Local Voices
Read the stories of Oxfordshire residents who make bikes, buses, walking or wheeling a part of their everyday lives.
Cherie
“Since making the change to using a bike, I’ve actually found a new hobby. We’ve taken our bikes to the Cotswolds and to Wales, for cycling holidays. My cardiovascular health is better; I don’t really pant at all any more going up that hill. And my mental health is better. I didn’t realise how big an impact it was going to have on me. I fell in love with the feeling of cycling almost immediately. The sense of freedom is amazing.”
Felicity
Felicity bought an electric folding bike through the Cycle to Work scheme. She’s able to take it on the bus so that she can commute to work from outside Abingdon part by bus and part by cycle. She says her new commute is cheaper, more flexible and makes her feel more connected to people. She also loves that she can get in her exercise on the way to work instead of spending time and money on a trip to the gym.
Gordon
“I just love the speed of [riding an e-bike]. Living in Headington, to walk to work on the Woodstock Road would be an hour; the bus would be at least an hour; and driving - the way traffic is - was an hour. But on the e-bike, I’m there in less than 15 minutes. And it’s the same going home.”
Philip and CyclAbility
Philip attended CyclAbility as part of his rehabilitation after a stroke. He now cycles independently on roads near his home in Oxfordshire. He says the sessions built his confidence as well as his core strength and road sense, and have also brought him freedom: “I don’t feel trapped in the village”. His partner Liz adds that CyclAbility has given him the chance to do something he’s always loved doing.
Florence Park Midwives
The Florence Park Midwives lease an e-bike from Bainton Bikes that has proved so popular with their staff that they’ve created a nickname for her: Betty. Midwives can have quite a bit of of equipment to carry - scales for weighing the baby, lancets, plasters and tubes for the heel prick tests. But with two panniers and a custom basket, Betty is up to the task and helps the midwives to offer a truly door-to-door service anywhere in East Oxford. All while injecting a bit of exercise and efficiency into a busy and sometimes demanding role.