Samita

Using the school’s bike library, and my daughters learning how to cycle, has really changed my life. 

Laura (another parent at the school) taught the girls how to ride a bike, along with her own children, which was just so lovely. My girls now both have good bikes; and what’s great is that once they grow out of them you can just swap it for the next size up. That’s really helped me out, as a single mother. There’s less pressure, either from having to buy a bike, or trying to find the time to teach them. 

Cycling has made them smarter. They’re really aware of how the road works, where to go and not to go, how to cross; all of that. They’re really good at judging their safety and we can get pretty much anywhere in Oxford now. There’s more in place for cyclists, too. Of course, it’s life and anything can happen but they’re very clued up about the road and that makes me less worried.

It’s changed how they look at life. The things they can see and do on a bike are so different to just sitting in my car. They love the outdoors, more than me, and I really believe that’s come from cycling around on their bikes. I’m really happy.

They get themselves to school now, and this has saved me over 90 minutes a day. I’ve gone full time at work, and been promoted. We would never have survived the cost of living crisis if I hadn’t and was still working part time and dropping them off.

So much good has come out of this; my kids learned to cycle, they made friends, they’ve even started going swimming with Laura’s children because they feel like family now. There was a point when 10 of the kids were all cycling together, in a line. I think that makes it so much fun for them - cycling to and from school with all their best friends. Really, I don’t think I’d be able to do half the things I’m doing now, if that change hadn’t happened.