Spring into Cycling – College Cycling Facilities
It’s the first day of Spring into Cycling Week at Edinburgh College! I hope that there will be something for everyone, whatever your cycling ability or experience. Our main aim is to start conversations around cycling which we will build upon with future activities and events at the College.
In this mini-blog series, I will cover several themes:
- College cycling facilities
- Access to bikes and cycle training
- Route planning and maps
- A guest blog by a student
- And lots more!
See the Spring into Cycling website for details of everything that is on – and remember, Dr Bike will be visiting Sighthill Campus on Thursday 30 March from 1-5pm. Come along if you want a free bike check-up by a professional mechanic, there’s no need to book, just drop by!
Edinburgh College Cycling Facilities
In the first blog as part this series, I will cover the cycling facilities that are available across the College, from where to safely park your bike when you’re on campus, to information on bike maintenance.
Cycle Parking – There are bike racks and secure cycle storage on all campuses. To get access to these storage areas, speak to a member of security staff at the campus reception. You will need to show your student or staff ID, and they will provide you with a unique access code or a key.
Bike Maintenance – There are puncture repair kits kept with the security team at each campus reception if you ever need them. There are also bike tools available near the secure stores at each campus (including pumps at Milton Road and Sighthill campuses). If you need help fixing your bike, we will be holding more Dr Bike sessions on campus where a professional mechanic will check over your bike and fix any small repairs for free.
Showers – All campuses have showers available for students and staff to use. We are currently enhancing the signage so that these are easy to find. And we will be looking to improve locker provision over the coming year.
Cycling Information – There are also travel information noticeboards located around the campuses. Staff who are travelling for business purposes can claim back cycling mileage (see Staff Intranet for details).
More information about cycling facilities can be found in the College's Sustainability team's campus-specific leaflets:
Cycling Scotland Cycling Friendly Award
We are pleased to announce that Edinburgh College’s Milton Road and Sighthill campuses have been awarded the Cycling Scotland Cycling Friendly Award! The nationally-recognised award acknowledges colleges and universities that are improving their campuses and making it easier and more accessible to cycle.
The award criteria covers a number of areas, from strategy and governance to facilities and events. As each campus is unique, there is no one size fits all, and deciding what to focus on is key. Edinburgh College now joins other cycle friendly campuses across Scotland.
I have been working towards gaining this award for the College. It’s not been easy and I recognise that there are still areas to be improved on. I started in September and began by reviewing what the College currently has – there are quite a lot of cycling facilities available, but it isn’t always easy to find them or know how to access them.
Planning this Spring into Cycling week has been a great learning curve – I've enjoyed speaking to students and staff at the Dr Bike sessions, helping answer questions, and hearing what people’s experiences are. I hope to encourage more cycling, whether that’s building confidence, tackling challenges, or simply starting the idea that cycling is a fun, economical, and healthy way to get around.
Keep an eye out for more details about the award, coming soon!
Happy Spring Cycling!
Alice Barker
Campus Cycling Officer
Edinburgh College