A campaign aimed at getting more people to ditch four wheels in favour of two is to be launched today by Transport for Greater Manchester.
Six local residents have been chosen to become poster stars for the Life on 2 Wheels campaign, which will be launched at Sky Ride Manchester.
A group of cyclists will celebrate the launch with Cllr Chris Paul, Cycling Champion for the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee (TfGMC), and Salford resident Billy Partridge, one of the six people chosen to spearhead the drive.
Life on 2 Wheels aims to get more people cycling by highlighting that you don’t have to be Chris Froome, Laura Trott or Mark Cavendish to enjoy it and it can help you save money, get from A to B, or stay healthy.
A roadshow will tour Greater Manchester over the next few weeks, giving people the opportunity to speak to cycling experts about how to get started on two wheels and receive free bike gifts.
The first event is being held in the Sky Ride Manchester Marketplace in Chinatown today.
The Life on 2 Wheels website– lifeon2wheels.tfgm.com – features the six ambassadors’ stories and will allow people to get involved in the campaign by posting their own photographs and cycling tales via social media.
The poster stars can also be seen on buses and bus shelters across Greater Manchester.
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Billy urged people to get involved and revealed his workplace was abuzz with people taking to the streets on two wheels.
He said: “It seems that everyone in the office is doing the same at the moment, so it’s great to be able to share tips and ideas with each other. I love the freedom of the road, the speed and how easy it is to ride around Manchester.
“If I had to give any advice to someone thinking about riding to work, it would just be to wear visible clothing, a helmet and lights and keep your bike well maintained with a little bit of oil on the chain from time to time.
“Most of all, though, just enjoy it!”
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The campaign is part of the Cycle City programme, funded by the Department for Transport, and features a wide range of initiatives and projects to get people out and about on two wheels.
This includes running free adult cycling training sessions; building new cycle hubs offering secure bike parking spaces and developing a major network of cycleways to make travelling around the region by bike easier, safer and more convenient.
The launch will take place at 10.15am next to the start line of Sky Ride Manchester at the National Cycling Centre.
