Cycling is great to boost activity and the best way to travel around Exeter
Published: 28 July 2022
Cycling is fantastic for improving physical activity and is the best way of travelling across the city.
That’s the message from Cllr Josie Parkhouse, Lead Councillor for Leisure and Physical Activity, who said it’s also great for the environment and the city’s ambition of becoming a Net Zero Carbon City by 2030.
Cllr Parkhouse is taking part in 12 Moves in 12 Months – a challenge to try out a new activity each month during 2022.
It aims to champion some of the amazing community groups and organisations in Exeter who are supporting people to be more active in their daily lives.
Cllr Parkhouse - who has taken over the 12 Moves challenge from the previous Portfolio Holder Cllr Duncan Wood - visited the Ride On charity at Exeter Quay, which has a mission to get more people cycling more often.
It focuses on people who want to ride more but aren’t able to either because they don’t have a safe and reliable bike or because they lack confidence to get back in the saddle.
Ride On has a dedicated team of volunteers who ensure unwanted bikes generously donated by the public are sold to the community at affordable prices to get them back on the road.
In 2013 it put 83 bikes back into use - by 2021 the figure had increased tenfold to 830.
As well as selling fully refurbished bikes it offers a range of services, including teaching people to service their own bikes with the support of a qualified mechanic.
Cllr Parkhouse took part in a women’s cycle repair evening, designed to teach all the skills needed to ensure bikes are safe and fit for use.
Cllr Parkhouse said: “The workshops Ride On run on a Tuesday evening are specifically for women to get more involved in cycling by learning more about bikes.
“It’s great for me to learn how to fix things like brakes and punctures. This is a fantastic facility which does so much great work. They repair and restore donated bikes and sell them to the community to encourage more people to cycle.
“I use my bike to go everywhere, pretty much every day in Exeter. It is a fantastic way to get more active and is much quicker than walking and much better for the environment than using a car.
“I would really encourage anyone who doesn’t already cycle to get on a bike this summer – it is a fantastic way to get out and about and enjoy the great weather.”
12 Moves in 12 Months is part of the Live and Move #ShareYourMoves campaign to help people become more active in the city.
For more information about Ride On visit rideoncycling.org or search for its page on Facebook.