Sir Chris backs bike event

Sir Chris Hoy will be encouraging more people to get on their bikes when the Sky Ride cycling campaign comes to his hometown next month.

The six-times Olympic gold medallist will join Sky Ride ­celebrity ambassador Edith Bowman to promote the benefits of the sport in Edinburgh on 8 ­September.

The free cycling event offers the chance to ride through traffic-free streets, taking in some of the city’s most popular attractions on the 10km route.

The national Sky Ride campaign aims to get one million people cycling regularly by 2013.

Sir Chris said: “I’m really looking forward to coming to Edinburgh and supporting my hometown’s first Sky Ride city event.”