Free winter bike check-ups and kit offered to cyclists around Bristol

The Better by Bike mobile unit handing out free winter cycling kit at locations across Bristol – Photo by Reecy Pontiff

Free basic bike repairs and winter kit are being offered along major cycling routes around the city this month.

Cyclists can get their rides ready for winter with a free check-up from a mobile mechanic as well as gear like bike lights, bells, gloves and hi-vis clothing.

The service is being provided by Bristol City Council to encourage more trips by bicycle.

A number of cyclists stopped to take advantage of the service along the bike path by the Arnolfini museum on Wednesday.

The mobile mechanic known as Dr Bike adjusts a commuter’s bike by the Arnolfini Museum on Wedsnesday – Video by Reecy Pontiff

Camila Orozco is a UWE Masters’ student from Colombia who loves to ride her bike.

“She’s lovely, she’s so strong, she takes me everywhere, I feel very free just riding around, it’s the happiest thing for me at the moment,” she said.

“I haven’t taken the bus for months now, I just take my bike everywhere.”

For many weeks she had been meaning to get her bike into the shop for a noisy front brake, but finally got it taken care of by Dr Bike, the mechanic regularly hired by the council for these events.

Before coming to Bristol, Tom Brown was a London bike commuter for years, calling it “more fun than sitting on a sweaty, crowded bus or train.”

Brown had heard the mobile unit was setting up at the Arnolfini that day and came by to have a frayed bike cable fixed up.

While he appreciates its existence, he thinks this could be much even better.

“For people who don’t have a lot of spare cash, a service like this would be really useful on a regular basis,” Brown says.

“The nature of this is you have to look for it – most people cycling past don’t even know there’s this great little service going on here.”

The mobile bike repair unit will be out and about in Bristol for the rest of November.

A cyclist receives a free hi-vis vest from a mobile council cart in front of the Arnolfini on Wednesday- Photo by Reecy Pontiff

Reecy Pontiff
Reecy is a student on the MA Journalism programme at UWE Bristol. This story was produced during a live, industry-standard news day. Applications are currently open for our BJTC-accredited course https://go.uwe.ac.uk/sgpsu