Velotech Bike Maintenance

Staff from two Northumberland schools are now ‘pedalling’ their new skills after signing up to a special cycle maintenance courseGo Smarter, in partnership with Active Northumberland and Watbike in Ashington, are delivering a Velotech cycle maintenance training course to enable school staff to maintain and repair  pupils’ bikes and encourage more pupils to cycle to school.

 

The scheme, which is part of the Go Smarter project, aims to encourage everyone to travel more sustainably and leave the car at home where possible.

 

Northumberland County Council’s Go Smarter team promotes and supports all types of sustainable travel in the county, whether that’s by working with local employers or by encouraging school pupils to get active by walking or cycling to school.

 

The school staff now have great plans for how they will put their training to good use.

 

Andy Allman from Bedlington Community High School is setting up a Career Ride Project where pupils will  have work experience taster sessions at employers which they have cycled to. The school is also buying a fleet of bikes which Andy can keep in good working order with his new skills.

 

Stacey McBride and Lesley McConnell from Shanklea Primary School have done the training to support pupils and staff on their school’s annual field trip to Kielder Forest.

 

Lesley said: “Shanklea Primary School is fully  supportive of the Go Smarter initiative and our well established endurance cycling club were grateful to recently access the Velotech bike maintenance training.

“We are now both fully trained ‘bike mechanics’ and will be very busy servicing and maintaining Shanklea’s fleet of bikes and scooters – from ball bearings to punctures to gears, we can do it!”