Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival to get people in Inverness cycling for every day journeys

A national project encouraging thousands of people to cycle for every day journeys is coming to Inverness.  The Big Bike Revival, an award-winning programme developed by Cycling UK and funded by Transport Scotland, helps people in Scotland to bring their bikes back into use by providing bike health checks, sharing maintenance knowhow and giving people more confidence in the saddle.

Partnered by 100 community groups and bicycle recycling centres across the country, the Big Bike Revival aims to reach thousands of people to encourage them to get cycling again and to replace short car journeys with the bike. In 2017, around 11,772 people participated across Scotland; this year events will run from 1 May to 31 July to encourage even more people to cycle for everyday trips. The Highland Council and Velocity Café and Workshop in Inverness have again been awarded Big Bike Revival funding to deliver activities in the local community.

Events include workshops and Dr Bike sessions, all of which are free to access. Dr Bike are where a bicycle mechanic undertakes bicycle safety checks, basic repairs, diagnosis of bigger repairs and offers safer travel advice. The events are free and work on a first come, first served basis. The Dr Bike events are particularly good for checking over bikes that get limited use and ones that are not working as well as they should. 

Two maintenance and repair workshops at Velocity are also funded as part of the Big Bike Revival and both are now fully booked.

The Scottish Government has a vision to see 10% of every day journeys by cycle by 2020 and the Big Bike Revival will provide support and activities to encourage more people to get cycling to help achieve this vision. In 2018, Big Bike Revival activities in Scotland enabled 2,656 bikes to be fixed and brought back into regular use and it helped replace 18,792 car trips by cycling. Activities and events this year will build on this behaviour change outcome.

This year will be the third that Cycling UK have delivered the Big Bike Revival project Scotland, with the opportunity for new organisations to engage and learn form best practice of the previous two years.

Cllr Allan Henderson, Chair of the Highland Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure committee said:

“I am grateful to Cycling UK for the funding which has again supported this collaboration between our Climate Change Team and Velocity to host a range of Big Bike Revival events in Inverness. These events, coupled with the upcoming rollout of a pool bike pilot in August, demonstrates that the Council supports the Scottish Government’s target of one in ten journeys to be made by bicycle by 2020.”

With hundreds of events planned across the next six weeks and centres spread across every local authority area in the country, the Big Bike Revival aims to bring thousands more bikes back into use.

Cycling UK’s Head of Development Scotland, Suzanne Forup said:

“The Big Bike Revival in Scotland reached communities across the length and breadth of Scotland in 2017, from small rural villages to local communities in our biggest cities. This year we are delighted to partner with The Highland Council and Velocity Café and Workshop in Inverness to help people fall back in love with cycling again.

“For those of us that cycled as a kid, we all remember our bikes and how wonderful a bike ride was. The Big Bike Revival wants to capture that feeling for people who stopped cycling years or decades ago and reignite their love of cycling. Events and activities will help people fix up their cycles, grow their cycling confidence and learn about accessible local routes so they can get from A to B by bike with a smile on their face. We’re pleased to work across Scotland to help people in local communities enjoy the many benefits of cycling, and support them to swap the car when it comes to everyday trips.”

There are hundreds of events and activities planned across the nation. To find Big Bike Revival events in Inverness, visit www.bigbikerevival.org.uk