E-bikes for Ilkley residents thanks to the Ilkley Active Travel Hub
Will McBain lives in Ilkley but works in Leeds for the professional services firm Arup, specialising in water and environmental management.
“I hired an electric bike from the Ilkley active travel hub for several weeks last summer," said Will.
“They have a great scheme which is very cost-effective. I only have to avoid commuting by train once in a week to cover the cost of bike hire.
“They have Volt e-bikes that are very comfortable to ride. They are also very good at getting you up hills.
“However, on the flat, they are quite heavy. And if you run out of battery, they are difficult to bike uphill.
“I commuted to Leeds and back on eight occasions last summer. It is very doable!
“Whilst I have done it on a normal bike on a couple of occasions, I found the electric bikes less exhausting.
“A few of us have formed a commuter club and we intend to ride in to work together as much as possible.
“We would be delighted if others joined us.”
What services does the Hub offer?
Hayley Beasley-Dye is the coordinator of the Ilkley Active Travel Hub.
"The Ilkley Active Travel Hub provides the people of Ilkley with several services to help them travel more actively or to just become more active in general.
“We provide an ebike loan scheme, so people can try out an ebike for several weeks to see if they'd like to buy one.
“Our website provides an extensive amount of resources including self-guided walks & cycle routes, information on all the different walking and cycling groups people can join, an events page that lists all the active events that are happening in the area every day, tips and advice on getting active, news articles, information on a variety of active volunteering groups in the area and more.
“We also offer a 1-2-1 advice service where I provide tailor made advice on how to get more active.
“Soon we will be providing adult cycling lessons, a beginner walking group and wheelchair skills training course. In time, we hope to take over the cargo bike scheme from Climate Action Ilkley.
“Active Travel has so many benefits, from physical, mental and social health to the positive environmental impact of fewer cars on the road to easing an individual's financial burden.
“Active Travel even helps build communities, as there are more people out and about on the streets instead of inside their cars.
“The benefits for communities are immeasurable.
“We encourage people to consider active travel in ways that suit people's individual circumstances. Even if someone increases participating in active travel just by 5% that will still provide significant benefits.
“Of course, the more one travels actively the bigger the positive outcomes.
"We'd love to hear how we can help and support residents to participate in active travel. We're always looking for ways to make active travel more accessible.
“Maybe you had to give up cycling to work because of a dodgy knee, but haven't considered an ebike before that would allow you to continue cycling. Maybe you want to start walking to town, but are not sure of the best walking routes?
“Soon we'll be creating a map that will provide info on standard everyday walks around Ilkley.
“Maybe you feel you want to be more social in becoming active, but you’re not sure what's available out there.
“Or maybe it's been a long time since you've been on a bike and need to build up your confidence again. It's all there on the website. People can contact me via the website and I can get in touch with them (in whatever way they'd prefer) and talk them through ideas."
Learn more about the Ilkley active travel hub on their website