Quarterly Dr Bike clinics start at Helix

Helix estate managers Knight Frank have partnered with Bike4Health to launch a quarterly pop-up bike hub. The hope is to encourage more people from Helix buildings to cycle to work.

Held for the first on 08 June to coincide with the start of National Bike Week, the clinic combined free maintenance work from Dr Bike and a bikers' breakfast. The clinic also offered guidance about cycle routes across and around Newcastle.

Knight Frank’s Occupier Experience Manager, Laura Kerry said: “We’re thrilled with the interest we received at the event and it was great to chat to people working about their experiences of cycling to Helix for the first time.

“It’s really important for us to get across the message that it’s an easy, stress-free travel option that can be a cheaper and quicker alternative to taking the car to work – especially for those living within five or six miles of the city centre. We also want to dispel the preconceptions that you have to be an experienced cyclist or be head-to-toe in lycra to be able to get started.”

Bike4Health Workshop Manager, Dan Wills, said, “It’s fantastic to work with Knight Frank to offer this service on site. We are seeing a sharp increase in the number of people wanting to cycle to work, but there are still certain barriers that make it too difficult for some. That’s why we’re here, enabling people to choose healthier, cleaner and cheaper journeys.

Laura concluded: “Encouraging more employees to cycle to work is on our sustainability agenda, ties in with Newcastle City Council’s City Plan and we’re going to partner up with the other buildings at Helix to reach a wider audience. We’ve also engaged our tenants to ensure they support their employees who cycle to work by highlighting the fantastic cycle facilities, showers and drying facilities in most of the buildings and providing regular incentives to staff, helping us to achieve this long-term aim.”

The bike hub events will continue as a pop up event once a quarter featuring free bike servicing, bikers breakfasts and cycling freebies.