‘ON your bike!’ is the mantra for next week as Bike Week Cork 2022 kicks off this Saturday. Running until Sunday May 22, aim is to highlight the many benefits of cycling, with more than 200 events organised during the week.

Cork Bike Week is an integral part of the National Bike Week initiative and is coordinated locally by a multi-agency group including Cork Sports Partnership, Cork City Council and Cork County Council.

This year Cork Cycling Campaign has organised a number of events, each with the aim of promoting everyday cycling in Cork.

On May 14 at 1pm, the Cork Cargo Bike Open Day will take place at Marina Park. This is an opportunity to talk to existing cargo bike owners, ask questions and take bikes for test cycles. The event will also include a bike doctor, some surprises and is family friendly.

Orla Burke, co-events lead with the campaign, said the idea of the event is to allow like-minded people to come together and connect and to talk all things sustainable travel.

“We know that several perspective cargo bike owners soon purchased after attending in 2020 and we hope similar will happen this year,” she said. “The primary objective of the event is show families that alternatives to car travel do exist, in the form of cargo bikes.”

On Sunday, May 22, the flagship event of the week, the Cork Cycling Campaign Bike Week Ibop will be happening on Grand Parade. The event is kicking off at 12.45pm.

Tom Hennessy, co-events lead with the campaign outlined the idea.

“The campaign Ibop premiered in Cork at Bike Week last September and has gone from strength to strength ever since. It regularly attracts over 50 people on bikes, of all ages and abilities and is family friendly. It is also dog friendly. The idea is simple, a large speaker is placed in a cargo bike, a cycle bus is formed and the people on bikes take over the streets for a disco on wheels.

“It’s loud, fun and a little wild but is very well managed by (very experienced) campaign stewards ensuring the event is safe and open to all”.

For details of all events taking place in Cork this year, visit corkbikeweek.ie