Our Back on your Bike program is coming up to its one year birthday of delivering skills sessions and there’s so much going on it’s hard to believe how much growth has occurred in just 12 months.
When we applied for a Healthy Tasmania grant to trial Back on your Bike we thought we’d be mostly reaching middle-aged people who were looking for ways to look after their physical and mental health.
And while this group has certainly come along to our sessions, we’ve been pleasantly surprised at the other groups and individuals who we’ve connected with over the past 12 months.
Our initial partners were local councils as they regularly run health and wellbeing activities for local communities.
In the past year we’ve worked with Huon, Clarence, Hobart, Kingborough, Glenorchy, Burnie, Devonport and Central Coast councils to deliver free community sessions at various locations.
But we’ve also worked with community groups that have seen the benefit of getting more people riding, such as the Migrant Resource Centre, Burnie Youth Family and Community Connections, Reclink, Hobart Bike Kitchen and Rotary Hobart.
Volunteers from Sisters on a Roll, Tamar Bicycle Users Group and Bicycle Network have come along to some of our sessions to provide participants with links to social riding groups. And this summer we are working with TBUG and Bicycle Network volunteers to get more group rides happening after the initial sessions.
The embrace of the program by such a diverse range of groups has sent us shooting into new directions, including taking part in festivals and events such as the Glenorchy Mental Health Week expo, Cygnet Cycling Festival, Open House Hobart and Devonport Learning Festival.
New Tasmanians want to ride
Through the Migrant Resource Centre we have delivered a session with Hobart Bike Kitchen to get new Tasmanians onto a second-hand bike and riding more. New migrants to Tasmania are interested in riding to get around for work and school but also for fun to explore their new home.
We’ve also had several people come to us through the general community sessions but who want to ride for the same reasons.
Interestingly, people with disabilities are a growing audience for us. Through Reclink we’ve connected with Able Australia to help their clients use two- and three-wheel cycles to get active.
Our work with them attracted the attention of TADTas, which specialises in building adapted cycles for people who need additions such as back braces, secured pedals, towing bars and wheel stabilisers.
Now we are getting ready to head to the Southern Support School this month with our Ride2School program to help Reclink deliver three dedicated sessions with students.
Getting down to business
Wanting to ride to work is a reason some people have come to our sessions so we reached out to a well-known Tasmanian business close to the Intercity Cycleway to see if they would work with us to pilot a tailored program for workplaces.
MONA jumped at the chance to offer staff video information and personalised skill refresher sessions to help them make the choice to ride. A group of staff members have attended skills sessions and undertaken follow up one-on-one sessions and group rides.
We’re now in the position to offer other employers the same program, so if you work somewhere where your colleagues could use some extra help urge your boss to get in contact with us.
Help others get riding
If there is someone in your family or friendship group who says they want to get back into riding but don’t know where to start, send them our way.
People can register for set sessions or send us their details and we’ll arrange a session for a group of 2–4 people.
Find out morewww.bicyclenetwork.com.au/back-on-your-bike