THE road for all Winchester cyclists led to The Broadway.

An estimated 300 people took part in the Mass Ride by the newly-formed Cycle Winchester.

A 'bike train' peddled around the city picking people up at various points including Kings Worthy, Headbourne Worthy, Harestock, Weeke, Badger Farm and Stanmore

The riders took a couple of laps of the city centre one-way system before gathering in Abbey Gardens for a rally.

Cycle Winchester is campaigning to make Winchester Better By Bike.

The aim is to show show Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council of the potential for cycling to help alleviate the city's congestion and air pollution issues.

Civic chiefs have been drawing up a new Movement Strategy consultation.

Cycle Winchester is an initiative by the Winchester Cycle Working Group, backed by Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC), Bespoke Biking, Friends of the Earth Winchester, the City of Winchester Trust and Winchester CTC (part of Cycling UK, the national cycling charity).

Steve Brine MP, who chaired the All-Party Cycling Group in Parliament, spoke at the rally: “Cycle Winchester is a really positive initiative and, like all great ideas, it’s amazing it didn’t exist before. As a keen cyclist, it’s an easy one for me to support but as the Public Health Minister I am right behind anything which aids the active lives and prevention agenda. So many of us want to see cleaner air in Winchester – and across the country – so our ambition for a massive increase in the number of journeys made by bike, is extremely welcome.

One cyclist Alan Hutchinson, of Fordington Avenue, Fulflood, said: "It was a friendly, jolly event. The Bespoke Bikes stall did good work on my daughter's bike. Quite as impressive as the number of riders attending was the number who went by and seemed to ignore us. There were lots of cyclists out in the city who chose not to come, and I know of others who were taking their children to football matches etc and not riding at all that day. If all Winchester's riders turned out together, that would be a really impressive crowd."