Preview of Breeze In The Park bike ride, at Peter Pan Park, west Hull

WOMEN and their families are being urged to put their pedal power into action this weekend.

A social bike ride called Breeze In The Park will be held in west Hull.

The city has been bitten by the biking bug this summer with the return of Sky Ride Hull.

The event saw streets closed to traffic as cyclists descended on the city centre to bike past landmarks such as The Deep and Hull City Hall – areas that are often too busy for cycling families.

Now, as part of the Sky Ride programme, women and their families are encouraged to attend Breeze In The Park on Sunday from 10am at Peter Pan Park at Costello Playing Fields.

"I'd encourage any family to take up cycling, it is a great way to spend quality time with the children," said enthusiast Nikki Bradley, 39.

Nikki, her husband Carl, 43, and their children James, 2, and Georgina, 7, first joined the Sky Ride craze last year.

Nikki, who lives with her family in South Cave, said: "We did Sky Ride Hull in the city centre in 2011 – we planned to stay for a few hours but ended up cycling the whole day and doing about 12 miles.

"This year, we went with Grandpa and Grandma and our friends and their family, so there were ten of us taking part.

"It was a great day out."

Nikki says the family have now joined British Cycling and often incorporate cycling into family holidays.

She said: "My background is as a pediatric nurse, so I see cycling as a big health benefit.

"Cycling is exciting and not that expensive.

"For us as a family, it's about having a bit of exercise and having some fun and quality time with the children.

"There are a lot more working parents these days, so often weekends are spent doing household chores – but setting aside a bit of family time is great.

"This summer, we went camping at Rutland Water and did a few days of cycling.

"Georgina has her own bike and James sits on a seat at the back of mine. You can tell he is dying to get out and ride by himself though."

Sky Ride Hull is the main event in the Sky Ride calendar locally.

But many other Sky Ride events have been held in the city.

The organised cycles have taken place in various locations, including East Park, and include rides for all abilities.

Many often have family activities, too, so there is something for children of all ages.

On Sunday, Breeze In The Park at Peter Pan Park will see women and their families cycling together.

The event, which runs from 10am to 1pm, will include children's games and information about women's cycling.

Councillor Terry Geraghty, Hull City Council's portfolio holder for leisure and culture, said: "We had a fantastic turn out of 8,000 people at Sky Ride Hull this summer, which we hope has encouraged people to get out on their bikes again.

"The Breeze In The Park event is another great opportunity for women to get together with their families and enjoy any of the three organised rides.

"The rides are great for socialising, getting fit and finding out more about the extensive cycle network."

The rides taking place on Sunday are:

10am – Ride to the Cyclemania 2 bike sale at Kelvin Hall – a seven-mile route with a stop halfway to browse the sale.

10.30am – Challenging ride for road bikes only, which is 35 miles-plus. Join the Sunday Girls Road Club ride to progress your fitness.

11am – Family Ride – a three-mile ride to Pickering Park and back.

Visit www.goskyride.com for more events in Hull and East Yorkshire.