260 bikes kept safely on the road thanks to successful first year partnership between Redcliffe & Temple BID and Life Cycle UK

A partnership that was created with the ambition to enable Bristol’s city workers and residents to cycle more into and around the city celebrates a successful first year. Redcliffe & Temple BID’s partnership with Life Cycle UK has helped keep over 260 bikes on the road over the last 12 months, with a free bike check service available to those working and living in the area.  

The service known as Dr Bike offers a free professional bike assessment that includes basic maintenance in a 30-minute session. The bike experts also offer advice and guidance to help get people back on two wheels and feel more confident on their cycle to work.

The introduction of Dr Bike was one of the first projects from Redcliffe & Temple BID with a focus on improving sustainability and the environment in the city. It has grown in popularity over the last year and now bike owners have access to the service two days every month, with 15 appointments per day, supporting the BID’s ambition to get people moving around the city via sustainable, healthy modes of transport.  

A recent survey of the service by its users found that 100% of those asked would recommend the service to a friend or colleague and 32% of respondents increased the use of their bike following the service.  

The partnership with cycling charity, Life Cycle UK, delivers Dr Bike through the BID’s network and business projects like this help to support the charity’s work across Bristol to provide inclusive cycling schemes for disadvantaged children, the vision impaired and elderly.

Tom Swithinbank, Redcliffe & Temple BID Project Manager said; “One of our key ambitions as a BID is to help businesses operate more sustainably by partnering with schemes and launching projects that enable those working and living in the area towards greener, more environmentally friendly habits.

“Office workers and residents frequently use their bikes to get around the BID area and we wanted to build on that and encourage it further as a mode of transport. Dr Bike has proved an effective way of helping people get back on their bikes and increase their confidence, we plan to continue the service for as long as it remains popular. Combining this service with much needed cycle lanes and lower traffic streets will see the BID area become a much more cycle friendly part of the city.” 

Becky Whitlock, Life Cycle UK’s Marketing Manager added; “Working with forward thinking, sustainably focused organisations like Redcliffe & Temple BID allows us to support more people to cycle by removing a key barrier – lack of access to safe, reliable bikes. We welcome the BID’s strong commitment to improving the health, well-being, and air quality in the local business community – while supporting our charitable work. By providing our charity with a regular income, the BID is helping us transform even more lives through cycling, especially in Bristol’s most disadvantaged communities.”

The free sessions take place outside 2, Glass Wharf on the second Tuesday of every month and in Finzels Reach on the last Wednesday of every month. They are open to anyone working within the Redcliffe and Temple area.  

For more information please visit: Dr Bike - Redcliffe & Temple BID (redcliffeandtemplebid.co.uk)

For further information about Life Cycle’s services or to support their projects, visit www.lifecycleuk.org.uk