Get cycling in Finnieston and Govanhill – Free bike and training – Glasgow
Do you know how to cycle but haven’t ridden a bike in a while? Feel like you could do with some support to get back into it?
The free Cycle Nation programme is all about giving you the skills, confidence and support to cycle more.
The programme is open to anyone who’s 18 years old or over and lives in Glasgow.
Imagine yourself riding a bike around Glasgow, feeling confident, energised and doing your bit for the environment.
The programme includes a weekly group session for 9 weeks, at one of our Hubs in Glasgow’s Finnieston or Govanhill.
You’ll also get:
- A free refurbished bike you get to keep forever (up to £150)
- Or a free three months ebike loan
- Or a free service for your own bike
What’s included in the weekly sessions?
The 1.5 hour sessions will be run by our friendly and experienced facilitators. You will be in a small group so you get all the support you need.
Sessions will include practical exercises to put into practice what you’ve just learned.
The weekly sessions will cover:
Week 1 – On your bike
- Course overview
- Why cycle?
- Your helmet lights and lock
- The ABC check
- Adjusting seat height
- Starting and stopping effectively
Week 2- Going through the gears
- What to wear
- Personal cycling goals
- The ABC check
- Going through the gears
Week 3 – Basic cycling skills
- Fixing a dropped chain
- Bike handling (cornering)
Week 4 – Consolidating cycling skills
- Pumping up your tires
- Avoiding obstacles
- Front wheel lift
- Group (off-road) riding
Week 5 – Using the road
- Your rights on the road
- Signalling
- The emergency stop
- Introduction to riding on the road
Week 6 – On the road again
- Lubricating your chain
- Conduction yourself safely in traffic lights and roundabouts
- Filtering through queued traffic
Week 7 – Puncture clinic
- Replacing an inner tube
Week 8 – Planning your journey
- Overcoming setbacks
- Long-term bike access
- Route planning
- Riding your journey
Week 9 – Moving forward
- Action planning and moving forward
- Group ride
- Graduation!
When and where?
The programme will run over 9 weeks throughout the summer, with several start dates.
When you register your interest, you will share which location and dates/times suit you best.
The team will organise dates and times to suit participants once we have this information.
Who is behind this programme?
This free cycling programme is run by a team at the University of Glasgow in partnership with Bike for Good.
This programme is a test-run to figure out if other programmes like this could work. Throughout the programme, you will be asked some questions by researchers. You will be given more information on this before you decide to take part.
I’m interested – What’s next?
Take two minutes to complete this form.
The University of Glasgow team will be in touch with more information about the programme and start dates.
If you have any questions, email gallanttravel@glasgow.ac.uk