0114 273 4655
Cycling Becomes Reality For Virtual Winners
February 2008
It’s bikes galore for three lucky winners of a virtual bike competition, which was held as part of a local event to mark this years’ annual ‘In Town Without My Car Day’ during European Mobility Week.
South Yorkshire’s air quality campaign, Care4Air, set the challenge as part of the day’s events which aimed to highlight European Mobility Week by encouraging people to ditch their cars and use alternative methods of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport, which all offer a more environmentally friendly way to travel, by reducing the number of vehicles on the road. As winners of the challenge, Malcom Veale from Meersbrook, Robyn James from Stannington and Charlotte Gittins also from Stannington have all been presented with a brand new mountain bike, courtesy of Langsett Cycles ltd.
The virtual bike competition involved members of the public pedaling a stationary bike that was linked up to a computer and screen; the faster they pedaled the faster they went round the virtual velodrome on screen. Everyone that participated in the competition was entered into a prize draw and the winners were picked at random.
By hosting the city centre awareness day, Care4Air used European Mobility Week to help people across the city recognise the benefits of streets when they’re not crowded with vehicles and how this can improve the air quality in Sheffield.
Bernd Hoermann, Sheffield City Council spokesperson for European Mobility Week, said: “I am delighted to be able to present the winners with their bikes. By participating in the event all three winners have showed their support for making ‘streets for people’ and have helped the environment by encouraging people to use more sustainable methods of transport.”
Frances Adams, Programme Director for the South Yorkshire Local Transport Plan, said: “I support the work of Care4Air and I am pleased to be involved with this presentation. In Town Without My Car Day was a great opportunity to encourage people to use sustainable modes of transport and I am delighted to be able to reward the winners of this competition for showing their support to the day.”
Robyn James, from Stannington, said: “I am already a regular cyclist and at present I have a hybrid bike that I use to commute to my business, which is the Alton & James Medical Herbalists on Sharrow Vale Road. I am really happy to be one of the winners as I was already thinking about upgrading my hybrid bike but now it means I can get a proper road bike for the everyday stuff and use this one that I’ve won for the fun stuff such as mountain biking!”