I KNOW that all through this long winter our weekly 500 words did nothing for you – we extolled the virtues of cycling for transport, fun, health and environment, but you were unmoved.

Your bike stayed firmly in the shed, behind the lawnmower and the bag of clothes waiting for the charity shop. The rain, puddles, potholes, freezing winds and general dark kept your bike firmly at the back of your mind.

But now the days are longer, streets have dried out, and winds more benign. Although the potholes are still there they have taken on a slightly more familiar and less threatening feel. You look at people cycling and your bike, still in the shed, comes to mind. It would be nice, fun, quicker to join the people relaxed and serene on two wheels. So, what is stopping you? The bike is rusty? You don’t feel confident about your riding or maintenance skills? You are not sure where to ride or who to go with?

This summer there are a host of events in and around Oxford that can help – some organised through Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival and others as part of the annual Bike Week celebration. The Windrush Bike Project is running free DIY workshops on Saturdays in Witney so that you can come along and get your bike back on the road. This along with a family bike ride, a history tour and the Witney Carnival jamboree aim to re-engage our cycling selves and lay the ground work for lifelong habit. In Oxford, the Broken Spoke Bike Coop’s open workshop will always have people who can give advice and help to get a bike back on the road. On Sunday, June 17, the Rose Hill Cycling Festival is specifically for people who would like to cycle more. The festival includes: a cycle repair workshop from Broken Spoke Bike Coop; a free cycling adventure course for children; a smoothie bike on which people can make their own smoothie drinks; trials of electric bikes, child seats and child trailers; talks on different aspects of cycling, including touring and using map/apps to help plan safe cycle routes within Oxford and beyond; and an escorted cycle ride to a hydro scheme on the Thames.

If it is electric bikes you are interested in the Electric Transport Shop is giving a free bike light to everyone who test rides an electric bike between June 16-24. If you are looking for company as you venture out, remember it is Bike Week from June 9-16 and there will be a range of rides (long and short) to enjoy. You can also look up the clubs that lead regular rides from Cycling UK, Isis Cyclists (for women), the Cowley Road Condors and Oxford Cycling Club for road cycling.

Most of these events are free and fun, and aim to help you to get that bike, out of the metaphorical shed, and onto the road.

Happy summer cycling.