'Love to Ride' app, guided rides, school 'bike buses' (see here), a White Rabbit ride!, a Parks Trust ride (see here), women’s cycling skills sessions, bike maintenance drop ins, a photography competition and finishing off with a cycle around the stadium at an MK Don’s game.

Tuesday - 25 March

Popped along to one of the four sessions being held by Bikeability instructors for women to improve or refresh their cycling skills and to offer support on bike maintenance. The sessions were well attended including 17 Girl Guides at one!

Thursday - 27 March

Popped up to Unity Place where Cycle Saviours (a member of the alliance - a local social enterprise maintaining, refurbishing and selling pre-loved bikes) were offering a ‘Doctor bike’ drop in & the Thames Valley Police were registering bikes as part of BikeRegisterUK which returns lost and stolen bikes to their owners.

I then took a ride out with the Mayor and the Youth Cycling Mayor, Cody Jackson, and members of Milton Keynes Council to visit a recent major investment in the MK redway network - a new section of redway passing the Blue Lagoon in Bletchley. This amazing new addition to the redway network links up a new estate in Milton Keynes with Bletchley providing a leisure route and encouraging people to get on their bikes.

*with the Mayor and some of the Council staff who made this redway happen!*

Thursday evening saw the 'Follow the White Rabbit' ride celebrating the start of Spring and including an Easter Egg hunt. Watch the reel here.

Friday - 28 March

The lovely weather continued into Friday for a great women's Breeze ride along the Ouzel Valley and around Caldecotte Lake finished off with a very sociable pub lunch.

*riders with one of MK's friendly dinosours*

Saturday - 29 March

Led a mixed guided ride, again with a gorgeous sunny weather along the Grand Union Canal and Ouzel Valley, it was great to see so many riders turn up.

Thanks go to Sally for this video reel which captured the morning perfectly. Click here to watch.

I then had the amazing opportunity to join 30 school children and the Mayor and the Youth Cycling Mayor to cycle around the pitch at the half-time of the MK Dons game . This was a unique & memorable opportunity to celebrate cycling in Milton Keynes and to promote Bike ability in schools. It was a great reward for the school children who completed their bike ability program. Read the full story here.

Watch my reel here -

What an incredible week! I was very proud to be part of something that encourages and support so many people (adults and children alike) to get cycling in Milton Keynes.