A group of five friends decided in February 2008 to combine exercise with recreation. They got together, took out their bikes, and embarked on a series of different tours in Athens. Soon, the group of bikers had grown, and summer 2009 there were suddenly a group of 600 enthusiastic bikers gathering to discover Athens on bike, according to ana-mpa.gr.
Social gathering
The gathering was then posten on Facebook, and suddenly they were more than 4,000 – and the number continues to grow. The gathering, named “Freeday” , has now become a social arena for exercise and it’s also a great way to discover the secrets of Athens. The group invites you to join them, and you can read more about their activities on their Facebook-page.
I you want to go by bike in other parts of Greece, Bicycle Greece have a lot of tour suggestions.
Biking is an environmental friendly way to get around, and as the gas prices have increased in Greece, it’s also a way to save money.
Leading nation
When it comes to the environment, Norway aims to be a leading nation in terms of environmental policy. Norway supports Greece, among many other European countries, through the EEA-grants, whereas environment and sustainable development are among the main priorities.
– Cycling is an environmentally way to get around, and if future generations are to have access to a good environment and unspoiled nature, then we must give attention to the environment in everything we do, says Knut-Are Sprauten Okstad, first secretary at The Norwegian Embassy in Athens.
Norway must base its environmental policy on the principle of sustainable development, which includes demonstrating solidarity with coming generations, both in Norway and abroad. This means protecting essential environmental resources and ensuring fully adequate management of natural resources,
Make new friends
To go by bike instead of car is one way to contribute. Like for example the guys in “Freeday”, where people of different ages and backgrounds from all parts of the greater Athens meet, make new friends and sharing their love of bicycling and their desire to escape from the daily monotony and discover a different face of the city they live in.
Have a look at the gathering here: