Month: May 2021

Press Release…. Press Release…. Press Release….

Ride On – Cycling for All will be delivering 25 Dr Bike sessions over the summer in Princesshay in Exeter, and checking 275 bikes belonging to shoppers, workers, and local residents as part of their pedal powered high streets campaign.

This latest bike-focused initiative is being funded with £2.5k from the Big Give, a national charitable crowdfunding platform, and matched funding of £2.5k from Live & Move, which promotes active lifestyles in Exeter & Cranbrook.

High Streets are facing a hugely challenging trading environment. Princesshay in Exeter is keen to welcome people back and, with the need to reduce car congestion and get people physically active, Ride On want to use pedal power to kick start the economic recovery on our high street.

Cycling UK estimates that 16.5 million bikes are sat unused in sheds with issues that could be fixed quickly. Dr Bike could be exactly that quick fix you need to get you back on your bike.

“We will provide free 30-minute bike checks on the high street to shoppers, staff and residents over the summer with this funding,” explains Will Page, Head of Charity at Ride On. “Our mechanics can fix simple issues like loose brakes, slipping gears and make sure your bike is safe whilst you buy a coffee, or do your shopping.”

“This will create an incentive for shoppers to visit the high street by bike, it will help retail and hospitality staff switch their commute to bike, and help local residents get their unused bicycles back into working order.”

One happy Dr Bike customer reported:

”I recently booked an appointment with Ride On to get my bike safety checked. I have to say the service was fantastic, the mechanic was so patient and helped me to understand what was required for my bike! He explained all about the gears, chains, brakes etc. Half an hour went extremely quickly.”

James Bogue, programme lead for Live and Move says: ” We are delighted to be supporting local charity Ride On Exeter to deliver these Dr-Bike sessions in the city centre. It will be a really good opportunity for people in Exeter to get their bikes checked over and give them the confidence to travel safely. This means people can be more active by making every day journeys by cycling.”

Councillor Duncan Wood, Lead Councillor for Leisure and Physical Activity at Exeter City Council said, “Having the chance to get your bike looked at by a professional for free is a really good way to get into or get back into cycling, confident that you can rely on your bike. There are so many cycle routes across and around the city now, with work going on to improve them further. Cycling is a great way to be active, whether you’re traveling, commuting for work or just for fun. It’s great to see Live and Move supporting this initiative and I’m looking forward to seeing many more Dr. Bike sessions over the summer.”

For more information go to www.rideoncycling.org

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Notes for Editors

Ride On – Cycling for All

Ride On is Exeter’s hub for all things bike related. If you want to donate an old bike have a look on the Ride On website for a list of drop off points, bring your bike to our workshop at Exeter Quay or give us a call on 07544 314749.

If you need a bike visit our website to book an appointment to view our bikes here: https://www.rideoncycling.org/book-an-appointment/

Due to Coronavirus the weekly Bring Your Own Bike DIY maintenance sessions are not running, but Ride On’s Fix it at Home initiative consists of some useful and informative videos, especially for gear indexing and brake adjustment issues. See the website for details www.rideoncycling.org

Find us on Facebook

Twitter @RideOnExeter

Instagram @RideOnExeter

Registered charity: 1174055

Ride On Cycling for All has been awarded £4,000 from the South West Water Community Fund Project to provide free bike check sessions to NHS staff.

A total of 198 staff at community hospitals in Crediton, Tiverton, Honiton, Exmouth, Dawlish, Teignmouth, and Newton Abbot will benefit from 18 free ‘Dr Bike’ events between June and October.

Dr Bike sessions consist of 30-minute slots in which mechanics carry out a 20-point safety check, making minor adjustments to improve the smooth running of bicycles. Ride On does not do commercial servicing, so if further work is required we will refer them to a bike shop in their local area.

“We focused on NHS staff at the RD&E in Exeter last year, with our free Dr Bike checks” explained Will Page, Ride On Head of Charity. “We were really keen to start supporting NHS staff across the wider region, particularly those at community hospitals which are really valued by local people. We’re incredibly grateful to South West Water for funding this project.”

In line with the current Covid-19 measures, Ride On’s Dr Bike sessions will take place outside, mechanics will observe social distancing, wear masks, gloves, and disinfect contact points of bicycles before and after working on them.

“The Covid -19 pandemic has been an incredibly stressful time for NHS staff,” adds Will. “The bike checks will help them keep cycling, promote wellbeing and reduce stress.”

The NHS is keen to support staff cycling to work as it’s a great way to keep socially distanced as well as being good for their health and reducing pollution. 38% of car journeys in the UK are less than two miles, a distance that could easily be cycled. Support for projects like Dr Bike will help reduce the number of car journeys and the associated pollution and congestion.

There’s been plenty of positive feedback from NHS staff who took part in the RD&E Dr Bike sessions.

One NHS staff member commented: “I left feeling more empowered to ‘have a go’ myself in future, equipped with the understanding to make basic safety checks and maintenance, from oiling the chain to checking wear and tread on tyres.”

Another said: “… the service was fantastic; the mechanic was so patient……. He explained all about the gears, chains, brakes etc. Half an hour went really quickly and now the ride of the bike is so much smoother.”

For more information on the Ride On Dr Bike sessions at local community hospitals get in touch with Ride On. Contact details below.

Notes for Editors

Ride On – Cycling for All

Ride On is Exeter’s hub for all things bike related. If you need a bike call us on 07544 314749 to make an appointment and come and look at our refurbished bikes for sale.

We also provide bicycle maintenance courses and Ready to Ride sessions for key workers, including basic bike maintenance and set up.

Due to Coronavirus the weekly Bring Your Own Bike DIY maintenance sessions are not running, but Ride On’s Fix it at Home initiative consists of some useful and informative videos, especially for gear indexing and brake adjustment issues. See the website for details www.rideoncycling.org

Find us on Facebook

Twitter @RideOnExeter

Instagram @RideOnExeter

Registered charity: 1174055

South West Water Community Fund Project

South West Water is committed to supporting charitable causes in the region and has strong links with charity partners and contracts with many charities to deliver community projects.

For full details go to:

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