A POP-UP bicycle repair station in town centre is proving to be a popular addition to Reading.
As Reading Today reported last month, Reading Borough Council has launched the stall in Broad Street, working with Avanti Cycling.
On the first Thursday of the month, Dr Bike and his team will be on hand to offer help and advice to cyclists and, if possible, a quick repair. Funding has been provided by the active travel grant.
Andy Von Glehn, a freelance cycling instructor at Avanti, said: “People bring their bikes we give them advice on where they can take them for repairs and make sure they are in reasonable condition, so they are safe for the road.
“If people have their bikes in the shed and they don’t use them they bring them to us to survey to make sure they are ready for use.”
A planned Cycle Hub project in West Street was meant to provide 82 secure cycle parking spaces, a bike loan and donation scheme and a repair and advice service provided by volunteer group Reading Bicycle Kitchen.
Although plans were approved in November 2022, Primark, which owns the building the Cycle Hub would have occupied, withdrew its lease offer to the council in September last year.
It has been stressed the cycle repair station in Broad Street is an entirely separate initiative from the Cycle Hub, and has funding for the next year.
Mr Von Glehn said: “This is an extra service which the council wants to provide, to make sure that people have access to good cycling repair.”
James Turner senior transport planner for Reading Borough Council, said: “This is part of our capability behavioural change programme, there are a wide range of programmes, we’ve got an active travel officer, we’ve got various schemes doing free bicycling training and maintenance workshops, and this is one part of that.”
He added that additional Dr Bike sessions could be held over the summer holidays if there is demand.
Reading Bicycle Kitchen has operated for around 10 years and has a permanent base at Unit C10 in Weldale Street, with a repair and advice service running from 10am to 2pm every Saturday. It originally started in the then-empty Jackson’s department store.
Avanti Cycles and the council work closely with The Bicycle Kitchen.
