Bikes, bikes, bikes...everywhere!

You know when you've become obsessed with bikes when you have to take a picture of them lining up at a set of traffic lights in London!

Since setting up the Bike Hub, I can't stop myself from obsessing about bikes....every time I see one I'm wondering how heavy it is, whether I could stick a set of 'slicks' on it, would it work if it was converted in to a road bike, I wonder what the owner will do with it when they've had enough of it!!  and what's amazing about the picture above is that I'm absolutely certain there are more bikes in London than when I last visited...the Barclays Bike Hire scheme seems to have had a real impact and although you wouldn't get me cycling in London for love nor money, it does give me faith that we're starting to go back to more traditional, cost effective and carbon neutral forms of travel, that fit far better with our need to move away from fossil fuel dependency.

Although bikes doesn't seem like the biggest 'waste issue' in the world, or indeed Cornwall, for me it symbolises everything that's wrong and right about our throw away culture.  On the one hand the bike is a fantastic way to get fit, to reduce your carbon footprint and to have fun, but the flip side is that many bikes are made on the other side of the world, imported, flogged to customers who don't have the foggiest about how to look after the bike, and so when they break, they are discarded like plastic bottles and hundreds make their way to a landfill site or recycling centre to be crushed for scrap metal.

At the Bike Hub we're trying to get to grips with this...in a small way I know, but if we can change perceptions about second-hand bikes and about green transport, then we may help reduce waste and re-educate at the same time.  Since opening the doors to abandoned and unwanted bikes just over 3 weeks ago, we've probably had over 50 handed in....all types and sizes from classic racers to kids bikes and wheelchairs!  What has struck us already is that many of these bikes have absolutely nothing wrong with them, or at least very minor issues like break cables that need replacing or knackered chains....and so we've quickly come to a conclusion that the main reason these bikes are being discarded is because their owners just don't have the knowledge or confidence to repair them...and sadly their perception is probably that it's cheaper to replace it....20% of these bikes are easily fixable and starting next week we'll be selling these bikes at RE:SOURCE, our furniture and electrical reuse centre in Bodmin.  The remaining bikes need a bit more love and attention and as we develop our stock of spares and start to train up a new generation of bike mechanics, these bikes will start to be repaired...and what we can't repair will be dismantled for parts and for training young people in the component parts...and finally recycled!

The Bike Hub is keen to hear from you if you want to get involved, if you have an interest in bikes and want to volunteer or if you want to donate an old bike.  We will be starting City and Guilds Bike Repair courses very soon so if you're interested in forging a new career in the bike world then this could be just the opportunity you're looking for...

Finally, if you just want to get out on your bike and lack a bit of confidence or perhaps you want to try a bit of off-roading but have no idea where to start, then keep an eye out for our forthcoming Bike Hub Rides....

So back to where I started....bikes bikes bikes everywhere....so if you're thinking of dipping your toe in the water with a new bike, consider this.  A pre-loved bike from the Bike Hub comes with a guarantee, it's carbon neutral and has been maintained by an industry trained mechanic....It won't cost you more than £50-70 and is all you need to get started...when you've got your confidence and caught the bug, learn how to maintain it so you can get the most out of a new bike, find out if we're running a course and then upgrade to a shiny new bike but only if you bring your old one back to us to pass on to someone else!!!

A bike from the Bike Hub could be the best Christmas present you ever bought...

Happy biking...