MORE than 100 Winchester cyclists braved the relentless rain to join the city's latest 'bike-train'.

The fourth Mass Ride event saw residents of all ages from Kings Worthy, Harestock, Badger Farm and Highcliffe converging to complete a lap of the one-way system.

Organisers hope the Mass Rides will promote cycling and encourage people to leave their cars at home to tackle the climate change issues.

Co-organiser David Hyde said "We were delighted to see so many people out on such a grim day and in wonderfully positive mood. "One time, given a bit of sunshine, we’d like to break our current record of three hundred riders together on the streets of Winchester.

"The council needs to realise there are a massive number of cyclists and potential cyclists in the city but it’s vital that the roads are made safer."

He added: "The mass ride provides a bit of security for those who wouldn’t otherwise attempt these journeys but if the authorities really want to encourage more residents to use a bike regularly they have to get better infrastructure in place first."

in 100 cyclists of all ages got on their bikes and joined their nearest ‘bike-train’ into the city centre. Once merged, the Mass Ride completed a lap of the one-way system to the accompaniment of bicycle bells and music. Afterwards in Abbey Gardens there were refreshments, an online poll about cycling in the city and a short presentation from WCC cabinet member for Environment and Transport, Lynda Murphy, who spoke about plans for cycling within the Winchester Movement Strategy.

Ride steward, Anne Arthur, agreed. “Today I cycled into Winchester alongside a young boy and his sister who had come along with their parents. He was perfectly able to maintain the speed of the ride and climb the hills. He told me it was the first time he had cycled on a ‘big’ road. Cycling into town at a weekend would be a natural thing for this family to do if they didn’t have concerns about safety. The Mass Ride is a fun thing to be part of because of the communal spirit together on the road. But it is also a protest because cyclists feel invisible and ignored and because cycling is underfunded. We look forward to the day when there is no need for a Mass Ride”.

The Mass Ride routes are generally between 2 and 3 miles long and take about half-an-hour as they are ridden at a gentle, inclusive pace with a pause and pick-up point mid-way. Anyone with a basic level of competence and fitness should consider coming along in the future.

Having braved a December outing last year, any thoughts of Mass Ride 5 will probably be shelved until the warmer months of next year! Keep an eye out for publicity or sign up for updates using the ‘contact us’ link on Cycle Winchester’s website at cyclewinchester.org.uk.