It could be Wiggo. Or Sir Chris. Or Queen Victoria (Pendleton). Or any one of the amazingly inspiring cyclists that we have recently seen in the Tour de France and Olympics. For the UK seems to be going cycling mad. This upward trend for fun on two wheels has been growing over the last five years – but now it’s gone crazy! And I’m loving it.

I have long been a fan of cycling – and it’s brilliant to see so many more people discovering the joys of zooming about on two wheels.

But one of the main reasons that non-cyclists state for staying firmly on their feet or in the car is the perceived dangers of being on the roads on a bike. They are right to be cautious but with a few skills lessons, better awareness and increased confidence it is possible to enjoy road cycling.

To start with though, I’d suggest that newbie cyclists stick to off-road and traffic free routes. There are plenty of these routes to be found on Sustrans and now a growing list of routes are being posted on the Sky Ride website. Sky Ride is a collaboration of Sky, British Cycling, Scottish Cycling and local councils. The aim is to encourage more people to get on their bikes for fun – with a goal of increasing regular cycling participation by one million by the end of this year. Already, 700,000 more people are riding their bikes thanks to the campaign.

What is a Sky Ride?

Sky Rides offers two great ways to get on your bike in Scotland. You can join a series of regular group rides, which take place on quieter routes and are led by a trained cycle leader. The group rides are open to all and are graded from “easy” to “strong”.

Sky Rides also organise major mass participation events in the UK, including the newly launched Sky Ride Edinburgh. These rides are on traffic-free routes and can be as long or as short as you fancy. They are free and open to all ages. There are loads of fantastic prizes to be won simply by registering for these events.

Sky Ride Edinburgh takes place on Saturday September 8. If you’re new to cycling, fancy a leisurely ride with family and friends or you want to pedal a little further than you’ve been before why not join the event?