For Staff

British Cycling and HSBC UK will be returning to Leeds in September following the success of last year’s free, family event.

HSBC UK Let’s Ride Leeds (formerly Sky Ride and City Ride) will take place on Sunday 2 September, when six kilometres of city centre roads – including a section of the University campus – will be closed to motor traffic to give thousands of people the perfect opportunity to explore their city on two wheels.

The event – part of a series being held across the country – seeks to inspire people to get on their bikes to combat some of the societal issues that blight Leeds and other major cities. Leeds is currently undertaking a range of work to tackle and improve air quality in the city. See the City Council website for further information.

The section of the route through the University campus will remain unchanged from last year, with associated road closure warnings issued to staff and students.

There will be no access to campus between 6am and 4pm from University Road, the main entrance or Willow Terrace (see the campus map above).

There will be no parking along the route – University Road, Cavendish Road, Hillary Place, Vernon Road and Willow Terrace – during the same period and no access to the multi-storey or Edge car parks.

Staff are also reminded not to leave their vehicles in these areas overnight as they may be unable to move them on Sunday morning until the end of the event.

Campus access will be available via Mount Preston Street but parking will be severely limited.

This year’s event will have a strong community focus, linking up with local attractions, including the First Direct Arena. There will be a range of community groups, bike shops, performers and giveaways along the route, with participants encouraged to hop off their bikes and find out more.

Confirmed attractions include:

“There are some wonderful stop-offs on the way, with refreshments stalls and entertainment, so it will be a fun day out for all. And if the ride inspires you to be more active, more regularly, we have some exciting opportunities for you to try out our closed cycle circuit up at Bodington and/or our spin classes at The Edge.”

Register your free place visiting the British Cycling website.

But if you can’t wait until September to saddle up, Let’s Ride Pop-Up events are taking place in Leeds throughout the summer, with the next ones scheduled for noon to 2pm on 12 and 26 August at the Brownlee Centre at Bodington Playing Fields, which recently celebrated its first anniversary. Whether you want to ride for fun or fitness, these free regular events give you the chance to cycle on a traffic-free circuit as many times as you want, at a pace that suits you. Sign up to take part on 12 August or 26 August.

There are also British Cycling Summer Camps being staged at the venue between 10am and 2pm on 14 and 21 August. Designed for children new to cycling, sessions will develop a range of core cycling and bike handling techniques. Visit the British Cycling website to book for the 14 August or 21 August camps.