The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced a scheme to boost the number of mass-participation cycling events in the capital this summer.

As part of a partnership with BSkyB, Johnson is looking to increase the number of people of cycling – despite a 9 per cent rise in cycling in London last year – after new research found that nearly half of bikes in London are unused.

Sky, backed by British Cycling, is organising a series of Skyride events across the UK – in Manchester, Glasgow, Leicester and London – where people of all abilities will be able to ride on special car-free routes.

Johnson said: “London is a fantastic city to cycle in, but for a plethora of reasons many of us don’t do it as much as we would like. London’s Skyride will be a chance for people to get on their bikes and enjoy a ride through some fantastic green spaces free from the interference of cars.”

The mayor is investing £111m in cycling this year, which includes funding for new Cycle Hire and Cycle Highways schemes, as well as safety training across the city.