Supporting

Bristol City Centre BID’s partnership with Life Cycle UK keeps over 240 bikes on the road in its first 18 months

Read along to find out more about our Dr Bike services and the results of our recent user survey.

12/09/2023

BID Lead

Tom Swithinbank

In just 18 months of operation, Bristol City Centre BID’s “Dr Bike” partnership with Life Cycle UK has maintained over 240 bikes, providing a free service to get people back on two wheels and feeling more confident on their cycle to work.

As part of the BID’s efforts to support greener business, a key theme as part of BID’s new 2022-27 Business Plan, twice monthly Dr Bike sessions are now provided for anyone working in the city centre.

The free sessions take place in Bristol Beacon on the third Tuesday of every month and in various buildings around the city centre with mechanics delivering a free 30 minute bike health check.

book a session here

A recent survey of Dr Bike users found that 98% of respondents would recommend the service to a friend or colleague and 24% of respondents increased the use of their bike following the service. Over 1/10 respondents also stated that they booked the service to help enable them to cycle to work, demonstrating the role of the service in helping people choose an active, zero emission commute.

Survey Feedback

We've loved reading your comments and suggestions!

'Think it's a fantastic scheme. It's often prohibitively expensive to get my bike serviced so Dr Bike means I can continue cycling to work safely'

'The service was great. The person completing was really knowledgeable and gave me some really great follow up advice. I could immediately feel my bike was working better afterwards'

'A great service! Really handy to have this available during the working day at work. Makes it so easy to get the bike checked and very reassuring to know the bike is running safely. And it's free which helps massively with cost of living.'

Speaking about the initiative, BID Project Manager Tom Swithinbank stated how well the initiative has been received.

“We know from our consultation that businesses, staff and residents frequently use their bikes to get around the BID area but are keen to see cycling levels increase, especially as a mode to travel to work. The Dr Bike service has proved a really effective way of helping people get back on their bikes and increase their confidence. Combining this service with much needed cycle lanes and lower traffic streets in the future will see the BID area become a much more cycle friendly part of the city.”

Becky Whitlock from Life Cycle UK who provide the mechanics for the sessions spoke about how much the charity had enjoyed the opportunity to get out into the local community and maintain people’s bikes:

“We are really grateful for the opportunity to support more people to cycle by removing a key barrier – lack of access to safe, reliable bikes. We welcome Bristol City Centre 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. We’d like to say a huge thank you to the BID and its members on behalf of our organisation and our service users”.

As well as offering a professional Dr Bike service, Life Cycle UK provides a range of support to help people on their cycling journey: For example, those who feel nervous about riding on the road or unsure of the best cycle-friendly routes can book up to three, free cycle sessions with a qualified instructor.

To book a session for your building or for any future information please get in touch.

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Supporting

Bristol City Centre BID’s partnership with Life Cycle UK keeps over 240 bikes on the road in its first 18 months

BID Lead

Survey Feedback

'Think it's a fantastic scheme. It's often prohibitively expensive to get my bike serviced so Dr Bike means I can continue cycling to work safely'

'The service was great. The person completing was really knowledgeable and gave me some really great follow up advice. I could immediately feel my bike was working better afterwards'

'A great service! Really handy to have this available during the working day at work. Makes it so easy to get the bike checked and very reassuring to know the bike is running safely. And it's free which helps massively with cost of living.'

Speaking about the initiative, BID Project Manager Tom Swithinbank stated how well the initiative has been received.

Becky Whitlock from Life Cycle UK who provide the mechanics for the sessions spoke about how much the charity had enjoyed the opportunity to get out into the local community and maintain people’s bikes:

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