9:20am Wednesday 14th January 2009
By Helen Mead
Chris Evans grew alarmed when he spotted youngsters riding bikes that did not look roadworthy.
“The worst sight was a boy of about 11 riding a bike without tyres and brakes – it was like a skeleton of a bike – and when he wanted to stop, he dragged his foot on the floor. It was awful.”
An advocate of cycling, Chris is passionate about bikes and about giving people the opportunity to ride one. He sits on the management committee of Bradford-based Crank It Up, a voluntary project set up in 2004 to provide cycling opportunities and training for people of all abilities.
The more Chris and other committee members came across bikes that should not be in use, let alone ridden by children on public roads, the more they felt something had to be done.
At the time, Crank it Up asked Chris if he ran a local cycle maintenance and repair workshop. He didn’t – but a seed was sown.
“We did some research, including the number of bikes left at household waste sites. It was incredible – at some sites you would see up to 70 cycles in a container, and many didn’t have much wrong with them. Some simply needed their tyres pumping up, and a thorough service.”
Their findings led to the birth of Cycle-re-Cycle, an organisation that is both environmentally- friendly and innovative. The project – which is a year old next month – not only recycles bikes, keeping them out of landfill sites, it educates youngsters through involving them in the work.
Bikes of all descriptions – tricycles, racing bikes, mountain bikes, BMX and road bikes – are collected from household waste sites across Bradford and Kirklees, and stored at the organisation’s Bradford base, before being transported to the workshop, which at present is in Elland.
West Yorkshire Probation Service and West Yorkshire Police also donate bikes, and individual donations are made by members of the public. Parts are also donated.
“A man rang the other day saying he had ten bikes in his garage, which he had accumulated over the years,” says Chris, who lives in Oakenshaw.
“There are people who might use a bike in summer, put it in the garage over winter and find the tyres go flat. Some people can’t be bothered to pump them up, and others don’t know what to do, so they don’t use their bike. Then there are bikes which children have grown out of.”
“If we have a bike with a damaged frame, we will remove the other parts and keep them in the store for re-use. If a saddle is torn, or the brakes are not working, we will go to the store for replacements.”
Ninety per cent of bikes – including adult bikes – are recycled. The ‘new’ bikes are sold within communities or to youth groups or community organisations, at affordable prices. Damaged metal parts can be sold as scrap, and the cash is ploughed back into the project.
“There are some bikes that we cannot salvage, but the parts can be re-used,” says Chris.
Training in cycle repair and maintenance is carried out in sessions of different lengths, and tailor-made sessions can be arranged to suit the needs of different groups.
A ‘bike surgeon’ session, in which a mechanic helps young people to repair their own bikes, is popular with school and youth groups who want to ensure their bikes are in a good condition.
Young offenders, the homeless and young people with challenging behaviour can also benefit. “The service works mainly with young people, teaching them how to properly maintain their bikes, and showing them how to recycle bikes,” says Chris. “People are referred through various youth services and also come through word-of-mouth.”
For a small fee, people can also go along and fix their bikes, with help and advice at hand.
Says Chris: “Some cyclists may not have access to a garage or shed and have to repair their bikes on the kitchen table. They may also not have the right tools – we can provide those.”
The first injection of funds for the project came when O2 gave the project £1,000 as part of their It’s Your Community award scheme. And Kirklees Council has supported the work through an Environment Grant Scheme.
The cash has enabled the project to buy tools and equipment, so that each person taking part in the sessions has their own workstation and set of tools.
“We have around 300 bikes at the workshop, waiting to be recycled,” says Chris, adding that the service desperately needs new premises, preferably in Bradford.
“From time to time we have to stop collecting as we haven’t got enough room to store any more. We would like a small workshop and a small area outside.”
With a shortage of funds, the group is hoping to find premises donated through goodwill.
“Initially we would only be there for one night a week, so if it is a case of sharing with other people that is fine, as long as we have room for storage.”
The team also want to be able to hold bike sales, with cycles on display. Says Chris: “We need more funds to expand. We pay qualified mechanics to work with the young people.”
We are keeping waste out of landfill and also giving people low-cost bikes, so they can get out in the fresh air and enjoy cycling. We want to encourage more people to cycle and enjoy the health, leisure and environmental benefits.”
If you are able to help with premises, contact Chris on 07519 573542 or visit the website: cycle-re-cycle.org.uk.
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