Bike hire scheme Bike & Go is bringing Christmas early to its Merseyside customers – by giving them free bike hire every Tuesday between December 4 and January 15.

The offer, which covers every Tuesday except Christmas Day and is open to all subscribers, is worth almost £23, and provides an opportunity to escape the Christmas madness while enjoying some outdoor exercise in the run up to the festive period and beyond.

The physical and mental health benefits of cycling have been well-documented, with one study published in the official journal of the Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine revealing that, after pedalling a stationary bike for 15 minutes, participants’ levels of stress hormone cortisol significantly decreased.

And with so many beautiful places to ride in the area, Bike & Go believes FreeWheel Tuesdays could provide the perfect antidote to the stresses of the festive period.

Suzanne Grant, Bike & Go director said:

“December is such a busy month for most people that they tend to forget about the importance of looking after their mental and physical health.

“Cycling has proven health benefits and provides an excellent way to get away from it all while getting a workout too.

“Whether it’s cycling from the train station to home and back again, or fitting a ride into your lunch hour, we’re hoping that as many people as possible will take advantage of our FreeWheel Tuesdays and sign up to enjoy free cycling on those days.”

Bike & Go offers bike hire facilities from 23 participating train stations across the Merseyrail network, including Liverpool Central, Moorfields, Aigburth, Crosby, Formby, Ormskirk, Southport, Hoylake, West Kirby and New Brighton, in addition to a further 49 participating train stations across much of the North West, North East and Yorkshire, East and South East of England, and Scotland. There are also a bike hire facilities at Seacombe Ferry Terminal and Leasowe Castle.

To hire a Bike & Go bike, users simply need to register their card details online, which they can do via smart phones, tablets, or at home, and pay the annual £10 subscription fee. They will then receive a user number via email which will allow immediate bike hire at just £3.80 per 24 hours whilst they wait for their Bike & Go membership card. Bikes can then be returned to any participating train station.