Looking to start cycling while you’re in York but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we have you covered!
Buying Your Bike:
When looking to buy a bike, recycled bikes are the way forward as they are generally cheaper and gives an unused bike a new home! On campus, Fulford Cycles come and sell their recycled bikes once a month when the Bike Doctor is around, which is ideal for those who are living on campus (more on the Bike Doctor and their visits below). However, if you find yourself wanting to buy a bike long before Fulford Cycles are on campus, you can always visit their shop which is only a half an hour walk from the YUSU offices on Campus West. Not only will they be able to sell you a bike, but they will be able to kit you out with all the right safety gear, including helmets! Find out more about Fulford Cycles here.
Another way to buy recycled bikes in York is to keep an eye out for them on the Facebook market page; older students are always selling their bikes in order to gain some money back and to not let it go to scrap. Some of those bikes might need a bit of repair, but the cost is suitable enough if you’re trying to buy a bike on a low budget. Once you’ve bought your bike you don’t need to worry about storage because the university have plenty bike sheds and rails located across both Campus East and Campus West for you to use (just make sure you have a secure bike lock!).
Alternatively, you hire a bike for free by taking part in the University’s Cycle Pool Scheme. There are bikes available for hire for 48-hours at a time from the Ron Cooke Hub, Halifax College, and James College. This is all available to you with only the cost of a £10 refundable deposit once you return the bike. To join the Cycle Pool Scheme, you must first complete this Pool Bike booking form, which you can do by clicking here.
Servicing Your Bike:
If you bike is ever in need of a fix, you can get that done for FREE here at the University via the Bike Doctor service. Bring your bike along to the Bike Doctor when they are on campus (once per month) to get it checked out and leave it with them while they repair it for you. You can also take this as an opportunity to register your bike with York’s “Operation Spoke”, which will give your bike a unique marking and register it on a database so that if it is ever stolen it can be identified and returned to you! The upcoming dates for the Bike Doctor are:
Monday 25th November, Vanbrugh Wall (near Berrick Saul), 10am-4pm.
Monday 16th December, Ron Cooke Hub (Campus East), 10am-4pm.
Just looking to pump some air back into your bike tires? Rather than buying your own cycle pump, the University have many cycle pumps placed around both Campus East and Campus West that are free for you to use. On Campus East the two cycle pumps are located outside the Goodricke Nucleus building and the Ron Cooke Hub entrance door.
The cycle pump located outside of the Ron Cooke Hub
Why Cycle? The Benefits of Cycling
It goes without saying that one of the benefits of cycling is that is is good for your health, but I bet you didn’t even consider the possibility that you could earn money just from choosing to cycle in York! The University holds 90-minute training sessions to make you feel more confident about cycling on roads and around the city, AND they will pay you £10 after completing this training! Complete this booking form to register for the cycle training.
Another way to earn money by cycling in York is to get set-up with Deliveroo; becoming a rider for Deliveroo means that you are self-employed and therefore can work to your own availability. Find out more about cycling for Deliveroo here!
Not only can you earn money by cycling, but you can also raise money for your given charity through the CharityMiles App. This is a great motivator for you to get cycling; all you need to do is download the free app on your phone, choose which charity you would like to support, and then let the app donate money for every mile you cycle! Learn out more about how CharityMiles works here.
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