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
Ends
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
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Registered charity: 1174055