PEOPLE across the region pedalled West Yorkshire to victory in last month’s Winter Wheelers – an advent calendar cycle challenge run through the CityConnect programme

More than 940 people across West Yorkshire cycled over 93,000 miles during Winter Wheelers, with participants saving nearly 30,900 lbs of CO2 emissions.

In 2018, more than 890 people across West Yorkshire cycled nearly 88,000 miles during Winter Wheelers, making this year’s event the biggest and best yet.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority joined forces with Winter Wheelers organiser Love to Ride for the UK-wide event aimed at celebrating winter cycling and giving people some extra motivation to keep riding throughout December.

More details and images of plan to transform Bradford city centre

Councillor Kim Groves, Chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee, said: “Well done to everyone who took part in Winter Wheelers. Once again West Yorkshire topped the UK leader board, which is testament to our region’s appetite for cycling.

“We know encouraging more of us to travel by bike or on foot not only boosts people’s health and saves individuals money, it also brings wider environmental and economic benefits, which is why we want to make cycling and walking a natural choice for short, everyday journeys.

“Whether you cycle every day or whether you haven’t been on a bike in years, if you’re cycling for transport or for fun, whatever time and wherever you’re going, our online cycle challenges help provide that extra bit of motivation, especially at this time of year.”

CityConnect runs online challenges throughout the year in partnership with Love to Ride.

To date the challenges have seen more than 5,700 people cycle over 6.9m miles and save in excess of 1.4m lbs of CO2 in West Yorkshire.

Registering on the Love to Ride website allows participants to log miles, set goals and earn badges for cycling to work for a week, riding 100 miles or encouraging a friend or colleague to take part, with friendly competitions taking place between individuals and workplaces.

Love to Ride can be easily connected to many popular cycling apps, such as Strava, which will then automatically record rides on Love to Ride and enter riders into daily prize draws for winter riding gear.