Team Green Britain Bike Week (19-27 June), the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event, is challenging everyone to rethink their everyday journeys and switch to cycling as the most convenient way to get around.

The week will see towns, villages and cities across the UK hosting free cycling events with the theme of ‘everyday cycling, for everyone’. Events are open to all from total novices to passionate cyclists and will inspire everyone to hop on their bikes and discover the benefits of swapping four wheels for pedal power. Team Green Britain Bike Week promotes cycling as a practical lifestyle choice that can help the environment and increase fitness levels whilst saving time and money.

Founded by EDF Energy, Britain’s largest producer of low carbon electricity, Team Green Britain is a movement that enables people to live in a more sustainable way. This year Team Green Britain and Bike Week are working together to inspire Britons to reduce their carbon footprint and promote low carbon transport solutions to a wider audience than ever before.

Everyone will be invited to get their dream bike during the week – either by bidding for a celebrity designed bike from the likes of Dawn Porter, Stephen Mangan, Orla Keily and Giles Deacon – or by bringing along an old bike to one of the Team Green Britain Bike Week events offering a reconditioning service. The money raised from the auctioned celebrity bikes will support cycling social enterprises that provide jobs for the long term unemployed, people with disabilities and young people who are not in education.

Victoria Pendleton, World and Olympic champion cyclist supporting Team Green Britain Bike Week said: “I would encourage everyone to get involved with Team Green Britain Bike Week. By choosing to cycle to the shops, school or for leisure, you’ll find you get to your destination quicker, save money, get fit and reduce your carbon footprint all at the same time. If everyone were to swap one car journey a day for a bike trip, think of the collective benefit – to our planet, our pockets and our health!”

Phillip Darnton, Chairman of Cycling England, said: “Plenty of people get in their cars and nip into town without giving it a second thought. Yet hopping on a bike could get you there faster, cheaper and give you a healthy boost along the way. We want everyone to come along to a Team Green Britain Bike Week event and find out how easily cycling can become a part of everyday life.”

To find your nearest event, visit www.bikeweek.org.uk and enter your postcode. If you’d like to take part but don’t have a bike, this shouldn’t stop you – you can simply search for your nearest bike rental outlet on the website.

For further information or if you’d like to organise your own, log on to www.bikeweek.org.uk or phone 0845 612 0661. Team Green Britain Bike Week is also on twitter.com/TGBBikeWeek For further information on Team Green Britain, visit www.teamgreenbritain.org.