Visitors were encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle and show their pedal power by getting on their bikes at a celebration of all things cycling in Lowestoft.

The second Lowestoft Cycle Festival took place on the Royal Green on Saturday and Sunday after the first one had been held in 2013.

The event included a BMX display team, stands from cycle retailers, advice on how to maintain your bicycle and fun ways for the children to 'bling up their bikes', with many events held in a large tented cycle village.

Thousands of visitors embarked on the family fun day out, enjoying a variety of live entertainment, learning some key cycling skills and getting their cycles repaired or security marked.

For the more keen competitors, the cycle sprint competition gave visitors the opportunity to test their racing skills while the cycle challenge course encouraged families to take part together.

The design and implementation of the festival was undertaken in partnership with student volunteers from Lowestoft College and Sixth Form College and Duke of Edinburgh students from Pakefield High School.

Steff Jones, who works for Suffolk County Council, has been helping to deliver the Lowestoft Local Links project - a three-year sustainable transport project which is encouraging more people to walk, cycle, use public transport and car share within the town.

'In the first year we made the decision to have a cycle festival,' she said.

'The event demonstrates the mainstream demand for cycling and we have been making it easier for people to cycle.

'There are fantastic facilities in the town for cyclists and providing an event like this makes sure people have got the information and equipment they need.

'Cycling is a fantastic form of transport which helps people and the environment.'

Deputy mayor Malcolm Cherry took to one of the practice bikes and emphasised the importance of cycling in the town.

'We are all aware that the town is congested with vehicles and exercise wise, cycling is good for our health,' he said.

'The event encourages people and groups to get together and looks at changing the mindset of getting into a car.'

Ashley Powell is the Lowestoft shop manager of Mandarin Cycles and also took part in the BMX displays.

'For us it is really good because it gets our shop out there and the event is beneficial for cycling in general, as people are talking about it,' he said.

'More people could be on their bikes rather than in cars as we see so much traffic backed up on London Road South. Imagine if all of those people were on pushbikes, it would make so much difference.'

If you have a cycling story, let us know by emailing kate.scotter@archant.co.uk