Schools keep on cycling despite winter
IT’S always a challenge to stay fit and healthy during the winter but schools and colleges across Greater Manchester are showing that a bit of bad weather won’t put them off getting on their bikes.
Students in 21 schools across the region are part of the Cycle Schools and Colleges project, funded by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and led by our charity Sustrans.
Warming bike breakfasts are keeping the students motivated during the colder, darker mornings and there are ‘Dr Bike’ sessions to help maintain their bikes.
This week Chorlton High School will be handing out free lights and hi-vis jackets to students as part of their ‘Be Seen, be Safe’ campaign, and Cheadle and Marple College will be offering students free bike security marking as well as the chance to ‘winter-proof’ their bikes.
There are led rides to highlight routes to school and bicycle-themed events, including a bicycle-powered Shakespeare performance at Loreto High School. The schools, which are all close to new or existing cycle routes, are part of TfGM’s £42m Cycle City investment programme for cycle infrastructure improvements and training across Greater Manchester.
Eleven of the schools have already benefited from the programme last year.
Headteachers report that there are more bikes in the bike shed and the pupils arrive at school refreshed and ready to learn. Even teachers and parents are braving the elements to burn the pounds before the Christmas festivities.
If you’re inspired to join them, our schools engagement officer Alice Swift has a few tips to get you started:
Make sure you’re seen: Invest in some good front and back lights and brightly coloured, reflective clothing. For extra visibility you can buy a helmet-mounted light.
Dress for it. As they say in Britain, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothes. A good jacket and a pair of gloves are minimum requirements. Your jacket needs to be water and wind-proof but not too thick as cycling warms you up!
Service your bike: Bikes tend to deteriorate more quickly in the winter months with things becoming loose more easily in the wet. Get it serviced and wash it down regularly to sluice off grit and salt. Pay particular attention to the chain, gears, brakes and wheel rims. Wipe off excess water and spray moving parts with WD40 or similar. Oil the chain and gears.
Reconsider your route: In icy conditions quieter roads are more prone to freezing. Sometimes a busier, well-lit, gritted road is easier than an icy quiet road.
Schools and colleges are participating across the region, including Manchester, Trafford, Oldham, Cheadle, Salford, Tameside and Bolton. For more details look up the TfGM website.
The programme is part of the Cycle City Ambition Grant, awarded by the Department for Transport.
Find out more about getting ready for cycling in winter at www.sustrans. org.uk/what-you-can-do/ winterproof-your-bikeride-top-tips-cyclingcold.