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Bike Generation

Bike Generation has been made possible thanks to a three-year grant from the Tudor Trust along with a number of smaller grants from other funding bodies.

Bike Generation is Life Cycle’s youth project, co-ordinated by qualified mechanic, engineer, secondary school teacher and mountain-biker Nigel Cooksley.

Bike Generation is where young people get to: LEARN, EARN + BURN

Young people can LEARN bicycle repair and maintenance skills in our purpose-built workshop. By attending the Bike Build Club they can EARN a bike to keep after they have helped to repair three bicycles that we then donate to other organisations.  Our new Life Cycle Club gives young people frequent opportunities to go-for-a-BURN on our fleet of free hire BMX and Mountain Bikes. We take trips to local BMX parks and tracks and to mountain-bike trails in Bristol, The Mendips, Wales and The Forest of Dean. 

These bike-related activities are an ideal way to encourage young people to cycle more, take responsibility for the maintenance of their bikes and acquire practical skills that they will have for a lifetime!

Please contact Nigel for more information: youth@lifecycleuk.org.uk

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LEARN – Structured Courses and Drop-In Sessions

Vocational Learning Courses

We offer courses in bike maintenance for 12 – 16 year olds during school hours, that enable young people to learn practical mechanical skills, as well as gaining evidence towards qualifications, such as the ASDAN C.O.P.E. These are structured lessons, taught in a classroom environment. We aim to keep verbal explanations to a minimum to enable students to focus on the practical aspect of the course. We find that young people on the courses work as a team, develop wider key skills and have a great time!

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EARN – Fix 3 bikes > Get to keep one!

Bike Build Club is a free drop-in session for young people aged 11 –16 years. Young people can come along with their bikes and fix them up. Alternatively, young people can “earn a bike” by helping us to clean and fix up old donated cycles.  No skills are needed other than an interest and enthusiasm for bikes. There are no structured lessons, learning is achieved by working together. 

The sessions  take place every Thursday from 4-6pm at the Life Cycle Centre at The Park Local Opportunity Centre.

Spaces are limited, so turn up promptly.

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BURN – Free BMX and Mountain Bike Hire and Trips

Life Cycle Club members (membership is free) have frequent opportunities to learn BMX and mountain bike skills and tricks and apply them on regular trips to BMX parks and tracks and mountain-bike courses throughout the South West. 

Trips take place during weekends (half or whole day) and during the school holidays. Download Life Cycle Club leaflet (PDF)

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 The Life Cycle Centre

Our custom designed workshop, The Life Cycle Centre, is located at The Park, Daventry Road, Knowle West. See http://www.theparkknowle.co.uk for a location map.

Facilities include:

• A custom-designed workshop with eight bike maintenance workstations, professional workstands and a full range of tools.
• Bicycle recycling and storage facilities
• Training and group work area
• Meeting area
• Resource library featuring maps, guides, magazines and DVDs
• For more information, you can take a tour of the Life Cycle Centre

If you want to come and visit the Life Cycle Centre to see our facilities for yourself, we are always happy to show you round.

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Taster Sessions

One-off taster sessions introduce young people to bike maintenance and give them chance to learn what can be done to keep bikes running smoothly with only a few basic tools. These can be run at the Life Cycle Centre or at your school / youth centre. Please call us for more details.

We can also organise ‘FIX IT’ projects on request at any location in Bristol for young people. ‘FIX IT’ is a mix of bicycle maintenance courses, discovery rides, mountain biking or just one off cycle promotion and bicycle games.