The mains aim of Street Bikes is to achieve the following …

Increasing confidence, skills and opportunities for young people / volunteers who live in areas of deprivation and/or face barriers to learning. 

• Increasing levels of active travel to school/ college / work– improve their health and wellbeing 
• Decrease wastefulness by recycling bikes and parts, reducing materials which end up in landfills by reusing them for either other bikes or for some other useful purpose
• Improve knowledge of the benefits of cycling on the wider environment by creating learning opportunities that encourages active travel and improves health & well being

Our is aim is to make cycling as accessible and available for young people of all ages and abilities by providing free bike hire, cycling skills sessions and led rides to support a healthy, active lifestyle. This year we successfully held maintenance drop in sessions in our youth clubs / groups as well as the two nearby local high schools, Clydebank High & St Peter the Apostle. The maintenance sessions will aim to teach young people how to fix their own bike with them hopefully gaining accreditation in bike maintenance such as a Velotech Award in the future.

We also held Bike Ride Leader Training – training Y Sort it Youth Workers & volunteers as well as our Young Volunteer Leaders in Bike Ride Leader course, gaining a formal qualification as well as developing leadership skills.  We are keen to recruit and support a team of volunteers – Street Bike Champions will assist with maintenance and lead with group bike rides for our youth group members, encouraging them to discover new routes and destinations, reducing Carbon Emissions for day trips and activities we facilitate throughout the year.  They will also encourage participants to identify and work out safe cycle routes to school, training, college or work, encouraging them to use cycling for everyday travel. 

StreetBikes have recruited many volunteers who have helped staff to support young people with basic bike maintenance workshops, giving the skills to fix their own bikes and learn about basic upkeep of their bikes. They have also helped recycle donated bikes to give to young people and members of the community for free. We have a fleet of bikes available for regular cycles led adventures by qualified leaders with small groups of young people on a regular basis.

 After working out of a shipping container for most of the year, we have managed to secure a lease from West Dunbartonshire Council for a nearby shop front property at 8 Crown Ave, Clydebank to make into a workshop space for repairs and maintenance as well as training sessions for young people and volunteers.   

 To find out more about StreetBikes visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/streetbikesYSI/