FREE guided bike rides in Leicester this week will offer people the chance to meet the artists creating street art for the Bring The Paint festival.
Artists will be at work from Wednesday 25 May creating large-scale, dramatic street art for the popular international festival, which takes place across central Leicester from 25-29 May.
From 1pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, all are welcome to join a free bike ride led by an experienced ride leader, starting at the Town Hall Bike Park.
The rides will be gentle, short and with plenty of stops to watch street artists at work, as well as taking in some of the impressive pieces created for previous Bring The Paint festivals. Routes will largely stick to traffic-free cycle tracks and quiet streets.
There’s also a unique opportunity to meet and talk to the artists at work. Each day, a different artist will tell riders about their inspiration, their plans for their piece and how they got into street art.
On Saturday and Sunday, led rides will also depart the Town Hall Bike Park at 1pm. These rides will showcase the artworks once they are completed, with commentary from ride leaders.
Don’t have a bike? No problem. For the duration of the Bring the Paint festival, the city’s e-bike share scheme, Santander Cycles Leicester, is running a special offer. A free £5 credit will be added to the ‘virtual wallet’ of the first 200 scheme members who quote BTPF2022. To become a member, simply visit rideonleicester.com or download the Ride On UK app. Annual, monthly and pay-as-you-go memberships are available.
The £5 credit offer has been provided by BID Leicester, the not-for-profit partnership of local businesses which work together to help bring visitors into the city.
Deputy city mayor for environment and transport, Cllr Adam Clarke, said: “Bring The Paint is a really popular festival and ideal for linking up with Santander Cycles Leicester, because the perfect way to see this artwork is by bike.
“These led rides offer people the chance to discover how easy and convenient it can be to get around Leicester by bike, thanks to the work we’ve done to connect up the city with safe cycle routes. It’s also a unique opportunity to see and meet the artists at work.
“People will also be available on the led rides to help anyone who wants to try one of our Santander Cycles Leicester ebikes.”
Rides are open to all ages and abilities and can be booked at letsride.co.uk
Join Santander Cycles Leicester at rideonleicester.com (ages 16+).
Find out more about Bring The Paint at https://www.bringthepaint.co.uk/
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Picture shows detail from the artwork HOMBOOG by DirtyBrum. Picture credit: Graffwerk