Cycling Week starts at Children's Traffic Park on Sunday 5 May
The national Cycling Week will be held in May. The kick off of the week features a varied programme for the whole family at the Children's Traffic Park in Kaleva on Sunday 5 May from 10.00 to 14.00.
At the opening of Cycling Week on 5 May, children can access the Traffic Park on bicycles, scooters or pedal bikes. Loaner equipment is also available.
Maltti and Valtti, bicycle auction and free express service
On the opening day of the Cycling Week, the Traffic Park offers varied family activities. Officers Maltti and Valtti, characters from a children's television programme, make an appearance at 11.00 and 13.00. At 12.00, there is a bicycle auction by the Employment Association Etappi ry, where you can buy used and maintained children's and adults' bikes.
Willari's bike maintenance and a bike inspection point are at the park as well. There are different types of bikes you can sample: adults can test electric bikes, for example. You can also check out friend dogs and watch trick or trial bike shows. Children can test box bikes designed for transporting a small group of children, also known as a ‘muksubussi’ in Finnish.
During the event, children can go through a cycling-related park orienteering track. The first 200 who return the orienteering card get a popsicle.
In addition, you can learn more about the activities of local cycling organisations, Tampereen seudun polkupyöräilijät ry and Kaupin kanuunat ry. Those interested in the Pirkan pyöräily cycling event can learn about it and ask for preparation tips at Hämeen Liikunta ja Urheilu ry's stand.
You can come to the event by joining the family cycling procession, which starts at Kalevan kirkko church at 10.00 and heads towards the event location.
Head start to summer at Children's Traffic Park
The official season of the Children's Traffic Park starts in June when school summer holiday begins, but during the Cycling Week event, you can use the park. We will not take out the carts, but children can come to the park with their bikes, kick bikes or scooters. You can also borrow some. The café is open during the event.
Cycling activities all week
In addition to the kick off day, there will be other Cycling Week activities in Tampere.
On Monday 6 May, a bicycle tourist evening event is organised at the main library Metso, where bicycle tourist and author Tuija Kauppinen talks about their cycling trip across South America.
On Tuesday 7 May, at Litukankatu in Kaleva, you can find out how to organise bicycle parking for your housing association at a joint event organised by the city and Kiinteistöliitto Pirkanmaa.
On Wednesday 8 May, breakfast is served to cyclists at Laikunlava.
The Cycling Week also makes an appearance at the Lielahtipäivät event on Saturday 11 May. At the children's party "Kartanon lastenjuhlat" in Hiedanranta, there is a free bicycle express service from 10.00 to 13.00 and self-guided cycling orientation around Lielahti for the whole family.
The theme of the year: traffic peace
The 2024 theme of the National Cycling Week is traffic peace. This refers to both the calming of the traffic environment and the calm behaviour of traffic users and taking other traffic participants into account. Cycling Week takes place across Finland on 3–12 May.
In Tampere, the various units of the City of Tampere and Ekokumppanit Ltd. are responsible for the arrangements for the Cycling Week in cooperation with local actors.
