The Bike Station is now offering *free* training and support for Edinburgh parents interested in giving family cycle-commuting a go.
This is part of the new Spokes & Bike Station ‘Weans on Wheels’ (WOW!) project this year, which aims to encourage more every-day family cycle-commuting by providing information and support to parents, particularly those with children too young to go on their own bike. The aim is to build awareness, skills and confidence through hands-on advice and training. There are realistic (and fun, healthy and educational) alternatives to the dreary old car-based daily travel routine for play-group, nursery, school etc.
The Bike Station is now running:
- family-cycle-commuting equipment demonstrations for parents during spring / summer 2011 at Edinburgh nurseries, playgroups, schools etc (at collection-time; has your child’s place signed up?) — child seats, tag-alongs, trailers etc.
- drop-in sessions at the Bike Station to see equipment: every Friday 1 – 4pm (coinciding with the weekly Children’s Bike Sales)
- whole-family have-a-go sessions with the bikes and equipment, and a professional cycle-trainer — take the kids and give it a go for real
Contact Ruairidh at the Bike Station for more information on any of the above, or to book a nursery/school demonstration or training session. Email info@thebikestation.org.uk or phone 0131 668 1996. The Bike Station may also be able to loan out family-cycling equipment (Burley child trailers, child seats, tow-bars and tag-alongs, as well as adult bikes) if you work for a company registered with the Bike Station’s Better Way to Work project.
Spokes has a new factsheet, “How to be a Cycling Family”. This provides parents, particularly of young children, with ideas on how to use bikes for whole-family every-day transport – especially for those multi-purpose every-day journeys such as dropping a child off at nursery or school whilst on your way to work. You can download it here.