World Bicycle Day aims to recognise
“the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport.”
In April 2018, The UN General Assembly declared June 3 of every year as World Bicycle Day following a grassroots campaign by Professor Leszek Sibilski and his sociology class at the time.
Sibilski’s campain gained the support of a staggering 57 countries before arriving with the UN Assembly to become what it is today
So why celebrate World Bicycle Day?
- Bicycles are one of the simplest, most affordable and environmentally friendly forms of transport to have survived over 200 years.
- Riding bicycles has a proven and wide range of positive effects on physical and mental well-being.
- Riding a bicycle can provide the rider with an immediate and new realisation of their immediate surroundings.
- World Bicycle Day can be enjoyed by anyone at all, regardless of characteristics.
- The bicycle is a symbol of human progress which promotes social inclusion and a culture of tolerance and understanding.