The Cycling for Health scheme offers Nottingham City residents a FREE cycle training package and regular easy commuting cycle rides from various venues around the city.

WHY CYCLE
Cycling is a great way to exercise and become more active, it has mahy benefits and can easily fit into your daily routine, you can cycle for leisure, to the shops or even to work.

Group cycle training gives you the confidence and skill to get cycling and cycle safely either off road or on road

• We teach you in safe, quiet areas away from main roads
• sign up for a 6-week course (6 1-hour sessions)
• ideal for newcomers wanting to learn how to ride a bike or for people coming back to cycling wanting some refresher lessons
• fully accredited instructor training
• apply online at www.ridewise.org,uk - go to the make a booking tab and fill in your details

• If you don't have a bike, that's not a problem we provide loan bikes free of charge
• a refundable deposit is required
• bikes are loaned out for 2 months at a time

We run Group Cycle Training courses from

• The Lenton Centre, Lenton
• Arkwright Community Gardens, The Meadows
• Greenways Community Centre, Sneinton
• The Bike Club, Lillington Road South, Bulwell
• Harvey Hadden Sports Centre, Bilborough
• Phoenix Park (venue to be confirmed)

For further details please contact the office on (0115) 955 2288.

Community Bike Rides

Have some fun, fresh air and keep fit!

We offer nice easy rides at a gentle pace along quiet roads, cycle paths and tracks in your local community. Rides last between 45-60 minutes.

Suitable for people who have a basic level of cycling

Place         Day              Time              Meet at
Bulwell      Tuesdays      11.00-12.99   Red Lion Community Centre
Clifton       Wednesdays 11.00-12.00   Clifton Cornerstone
Meadows   Thursdays    11.15-12.15   Arkwright Community Gardens
Bilborough Fridays        11.30-12.30    St. John's Church Hall
Sneinton    Fridays        11.00-12.00   Greenways Community Centre
Lenton       Saturdays   11.00-12.00   The Lenton Centre
Broxtowe   Sundays      12.30-13.30   Sixways Community Centre

Loan bikes can be made available but please book a bike before the ride to avoid disappointment.
To find out more call the office on (0115) 955 2288.

We provide a 1-day training course which aims to equip you with a good working knowledge of leading cycling groups.

Courses are held throughout the year at the Lenton Centre, Willoughby Streert, NG7 1RQ.

Entry requirement - You need to be working towards or have National Standards Level 2 (having cycle skills for off road and quiet roads).

If you are unsure of your level, sign up for cycle training at www.ridewise.org.uk and click on the "make a booking" tab - we'll give you free lessons to get you up to scratch.

Places limited, so please book early to avoid disappointment. For further details call the office on (0115) 955 2288.

For up and coming courses dates visit www.ridewise.org.uk or contact Graham Hubbard on (0115) 955 2288, email: info [at] ridewise [dot] org [dot] uk

Volunteer Group Ride Leaders

We are always on the lookout for people who would like to help others get more active and health to join us with our community bike rides.

Help us set up and run local regular rides in your area. For further details call the office on (0115) 955 2288.

Bike donations for recycling

We get your old bike repaired and give it a new lease of life so don't take it to the tip, give it to us!

We need more donated bikes for our free loan bike service because lots of people don't have a bike when they start cycle training.

If you have an old bike you want to donate to use call the officve on (0115) 955 2288. 

Cycling England Nottingham Cycling for Health Project:
2007-end of February 2011
 

This project was lead by NHS Nottingham City (former Nottingham City Primary Care Trust (PCT), funded by Cycling England and implemented in association with Ridewise

The project was set up to help provide opportunities for people in local communities and employees of the NHS Nottingham City (former Nottingham Primary Care Trust) to become more physically active and improve their levels of health through a free Cycle Training programme (See attached document below for more details).

Evidence shows that people who are physically active reduce their risk of developing major chronic illness like Chronic Heart Disease by 50% but at present only 17% of men & 13% of women nationally reach the recommended levels of physical activity. One of the main issues we have in the UK is the growing obesity problem amongst adults and children. According to Government statistics 2004, 60% of the UK's population is classed as overweight with over 20% being classed as clinically obese.

The good news is that it is never too late to establish a physically active lifestyle and reap the health benefits so introducing cycling as way to achieve this will help to fulfill many people's aspirations to become healthier and fitter for free!

Safer Cycling in Nottingham
One of the project's aims is to get more people cycling safely and to this end, we are encouraging people to take up training sessions. Whether you are a complete novice and want to learn how to ride a bike or if you just want to brush up and improve your cycle skills, we can help you become a much more confident and safer cyclist.

I recently got my level 3 certificate and from my own experience I've realised there's more to being a safe cyclist than just wearing the right gear. If, like me you are fairly confident cycling on main roads, negotiating roundabouts and filtering in lanes then believe me there is still a lot you can learn to make you much safer on the roads.

Instructors will guide you through a nationally accredited programme and you go at your own pace so there's no specific target to reach and if you want a certificate, you learn the main points of that level and you are assessed on your ability, so there's no formal undertaking or written work, so it couldn't be easier!!!

Benefits of cycling
Not only will people be exercising and getting fitter - for free, but they will be lowering the risk of chronic disease and improving their emotional health too.

Good for the Pocket and the environment - people will be saving money on motoring costs and helping reduce pollution - let's not forget that cycling is the least polluting way of travelling after walking and it doesn't contribute to transport emissions.

Setting up the Project
Through the collaborative work of Helen Ross - Public Health Development Manager at Nottingham City PCT and Gary Smerdon-White, Chair of Ridewise, the project was officially launched in November 2007.

Sourcing and training partners from other projects including the Health Trainers, Physical Activity Advisors and Exercise Referral Instructors to deliver cycling sessions to individuals coming through the health referral route has also been a priority at this early stage.

Photos from the Cycling for Health Project Stakeholder Launch at the John Carroll Leisure Centre, Radford, on 25 March 2009, and including Helen Ross and Murat Basaran of NHS Nottingham City and Nick Cavill of Cycling England and Cavill Associates

photos from the Cycling for Health Project Community Cycling Events, April to May 2009 in The Meadows, Aspley, Bilborough and Bulwell:

One result of the project was to stimulate demand for good condition recycle bikes from people who are keen to cycle but who cannot afford to buy new bikes.

As a result an existing small-scale local bike recycling scheme run for some years by the Framework Housing Association was in early 2009 greatly expanded to increase the supply of recycled bikes. It now has a new name 'The Bike Club'.

Offers of unwanted bikes, and ideas to source the greatly increased numbers of such bikes now needed, will be very gratefully received by The Bike Club.

Photos from Murat Basaran, September 2010
 

Cycling For Health - Celebration Bike Ride

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  Refreshments at the Boathouse Cafe, Beeston Lock

   
  

  
  
• Ridewise is now running a Cycling for Health Project in Broxtowe Borough.
  For more information contact
  Adrian Juffs, Ridewise Broxtowe Cycling for Health
  mobile: 07905068420, email: adrian.juffs [at] gmail [dot] com