The annual Setmana de la Bici is celebrated from the 8 -14 of June.  The event promotes the use of bicycles in the city and includes free bike lending and cycle repairs, cycling lessons and a circuit for little kids.

The Festa de la Bici i els Patins ends the week-long festival with a public cycling and skating session that runs through the streets of Barcelona.  If you don't have bicycles and would like to take part in this fun event, you can rent them for the family including ones with child seats.

Bicycle Week celebrates the bicycle as an environmentally-friendly form of travel and aims to increase the use of bikes in the city. The creation of more bicycle lanes and the Bicing-shared cycle venture are just some ways that Barcelona has remodelled itself as a cyclist-friendly city.

If you would like to explore Barcelona by bike this week, you can hop on a free bicycle available from 10 am to 7 pm, at Un Cotxe Menys (One Car Less) association located at C. Esparteria, 3. They also have bikes for kids aged from 6-7 years and options with child seats. They are also available from Biciclot bike rental.

Novice cyclists can also take beginners courses throughout the week and those with a phobia of city cycling can also put their fears behind them with a workshop in  Biciteràpia - Cycle Therapy.

A children's circuit will be set up at Plaça de la Catedral for young kids from 3-7 years which can help them learn better bike control.  There are night time group excursions and free drinks for city cyclists at the Bicia't, "On your bike", breakfast on Thursday 11 June.

The Festa de la Bici i els Patins, on Sunday 14 June, is a fun cycling and skating event for all the family.  If you need to hire bikes to take part, you should call and reserve ahead for the occasion.

Don’t miss out on the two-day Barcelona Bike Show, the most important in Europe, at the Parc del Forúm over the weekend. You can hire free to attend the event and take part in a range of activities with the family. The show includes skating workshops, bike ramps, BMX zones, competitions and exhibitions.

Barcelona has about 200,000 bikes share Bicing users, who make some 90,000 daily cycle journeys. The cycle lane network in Barcelona continues to expand with the city expecting to have 156 km of paths by the end of 2009.

For more information on all the activities listed above:

Bike show

Date: 13 and 14 June 2009
Time: 10am-8pm
Address: Parc del Forúm
Website: www.bikeshowbcn.com

Children's bike circuit

Date: 8 to 12 June 2009
Time: 5pm-8pm
For: children from 3 to 7 years.
Address: Plaça de la Catedral, Av Catedral, 6

Biciteràpia (cycle therapy) workshop

Sign up with the BACC (Catalan Cycle Club)
Email: biciescola@bacc.info

Free bicycle hire

Un cotxe menys
Date: 8 to 12th June
Time: 10am-7pm
Tel. 93 268 21 05

Biciclot
Date: 8 to 12 June
Time: 9.30am to 2pm
Tel. 93 307 74 75
Remarks: Early reservation is advisable when it comes to bike hire for the weekend event.

Festa de la Bici i els Patins

Date: Sunday 14 June
Time: 10am
Start: C. Aragó with C. Balmes
Website: www.bcn.es/festadelabici/es/salutacio.html

11 June 2009
 


Reprinted with permission of Kids in Barcelona

Photos credit: magical-world; borkur.net; laurenatclemson