NHS urges more people onto bikes

Prevention is cheaper than cure is the motto of scheme operating in County Durham A couple of weeks ago I joined a regular organised bike ride starting in the village of West Rainton in County Durham . There were two trips of different distances that start from the same point every Sunday morning – for novice and intermediate cyclists. They are organised by a scheme called ” Get Active Get Cycling ” which is funded by the local NHS trust. The (very good) idea behind it is that preventing cardiovascular disease by encouraging people to get on their bikes is much better, and cheaper, for the NHS than treating the disease when it happens. These rides are excellent if you are not a confident cyclist or are thinking of getting back into the saddle after a long break – not least because you don’t actually have to own a bike. The Get Active team turn up with a van full of well-maintained and very comfortable mountain bikes (I know because I borrowed one) that are absolutely free to use. You can also borrow tag-along bikes for children who are not yet able to ride. “Because the project is completely free to all participants and equipment can be provided, the majority of people who attend the cycle rides borrow bikes and helmets from us,” said Nick Whitley, one of the organisers. And he says that many participants are novice or lapsed cyclists. “In order to help these participants as much as we can we also offer one to one tuition to help build confidence and improve basic skills whilst riding a bike,” he said. The project has funding until September 2012. I opted for the longer ride which was a leisurely saunter in an 8.5 mile loop through pleasant countryside around the village – mostly on cycle tracks and quiet roads. Now if you are a regular cyclist looking for a physical challenge and a demanding pace this ride would probably be a bit tame. But I found it a very enjoyable way to spend a Sunday morning and meet some new people. If you have a family with a mixture of cycling abilities and are looking for a safe organised ride then it would be ideal (novice riders take a shorter ride). The long term plan is for the weekly ride to become self sufficient, with locals acting as guides (some are already trained up) and the bikes kept in a shipping container parked permanently in the village. The Get Active team already run 14 similar weekly rides across the county (with 5 more starting in June) and have roughly 150 bikes to lend out. There is also a programme of summer events . You can find more information on the West Rainton ride on their Facebook page or for more information contact Nick Whitley by email ( nick.whitley@nhs.net ) or phone (0191-569 2847). Does anything like this operate in other parts of the country? If so, please post in the comments below. Cycling Cycling holidays Health NHS James Randerson guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 5, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.