Halfords is to provide bike mechanic support to cyclists at Sky Ride events this year.

The cycling retailer will offer mechanical help to entrants joining the hugely popular mass participation rides which this year take place in 17 cities over the summer.

Matt Davies, CEO of Halfords said: “We are extremely lucky to have so many skilled cycle mechanics and our Sky Ride teams will feature some of our finest colleagues. Their aim is to ensure that every rider is guaranteed a great ride that is free of mechanical hassles.

“These are fantastic events and provide a wonderful opportunity to ride with family and friends; and enjoy the atmosphere and the fun of cycling."

Delivered by the partnerships Sky and British Cycling have established with local authorities, Sky Rides have become major biking events, encouraging novice and regular cyclists to ride on traffic-free roads across the country. Last year saw the rides held in 16 cities with 140,000 people taking part. This year there are more events and around 160,000 people are expected to participate.

Halfords will bring their technical expertise and attention to detail to the rides offering free checks at the start and coming to the rescue of anyone suffering a puncture or needing a repair.

Participants will be encouraged to have their bikes serviced at Halfords before joining in.

Paul Barrett, Sky’s Senior Cycling Manager, said, “Halfords will add a world class support service to our Sky Ride events. Their expertise will ensure that any mechanical issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently.”

Stewart Kellett, British Cycling’s Director of Recreation and Partnerships, said: “This year we are seeking to attract more women and families to Sky Ride as part of British Cycling’s ambition to get one million more women on bikes by 2020.

“Through research we know concerns about mechanical problems are often a barrier to women getting active through cycling so Halfords expertise is fantastic part of all our Sky Rides.”

Halfords Sky Ride cycle mechanics are drawn from the top mechanics working in Halfords stores and when not attending Sky Rides they will service cycles for customers every day in Halfords stores.

Notes

For more information about the events, as well as training and bike maintenance advice go to www.goskyride.com.

There will be 20 Halfords Mechanics at each event and repairs under £10 are not charged to riders.

17 Sky Ride events

About Halfords

The Group is the UK's leading retailer of automotive, leisure and cycling products and through Halfords Autocentres also one of the UK's leading independent car servicing and repair operators. Halfords customers shop at 466 stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland and at halfords.com for pick-up at their local store or direct home delivery. Halfords Autocentres operates from 287 sites nationally and offers motorists dealership-quality MOTs, repairs and car servicing at affordable prices.

Halfords employs approximately 12,000 colleagues and Halfords Retail sells around 10,000 product lines in stores, increasing to around 30,000 lines online. The product offering encompasses significant ranges in car parts, cycles, in-car technology, child seats, roof boxes, outdoor leisure and camping equipment.

Halfords own brands include the in-store Bikehut department, for cycles and cycling accessories, Apollo and Carrera cycles and exclusive UK distribution rights of the premium-ranged Boardman cycles and accessories. In outdoor leisure, we sell a premium range of camping equipment including brands such as Vango and Outwell.

Halfords offers customers expert advice and a fitting service called "wefit" for car parts, child seats, satellite navigation and in-car entertainment systems, and a "werepair" service for cycles.

About Sky Ride

Sky Ride is part of a national campaign by Sky and British Cycling encouraging thousands of people of all ages and abilities to get on a bike and discover the fun, freedom and health benefits cycling can offer. Sky Ride City rides are free one day cycling events offering people the chance to ride their bike on traffic free streets in the heart of major cities and towns across Britain. Sky Ride Local rides are led by British Cycling Ride Leaders and are a series of free small, weekly community bikes rides that take place every Sunday and give participants the chance to get out and explore their local area.

This year’s events build on the success of 2012, which saw over 146,000 people take part in Sky Ride City events and over 17,000 people take part in Sky Ride Local rides. Last year also saw British Cycling and Sky beat their goal of getting one million more Britons on their bikes and cycling regularly (once a month) by 2013.

About British Cycling

British Cycling is the national governing body for cycling as recognised by the UCI – the international federation for the sport. Based in Manchester at the National Cycling Centre, British Cycling works across all levels and six disciplines of the sport (BMX, Mountain Bike, Cyclo-Cross, Road, Track and Cycle Speedway), from providing the support and encouragement people need to get riding their bikes for the first time, to being home to the hugely successful Great Britain Cycling Team. Continued success at the highest level is inspiring a boom in participation across the nation. There have never been more opportunities to ride a bike, be it for fun or sport, and British Cycling is at the heart of this growth. British Cycling also works hard to represent cyclists’ interests at all levels, including campaigning on important issues including road safety. As a membership organisation, British Cycling provides a suite of benefits and support to its members who currently number over 74,000. All membership revenue is invested back into cycling. British Cycling was named Governing Body of the Year at the 2013 Sports Industry Awards.

London is bidding to host the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the London 2012 Velodrome – the heart of Lee Valley VeloPark – arguably the most iconic venue on London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and already established as one of the world’s great sporting arenas. With a fully underwritten hosting budget, London offers the UCI a risk-free, highly professional Championships that will attract sell-out, fanatical crowds, as well as significant media and sponsor attention to help grow the profile of cycling globally. The UCI is due to announce the host city for the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in June 2013. 

About Sky

Sky is the UK and Ireland’s leading home entertainment and Communications Company. Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services. Sky is the UK’s biggest investor in television content, investing more than £2.3 billion a year in channels such as Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky News.   Around two-thirds of Sky’s content spend is invested in the UK and Sky is the fastest-growing source of investment in original British programmes. More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week.

Alongside its commitment to offering customers a greater choice of high-quality content, Sky is a leading innovator. Customers enjoy total control and flexibility over their favourite TV through Sky+, watch TV on the move through Sky Go, and enjoy the best quality TV experience at home through High Definition and 3D.

Sky distributes its content broadly over several platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile and WiFi.  NOW TV, Sky’s second consumer brand, builds on the company’s leadership in internet TV. Sky is also the UK's fastest-growing home communications company and favourite ‘triple-play’ provider of TV, broadband and home phone.

Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sport, opening up the arts to more people and raising the aspiration of young people in schools. Sky employs 23,500 people, has annual revenues of £6.8 billion and is estimated to support a £5.4 billion contribution to UK GDP. Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY).