On the 29th of October we launched our much awaited Wee Bike Library at our Walking and Wheeling Open Day! It’s aim – to make sure every child has access to a safe and correctly fitted bike.
At our open day, held at the Ormidale Pavilion, we kicked the morning off with a joint Stroll With It and Nordic Walking walk. On leaving the pavilion our group of 20 plus walkers headed down towards Fishermans Walk. Then towards Glen Rosa and then up towards historic Douglas Row. Joining us on the walk were two staff from KA Leisure Helen Campbell and Craig McBirnie who were joining us to show us how to incorporate some Strength and Balance moves into our walks. These are very simple exercises that make a massive difference to your levels of mobility. We used things along the way like the handrail on the bridge if we needed support for them. It ended up helping to keep all the fast and slower walkers more together and sociable too!
Throughout the day, visitors could participate in one-to-one cycle skills sessions, bike maintenance Q&A with mechanic Wally Wallace. One participant brought along her bike to get it ready for winter!
The Wee Bike Library Launch
At 3:30 pm, Emma Tracey, Active Travel Hub Officer, officially opened the Wee Bike Library! The Wee Bike Library collects donated bikes and those rescued from the Brodick recycling center. We then refurbish them for safety, and pair them with suitable riders. Six bikes found new homes that day! With each new owner receiving a certificate and signing a “pinky promise” to care for and ride their bike safely. As children outgrow their bikes, they can return to the library to graduate into a larger bike, allowing them to keep riding as they grow. There are also refurbished bikes for loan to adults. We then celebrated with cake and refreshments provided by our Zero Waste Cafe in the Ormidale Pavilion.
Fun games were put on for the kids attending. Like the ‘brake block’ speed and dexterity challenge, a crafting stall for adding fun things to your bike like extra wee lights and reflectors, and a treasure hunt, which got kids running and cycling around Ormidale Park hunting for bike parts to assemble into a bike!
We also offered rides on our new adapted Fun2Go side-by-side electric bike which aims to provide inclusive cycling sessions for those who need it, with trained Eco Savvy staff.
At the end of the day each child went home with a Glow-up your Bike pack full of reflective stickers and lights to help keep them safe in the darker months.
Our goal is to promote a circular economy by lending bikes to children and adults, allowing users to return them as they outgrow or no longer need them, supporting sustainable transport on the island.
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