Cycling

Sara Britcliffe MP borrowed one of our electric bikes to promote the benefits of sustainable transport!

Cycling is a great way to experience the countryside and enjoy the outdoors. The feeling of freedom and closeness to nature is hugely beneficial to people’s wellbeing as well as the obvious health and fitness benefits of riding a bike. It’s also a great way to tackle climate change.

We have 7 bicycles and 2 electric bikes available for community use. All you have to do is find an organisation that will vouch for you and pop into the Environment Centre on Broadway in Accrington to complete the paperwork.

Why not do your bit for climate change and start riding a bike!

All our staff have taken part in basic bike maintenance training! With thanks to Dave from Cycling UK we have learnt how to carry out basic maintenance checks and perform straightforward repairs to ensure all our bikes are ready for the road!

Amongst other things we repaired a puncture, adjusted the brakes and changed a brake cable, checked the gears and carried out an M check. We also learnt how to fit bike helmets properly, so we’re all ready to go!

If you’re interested in borrowing one of our electric bikes then watch this space. Whether you want to get back into cycling, try out cycling to work, or just want to keep up with the kids, then an electric bike might be for you. Further details coming soon.

Our Theme of ‘Sustainable Transport’ is all about encouraging walking and cycling and recognising the additional health benefits of increased physical activity.

Cycling UK are asking people to use the new interactive map: show your council where pop-up lanes are needed. Click on the link below.

Show your council where you need safe space for social distancing in ACCRINGTON and Hyndburn

Since March, over 11,000 people have written to their council to ask for pop up cycle lanes and widened pavements: and now at least 60 councils have begun installing or planning these measures.

But with the roads and public transport getting busier again, much more must be done to ensure we lock in the boost in cycling we’ve seen throughout lockdown.

There are three simple things you can do to help turn this great start into a nationwide transformation, and to make sure change happens in the Hyndburn area.

Once you’ve added your ideas, share the map amongst your local community, social media – not everyone will agree with every suggestion, but the greater the engagement, the stronger impression the most popular suggestions will have on our council.

Go to our Cycling section to find out more…

We were delighted to be invited to attend a celebration event for Cycling Project’s volunteers at the Mayor’s Parlour in Accrington Town Hall on Thursday evening. Long standing volunteers were awarded certificates by the Mayor of Hyndburn, Councillor June Harrison, for their outstanding contribution to the Wheels for All and the Pedal Away programmes in the Borough. As well as funding the Pedal Away programme through the Windfall Fund we are now able to lend our electric bikes to the project too so that more people can join in with the rides.

The Pedal Away rides are perfect for those wanting to get back in the saddle to refresh how to use gears and bakes whilst cycling on traffic-free routes and cycle paths. The rides have been established across the whole of East Lancashire and the ones in Hyndburn have been running on Monday mornings at 10.00am leaving from Eagle Street in Accrington. These sessions have now finished for the winter but will start up again in Spring 2020.

To find out more about the Pedal Away programmes or Cycling Projects contact Nancy on 07469 148245 or nancy.waine@cycling.org.uk