With August bank holiday looming, questions about what to do without spending hours stuck in traffic jams, inevitably start arising.

Well, why not try one of 12 cycle rides inspired by the forthcoming Tour of Britain (29 Aug – 3 Sep) and enjoy this Bank Holiday by bike.

You don't have to be a professional cyclist to see this country from the saddle. Sustrans, the charity behind the UK's 10,000-mile National Cycle Network, has suggested an alternative Tour of Britain focussed around the start and end points of each stage, allowing you to follow in the cyclists' tracks at a much more leisurely pace.

During the week-long endurance race, participants cycle through Glasgow, Castle Douglas, Blackpool, Liverpool, Bradford, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Rochester, Canterbury, Greenwich and the Mall. With great routes for cyclists in and around each of these areas, it's possible for all of us to take part in the Tour, albeit a less extreme version!

Get to know Glasgow on the Clyde Cycleway from Bell's Bridge to Uddingston; meander through Merseyside on the Liverpool Loop Line; behold Bradford's waterway heritage between Bingley and Saltaire; or cycle from Canterbury to Whitstable on the Crab and Winkle Way; just some of the great routes on offer.

For a free information pack on these rides, and others in your area, call the Sustrans Information Line on 0845 113 0065 and take part in your own alternative Tour of Britain.