See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/5103054.stm
Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie has joined Green MSPs in the saddle
to take part in the UK-wide Bike Week.
The politicians cycled to Holyrood to promote pedal power during the
campaign which runs from 17 to 25 June.
Labour's Bristow Muldoon, the SNP's Christine Grahame and Lib Dem Nora
Radcliffe have also been taking part.
Transport Minister Tavish Scott said cycling was a great way for people
to keep active, healthy and to enjoy Scotland's "fabulous countryside".
Mark Ballard, the Scottish Greens' transport spokesman, said people
could get fit by switching to cycling.
He said: "Government advice is that 30 minutes of light exercise every
day is needed to combat heart disease and obesity, but nearly three
quarters of Scots are not taking that exercise.
"Like many people I find it difficult to make time to go to a gym, so a
30-minute cycle to work and back gives me the exercise I need."
For me, cycling is an all-round winner
Annabel Goldie
Scottish Tory leader
The MSP said youngsters and companies could also benefit from more
people turning to pedal power.
"We are facing a major health crisis among our children, yet encouraging
them to cycle safely will undoubtedly pay off in terms of improving
fitness levels and alertness and preventing obesity later on in life,"
he added.
"Employers could also benefit from promoting cycling as a means of
getting to work each day. Having healthy, fit staff reduces absenteeism
and the costs businesses suffer as a result."
'Stay healthy'
Miss Goldie said no other form of physical exercise could rival cycling.
"You can cover the ground, take in the scenery round about you, really
enjoy the incomparable smells of newly mown fields, foliage and
vegetation freshened by a shower of rain and crops being harvested in
the warmth of a sunny day and keep fit at the same time," the Tory
leader said.
"For me, cycling is an all-round winner."
Mr Muldoon, Labour's transport spokesman, added: "I'm delighted to
support Bike Week.
"Not only is cycling a great way to stay healthy, but if we all cycled
more we'd also be doing our bit for the environment."