Children encouraged to hop on a bicycle

The Easter Kids Bicycle Ride organised by father-of-two Jeremy Strutt, 43, of Saxon Close, East Preston, was attended by around 80 cyclists.

It was the third time truck driver Jeremy has organised such an event and was by far the most successful.

“I was gobsmacked when I saw more and more people turning up,” said Jeremy.

“The idea is to get hundreds of kids on their bikes, enjoying the fact that Worthing has such a wonderful mixed use prom.

“All the kids were just meeting up with other kids they had never met before. There were all age groups rushing up and down on their bikes and having a good time in the sunshine.”

The inclusive cycle ride had two starting points: the promenade at the bottom of George V Avenue and the promenade opposite Brooklands Pleasure Park.

Both sets of cyclists made their way to Worthing Pier before heading to the Coast Café, in Beach Parade, Worthing.

Jeremy said: “It was only the second or third time one young lad had been out without stabilisers.

“By the end of the ride he stopped looking at his front wheel and looked at where he was going. His parents said he improved tenfold from riding on the day.”

Jeremy is planning to organise a ride on the opening morning of the Street Velodrome event that is taking place in Beach House Grounds in Worthing on August 1.

Cyclists are not unusual they are just normal people who choose to use them rather than walking and driving. Kids need to use them rather than being inside on their xboxes.

There’s a lot of people who drive cars and cycle and you get cyclists who have to drive to work. I cycle to work nearly every day. It really is an eye-opener when you get a truck coming past that doesn’t do it right and sometimes when I’m in the truck you see cyclists that haven’t got a clue.

A young lad or young girl on a bicycle learning to ride as an early teenager will hopefully have respect for other people when they move up through more powerful vehicles.