For some, cycling is a sports activity while others say it is a source of rehabilitation and others see it as a means of transportation. To mark World Bicycle Day on April 19, all cycling enthusiasts will gather in Istanbul's Kadıköy district for the Bicycle Festival. Scheduled to take place from April 19-24, the five-day event is filled with cycling tours, film screenings and design workshops.

To encourage more Istanbulites to use bicycles and help reduce chronic traffic congestion, the festival will promote cycling as an environmentally friendly means of transportation. The festival will kick off at 4:00 p.m. on April 19. The main festival venues are Design Workshop Kadıköy (TAK), Mahatma Cafe, Kadıköy Academy and the Kadıköy Cycling Unit, the municipality's newest section to encourage more cycling in Istanbul.

The workshops will teach participants how to personalize their bicycle and inform them through guest speakers about cycling tours. On April 23, a special film screening will take place at TAK to mark National Sovereignty and Children's Day. Sign up for workshops quickly because participation in certain workshops is limited.