Safe cycling in Swindon this winter with top tips from Recycles

 A SWINDON bike repair and recycling shop is running a campaign to help local cyclists stay safe as they ride along the town’s streets this winter.

For the ‘Be bright, be safe and be seen’ campaign, the team at the Recycles social enterprise on Princes Street has drawn up a list of top winter cycling safety tips.

Chloe Kirwan manages Recycles - a Salvation Army-run venture which helps support people who have been homeless to rebuild their lives.

Launching the campaign, Chloe said:

“The team at Recycles is absolutely passionate about cycling and everything cycling-related – from carbon frames, to the Tour de France to stabilisers and derailleur gears – basically if the guys don’t know about it, it’s not worth knowing.

“Since we opened our shop here on Princes Street, we’ve quite literally serviced, repaired and sold hundreds of bicycles and accessories and received hundreds of pre-loved donated bicycles from townspeople for fixing up and selling on.

“And being a community-minded bunch, we at Recycles wanted to show our appreciation and give something back to the people of Swindon for their support over the years, so we decided to run a safe winter cycling campaign.

“We asked the team for some top tips and they came up with some great advice aimed at cyclists of all ages in Swindon to help them stay safe during the dark winter months and it’s a privilege to be sharing this information with our local community with our ‘Be bright, be safe and be seen’ campaign”

Recycles Swindon’s ‘Be bright, be safe, be seen’ winter cycling safety tips:

· Get some lights for your bicycle – being seen on the road is vital during the dark winter months. Make sure you’ve got and are using lights on your bicycle and wear reflective or high visibility clothing to make it easier for motorists to see you. 

· Always wear a helmet – bicycle helmets can save your life in an accident – it’s that simple. The Recycles team recommends replacing you helmet every 3 to 5 years, depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

· Look after your tyres – check your tyres regularly and make sure they are pumped up and in good condition.  If in doubt, speak to your local bicycle shop about the minimum recommended tyre pressure as this can help you grip to the road during the winter months.

· Check your brakes – your front and back brakes are essential for safe cycling and they should always be well maintained. Your local bicycle shop can check your brakes and make sure they are in good order.

Recycles is a social enterprise which supports residents from The Salvation Army’s Booth House Lifehouse centre for people who have experienced homelessness.

Any profits from Recycles are ploughed back into the business.

Booth House Lifehouse residents who volunteer at Recycles learn skills such as how to repair and service bicycles and transferrable skills including money handling; stock management; time-keeping; budgeting and book keeping.

Recycles gives Booth House Lifehouse residents a sense of purpose, a sense of achievement and gives their confidence and self-esteem a boost.