'Why not try tax-free bikes instead of company cars?'

16-24 June is this year's Bike Week, the annual celebration of cycling. Andrew Chapman finds out what's going on.

Bike Week, unlike many promotional campaigns, has actually been running for a long time - since 1923, in fact. Over the years it has grown and grown, and this year is expected to attract around 300,000 participants.

The theme this year is promoting 'everyday cycling for health and fitness' - the health benefits of cycling are clear, and it is estimated that cycling can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease (unless you count the stress of cycling in London traffic!).

Associated with the Bike Week programme is the Bike2Work campaign, supported by Gary Lineker and Leukemia Research, which seeks to educate employers about offering incentives for their staff to cycle to work. The Cyclescheme offers free bikes, for example, and the Department of Transport's Green Travel area explains how employers can provide alternatives to company cars.

There are more than 2000 events taking place in Bike Week, with organised rides, repair workshops and educational sessions taking place all over the country. If you want to find your own routes, the National Cycle Network offers 10,000 miles' worth of waymarked routes, many off-road, across England, Wales and Scotland. New routes are opening all the time.

There are local cycle groups everywhere - the Cyclists' Touring Club is the largest umbrella group; meanwhile Londoners should look no further than the London Cycling Campaign.

One of the most well-known events, at the culmination of Bike Week, is the British Heart Foundation's 55-mile London to Brighton bike ride (places are now full).