Businesses in Laois on their bikes for Bike Week

STAFF from several businesses around Portlaoise got on their bikes to take part in Bike Week.

The Climate Action section of Laois County Council organised a business bike taster event and invited businesses in the town to take part.

The event was an opportunity for staff that cycle, to try an e-bike and for those staff that don’t cycle to work yet, to bike around Portlaoise.

The Community Climate Action Officer with Laois County Council Karen Moore said: “The event was run in conjunction with Specialized Ireland bike company to give staff of local businesses a taste for what a bike to work trip might be like. The feedback from participants was positive with many saying they were going to try and cycle to work more often.” 

That morning Specialized Ireland brought commuting e-bikes and fitted each staff member to the most suitable sized bike and helmet and set off in groups of 10.

The route took the groups down Main Street and across to the People’s Park where they stopped to meet Green-Schools Travel Officer Michéle Castiaux who was delivering a bike skills workshops with pupils from Scoil Bhride who were using the upcycled bike library and Learn to Bike Park provided by Laois County Council.

Raul Crenier from Specialized Ireland said: “The best part of the Business Bike Taster was the good energy of the people, which was contagious. We are glad to show that cycling is not just for fitness and for getting from A to B but for the pure enjoyment of it.”