Free e-trike loans and skills and confidence sessions for Manchester locals
- Dame Sarah Storey at official opening of new Making cycling e-asier hub
- Photos available at Skyfish
- Enrol on the scheme
Cycling UK is working with Wheels for All in Manchester to offer free one-month e-trike loans and free skills and confidence sessions through the new free e-cycle scheme, Making cycling e-asier.
The pilot scheme, which is funded by Department for Transport, will create a new e-hub aiming to make e-cycling inclusive and accessible to all. Participants will be offered support and guidance to give them the confidence to pedal an e-trike regularly.
Dame Sarah Storey, active travel commissioner for Greater Manchester, attended the launch on Tuesday, 21 March to take part in a skills and confidence session and show her support.
Electric tricycles offer motor assistance and require less balance than a conventional bicycle. They are ideal for people who otherwise might struggle to ride a standard bike.
Making cycling e-asier also offers free e-cycle loans and skills and confidence sessions via selected Evans Cycles stores, community hubs and workplaces across Manchester, Sheffield, Leicester and Luton and Dunstable, with the aim of encouraging locals to consider e-cycling as an alternative travel option for short everyday journeys.
The scheme aims to give more than 6000 Manchester locals the opportunity to discover the benefits of e-cycling for short everyday journeys and will run until October 2023.
By giving people the opportunity to discover the cost, health and environmental benefits of e-cycling, it is hoped that Making cycling e-asier will help people drive less and cycle more on their shorter journeys.
E-cycles offer pedal assistance and give users an extra boost which can make cycling, especially up hills, less strenuous and more accessible.
For many, their first cycling is in a park, and for anyone returning to cycling, they often need some help. There are now a far greater variety of cycles available, and including electric assist widens access to many older and less confident adults
Dame Sarah Storey, active travel commissioner for Greater Manchester
Dame Sarah Storey, active travel commissioner for Greater Manchester said:
“For many, their first cycling is in a park, and for anyone returning to cycling, they often need some help. There are now a far greater variety of cycles available, and including electric assist widens access to many older and less confident adults.
“It’s great that this project is providing e-trikes, we know many people need to ‘try before they buy’ and the support that this project provides will help them. We will be offering our bike buddy scheme at this location which will help carers support our new and returning cyclists.”
Jenny Box, deputy director of Making cycling e-asier said:
“Cycling UK is delighted Dame Sarah attended the launch of Making cycling e-asier at Wheels for All, and we really appreciate her support and work to make Manchester an inclusive and accessible city for everyone.
“Cycling UK and Wheels for All are experts at helping people no matter their ability discover the joys of cycling, and we look forward to working together and helping more people discover the benefits of an electric boost.”
Ian Tierney, CEO of Wheels for All said:
“Wheels for All is pleased to be involved with Making cycling e-asier in Greater Manchester.
“We look forward to using our extensive experience to encourage local people to try an e-trike through offering weekly skills and confidence sessions in Debdale Park, social led rides in Phillips Park, and free one-month loans.”
Making cycling e-asier delivers part of the Prime Minister’s ambitious Cycling and Walking Plan (Gear Change) to boost cycling and walking, with a vision for half of all journeys in towns and cities to be cycled or walked by 2030.
Cycling UK’s extensive experience of engaging with underrepresented groups means they recognise the barriers, challenges and perceptions that can deter people from trying cycling. Through their tried and tested behavioural change models, Cycling UK has the ability to deliver projects and programmes that attract diverse groups and empower communities.
People can sign up and find more information about the scheme via Cycling UK’s website.
One month e-cycle loans are based on a first come first serve basis with limited availability.
Confirmed Making cycling e-asier partners, supporting the delivery include, Evans Cycles, Raleigh Bikes, Specialized, Tier Mobility, Islabikes, Wheels for All, Bikeworks, Fusion Media, Modeshift, Cyclescheme, Bike Right, Sharebike, Transport for Quality of Life.
For more information, please visit cyclinguk.org/making-cycling-e-asier
Notes to editors
About Cycling UK
Cycling UK, the UK’s cycling charity, imagines a world where the streets are free of congestion and the air is clean to breathe, where parents encourage their children to cycle to school and everyone shares the exhilaration of being in the saddle. For more than 140 years, we’ve been making our streets safer, opening up new traffic free routes and inspiring more people to cycle more often.
About DfT
The Department for Transport works with its agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps the UK’s businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. It plans and invests in transport infrastructure to keep the UK on the move.
The new executive agency, Active Travel England, will deliver the Government’s cycling and walking priorities, enabling more people in England to choose walking and cycling for their everyday journeys.
Press contact information
For more information, please contact the national Cycling UK press office If you would like to speak to a member of the press office during working hours (0900 - 1700) please call Joanne Clark on 07917 243925 or email. Out of hours, call 07584 271 300.
