the low down

Bike storage research volunteers needed!

One of Life Cycle UK’s Ride Leaders, Brian Edgar, is looking for volunteers to help with research he is doing on bike storage in the residential areas of our cities. Brian is hoping to talk to people who can help him understand the things residents take into account when thinking about storing a bike, and how this may affect their choice of transport. His project also includes a look at some examples of how on-street bike hangars could be used most effectively in the UK.

Life Cycle UK joins Glos Cricket for Cycle Sunday

Life Cycle's Dr Bike mechanic shows faults on a bike to a customer

Gloucestershire Cricket is delighted to announce that local charity partner Life Cycle UK will be offering a series of fun cycling activities on Sunday 25 July for “Cycle Sunday” at the Bristol County Ground. Life Cycle UK - whose mission is to get more people cycling, to transform lives and the environment - will be on hand to talk about their work with vulnerable people, and advise people who want to give cycling a go.

Building community, one bike at a time

Jay (pictured above), is the founder, organiser, chief mechanic and everything in between, of Derby-based community BMX group, Ozzy Wheels.

Jay has been BMX riding across the Midlands with family and friends for over thirty years. After making Derby his home and starting an ‘unofficial’ BMX club in the beautiful Osmaston Park in Derby, he realised that he had the skills and passion to create something amazing for his local community.

How to cycle 205 miles in one day

Winding coastal road with a tiny cyclist in the distance.

Saturday 19th June 2021 was the longest day of the year – and also the day of the annual Chase the Sun event, which sees people of all abilities cycling coast to coast, from sunrise to sunset in an attempt to reach their destination before the sun goes down. This year we had three teams representing Life Cycle UK. Malcolm was part of a team of volunteers from our Inclusive Cycling projects.

Supporting the Cycling Sisterhood

In April 2021, Life Cycle UK began a new partnership project with Bristol Muslim Cultural Society and Baggator. Its aim is to support Cycling Sisters, a grassroots community cycling project based in Easton. Cycling Sisters had been running regular cycling sessions for women, particularly those who face cultural or religious barriers to cycling in Bristol. The response has been overwhelming, and they became over-subscribed.

"I feel better than I have done in 20 years, thanks to cycling"

Closeup of a man's feet on the pedals of a bike - he's wearing black and white trainers and you can see the sun is starting to set in the distace

Whilst Covid-19 has put a full set of spanners into socializing, the Derby team has been lucky enough to enjoy some social interactions selling bikes and doing repairs at their workshop. They meet some great characters in their line of work (all people who cycle are cool), including Craig. Like many people, Craig rediscovered the joys of cycling during the first lockdown and was surprised at how quickly his health and well-being underwent a huge transformation:

From booze to bike mechanics

Man in a light blue T-shirt with stubble, working on a wheel without a tire.

This is Alex's story. We met Alex when he was 56 years old while he was training at our secure bike workshop inside Bristol Prison. Over the weeks he was with us, he started to chat more and eventually started to tell us about his life and what had led him to this place. It's always a great honour to be trusted in this way and we are especially grateful to Alex for agreeing to share his story with you too. Here it is:

Life Cycle and Lockdown #3

Young woman cycling in an urban setting wearing a mask

Since the latest lockdown was announced, we’ve been studying the rules carefully. We're glad that the Government continues to recognise the importance of cycling, both for safe local travel and for maintaining good physical and mental health. The good news is that Life Cycle can continue helping those who want to cycle through the lockdown. Our workshops in Bristol and Derby will stay open for Bike sales and servicing. One-to-one Cycle Buddies sessions can also continue safely.

Surviving 2020 on a tandem

Holly from RORO piloting a 'recumbent tandem' with a female participant on the front

For visually impaired, disabled and neurodivergent people, getting outdoors and taking invigorating exercise can be challenging at the best of times. But what do you do when a global pandemic hits? Luckily we have some incredible people in our ‘Two’s Company’ family who helped us adapt our service and find strength in new approaches. Here’s what they did…

The bicycle: a lifeline for keyworkers

Thembi giving the thumbs up with her new bike.

The lockdown saw a massive spike in demand for bikes as people reclaimed the roads for their daily exercise. But the bicycle served a more serious purpose too. It became a lifeline for key workers who had previously relied on public transport: Suddenly they risked catching or transmitting the deadly virus as they travelled to work - or having to walk miles every day.