It’s a wheely good way for you to get in shape
An increasing number of health and climateconscious residents of Rutherglen and Cambuslang are leaving the car at home in order to reach their destination or exercise on a secondhand bike.
CamGlen Bike Town in Rutherglen’s Thomson Court is one of five Revolvecertified stores in and around Glasgow.
There, bikes are checked and, where required, refurbished in line with high quality and safety standards before going on to the shop floor.
CamGlen Bike Town – part of Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust – remained open during lockdown as an essential service supporting local people.
Jim Ewing, senior team leader at Bike Town, said: “We are delighted to have been part of Revolve for five years. It has been a great way for local residents to be able to buy recycled bikes that are not only affordable, but also come with a three-month guarantee.
“During the lockdowns, we’ve stayed open to help and support local people to cycle, including providing free loan bikes, helmets and waterproof jackets to the NHS and other key workers.
“Bike Town also took part in the Scottish Cycle Repair Scheme, which provided free bike servicing up to the value of £50. Based on the success of this, we have our own new scheme to help anyone who is currently on benefits to cycle.”
Awarded by Zero Waste Scotland, the Revolve certification is Scotland’s quality guarantee for pre-loved items. It gives shoppers the confidence that they will receive quality products and excellent customer service.
Catherine Bozec, consumer campaigns manager for Zero Waste Scotland, said: “It’s great to see more people are purchasing pre-loved bikes. By shopping second-hand, we reduce the volume of new products that need to be created, meaning fewer greenhouse gas and carbon creating processes take place.
“We must reduce our carbon footprint before it’s too late and shopping second-hand supports that. Buying a bike at a Revolve certified store instead of new reduces your carbon footprint and supports local charities and social enterprises. It really is a win-win.”
More than 5000 bikes were bought in Revolve certified second-hand stores like CamGlen Bike Town across Scotland between 2019 and 2020, contributing to a carbon saving of over 600 tonnes. The saving, which is compared to buying new, is the equivalent of taking 321 cars off the road for a year.
Research by Zero Waste Scotland shows that if all bikes in the country were purchased second-hand, it would save a total of 23,400 tonnes of carbon emissions, which is the equivalent of taking 12,000 cars off the road for one year.
For anyone wishing to find out more about Revolve, visit www.revolvereuse.com