Bicycle Day

Bicycle Day History

Bicycle Day celebrates everything about the impact and benefits of cycling. Since its inception, the day has sought to promote cycling as an environmentally friendly, efficient, and sustainable mode of transport, and as an excellent form of exercise. It highlights the growing utility of bikes in urban transportation, their roles in mitigating climate change by reducing carbon emissions, and fostering a community spirit among cyclists. The day also advocates for improved legislation, infrastructure, and safety measures to protect cyclists on roads and to encourage more people to ride bikes.

The concept of Bicycle Day found fertile ground for growth in the United Kingdom, a country known for its cycling culture. Although the observance has a short history, dating only from the 1990s, it has been embraced by UK's vibrant cycling community. The day has relevance to people in the UK as it aligns with the government's efforts to promote active travel and reduce carbon emissions. Furthermore, in a nation where professional cycling is popular and celebrated, Bicycle Day provides recreational cyclists and cycling enthusiasts a day of recognition and promotion.

In the United Kingdom, Bicycle Day is marked by a variety of events and activities. Cycling clubs, city councils, and other local organisations arrange bike rides, cycling workshops and demonstrations, and advocacy events to raise awareness about different aspects of cycling. The day is an opportunity for everyone to engage with cycling, whether as part of a community, in charity rides, or individually. Schools might organise bike rides and educational activities to introduce young people to the habit of cycling. The exact date of Bicycle Day varies, but in the United Kingdom, the observance typically falls in the spring to take advantage of longer days and typically mild weather.

Facts about Bicycle Day

• Along with synthesizing LSD, Albert Hofmann was also the first one to create psilocybin, the main ingredient in magic mushrooms.
• Kaleidoscopic, fantastic images surged in on me, alternating, variegated, opening and then closing themselves in circles and spirals, exploding in colored fountains, rearranging and hybridizing themselves in constant flux. It was particularly remarkable how every acoustic perception, such as the sound of a door handle or a passing automobile, became transformed into optical perceptions. Every sound generated a vividly changing image, with its own consistent form and color - Albert Hofmann, first use of LSD, 1943
• The influence of LSD during the "Swinging Sixties" in the U.K., primarily among musicians and artists, was immense. Its influence on music, particularly within the psychedelic rock scene, was immense - bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones have all discussed how LSD influenced their music.
• The discussion of psychedelic drugs and their potential therapeutic uses has been ongoing in the UK. In 2009, when leading drugs expert Professor David Nutt was sacked as the UK government's chief drug adviser after claiming LSD and ecstasy were less dangerous than alcohol, it sparked a national debate about drug policy and science.

In the News and Trending in the UK for Bicycle Day

Top things to do in the UK for Bicycle Day

• Explore the virtual Albert Hofmann museum.
• Learn more about psychedelics using an academic psychedelic bibliography.
• Watch a Documentary to learn more about LSD in United Kingdom:
  Magic Medicine (2018): This documentary follows a trial in the UK where volunteers are given LSD to help with their depression, exploring the potential therapeutic benefits of the drug.
  The Beyond Within: The Rise and Fall of LSD (1987): This British documentary provides a detailed history of LSD, from its discovery to its cultural influence.
• Read a book to learn more about LSD in United Kingdom:
  Albion Dreaming: A Popular History of LSD in Britain by Andy Roberts - This book describes the introduction of LSD to the UK, how it spread throughout the country, and its impact on British society.
  Acid Drops: Adventures in Psychedelia by Andy Roberts - An exploration of the intertwining history of LSD and the counterculture in the UK, featuring original interviews and previously unpublished material.