Cyclox chairwoman Dr Alison Hill takes a look at the Celebration of Cycling events starting today.

THE Celebration of Cycling in Oxford and around Oxfordshire launches today.

The celebration marks the renaissance in cycling that emerged through the pandemic and the opening up of our lives after recurrent lock downs. There will be five weeks of events and activities put on by many organisations across Oxford city and in Oxfordshire’s market towns to celebrate the joy of pedalling and to inspire more people to cycle for fun, health and everyday journeys.

There will be organised rides, cycle maintenance sessions at four different venues, stalls, exhibitions, talks, films, competitions, a puppet show, and community-led events. The final day of the Celebration will be October 4, to mark the day the Women’s Tour of Britain 2021 comes to Oxfordshire going from Bicester to Banbury via Oxford.

Oxford Mail:

The celebration is being hosted by Cyclox with lots of amazing pedalling partners putting on events and giving advice and support. Our partners are: Active Oxfordshire, BicesterBUG, British Cycling, Broken Spoke Bike Co-op, JoyRiders Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, University of Oxford, Wheels for All and the Windrush Bike Project. We are linking up with the activities of the Great Big Green Week (September 18-26) and marking World Car Free Day on September 22.

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We are grateful to our generous sponsor Shaw Gibbs, and funders Active Oxfordshire, Cycling UK, the University of Oxford, and the Midcounties Co-operative Community Support Donation Fund, for their contributions which go to support the many events. Walton St Cycles are offering a 25% reduction on helmets bought during September.

There will be events for everyone who wants to cycle, young and old, confident and less confident, able and less able. Here’s a taster of what is going on, with more to come:

Oxford Mail:

•Cyclox stall & Dr Bike cycle maintenance session Broad Street, today, 10am-4pm, Broad Meadow

•JoyRiders Oxford Beginner+ rides (women only), Saturday September 11, 9.30am, Barton and Littlemore

•Celebrate Cycling with Cyclox September 11, 10am-4pm, Broad Meadow with Dr Bike cycle maintenance session and the pedlar puppet show for children

•Windrush Bike Project E-bike tryout and Dr Bike, September 11, 11am-3pm, Charlbury Primary School

•Cyclox’s Traffic light free Oxford city cycle ride, September 12, 10am, Broad Meadow

•Rose Hill Cycling Festival September 18, 12-2pm, Rose Hill Community Centre

•Windrush Bike Project Potter to the Pottery cycle ride, September 19, 9.30am, Church Green, Witney

•Barton Bash, September 25, 10am-4pm, Barton Neighbourhood Centre with cycling events, Dr Bike cycle maintenance sessions and Cyclox stall

•Bainton Bikes Official Oxford Cycle Tour, September 25, 2.15pm, Walton Street Cycles

•Wheels for All Inclusive cycling sessions, every Friday, 10am-12pm (£3) & 1-2pm (free), Horspath Athletics Track

•Oxford Cycling UK rides on Sunday 9.30pm Broad Street

•Cyclox Dr Bike cycle maintenance session Sat 2nd Oct, 10am-4pm, Rose Hill Community Centre.Visit cyclox.org.