Cycling for a good climate

The city of Kleve has been taking part in the CITY CYCLING competition since 2016. For 21 days, participants are to cover as many everyday routes as possible in a climate-friendly way. This year, city cycling is taking place under the motto “Experience nature – save CO2”. Since 17 June and until 7 July, more than 1,100 people from Kleve, organised in 73 teams, are cycling as many everyday routes as possible. Reason enough to draw attention to this campaign at DialogPunkt Kleve. Because with every kilometre cycled without using a car, the participants are protecting the climate, promoting cycling, improving the quality of life in their area and, last but not least, doing something good for their own health through exercise.

I am the energy

Talking of exercise: The city of Kleve and the ADFC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club e.V.) used energy rolls to promote more exercise in everyday life. Themed “I am the energy”, they recommend using your own energy for distances of up to five kilometres, whether on foot or by bike. In this way, exercise can be integrated into everyday life in a natural way.

Pascale van Koeverden, mobility manager for the city of Kleve, explains the background: “Exercise is the ultimate guarantee of health, while a lack of exercise is one of the biggest causes of illness in Germany.” With a chuckle, she points out another positive side effect: “By being more mobile yourself, you can also beat the price of petrol.”

In good weather on Friday afternoon, many cyclists pushed their bikes through the Kleve pedestrian zone; when asked, a considerable number of them confirmed that they were actively involved in CITY CYCLING themselves. Some of those who have joined a company group can look forward to internal company incentives in addition to the prizes awarded to the most successful teams. Some participants have also become ambitious: they let themselves be carried away by the idea of the competition and tell us over a refreshing soda that they are trying to cycle as much as possible without a car during the three weeks of CITY CYCLING in order to boost their mileage. But not only that, they also want to show their colleagues, family and friends that it is possible to cycle without a car.

Environmentally friendly mobility

In addition to the energy rolls and practical little repair kits, the STADTRADEN team also brought the cargo bike called “Moritz” to DialogPunkt Kleve on Friday afternoon and invited people to take a test ride. The E-Muli is one of two city-owned cargo bikes that can be borrowed free of charge on weekdays. They are just as useful for weekly shopping as they are for transporting children or moving house.