Residents across the region are being encouraged to reject increasing costs at the petrol pump in favour of their bikes in preparation for the return of an annual charity cycle sportive in Coventry and Warwickshire.
As inflation continues to bite, organisers of the Starley Sportive want people living or working in the city and its surrounding areas to start saving commuting and travel costs by cycling in preparation to taking part in this year’s event and familiarising themselves with the Starley Network, a newly created 500-mile regional cycling network.
The Starley Sportive, established by Coventry Road Club, Deeley Group and Coventry City Council, will take place on Sunday, September 4 with participants setting off from Deeley Group’s head office on Herald Avenue at 8:30am.
Riders will cycle through locations across Coventry and Warwickshire, with parts of the Cotswolds also featuring in the route.
All money raised will be donated to The Myton Hospices, Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice and University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire Charity.
Ahead of the event itself, organisers will be undertaking a foodbank drive where all scheduled riders will be given the option to donate food to a local foodbank – with the aim of supporting those in need within our community during this ongoing period of economic uncertainty.
Eleanor Deeley, joint managing director of the Deeley Group, said: “As a community-focused business, we're well aware of the challenges that everyone in the region is facing with the riding cost of living.
“Cycling to and from work is a great way to get regular exercise and is known to contribute to improved mental wellbeing, so we’d like to encourage people across Coventry and Warwickshire to don their helmets and start and end their working day in a positive, healthy manner.”
“The Starley Sportive offers a great way to initially explore the wonderful network of cycle paths and cyclist-friendly roads that were set up by Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and Coventry City Council back in 2020.”
Ian Court, general secretary of Coventry Road Club, added: “Coventrians are fortunate to now have a designated cycle network available to them to explore, navigate and conquer, and preparing for the Starley Sportive is a great way to get into the swing of things.
“A new motor-free cycleway in Coundon is nearing completion, with Binley also set for a new cycling zone. Whether it’s work or leisure, rain or shine, it’s a really great time to be out on your bike in the city - all while saving money and doing your bit for the environment!”
The sportive and the cycling network are named in honour of James Starley, known as the father of the bicycle industry and John Kemp Starley, widely considered the inventor of the modern bicycle. Both worked and lived in Coventry.
To book a spot and find out more about the 2022 Starley Sportive, visit www.starleysportive.co.uk/.